Coram Deo Blog
Archive for May 2009
31 May 2009 at 5:33 pm by Bob Thune · brokenness, culture, sin
Dr. George Tiller, a controversial abortionist from Wichita, Kansas, was gunned down today in the foyer of the church he attended.
This is tragic news for all of us who believe in non-violent opposition to abortion. The anti-abortion movement has always had its share of quacks and nutjobs who have tarnished otherwise peaceful efforts to champion the sanctity of life in the marketplace of ideas. By God’s grace we had not seen any of this radical violence in a decade or so… until today.
Tiller was in the midst of a protracted legal battle over alleged illegalities and medical shortcuts in the his late-term abortion practice. Had the legal battle played out, it might have been a victory for pro-life advocates. As it is, the murder of Dr. Tiller will certainly create a backlash that will seek to label the entire pro-life movement as radical and dangerous. Already the Associated Press report notes that “the [murderer] acted alone, although authorities were investigating whether he had any connection to anti-abortion groups.”
Let us unreservedly condemn the sinful, violent actions of Dr. Tiller’s murderer. Let us distance ourselves from all who would seek to remedy one sin through the commission of another. And let us continue to affirm that a child in the womb is a human being, created in God’s image, who deserves the same right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that the rest of us enjoy.
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29 May 2009 at 1:11 pm by Kendal Haug · announcement, culture, theology
In case you missed it or need a reminder, the first ever Coram Deo Film & Theology session is taking place tonight starting at 6:30pm at Mosaic Community Development. There is no entrance fee (although we will ask you to chip in a few bucks if you want some refreshments) and you do not need to bring anything other than your person. So come, eat some popcorn, watch a good movie, learn how to engage film in a deeper and more meaningful way, and enjoy some great company. See you there!
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29 May 2009 at 10:04 am by Bob Thune · culture
I personally think Twitter is a ridiculous fad that will die out quickly (in fact, a recent Nielsen study shows that 60% of Twitter users abandon the service after one month). But in spite of the data, I know some of you are still Twitter fanatics.
Mars Hill and other churches have been favorable toward texting/Twittering during church. But Josh Harris recently wrote a piece that argues the other side of the issue. Points #3 and 5 especially resonate with me. What do you think?
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28 May 2009 at 11:22 am by Bob Thune · culture, politics
Bizarre news out of San Diego this past week… can the county punish you for practicing hospitality?
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25 May 2009 at 8:45 am by Bob Thune · announcement, church planting, mission
For the next four weeks, our whole church will engage in a spiritual formation exercise together. Understanding our history as a church will help give some context for this initiative.
We planted Coram Deo out of a conviction that Christians needed to become missionaries to our own culture. That idea didn’t sound like rocket science when we first embraced it. But putting it into practice has proven to be a near-death experience for many Christians who struggle with the wholesale changes it requires.
For centuries, Christianity was the reigning paradigm in Western culture. Christendom ruled the day. We knew how to “do church” under that system. We invited the already-Christianized people around us to “come to us.” We built attractional churches that offered programs, events, and ministries as a way of getting people in the door.
But what we created had an effect on us as well. We became consumers instead of missionaries. We learned to choose a church based on what it offered us, not on whether it would shape us as disciples of Jesus. Churches have learned to market to the style of worship we prefer (traditional? contemporary? edgy? guitar-led? blended?) or to the programs we’d come to expect (fun kids’ ministry? singles group? mom’s day out? recovery groups?), and we have blindly followed.
But the gospel won’t let us be content with this arrangement. Deep within our souls, we know that we are made to be missionaries. The Great Commission rings in our ears: GO and make disciples (Matt. 28:19). We remember that Jesus told his disciples, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21). Something in us longs to stop attending church and start being the church.
Coram Deo began with a nucleus of people committed to that missional vision. We were ready to be the church – but we knew we needed to die to some bad habits first. So before we had our first public worship service, we spent four months learning to be missionaries in our own culture. We searched the Scriptures, learning contextualization from Peter (Acts 4) and Paul (Acts 17). We immersed ourselves in the culture of our city. We had lots of conversations with skeptics. We prayed intentionally for non-Christians around us. And most importantly, we held each other accountable for living on mission. No one was exempt. The church, after all, exists for mission, not comfort.
