There is an actual historical explanation for the optimism and unprecedented joy Americans feel at Christmas time. And it's not simply because we sing wonderful old songs and eat rich (i.e. fattening) foods in large quanitities. It's a fact that the things we talk about and sing about in December are rooted in wonderful truths of history.
No, Saint Nicholas does not really wear a red suit and leap down chimneys, but he is based on a real figure. Nicholas of Myra lived about 1000 years after Christ. Born into wealth, he lost both of his parents as a young man. But as he became an adult, he took the Christian truths he'd been taught by his parents seriously. He literally gave away his inherited fortune to needy people and desperate souls throughout the land where he lived. (It would correspond to the nation of Turkey today.) Nicholas became so beloved due to his sacrificial generosity that he was ultimately appointed as Bishop of Myra. Eventually he was persecuted for his faith, locked away in prison, beaten and finally released. He died of complications shortly after leaving prison.
Saint Nicholas is not a legend. Neither is Good King Wenceslas. Remember that old carol that you never understood as a child? When he went out one snowy night during the Feast of Stephen, he was celebrating the second day of Christmas just about 900 years after Christ. Wenceslas was the Duke of Bohemia in a region which today corresponds to Czechoslavakia. Like Nicholas, his faith in Christ had given him a heart for the poor. He literally became one of the most beloved royal figures in history due to his generous heart and his ongoing concern for the needy people of his land.
The old carol actually narrates the story of a bitterly cold evening when Wenceslas and a helper went out into the streets to care for a desperate old man. The night was so cold and the snow was so deep that the young aid was unable to continue. But when he placed his feet in the footsteps Wenceslas had left in the snow, the footprints literally warmed him and enabled him to keep walking.
The particular incident is probably just a legend. But there's a reason young Wenceslas became so beloved that legends could be fabricated: because he did amazing things for people who could never repay him.
These amazing figures of history were not just nice guys: they were followers of Christ. And in their desire to love God with all their hearts, they always recalled Christ's observation: "When you do deeds of kindness for the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me."
May we all love Christ with that sort of intensity this Christmas.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A Sense of Timing
John Maxwell says being a leader requires more than the ability to motivate people. Effective leaders must lead other people to the right plan at the right time. Maxwell explains it this way:
- The wrong plan at the wrong time creates problems.
- The right plan at the wrong time is premature.
- The wrong plan at the right time is polarizing.
- The right plan at the right time results in progress.
The priority of the right plan at the right moment reminds me of those familiar words from Galatians 4:4. "But when the fulness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of woman, born under the law." The power of the incarnation of Christ was about the birth of a child to a virgin, and yet it was about so much more.
The eternal inventor of biology could have planted an embryo in a virgin at any moment during all the thousands of years when the world was awaiting a savior. It was a miracle for us, not for him. Instead, God waited until the time was full:
- The Greeks has spread the Greek language across the known world so that, at the right moment, everyone would be able to read or understand the Gospel in Greek.
- The Romans had united much of the world under one emblem so that borders were easily crossed by evangelists.
- Roman roads made travel easier for preachers and teachers, and Roman soldiers dispersed around the known world made it safer.
- And at the first moment all the advantages were in place, God planted the seed and lighted the match.
And so Jesus was the right idea at the most opportune moment in history. God planned it all and brought it about when time was full.
You and I sometimes confuse the right timing with "my timing." And its' true, a little energy and a bit of ingenuity can make interesting things happen. But when our plans are bathed in prayer and alligned the the eternal purposes of God's heart, they always accomplish more and bring about eternal benefits. The trick is being discerning enough, and patient enough, to seek God's timing for our "big ideas."
David wrote in Psalm 27:14, "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord!" Those lyrics are as powerful today as it was when the warrior king first sang them. It's an idea that would make us all more prayerful, more patient, and...yes, more powerful. Wait upon the Lord and look for the moments when the time is full.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
We Look Funny, Too
One of our Bible teachers asked me to help with a question that arisen in class the week before. The topic of voodoo rituals had come up in the discussion, and there had been quite a been of laughter about such superstition. But afterwards, a member of the class wondered if Christians don't look just as strange. If our Bible refers to witches and dragons and other such antiquated novelites, how can we suppose that we are in any way superior to those misguided and ridiculous people?
The question makes an intelligent point: if other religions are to be rejected and mocked whenever they look backwards to the spirit of our age, then Christians deserve to be mocked and rejected as well. That is, the Church has commonly seemed foolish/out of step with the times/superstitious to people in every generation since Jesus came. We have been labeled atheists, arsonists, practioners of incest, and kooks, and have often seemed to support end times predictions which proved to be demonstrably wrong. Perhaps that's why Paul boasted that we must be willing to be fools for Christ.
Granted, the Holy Spirit has convinced you and me that Christ is true and anything outside of Christ is error. However, for people who are trying to discover the truth about religion, it would seem there are some valid, rational tests which can be applied to any religious tradition. Those tests would include:
1. AUTHORITY: Is this based on folk tales and mysterious secrets that can't be tested? Or is it based on objective truth which is presented in some concrete form that can be considered and evaluated? The Christian Faith has stood the test of time because it is based on an ancient text which has accurately recorded history, made correct predictions centuries in advance, and has demonstrated scientific prescience (writers expressing scientific concepts that were not known to their generation.)
2. UNIVERSALITY: Does this religion only appeal to one particular cultural or geographical group, or does it transcend borders and barriers to impact all kinds of men and women in every age? Islam, for example, appeals largely to people of Middle Eastern descent and is growing today primarily on the basis of global immigration, political duress, and heavy birth rates. Christianity is transmitted largely through conversation and has transcended every age, every national boundary, every demographic division.
3. IMPACT: Does this religion positively transform communities and lift people out of despair and hopelessness, or does it promulgate poverty, ignorance and hopelessness? Voodoo and witchcraft around the world and throughout history have encouraged practioners to remain in dark, intolerant, violent, barbaric conditions. Islam literally transports 7th century cruelty, sexism, and bigotry into the 21st Century. In sharp contrast, Christianity has historically fostered education, built schools, and encouraged people to become educated. The Church has led the way in bringing equality to women and racial minorities.
I actually enjoy apologetics and could continue this discussion for several pages, but this is probably sufficient. One should not discount a religion solely because their practices look foolish and superstitious to our 21st Century American perspective, which is a very small window in time. Rather, one should evaluate a religion on the basis of authority, global universality and historical impact. On the basis of objective, rational measures, Christianity shines like a brilliant star in a pitch black sky.
The question makes an intelligent point: if other religions are to be rejected and mocked whenever they look backwards to the spirit of our age, then Christians deserve to be mocked and rejected as well. That is, the Church has commonly seemed foolish/out of step with the times/superstitious to people in every generation since Jesus came. We have been labeled atheists, arsonists, practioners of incest, and kooks, and have often seemed to support end times predictions which proved to be demonstrably wrong. Perhaps that's why Paul boasted that we must be willing to be fools for Christ.
Granted, the Holy Spirit has convinced you and me that Christ is true and anything outside of Christ is error. However, for people who are trying to discover the truth about religion, it would seem there are some valid, rational tests which can be applied to any religious tradition. Those tests would include:
1. AUTHORITY: Is this based on folk tales and mysterious secrets that can't be tested? Or is it based on objective truth which is presented in some concrete form that can be considered and evaluated? The Christian Faith has stood the test of time because it is based on an ancient text which has accurately recorded history, made correct predictions centuries in advance, and has demonstrated scientific prescience (writers expressing scientific concepts that were not known to their generation.)
2. UNIVERSALITY: Does this religion only appeal to one particular cultural or geographical group, or does it transcend borders and barriers to impact all kinds of men and women in every age? Islam, for example, appeals largely to people of Middle Eastern descent and is growing today primarily on the basis of global immigration, political duress, and heavy birth rates. Christianity is transmitted largely through conversation and has transcended every age, every national boundary, every demographic division.
3. IMPACT: Does this religion positively transform communities and lift people out of despair and hopelessness, or does it promulgate poverty, ignorance and hopelessness? Voodoo and witchcraft around the world and throughout history have encouraged practioners to remain in dark, intolerant, violent, barbaric conditions. Islam literally transports 7th century cruelty, sexism, and bigotry into the 21st Century. In sharp contrast, Christianity has historically fostered education, built schools, and encouraged people to become educated. The Church has led the way in bringing equality to women and racial minorities.
I actually enjoy apologetics and could continue this discussion for several pages, but this is probably sufficient. One should not discount a religion solely because their practices look foolish and superstitious to our 21st Century American perspective, which is a very small window in time. Rather, one should evaluate a religion on the basis of authority, global universality and historical impact. On the basis of objective, rational measures, Christianity shines like a brilliant star in a pitch black sky.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Last Christian Holiday
Most US churches will devote the entire month of December to Christmas festivities. It's what we all do in hopes of recapturing the true meaning of Christmas. But I just gotta say this: if we have not been able to rekindle that flickering flame in three centuries of trying, it's probably not going to catch fire in 2009 either! We tend to forget that most congregations in the American colonies banned Christmas more than 300 years ago because it had nothing to do with Jesus and everything to do with drunkenness and irreverence.
We will always have the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the fact that the Word became flesh, but we've probably lost 'Winter Holidays' forever. The same is true of Easter. Americans have come to associate that Spring festival with the change of seasons, new Spring fashions, pagan eggs and bunnies, or a week of vacation. People who don't show up for worship on Easter Sunday have no clue they were supposed to be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ all along.
The only truly Christian holiday that's left for us is Thanksgiving. It's a national day of gratitude to the God of the Bible. It was He who went to such great lengths to guide Christopher Columbus to these shores when he was trying to find India! It was the Almighty God who enabled the poor, unlearned Pilgrims to survive their first brutal winter after they relocated from England to these hostile shores. The Indians who would have massacred them had died suddenly. The ones who dropped by to visit actually felt sorry for them and taught them to plant corn and trap beavers. Their survival and eventual success led to the original creation of this day of Giving Thanks.
A couple of years ago, I asked some school children what they thought Thanksgiving was all about. Their schools had taught them it was about being thankful to the Indians for helping the Pilgrims grow corn. That's wrong! It's not quite as wrong as the idea that Thanksgiving is about turkey and football, but it's still misguided.
The first Thanksgiving Feast was about giving thanks to the Heavenly Father who had provided for his people in mysterious ways during arduous times. There will be a lot of handwringing this year about where America is headed, and justiably so. But don't forget where America came from. Perhaps if we were more intentional in giving thanks and more deliberate in retelling the true story of Thanksgiving, we might eventually recapture the right stuff that has always made us great: faith in Jesus Christ and character forged by fire.
Don't miss the wonder of Thanksgiving. Start practicing today and you might just be ready when the big day arrives.
We will always have the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the fact that the Word became flesh, but we've probably lost 'Winter Holidays' forever. The same is true of Easter. Americans have come to associate that Spring festival with the change of seasons, new Spring fashions, pagan eggs and bunnies, or a week of vacation. People who don't show up for worship on Easter Sunday have no clue they were supposed to be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ all along.
The only truly Christian holiday that's left for us is Thanksgiving. It's a national day of gratitude to the God of the Bible. It was He who went to such great lengths to guide Christopher Columbus to these shores when he was trying to find India! It was the Almighty God who enabled the poor, unlearned Pilgrims to survive their first brutal winter after they relocated from England to these hostile shores. The Indians who would have massacred them had died suddenly. The ones who dropped by to visit actually felt sorry for them and taught them to plant corn and trap beavers. Their survival and eventual success led to the original creation of this day of Giving Thanks.
A couple of years ago, I asked some school children what they thought Thanksgiving was all about. Their schools had taught them it was about being thankful to the Indians for helping the Pilgrims grow corn. That's wrong! It's not quite as wrong as the idea that Thanksgiving is about turkey and football, but it's still misguided.
The first Thanksgiving Feast was about giving thanks to the Heavenly Father who had provided for his people in mysterious ways during arduous times. There will be a lot of handwringing this year about where America is headed, and justiably so. But don't forget where America came from. Perhaps if we were more intentional in giving thanks and more deliberate in retelling the true story of Thanksgiving, we might eventually recapture the right stuff that has always made us great: faith in Jesus Christ and character forged by fire.
Don't miss the wonder of Thanksgiving. Start practicing today and you might just be ready when the big day arrives.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Compassionate Atheism?
Speaking at a Memorial service following the murders at Fort Hood last week, President Obama explained that no religious faith approves of such atrocities. Then he reminded us all that the killer will face justice in this life and the next. It struck me as remarkable to hear a political leader confirm the idea of judgment waiting in Eternity.
The man who murdered 13 Americans and injured many more may not actually get justice here. Sometimes our system works, but on other occasions it fails us miserably. Public trials for terrorists sometimes do more harm than good by providing a platform for bizarre and dangerous behavior. But whatever happens here, most of us believe that God will certainly hold this calculating killer responsible in the world to come.
This idea is timely because atheist groups in this country are continuing to press for respect and legitimacy for their un-religion. For almost a decade, they've been attacking Christianity as evil, bigoted, and superstitious. Now they've adopted a new idea: "You don't have to be religious to be moral. Atheists are moral too."
The newest propaganda explains that unreligious people can treat each other fairly because it's a good thing, even if they don't believe in God. Unreligious people can share their wealth with others because they would want the same treatment in a crisis. Unreligious people can refuse to abuse and exploit other people because they don't want to be abused or exploited. Unreligious people can choose a socialistic form of government in which the income is spread around equally.
In theory, all this is true. But in reality, there are compelling reasons why atheistic attempts at morality never last for long. Quite simply, sinful human beings always discover a way to bend the rules and gain an extra share of the treasure. Someone always discovers that it's possible to work less and still benefit from the kindness of others, even while doing selfish or even dangerous things on the side. And whenever one selfish person takes advantage of the glitch in the software, many others follow. The government can never catch all the offenders, so there's a good chance you may be one of those who gets away.
But you'll never escape the justice of God. That's the concept that separates religious people from atheists who face temptation. Why are there so many unbelievers in American prisons and so very few Christians? The atheist has no one to warn him, "This is absolutely wrong, and you'll never get away with it." Sure, we can cook up intellectual models that suggest atheists are no different than other people. But in fact, they are very different for many reasons. And one of those reasons is that they believe they are not accountable.
Then there's that other nagging reality which confirms that compassionate atheism is more about PR than practice. The next time you see a news story about some catastrophic disaster and the rescue and clean up that follows it, watch the relief trucks arriving. You'll see the Red Cross, the Southern Baptists, Samaritan's Purse, the Salvation Army, and various local church vehicles. Don't wait for the American Atheists relief truck to arrive on the scene. Atheists have manged to produce attack books and publicity campaigns, but they have never dispatched a single relief truck or rescue team to a national crisis. So while there's a great deal of evidence for the existence of God, we'll have to take the compelling compassion of atheism on sheer faith.
The man who murdered 13 Americans and injured many more may not actually get justice here. Sometimes our system works, but on other occasions it fails us miserably. Public trials for terrorists sometimes do more harm than good by providing a platform for bizarre and dangerous behavior. But whatever happens here, most of us believe that God will certainly hold this calculating killer responsible in the world to come.
