Under the Cedars

2012-01-26T06:15:00.000-08:00

One of the best habits of my life is to read the "Proverb of the day" -- that is the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds to the date. I wish I could say that I never miss, but that is my goal.

Today's Proverb, 26, is an expose of the fool, the sluggard, the meddler, the gossip, and the malicious man. It is a penetrating chapter that calls each of us to read it for ourselves rather than quickly hoping someone we know considers the parts which we are certain apply to them.

After a stunningly negative description of the fool, verse 12 suggests that there is one kind of person who is worse than a fool,that is, "a man wise in his own eyes," because "there is more hope for a fool than for him."

The "man wise in his own eyes" is a person who does not have a humble, teachable spirit. He/she is so certain of being right that there is no openness to hearing something different.

"Lord, give me a teachable spirit."

2012-01-01T14:24:00.000-08:00

The Lord's Supper

Today for our Communion Service we focused on the bread and wine from 1 Corinthians 11. The notes are too long to post but later this week the sermon will be up on the church web site: www.calvarymuskegon.com.

(1) The bread is a picture of Jesus’ body broken on the cross to pay for our sin

Think of the process involved in producing bread. A seed is planted in the ground and grows quietly till the grain is formed (like the first 30 years of Jesus’ life). Then the grain is cut, bundled, and thrashed and winnowed to separate the grain from the stalk and shell. Next the grain is smashed -- ground into powder to make it into flour. Made into bread dough, the flour is then fired in a hot oven until the amazing aroma of fresh bread invites us to rip off a piece to both enjoy and be nourished by life’s most basic food – bread. What an amazing picture -- in order to become the BREAD OF LIFE to give life to the world, Jesus’ body, like the grain had to be cut off, smashed, violently pulverized, ground up, and then put through the fire. How He loves us!

(2) The bread is a picture of Jesus’ body the church unified by love to carry out His mission throughout the world

Is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17

The church is the body of Christ on the earth today. Jesus is doing His work in the world today through His body, the church. The church represents Jesus on earth today. The church is “one loaf” and “one body” – its unity a powerful demonstration of Jesus and His love.

That’s why when he wrote a letter to the first century church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul was so incensed and brutally confrontational about what happened at their communion service. Imagine how uncomfortable the Corinthian Christians must’ve been when these words from Paul were read in their gathering: In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not! 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

Obviously these early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper in conjunction with what we today might call a “potluck supper.” They actually called it a “love feast” because it was to be a wonderful display of unselfish love and unity.

After all, the church was the one, perhaps the only place in the ancient world where all the barriers were down, where everyone was equal. The church was an island of love and unity in an ocean of selfishness, division, racism, elitism, sexism, and discrimination. The church was a place where rich and poor, slave and free, men and women, old and young, educated and uneducated – all were one, equal, accepted, united, and loved.

But at the Corinthian communion pot luck, rather than showing selfless love to each other, especially to those poor members who had no food to contribute, the better off members pushed to the front and gluttonously consumed the food and got drunk on the wine leaving the poor members with nothing but their hunger and thirst. Some of the members were driven by selfishness rather than love.

The church was divided by those who wanted their way at the expense of others. The unity of the church was damaged by those who had the attitude, “It’s all about me and getting my needs met.”

Wait a minute. Isn’t the church supposed to be a place where it’s about Jesus and others rather than about me? Isn’t that the difference between love and selfishness?

Here are some observations on Paul’s pointed teaching in 1Corinthians 11:

• Authentic Christians care about the poor – it is so gratifying to see how God has been transforming Calvary in this regard. The generosity of our church family in meeting peoples’ needs has been astounding!
• Christians aren’t perfect – I shouldn’t be surprised when I see that in others or recognize it in myself
• Churches aren’t perfect – While I may be saddened by this, I shouldn’t be shocked or become cynical or disillusioned and walk away.
• It’s not okay for an individual or a group to divide the church and harm its unity in order to get their way or benefit themselves at the expense of others.
• If someone damages the unity of the church and divides it, they should be strongly confronted, rebuked, and called on to repent and change their behavior – like Paul did here in 1 Corinthians 11. These were very uncomfortable words but necessary if the church was going to be the body of Christ rather than some ugly misrepresentation of it.
• In a remarkable indication of the importance of love and unity in Jesus’ church, Paul asserted in verse 19 that divisions in a church reveal which members have God’s approval and which do not. Regardless of what they make think or say, those who cause division do not have God’s approval on their lives.
• This is the flip side of Jesus’ declaration that the way His true disciples would be recognized is by their love for each other (John 13:34, 35) and that the unity of the church is the way the world would not only know that they were Jesus’ true followers but also the way the world would come to believe that God sent His Son to rescue the world (John 17:20-23).
• A selfish Christian who must have his/her own way at the expense of others or who fails to share God’s blessing with those in need thereby denies the heart of what it means to be a Christian.
• Paul called on the Corinthian Christians to examine themselves before participating in the service lest they fail to recognize the Lord’s body and partake unworthily. To bring selfishness and division to “the body of Christ” is to sin against Jesus’ body and blood, and thus invite God’s serious judgment (1 Corinthians 11:28-34).

