BrianIngraham.com | ASPIRE

This week I have rested. I have just relaxed and spent time with family and friends. It is amazing how stopping brings better perspective and a renewed spirit.

This rest has been made possible by having such a fantastic and diverse team. Tomorrow Wade Thompson will be preaching and I will be doing much less. Andy and Wade have been threatening me that if I didn’t take a break soon they would “Force Quit” me… I don’t know what that means but I decided to pull a “Pre-emptive Strike” (yes, I was born in America) and choose this as a week of rest.

I am excited about Monday, when a few of us are going to spend time working on, in, and around the old boiler room at the church. Who knows, maybe we can get more heat in our building. That would be fantastic.

This year has been filled with obstacles, challenges, and HUGE answers to prayer. I am so glad to be here. God has been good to us and I am so thankful for this church, my team, and all who are making this church possible. May God bless you all.

I have become convinced our church is under the most subtle and dangerous of spiritual attacks and it is coming at the most sneaky of times. It comes at a time when we are growing, things seem to be thriving, people are excited, and the services are going well. On the one hand God is moving, and yet at the same time our adversary is at work attempting to “cut the power.”

For the last six weeks or so, our times of prayer have been slowly drying up, there is a noticed loss of urgency and enthusiasm. Our Tuesday night prayer time has gone from thriving to just a handful of people in the shortest of time. It had even entered my mind to just stop the Tuesday prayer altogether. Last Tuesday it was so bad, some of the people were silently searching, in prayer, for the reason of the dramatic decline in this area, and the dramatic rise in sleepiness, apathy, and faithless praying. We now are certain of Satan’s hand in this. He knows how to kill a good church, take the heart out of the praying.

I ‘randomly’ picked up James Frasier’s Biography this morning and was greatly encouraged by what I read. James was reflecting on Ephesians 6 about standing firm in Faith, Righteousness, Truth, in readiness, and in prayer, so that we can stand in the day of evil. Out of his circumstance he writes:

“I am not, however, taking the bleak, despondent view I took yesterday… the opposition will not be overcome by reasoning or by pleading, but by (chiefly) steady, persistent prayer.”

“I am now setting my face like a flint; If the work seems to fail, then pray; if services, etc., fall flat, then pray still more; if months slip by with little or no result, then pray still more and get others to help you”

“In every battle there are crucial spots. Get near and stay near to your Divine Chief until He turns and points them out. And at those points face and force the fight.”

I am convinced our ‘Divine Chief’ has pointed out this crucial battle for us and our church. It goes with out saying that we have chosen not to stop our Tuesday night prayer time. Join us in praying against this attack, that the enemies’ strategic attack would be fully defeated, and that again prayers would flow passionately and with faith. Thank you for standing with us. Prayer is powerful. God still hears prayers and God is still moving!

One of the oddities of Re:Hope is the high amount of men who regularly attend, especially single men. It may be the only church in Glasgow with obviously more men than women on any given Sunday. It is not uncommon to hear people joke about our church being “Man Church.” I love it that we are reaching the men of this city, but were someone to ask how we are reaching men I wouldn’t have had a clear answer.

Last weekend, I was browsing a bookshop and came across a book by David Murrow entitled “Why Men Hate Going to Church.” I looked at it and thought to myself this could either be the biggest waste of time and money, or it could help me understand the unique phenomenon happing at our church.

“Why Men Hate Going to Church” turned out to be the most insightful and encouraging book I have read in years pertaining to evaluating church. I think the book contains not only answers on how to begin reaching men, but also how to reach the emerging generation as a whole.

Some good lines include:

“Men fantasize about saving the world against impossible odds. Women fantasize about having a relationship with a wonderful man…. Is the purpose of the Christian life to find a happy relationship with a wonderful man, or is it to save the world against impossible odds?”

“Men regard churchgoing like a prostate exam; it’s something that can save their lives, but it’s so unpleasant and invasive, they put it off.”

“Please, don’t gauge a man’s commitment to Christ by his tears (or lack of them)… some men are genuinely broken by God without ever shedding a tear. Sometimes the Holy Spirit works without Kleenex.”