This idea is timely because atheist groups in this country are continuing to press for respect and legitimacy for their un-religion. For almost a decade, they've been attacking Christianity as evil, bigoted, and superstitious. Now they've adopted a new idea: "You don't have to be religious to be moral. Atheists are moral too."
The newest propaganda explains that unreligious people can treat each other fairly because it's a good thing, even if they don't believe in God. Unreligious people can share their wealth with others because they would want the same treatment in a crisis. Unreligious people can refuse to abuse and exploit other people because they don't want to be abused or exploited. Unreligious people can choose a socialistic form of government in which the income is spread around equally.
In theory, all this is true. But in reality, there are compelling reasons why atheistic attempts at morality never last for long. Quite simply, sinful human beings always discover a way to bend the rules and gain an extra share of the treasure. Someone always discovers that it's possible to work less and still benefit from the kindness of others, even while doing selfish or even dangerous things on the side. And whenever one selfish person takes advantage of the glitch in the software, many others follow. The government can never catch all the offenders, so there's a good chance you may be one of those who gets away.
But you'll never escape the justice of God. That's the concept that separates religious people from atheists who face temptation. Why are there so many unbelievers in American prisons and so very few Christians? The atheist has no one to warn him, "This is absolutely wrong, and you'll never get away with it." Sure, we can cook up intellectual models that suggest atheists are no different than other people. But in fact, they are very different for many reasons. And one of those reasons is that they believe they are not accountable.
Then there's that other nagging reality which confirms that compassionate atheism is more about PR than practice. The next time you see a news story about some catastrophic disaster and the rescue and clean up that follows it, watch the relief trucks arriving. You'll see the Red Cross, the Southern Baptists, Samaritan's Purse, the Salvation Army, and various local church vehicles. Don't wait for the American Atheists relief truck to arrive on the scene. Atheists have manged to produce attack books and publicity campaigns, but they have never dispatched a single relief truck or rescue team to a national crisis. So while there's a great deal of evidence for the existence of God, we'll have to take the compelling compassion of atheism on sheer faith.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Quite by accident last week, I came across a paperback book which had been misplaced in one of the dark corners of a closet. In the process of returning it to my office, I glanced once again at the closing chapter. In To Own a Dragon, Donald Miller describes what it's like to grow up without a father.
He recalls thinking, "It's so hard to believe God did not abandon us." He describes feeling ambivalent- as though God is a really nice guy, on one hand. But on the other hand, it feels like he's busy with other kids and doesn't have time for us. Having been abandoned by his own dad who had other projects that mattered more, Miller remembers that he could never accept the idea that he was really not a burden to this distant, distracted God.
I revisited that chapter last week. This week it was an article in the Wall Street Journal that reached out and grabbed me. The headline explained, "THIS IS YOUR BRAIN WITHOUT DAD." According to the article, scientists in Germany have found that "growing up without a father actually changes the way your brain develops." The research involved a variety of small rodents in which both male and female parents remain together to raise their offspring. What they found was that the absence of a male parent actually hardwires the brains of the offspring differently. Compared to typical two parent animals, the rodents raised by a single parent are consistently more aggressive and more impulsive. The scientists found that the neurons of one parent rodents were noticeably different from those of two parent animals after only 21 days! It wasn't just a matter of environment leading to attitudes. Their brains had literally developed differently!
Of course, it doesn't require rocket science- or animal science- to observe that fatherlessness creates hazards for boys and girls. Fatherless kids in the inner city are more likely to wind up in violent gangs. Fatherless kids in wealthy suburbs are more likely to engage in dangerous activity involving sex and drugs. Some fathers have physically abandoned their kids. Others have simply departed mentally. Without a doubt, many have been shoved away by self-centered moms who aren't willing to pay the price for family.
The saddest thing of all is that Americans have been seduced by the notion that this is okay. Shouldn't everyone be free to choose? The more choices we have, the more opportunities we can seize- theoretically! But in reality, even animal research shows that some kids don't get as many choices. Children who don't have fathers can never choose certain benefits and assets because their brains have developed quite differently- out of sight and behind the scenes.
In American culture, fatherhood is treated like an option that costs too much in terms of time, energy, and self fulfillment. How blessed is the boy or girl who enjoys the essential benefit of a godly dad. To steal a phrase from a card company, fatherhood is what happens when you care enough to give your child the very best.
He recalls thinking, "It's so hard to believe God did not abandon us." He describes feeling ambivalent- as though God is a really nice guy, on one hand. But on the other hand, it feels like he's busy with other kids and doesn't have time for us. Having been abandoned by his own dad who had other projects that mattered more, Miller remembers that he could never accept the idea that he was really not a burden to this distant, distracted God.
I revisited that chapter last week. This week it was an article in the Wall Street Journal that reached out and grabbed me. The headline explained, "THIS IS YOUR BRAIN WITHOUT DAD." According to the article, scientists in Germany have found that "growing up without a father actually changes the way your brain develops." The research involved a variety of small rodents in which both male and female parents remain together to raise their offspring. What they found was that the absence of a male parent actually hardwires the brains of the offspring differently. Compared to typical two parent animals, the rodents raised by a single parent are consistently more aggressive and more impulsive. The scientists found that the neurons of one parent rodents were noticeably different from those of two parent animals after only 21 days! It wasn't just a matter of environment leading to attitudes. Their brains had literally developed differently!
Of course, it doesn't require rocket science- or animal science- to observe that fatherlessness creates hazards for boys and girls. Fatherless kids in the inner city are more likely to wind up in violent gangs. Fatherless kids in wealthy suburbs are more likely to engage in dangerous activity involving sex and drugs. Some fathers have physically abandoned their kids. Others have simply departed mentally. Without a doubt, many have been shoved away by self-centered moms who aren't willing to pay the price for family.
The saddest thing of all is that Americans have been seduced by the notion that this is okay. Shouldn't everyone be free to choose? The more choices we have, the more opportunities we can seize- theoretically! But in reality, even animal research shows that some kids don't get as many choices. Children who don't have fathers can never choose certain benefits and assets because their brains have developed quite differently- out of sight and behind the scenes.
In American culture, fatherhood is treated like an option that costs too much in terms of time, energy, and self fulfillment. How blessed is the boy or girl who enjoys the essential benefit of a godly dad. To steal a phrase from a card company, fatherhood is what happens when you care enough to give your child the very best.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Mystery of the Missing Spirit
What a difference the Holy Spirit makes! On Sunday morning, our church family and I were exploring the difference between the Natural Life (Self+Flesh+Conscience) and the Spiritual Life (Self+Flesh+Holy Spirit.) Our text in 1 Corinthians 3 had brought us to that old question: "What is a carnal Christian?" I actually employed diagrams to define the differences. This seemed like a very basic concept, and I wanted to make it clear to the most unschooled disciple in the room.
Wow! What a concept! I got so many questions afterward. There were questions from unbelievers who are seeking Christ among us. There were questions from long time Christians whom I respect and admire. My immediate conclusion was obvious: Though I frequently mention the Holy Spirit, I clearly haven't taught my church all the things they need to know. In the future, I am resolved to be more deliberate in presenting the practical truths of spiritual living.
One of my favorite texts is Galatians 5:16 "So I say, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." The Spirit is not some abstract metaphor for enthusiasm. He is a person, a part of the Godhead, a force that guides and empowers believers.
More than two decades ago, Protestant churches looked at the upsurge among Charismatic churches and we asked what they could teach us. We finally concluded that our non-Charismatic worship was not enthusiastic enough, so we've been tweaking and editing our worship styles for a whole generation. Now worship style has been transformed in most Protestant churches, but Charismatic Christianity continues to change the landscape all around the world.
Maybe we learned the wrong lesson. Could it be we failed to recognize that "pentecostal" style churches were worshipping differently because their people were more willing to be influenced by the wind of God's Spirit? Maybe it wasn't our hymns that were out of sync, but our hearts!
This is not to say that Charismatic worship got everything right! In their exuberance, our "spirit-filled" friends have often become distracted and even divided by bizarre gimmicks like laughing revivals, being slain in the spirit, generational demons, etc. etc. But you have to wonder if they didn't get one thing spot on: we must instruct the Church in what it means to live in the Spirit. Walking with Christ = walking in the Spirit. So how is that done?
I love to reflect on all the wonderful truths the Holy Spirit has taught me from Scripture and helped me apply to life. I can fondly recall all the amazing adventures I've enjoyed under His direct leadership. I can recount so many miracles I have experienced as a result of His working. And I look at myself and ask: why didn't you talk about this more often? Why didn't all of us?
Wow! What a concept! I got so many questions afterward. There were questions from unbelievers who are seeking Christ among us. There were questions from long time Christians whom I respect and admire. My immediate conclusion was obvious: Though I frequently mention the Holy Spirit, I clearly haven't taught my church all the things they need to know. In the future, I am resolved to be more deliberate in presenting the practical truths of spiritual living.
One of my favorite texts is Galatians 5:16 "So I say, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." The Spirit is not some abstract metaphor for enthusiasm. He is a person, a part of the Godhead, a force that guides and empowers believers.
More than two decades ago, Protestant churches looked at the upsurge among Charismatic churches and we asked what they could teach us. We finally concluded that our non-Charismatic worship was not enthusiastic enough, so we've been tweaking and editing our worship styles for a whole generation. Now worship style has been transformed in most Protestant churches, but Charismatic Christianity continues to change the landscape all around the world.
Maybe we learned the wrong lesson. Could it be we failed to recognize that "pentecostal" style churches were worshipping differently because their people were more willing to be influenced by the wind of God's Spirit? Maybe it wasn't our hymns that were out of sync, but our hearts!
This is not to say that Charismatic worship got everything right! In their exuberance, our "spirit-filled" friends have often become distracted and even divided by bizarre gimmicks like laughing revivals, being slain in the spirit, generational demons, etc. etc. But you have to wonder if they didn't get one thing spot on: we must instruct the Church in what it means to live in the Spirit. Walking with Christ = walking in the Spirit. So how is that done?
I love to reflect on all the wonderful truths the Holy Spirit has taught me from Scripture and helped me apply to life. I can fondly recall all the amazing adventures I've enjoyed under His direct leadership. I can recount so many miracles I have experienced as a result of His working. And I look at myself and ask: why didn't you talk about this more often? Why didn't all of us?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Why They Don't Book Prophets on the Tonight Show
By now everybody knows about David Letterman's recent confession. Almost nothing shocks me anymore, but one aspect of his announcement was jarring: the audience laughed. As Letterman soberly explained what had occurred and how he planned to repair the damage from his bad behavior, most of the audience laughed repeatedly.
Some have suggested the audience members thought this was some kind of sketch. Maybe so, but it wasn't funny. Letterman wasn't smiling or mocking or reading a script. Watching the announcement the next day on YouTube, I could only wonder, "Will these people laugh any anything?" A few days later, a well known New York media critic exclaimed that this was the best moment in television since a popular movie star appeared on a late night show ten years ago to explain his tryst with a prostitute in a taxi cab!
This is what passes for popular entertainment at a time when many in the Church have argued that we must be more in tune with pop culture! Leaders of the Emerging Church not only celebrate the popular culture in their their sermons, but insist that we all must become more "relevant." If people are looking for spiritual truth in racy movies and vulgar TV shows, we need to be familiar with those movies and TV programs. Otherwise, we look out of touch and "irrelevant" to our media savvy generation.
Several years ago, Os Guinness wrote a book with a difficult title: Prophetic Untimeliness. The skinny little volume has a more vivid subtitle: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance. He explains that the measure of relevance in our culture is timeliness- does our truth easily mesh with the perceived values and needs of this moment in history? The idea that Jesus Christ is the only way to God is very offensive to intellectuals who believe all roads lead to God. So in the name of relevance, we should downplay that idea or forget about it entirely. If the Virgin Birth is hard for our generation to swallow, let's just lose it! And if Americans are more interested in saving the environment than saving souls, let's pick up a cross and lead the "Ban CO2" parade.
Guinness explains that the nature of prophetic truth requires that it frequently seems irrelevant to our age. That is, a prophet tells us the things we don't want to hear. He can be absolutely and eternally right, but seem utterly out of sync with our age. If we aren't willing to be out of step with our society, we can't possibly live out the Wisdom of God- or speak it.
In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul explains that our presentation of God's truth can become so eloquent, so smoothly crafted, that we empty the Gospel of its power! There are many times when we simply need to allow the Word of God to strike a spiritual blow; to be experienced it all its irrelevant, offensive, timeless glory. Sadly, that doesn't happen very often in the Relevant Churches of 2009, and many in our culture are laughing all the way to the Grave.
Some have suggested the audience members thought this was some kind of sketch. Maybe so, but it wasn't funny. Letterman wasn't smiling or mocking or reading a script. Watching the announcement the next day on YouTube, I could only wonder, "Will these people laugh any anything?" A few days later, a well known New York media critic exclaimed that this was the best moment in television since a popular movie star appeared on a late night show ten years ago to explain his tryst with a prostitute in a taxi cab!
This is what passes for popular entertainment at a time when many in the Church have argued that we must be more in tune with pop culture! Leaders of the Emerging Church not only celebrate the popular culture in their their sermons, but insist that we all must become more "relevant." If people are looking for spiritual truth in racy movies and vulgar TV shows, we need to be familiar with those movies and TV programs. Otherwise, we look out of touch and "irrelevant" to our media savvy generation.
Several years ago, Os Guinness wrote a book with a difficult title: Prophetic Untimeliness. The skinny little volume has a more vivid subtitle: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance. He explains that the measure of relevance in our culture is timeliness- does our truth easily mesh with the perceived values and needs of this moment in history? The idea that Jesus Christ is the only way to God is very offensive to intellectuals who believe all roads lead to God. So in the name of relevance, we should downplay that idea or forget about it entirely. If the Virgin Birth is hard for our generation to swallow, let's just lose it! And if Americans are more interested in saving the environment than saving souls, let's pick up a cross and lead the "Ban CO2" parade.
Guinness explains that the nature of prophetic truth requires that it frequently seems irrelevant to our age. That is, a prophet tells us the things we don't want to hear. He can be absolutely and eternally right, but seem utterly out of sync with our age. If we aren't willing to be out of step with our society, we can't possibly live out the Wisdom of God- or speak it.
In 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul explains that our presentation of God's truth can become so eloquent, so smoothly crafted, that we empty the Gospel of its power! There are many times when we simply need to allow the Word of God to strike a spiritual blow; to be experienced it all its irrelevant, offensive, timeless glory. Sadly, that doesn't happen very often in the Relevant Churches of 2009, and many in our culture are laughing all the way to the Grave.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Marriage on the Skids
I'm teaching the principles of healthy marriage on Wednesday nights. Apparently a lot of pastors are, based on feedback I'm getting. The response here has been very strong.
Last week we looked at the divorce rate here in the USA. One source says it's just about 50% for first-time marriages; 67% for second marriages; 74 % for third marriages. Does the problem lie in the attitudes we bring to marriage, or do we simply pick our spouses in the worst possible way?
