Dear Forwarder (of Political E-mails)

The following is something I've composed as a response to those great politically forwarded e-mails I receive...

Dear Forwarder -

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It is election season, and for perhaps this reason I’ve been getting a number of e-mails concerning politics, political candidates, current presidents, etc. I am writing this because I feel the need to respond in a blanket way to the political e-mails I’ve been receiving. This e-mail, because it will be sent as a response to any forwards I receive, etc, is not personal whatsoever. It is instead an attempt to explain my position and wariness of such e-mails, as well as (a small) part of my view of politics. It is also my hope that people will look beyond politics to the greater Kingdom of God, which is not of this world, and thus not of a political party either.

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First, while I do not vote, I certainly encourage you to vote your conscience. Why don’t I vote? These may be over generalizations, but here are a few reasons (and again, these are just personal convictions).

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1. I find it hard to vote for a party that largely supports the killing of infants or a party that supports big business and globalization that leads to world poverty and consumerism. How can you rate one worse by killing by starvation/slave labor or with a surgery? In regard to this concern I feel it more helpful to work for and articulate issues and causes rather than parties. It’s doesn’t work to encapsulate my worldview in that of a political party – democrat or republican.

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2. I wrestle with voting for someone who has the ability to lead to war, which to me means unnecessary death to innocent people, as well as our enemies which Jesus commands us to love and pray for (Matt. 5:44).

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Second, much of what I receive I find (after research) to be very uninformed, a half-truth, or taken completely out of context to make a point…not to mention an attack on someone’s character or the deification of another. Such is the trouble of media…they can make someone to say what they have not said. I find it to be more mis-informative than helpful, and I hope that those who forward things that have been forwarded to them do the research themselves. Just because you are a Republican or a Democrat doesn’t mean you have to forward everything positive of your party or negative of the other. The more important thing is to work to forward truth and good information as much as possible.

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Lastly, I feel as if what people send me I am to agree with. It’s as if saying, “Here’s something…like it!” There is no commentary on it, rather than a few words affirming it. There is no struggle with its meaning or implication and no dialogue with the content or the people it’s forwarded to. Therefore I feel I have to swallow it like a jagged little pill, whether I like it or not.

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All that being said, this is my response to ANYONE, friend, stranger, or congregant, that forwards me things of political nature. I do not mind receiving them, as long as you know where I’m coming from and are willing to dialogue, disagree, and love me in spite of the disagreement. Please know I am more concerned about the bigger agenda of the Kingdom of God than that of politics, and there is a great deal of difference and methodology between the two. Politics will never save us. Jesus has.

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With that, thank you for reading and feel free to forward me what you want inasmuch as you understand where I’m coming from. Please feel free to dialogue with me on the above.

Peace,

Josh

Justice in the Burbs pt.2

I've just finished Wil and Lisa Sampson's book, Justice in the Burbs. The final pages brought tears to my eyes as I realize the challenge before me as a husband, father, pastor, and follower of Jesus Christ.

Issues of justice abound all around us. I wonder if sometimes we don't address them because of their overwhelming nature. I think that's the part that brings me to tears. This life entails suffering. The work of our lives for the Kingdom will not alleviate the suffering factor. It may bring healing in some cases, but just as in the cases of those in Hebrews 11 it seems as though we work for a place that will not exist this side of eternity. However, that doesn't mean we don't seek it, live for it, and work for it with everything we have.

I'm making lifestyle choices. I want to live differently because I want to live justly. To live like Christ challenges the fabric of my being which is so ingrained with our present day situation of 'stuff' and personal securities. Think about it, how many relationships don't we have because they'll cost too much or because they're too inconvenient? Have to protect ourselves, right? How much of our personal resources are tied up because we're too far in debt to give anything away to those in need? Living justly requires a shift in thinking. I've begun and I hope you will too. From what I've experienced, living without is much more life-giving than living in so much excess. Blessings on a journey I hope you will take.

Faith Without Rights

A series of questions...

Suppose for a minute you had no rights as a Christian. You could not speak the name of Jesus under penalty of imprisonment and death. What would come of your faith? Would it cease? Could someone take it from you?

So you have to have a right to be a Christian? You have to have a right to pray in school? The 10 Commandments need to be posted on a courthouse? If they are taken away, does that make the 10 Commandments any less valid? If taken away, are they then meaningless because they are not in the public eye? Were they intended to be a placard or a way of life?

What if we had no voice, but all we could do was to live out lives exemplifying Christ? What if the only way we could show Jesus was through service? What if our freedom for Sunday gatherings was taken away? Would our faith diminish because of no place to meet, or is Jesus something bigger than a place or a voice? Does Jesus become less real in you if He can't be talked about around you? Would there be a noticable difference in your actions if the only way you could express your faith was through action?

