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25 Things I Love About My Church

October 22, 2012 in comic relief, Jesus, Mosaic, pastor, Reflection, Religion, The Church with 6 Comments

Yesterday we started a new series at Mosaic that I am really excited about entitled, “I Love My Church.” As I have been getting ready for it, it has been so refreshing and energizing to dig into the book of Acts and remember how the church began and what it is meant to be: not an institution, but a movement of God’s grace in and through his people.

It can be easy to get negative on church, can’t it? I pastor a community that is full of people who bear the scars of organized religion and religious leaders who at times did awful things in the name of Jesus. I, too, bear those scars. Perhaps if you’re like me, you can find yourself at times fixating on the things you feel are wrong or frustrating or things you wish were different about your church. I fear this is one of the subtle ways that our heart is drawn away from The One who loved and died for his church.

This negativity can be all too natural for a generation that struggles with cynicism and is increasingly skeptical of institutions, whether they be corporate, political, religious or otherwise. And so I think the challenge for us is this: Jesus loves his church, warts and all. He willingly died for her, in spite of all her imperfections and perpetual unfaithfulness. And he calls us to love her as well.

So one of the things I did this week as a discipline of reflection and thankfulness was sit down and list some of the things I LOVE about my church. Even I was surprised at how easy this was. In just 5 short minutes, I had filled an entire page with things I love about the community of Mosaic. (By the way, I can’t tell you what this did for my heart.) It was so fun to reflect on the beautiful mess that is Jesus’ church and all that I have to be thankful for. I would really encourage you to carve out some time to sit down and do the same!

25 Things I Love About My Church

Celebrating One Year @MosaicLincoln

March 14, 2012 in Church Planting, Jesus, Mosaic, pastor, Photo Blogs, Reflection, Videos with 0 Comments

You ever step into a moment that was so much greater, so much bigger than you ,and thought to yourself, What on earth am I doing here? Over the past year, I’ve found myself thinking that often. Continue Reading…

God at Work: What I’m Learning

August 8, 2011 in Mosaic, Reflection, risk, Stories, The Church with 9 Comments

Yesterday we wrapped up our summer series Practical Atheist at Mosaic. When we decided to do the series, I don’t think I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. I knew it’d involve some hard conversations and introspection along the way, but I had no idea just how gutting it would prove to be. Turns out that evaluating one’s life in light of the scriptures and facing our own hypocrisy can be a very painful process.

As I reflect on the last several weeks at Mosaic, I am struck by a seeming oddity. One could argue that undertaking such a challenging and potentially offensive series just a few months after launch was a risk for us to take. A safer alternative might have been a character study on one of the many heroes of the faith, spending a few weeks in the book of Ruth, or a topical series around something less offensive like courage, hope or dealing with baggage.

But here’s the thing: the more candidly we tackle the hard stuff, the more we are finding that people are responding with faith and obedience. Continue Reading…

A Mosaic Easter

May 1, 2011 in Mosaic, Reflection with 2 Comments

This last week we had our very first Easter worship gathering at Mosaic.

To be honest, weeks before I had already decided in my mind that I really didn't like everything that comes with Easter Sunday. People bring all types of expectations with them on Easter. Among other things, they expect your best shot. And for those of us who are missionally minded, we know that people will come on Easter who aren't normally there – meaning a great opportunity for ministry. There is a lot of pressure for pastors to deliver.

As the big day approached, so did my blood pressure. I dug in, visited and revisited familiar passages, prayed with a renewed sense of urgency, and wrote and rewrote my message – even opted to scrap half of it 1am early Easter morning.

We’ve Launched!

March 9, 2011 in Church Planting, Lincoln, Mosaic, Photo Blogs, Reflection, TheMission with 0 Comments

It’s official, Mosaic has launched! Sunday marked the long awaited launch of Mosaic with our first weekly worship gathering. We knew that people were excited about what God was preparing to do in and through this new community, but we were unprepared for the 250+ people who would join us on Sunday! It was an incredible morning in which many months of prayer and preparation all came together.