In India, nearly all marriages are arranged by a young person's parents and family, based on family traditions, education, economics, geographical region, etc. etc. And in sharp contrast to what happens here in America, the divorce rate in India is 1%. That's right! I've confirmed that only 11 of 1,000 marriages end in divorce in India!
A friend commented, "That's true, but many of those marriages are very unhappy!" I can imagine that's very true. But if you look at the rate of divorce for 2nd and 3rd marriages here, you discover that we're not making ourselves happier here as we rebound again and again.
Postponing marriage has become a popular alternative here in the States. Is this making people happier? I haven't see a reliable statistic on that, but anecdotal evidence is not encouraging. Small claims courts are jammed with young people trying to recover financial losses at the hands of people they trusted enough to live with, but didn't trust enough to marry.
I fear this is a national crisis, but not one the President or Congress can fix. Stricter divorce laws are probably not the answer. Giving birth to kids whose parents aren't legally married is not the answer either. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but I have come to believe that God is the only answer here. We need God to share some of his spiritual wisdom and build up our national character.
Of course, they will happen one life at a time. So like many other people, I've just added one more item to my list of "Why we should be praying fervently for a spiritual awakening in the church." Think about it. On second thought, pray about it.
Last week we looked at the divorce rate here in the USA. One source says it's just about 50% for first-time marriages; 67% for second marriages; 74 % for third marriages. Does the problem lie in the attitudes we bring to marriage, or do we simply pick our spouses in the worst possible way?
In India, nearly all marriages are arranged by a young person's parents and family, based on family traditions, education, economics, geographical region, etc. etc. And in sharp contrast to what happens here in America, the divorce rate in India is 1%. That's right! I've confirmed that only 11 of 1,000 marriages end in divorce in India!
A friend commented, "That's true, but many of those marriages are very unhappy!" I can imagine that's very true. But if you look at the rate of divorce for 2nd and 3rd marriages here, you discover that we're not making ourselves happier here as we rebound again and again.
Postponing marriage has become a popular alternative here in the States. Is this making people happier? I haven't see a reliable statistic on that, but anecdotal evidence is not encouraging. Small claims courts are jammed with young people trying to recover financial losses at the hands of people they trusted enough to live with, but didn't trust enough to marry.
I fear this is a national crisis, but not one the President or Congress can fix. Stricter divorce laws are probably not the answer. Giving birth to kids whose parents aren't legally married is not the answer either. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but I have come to believe that God is the only answer here. We need God to share some of his spiritual wisdom and build up our national character.
Of course, they will happen one life at a time. So like many other people, I've just added one more item to my list of "Why we should be praying fervently for a spiritual awakening in the church." Think about it. On second thought, pray about it.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Irreligious America
This morning as I drove to work, the breaking news on a local radio talk show was all about the decline of Christianity in the USA. One of the hosts was surprised by a new survey which finds 15% of all Americans identify with no church or any religion. Among Americans aged 18 - 28, the number of unaffiliated people rises to 22%.
"If those numbers grow among the next generation, that will be a huge worry," one host commented. The other replied that only religious leaders will worry because most Americans have lost their faith in "organized religion" (that is, the church.)
There's no doubt that agnosticism and bad behavior are fashionable in these United States. And I strongly suspect the percentages in that survey are accurate. But is this the Beginning of the End for Christianity in America? Is the Church of Jesus Christ on its way out?
You might be surprised that on other occasions in American history, the problem has been worse. Dr. J Edwin Orr has documented that just after the Revolutionary War, Christianity was already on the skids in the American states. Bars and taverns dramatically outnumbered churches. Profanity and violence were widespread, drunkenness was epidemic, and women were afraid to go out at night because of the rising level of crime and violence. Pregnancy outside of marriage was a serious problem. And churches were rapidly losing ground. The typical church had seen no young people join in decades. One year they couldn't find a single Christian at Harvard, and only two could be found at Princeton. And both those schools had been established by churches to train Christian pastors!
Not surprisingly, many congregations were shutting their doors, clergymen were finding other jobs, denominations were shrinking. Thomas Paine commented that the church would be gone in thirty years, and many religious leaders agreed.
Things came to a head in 1794 when a Baptist pastor named Isaac Backus sent an urgent appeal to pastors of every denomination, pleading for orchestrated, fervent prayer among the people of God. Many of those pastors must have seen the writing on the wall, because they responded and desperately called their churches to pray for revival. Many congregations set aside the first Monday of every month and began to pray for a mighty wind of the Spirit to sweep American churches.
What finally happened is known today as the Second Great Awakening. It scorched the nation from the coasts to the plains, and New Testament faith was firmly reestablished in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. God breathed his holy breath into the dying embers of faith across the land, and churches caught fire once again.
The Christian Faith has always advanced in cycles. We're in a downturn at the moment, a serious problem. But when enough of us recognize the signs of the times and begin to pray through tears to a God who wants to send a spiritual awakening, He will do just that. Are you praying yet?
Note: Dr. Orr's complete message can be found at http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal1/orr.html
"If those numbers grow among the next generation, that will be a huge worry," one host commented. The other replied that only religious leaders will worry because most Americans have lost their faith in "organized religion" (that is, the church.)
There's no doubt that agnosticism and bad behavior are fashionable in these United States. And I strongly suspect the percentages in that survey are accurate. But is this the Beginning of the End for Christianity in America? Is the Church of Jesus Christ on its way out?
You might be surprised that on other occasions in American history, the problem has been worse. Dr. J Edwin Orr has documented that just after the Revolutionary War, Christianity was already on the skids in the American states. Bars and taverns dramatically outnumbered churches. Profanity and violence were widespread, drunkenness was epidemic, and women were afraid to go out at night because of the rising level of crime and violence. Pregnancy outside of marriage was a serious problem. And churches were rapidly losing ground. The typical church had seen no young people join in decades. One year they couldn't find a single Christian at Harvard, and only two could be found at Princeton. And both those schools had been established by churches to train Christian pastors!
Not surprisingly, many congregations were shutting their doors, clergymen were finding other jobs, denominations were shrinking. Thomas Paine commented that the church would be gone in thirty years, and many religious leaders agreed.
Things came to a head in 1794 when a Baptist pastor named Isaac Backus sent an urgent appeal to pastors of every denomination, pleading for orchestrated, fervent prayer among the people of God. Many of those pastors must have seen the writing on the wall, because they responded and desperately called their churches to pray for revival. Many congregations set aside the first Monday of every month and began to pray for a mighty wind of the Spirit to sweep American churches.
What finally happened is known today as the Second Great Awakening. It scorched the nation from the coasts to the plains, and New Testament faith was firmly reestablished in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. God breathed his holy breath into the dying embers of faith across the land, and churches caught fire once again.
The Christian Faith has always advanced in cycles. We're in a downturn at the moment, a serious problem. But when enough of us recognize the signs of the times and begin to pray through tears to a God who wants to send a spiritual awakening, He will do just that. Are you praying yet?
Note: Dr. Orr's complete message can be found at http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal1/orr.html
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Embracing the Mystery of Life
I've been spending some of my devotional time in the Book of Job these last few weeks. Like you, I've read this story many times before, but it seems to have taken on a new life this time. Maybe it's just because I'm older and wiser, but it has caused to to think about ideas and insights that I've never before associated with Job.
His three friends are extremely devoted. When they receive news of their neighbor's grave afflictions, they immediately converge on the scene where they spend seven days simply sitting in silence with the hurting man of God. That's a wonderful first step. Then they begin to talk, and in only a few hours, they unravel everything they've accomplished in their first week!
You know this part of the story: Job's friends all assume he is being punished by God. One by one, they insist he has done something terribly wrong. Otherwise, God would not be working against him! When Job insists he has not done anything to defy God, his friends insist even more vehemently that he needs to repent! Of course, everything they say makes a lot of sense.
The only problem is that they are wrong. God is not punishing Job. To the contrary, Satan is buffeting Job precisely because he has been such a towering figure of faith. In his profound despair, the man of God is not merely suffering the slings and arrows that fall on every human being who sins. Rather, he suffers precisely because his faith has been so exemplary. The problems being experienced by Job are not "business as usual."
I think it's easy for you and me to make this same mistake when life becomes painful and complex for our friends. We look at a few superficial facts and we draw some conventional conclusion: there is something you can do to fix this. We assume there is a sin, a flaw, a failure of judgment. We offer precriptions and platitudes. We reduce the situation to the lowest common denominator. We forget that life is full of mystery and that God is beyond our understanding. Sometimes it's hard to know exactly what's happening in another person's life even when we know all the facts- and we almost never know all the facts.
Sometimes the best thing a friend can do is sit there in silence and offer the gift of presence. I don't know the reason why this is happening to you. Maybe it's the consequence of a sinful choice. Maybe it's God building character in your life. Maybe it's actually Satan buffeting you because your faith is so strong. Or maybe this is a divine strategy so brilliant and so complex that I will never be able to discern until we look back from the future to see what God has done.
As your brother in Christ, it's not my job to offer you prescriptions and platitudes. It's just my job to be there for you and pray that God will give you strength and insight. Life is not a game. It's a story still being written by God. And sometimes the story is a mystery.
His three friends are extremely devoted. When they receive news of their neighbor's grave afflictions, they immediately converge on the scene where they spend seven days simply sitting in silence with the hurting man of God. That's a wonderful first step. Then they begin to talk, and in only a few hours, they unravel everything they've accomplished in their first week!
You know this part of the story: Job's friends all assume he is being punished by God. One by one, they insist he has done something terribly wrong. Otherwise, God would not be working against him! When Job insists he has not done anything to defy God, his friends insist even more vehemently that he needs to repent! Of course, everything they say makes a lot of sense.
The only problem is that they are wrong. God is not punishing Job. To the contrary, Satan is buffeting Job precisely because he has been such a towering figure of faith. In his profound despair, the man of God is not merely suffering the slings and arrows that fall on every human being who sins. Rather, he suffers precisely because his faith has been so exemplary. The problems being experienced by Job are not "business as usual."
I think it's easy for you and me to make this same mistake when life becomes painful and complex for our friends. We look at a few superficial facts and we draw some conventional conclusion: there is something you can do to fix this. We assume there is a sin, a flaw, a failure of judgment. We offer precriptions and platitudes. We reduce the situation to the lowest common denominator. We forget that life is full of mystery and that God is beyond our understanding. Sometimes it's hard to know exactly what's happening in another person's life even when we know all the facts- and we almost never know all the facts.
Sometimes the best thing a friend can do is sit there in silence and offer the gift of presence. I don't know the reason why this is happening to you. Maybe it's the consequence of a sinful choice. Maybe it's God building character in your life. Maybe it's actually Satan buffeting you because your faith is so strong. Or maybe this is a divine strategy so brilliant and so complex that I will never be able to discern until we look back from the future to see what God has done.
As your brother in Christ, it's not my job to offer you prescriptions and platitudes. It's just my job to be there for you and pray that God will give you strength and insight. Life is not a game. It's a story still being written by God. And sometimes the story is a mystery.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Paul's Secret Strategy
There's a popular misconception that you cannot bring people to Christ in 2009 using techniques from the 1st Century. We tend to think of First Century evangelism as being much too direct and "in your face" for sophisticated Americans of the Twenty-first Century. Think again.
In Acts 17, we find Paul ministering in Athens. Historians tell us that 1st Century Athens is a cosmopolitan place; people value higher education and consider themselves very hip and well informed. They like nothing better than talking about the latest fads and ideas. And they have absolutely no background in Judaism or anything that might prepare them for the teachings of Jesus Christ. If you're familiar with Paul's ministry style, his approach here is surprising.
Read the text and you find that Paul begins his presentation to intellectuals at Mars Hill with what seems to be a compliment- at least in their minds. He mentions that it's apparent these folks are extremely religious because they have so many idols. Now you and I know (v16) that Paul has been extremely troubled by the pagan idols and icons that are everywhere in Athens. But he doesn't blast the Athenians and warn them they're about to bust Hell wide open!
Paul has learned a lesson that many 21st Century believers have never grasped: you don't have to say everything you know. He begins by building on common ground he shares with these pagans. First, he believes in a Creator God, just like they do. They even have a statue to an unknown God. Second, he agrees with their idea that such a God has clearly invested the universe with design and order. Then he adds a third point they haven't considered: that such a God must have surely done all this creative work for a specific reason- perhaps that men and women everywhere might seek him out and find him. He proposes to introduce them to that purposeful God whose existence is affirmed by their monument to the Great Unknown.
In his first 20 minutes with the Athenians, he tells them who Jesus is without ever mentioning the Lord's name. He begins with shared ideas and then leads them to conclusions they've never drawn before. He understands their culture and actually quotes pagan Greek poets to support the Gospel he is sharing with them. And the result is that several pagans become followers of Jesus Christ that day, and others move forward in a spiritual journey that will require a little more time.
Sometimes we assume that we must share the Gospel "at all costs." That's not really true. If the cost is offending someone so badly that he will never again consider the claims of Christ, that cost is too high. Our priority should be sharing Christ "in the most effective manner." You can share the Gospel without ever mentioning Hell, abortion, gay rights, evolution, the role of women, or the wiles of Satan. Don't misunderstand: you may well have the most accurate biblical position on all those questions, but they still aren't part of the Gospel.
Once a lost co-workers becomes a believer, we can hope he will have years to get all his doctrines right. However, we aren't saved by systematic theology. We are saved by trusting Jesus Christ and relying on His grace. So I never try and "water down" the Gospel. But like Paul, I do attempt to find common ground with lost people, and tailor my presentation to the way my lost friend thinks.
There is no such thing as a magic Gospel outline. The best way to share the Gospel is the way that gets a particular person saved. Think about it.
In Acts 17, we find Paul ministering in Athens. Historians tell us that 1st Century Athens is a cosmopolitan place; people value higher education and consider themselves very hip and well informed. They like nothing better than talking about the latest fads and ideas. And they have absolutely no background in Judaism or anything that might prepare them for the teachings of Jesus Christ. If you're familiar with Paul's ministry style, his approach here is surprising.
Read the text and you find that Paul begins his presentation to intellectuals at Mars Hill with what seems to be a compliment- at least in their minds. He mentions that it's apparent these folks are extremely religious because they have so many idols. Now you and I know (v16) that Paul has been extremely troubled by the pagan idols and icons that are everywhere in Athens. But he doesn't blast the Athenians and warn them they're about to bust Hell wide open!
Paul has learned a lesson that many 21st Century believers have never grasped: you don't have to say everything you know. He begins by building on common ground he shares with these pagans. First, he believes in a Creator God, just like they do. They even have a statue to an unknown God. Second, he agrees with their idea that such a God has clearly invested the universe with design and order. Then he adds a third point they haven't considered: that such a God must have surely done all this creative work for a specific reason- perhaps that men and women everywhere might seek him out and find him. He proposes to introduce them to that purposeful God whose existence is affirmed by their monument to the Great Unknown.
