I put this disclaimer up front so that you can be disappointed now versus later. This is not any kind of opinion about Rob Bell (I do have one, this is just not it). This instead will focus on another invaluable topic and also serve to distract me from what I really should be doing: packing.
I have been bombarded as of recent with this idea of "The Culture Wars". That being, the war that seems to be going on between those who proclaim Christ and those who would seem to be against Him. This has always been a topic in some form or another in my life I'm sure, but two major events have really got it on my brain and so I thought I would share. The first event was a personal viewing of the movie Lord, Save Us From Your Followers which takes an intense look at the question "Why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?" The movie is well worth the watch and I recommend it as an incredibly valuable discussion piece about our role as Christians in society.
The second event was one which we are most familiar with at this point, and that is the division being caused by a delectable Chicken Sandwich. The owners of Chick-Fil-A came out with a statement that put them supporting the Biblical family unit and sets them against same-sex marriage. I keep reading more about this issue and so I don't claim to know enough to inform you about what ALL is going into this. Once again however, the "culture wars" are at play and there are very angry people on both sides of the issue. Homosexuals are mad that their lifestyle is not supported and certain Christians are mad because the homosexuals got mad. Interesting mess it would seem. From what I can tell, Chick-Fil-A is far from being prejudiced in their service and the way that they treat people, I mean, they almost always say "my pleasure" to me after I say thank you.
So what about the question that the movie poses: why IS the Gospel of Love dividing America? The word used for Gospel is literally translated "Good News". We are to be about the business of telling people the "Good News" that Jesus loves them, died for them, and that there is hope! Instead, one of the most uniting things we seem to have done recently is to buy more 8 count chicken nuggets.
If you went to Chick-Fil-A to support them, good for you (I'm personally feeling that a milkshake would be quite heavenly myself). I am not trying to say that supporting a business with Christian ideals is wrong by ANY stretch of the imagination. However, is that ALL that you've done recently? I fear it could be easy for us to feel like we're living out the Gospel of Love by buying chicken sandwiches and that we're not telling people from all walks of life that Jesus loves them.
I personally am finding it difficult to find the balance between following Christ's example in calling people out as He did when He said "You wicked and perverse generation" (Matt 17:17) and loving them extravagantly and selflessly as He did. I find there to be a difficult balance between being hated for the sake of Christ and seeking respect that comes from open and loving conversations with those I don't agree with. Despite my minor uncertainty in how to best be Jesus in these situations, I say with confidence that I'm seeking this ideal out as I feel we all should.
One thing I know: Love Wins. We do NOT need people on street corners hitting people over the head with a large KJV telling other people that God hates them and to repent before they burn forever (for any reader who really just prefers to get down with a King James Bible, no disrespect intended). Does that really sound like Gospel to anyone? What is the "Good News" in that message? Yet all too often Christianity is defined by such things.
We NEED to love everyone more. And we also need to start at home and in the Church. There's enough back biting and bad mouthing in the world, choose not to let it enter our Christian family. Do not let the evil, bad mouthing, combative style of the world infiltrate our homes and churches. Let us instead infiltrate the world with GOOD NEWS that JESUS loves immensely and died to make ALL people free.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Friend of God
James 2:23b
‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to
him righteousness’ and he was called a friend of God.”
What comes into your mind when you
hear the word “friend”? Our meaning of friend today is somewhat different than
how the audience hearing this letter would have understood it. Today, friends
are generally thought of as people that we do things with. Whether it is playing,
shopping, or eating, we tend to do these things with our “friends”. James would
have had something very different in mind. Cultural study tells us that the
relationship between “friends” of that day would have been much more similar to
a benefactor/clientele relationship. Friendship meant that you depended on
someone completely to meet your needs or vice versa.
James expounds on this idea later in the letter. “You
adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with
God? Therefore, whoever might wish to be a friend of the world is rendered an
enemy of God.” (James 4:4) This rather harsh language stresses the danger of
relying on the world for our needs. Later in the chapter James goes on to
exhort members of the church (likely merchants) concerning reliance on the
world and their own plans for success (vv. 13-14).
Ultimately, James poses the
question, “Who are you relying on to meet your needs?” Even the best friends in your life can let you down because we're all human. God is not that kind of friend. Abraham trusted in God
completely by offering up his son because God promised him descendants as
numerous as the sand on the beach. I am not trying to negate plans or
intelligent preparation. What I am proposing is that we (the church) can get
caught up in worry and fear about our future and fail to trust in the most
powerful being in the universe to meet our needs. I wonder what our lives might
look like if we truly believed the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 when He said “do
not be anxious about your life” (v. 25) but instead focused on “seeking first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (v. 33).