There was something rich and sanctifying about that original experience. It did drive away some people who weren’t willing to become missionaries – or who thought we should take their word for it that they already were. But for the rest of us, it taught us to see with new eyes. We learned to see the church from the outside – as our skeptical friends saw it (and trust me: the view is very different). Most importantly, we began to worship Jesus more fully and more passionately and more intently.
It has been four years since that initial planting effort. And we have lost some of our missional momentum. There are many reasons for that: loss of vision; the natural human drift toward complacency; our propensity to forget the gospel; a few hundred more people who still have some consumer tendencies. It’s time to re-shape our church around the gospel. And in order to do that, we need to gain some practice in the missional rhythms of living out and inviting in. Anyone can agree to these rhythms in principle. It’s another thing to put them to practice.
So for the next four weeks, we’re going to apply ourselves to this pursuit – together. Every missional community and every rhythm group will work through a four-week spiritual exercise we’ve put together called Living on Mission. It will take an intentional commitment of 20 minutes each day. But by the end of the fourth week, by God’s grace, our whole church community will be shaped as missionaries through the practices of celebration, listening, generosity, and hospitality.
Remember: there’s nothing magical or extra-spiritual about these four disciplines. They’re just some practical ways to put feet to the rhythms of living out and inviting in. They’re the kinds of things you would do if you were a missionary in another culture. And that’s the point.
You should receive a copy of the Living on Mission guide this week in your MC, or next Sunday if you’re a part of a rhythm group. If you haven’t joined a rhythm group, we’re still forming them and we’d love to have you involved. Email info@cdomaha.com and we’ll get you plugged in.
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22 May 2009 at 10:24 pm by Bob Thune · announcement, baptism
We love celebrating what God is doing in the lives of the people who make up the Coram Deo church community. And one of the best things he is doing is calling people to Himself. The Bible teaches that “salvation is from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws that person (John 6:44). And when God calls someone to faith in Jesus, baptism follows. As a wedding ring is the sign of a marriage covenant, so baptism is the physical sign of God’s spiritual covenant with his people. The Bible knows no such thing as an unbaptized Christian. If you are a Christian and you have not been baptized, you are in sin and you need to repent. It’s that simple.
This Sunday at 11 AM, we’ll gather on the Suckau Chapel lawn to worship God together and to baptize a bunch of people. Coram Deo baptisms are always fun – partially because they’re always creative. We’ve baptized in a horse trough, a public pool, and even my neighbor’s hot tub! This time around we’ll use an inflatable pool. It doesn’t matter much as long as we affirm the Apostle’s Creed and get people wet.
Remember: only one worship service this Sunday. Come prepared (bring lawn chairs and blankets and sunscreen and etc.). Ask God for good weather. And more importantly, pray for the people who are being baptized. Praise God for His mercy and ask Him to continue the good work he has begun in their lives (Phil. 1:6).
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20 May 2009 at 10:09 am by Kendal Haug · just another day...
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18 May 2009 at 10:31 am by Bob Thune · announcement, mission, sermon
Last Sunday I announced a spiritual exercise called Living on Mission that our church will be doing together for the month of June. If you are in a missional community, this exercise will take place in the context of your MC. If you are not in an MC, we are putting together a bunch of short-term Rhythm Groups that will meet together just for this 5-week exercise.
Below is a short 4-minute sound bite that explains rhythm groups. I would ask all of you to listen to it – especially if you were at the 9 AM service. (I did a really poor job explaining rhythm groups at the 9 AM.)
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I also said abruptly at 9 AM that “if you don’t want to be in a rhythm group, you need to find a new church.” That may or may not be true. What I was trying to articulate was this: we exist to make disciples of Jesus by immersing people in gospel-centered missional community. We will not answer to Jesus for preaching good sermons or gathering lots of people in a building. We will answer to him for making disciples who obey what he commanded (Matt 28:18-20) and who live all of life for His glory (1 Cor 10:31). The full scope of that mandate cannot be accomplished on a Sunday morning. Which is why we are relentless about pushing people toward missional community.