In his first 20 minutes with the Athenians, he tells them who Jesus is without ever mentioning the Lord's name. He begins with shared ideas and then leads them to conclusions they've never drawn before. He understands their culture and actually quotes pagan Greek poets to support the Gospel he is sharing with them. And the result is that several pagans become followers of Jesus Christ that day, and others move forward in a spiritual journey that will require a little more time.
Sometimes we assume that we must share the Gospel "at all costs." That's not really true. If the cost is offending someone so badly that he will never again consider the claims of Christ, that cost is too high. Our priority should be sharing Christ "in the most effective manner." You can share the Gospel without ever mentioning Hell, abortion, gay rights, evolution, the role of women, or the wiles of Satan. Don't misunderstand: you may well have the most accurate biblical position on all those questions, but they still aren't part of the Gospel.
Once a lost co-workers becomes a believer, we can hope he will have years to get all his doctrines right. However, we aren't saved by systematic theology. We are saved by trusting Jesus Christ and relying on His grace. So I never try and "water down" the Gospel. But like Paul, I do attempt to find common ground with lost people, and tailor my presentation to the way my lost friend thinks.
There is no such thing as a magic Gospel outline. The best way to share the Gospel is the way that gets a particular person saved. Think about it.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Creating a God Space
Imagine chatting with a friend or co-worker who mentions an amazing jazz vocalist you absolutely have to see. You're interested and ask where you could catch the act. Your friend names a club downtown. When you ask "Where is that," he explains it's a gay bar on Wisconsin Avenue. Then he adds, "Why don't you meet me there for the concert Friday night at 8:00?"
Of course you'd smile and continue polite conversation. But your mind would be racing! "I'm not gay! They'll be doing strange things down there! They will try to recruit me! What would other people think if they saw me there?" And although you might politely accept the invitation to meet your friend on Friday evening at that club, by Friday evening you'd have a terrible cold! Or you would have suddenly discovered you sister is coming to town on Saturday and you need to vacuum!
Imagine the way you or I might feel about visiting a gay night club for a jazz performance, and you'll understand how most urban Americans feel about showing up in a church for Sunday worship! They don't think they need it. They fear they won't understand it. They suspect they will be pressured to do something uncomfortable. They are terrified they will feel like a fish out of water. So if you invite 15 people to be your guest in worship sometime, they odds are that at least in big cities, 14 are likely to decline or politely fail to show.
Now this doesn't mean that we shouldn't invite friends and acquaintances to church. Even if one or two show up, we're that much closer to reaching their families as well. But when you realize that most secular prople would not consider visiting a strange church, you understand why we have to be intentional about creating God spaces outside the Church. A God space is a time and place in which you can talk about Jesus Christ and faith in a friendly conversation with unchurched people.
It's interesting that Jesus characterized his mission this way: "I have come to seek and save those who are lost." That passage in Luke 19:10 follows the story of Zaccheus and explains Christ's odd behavior. You remember the story: Zaccheus is a notorious tax collector living in Jericho who wants to see Jesus. On the day Christ arrives in town, the streets are too crowded for a short guy like Zaccheus to find a vantage point. So he climbs a tree and watches Christ's approach.
Christ looks past all the religious people lining the streets to cheer, and spots the little outcast perched in the sycamore tree. He urges Zaccheus to come down and invites himself the the tax collector's house for lunch!
Zaccheus becomes a follower of Christ! His life turns around instantly. He gives back fortunes to people he has wronged. But significantly, the Bible never details what it was Jesus has taught him over lunch! We have no idea whether a parable or a scripture verse became the turning point in Zaccheus' life. All we know is what Jesus did- he took unconventional action to create a God space for an outcast who would never, ever darken the door of a respectable Jewish synagogue.
Jesus not only came to save the lost. He explains he came to seek and save them. And in case you're wondering, he didn't have to look far to find lost people. They were everywhere. Apparently, he was seeking those who were ready to walk away from their old lives and follow him. As people who call ourselves "followers of Christ," that's obvious our job as well- seeking and saving.
We have to be deliberate in creating spaces outside of church in which we can talk about Christ. You can do it by offering to pray for people, and then asking: "Why don't we begin praying now?" You can do it by making an appointment: "Some time I want to tell you what my faith in Jesus Christ has meant to me. Can we sit down over lunch next Tuesday?" You can do it by mentioning a great Christian book you've just read, and offering to pass it along. Books that come to mind are Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis; the Reason for Christ by Tim Keller; Where is God When it Hurts? by Philip Yancey.
Don't be impatient. You may well have to repeat this process 14 times with 14 different people before you see results. So don't think of it as evangelism. Think of it as practice. You are practicing so that when God brings a motivated lost person along, you will be ready to share.
Of course you'd smile and continue polite conversation. But your mind would be racing! "I'm not gay! They'll be doing strange things down there! They will try to recruit me! What would other people think if they saw me there?" And although you might politely accept the invitation to meet your friend on Friday evening at that club, by Friday evening you'd have a terrible cold! Or you would have suddenly discovered you sister is coming to town on Saturday and you need to vacuum!
Imagine the way you or I might feel about visiting a gay night club for a jazz performance, and you'll understand how most urban Americans feel about showing up in a church for Sunday worship! They don't think they need it. They fear they won't understand it. They suspect they will be pressured to do something uncomfortable. They are terrified they will feel like a fish out of water. So if you invite 15 people to be your guest in worship sometime, they odds are that at least in big cities, 14 are likely to decline or politely fail to show.
Now this doesn't mean that we shouldn't invite friends and acquaintances to church. Even if one or two show up, we're that much closer to reaching their families as well. But when you realize that most secular prople would not consider visiting a strange church, you understand why we have to be intentional about creating God spaces outside the Church. A God space is a time and place in which you can talk about Jesus Christ and faith in a friendly conversation with unchurched people.
It's interesting that Jesus characterized his mission this way: "I have come to seek and save those who are lost." That passage in Luke 19:10 follows the story of Zaccheus and explains Christ's odd behavior. You remember the story: Zaccheus is a notorious tax collector living in Jericho who wants to see Jesus. On the day Christ arrives in town, the streets are too crowded for a short guy like Zaccheus to find a vantage point. So he climbs a tree and watches Christ's approach.
Christ looks past all the religious people lining the streets to cheer, and spots the little outcast perched in the sycamore tree. He urges Zaccheus to come down and invites himself the the tax collector's house for lunch!
Zaccheus becomes a follower of Christ! His life turns around instantly. He gives back fortunes to people he has wronged. But significantly, the Bible never details what it was Jesus has taught him over lunch! We have no idea whether a parable or a scripture verse became the turning point in Zaccheus' life. All we know is what Jesus did- he took unconventional action to create a God space for an outcast who would never, ever darken the door of a respectable Jewish synagogue.
Jesus not only came to save the lost. He explains he came to seek and save them. And in case you're wondering, he didn't have to look far to find lost people. They were everywhere. Apparently, he was seeking those who were ready to walk away from their old lives and follow him. As people who call ourselves "followers of Christ," that's obvious our job as well- seeking and saving.
We have to be deliberate in creating spaces outside of church in which we can talk about Christ. You can do it by offering to pray for people, and then asking: "Why don't we begin praying now?" You can do it by making an appointment: "Some time I want to tell you what my faith in Jesus Christ has meant to me. Can we sit down over lunch next Tuesday?" You can do it by mentioning a great Christian book you've just read, and offering to pass it along. Books that come to mind are Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis; the Reason for Christ by Tim Keller; Where is God When it Hurts? by Philip Yancey.
Don't be impatient. You may well have to repeat this process 14 times with 14 different people before you see results. So don't think of it as evangelism. Think of it as practice. You are practicing so that when God brings a motivated lost person along, you will be ready to share.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Give Me Liberty or Give Me... Healthcare Reform
Patrick Henry expressed the deepest convictions of thousands of other American colonists when he spoke those legendary words, "Give me liberty or give me death." For the patriots of 1776, the blessings of liberty were worth any sacrifice. Voting would be a privilege, not a responsibility. The true responsibility of living in a free land would entail defending that freedom- even at the cost of life or health.
American Colonists risked life and limb to purchase our freedoms. Many died in agony on bloodied battlefields. Others died instantly only to be buried in unmarked graves miles from their homes. Still others returned home missing eyes or limbs. But if they survived the war, they went home as free men and women. And if they died, they had secured the blessings of liberty for their children and grand children.
Over the centuries that have followed, tens of thousands of courageous men and women in the US Armed Forces have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Places like Normandy and Iwo Jima come to mind. There are tranquil hillsides in France that are laden with row after row of white crosses marking the tombs of American heroes who gave everything for a free country.
So tell me, when did the idea of healthcare reform become so important that it can trump liberty? If the health of all Americans is our highest ideal, then we should stop asking brave men and women to sacrifice their health and their lives for something as esoteric and old-fashioned as liberty. In a nation obsessed with the right to health, there is no greater evil than dying of a bullet wound on a battlefield. But if liberty is still the driving force in American life, we should never, ever trade it away for something as lame and utterly failed as socialized medicine.
Even now, the politicians who have given us so many expensive bridges to nowhere are debating a radical intrusion of the federal government into our personal lives. The vague language of House bill 3200 allows for government access to all Americans' bank accounts; individual appointments every 5 years with government agents to discuss whether or not you should save the country money by dying; policies that will ultimately cost you your ability to choose your insurance company, your doctor, your method of treatment. The only way the government can offer free healthcare to everyone is through rationing. We are not living in a sort of Heaven where anything is possible, and the government is broke.
As far me, I refuse to drink the poison Kool-Aid. With Patrick Henry and tens of thousands of Americans whose bravery lines the pages of history, I say "Give me liberty or give me death." If keeping me healthy requires the government tresspassing into our God-given liberties, I prefer to be sick. And if keeping me alive requires the sacrifice of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, please let me die. It is the height of selfishness to demand that patriots and heroes must go to their graves so that I can go to the hospital for free.
American Colonists risked life and limb to purchase our freedoms. Many died in agony on bloodied battlefields. Others died instantly only to be buried in unmarked graves miles from their homes. Still others returned home missing eyes or limbs. But if they survived the war, they went home as free men and women. And if they died, they had secured the blessings of liberty for their children and grand children.
Over the centuries that have followed, tens of thousands of courageous men and women in the US Armed Forces have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Places like Normandy and Iwo Jima come to mind. There are tranquil hillsides in France that are laden with row after row of white crosses marking the tombs of American heroes who gave everything for a free country.
So tell me, when did the idea of healthcare reform become so important that it can trump liberty? If the health of all Americans is our highest ideal, then we should stop asking brave men and women to sacrifice their health and their lives for something as esoteric and old-fashioned as liberty. In a nation obsessed with the right to health, there is no greater evil than dying of a bullet wound on a battlefield. But if liberty is still the driving force in American life, we should never, ever trade it away for something as lame and utterly failed as socialized medicine.
Even now, the politicians who have given us so many expensive bridges to nowhere are debating a radical intrusion of the federal government into our personal lives. The vague language of House bill 3200 allows for government access to all Americans' bank accounts; individual appointments every 5 years with government agents to discuss whether or not you should save the country money by dying; policies that will ultimately cost you your ability to choose your insurance company, your doctor, your method of treatment. The only way the government can offer free healthcare to everyone is through rationing. We are not living in a sort of Heaven where anything is possible, and the government is broke.
As far me, I refuse to drink the poison Kool-Aid. With Patrick Henry and tens of thousands of Americans whose bravery lines the pages of history, I say "Give me liberty or give me death." If keeping me healthy requires the government tresspassing into our God-given liberties, I prefer to be sick. And if keeping me alive requires the sacrifice of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, please let me die. It is the height of selfishness to demand that patriots and heroes must go to their graves so that I can go to the hospital for free.
Monday, August 3, 2009
So Thick You Can't Cut it With a Knife
Sunday morning during worship, I noticed that several long distance members were back for the week-end; from places as far flung as Florida, Arizona, and Nevada. Their ages range from twenty-something to sixty-something. They were all beaming with joy. They were all surrounded by old friends who miss them and love them. They all made it a point to find me and express their joy at being back. And I could only think: there is something amazing and wonderful about this church family!
I understand that all churches are "friendly" and it's not so uncommon for any church to have former members return for a visit. The difference here is that most Providence families never become "former" members- they stay in touch, they read the e-letter religiously, they care about what's going on, and they never stop missing Providence! Many of them wish they could return if only jobs and other circumstances would allow!
Friday, my wife and I joined three other couples to drive to to Richmond to visit a family who became long-time members over a year ago. Another family who moved away 5 years ago drove up from Williamsburg to meet us. We talked and laughed for hours. When things at church came up, the two families who live far away and attend other churches could talk intelligently with us because they still keep up with goings on at Providence. When it was time to go, there were tears.
Most churches refer to themselves as "family." But for large numbers of Christians, there are friends, and then there are "church friends." Church friends are nice people you greet in passing a couple of times a week. Real friends are an integral part of your life. And even when they move away, the sense of "family" remains. Friends are the people you could call at 3 AM with a problem. "Church friends" might just check Caller ID and not answer.
One of our new members passed along a thank you note on Sunday after several Providence folks helped move her family out of an unsafe public facility and into their own place last Thursday. Her letter said "You all have taught me what a church family really is...!" She's bringing homemade desserts next Sunday for her new friends.
Don't ever take true friendship for granted. Many churches and many people have little or no idea what that really is. Here at Providence, it's in the air and the water. You don't have to try very hard. The love rubs off on you. There's something supernatural about all this. And for this I thank the Lord God Almighty.
I understand that all churches are "friendly" and it's not so uncommon for any church to have former members return for a visit. The difference here is that most Providence families never become "former" members- they stay in touch, they read the e-letter religiously, they care about what's going on, and they never stop missing Providence! Many of them wish they could return if only jobs and other circumstances would allow!
Friday, my wife and I joined three other couples to drive to to Richmond to visit a family who became long-time members over a year ago. Another family who moved away 5 years ago drove up from Williamsburg to meet us. We talked and laughed for hours. When things at church came up, the two families who live far away and attend other churches could talk intelligently with us because they still keep up with goings on at Providence. When it was time to go, there were tears.
Most churches refer to themselves as "family." But for large numbers of Christians, there are friends, and then there are "church friends." Church friends are nice people you greet in passing a couple of times a week. Real friends are an integral part of your life. And even when they move away, the sense of "family" remains. Friends are the people you could call at 3 AM with a problem. "Church friends" might just check Caller ID and not answer.
One of our new members passed along a thank you note on Sunday after several Providence folks helped move her family out of an unsafe public facility and into their own place last Thursday. Her letter said "You all have taught me what a church family really is...!" She's bringing homemade desserts next Sunday for her new friends.
Don't ever take true friendship for granted. Many churches and many people have little or no idea what that really is. Here at Providence, it's in the air and the water. You don't have to try very hard. The love rubs off on you. There's something supernatural about all this. And for this I thank the Lord God Almighty.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Temptation Wins Again
President Obama scheduled a press conference last week to talk about "healthcare reform." Along the way a reporter asked about a developing news story involving Police in Cambridge, a professor, and a reported break-in. By now, we've all heard the rest of this story a thousand times.