“If you want your church to attract men, you must put a high priority on developing leaders…”

“Today’s church doesn’t need Greg because it doesn’t need his gifts, in fact masculine gifts often gum up the works of the ministry machine. If only Christianity required risk taking, boldness, aggression, and heroic sacrifice, Greg might find his place in church.”

If you are in some leadership or influence capacity in a church or intend on moving that direction, especially working with the emerging generation, pick this book up. Even if you find yourself effective, read it. I am glad I risked it.

I woke up yesterday morning having not heard anything about the Red Church building since our bid was rejected last October. All I knew when I woke up yesterday was that I still wanted God to let us be in that building. Around 2:15 yesterday I wrote this in my journal:

“Father, I am asking for a building I cannot afford. A building that is not for sale. A building whose owner has different plans for it.

Father, I ask for this building as a testimony to Yourself that…

1. You still hear prayer
2. You are still moving
3. You are the provider
4. You are powerfully at work with our church.

I am confident that as You lead us into this building, You will make yourself look amazing by…

1. Providing the funds that we don’t have to purchase/rent a building we can’t afford.
2. Leading the owners to entrust us with this building.
3. Not only provide the funds to be there for now but also to maintain the old building.

I will not doubt the ability of an infinitely rich God to provide for His Son’s bride.

Make Yourself shine though Your workings!
We trust in Your power and wisdom!
In Jesus Name, Amen.

90 minutes later, after not hearing anything for months, the new owner called to set up a meeting about us purchasing the building. She seems unimpressed with how much we have to spend. There is a business and a theatre group also interested. Yet, today I am filled with peace. Let God be God. Let God make a name for Himself or choose not to. I am not able to bring this together and everything should fall apart today, except for the single fact that God is aware of what is happening and who knows… maybe He is intervening on our behalf to make a name for Himself again! It is a good place to be. Keep praying with us I know He is hearing our prayers!

I find myself asking two questions. Does it ever get easier? Do I really want it to?

Sometimes, especially at moments like this, I hope for that ever-elusive time where things will become easy. Since October, I have found myself at times overwhelmed by the enormity of the task of leading Re:Hope. Yet it is during this season I am also acutely aware of four precious realities that make times like this worth every stress and uncertainty. Remembering them is not only crucial for me to healthfully navigate this season, but to find joy when things aren’t perfect. I find my heart anchored in these four truths.

1. I am in way over my head but divinely appointed for this moment.
2. I must continually be attuned to hearing and obeying God’s voice.
3. God has surrounded me with the right people at the right time for this very moment.
4. The life of faith and obedience requires a crazy amount of courage.

There is something that feels so right about living on the razor’s edge with my only hope being God’s supernatural intervention.

A few years ago I was on youth staff at Rolling Hills Community Church. During those years I learned big lessons that have shaped both who I am and how I do ministry today. Rolling Hills had 8 full-time staff in the youth department with very focused area’s of specialization. Mark Began (the boss, a.k.a. ‘The big shooter-downer’:-) had quite a challenge bring unity to his staff. I remember it was a season of particular tension, we didn’t seem to be getting along well, and he took us all to play Frisbee golf at a local park. We spent the afternoon chucking Frisbee’s and just playing. It was fun.

The next staff meeting, people walked in with smiles seeing each other, I even think there was some hugs and some, “it’s great to see you’s.” It was a learning moment in my life that made it into my first written draft of my philosophy of ministry.

“Never underestimate the power of play.”

That day I saw tensions on church staff dissolve. I saw people giving a bit more grace to one another. I saw increased love. That day I learned that love and grace are cultivated in play. This is the driving reason for game nights at church. This is the driving reason for video game nights with church people. And deep down, I am thinking the genuine unity and love for one another that is continuing to grow at Re:Hope could be the natural symptom of things many might consider to be a waste of time.

Last night, our video game night at Microplay Gaming Centre was electric. There was a great group of people from church and so many people who have never gone to church in their lives having a great time. It sounds so stupid, so pointless. Yet, it was blazingly obvious that camaraderie was being build, friendships were growing and the unifying power of fun was at work.