The best part of the morning wasn’t number of people there, or the fact that people were so excited to be there that we could hardly get them to sit down, or that people were still hanging out over an hour after the worship gathering was over, or how incredible the Mosaic launch team was all morning, or even the beautiful sound of a new church worshiping Jesus together for the first time. Personally, the best part for me (Aaron) was all of stories we heard of God moving in the lives of people.

Sunday morning we saw several people commit their lives to Christ for the first time! We are so excited to see these people impacted for eternity and to see them begin to step into what God has for them! We saw several others recommit their lives to Christ, marking what we pray will be the beginning of a season of renewed passion and purpose in their journey with Christ. We also saw a number of people who have never been connected to a church before tell us they have accepted the invitation to join a conversation about what it means to follow Christ and who now consider Mosaic their new home. That is what it is all about!

Thank you to those who were a part of the big day and to those who have been praying for us and this new work. Sunday marked the start of something beautiful in the city of Lincoln!

(Originally posted at http://www.mosaiclincoln.org/weve-launched/)

On the Precipice

March 1, 2011 in Church Planting, encouragement, Jesus, Lincoln, Mosaic, Reflection, risk with 3 Comments

In 2005 the course of my life was changed forever.

It was in the fall of that year in the course of a conversation with a close friend that I voiced for the very first time that I sensed God might be leading us to plant a church. These were words were astonishing even for me to hear spoken aloud after spending much of my life avoiding organized religion and it's proponents. Even after committing my life to Christ at the age of sixteen, I had continued to avoid "church people" at all costs.

But our conversation that day had been sparked by a defining moment in my life that had taken place earlier that year. On a fateful winter night in Minneapolis, Christ met me on the balcony of an old Presbyterian church and He said something that I will never forget. In a time of worship and prayer, Jesus essentially said, "Aaron, you have been seeking to love me while hating on my bride, and I am not done with her yet."

Since then, God has had me on a journey of character and calling in which He has been slowly and, at times, painfully stripping me of my cynicism. He has been teaching me how to be a creator rather than just a consumer, an infusor of hope rather than a defuser of hope, a servant first and a leader second, an artist in a world so often full of critics.

Nearly six years, three states, two schools and an internship later, we now find ourselves just five days away from seeing that calling placed on our lives so long ago become a reality. I am excited. I am terrified. I am everything inbetween. We stand at the precipice, and while many voices in our heads tell us to turn back, that it'll never work, that it is destined for failure, our souls tell us otherwise as God turns our attention to His promises, encouraging us to be strong and courageous, beckoning us to jump.

For those reading this, I thank you for following us on this journey and for your many kind words and prayers along the way. And now I ask you to continue to pray for us, Mosaic, and the city of Lincoln. The resistance has been substantial. Ephesians 6:12 has never been so real to us as it has been in this season. Sickness, heartbreak, injuries, ongoing ailments, job loss, technical issues, delayed shipments, lost keys, damaged equipment, and deeply struggling relationships have all been a part of just this past week alone.

In a way, however, it only excites me further for what is to come. The darkness is trembling. I can feel it. Something significant is afoot. The Enemy shakes with fear and outrage. Frantically, he reinforces strongholds, shouting lies amongst us, desperately trying to slow down what God is preparing to do in our city, of which I know Mosaic is to be a part. He knows as well as I that he stands powerless before the King of Kings and His gospel.

It won't be perfect. It'll be messy. It won't all go according to plan. Few things ever do. It'll be hard. And at times, it'll involve much pain and struggle and sacrifice. But to join God in His work to see people filled with the life and freedom and healing that is in Christ, it is well worth all of it. It is a movement that God has been in for thousands of years.

And it cannot be stopped.

"Therefore, in the present case, I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” - Acts 5:38-39

Merton’s Prayer

February 9, 2011 in prayer, Quotes, Reflection with 3 Comments

Yesterday I took a personal retreat to quiet myself and reconnect with my soul and Creator (something I have not done a very good job of over the past few weeks). During my time, I came across these words by Thomas Merton and they really resonated with me. Perhaps they will with you too.