The President indicated that he didn't know all the details- a comment which made perfect sense. Then strangely, he proceeded to use his presidential platform to condemn the police who "acted stupidly." We know the President deeply regrets those remarks because he's been trying to amend his remarks or take them back for a week now. The story refuses to die.
Reasonable people wonder why a gifted communicator would continue to answer a question that was off-topic after confessing he didn't know all the facts. Obama's press secretary later indicated they had anticipated this question might come up, and had prepared for it. If they had thought about this in advance, why did the President fall into that trap? Nobody can say for sure, but I suspect all of us can make an educated guess based on personal experience.
Temptation can be a powerful force! Sometimes it is powered by lust. On other occasions, it is driven by pride. How frequently Pride convinces me that my opinions are more important, and my judgments are more informed. Even if I don't know all the facts, my impressions surely feel accurate. Why shouldn't I say something? Haven't lots of soldiers died to protect my freedom of speech?
Yes, tens of thousands of American warriors have paid the ultimate price to defend the President's right to say anything he wants to say. And now he will pay another price for abusing that freedom. He had scheduled the press conference to focus attention on his perception that health care in the USA must be radically reformed. He had been losing momentum and needed to get the ball back in his court. But with one misguided statement, he launched a hot, new debate on "police profiling" which immediately diverted attention from his plans for change. Like all sin, this sin felt good for about 15 seconds. But like all sin, it has blown up in the sinner's face.
James 3:7 warns us "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison." Lord, have mercy on me, the sinner.
Solomon explains, "When words are many transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." (Proverbs 10:19) Proverbially, there is a time to speak. And there are many times to be silent.
The President indicated that he didn't know all the details- a comment which made perfect sense. Then strangely, he proceeded to use his presidential platform to condemn the police who "acted stupidly." We know the President deeply regrets those remarks because he's been trying to amend his remarks or take them back for a week now. The story refuses to die.
Reasonable people wonder why a gifted communicator would continue to answer a question that was off-topic after confessing he didn't know all the facts. Obama's press secretary later indicated they had anticipated this question might come up, and had prepared for it. If they had thought about this in advance, why did the President fall into that trap? Nobody can say for sure, but I suspect all of us can make an educated guess based on personal experience.
Temptation can be a powerful force! Sometimes it is powered by lust. On other occasions, it is driven by pride. How frequently Pride convinces me that my opinions are more important, and my judgments are more informed. Even if I don't know all the facts, my impressions surely feel accurate. Why shouldn't I say something? Haven't lots of soldiers died to protect my freedom of speech?
Yes, tens of thousands of American warriors have paid the ultimate price to defend the President's right to say anything he wants to say. And now he will pay another price for abusing that freedom. He had scheduled the press conference to focus attention on his perception that health care in the USA must be radically reformed. He had been losing momentum and needed to get the ball back in his court. But with one misguided statement, he launched a hot, new debate on "police profiling" which immediately diverted attention from his plans for change. Like all sin, this sin felt good for about 15 seconds. But like all sin, it has blown up in the sinner's face.
James 3:7 warns us "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of deadly poison." Lord, have mercy on me, the sinner.
Solomon explains, "When words are many transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." (Proverbs 10:19) Proverbially, there is a time to speak. And there are many times to be silent.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Missionaries from Hell
The sermon topic on Sunday was "What about Other Religions?" This Summer I've been looking at what God's Word has to say about popular topics of conversation among Christians. And one of the most popular questions involves "good" people who simply don't know Jesus Christ. Maybe they were born among Hindus in India or animists in some African nation. Will they go to Heaven anyway, despite the fact that they never trusted Jesus Christ?
I based this particular message on John 3. Despite the fact that Nicodemus was a devout Jew, a highly moral Pharisee, and a respected religious leader, Jesus told him he would need to start all over again from scratch in order to inherit eternal life. If Nicodemus wasn't good enough to merit Heaven without Jesus, who would be? I shared Paul's comments from Acts 4:12 that "there is no other name under Heaven given by which men may be saved."
It seemed like a pretty convincing message taken straight from the words of God. Then afterwards, one of our most respected members asked a question which I've heard many others reference over the years. "But I'd always thought that people would not be condemned if they never heard about Christ. In other words, if they never had the chance to say 'no,' are they still excluded?"
I replied with a smile, "Then why have we been sending missionaries all over the world for over a hundred years?" If people who have never heard about Christ are automatically saved, why do we send missionaries to evangelize them? If they reject the Gospel when they hear it, we have just changed their status from "saved in ignorance" to "condemned!"
If people living in spiritual ignorance are automatically saved, we should just call all our missionaries home and pray that people in the Middle East and Asia will forget everything they've heard! We should shut down our Christian TV and radio broadcasts. Every presentation of the Gospel is bringing new people under condemnation- people who were automatically saved just moments before because of their ignorance!
If Jesus believed that people living in ignorance were automatically saved, he should have never issued the Great Commission. Rather than telling us to go and make disciples, he should have said "Stay home and shut up!" Just keep it to yourself.
Of course, that's not what he said because that's not the way it is. There are only two highways in all of life- the broad, highly traveled interstate to destruction, and the small country road that leads to Life. Our job is to get as many men and women as possible to detour from that popular super highway, and walk with Jesus on the narrow road to life. That's why God sent his son- that all who believed might have eternal life. But as John 3 goes on to explain, "All who do not believe in him are condemned already."
It's not compassionate to rationalize why "lost" people might not be lost at all. You'd never take that chance with your own life or your own kids. Compassion requires that I tell as many people as possible the wonderful truth God has revealed to me.
I based this particular message on John 3. Despite the fact that Nicodemus was a devout Jew, a highly moral Pharisee, and a respected religious leader, Jesus told him he would need to start all over again from scratch in order to inherit eternal life. If Nicodemus wasn't good enough to merit Heaven without Jesus, who would be? I shared Paul's comments from Acts 4:12 that "there is no other name under Heaven given by which men may be saved."
It seemed like a pretty convincing message taken straight from the words of God. Then afterwards, one of our most respected members asked a question which I've heard many others reference over the years. "But I'd always thought that people would not be condemned if they never heard about Christ. In other words, if they never had the chance to say 'no,' are they still excluded?"
I replied with a smile, "Then why have we been sending missionaries all over the world for over a hundred years?" If people who have never heard about Christ are automatically saved, why do we send missionaries to evangelize them? If they reject the Gospel when they hear it, we have just changed their status from "saved in ignorance" to "condemned!"
If people living in spiritual ignorance are automatically saved, we should just call all our missionaries home and pray that people in the Middle East and Asia will forget everything they've heard! We should shut down our Christian TV and radio broadcasts. Every presentation of the Gospel is bringing new people under condemnation- people who were automatically saved just moments before because of their ignorance!
If Jesus believed that people living in ignorance were automatically saved, he should have never issued the Great Commission. Rather than telling us to go and make disciples, he should have said "Stay home and shut up!" Just keep it to yourself.
Of course, that's not what he said because that's not the way it is. There are only two highways in all of life- the broad, highly traveled interstate to destruction, and the small country road that leads to Life. Our job is to get as many men and women as possible to detour from that popular super highway, and walk with Jesus on the narrow road to life. That's why God sent his son- that all who believed might have eternal life. But as John 3 goes on to explain, "All who do not believe in him are condemned already."
It's not compassionate to rationalize why "lost" people might not be lost at all. You'd never take that chance with your own life or your own kids. Compassion requires that I tell as many people as possible the wonderful truth God has revealed to me.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Living in the Dull, Gray Middle
It was like some grim, futuristic motion picture, except that you realize the people in a movie are just acting. Each morning I stood at the window of my hotel room watching thousands of locals walking to the trains. They moved together almost in step, with very little personal space. They walked grimly, always facing forward. And there was no laughter, no banter, no sarcasm or humorous chatter about last week-end. There was only a brooding silence, interrupted occasionally by the sounds of shuffling feet, a cough, or a subway bell.
Every afternoon, the people of Minsk came home the same way.
I was in Belarus just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It had been more than 2 years since the fall, but the possibilities afforded by freedom had not sunk in. The incumbent president was already maneuvering to realign with Russia. Senior adults were frustrated by the transition to democracy because the bread lines were sometimes less predictable. Before democracy, they had never enjoyed abundance, but the slow trickle of hard, tasteless loaves had been fairly constant.
My Western eyes could not miss the aftermath of a government controlled economy. There was no profound, abject poverty. And there was no over the top affluence. Rather, everyone lived in that gray middle zone uninterrupted by life's extremes. When there is no room for utter failure or paralyzing pain, there is also no possibility of extravagant joy or heroic accomplisment. There is just existence.
The state run apartments that everyone called home were the perfect measure of Soviet life. No, they were not filthy dumps. But neither did even one of them hint of art or elegance. Rather, they all loomed over the gray landscape like forty-year old monuments to surrender- massive and blocky, dim and inconvenient, but available and economical. Nobody lives on the street. But nobody dares aspire for something better.
Today the US government is buying up large shares of what once was private industry. The feds are eagerly seeking control of healthcare and the administrative ability to determine who gets treatment and who has to die without care. There is a full court press to limit greenhouse gases by assuming greater control over energy companies, utilities and their pricing structures. I cannot shake this suffocating sensation of marching together toward the trains of Minsk.
The snowball is rolling, and rapidly gaining momentum. Very soon every American may indeed have some form of goverment sponsored medical care. Take your card and get in line. Before long, there will be no homeless vagrants and no megabucks billionaires. But it won't feel like Heaven. It will seem more like the dull, gray middle where everyone fondly recalls the great risks and daring possibilities of what we once knew as "freedom."
Every afternoon, the people of Minsk came home the same way.
I was in Belarus just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It had been more than 2 years since the fall, but the possibilities afforded by freedom had not sunk in. The incumbent president was already maneuvering to realign with Russia. Senior adults were frustrated by the transition to democracy because the bread lines were sometimes less predictable. Before democracy, they had never enjoyed abundance, but the slow trickle of hard, tasteless loaves had been fairly constant.
My Western eyes could not miss the aftermath of a government controlled economy. There was no profound, abject poverty. And there was no over the top affluence. Rather, everyone lived in that gray middle zone uninterrupted by life's extremes. When there is no room for utter failure or paralyzing pain, there is also no possibility of extravagant joy or heroic accomplisment. There is just existence.
The state run apartments that everyone called home were the perfect measure of Soviet life. No, they were not filthy dumps. But neither did even one of them hint of art or elegance. Rather, they all loomed over the gray landscape like forty-year old monuments to surrender- massive and blocky, dim and inconvenient, but available and economical. Nobody lives on the street. But nobody dares aspire for something better.
Today the US government is buying up large shares of what once was private industry. The feds are eagerly seeking control of healthcare and the administrative ability to determine who gets treatment and who has to die without care. There is a full court press to limit greenhouse gases by assuming greater control over energy companies, utilities and their pricing structures. I cannot shake this suffocating sensation of marching together toward the trains of Minsk.
The snowball is rolling, and rapidly gaining momentum. Very soon every American may indeed have some form of goverment sponsored medical care. Take your card and get in line. Before long, there will be no homeless vagrants and no megabucks billionaires. But it won't feel like Heaven. It will seem more like the dull, gray middle where everyone fondly recalls the great risks and daring possibilities of what we once knew as "freedom."
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Sky is Falling: News at Ten
Has anybody else noticed that national crises are turning up on TV as frequently as Hollywood awards shows? Just in the last six months we have endured the mortgage crisis, the banking crisis, the stock market crisis, the Detroit automotive crisis, and the Swine Flu crisis. Trillions of stimulus dollars and hundreds of broken promises later, all those storms are still swirling, but there’s a new call to arms! Do they still sell Alka Seltzer down at the Rite Aid?
Our leaders hate to be the bearers of bad news, but they are rushing to the microphones to warn us again. Yes, we are suffering from an urgent "Healthcare Crisis" that cannot wait another week.
That term “healthcare crisis” is invoked so often and so ominously that you’d figure most Americans are wringing their hands in utter despair. Surely the warning signs are everywhere. Hospitals are so crowded that long lines of aged heart patients and cancer patients are spilling out clinic doors- stretching for blocks down the streets, right? Medical schools are graduating so few budding interns that there is a doctor shortage, right? And there is such a dearth of effective pharmaceuticals that Americans are dying of common disorders. Right? No. No. No.
This week, The New York Times reported recent polling that indicates broad support for healthcare reform. Some 85% of Americans allegedly believe our healthcare system must be radically or substantially reformed. But that same research found that 77% of Americans are satisfied with their own healthcare. If that’s a national crisis, I’ve got more breaking news:
- This country surely suffers from a congressional crisis, because I can guarantee you that 77% of Americans are dissatisfied with Congress. This can’t wait! When can we toss those bloated narcissists out of DC and bring in some ordinary Americans who haven’t traded their souls for campaign cash?
- Then there's the urgent education crisis. Seven out of ten Americans are not satisfied with our public schools. If healthcare companies need federal competition to make them improve, why not create competition for our wasteful public schools? If competition works so well, why did the President shut down the voucher system which allowed inner city DC students to attend great private schools?
- And finally, almost 77% of Americans support restoring prayer to schools and public places. Wake up, Washington! We have a prayer crisis. Are there any of those stimulus dollars left for getting desperate Americans out of a prayer crisis and into real prayer lives?
Sure, we’ve all heard that 40 million figure for uninsured Americans. But I have to wonder if that’s anything like the "documented" number of women reportedly beaten by husbands on Super Bowl Sundays? Hey, if we could pin down a real number for the uninsured, most would be young people who don’t want to spend money on insurance they don’t need; Americans who are between jobs and will be insured when they are rehired; and immigrants who are here illegally.
If that leaves 10 million uninsured Americans, surely there’s a more efficient way to help them than turning the world’s premiere healthcare system over to the same Beltway politicians who waste billions of tax dollars year after year on Bridges to Nowhere and studies on the sex life of killer bees in China.
No doubt, we’d all like to see healthcare costs go down. But if that’s actually what you desire, then you surely can't afford more posh office suites for bureaucrats, more kick-backs for DC politicians, and more federal paperwork for honest doctors. Wake up America: Most of us haven't seen a real crisis yet, but you have some ambitious politicians who are eager to show you one.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hell is a Four Letter Word
Funny, it’s been a long time since anyone has told me to go to Hell! The bad news is that there are more graphic four-letter words people can use to insult you these days. The good news is that Hell has been banned.
Actually, I’m pretty sure the place is still there- at least that’s what God promises. But more and more Americans are grossly offended by the idea. They insist that a sentence in Hell would be unjust. Most people aren't that wicked, or so we commonly assume. Hell would be okay for somebody like Hitler, but it’s surely not for mass consumption! Most people just aren’t that bad.
It may sound odd, but I was reading this history book last week and I came across a shocking fact: when Hitler came to power, most people didn’t think he was that bad, either. He was elected by the majority in a nation of nice, moral people. In fact, even when he began to eliminate the Jews, most of his fans and followers thought it would stimulate the economy! What’s wrong with that? Heck, the H-Man still has has tons of fans in the world today. No doubt, they are all nice people as well.