By the way, there’s an important lesson here about all relationships – not just the church. Wherever there is division you can be sure that there is selfishness. Love unites. Selfishness divides. Selfishness always results in division – in a marriage, a family, a friendship, a team, a business, a community, or a nation.

The Communion service is a dramatic picture of self-sacrificing love in order to benefit others. Jesus gave up everything in order to give us forgiveness, make us part of His family and kingdom, change us from selfish to loving, and give us the hope of eternal life in the new heaven and earth.

Watch or listen to the entire study later this week at www.calvarymuskegon.com

2011-12-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

A PRAYER TO BECOME MORE LOVING AND LESS SELFISH:

Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world, others may increase, and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val. HT: Kevin Edgecomb

2011-12-22T03:56:00.000-08:00

The Jesus I still don’t know.

Philip Yancey’s book, The Jesus I Never Knew, is a wonderful, challenging, thought-provoking study of Jesus in the Bible. Our LIFEGroup went through it together a couple of years ago. Yancey exposes many ways we have made Jesus into someone very different than He was/is. The human heart is an idol factory, addicted to sin and spin. It is the tendency of fallen people like me to spin Jesus into someone more comfortable for us to live with, less demanding for our transformation, less intrusive into the values and choices we cherish.

I often think of Yancey's book as I read the Gospels – the four biographies of Jesus given us by the Holy Spirit through eye witnesses of His incarnation.

Today I am reading Luke’s version of the sermon on the mount (Luke 6). I like Matthew’s better (Matthew 5). In Matthew Jesus pronounces a blessing on the “poor in spirit.” In Luke the blessing is for “the poor.” I'd rather be poor in spirit than poor in my financial condition. Poor in spirit is less challenging to my comfortable life style (and my preaching).

Lest I might think I should read Matthew’s “in spirit” into Luke’s account rather than taking it literally as an affirmation of those who live in poverty, Luke proceeds with Jesus’ blessing on those who “hunger now” (leaving out Matthew’s “for righteousness”) and then with His pronouncements of woe on those who “are rich” and “well fed.” It seems impossible to spin Luke’s record away from its economic implications.

It would appear that Matthew and Luke each record a different aspect and application of what Jesus taught -- one spiritual and one material -- both mandates for those who follow Jesus.

Jesus’ words are bombshells exploding on our American values and lifestyle.

I’m not at all sure I understand what Jesus is saying . . . or perhaps I just don’t want to face it. I know I must reconcile these words with the rest of the Scriptures, which, I believe, are never in contradiction when rightly interpreted.

Do we dare to wrestle with the meaning, application, and implication of Jesus’ words, or do we quickly move on to another passage which is less intrusive or challenging? What is unmistakably clear in the Bible is that God blesses us not merely so we can gratefully enjoy His goodness (1 Timothy 6:17) but also so that we can be extravagantly generous to others (1 Timothy 6:18). Whatever Jesus is saying in Luke 6, I know that I only have my toes in the ocean of potential generosity -- generosity to relieve suffering (Matthew 25) and to spread the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28).

Perhaps at Christmas when we privileged Americans are so immersed in materialism, I must fight to recognize and be continually grateful for God's undeserved generosity to me but also move to a new level of personal generosity to fulfill the Lord's mission to redeem sinners and relieve suffering.

I want to know Jesus . . . the real Jesus . . . and what He truly asks of me.

2011-12-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

Defend yourself from a killer or turn the other cheek?

That's the issue dividing Christians in Nigeria where scores have been killed and nearly 100 church buildings burned down by radical Muslims. Is it legitimate for Christians to defend themselves or must they "turn the other cheek" even if it means they or their children will be murdered? Lord, help us to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters as they wrestle with these life and death questions for themselves and their family. Would to God we would take obedience to the Scriptures so seriously.

Before I comment on the question of self-defence, let me say that the issues Christians "fight" and leave churches over in the USA are in a radically different category than this issue which is dividing Nigerian believers. Recently a long-term Christian wrote that she was leaving our church and mentioned the reasons: issues such as musical style, how people dress on the platform, whether the American flag was appropriately displayed (we have 18 permanently displayed in our buidling including a giant one on the FLC wall -- just not one in "the right place" on the platform), and whether we engaged in certain nationalistic/patriotic practices in our gatherings to worship King Jesus, whose kingdom is "not from this world." While I readily understand the emotions that change-issues elicit, and feel the pain of those for whom such issues are difficult, I cannot help but grieve (1)that the American Christians divide over such triviality compared to the persecuted church in places like Nigeria, and (2) that Christians take strong and divisive stands over issues that are so out-of-sync with Biblical truth. We should be more mature and know better!

