Giving Jesus or Demanding Morals

I was struck by something coming out of my pastor's message last weekend and some reading that I'm currently doing. I was struck by the fact that Christians have the reputation of requiring someone to be morally in agreement before they can come to Jesus.

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It's more than a reputation, really. It's a pretty accurate description. One of the factors that leads to this is our uncomfortable nature with messy spirituality. Take for example a good friend of mine I baptized not too long ago. I've known him for many years, however (like many followers of Christ) he didn't have a crisis point of faith. For him it was a journey of Christ revealing Himself. It wasn't neat and clean and well defined, but it was genuine and sincere.

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We have to have defined lines. You must believe this, this, and this in order to be accepted. Before introducing people to Jesus we introduce people to our sense of morality, or what we think it should be. The thing is, we're called to first introduce them to Jesus...to the love of God and the acceptance of sinners through the sacrifice of Christ...to the freedom from sin and bondage that Jesus brings to us. But instead, we offer them bondage to our senses of morality before introducing them to Christ.

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This speaks heavily to our understanding of the Spirit's work of sanctification. We feel the need to pigeonhole someone into a certain moral standard in our own time frame. Get saved, then get clean. Oh...I love this one...it's a slogan I saw on a church sign: "Catch em', Clean em', Clone em'. Nice and neat process, huh (by the way, I DISDAIN church slogans and cliches...they're utterly unhelpful).

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But this is not the way it works. Does it work for you that way? I have another friend who is a recovering addict. They also deal with a number of other issues. I've told them time after time - just allow God to work on one thing at a time. He'll work with you and deliver you from these addictions. And God has. But it's not been neat and clean and timely. It's been a long process and it's been a difficult one. But God is doing it.

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I say all that to say this: Share Jesus and demonstrate the moral you want others to live. Don't even speak it. Let your good works shine before men so THEN they may see and glorify our Father in heaven.

CNN and How Faith Should Be

Before church this morning I do what I do most days...turn on the news and see what's going on in the world. This morning's top headlines were speaking to the termination of membership between Barak Obama and his now former congregation of Trinity. When asked if he would be looking for another church Obama responded with something along the lines of wanting to be in a church where he could "sit and meditate and be part of the congregation" rather than being a political part of the church (If you know me, you know I am really bad with direct quotes, so you're getting a framework here).

In response to Obama's desire to sit and just be for awhile, the CNN commentator said, "Now that's the way things should be." That is a direct quote. That's the way things should be, huh? So instead of sticking your neck out do be involved and risk all for the Kingdom, we just sit around, meditate, and get fed? This is the impression of the faith I'm getting from this commentator who may not have thought much about what he was saying. However, this is very truth telling.

It's getting at the problem of Christianity in our country being a spectator sport, for lack of a better term. The perception people have of the Christian faith is us going into a building, sitting, listening, learning, and leaving. But this is not the essence of the Christian faith, at least not to me. What's sad is this is the impression people have. They don't have the one of works, service, sacrifice, long suffering, etc. It's a come and go faith to them...come on Sunday, and then go.

A few posts ago I described what I saw as the negative tendencies of this generation in regards to the Christian faith. Well, here's a positive one: they're done with this spectator religion. The young Christians of today want to make a difference. If their faith doesn't demand something of them they're disappointed and can sense it's not the real thing. The Christian faith necessitates cost, and this generation is willing to pay it. While there is still nominalism, I believe there is a great dedication to living like Jesus and dedicating oneself to the cause(s) of Christ...to the poor, the environment, injustices such as torture/economic sanctions/world debt/starvation/AIDS/etc. These are the things that are motivating my generation. They are the things that are motivating me.

So to the CNN commentator...that's not the way things should be. The person being an active representation of Christ to their community...that's the way things should be.

Missional for the Wrong Motive

So what happens if we're missional for the wrong motives?

I'm reading an excellent book by Michael Frost and he gives some great insight into such a question. He writes in Exiles pg 206 (on my reading list on Shelfari :-)...