So for the 113 of you who are not in a missional community, we are asking you to make one of three decisions:
- Join a short-term rhythm group from May 31 thru the end of June as a first step into community
- Meet with a pastor or staff member to share your story, ask whatever questions you need to ask, and/or get to know more about Coram Deo
- Find another church (but please don’t take this step without taking step 2 first)
If you are one of the 113 non-MC people, we love you. We know God has brought you to Coram Deo for a reason. We feel compelled by God to serve you and know you and shape you as a disciple of Jesus. I know we can sound abrupt and harsh sometimes when we say “get in an MC or find a new church.” Part of that harshness is intentional, because the Bible commands us to “admonish the unruly,” and there are lots of unruly church-hopping Christians who need a good kick in the pants. But the same verse also exhorts us to “encourage the fainthearted and help the weak” (1 Thess 5:14). So if you have a more tender conscience, please forgive our abruptness. We DO want to get you connected. Call or email us. Let’s hang out.
And if you’re a non-Christian, an agnostic, a skeptic, or a doubter: Coram Deo exists for you. So nevermind all this… just keep hanging around. We’re glad to have you among us. Sometimes we gotta have a little family discussion, you know?
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16 May 2009 at 12:57 pm by Bob Thune · city renewal, politics
Yesterday the city’s outgoing budget director wrote an opinion piece explaining the city’s budget woes and offering some solutions. I’m interested in what you think about her point of view.
She deserves credit for cutting through the politics and talking straight about some of the tough decisions required to restore fiscal order. On the other hand, she seems to work from an assumption that the city is entitled to raise taxes, because after all, we can’t keep cutting spending forever!
I imagine that being in her role is tough… it’s a delicate balance to honor taxpayers and also keep city employees content. But I am unsatisfied with her answer to the question, “Aren’t Omaha taxes high enough already?” Her response:
The tax rate is one-third lower than it was 20 years ago, and a study by public finance experts at the University of Nebraska at Omaha found that the city’s tax burden is lower than that in our peer cities… Over the past eight years, the budget has grown less than the rate of inflation, and the city has eliminated 13 percent of civilian jobs. The problem is lack of revenues, not spending. Until our financial issues are resolved, it will not be possible to hire additional police officers, lengthen library hours or do the best possible job maintaining our streets, parks, pools and golf courses — all necessary to make Omaha a better place to live.
In other words: “Our taxes are lower than comparable overtaxed cities, and we city bureaucrats can’t do everything we want unless we raise taxes.” (sorry Smitty, I know not every city employee is a bureaucrat, but this is a blog post after all.)
Questions:
- Is lengthening library hours and maintaining public pools really necessary to make Omaha a better place to live? Or, in a time of economic contraction, should we expect the city to have to make some tough (unpopular) choices?
- Today I was rearranging some files and found my property tax bill from when I lived in the city of Austin, Texas, in 1999. The damage: $740. Compare that to my property tax here in Omaha, for a house of the same value and a property of the same size: $3,800. Does anyone want to make the argument that living in Omaha is five times better than living in Austin? [see comment thread for amendments to this data]
Your thoughts? (Ideally from people who live here…)
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14 May 2009 at 4:13 pm by Bob Thune · identity, sermon
Focusing on our gospel identity as servants has raised a number of good questions in MC’s this week. Shouldn’t I serve in areas where I’m gifted? How can we call everyone to serve in the same ways (setup, refugee ministry, children’s ministry) if God has gifted people differently?
On these questions and others, Dr. Ed Clowney offers some perspective:
The possession of [spiritual] gifts for service in Christ’s church constitutes a call for their use… Stewards must be trustworthy. We use our gifts in order to serve God, not in order to advance ourselves, attract the admiration of others, or even find satisfaction and fulfillment. We cannot demand that the Lord provide precisely the socket into which our gifts may best be plugged. Our first goal is to get the job done, and only secondarily to find the best use of our gifts. To be sure, the Lord who calls us will provide opportunities for the use of the gifts he has given. Paul sought open doors of gospel witness and urged Christians to do the same… but Paul did not disdain tent-making when that served Christ’s mission.
In advancing the work of the Spirit, we cannot sharply separate natural gifts from spiritual gifts. Both come from the Creator Spirit… our spiritual gifts are often renewed and heightened forms of natural gifts.
– Edmund P. Clowney, The Church, IVP Contours of Christian Theology series
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