BTW- “I killed Dan.”

Last Sunday a man I had never met before approached me at church. Apparently he was doing some research for the Church of Scotland about reaching the emerging generation. When he looked around our church he was struck at how many young people there were and he said, “Most ministers say that the young are not interested in God these days and yet I look around here– How is this possible? How?”

Jim Goll comments on Daniel chapter seven saying, “What Daniel was witnessing here is a vision of the revival of evil… Daniel wanted to look beyond the revival of evil to see the Lords response to it….“

I can see how God’s people in such an extremely post-Christian context, in a time of a revival of evil, and the collapse of many churches, could be driven to giving up hope of the young ever returning to God. And yet, all it takes is the Spirit’s movement. I live in a city where no truer word could be said than the words of Zechariah, “It’s not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit’ says the Lord.”

Keep looking beyond the revival of evil to see the how the Lord is already responding to it in powerful and obvious ways. God is challenging his people to look past what they see and believe that the God they have heard about, the God they have read about, has begun moving in our day like in the days of old.

Today, Ethan and I were in the car listening to, “The Silver Chair” (book 6 of the Chronicles of Narnia.) As the CD played I would occasionally stop it and explain what was going on. I remember telling Ethan that Jill was supposed to remember the 4 things Aslan told her. If she would remember the things she was told by Aslan everything would go much easier. Aslan made her recite his words daily so she would not forget.

1 hour later I was in a conversation with Ken Long, a godly man with lots of ministry experience, and I asked him how could I avoid being torn apart by the stresses of our building situation. He asked me if I had received a ‘Promise from the Lord.’ He then opened his bible and shared a passage the Lord gave him as he pondered moving to Northshore.

I remember reading the bible and being struck clearly by the Holy Spirit about this building situation. God had encouraged me with several passages from the bible over the last 6 months, but as I sat there I couldn’t remember a single one specifically. It was like the Holy Spirit said, “I have been encouraging you but you keep forgetting my words and so you are torn. Remember.”

Faith is remembering what God has said to us, and being certain that it will happen. Today I needed the words of a man of God to encourage and remind me to remember.

My mentor is someone I aspire to be like. When I was a boy I watched him in his role of camp director. When I was 18 I had the joy of spending a summer under his direction while working at Lakeside Bible Camp. When I was 24 I began to work at the same church as he did. Now I call him once a month for some great long distance mentoring. I remember the first week at this mega-church Don asked me if I would go on a prayer walk with him. As we walked he told me not to get too caught up with the hustle and hurry of DOING ministry. He told me not to be afraid to take time to calibrate to the Spirit of God during my ‘work day.’ He told me God is more interested in who I become at this stage in life than what I produce today. He told me not to lose grasp of the eternal, big picture perspective of what God is doing.

This month Don and his wife were let go from their jobs (the guy is around 60 years old) and this was his reaction. “Isn’t the Lord just Something special! As Psalms 115:3 states: “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” So one of His current good pleasures is to release Bunny and me from the ministry here at OCC…”

Isn’t that the kind of response you would hope to have? Godly. Eternal. Big picture. Biblical. Recognizing the sovereign and guiding hand of God.

Throughout the generations there have been men and women worth imitating. Don is one in his, who will be ones in ours?

"One of the outstanding ironies of history is the utter disregard of ranks and titles in the final judgment men pass on each other….The final estimate of men shows that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart."  — J. Oswald Sanders

I may have said this in a previous post but when I was reading the biography on John Hyde, a missionary to India, I was continually struck at all the forgotten 'more important' missionaries in his day.  Yet John, a quiet man of prayer, a man of godly character is remembered by someone like me 100 years later.  They wrote a book about that guy, not because of his role or title (which he didn't have one of note) but because he lived a life of prayer and had a faith worth imitating.

Our generation is searching for people whose lives are worth imitating.  People of Character.  People with integrity.  People who really do pray. Who really do love God.  What quality of person are you in the process of becoming?