"It seems that the very nature of mass movements has changed. Whereas people once acted because they believed strongly in a cause and were prepared to invest their time, energy, and money in a collective of like-minded people, now they are more inclined to protest or donate money in short bursts to express how they 'feel' about a particular situation. Protest marches and donations to aid organizations are now forms of self-expression, ways of conveying our feelings about a particular issue.By saying this, I am not dismissing the genuineness of those feelings...what I am saying is that people seem to need a valve for regular, brief responses to global issues, rather than being motivated to join long-term movements for change."

If we're missional for the wrong motives we'll fade out. Our commitments will be shorter. We will have less vested in the relationships. If we are doing it out of proper motives there will be times, perhaps frequently, where there is a great wrestling in our hearts with sticking it out. The issues we ought to be dealing with should be difficult, and they should demand something that will cost us. In truth, we should not be able to achieve a commitment to mission on our own.

This is where Jesus' words in John speak so loudly to me...I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remain in me and I in Him he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing. Apart from Him I can do nothing. I again come back to the challenge of the Spirit working within our mission. Galatians 6 says something to the effect don't give up...for if you persevere you will reap a harvest in the proper time. Perseverance. Long-suffering. Depending on what version of the Bible you read...these are words that describe one of the fruits of the Spirit.

When one commits to the coming of the Kingdom of God they are not committing to a popular movement among Christian or cultural circles. They are committing themselves to Jesus and the agenda that Jesus was all about. It's an agenda that has spanned time. It is not short term, but it is life-long. As we seek to be missional we can't have the idea that we're going to go in and help someone less fortunate. It's not only about going in, helping someone, and leaving. It's not only about sending money for relief, aid, or benevolence. It's about YOU changing as you do these things and build relationships with those you are serving.

That's why this has to be a move of the Spirit of God within the believer attempting to be missional. This is not a part of our natural inclination. It's not a part of our culture. It goes against the grain of every selfish bone in our body. It is easy to give aid or serve someone without actually changing as a result. So we give a little of our excess money to a good cause without actually changing our spending habits. We continue to gorge ourselves with food after serving at the shelter. Something happens as we consider the needs of those we serve: solidarity.

THAT is what happens as we do this missional thing. We allow God to work in us and on us in how we live and how we act. We become new creations that are more beautiful because they are changing as the Spirit uses what we see and experience to mold our hearts of clay.

I am convinced you cannot become missional either as a church or as an individual follower of Jesus if you are not willing to have the Spirit do something transforming and changing in your own life (for me, it's a little thing called continual sanctification). It's not only bringing Jesus to people, but it's me becoming more like Jesus. And once again, this comes through the work of the Holy Spirit in my life...and as much as we do to serve others in our lives, we must do the same to nurture the work of the Spirit in our hearts.

Beware of the Bandwagon

We're aware of the dredded bandwagon when it comes to sports, but how often are we aware of it when it comes to movements of the Spirit. Throughout my brief lifetime of 29 years there have been some very generous moves of the Spirit in my own life and the church at large: the 'Seeker Sensative' movement that made us aware that there are actually people outside the church we need to reach...the Vineyard movement that brought into the church a new experience of worship...reaching way back there was the Pentecostal movement that brought an emphasis of the experience of the Spirit moving in the church...and currently there is the missional movement that is bringing a great awareness of God's concern for justice, orphans, widows, and the church being the hands and feet of Jesus.

I've gotten swept up in the missional movement over the past several years. It's amazing to read what's out there in books and magazines and see how much of it deals with the mission of the church and great concern with the poor. It is calling the church back to its work as the church.

What is interesting with each new move of the Spirit is that the past moves of the Spirit are less emphasized or forgotten about in favor of the new move. Does the new move invalidate the old or is the Spirit just trying to continue to move the church along? In the effort to follow the Spirit into the new places of ministry and paradigm changes we would do well to remember where we've been. Israel recounted time after time their history. The church today would be wise to do the same. While not longing for the days of old we should be learning from them. Our past should shape our present as we strive to be the faithful bride of Christ.