Or try this idea. If most people are basically good, how do you explain the epidemic of child molestation, date rape, mail fraud, identity theft, child pornography, racism, and genocide that dominate the headlines daily? Is a small group of skinheads in Montana responsible for all that evil? When corporations seduce and corrupt children with violent, suicidal, sex-charged music videos in order to rake in megabucks, are the people who run those corporations basically good? And if most earthlings are morally acceptable, which other planet is providing us with our surplus of corrupt politicians, greedy corporate CEO’s, angry terrorists, and self-centered celebrities?
I remember a stunned church member who came to me in shock a few years ago. He had inadvertently discovered that his godly Mom had been part of an adulterous affair when she was younger. He was stunned and couldn’t even imagine how his innocent Mom could have ever been a part of something so unsavory. When the Bible speaks of depravity, it means that none of us are quite as innocent as we'd like to pretend.
If most of us are offended by the "injustice" of Hell, perhaps it’s because we are too comfortable with real-world evil. We don’t know most people in the world, and can’t imagine what they’re really like. And we’re in denial about ourselves.
The good news is that nobody has to go to Hell. Thank God Jesus Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Actually, I’m pretty sure the place is still there- at least that’s what God promises. But more and more Americans are grossly offended by the idea. They insist that a sentence in Hell would be unjust. Most people aren't that wicked, or so we commonly assume. Hell would be okay for somebody like Hitler, but it’s surely not for mass consumption! Most people just aren’t that bad.
It may sound odd, but I was reading this history book last week and I came across a shocking fact: when Hitler came to power, most people didn’t think he was that bad, either. He was elected by the majority in a nation of nice, moral people. In fact, even when he began to eliminate the Jews, most of his fans and followers thought it would stimulate the economy! What’s wrong with that? Heck, the H-Man still has has tons of fans in the world today. No doubt, they are all nice people as well.
Or try this idea. If most people are basically good, how do you explain the epidemic of child molestation, date rape, mail fraud, identity theft, child pornography, racism, and genocide that dominate the headlines daily? Is a small group of skinheads in Montana responsible for all that evil? When corporations seduce and corrupt children with violent, suicidal, sex-charged music videos in order to rake in megabucks, are the people who run those corporations basically good? And if most earthlings are morally acceptable, which other planet is providing us with our surplus of corrupt politicians, greedy corporate CEO’s, angry terrorists, and self-centered celebrities?
I remember a stunned church member who came to me in shock a few years ago. He had inadvertently discovered that his godly Mom had been part of an adulterous affair when she was younger. He was stunned and couldn’t even imagine how his innocent Mom could have ever been a part of something so unsavory. When the Bible speaks of depravity, it means that none of us are quite as innocent as we'd like to pretend.
If most of us are offended by the "injustice" of Hell, perhaps it’s because we are too comfortable with real-world evil. We don’t know most people in the world, and can’t imagine what they’re really like. And we’re in denial about ourselves.
The good news is that nobody has to go to Hell. Thank God Jesus Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Blame the Bearded Guys
If the Bible seems a bit dull to you- too cut and dried- just blame it on those old, bearded guys. It worked for Dan Brown when he wrote the DaVinci Code, and it seems to be working for other post-modern types who are offended by the Word of God. Apparently, those wicked church fathers, had this secret meeting with the Emperor Constantine. (Okay, it wasn't that secretive. We've all known about it for nearly 1700 years.) In a couple of days, they hand picked and edited the books of the Bible, crushed the competition, shut out the truth about Mary Magdalene, and invented the doctrine of the Trinity.
Then they successfully hid their tracks for all this time until Dan Brown exposed them with his best-selling novel. And today we all know the Fathers of Nicea were sinister control freaks who despised women and plotted to deceive the whole world for thousands of years. Well, that's what their critics say.
But it started me thinking. If those early church fathers were so powerful and so determined, why didn't they take their plot more seriously?
Then they successfully hid their tracks for all this time until Dan Brown exposed them with his best-selling novel. And today we all know the Fathers of Nicea were sinister control freaks who despised women and plotted to deceive the whole world for thousands of years. Well, that's what their critics say.
But it started me thinking. If those early church fathers were so powerful and so determined, why didn't they take their plot more seriously?
- Why didn't they edit the gospels and make one of the Apostles the first witness to the resurrection? Why did they leave Mary Magdalene and the women as the first to arrive and get word to the men? Women were considered absolutely unreliable witnesses in their world! Why didn't they fix this embarassment?
- Why didn't they tweak the four Gospels to make them fit together more comfortably? The gospels use different stories and notice different details to show different aspects of Christ's ministry. If these inconsistencies were really a credibility problem, why didn't they scan those manuscripts and do some word processing?
- Why did they leave Simon Peter looking like such a loser? He denied Jesus at the worst possible moment! And John's Gospel ends with this pathetic scene where Jesus has to forgive the guy. Incidents like this make our would-be heroes look weak. Why didn't they do a rewrite and let Peter fight boldly for Christ until he was finally knocked unconscious and tossed into a dungeon bound and gagged?
- And if they were really trying to rehabilitate Christ's reputation because they knew he had died in vain on the cross, why did they leave in that irritating question: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It would have been a lot smoother if they'd just let Jesus exclaim, "What a rush! This was a great ride, Pop! Back in a sec!"
Something tells me those early church fathers weren't as corrupt and all-powerful as we've been told. The evidence tells me these were ordinary guys who had become convinced that Jesus Christ had actually come back to life after a violent death, rolled away a big stone, and returned from his grave. There can be only one reason they left the New Testament intact with all those "problem passages:" because it's the truth. They weren't trying to polish the truth; just pass it along.
As John wrote in his Gospel account, "But these things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing you might have life in his name." The Gospel is not based on a foolproof plot. It is based on the Truth.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Sliming the Word of God
A good friend asked me to read a book he'd purchased and share my thoughts. It was titled, Ten Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job.) It's one of those skinny, chatty, anecdotal books that assume "hip honesty" is cool and orthodoxy is obsolete. Most pastors can't afford to be honest, right? They have to say certain things in order to stay on the payroll, so somebody has to re-educate ignorant Christians whose number is Legion. Apparently, this author was glad to volunteer.
One light-weight chapter offered a word for all those foolish souls who believe the Bible is "inerrant." In one deft paragraph, this spiritual advisor charges many of his brothers and sisters with "pat answers," copping out, and wasting other people's time. So much for love and gentleness. Then he twists the knife with this statement: "Let's turn to the painfully obvious biblical errors." (Aren't you glad he's a friend, and not an atheist or something?)
Are you ready for the first, and most "painfully obvious" error in your Holy Bible? 1 Kings 7:23 "values pi at 3 instead of 3.14 as we now know it to be. Close but not inerrant." Having never come across the term "pi" in Scripture, I hurried to find the offending text. In fact, the passage simply describes a round object in the Temple which was ten cubits from rim to rim, and thirty cubits in circumference. Dividing the circumference by the diameter should calculate 3.14, so the statement must be erroneous and unreliable.
All I could do was laugh. I thought about the Greek sophists of Paul's day who took pride in being able to argue any point, no matter how irrational or absurd. Since when does a narrative describing the appearance of the Temple have to express every dimension of every structure within two decimal points in ancient Hebrew? This account was written to help us imagine the Temple, not rebuild it to scale! Think about this:
One light-weight chapter offered a word for all those foolish souls who believe the Bible is "inerrant." In one deft paragraph, this spiritual advisor charges many of his brothers and sisters with "pat answers," copping out, and wasting other people's time. So much for love and gentleness. Then he twists the knife with this statement: "Let's turn to the painfully obvious biblical errors." (Aren't you glad he's a friend, and not an atheist or something?)
Are you ready for the first, and most "painfully obvious" error in your Holy Bible? 1 Kings 7:23 "values pi at 3 instead of 3.14 as we now know it to be. Close but not inerrant." Having never come across the term "pi" in Scripture, I hurried to find the offending text. In fact, the passage simply describes a round object in the Temple which was ten cubits from rim to rim, and thirty cubits in circumference. Dividing the circumference by the diameter should calculate 3.14, so the statement must be erroneous and unreliable.
All I could do was laugh. I thought about the Greek sophists of Paul's day who took pride in being able to argue any point, no matter how irrational or absurd. Since when does a narrative describing the appearance of the Temple have to express every dimension of every structure within two decimal points in ancient Hebrew? This account was written to help us imagine the Temple, not rebuild it to scale! Think about this:
- The Bible is full of rounded numbers, and everyone has always known this.
- Exodus 12:37 summarizes that the Exodus included 600,000 men, not counting women and children. If we should some day find an ancient Egyptian manuscript that proves 600,023 males actually departed, that would confirm the account, wouldn't it?
- 1 Samuel 4:2 describes how the Philistines killed 4,000 Israelites in one battle. Perhaps you've noticed that most fatality statistics in Scripture are amazingly round numbers! Would you be shocked or offended to find an ancient historian who counted 3,997 bodies? Most of us would assume this confirmed the biblical estimate.
- Matthew 15:38 records a miracle in which Jesus multiplied seven loaves and a fish to feed 4,000 men plus their families. Now if Jesus really multiplied that small amount of food, but only managed to feed 3,987 men plus their families, is Matthew a big fat liar? Is God?
So much for "painfully obvious errors!" However,I have decided the book is right about one thing: if I believed that kind of rubbish, I would lose my job. My people have much more respect for God than that. In fact, if I really approached God's Word with such apprehension, I would resign my job. I would have no supernatural basis for supposing that lives could change, miracles could happen, or people can live forever. I would be as shallow and spiritually empty as many of the books in Christian bookstores.
Dear friends, you never need to worry that God's Word will mislead you. God won't stand for that. But you should beware of laid back authors who describe how well they know God in spite of the Bible's flaws. Misery loves company, and these unhappy souls have invited you into the trap to share their fears and sorrows. Don't take the bait. Trust the Lord.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Big Tent Versus Big T
You don't have to be a Republican to know that a fist fight is simmering in the GOP. Republicans have been talking about "big tent politics" for years, but after last year's election losses, what was once a suggestion has become a battle cry. Leading voices are demanding that the party must become a Big Tent and make room for more people. Some would-be GOP candidates have recently launched a "Listening Tour" in order hear the voices of America and discover what potential voters really want.
Let's not be so PC for a moment. When it comes to shaping your identity, listening tours are a silly idea. For the most part, people don't really know what they want. Rather, most people know what they like when they see it. Consumers weren't demanding Ipods or until Apple invented one. Then the world beat a path to buy them in five colors and three sizes. Politicians need to be less sensitive and more centered. A group seeking to cast a vision for people ought to begin by drawing a red circle around their moral center. Once folks know what you truly stand for, they can make in intelligent choice about whether it makes sense to them or not. If political ideas don't matter anyway, why bother with politics?
I happen to be a political conservative, but that's not why I find this particular debate so interesting. Rather, I've been fascinated by this movement because it feels so familiar. Perhaps you've realized that this is the same Happy Meal that was sold to the American Church about 20 years ago. Loud voices insisted we were too narrow and too shrill, and that our tent was too small. Trend setters insisted we should listen to the voices of the culture and discover what Americans really wanted. Once we identified what our communities really wanted, we could shape our "ministry" to scratch whatever itches in their lives.
Now after more than two decades of "Big Tent" church, we are shocked to learn that the American church has grown much smaller and the American public is much less Christian. No matter how hard we tried to be edgy, youth-oriented, self-centered, psychology-oriented, sexually frank and non-judgmental, most churches found it didn't work. Apparently, people could get all those things without coming to church. And the ones who really wanted to worship required more than cultural vomit with artificial spiritual sweeteners. The tent got bigger but the American church got smaller.
So it's interesting US Republicans are now salivating over a strategy that has failed miserably for US Christians. Rather than looking for the Big Tent, we should have dug deeply to find the Big T: Truth. What is it that Jesus died for so that we could live for it? What is our biblical center of gravity? How does the Cross of Christ honestly challenge our narcissistic, over-sexed culture?
The people of Athens overwhelmingly wanted idols, but Paul refused to embrace idolatry in his preaching. Rather, he used the Word of God to show Greeks how their idol-mania revealed a deeper hunger they had never addressed- their yearning for the One True Creator behind the universe. The people of America are obsessed with sex, but I doubt Paul would have sat on a bed to preach about hooking up with hotties at work- or with your spouse, for that matter. Rather, he would have used this obvious lust to point us to a deeper yearning- for divine love, consuming purpose and intimacy with God. When it comes to philosophical tents, size doesn't matter. Go for Big Truth. As Jesus taught us,if the Truth is big enough, people of faith will force themselves inside, no matter how small the tent seems: even if they have to cut a whole in the roof to get in.
Just imagine that!
Let's not be so PC for a moment. When it comes to shaping your identity, listening tours are a silly idea. For the most part, people don't really know what they want. Rather, most people know what they like when they see it. Consumers weren't demanding Ipods or until Apple invented one. Then the world beat a path to buy them in five colors and three sizes. Politicians need to be less sensitive and more centered. A group seeking to cast a vision for people ought to begin by drawing a red circle around their moral center. Once folks know what you truly stand for, they can make in intelligent choice about whether it makes sense to them or not. If political ideas don't matter anyway, why bother with politics?
I happen to be a political conservative, but that's not why I find this particular debate so interesting. Rather, I've been fascinated by this movement because it feels so familiar. Perhaps you've realized that this is the same Happy Meal that was sold to the American Church about 20 years ago. Loud voices insisted we were too narrow and too shrill, and that our tent was too small. Trend setters insisted we should listen to the voices of the culture and discover what Americans really wanted. Once we identified what our communities really wanted, we could shape our "ministry" to scratch whatever itches in their lives.
Now after more than two decades of "Big Tent" church, we are shocked to learn that the American church has grown much smaller and the American public is much less Christian. No matter how hard we tried to be edgy, youth-oriented, self-centered, psychology-oriented, sexually frank and non-judgmental, most churches found it didn't work. Apparently, people could get all those things without coming to church. And the ones who really wanted to worship required more than cultural vomit with artificial spiritual sweeteners. The tent got bigger but the American church got smaller.
So it's interesting US Republicans are now salivating over a strategy that has failed miserably for US Christians. Rather than looking for the Big Tent, we should have dug deeply to find the Big T: Truth. What is it that Jesus died for so that we could live for it? What is our biblical center of gravity? How does the Cross of Christ honestly challenge our narcissistic, over-sexed culture?
The people of Athens overwhelmingly wanted idols, but Paul refused to embrace idolatry in his preaching. Rather, he used the Word of God to show Greeks how their idol-mania revealed a deeper hunger they had never addressed- their yearning for the One True Creator behind the universe. The people of America are obsessed with sex, but I doubt Paul would have sat on a bed to preach about hooking up with hotties at work- or with your spouse, for that matter. Rather, he would have used this obvious lust to point us to a deeper yearning- for divine love, consuming purpose and intimacy with God. When it comes to philosophical tents, size doesn't matter. Go for Big Truth. As Jesus taught us,if the Truth is big enough, people of faith will force themselves inside, no matter how small the tent seems: even if they have to cut a whole in the roof to get in.
