Rob Wegner: Blog Archive

As Fast As He Can Get Us Able To Take It In

   

Though he was God,

he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

he took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

he humbled himself in obedience to God

and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:6-8

For Strength

O God, the deathless hope of everyone, we rejoice that you support us both 

when young and even to old age.  When our strength comes from you, it is strength indeed; 

but when our strength is all we have, it is feebleness.  

                                              You give refreshment and true strength.                                                 

Augustine of Hippo (Algeria/354-430)

Take It In

We walk without fear, full of hope and courage and strength to do His will, waiting

for the endless good which He is always giving as fast as He can get us able to take it in.

George MacDonald (Scotland/1824-1905)

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Artwork by Valorie Sjodin, Cleansing Flow from Mosaic Bible

What Does Transformation Look Like?

What does transformation look like?  What does the gospel look like when it comes to a community.  It looks likes this.

One Prayer India Update Segment 3 from BXFilms on Vimeo.

90 Second Hope Invasion

Got 90 seconds to spare?  Invest them here and it may change your perspective on the whole day.

One Prayer India Update Segment 2 from BXFilms on Vimeo.

I Bet You $1000 That You NEVER Heard This About “Doubting” Thomas

Get ready for the first installment in a One Prayer update from church planting movement in India. When I first heard this story from Raj, I was so moved, I first laughed and then, cried. I hope it reaches you in a similar way.

One Prayer India Update Segment 1 from BXFilms on Vimeo.

Back-Translating India to Indiana

What does the future hold for Christianity? Volumes have been written which make the case that secular forces will cause Christianity to diminish in influence, slowing dying as it has in Europe. However, the concrete data points the opposite direction.

The chart above (from Building Belief by my buddy Chad Meister) demonstrates the dramatic and downright miraculous growth of the Jesus movement over the last 2000 years.  This chart does even include the last 20 years!

Jesus words,

"What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. ³²Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all…”

…are being realized in our lifetime.

This growth is happening outside the Western world.  Phillip Jenkins, in his book The Next Christendom, declares that the epicenter and heart of the Jesus movement is move South and East.

He predicts that by 2050, America and Europe will have long been displaced as the most important hub of Christianity. 

South America, Africa, India, and China are on the rise.

As Christianity moves steadily south and east, it is also taking on a new character: Chennai, Buenos Aires, Addis Ababa, and Manila are on their way to replacing Rome, Athens, Paris, London, and New York as the new focal points of the Christian Church.

The Jesus movement is on the rise again and leading to a very different religion that may barely resembles the Western version of it.

Right now, the lead team at GCC is spending a lot of time dreaming about how we take what we’ve experienced in India these last 10 years and “back-translate” it to our setting here in the West.

We’ve seen a movement of viral growth there that now includes over 125,000 people in over 600 churches, who are transforming entire villages.  That happened in eight years.  We’ve been in Granger 20 years and we’re reaching right at 6,000 people each weekend.

I think our future is in “back-translating” India to Indiana.

What do you think?

The Almighty Dollar – Mapping the Distribution of US Wealth by Religious Belief

Much has been written about the distribution of wealth across the various racial, gender, and socio-economic groups.  Every wonder about how the “Almighty Dollar” is spread about among those seeking the Almighty through organized religion ?

Click here for a look at a wide screen version. This transparency takes a look at the income levels of American’s major religious groups, as compared to the average US income distribution. 

So, what surprises you?

I’ll make one observation and then I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Observation: I was surprised to see that Hindus skew RADICALLY toward the higher end of the socio-economic scale when compared to the national average. Here’s my theory: Most Hindus in America are immigrants hailing from the highest levels of society in their home country (mostly India), who have traveled to the states for academic and vocational opportunity.

Repercussion: Outstanding opportunity for those of us serving regularly in India to look for points of collaboration with successful immigrants, who are likely to also be interested in serving the poorest of the poor in their home country. One such individual, a doctor here in Michiana, has been helpful in assisting our teams and work.

So, what stood out for you? What are your observations? What might the repercussions be?

Freedom Is Not Independence

Lent is 40 days to remember our dependence on Jesus.

“Christianity promises to make men free; it never promises to make them independent.” William Ralph Inge

This is something which has been handed on to us by some of the oldest of the fathers and it is something which we hand on to only a very small number of the souls eager to know it: To keep the thought of God always in your mind you must cling totally to this formula for piety: 'Come to my help, O God; Lord, hurry to my rescue.’ [Psalm 70:1]

It is not without good reason that this verse has been chosen from the whole of scripture as a device. It carries within it all the feelings of which human nature is capable. It can be adapted to every condition and can be usefully deployed against every temptation. It carries within it a cry of help to God in the face of every danger. It expresses the humility of a pious confession. It conveys a sense of our frailty, the assurance of being heard, the confidence in help that is always and everywhere present. Someone forever calling out to his protector is indeed very sure of having him close by.  This is the voice filled with ardor of love and of clarity.