I was challenged last night in my own life in a conversation with a Christian brother. There has been an enormous move on my behalf and of our church to become missional. However for me the missional nature of things has eclipsed some of the past moves of the Spirit...especially the part of me that takes root in the Pentecostal tradition. I journaled this morning something to the effect that the danger of becoming too missional is that we become works oriented and lack the need and desperation of the Spirit (that brings salvation). The other end is that if we focus on the Spirit to do the work we tend to get lazy and say it's all up to God.

So in the end what I feel I'm called to is this: Live missionally. Live for the Kingdom of God. Base my decisions not on cultural standards but on Kingdom standards. Love the outcasts and orient my life to serve them. AND. Pray. Pray for the outpouring of the Spirit that has been experienced in times past through great revivals. Fast. Seek God. Don't let up on the pursuit of Almighty God to put the power and drawing of the Spirit of Christ behind the acts of service.

If living missionally and a deep dependance on the Spirit are not in consistent tension there is a danger of floating toward either legalistic unempowered service or simple laziness.

I know this may sound harsh, but this is something that I'm trying to flesh out myself. It's a tension I find myself in.

2 Kingdoms, pt. 1

Why do we need a better and more comprehensive understanding of the two kingdoms? Primarily I believe because our natural inclinations are to invest in the things of this kingdom, the kingdom of the world, without much thought toward the Kingdom of God. It's more than a monetary investment, it's how we think...where we spend our time...what we support with our convictions...how we view other people...how we view the injustices of the world...how we ignore the injustices of the world...and the list could go on. I also believe it's necessary because of certain elements of the Kingdom that are currently being emphasized.

The popular thing right now is making a difference in the world. Bill Clinton has even written a new book about it (if you want to buy it for me, I'll gladly accept!!!). Several years ago a couple we're close friends with felt the call of God to move into a city, begin a house church, and live among the people there to serve them and live as witnesses. Over the years following it moved from being a call to a trend among others. It was the trendy thing to do to 'revitalize' the city to the point where you would almost have Christian blocks of houses.

Here's the challenge: There is a big difference between working for a cause and working for the Kingdom of God. There's a difference between doing something because it's a cause and doing something because it's a call. On the surface the two can be linked, but under the surface they are far apart. To give a cup of cold water, as Jesus commands, is part of the Kingdom. The other part is teaching them the ways and life of Jesus. A life brought out of poverty but not brought into the light of the gospel I would challenge falls short of the Kingdom of God. Social improvement does not automatically mean Kingdom advancement, neither does simply preaching a message mean we're living out the gospel message. It's a both/and. Currently we're in a trend to meet the social needs, but it needs to be accompanied with the gospel message and the fruit will not only be justice but also inner transformation as well.

So this begins a series for me reflecting on the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. It attracts me because I've been very caught up in the social elements of the Kingdom lately, but I'm realizing they must be fused with the proclamation elements of sharing the gospel story as well.

How do you help people follow?

Recently I have been challenged to help the church be the church...to live out its mission and serve the world around them. The emphasis has been on service, but there is a crucial dimension I've missed and not emphasized as I should: the cost of discipleship.

The word Discipleship doesn't have the greatest connotations today, but it's a terrific word. To be a disciple of Christ is to learn from Him and be transformed. For one reason or another, we've gotten away from healthy transformation. We've emphasized some things over others, and what we've tended to de-emphasize is the understanding of the story of God, namely, the Scriptures.

Perhaps it is the move in our culture to allow the Scriptures to be taught to us by one person, namely on a Sunday morning. Perhaps it is not working hard enough to ask the hard questions in order to understand the Scriptures better. Whatever the case, understanding of the Scriptures is key to faith. When Jesus gives us the great commission in Matthew 28 he tells us to go and make disciples..."teaching them to obey everything I have given you." You cannot obey if you do not know what to obey, and you only know what to obey if you listen to the instruction and truth of the Scripture.