So to you, dear reader, I pose the same question: Who or what are you relying on to meet your needs? This world and all that is of this
world, although tangible, will ultimately fail us. Let us instead strive to be
a friend of God and keep in mind an acronym that was very popular in my youth:
F.R.O.G. which was a reminder to Fully Rely On God.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
In Essentials, Unity. In Opinions, Liberty. And in All Things, Charity.
The church I am working at this summer just finished up a series on Church History, ending with several weeks on Restoration History. Before you click the "back" button because I said the word "history", I promise this will not be a history lesson.
The great thing about history is that it helps us see where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. I've grown up in Churches of Christ (this post need not be strictly read by those in this movement) and learning a little bit about our history has really helped me see where we've been, where we are, and where we're heading. We truly started off as a unity movement, one designed to bring people together with Christ and His Word as our center. There have been rough patches along the way because of one factor that always seems to mess things up: people. I was once told something that is not entirely accurate, but struck me very deeply and does have an amazing amount of truth in it: "Churches do not divide over doctrine, churches divide because two people with big heads desire power and come up against each other." There are most definitely exceptions to this, but the truth is that most splits happen because of strong and misguided opinions disguised as doctrine.
We do two things that are truly tragic. The first thing we do is allow preferences to become matters of disfellowship. The second thing we do is allow sometimes obvious truths to slip by as preferences. It's quite a messy deal. There are most assuredly things addressed in Scripture that I believe we should cling to ever tightly, while being very respectful of those who might see it differently. There are also things very much not addressed at all in Scripture that might have validity in the arguments for either side, but mostly come down to a matter of preference.
As far as our future in churches across the board with every kind of name and background, I hope that we do all things in love. I pray that we study diligently and find out what our lives should look like according to Scripture. I also pray that we come to a point where we can honor and respect each other's opinions and preferences and seek to find where we are the same, not where we are different.
I end this post with a quote that when googled, does not seem to have a definitive author, but could not be more appropriate a charge for the church today.
"In Essentials, Unity. In Opinion, Liberty. And in All Things, Charity."
The great thing about history is that it helps us see where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. I've grown up in Churches of Christ (this post need not be strictly read by those in this movement) and learning a little bit about our history has really helped me see where we've been, where we are, and where we're heading. We truly started off as a unity movement, one designed to bring people together with Christ and His Word as our center. There have been rough patches along the way because of one factor that always seems to mess things up: people. I was once told something that is not entirely accurate, but struck me very deeply and does have an amazing amount of truth in it: "Churches do not divide over doctrine, churches divide because two people with big heads desire power and come up against each other." There are most definitely exceptions to this, but the truth is that most splits happen because of strong and misguided opinions disguised as doctrine.
We do two things that are truly tragic. The first thing we do is allow preferences to become matters of disfellowship. The second thing we do is allow sometimes obvious truths to slip by as preferences. It's quite a messy deal. There are most assuredly things addressed in Scripture that I believe we should cling to ever tightly, while being very respectful of those who might see it differently. There are also things very much not addressed at all in Scripture that might have validity in the arguments for either side, but mostly come down to a matter of preference.
As far as our future in churches across the board with every kind of name and background, I hope that we do all things in love. I pray that we study diligently and find out what our lives should look like according to Scripture. I also pray that we come to a point where we can honor and respect each other's opinions and preferences and seek to find where we are the same, not where we are different.
I end this post with a quote that when googled, does not seem to have a definitive author, but could not be more appropriate a charge for the church today.
"In Essentials, Unity. In Opinion, Liberty. And in All Things, Charity."
Friday, June 8, 2012
Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend
Today, I buy a new (old) car. I finally found a car yesterday in my price range that still meets all the criteria: Runs great, looks like crap. The experience was one to remember. I by no means am a car expert, and so I took a youth deacon who does know a thing or two with me. We ended up "talking the guy down" $300, but this can by no means be credited to myself. I am in fact quite possibly the WORST "wheeler and dealer" in North America and probably the Western Hemisphere. I end up feeling so bad for the person that I would almost give them a little extra. Horrible experience. My accomplice claims to have almost lowered the price another $100 when I completely caved, tears welling up (metaphorically speaking).
