"300", Socrates and Body Parts

When "the 300" finished their feat at Thermopylae, and, teaming with the city-state of Athens, repelled the invading Persian Empire, those civilizations enjoyed a short time of peace. But Sparta and Athens were at one another's throats 50 years or so later in the Pelopennesian War. That conflict featured a political crossroads we still debate today: Sparta believed in aristocracy while Athens practiced a pervasive democracy. The oligarchic party in Athens quietly supported the Spartan-style aristocratic way of governing, believing "democracy" to be too chaotic, too egalitarian, and fated for mediocrity. Athens lost, and so did the leaders of the oligarchic party.

Critias headed that party in Athens, and he--a ha!-- was a pupil of Socrates and the uncle of Plato.

Though Socrates was executed for "polluting the youth" of Athens, his advocacy of "rule by the wisest" (aristocracy) made his death there a virtual certainty.

2400 years later, what is the answer? Pure democracy--let's all vote on everything, appeals to our desire for participation and equality. No one actually practices this because of the obvious inefficiencies--the molasses rate of decision-making. Most "democratic" governments overcome with with Representative Democracy. Aristocracy may (or may not) actually produce rule by the wisest and most apt, but it seems elitist and given to exploitation of those ruled.

Was this perhaps on Paul's mind when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 that the body is composed of many different kinds of gifted parts; did a little history dovetail into this definitive discussion of our varied spiritual gifts? Who knows. But his treatise on how the Body works together finds a leadership place somewhere, in my opinion, between Sparta and Athens. In the church, we don't "democratically" cycle-in and cycle-out our elders, ministers, deacons, but neither do we want those leaders to lead like an aristocracy. We want voice, process, participation, discussion--mature decision-making.

Perhaps the key really is in keeping The Body, and how it physically works, in mind.

OK, enough of this superficial blathering!

Hong Kong is HOT

Flew into HK late Friday night (July 13)--the whole trip is about 22 hours door to door. On Saturday, "the 300" HK disciples who had been converted before 1992 hosted a "tea time" remembrance for me since this fall is the 20th anniversary of the founding of the HK church of Christ. You can imagine the emotion in that room. I adapted my teen Sunday sermon and spoke about HK heroes for tomorrow and what it will take to fulfill their new motto, "the best is yet to come"

Preached Sunday as well on "The Calling" and this went very well. The rest of the week has been appointments and time to think and write. My batteries are charged and I can't wait to return to Seattle! I hear we are on the verge of a wonderful building...

Thrilled too that Mark and Annie will soon be here: in addition to Ron and Linda, the Eastside deserves a 100% dedicated "E-side-only" Evangelist and wife--Lynne and I have loved the Eastside and felt it a privilege to serve, but recognize that we have been unable to provide that dedicated focus for Eastside only. Here, I have been recalibrating my weekly schedule to reflect a more congregational (and including South Sound) approach to strategy and appointments.

I recommend visiting Hong Kong and China, but NOT in the summer! HK is so hot and humid that you can stand outside, completely still, and be completely soaked in sweat in about 15 minutes. It's kind of a negative miracle. Some of you Miami types might love it.

See you all soon...

Not Home Yet, by Jay Kelly

I'm amazed that we are so close to moving in to a new church home on top of Queen Anne. The contracts are being drawn up right now by our amazing church real estate specialist Bryan Mangum. We'll have 30 days to make sure it will work for us, and two more weeks to close. We almost have the entire down payment committed and our monthly payments seem within reach. If all goes well we could be worshipping this September in our own church building in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Seattle. It's also possible that we could have this building completely paid off within three years. God has truly elevated our faith.

Check out our most recent video at the below link.

http://web.mac.com/jay_kelly/iWeb/Not%20Home%20Yet/Elevate%20Your%20Faith.html

"Call Now!"

I'm busy right now, aren't you? Lynne just got out of surgery yesterday and is recuperating well--she had a hysterectomy as a pre-emptive to cancer that has been gentically correlated to her family. Both of us are fried, and so we are watching lots of inane TV.

I'm amazed at the number of commercials that advertize something and then say, "Call Now!" breathlessly. Have you ever "called now"?? Does anyone? I never have. The closest I came was a call from me and Stephen the night of the September 11 concert to pledge money. Even then, we waited and discussed for about an hour before calling.

Why the rush? Why not an honest pitch, followed by an appeal to "write down this number, discuss it with your spouse and your dogs, and then, if you feel so inclined, call us. We'd be happy to have your business..."? My bet is that buyer's remorse is proportional to the speed with which one obeys the call to "call now." For me, the more frenetic the pitch to call, the more certain I am NOT to call. Sometimes I even say out loud, "No. I'm not calling."

There is a spiritual insight in this about decision making--I'll bet you know what it is. If you figure it out, call me up. But don't call now. I'm busy;-)

Causes for Courage

By Ryan Flynn

My Quiet Times lately have focused on the theme of courage. Simultaneously, I have been reading John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize winning Book, Profiles in Courage. From this I have thought through one quote. "Great crises produce great men, and great deeds of courage."

Here are some thoughts:

It Takes Great Crisis
With no battle, there is no place for courage; courage can only exist in the context of battle. Opposition and fear must be real forces. Again on the JFK kick, I picked up the most recent issue of TIME Magazine, interested in its feature story titled, "What We Can Learn From JFK." The article highlights lessons learned under President Kennedy’s leadership during the Cold War, and their relevance in today's War on Terror. The purpose of the article is revealed in the author's question, "What is the best way for America to navigate through a world where its enemies seem everywhere and nowhere at the same time?"

I found the War on Terror as an insightful analogy for our fight as disciples; an enemy that seems everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Satan, daily terrorizing our lives ("The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy...", John 10:10). My perspective on Satan and the crisis I’m daily a part of is changing! Often I see Satan kind of like the bad, but popular kid in high school, a rebel. He might get me into trouble, sometimes he's a jerk, but he's kind of cool, and honestly is sometimes more fun to be around. Certainly not as a thief (stealing from me!), or worse yet, a terrorist (out to kill and destroy... me!). So I let him around. I stay close, not too close, just around. NO, he's either one or the other. Is it Zack Morris, or Bin Laden? It is a big difference!

Anyways, there is no such thing as a small crisis.

It Takes Great People

When they saw the courage... they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:13 - 14)

The church can get along without courage. It will survive for a time, but it will never be great. It takes courageous people to make it great.

Many are the fruits of courage in the church: changed lives (for both current and future disciples), changed cities, and a changed society. Courageous men and the courageous church are noticed by the world ("…they took not[ice]e…"). True Christians are easily recognizable people, heavily persecuted, strongly opposed, and viciously slandered, but in the end, they are victorious.

It Takes Great Deeds

So, here are a few that I’ll be doing:

• Initiate with someone who knows you well; confess specific sin in your life.
• Have a conversation about God with someone on the bus; invite them to church.
• Have a conversation about God with a co-worker; invite them to church.
• Do something memorable and unexpected for the poor you see each day.
• Lastly, be creative, even courageous, and make up your own!