So my question is, how do we do this better in our culture? How do we do a better job at wrestling with the Scripture? How does the church do a better job at helping their people understand God's Story and their place in it? The Church being the Church is still very important to me, but the foundation of that is a deep understanding of the truth of God revealed in the Scriptures.

Telegraphs and Typewriters, pt 1

I've been put onto a book that is nearly 40 years old but which has incredible application and challenge for today, especially (thus far) in the context of faith and the church: It is Neil Postman and Charles Weingartner's Teaching as a Subversive Activity. In it they are addressing the need for the educational process to change in the late 60's and early 70's because of the increased amount of change happening all around them, especially in regard to technology. There were a few things said in the first chapter, Crap Detecting, I thought to be profound reminders for the Church and especially those who have roles in leading the church.
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"Irrevocable commitment to any religion is not only intellectual suicide; it is positive unfaith because it closes the mind to any new vision of the world...

Defining a fanatic - "...a fanatic is someone who redoubles his efforts when he has forgotten his aim. In this case, even if the aim has not been forgotten, it is simply irrelevant. But the effort has been redoubled anyway."
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The first quote I take obvious issue with at face value as I believe faith not to be intellectual suicide, but intellectual engagement. Where I agree with the authors though is the close mindedness of most church going people to question and explore the faith they've been brought up with. I believe one of the greatest challenges of the Christian faith is to those who've been indoctrinated with it from their youth critically thinking about how they interpreted what they were taught and what sort of Christian worldview was shaped as a result. My challenge is faith must be owned by the person. You see this as college age students go through crisis of faith that leaves them with a personalized and thought out version of what they grew up with. Even when that crisis happens, however, we must never think we've gotten a handle on faith or on how church ought to be done. The false presupposition we can know all of God is deadly, for God is very much mystery, and while we are uncomfortable with mystery I believe faith in Jesus must live out in a certain fog of mystery and be comfortable in the tension of it.

Now to the second point. The Church has become fanatical to a point. I believe this because I see the same methods being used as those used 10, 20, and even 30 years ago. But we preach to a different culture. We relate to a different culture. However, the way we relate to the culture in terms of bringing Jesus to bear on it seems to differ little. Change is one of the most difficult things for the church to do. We vest ourselves into learning the latest methodologies only to find they are outdated. I would argue that we've become fanatics in the ways described above in two ways: first, we've continued with forgetting our aim. Programs can be a temptation toward forgetting why you're doing what you're doing. They provide a false sense of security. I do believe they are necessary, but I also believe in analyzing their effectiveness. Second, our methods have become irrelevant but we're redoubling our efforts at them anyway. So we see things not working (we know the program is now outdated), but instead of asking the 'why' question seeking to find out why they aren't working we ask the 'how' question to discover how we can tweak things to make them work again. It's always easier to do this than do any sort of overhaul.

Life in general presents continuous opportunities for change and growth. Faith does much of the same things. I believe if we look at the gospels Jesus is one to bring about dramatic change to the fanatics of his time, namely the Pharisees. Their methods weren't working. Indoctrination into the way they defined faith was done exclusively, not inclusively. Jesus blows the doors wide open and invites all who are intrigued by this new way of life. They didn't fit the mold, because what the mold looked like and did was changing.

I believe I, and any follower of Christ, is continually called to rethink and reapply Jesus to their culture. I'm not saying the truths of our faith change as much as the communications of that truth must change for the furthering of the Kingdom. I also don't want to condemn the church, but to provoke its thought. It's God's chosen vessel for the message, so I love it, but I love it in such a way I want to see it thrive.

Getting Out

I had a unique opportunity yesterday to go with my wife, Ruby, and visit a local city youth day camp. I entered the place a little nervous and feeling out of place, but I left with the realization that I had made a connection with the kids.

I'm wondering if most of the inner city youth aren't a bit misrepresented and misunderstood. As Ruby and I drove away I couldn't help but feel what these kids needed was someone to believe in them...someone to sow into their lives...someone to treat them like real people with a purpose and sense of worth. I wanted to be a part of this...I wanted to be a part of making this happen for them.