This story is two-fold however, if you know the piece of crap that I've been driving since I was 16 - The Jackpot. With nearly 400,000 miles on it, The Jackpot has lived a good long life. At one point I named the car "The Bumblebee" because nearly everything in the car vibrated to the point of back massage. This problem has persisted, but a new set of problems arose. One day, nearly every light in my dash started flashing and enough bells for a sleigh started going off. No apparent reason for this commotion, none at all really. This is the day my car earned the name "The Jackpot". A while after that, my headlights started not working on me unless I would hold my "brights" on with my hand. After a few dark and mysterious convenience store runs in which the only time I had lights was to warn other people I was there, I extended the name of my car to "The Batmobile Hit The Jackpot" or just "Batman Hit The Jackpot", I can't remember which. Eventually this phase of my car ended (on its own I think) and it went back to just being "The Jackpot". These days, The Jackpot smokes and leaks profusely, dies intermittently, only cools the passengers occasionally, and sometimes takes five minutes to even start up!
Yesterday as I drove out with my car-knowledgeable-friend, The Jackpot did none of these things. No smoke, amazing AC, no lights or dinging, started up the first time EVERY time - it was truly a model car. It knew I was looking at something else, I swear it. My car hasn't run that well in months. But I made an offer to pay and pick up the new car today for I know these things will not last. As I was exiting my car to go inside for the night, just as I shut the door my car started making a siren type noise (only from the inside and the first time for the day) as if to yell, "PLEASE DON'T SELL ME TO A JUNKYARD". The Jackpot has a mind of its own. I shall indeed miss it.
This story is two-fold however, if you know the piece of crap that I've been driving since I was 16 - The Jackpot. With nearly 400,000 miles on it, The Jackpot has lived a good long life. At one point I named the car "The Bumblebee" because nearly everything in the car vibrated to the point of back massage. This problem has persisted, but a new set of problems arose. One day, nearly every light in my dash started flashing and enough bells for a sleigh started going off. No apparent reason for this commotion, none at all really. This is the day my car earned the name "The Jackpot". A while after that, my headlights started not working on me unless I would hold my "brights" on with my hand. After a few dark and mysterious convenience store runs in which the only time I had lights was to warn other people I was there, I extended the name of my car to "The Batmobile Hit The Jackpot" or just "Batman Hit The Jackpot", I can't remember which. Eventually this phase of my car ended (on its own I think) and it went back to just being "The Jackpot". These days, The Jackpot smokes and leaks profusely, dies intermittently, only cools the passengers occasionally, and sometimes takes five minutes to even start up!
Yesterday as I drove out with my car-knowledgeable-friend, The Jackpot did none of these things. No smoke, amazing AC, no lights or dinging, started up the first time EVERY time - it was truly a model car. It knew I was looking at something else, I swear it. My car hasn't run that well in months. But I made an offer to pay and pick up the new car today for I know these things will not last. As I was exiting my car to go inside for the night, just as I shut the door my car started making a siren type noise (only from the inside and the first time for the day) as if to yell, "PLEASE DON'T SELL ME TO A JUNKYARD". The Jackpot has a mind of its own. I shall indeed miss it.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Introduction
Well, this shall be somewhat of an informal intro. I have been thinking for quite some time that I need a place to share some thoughts that doesn't require my hand cramping from pencil use or the constriction of thought to 140 characters or less. I've always enjoyed (or hated) looking back at things I have written and seeing what I was like and how I have changed. Blogging (although a rather unpleasant term) appears to be a rather accepted practice these days and thus seems like the best solution to my predicament.
Every now and again I just get on these topics in my daily life that I would like to share my viewpoints with my peers and get feedback from whomever might take the time to read and respond. I think mostly about God and what it looks like to serve Him best. A. W. Tozer said that, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
I'm starting this to do just that: share the things that come to mind as I work in ministry and walk with God. Perhaps there'll be a few fun detours along the way where I talk about a different kind of experience or a new flavor of gum or something. We shall see. Until then, it's late and I have to practice the discipline of summer reading before I go to sleep.
Live in the light of the Son. εἰμί Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. "I am of Jesus Christ"
Every now and again I just get on these topics in my daily life that I would like to share my viewpoints with my peers and get feedback from whomever might take the time to read and respond. I think mostly about God and what it looks like to serve Him best. A. W. Tozer said that, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."
I'm starting this to do just that: share the things that come to mind as I work in ministry and walk with God. Perhaps there'll be a few fun detours along the way where I talk about a different kind of experience or a new flavor of gum or something. We shall see. Until then, it's late and I have to practice the discipline of summer reading before I go to sleep.
Live in the light of the Son. εἰμί Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. "I am of Jesus Christ"
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