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone." - Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

Remembering 30 Days

October 27, 2010 in Church Planting, Film, Lincoln, Mosaic, Reflection, risk with 0 Comments

In ancient times, altars were often constructed by God's people to commemorate what God had done during a particular time. It served as a reminder of who God was and what He had done. It was meant to prompt remembrance and worship. You could say that this blog post is an altar of sorts.

Just over a month ago, twenty or so people sat in a basement in Lincoln, NE. In their hands sat a single piece of paper presenting a radical idea: videos, vision, stories and a website all culminating in $30,000 in 30 days. One could say it was a rather ambitious undertaking for our small, developing community. And you could feel the tension in the room.

Some openly wondered, What if we don't make it? What if the videos don't connect? What if no one visits the website? What if no one cares? What if people don't give? Are you sure this is such a good idea? What would the consequences be of failing so publicly so early in the game? How discouraging would that be to our team? Could we recover the momentum we would inevitably lose? Besides, is it even okay to pray like that? Can we ask God for something so specific? What if He says 'No'? WHAT IF…?!

Looking back, it was a defining moment for our little band of revolutionaries. We had talked a lot about mission and risk. Now it was time to put our money where our mouth was. We knew we couldn't make this happen. We couldn't make people pay attention or care or give, we could only be faithful with what God had given us. Despite feelings of fear, uncertainty, reservation and doubt, we chose to move forward in faith anyway. We committed to fast together, to band together in prayer for our city and our church, and to invite others to help us do what we believe God has called us to do.

Just over a month later, here is what we have seen happen:

The 30in30 website has had over 12,000 hits from all over the world
We have had 3 churches (two of them local) partner with us financially – a huge kingdom win!
Our launch team has more than doubled in size (and with some incredible, quality people!)
A number of people who are connected to our community who do not know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are being shaken up and moved by the gospel
Buzz about Mosaic Lincoln has spread throughout our city
Our associate pastor, Kevin, and his family moved to Lincoln from Pennsylvania with several thousand dollars of support from their church (not included in the thirty day total) to help them relocate and to free them to invest in our city and church
We received a gorgeous, $2100 guitar in the mail a few days ago from another ARC couple currently planting a church in MT who told us that God wouldn't let them alone about it and that they wanted to sow into us
And, praise God, we had over $30,000 donated in just 30 days!

During all of this, our only expenses were $50 spent on a WordPress template for the website and $52 on a kite that wouldn't fly! Not too bad for a group of thirty five people meeting in a basement.

My point is certainly not to toot our own horn as if we deserve credit for this. Quite the opposite. My point is to turn your attention to Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith, and his exceeding goodness and faithfulness to provide for our needs and answer our prayers when we ask Him to help us do what He has called us to do. We do not deserve any of this. And in looking at the list above, I hope you will join me in acknowledging that there is no way our little tribe could have pulled this off on our own.

God is good. Christ promised to build His church, and he is doing just that. Here. Now. In our midst. And we are honored, humbled, and deeply grateful to be able to play a small part in it.

Our Greatest Work in Divine Movement

November 10, 2009 in Articles, Church Planting, Leadership, prayer, Reflection with 2 Comments

Our journey in planting a church in Lincoln, NE continues –
and what an exciting journey it is turning out to be! Things are beginning to
fall into place, God is stirring powerfully within us, preparing us for what is
ahead, answering huge prayers, new possibilities are opening up, new people are
joining us, new challenges are presenting themselves and God has been teaching
us so much along the way.

In all of this, God has been teaching us one great truth
that towers above the rest: There is simply
no substitute for prayer.

I am learning that it is not only on one’s knees that great
dreams are birthed, but it is in that place of submission and intercession that
great dreams are also carried out to fulfillment. It is on our knees that great
dreams become more than just dreams.

I know if we’re honest, most of us really don’t like that
answer. Some have undoubtedly exited this post already to go find something
more exciting and pragmatic. Leaders are doers. It’s just a part of who we are.
But here’s the deal, if you insist on
always doing at the expense of praying, you can count on your church
being a truer reflection of what you can do rather than of what God can do.

