Mike Erre

What is friendship?

Mike Erre — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:31:55 -0700

The Greek philosopher Aristotle offers a helpful classification of the many and varied relationships that fall under the category of “friend.” He defines 3 types of friendships:

• Those based on common interests or mutual pursuits – e.g., fans of a sports team, members of an association or club, golf partners, etc.

• Those based on the benefits or mutual advantages that come from friendship – e.g., networking in business, teammates on a football team, colleagues at work, neighbors who watch over each other’s houses.

• Those based on friendship for its own sake, a friendship of character; based on nothing more than time together, regardless of mutual interests or benefits to be received.

The first two categories are easy for me (and I think for many of us). The third of Aristotle’s categories is the most difficult for me but it seems what is most clearly demanded in “loving my neighbor.”

What are your thoughts?

Mike

What is success?

Mike Erre — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:00:44 -0700

"There is a great different between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control and respectability. Fruitfulness, however comes from weakness and vulnerability.

A child is the fruit conceived in vulnerability, community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching one another's wounds.

Let's remind one another that what brings us true joy is not successfulness but fruitfulness."

Henri Nouwen

The Nature of Forgiveness

Mike Erre — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:35:45 -0700

Forgiveness seems to be one of those things that we all know is good, but many of us don’t know exactly what it means to forgive or to be forgiven. Jesus stresses the importance of forgiveness by connecting God’s forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others in the Lord’s Prayer.

An author by the name of R.T. Kendall wrote a book called Total Forgiveness, and in it he explains what forgiveness is and is not. According to Kendall when you forgive someone you do not:

Approve of what they did

Excuse what they did

Justify what they did

Refuse to take the wrong seriously

Pretend you are not hurt

Pardon what they did (i.e., release them from consequences)

Reconcile with them (they may be unwilling or unsafe)

Deny what they did or blind yourself to what happened

Forget what happened

Instead, forgiveness is growing in the act of not holding things over people – of yielding one’s right to hurt (or punish) the other in return for what they did to us. Kendall says that we know we have actually forgiven someone when we honestly ask God to forgive the one(s) who hurt us and let them off the hook. When you forgive, you do not keep a record of what they did, you refuse to punish them, you don’t tell others what happened, you seek to be merciful, gracious and free of forgiveness.

Or, to put it another way, forgiveness is setting someone free and finding out that someone was you!

What do you think?

Book Signing Tomorrow...

Mike Erre — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:54:15 -0700

Hi there! I haven't given up blogging, despite appearances to the contrary! I wanted to let you know that I am signing copies of my books at Borders at South Coast Plaza (Crystal Court) from 1:00 to 3:30 PM. If you are in the area, I would love to see you!

Thanks!

5 Reasons Why It is Good To Be A Dad

Mike Erre — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:28:25 -0800

1. No breastfeeding or mucus plugs (yuck)

2. Playing Wii Mario Cart with my 5 year old son counts as "quality time"

3. Cultural expectations are low, really low

4. The kids only want mommy in the middle of the night

5. My son is in kindergarden. He had a day last fall called "All About Me," where he told the class about himself and his family. He was asked, "What do your mommy and daddy like to do?" His reply: "Daddy loves watching football on TV. Mommy loves cooking." I was thrilled with his response...mommy wasn't.

Death By Church

Mike Erre — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:23:00 -0800

I have a new book out called Death By Church. I am a bit embarrassed to do this, but it got a great review in Publishers Weekly and I was so excited that I had to share it! Please forgive me :)

Death by Church: Rescuing Jesus from HisFollowers, Recapturing God’s Hope for His People Michael Erre. HarvestHouse, $13.99 paper (250p) ISBN 978-0-7369-2496-2

Entertainment-oriented. Hypocritical. Idolatrous. Consumerist. A mess. These are only some of the terms Erre uses to describe the plight of the church incontemporary American culture. A teaching pastor at Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa, Calif., and author of The Jesus of Suburbia, Erre delves into the Bible and church history to make the case that the church needs to recover its communal, subversive, confrontational, countercultural truth-telling mission of incarnating “the upside-down way of the kingdom of God.” Drawing on the writings of scholars in and outside of the evangelical tradition, the writer takes a fresh and compelling look at how a kingdom-focused community would approach such Christian fundamentals as mission, worship, evangelism, the Eucharist and apologetics. A culturally marginalized church, he argues, can still be a place of hope, engaging theworld and pointing to God’s rule. While ceding no ground on traditional Christian doctrine, this thought-provoking book is a powerful bill of indictment and an inspirational template for church reformation that may resonate with believers and nonbelievers alike. A too brief postscript offers suggestions for clergy who want to create the “kingdom-focused” church in their own congregations. (Jan.)