I'm that type of person. I see a need and I automatically want to try and meet it, even though it isn't all the time possible. Even if I did try I would burn myself out trying to meet all the needs I see. The frequent question I keep asking myself is "what area am I supposed to focus on? Where does God want me to focus my energies in the hurt of the world?" I don't know yet.

I really feel I must be involved in the larger society beyond the church - seeing the needs present there and meeting them with the practicality and hope of the gospel. I feel I need to do this beyond the pastoral role, although this involvement nonetheless impacts that role. I've got a burden to reach people and to be a part of reconciling people to God, but how that plays out yet I'm not sure.

The following verses from Paul encapsulate my heart for myself and the followers of Jesus (the Church) as a whole:

"And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."

Rob Bell...

If you have talked to me lately (as in the past few months) you would know I've become heavily influenced by the thought and teaching of Rob Bell, Pastor of Mars Hill (link is on this site). Anyway, for anyone interested, he's got a fall speaking tour coming out entitled "The gods aren't angry tour." There's a meeting in Philly and in Pittsburg, if anyone's interested. Here's the link to the site: http://www.thegodsarentangrytour.com/

A consideration, because this guy is in 'high demand'. Rarely do I see speakers selling out their events, but Rob seems to do this. Why? My take is that he's presenting the beauty of the gospel in a rich and meaningful way. He's all about the scriptures. He doesn't shy away from their depth in order not to offend those who are 'seeking', but he probes the depth of them because in them is truth.

This is why he's influenced me so much lately. The whole seeker sensative movement worries me because it does a disservice to both believer and seeker. For the believer it lacks depth and for the true seeker it doesn't give anything of substance. If I'm looking for something to believe in, I'm looking for a religion with depth, not a simple motivation with some verses thrown in to call it a sermon.

I've heard it said in the preaching circles to find someone to emulate...someone who has a style that you can identify with and then learn from. This guy is the closest I can find. He probes the depth of life and God and Scripture unapologetically. He does so without fancying it up. He let's the text do the persuading, because the text speaks and is alive.

So what begins as a plug for Rob and his ministry is really a plug for what his ministry is all about...the depth of faith in Jesus. If you haven't read them yet, check out his books Velvit Elvis and Sex God. The first was amazing and I'm halfway through the second...just as good.

Get me out of here...

I've got to get out of the church. If I stay within the confines of my cubicle that somewhat resembles OfficeSpace (only with windows) I truly believe I will suffocate. I need people. I need to be in touch with the reality of the lives I want to help with the light and hope of the gospel. I've got to get out of the church.

Some will argue there's plenty of that in the church...I'll give you that. However, I think that is where pastors face the problem of becoming sterile and impotent...when they only have second-hand experience and knowledge of what's going on outside of the congregation. It's a great temptation to get so heads down trying to lead your church and solve everything that you loose touch with the larger picture.

Don't get me wrong, I love the church and am devoting my life to serving it, but for me the best possible way to serve the church with any sort of reality and hope is being intricately connected with what's outside of it. It's what we encourage of our people, but it's something I'm convicted I need to do as well.

So I'm taking a few small but significant steps. I'm getting connected with something called Systems of Care...a piece of social services that reaches out to the faith (notice not Christian) community. I'm also looking at serving as a contracted worker with a social service organization that looks to empower families in making decisions that will reunite them. Those are short term things.

Long term my goal is to see Christ all over the world...to see what He is doing in places I only hear about. I pray for critical relationships to be built in order to make this happen. My hope and my dream is to become involved with a few key people and places...to support their mission from here and to be a part of it there...and to be a part of a global Kingdom. That's a long term thing though as my life situation with three kids under four makes it a bit difficult to do now...but at least the relationships can begin.

I want to have a global perspective in preaching the gospel. I actually want all my presuppositions about everything to be challenged by the reality of the things I see and experience. I know there are key truths to hold on to. But I also know there's a lot I don't know. The mysteries and works of God are endless and I guess I just want to spend life seeing, experiencing, and being a part of as many as possible. Takers?