Just imagine that!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Life Happens!
Newsweek magazine knows what Americans want to read. Their best-selling issues have always been those with Princess Di, JFK Jr, or the Christian Faith on the cover. Significantly, two of those cover icons are no longer among the living, and many insist the Church is on its way out as well.
So I wasn't surprised when the news mag recently featured a cover story, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." In fact, the essay found inside was not nearly as grim as the cover, designed to gin up controversy and sell magazines. The resulting debate was colorful, with some Christians agreeing with the thesis and others insisting its not true. One writer for USA Today insisted Christianity is alive and well- just evolving into new forms. Hmm. You mean like self-worship and consumerism? You just made their point.
Like many popular religious discussions in the country, this one comes way too late. Dr. Francis Schaeffer called the US a "post-Christian" society four decades ago! In a 1969 book entitled Death in the City, he tracked the spread of materialism into education, entertainment, and across society. He concluded, "Our generation has nobody home in the universe, nobody at all." That forty year old book is still more accurate and more insightful than the 2009 Newsweek article.
Don't bother asking if we're a post-Christian nation or not. The heart of the Christian Faith in the American colonies was New England. Today that region is the national capital for atheism and unbelief. The cancer has metastasized. In fact, Americans are living in a post-Christian age.
Forget that question, and ask this one: "Are we a post-Christian church?" We follow a Savior who was so counter-cultural that his own nation killed him. But today, our strategy for success is to blend in. "Don't challenge the culture: win them with tolerance."
Houston, we have a problem! Our tolerance and hip refusal to be shocked isn't working. We aren't winning them over, but they are beating us at every turn: courts, schools, the media, even government. And lots of former church-goers are now finding they have gradually evolved into non-church goers because the new church feels so much like the old, familiar culture. Why drive to a church house for the same attitudes and platitudes you can TIVO on Oprah and watch at home in your jammies?
John Lennon is most famous for "Imagine," his melodic hymn to atheism. But I remember him for a different recording. Writing a song to his infant son, he mused "Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans." That's what happened to the church. While we were reaching for a nugget of cheese offered by the culture, something clicked and- out of nowhere- the hammer came slamming down to trap us. Now we find ourselves pinned hopelessly to the mousetrap and wondering "Hey, how did everything go south so quickly? What happened to us?"
Life happened, dudes! When repentance happens, God will smile again on his post-Christian American admirers.
So I wasn't surprised when the news mag recently featured a cover story, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." In fact, the essay found inside was not nearly as grim as the cover, designed to gin up controversy and sell magazines. The resulting debate was colorful, with some Christians agreeing with the thesis and others insisting its not true. One writer for USA Today insisted Christianity is alive and well- just evolving into new forms. Hmm. You mean like self-worship and consumerism? You just made their point.
Like many popular religious discussions in the country, this one comes way too late. Dr. Francis Schaeffer called the US a "post-Christian" society four decades ago! In a 1969 book entitled Death in the City, he tracked the spread of materialism into education, entertainment, and across society. He concluded, "Our generation has nobody home in the universe, nobody at all." That forty year old book is still more accurate and more insightful than the 2009 Newsweek article.
Don't bother asking if we're a post-Christian nation or not. The heart of the Christian Faith in the American colonies was New England. Today that region is the national capital for atheism and unbelief. The cancer has metastasized. In fact, Americans are living in a post-Christian age.
Forget that question, and ask this one: "Are we a post-Christian church?" We follow a Savior who was so counter-cultural that his own nation killed him. But today, our strategy for success is to blend in. "Don't challenge the culture: win them with tolerance."
Houston, we have a problem! Our tolerance and hip refusal to be shocked isn't working. We aren't winning them over, but they are beating us at every turn: courts, schools, the media, even government. And lots of former church-goers are now finding they have gradually evolved into non-church goers because the new church feels so much like the old, familiar culture. Why drive to a church house for the same attitudes and platitudes you can TIVO on Oprah and watch at home in your jammies?
John Lennon is most famous for "Imagine," his melodic hymn to atheism. But I remember him for a different recording. Writing a song to his infant son, he mused "Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans." That's what happened to the church. While we were reaching for a nugget of cheese offered by the culture, something clicked and- out of nowhere- the hammer came slamming down to trap us. Now we find ourselves pinned hopelessly to the mousetrap and wondering "Hey, how did everything go south so quickly? What happened to us?"
Life happened, dudes! When repentance happens, God will smile again on his post-Christian American admirers.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Anything But Socialism!
"Not only do I believe every word of the Bible is absolutely true, but I even believe the cover is genuine cowhide leather!" We conservatives go to great lengths to emphasize the reliability of the Bible. But if we're truly honest, there are some places in the Bible we wish weren't true!
For example, I think many of us have cringed in discomfort over the years whenever we have come to those two sections in Acts that explain how the early Christians tended to pool all their resources so that everybody had something to eat. Of course we wouldn't have wanted anyone to starve to death, but we're troubled by the politics! You know what I mean: "Are these guys socialists are what?" Everybody knows they would have been better off to find a capitalistic solution to their problem! Really, has anything good ever come out of a commune?
This discomfort with socialism probably explains an interesting phenomenon. Whenever we conservatives come to Acts 2: 42-47 or 4: 32-35, we always leap to the topic of unity. These Christians were united in heart and mind; they were united by shared purpose. But there is a blinding light shining out of these passages that we refuse to see.
Throughout the gospels, Christ uses one particular story format over and over again in his parables. Time again he speaks of a wealthy land owner who goes on a journey, leaving a trusted servant to manage his entire estate. Whenever he finally returns, there is always a time of accounting. There is a simple reason why Christ spins so many story lines around this scenario: he is teaching that everything we have belongs to God, and we have simply been entrusted with the task of managing God's wealth. Christ was teaching his followers to hold their possessions lightly, realizing it was all from God's treasury and for his purposes.
The Christians in Acts represent the first generation of believers challenged with living out this radical worldview. And what do they do? Do they give a tenth to the church and spend everything else they earn on themselves and their families? To the contrary, Acts 4:32 explains, "Not a man among them claimed any of his possessions as his own, but everything was held in common..."
We tend to ask, "What were these people- socialists?" The simple answer is "No, they weren't socialists. They were followers of Jesus." There is a more relevant question that often goes unasked by the capitalistic materialists of today's church: "If those guys were real Christians, what are we?"
For example, I think many of us have cringed in discomfort over the years whenever we have come to those two sections in Acts that explain how the early Christians tended to pool all their resources so that everybody had something to eat. Of course we wouldn't have wanted anyone to starve to death, but we're troubled by the politics! You know what I mean: "Are these guys socialists are what?" Everybody knows they would have been better off to find a capitalistic solution to their problem! Really, has anything good ever come out of a commune?
This discomfort with socialism probably explains an interesting phenomenon. Whenever we conservatives come to Acts 2: 42-47 or 4: 32-35, we always leap to the topic of unity. These Christians were united in heart and mind; they were united by shared purpose. But there is a blinding light shining out of these passages that we refuse to see.
Throughout the gospels, Christ uses one particular story format over and over again in his parables. Time again he speaks of a wealthy land owner who goes on a journey, leaving a trusted servant to manage his entire estate. Whenever he finally returns, there is always a time of accounting. There is a simple reason why Christ spins so many story lines around this scenario: he is teaching that everything we have belongs to God, and we have simply been entrusted with the task of managing God's wealth. Christ was teaching his followers to hold their possessions lightly, realizing it was all from God's treasury and for his purposes.
The Christians in Acts represent the first generation of believers challenged with living out this radical worldview. And what do they do? Do they give a tenth to the church and spend everything else they earn on themselves and their families? To the contrary, Acts 4:32 explains, "Not a man among them claimed any of his possessions as his own, but everything was held in common..."
We tend to ask, "What were these people- socialists?" The simple answer is "No, they weren't socialists. They were followers of Jesus." There is a more relevant question that often goes unasked by the capitalistic materialists of today's church: "If those guys were real Christians, what are we?"
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Kids Would Prefer Gitmo
This week, Kathleen Sibelius was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. While serving as Governor of Kansas, Mrs. Sibelius strongly supported abortion rights and her campaign was funded by abortion providers. Earlier this year, she vetoed the 2009 Late Term and Partial Birth Abortion Regulation Act. The law would have reduced the number of abortions in Kansas and would have eliminated Partial Birth Abortions.
Her nomination to this cabinet position sailed right through with few protests and very little emotional hand wringing. I’ve got to confess, I'm confused. How can late term abortions get a pass from people who are outraged and offended by interrogation techniques used on terrorists?
As I understand it, partial birth abortion is a grotesque and appalling procedure. The doctor removes the infant’s torso from the birth canal leaving only the head inside. A pair of scissors are inserted into the base of the skull, opened and twisted to create a larger opening. Then a suction device is used to remove the infant’s brain. The dead body is then incinerated.
By contrast, the methods of torture which have created such a sensation at Guantanamo include sleep deprivation, loud noises, and being placed in a small space with an insect. As tough as water boarding sounds, it was always about the illusion of being drowned. Scissors and death were never a factor.
I’ve heard many Americans demand that “torture” or “aggressive interrogation” must be banned even if it does save lives. This argument insists that saving thousands of American lives could never outweigh the principle that America is too civilized to torture enemy combatants. Meanwhile, in order to allow one woman to return to work and escape the inconvenience of pregnancy, we permit an unborn infant to be torn apart with scissors and suction devices. Where's the humanity? Does our milk of human kindness nurture only those people who want to kill us?
Just imagine the lives that could be saved if only we could find a way to apply the Geneva Convention to unborn babies! There is no doubt that what happens at Gitmo is far more humane and civilized than what happens in your local abortion clinic. Call it Abu Ghraib for Tots- without the chance of survival. Where's the outrage indeed?
Her nomination to this cabinet position sailed right through with few protests and very little emotional hand wringing. I’ve got to confess, I'm confused. How can late term abortions get a pass from people who are outraged and offended by interrogation techniques used on terrorists?
As I understand it, partial birth abortion is a grotesque and appalling procedure. The doctor removes the infant’s torso from the birth canal leaving only the head inside. A pair of scissors are inserted into the base of the skull, opened and twisted to create a larger opening. Then a suction device is used to remove the infant’s brain. The dead body is then incinerated.
By contrast, the methods of torture which have created such a sensation at Guantanamo include sleep deprivation, loud noises, and being placed in a small space with an insect. As tough as water boarding sounds, it was always about the illusion of being drowned. Scissors and death were never a factor.
I’ve heard many Americans demand that “torture” or “aggressive interrogation” must be banned even if it does save lives. This argument insists that saving thousands of American lives could never outweigh the principle that America is too civilized to torture enemy combatants. Meanwhile, in order to allow one woman to return to work and escape the inconvenience of pregnancy, we permit an unborn infant to be torn apart with scissors and suction devices. Where's the humanity? Does our milk of human kindness nurture only those people who want to kill us?
Just imagine the lives that could be saved if only we could find a way to apply the Geneva Convention to unborn babies! There is no doubt that what happens at Gitmo is far more humane and civilized than what happens in your local abortion clinic. Call it Abu Ghraib for Tots- without the chance of survival. Where's the outrage indeed?
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Sleeping Giant Woke up and Got Saved
Newsweek's recent cover story, "The Rise and Fall of Christian America," produced quite a bit of handwringing among American Christians. "Can it really be true?" we wondered. "And if it is true, what will become of the rest of the world?"
The bad news is that the Christianity in the USA is truly a pale shadow of its former self. The good news is that Jesus Christ is doing a victory march around the rest of the world! Think about these statistics, for example:
The bad news is that the Christianity in the USA is truly a pale shadow of its former self. The good news is that Jesus Christ is doing a victory march around the rest of the world! Think about these statistics, for example:
- The Christian Church imay be the largest church in China or the world. It's true the Chinese government numbers the church at only 16 million, but that's just the "registered" Christians in state churches. It has been suggested that there are more than 6,000 illegal churches meeting in homes in Beijing alone. People in the know estimate there are between 35 million to 150 million Christians worshipping in house churches across the mainland!
- In Africa, Christian churches have become so prevalent and so powerful that it won't be long before they are sending missionaries back to Post-Christian America! In Kampala, Uganda, for instance, Kampala Pentecostal not only draws thousands to worship on Sundays, but cares for hundreds or AIDS/HIV orphans in several locations around the city. Churches like this are legion in Africa.
- Across Latin America and South America, revivals are sweeping whole cities. The Pentecostal fire that is burning in these nations is in sharp contrast to the traditional Catholicism which was dominant for so long.
Gone are the days when the USA was the global center for the Christian Faith. That position of influence is rapidly shifting to the African continent. While we were busy making peace with the culture, they were determined to preach the Word in season and out. A generation later, they are enjoying revival. And here in America, atheists now outnumber Episcopalians.
Frankly, the fact that we still think of ourselves as "American" Christians reveals how earth bound and parochial we are. When you and I come to accept the Scriptural truth that we are all citizens of Heaven; when that becomes our highest allegiance; we will realize we are part of the African Church and the Asian Church as well. We all belong to the True Church of Jesus Christ. We are all brothers, sisters and joint heirs!
And when we do finally realize our highest allegiance is to Christ, perhaps we can finally stop worshipping Success and Self. At a moment like that, we might begin to experience True Repentance. And who knows? God might smile and pour out revival on the paralyzed and unconscious part of his family living in America. Selah.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Define Love
Last Sunday's sermon came from the closing verses of Romans 12. Paul explains that we should love our enemies to the extent that we actually pray for God's blessings on those who persecute us. The idea is central to the Gospel because, as Paul explains elsewhere, Christ died for us while we were still his enemies. To my surprise, this core idea generated quite a bit of debate and discussion after worship.
One of my friends asked, "But how am I supposed to love Al Qaeda?" Another was more precise: "What is intended by the word 'love?' Does God want me to love my enemy the way I love my brother or my wife?" I didn't even have to speculate. The Bible clearly answers that question.
Christ summarized the Ten Commandments of the an Old Covenant into two principles for the New Testament: love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Notice that I am not commanded to love any other human being the way I love my wife or my brother. My love for God must be whole hearted, but I am only required to love my neighbor the way I love myself.
Think about it: I never find myself overcome with affection and emotion when I stand before a mirror to brush my hair or knot my tie. I have never tried to hug myself in appreciation, exulting, "I love me!" That's not the way most of us love ourselves.
One of my friends asked, "But how am I supposed to love Al Qaeda?" Another was more precise: "What is intended by the word 'love?' Does God want me to love my enemy the way I love my brother or my wife?" I didn't even have to speculate. The Bible clearly answers that question.
Christ summarized the Ten Commandments of the an Old Covenant into two principles for the New Testament: love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Notice that I am not commanded to love any other human being the way I love my wife or my brother. My love for God must be whole hearted, but I am only required to love my neighbor the way I love myself.
Think about it: I never find myself overcome with affection and emotion when I stand before a mirror to brush my hair or knot my tie. I have never tried to hug myself in appreciation, exulting, "I love me!" That's not the way most of us love ourselves.