S to the eth

Mike Erre — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:10:18 -0800

He's here! Seth Erre (or, as my daughter calls him sef-e-sef) arrived the day after Christmas. We delivered at UCI Medical Center and Seth ended up staying a week in their NICU. Mom's C-section went well as did surgery to correct Seth's intestines. He and momma are home now and we are adjusting to life with 3 kids.

I have been learning a lot. He has Down Syndrome. Despite our prayers, God saw fit to give him to us in this way. I have learned that 92% of the people who receive the diagnosis we did, when we did, choose to "terminate" their pregnancy. Over the last 10 years, the numbers of Down Syndrome births has plummeted dramatically as technology has increased to the point where genetic disorders can be diagnosed earlier in the pregnancy.

To be honest, I can't believe anyone would turn one of these little ones down. Seth is amazing and God has given us the grace to be completely joyful that he is here. It is so much easier for me to deal with him face to face, rather than just working through the implications of some abstract diagnosis. God has been faithful to answer our prayers: a short hospital stay, red hair (my wife asked for this so he would look like our other two kids), no complications from surgery, and no sign of the many long term health complications that often accompany this disorder.

But, most importantly, when we look at him now, we don't see down syndrome, we see Seth. And that is all I could have hoped for. No doubt there are many dark days ahead, and much more to grieve; but today is not one of those days.

Thank you to the many of you who have commented, prayed, and joined us in the journey...

Theology of Grief III

Mike Erre — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:10:07 -0800

I am incredibly blessed by your comments. Thank you very much for your wisdom and concern.

The author of Ecclesiastes writes, "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart " (7:2). Two verses later, he says something similar: "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure."

Most of us believe this to be true (at least in an abstract sort of way). At funerals, people are often more open to thinking of significant issues and eternal things. Gravesides, nursing homes and hospitals confront us with questions regarding the ultimate meaning and purpose of human life. Certainly, this has to be part of what the writer of Ecclesiastes means. It seems obvious that when we consider the end of our lives it (should) effect how we live today. But I have wondered if there isn't more to it than this.

Is there something else about mourning that contributes to wisdom? Does it go beyond simply forcing us to "live in light of eternity?"

What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts?

Mike

FREE Chapter of "Death by Church"

Mike Erre — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:38:03 -0800

Attached is a pdf chapter of my newest book "Death by Church." I hope you enjoy it. Blessings.

Mike

The Dangerous Alternative to Christmas

Mike Erre — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:14:49 -0800

In the gospel of Luke, the most familiar account of the Christmas story—the one most commonly read in churches and homes—is firmly rooted in history. The narrative begins, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken” (Luke 2:1). Luke’s mention of Augustus isn’t incidental or minor. It sets the whole backdrop for the Christmas story.

Augustus was known as the “Savior” of the Roman Empire, bringing “peace” and “salvation” to his subjects. He was called the “Lord” and came to be worshiped as god on earth. Roman citizens were commanded to pray to him and offer sacrifices. Temples and shrines were built in his name. The census ordered by Augustus was one of the ways he controlled the empire. By demanding taxes (or tribute, more specifically), Caesar could provide for his far-flung armies as well as humiliate the peoples under Roman “peace” by reminding them they lived at the will of Rome.

Against this political backdrop, the announcement in Luke’s gospel is the announcement of a king born in direct opposition to the rule and reign of Caesar. It is almost as if all the titles applied to Caesar were applied to Jesus in order to force people to choose between them. If Jesus had been called one thing and Caesar another, people would have been tempted to believe they could worship both. But when Savior, Lord, King, gospel, peace and salvation are specific descriptions applied to both rulers, the Christmas story forces us to choose: Who is our Lord? Who is our Savior?

The differences between these two saviors could not be overstated. Augustus’s rule was defined by the sword, the shield, and the banners of his legions. The kingdom of Jesus of Nazareth was marked by a manger, a cross, and a tomb. No greater contrast could be imagined. The birth of Jesus Christ was simply revolution: the birth of a different king, ushering in a differing kingdom, and threatening the kingdoms of this world.

Two different empires were established on the day of Jesus’s birth. One built on power, the other on love. One built on control, the other on freedom. One built on oppression and bondage, the other on liberation. Augustus was the embodiment of the best the world in all its ambition and lust can offer, a ruler who sat at the apex of a world-wide system of worship and domination. Jesus, on the other hand, was destined to humble himself on a tree, sacrificing himself out of love.

Jesus represents the dangerous alternative to the power of this world: a different power, a different glory, a different peace, a different salvation. The Christmas story ceases to be an idyllic myth: it becomes clear these two empires are destined to collide. The birth of Jesus is divine insurrection and outright revolution.

The Christmas story forces us to choose between these two kingdoms. Do we bow before the Caesars of our time, or dare we embrace the kingdom of Jesus?

From The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre (W Publishing Group)