Think about it. When we work hard, cast compelling vision,
make strategic plans based on our goals, create programs and initiatives to move
us to where we need to go, steward our leadership well in seeing plans
executed, goals accomplished and vision carried out (all good things by the
way), but we fail to fall on our faces before God, who do you think typically
gets the praise when things go well? You got it: leadership. When we refuse to
pray, we unknowingly put ourselves in a position where we can now potentially take the glory for ourselves. Perhaps this is in part why God loves to display his strength in our weakness. We all need the reminding from time to time.

As we move forward in planting Mosaic-Lincoln, it has been
incredible to see God begin to answer prayers in huge and unexpected ways. Some
of the things that have happened in the last several months can only be
explained by divine orchestration. Some of the things He is calling us to in
the future can only be accomplished through divine intervention. Honestly,
these things are terrifying…but they keep us on our knees. And I am finding
that that is exactly where God desires for us to be – crying out to him on
behalf of the city of Lincoln.

You see, I am learning that when we lay our lives down at the feet of Jesus –
when we surrender our hopes, our dreams, our plans, our successes and failures
and all of the junk we’ve accumulated along the way – when we give it all up
and begin to ask God for the things he desires, God loves to deliver.

When we begin to cry out to God for lives to be changed by
the gospel, for captives to be freed from the addictions that enslave them, for
the poor to be raised up from the ashes, for the broken to be put back
together, for justice to reign, for new life to be breathed into our
neighborhoods, for a movement of God’s grace to sweep through our cities, there
is nothing that God delights in more than to say, “Yes.” But it all starts right here. On our knees. In prayer.

Spoiled by Church Planting

March 23, 2009 in Church Planting, L.A., Mosaic, Reflection, The Church with 3 Comments

The past eight
months I have found myself consistently having to wrestle with feelings of frustration and I am trying to figure
out why. I mean, I am a part of a really cool church that has a global
reputation for missionality and innovation, whose core values I am personally
passionate about, and it is led by a man I greatly respect and admire. So what’s
the deal?!

I think the answer
to that question has more to do with what I love than with what is frustrating
me, per se. I mean, sure, L.A. people can be really flaky – often saying
they’ll do something but rarely following through. And sure, people mostly keep
to themselves and as a result sometimes come off as being cold or detached. But all
in all, it isn’t a bad place to live. There are good people here. And more cool
things to do than any one person has time for. All in all, my wife and I are
digging L.A.

I think my real
problem is that I have been spoiled…spoiled by church planting.

Can I just say that
I love church planting? I do. Think about it: no rules. no walls. no history.
no
baggage. just a blank canvas, a bunch
of dreams, some ancient promises, and a group of people crazy enough to think
this thing might work.

I mean, sure, it’s
scary. It's unpredictable. And yea, some sources do suggest that 80% of them fail. But that means
20% of them work, and if you ask me, that is reason enough to keep doing it.

What do most people
cite as their reasons for not going to church? “It’s boring. It’s dated – like
stepping into a Chuck Norris film, only without all of the great one-liners. It’s full
of hypocrites. It’s unhelpful. They just want my money. I don’t have time. I
just don’t want to.” Those are good reasons. And can I admit something? I agree that many of these things are
true of far too many churches. The sad part is that those churches are not a
good representation of what the message of Christ is and what his movement was
intended to be. Even those outside of the faith understand this to be true. As
a result, scores of people (Christians included) have walked away from the
church. And it is totally unnecessary.

Most people haven’t given up on God. They have given up on church. New movements are needed that are willing to try new things in order to connect them with Jesus.

Starting a new community
is an opportunity to try things that just aren’t going to happen in many
established churches. Too much hierarchy. Too many politics. Too many
committees overseeing committees overseeing committees. Too much of a lot of
things. Even if an established church wanted to change some of the fundamental
things they do or the ways in which they do them, by the time that something is
presented, debated, voted, passed and implemented, it is no longer such a great
idea anymore. Hard to create movement in something designed to be static. Church
planting is an opportunity to start a movement.

All that to say
that I have really been spoiled. Even in a church as unique and innovative as
Mosaic, there still exists things like hierarchy, red tape and due process. Of
course, in a church of 3k there almost has to be. It has really just served to
affirm my passion for church planting and to clarify that I am probably not cut
out for mega church ministry. Good people, good work, but just not my style.

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