- I have feelings of warmth and appreciation for my family, my friends, and some relatives.
- I experience positive emotions when I am around people who treated me with kindness.
- But I'm not that excited about me. Nevertheless, I feed myself, clothe myself and forgive myself even when I have done seriously regrettable things. I pray for myself even when I am not happy with myself- especially when I'm not happy with myself.
That's the way God directs me to love my enemies and people who try to persecute me. I don't have to enjoy them, have affection for them, or tell them they look fabulous. Rather, I must show them kindness, treat them with courtesy, help them if I can, and pray for God to help them. I don't try to harm them anymore than I would try and harm myself. I tolerate myself and make sure my needs are met.
I don't seek revenge because I trust my Heavenly Father to be a righteous judge. He will ultimately balance the scales. He will surely pursue justice. His righteousness and faithfulness allow me enough space to do something supernatural- pray for people who would like to destroy me. Nobody ever said it would be easy.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Finally, An Honest TV Commercial
Only in TV Land can a plastic bottle of Axe bodywash transform a nerdy adolescent into a chick magnet. There among the klieg lights, computer generated effects and make-up artists, anything can happen. Sugary cereals build muscle for Olympic athletes, and driving a Buick makes an insurance salesman feel like Tiger Woods. Warning kids: Don't try these tricks at home!
No thinking person actually believes the hype in those costly thirty-second messages, but that's not even important. Televised images cut directly to your subconscious where associations are made and deals are settled without your conscious involvement. That's what makes the medium so powerful. And that's what makes those Hulu commercials so sinister.
You know about Hulu- the website that broadcasts network TV shows after they air in prime time. Edgy commercials feature Alec Baldwin boasting that the rumors are true: TV really does rot your brain! It's a plot concocted by aliens who have infiltrated the planet. Their plan is to take over the planet, one gelatinized brain at a time. Everyone laughs and the regularly scheduled program returns.
It's probably not a plot cooked up by body snatching aliens, but the funny message is accurate. Watching television is corrosive- and not only to our brains, but our character. Think about it:
No thinking person actually believes the hype in those costly thirty-second messages, but that's not even important. Televised images cut directly to your subconscious where associations are made and deals are settled without your conscious involvement. That's what makes the medium so powerful. And that's what makes those Hulu commercials so sinister.
You know about Hulu- the website that broadcasts network TV shows after they air in prime time. Edgy commercials feature Alec Baldwin boasting that the rumors are true: TV really does rot your brain! It's a plot concocted by aliens who have infiltrated the planet. Their plan is to take over the planet, one gelatinized brain at a time. Everyone laughs and the regularly scheduled program returns.
It's probably not a plot cooked up by body snatching aliens, but the funny message is accurate. Watching television is corrosive- and not only to our brains, but our character. Think about it:
- Abe Lincoln forged his character splitting logs, and trained his mind by reading books by the light of a fireplace. Do you really think watching the Simpsons and Dancing with the Stars would accomplish the same results in an Abe Lincoln today?
- The typical American can identify Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Simon Cowell. That same average citizen cannot name the Vice President, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or his own congressman. Which kind of knowledge is more important?
- Fifty years ago, high school students studied maps and passed geography exams. Today's kids never look at a map because they can watch reality TV contestants race around exotic locales. They remember the contestants but recall nothing about the cities, the countries, the locations.
- A generation ago, families ate meals together and neighbors got together for social events and friendship building. Today we simply collapse into recliners aimed at giant TV screens, and never see our neighbors. Teen-agers actually get together with their friends to watch DVDs on TV screens.
A large share of Americans confess they get most of their news from monologues by Jay Leno and David Letterman. Never mind that comedians aren't trying to be fair or accurate. Their goal is to cop an attitude and get a laugh. But tens of thousands of Americans are making decisions about politics and policies based on hip attitudes and punch lines.
Television sells image, hedonism, materialism, and immediate gratification. And there's a reason those Super Bowl commercials are so expensive: most of them work. Americans used to value self-control. Today we live for self-indulgence. Granted, the problem is bigger than just TV. Life in America has become an outrageous three ring circus of debauchery. But TV is the ringmaster who tells us what to watch.
We all know we need to do something about this. Unfortunately, this drug piped directly into our homes is also addictive. "I'll think about this later," we resolve, "After Letterman!"
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
For a Limited Time Only
Not long ago I noticed an advertisement for a very unusual clock. It doesn't tell you the time. Rather, based on the year of your birth and your age, it tells you how many days you have left on the planet. That number of days is an average of course! Your actual departure might come sooner or later. But the clock reminds us all that our career on Earth is not open ended.
Moses knew that. He wrote, "Teach us, O Lord, to number our days that we might apply our hearts to wisdom." [Psalm 90:12]
It's instructive to recall that Moses lived out most of his days in some pretty brutal settings. Forty years were spent in the brutal Sinai wilderness working as a shepherd. And his final forty years played out in the same region, this time as the leader of a stubborn bunch of nomads! (And you and I complain about having to deal with irritating co-workers in air conditioned offices!)
I mention that fact because many of us are fairly dissatisfied with this particular moment of history where our calendars have been placed. We've been watching this economic cycle grow deeper and more unsettling for nearly a year now. Still there's no end in sight! And there are heated debates raging at the highest levels of government about what must be done.
It's tempting in anxious moments like these to place our lives "on hold." It's hard to maintain a postive attitude. It's hard to think about anything else. It's easy to complain and swap headlines about the latest conundrum facing the world.
But here's what I keep saying to myself: "You're life isn't really on hold." The fact is that my days are numbered in a very real sense, and the pages of the calendar are still turning. Sure, some days are happier than others, but all days are equal in value. What's more, difficult days are generally the most productive ones for ministering to others and helping people in darkness see the light. So you and I don't have time to waste waiting on better news.
We already have the Good News, and that kind of news already has a market. People are more spiritually hungry today than they were even a year ago. And the only way you and I will receive a fresh batch of better days is by trading in the ones we already have. So don't trade them in. Use them. Stop looking for a break, and start looking for broken hearts.
That's what Paul means when he tells us to redeem the time for the days are evil. The idea is that I must be intentional about making the most of every day, especially when the circumstances are bleak.
Moses knew that. He wrote, "Teach us, O Lord, to number our days that we might apply our hearts to wisdom." [Psalm 90:12]
It's instructive to recall that Moses lived out most of his days in some pretty brutal settings. Forty years were spent in the brutal Sinai wilderness working as a shepherd. And his final forty years played out in the same region, this time as the leader of a stubborn bunch of nomads! (And you and I complain about having to deal with irritating co-workers in air conditioned offices!)
I mention that fact because many of us are fairly dissatisfied with this particular moment of history where our calendars have been placed. We've been watching this economic cycle grow deeper and more unsettling for nearly a year now. Still there's no end in sight! And there are heated debates raging at the highest levels of government about what must be done.
It's tempting in anxious moments like these to place our lives "on hold." It's hard to maintain a postive attitude. It's hard to think about anything else. It's easy to complain and swap headlines about the latest conundrum facing the world.
But here's what I keep saying to myself: "You're life isn't really on hold." The fact is that my days are numbered in a very real sense, and the pages of the calendar are still turning. Sure, some days are happier than others, but all days are equal in value. What's more, difficult days are generally the most productive ones for ministering to others and helping people in darkness see the light. So you and I don't have time to waste waiting on better news.
We already have the Good News, and that kind of news already has a market. People are more spiritually hungry today than they were even a year ago. And the only way you and I will receive a fresh batch of better days is by trading in the ones we already have. So don't trade them in. Use them. Stop looking for a break, and start looking for broken hearts.
That's what Paul means when he tells us to redeem the time for the days are evil. The idea is that I must be intentional about making the most of every day, especially when the circumstances are bleak.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
He's Just Not That Into You: Part 2
We've been thinking about this peculiar phenomenon that has surfaced in the US Church since we "rediscovered" God is love (and selfishness is spiritual.) It has become a sort of fashion statement to express solidarity with all kinds of sinful human beings. Trendy believers take pride in their ability to love Islamic terrorists; to sympathize with condemned serial killers; to laugh heartily at blasphemous jokes from jaded Hollywood celebrities.
It seems we can supernaturally love anybody in the world except some of our fellow saints in the Church of Jesus Christ. For those who are more conservative than us- or more liberal than us- or less sophisticated than us, it seems we have absolutely no milk of human kindness. This is all the more frustrating when we recall that Christ explained the way the world would know us would be through our love for one another. Loving other Christians- even the ones different from me- is the trademark that proves I belong to Christ.
You know the drill: Jesus loves the whole sinful world, but He's just not that into you. That must be why I am excused from loving you.
It seems we can supernaturally love anybody in the world except some of our fellow saints in the Church of Jesus Christ. For those who are more conservative than us- or more liberal than us- or less sophisticated than us, it seems we have absolutely no milk of human kindness. This is all the more frustrating when we recall that Christ explained the way the world would know us would be through our love for one another. Loving other Christians- even the ones different from me- is the trademark that proves I belong to Christ.
You know the drill: Jesus loves the whole sinful world, but He's just not that into you. That must be why I am excused from loving you.
- We envision reaching the whole world with the amazing love of Christ, but our outreach committee is locked in battle over how to spend the $1,000 advertising budget.
- I constantly point to the gentle way Jesus dealt with sinners, but I can't say a kind word about one of our ministers who doesn't share my take on Reformed Theology.
- I am convinced that I would gladly be burned at the stake in order to advance the Gospel, but I am completely unwilling to apologize to another church member who was offended by a remark I made in passing.
Just think how much more exciting the Spanish Inquisition could have been had Torquemada been able to use e-mail. Religious rumors, gossip, and out of context comments could have spread faster than the speed of light. And just think how many more fanatics could have been enflamed by Facebook rants! Today we fire off passionate messages via e-mail and press the "Send" button without ever weighing our words or the impact they could have if misunderstood or read with the wrong inflection. I have a feeling that online communication has probably increased anger and division in most churches by 20% or more!
I cringe when I hear concerned church friends begin a sentence with "Bless her heart,..." because it promises to finish with something like "she couldn't shut her mouth if you held her at gunpoint!" The love of Christ takes no delight in heaping scorn on brothers and sisters, even when the insult in framed as a faux-blessing.
You and I can't fix the whole church. But I can work on me. And you can work on you. And when we're together, we can hold each other accountable for living for Christ and loving his peeps. Just a thought...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
He's Just Not That Into You
You would think we are the first generation of Christians to discover that we worship a God of love. We are endlessly reminded that we must not be judgmental. It is forbidden that we should ever think harshly of non-Christian people just because of their sexual habits or their philosophy or the way they dress.
So we receive these constant reminders that we should preach less and love more. God loves abortionists. God loves homosexuals. God loves Hugh Hefner, Hugo Chavez, the Dali Lama, Islamic terrorists, etc., etc., etc.
Of course all that stuff is true. Jesus came to love sinners into the Kingdom of God. If that was His modus operandi, it’s the way we should work as well. But I’m thinking that some of us who have adopted this message are still missing the point. That is, you can love Hugh, Hugo, Charles Manson and Madonna, and still fail the test.
Jesus taught, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples- that you love one another.” He was talking to his closest friends in the budding church. The trademark of the Church is the way we love each other. John later asked, “If you can’t love someone you have seen, how can you be so sure you love someone you’ve never seen?” He was talking about claiming we love God, but it also applies to "the lost world."
If everybody is now enlightened that God is a God love, when are we going to show Him that we are a Church of Love? When are we going to move beyond admiration for the world’s sophisticates and begin to love the world’s unsophisticates- other Christians? You know- the ones with ties too short; the ones who say "Jee-zus;" the ones who spend too much time talking about "sin" and "sin nature." Those guys!
I just finished yet another tender book dedicated to the ideal that God is loving and laid back. Chapter after chapter mentions all the individuals and demographic groups Christians must “get over and start loving.” But when I finally made my way to the last chapter, I discovered the author has absolutely no love for the “fundamentalist extremists” who are hi-jacking the church “like Muslim extremists have taken over Islam!”
That’s not very loving is it? What does it say when I can love everybody on the planet except people in the Church who see the Bible as more demanding than I do? Is it loving- or even accurate- to compare law abiding Christians to suicide bombers and masked men who chop off the heads of innocents? Other Christian critics don't use the term terrorists, but they label conservative Christians as haters, hypocrites, Pharisees and losers. Sure, Jesus criticized the Pharisees, but were they Christians? And their problem: was it the lack of love, or was it the absence of faith? Christ died for them anyway.
This is a problem for more of us than just some fashionable Christian writers who lust for the approval of the world. Rejecting and resenting other Christians is a cancer that has spread through the ranks of the Church. Is this really a biblical response to other believers: Jesus died for the world, but he’s just not that into you?
Out’a space. I’ll finish this next week. Selah.
So we receive these constant reminders that we should preach less and love more. God loves abortionists. God loves homosexuals. God loves Hugh Hefner, Hugo Chavez, the Dali Lama, Islamic terrorists, etc., etc., etc.
Of course all that stuff is true. Jesus came to love sinners into the Kingdom of God. If that was His modus operandi, it’s the way we should work as well. But I’m thinking that some of us who have adopted this message are still missing the point. That is, you can love Hugh, Hugo, Charles Manson and Madonna, and still fail the test.
Jesus taught, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples- that you love one another.” He was talking to his closest friends in the budding church. The trademark of the Church is the way we love each other. John later asked, “If you can’t love someone you have seen, how can you be so sure you love someone you’ve never seen?” He was talking about claiming we love God, but it also applies to "the lost world."
If everybody is now enlightened that God is a God love, when are we going to show Him that we are a Church of Love? When are we going to move beyond admiration for the world’s sophisticates and begin to love the world’s unsophisticates- other Christians? You know- the ones with ties too short; the ones who say "Jee-zus;" the ones who spend too much time talking about "sin" and "sin nature." Those guys!
I just finished yet another tender book dedicated to the ideal that God is loving and laid back. Chapter after chapter mentions all the individuals and demographic groups Christians must “get over and start loving.” But when I finally made my way to the last chapter, I discovered the author has absolutely no love for the “fundamentalist extremists” who are hi-jacking the church “like Muslim extremists have taken over Islam!”
That’s not very loving is it? What does it say when I can love everybody on the planet except people in the Church who see the Bible as more demanding than I do? Is it loving- or even accurate- to compare law abiding Christians to suicide bombers and masked men who chop off the heads of innocents? Other Christian critics don't use the term terrorists, but they label conservative Christians as haters, hypocrites, Pharisees and losers. Sure, Jesus criticized the Pharisees, but were they Christians? And their problem: was it the lack of love, or was it the absence of faith? Christ died for them anyway.
This is a problem for more of us than just some fashionable Christian writers who lust for the approval of the world. Rejecting and resenting other Christians is a cancer that has spread through the ranks of the Church. Is this really a biblical response to other believers: Jesus died for the world, but he’s just not that into you?
Out’a space. I’ll finish this next week. Selah.
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