…This little verse, I am saying proves to be necessary and useful to each one of us and in all circumstances. For someone who needs help in all things is making clear that he requires the help of God not simply in hard and sad situations but equally and amid fortunate and joyful conditions. He knows that God saves us from adversity and makes our joy linger that in neither situation can human frailty survive without his help.

                                                             John Cassian (365-435)     

40 from Granger Community on Vimeo.

5000lbs Chicken Bomb!

This coming Second Saturday we’re going to bomb Monroe Circle with 5000lbs of chicken! 

Along with the usual distribution of the PCI (Personal Care Items) boxes, each family will receive 2 5lb bags of chicken.

The chicken is donated by Galen Miller who is the owner of Miller’s Amish Country Poultry in Goshen. What an amazing gift!  We would also like to thank Elton Keifer, the member of GCC who arranged this amazing donation. Martins have also donated 600 grocery plastic bags for us to distribute the chicken. I love it when the community works together like this. Whatever is left over will be given to our good friends at the Center for the Homeless.

The truck that is bringing the chicken is scheduled to arrive at MC3 between 8am and 8:30am.

So, all hands on deck!  Show up with your friends and family as we bring the goodness of God to some of the must vulnerable folks in our community.

I dare you to be there…or are you a chicken (bawk, bawk, bawk)?

Video Update from GCC India Team!

One word: unbelievable.

Backstory: The people of this village are Irula. Irula is a scheduled tribe in India. Let me explain. You have the castes, then actually BELOW the castes are the scheduled tribes.  The high caste, Brahmans, are taught they are the people spawned from the tops of the heads of the gods.  The Irula are taught that they are the people spawned from the bottom of the feet of the gods.  They are literally "dirt" underneath the feet of the gods.

This same elder who you just watched be baptized said to our team last December, "Irula literally means 'people of the darkness.'  That is who we have been for centuries. But no longer are we the 'people of darkness,' now we are 'THE PEOPLE OF LIGHT!'"

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

A Detective, A Scholar, A Prophet, & An Artist

“Lent is a plodding, definitive crescendo that leads up to the cacophonous noise of Good Friday and the gorgeous aria of Easter."                                             Eileen Button

Lent was not a part of my life growing up. I grew up as a big “B” Baptist. We didn’t do that Catholic stuff!  All I knew is my one Catholic buddy ate fish on Friday. Filet o Fish, anyone?

Over the last decade, instead of living on a calendar strictly defined by the rotation of the Sun, I’ve been learning and leaning into the Church’s calendar, one that rotates around the Son and HIs activity in the world.

Historically, Lent is the season God’s people prepare their hearts for Easter with reflection, returning, and repentance.

Many choose to fast during this season.

I have.  I fast with my focus not so much on depriving myself of something as it is on devoting myself to Someone and his mission in the world.

We’re also preparing for Easter as a family. Last night, we opened the Bible at bedtime and started the journey through the last week of Jesus’ life.  I like to lay in bed and read with each of them individually. Last night, I made it through just a few verses with each of them.  We’re not in a hurry.  We’ll take our time, plodding through each passage, letting the crescendo build to the aria of Easter. 

Last night, the girls had so many questions. Brilliant questions. I learn so much about them through their questions. They each ask very different types of questions.

For example, Maddie’s questions tend to be about understanding the “why” behind everything, the larger patterns in the Bible that make sense of the individual passages.  She’s my detective and scholar.

Whitney’s questions tend to be about personal devotion and justice.  She’s my prophet, demanding loyalty to Jesus and justice for the poor.

Belle’s questions tend to be about her heart, the things that make her happy or sad. She’s my artist, bringing deep emotion and an open heart to all of life.

Last night’s questions led us into a broad range of topics: the mystery and purpose of suffering, the ecology of Hell, the fickleness of human devotion, the genealogy of Jesus, Pax Romana, and the Messianic misunderstandings of Israel.

I am a better man because of what my children teach me.

This Lent season, I want to be a detective investigating the wisdom of God, a scholar studying the Word of God, a prophet preparing the Way of the Lord, and an artist celebrating and weeping at the wonder that is Easter.