What did the writer of Ecclesiastes mean when he said "You are God in heaven, and here am I on earth...so I'll let my words be few?" Does reverence toward God mean fewer words and greater action? What would the world think if we willingly gave up talking about our faith and began demonstrating it instead? Would there be less hypocritical accusations toward the church?

My point: Faith is something within...lived out...sometimes without words...heavy in witness through actions...not for self justification but love for others...it doesn't need to have rights...it can survive without them...and it fact, at times, it grows without them too.

How to Navigate this Kingdom

Conviction. I was in conversation today with a friend who was telling me about a hard time they were having. Something didn't turn out the way they wanted or anticipated and the main thing was they were unhappy. However, there were a series of choices that led to that point, all determined by what seemed good.

We live in a conviction-less society. I would pose the challenge is the same for the church. We are guided by culture instead of guiding culture. Culture dictates us rather than Scripture directing us. When we end up in a place where we don't want to be it's often our fault for getting there. We were guided by how we felt, and as you know that changes by the day...or the hour...or minute.

We as people are highly inconsistent and need something besides the head on our shoulders to guide us through a culture which tells us anything goes. But how does this happen? Scripture.

At least one reason for the lack of conviction is the secondary nature Scripture plays in guiding our lives and shaping our beliefs and convictions. Convictions guide you into what you do (helping the poor, being a good steward of what you have, loving enemies, etc) and what you don't do (drunkenness, pre-marital sex, taking advantage of others, etc). The problem is the latter half of what Scripture warns us against is now widely accepted in the church without a second thought. Convictions are not easy to live by because they necessitate sacrifice of what you may want to do, but what is not the best.

Listen to the great words of Paul (1 Cor. 10:23): "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive." Around me I see a society of people that don't think much of themselves. How do I see this? Because they try to numb their own sense of insecurity with materialism and parasitic relationships that somehow momentarily make them feel better. As a culture we've done plenty to deconstruct ourselves and to make us into nothing more than consumers...and that goes for more than just how we spend our money but also delves into how we view relationships.

Convictions are part of the construct of a person. One with few to no convictions are known for just that. One who holds to their convictions most of the time are seen with respect (that is, unless their forceful and prideful about them). With the dissolution of truth has went the foundation of Scripture, the very basis by which godly conviction is derived. People will hear how the Bible instructs them but then see it as irrelevant because it is so counter-cultural. But for those interested in a guide to help them develop convictions to live by, Scripture is the beginning and the end.

Last word...convictions cannot be held if one only thinks of themselves. Convictions are to guide who you are in relationship to God and others. It's wanting to serve God and serve others. Lack of convictions lead to the entropy of a person...soon it just destroys you from the inside.

Retreat: Kingdom and Rest

The Divine Center: where we focus all our faculties around Christ. That's no one's definition but my own, and I don't like it that much, but it's a way to start this out.

I'm retreating tomorrow. Going up to our family cabin for a day of silence. I'm not boasting. I'm excited. Keeping up with the pace of life is absolutely exhausting, and every good effort to work for the Kingdom seems to be just that: work. There are times when everyone needs to get away, to refocus, and to quiet themselves in acts of submission and surrender to God. I don't know who said it, but someone made the observation it takes more than 24 hours of silence to stop thinking about other things...to somehow just be.

Quality numero uno of our suburbanite lives: Busyness. It's a killer. Run the kids here and there, fix meals, clean the house, mow the lawn, get the groceries, watch the favorite sports teams, maybe have a good conversation here or there, and then catch a few hours of rest in order to do the whole thing over again. Crap...I forgot work!!!

One of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves is find time away with God. For all you parents I know it's hard. I'm there. But my wife tells me a few moments of solitude goes a long way. I know it's time for me when I start getting wrapped up in the ideals of this kingdom and the convictions toward the Kingdom seem somewhat distant.

Jesus retreated. He went to lonely places. He went there to be with God. Many times he did it after a busy day. Here's a simple challenge for anyone reading: after you tuck the kids into bed, instead of turning on the tube to 'relax'... spend some time in silence or talk with your spouse or read some scripture or read a book that encourages your faith. As you rest for the night may you take upon yourself the words of the Psalmist in Ps. 3: I lie down and sleep in peace for You, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

Happy resting...

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.

Understanding Two Kingdoms

I have been blessed over the last week to sit with some fine thinkers within our denomination (Brethren In Christ). I was in a course required for ordination where we discussed our denominations history and theology of salvation. I must say, I was transformed to say the least. I had never grasped how great our understanding of salvation was. Moving on...

One thing that is important to our heritage is the understanding of two Kingdom theology. In short, you have the Kingdom of this world and then the Kingdom of our God. Over the next series of posts I hope to flesh out a little more what the implications of this are, for there are many and they are important for how we understand this world and how we live in it.

When Jesus says to Pilate that His Kingdom is not of this world He is making a profound statement. With not much time today I just wanted to put up where we'll be moving here in the next series of posts. Oh yea, and I'll get to the Spirit and Holiness soon too!