Back to the question of self defense: I pray for wisdom for my Nigerian family members because I can comprehend, at least a little, the horrible possibilities if they "turn the other cheek" rather than defending themselves or their families. This is certainly a potentially valid application of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:39. However, it may be important to note that Jesus specifically said, "If someone strikes you on the RIGHT cheek . . ." Because I believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, I must take seriously that Jesus specified the "right" cheek. Most people are right handed. If a right-handed person throws a PUNCH, it would land on the other person's LEFT cheek. Being struck on the "right" cheek suggests a backhand -- that is, a personal insult, not a murderous assault. I also remember in the book of Esther that the Jews, apparently with God's approval, defended themselves against the attacks of their enemies as a result of Haman's wicked law. The book of Esther records the number of their enemies killed while the Jews defended themselves. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told His disciples to be armed with swords -- although He did not allow their use to rescue Him from the cross.

All of that said, I hope that this remains an "academic" exercise for me, because if such persecution came to America, I would need to consider more seriously the possibility that the Jesus' way, the way of the cross, might call on me to lay down my life for Him -- or to see my loved ones do the same. It's always easy to interpret difficult Scriptures in ways that have the most comfortable application in my life. May God protect us from such selfishness.

And may God protect His church in America from tragic, preference-oriented, self-centered triviality.

2011-12-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

Bill Stankovich had no idea how many lives he touched

When the Stankovich family first moved to Sault Ste. Marie in the 1960s and quickly became part of the Calvary Baptist Church family, Gloria and I had no idea how our lives would be intertwined for years to come.

Bill was a wonderful friend, always fun and full of life. We played softball and basketball together, went on youth retreats and engaged in every kind of church youth group activity imaginable. Our youth group was like a very close family. God did some very special things in our lives in those years.

Bill had a terrific sense of humor. It seems like he was always smiling or laughing. His positive, enthusiastic spirit was contagious. I can’t imagine anyone not liking him. I remember once when something funny happened during a baptismal service. Bill had to put his head between his knees and hold his nose because he was laughing so hard and didn’t want to disturb the service.

I treasure the memories of the “Brothers’ Quintet” – Bill, Walter, Mike, my brother Terry, and I. Bill sang lead. I’m not sure how good we were but in many of the small backwoods Baptist churches and youth rallies where we sang across the U.P. the people were more appreciative than discerning and we were often asked back. Songs like, “On the Jericho Road,” and “Have a Little Talk With Jesus” were some of our favorites.

Years later Bill would sometimes stop to visit Gloria and I as he traveled from Elkhart into parts of Michigan for their travel trailer business. We had no idea for many years that he was the one who secretly left money at the local Gambles store for us to come in and purchase some much-needed living room furniture we could never have afforded. A year later Gloria and I saw that the matching chair was on sale for $100 at Gambles’ sidewalk sale. Gloria pressed me to buy it because we would never have another opportunity to get the matching chair. I didn’t feel that we could afford even $100 for the chair so I put her off by saying, “If you pray and God gives us $100 before the sale is over, we can buy it.” Having little faith, I promptly forgot it. Gloria didn’t. She prayed.

The next morning we heard noise on our front porch and looked out to see a man standing at the door with “our living room chair” upside down on his head. “Did you buy that chair?” I fired a bit angrily at Gloria? “No,” she replied, “I just prayed and asked God to give it to us.” For years it was a total mystery who could have known that the chair matched our couch and who could have purchased the chair before it vanished forever. It was probably 25 years later that Bill let it slip when he was visiting Gloria’s parents in the Soo and the mystery was solved. It was a “God thing” that Bill was passing through town, saw the chair and pulled off his secret act of generosity and kindness. It was an affirmation of my wife’s faith and a rebuke for my lack of it. God used Bill to answer Gloria’s prayer and encourage our children to see how God took care of us.

Over the years, especially during the time when our income as a small town pastor was very limited, both Bill and Carol blessed us many times with their generosity and kindness.

Sometimes people never know how their acts of love and faithfulness will bless others and advance God’s kingdom far beyond what they could imagine.

Bill and Carol became acquainted with missionaries from our church named Jim and Roni Bowers. When Bill learned that the Bowers wanted to build a houseboat so they could travel the Amazon River to share the Gospel with Peruvian Indian villages unreachable in any other way, Bill spearheaded an amazing project of putting together the finances and the materials to be shipped to Peru to build the houseboat. Hundreds of Peruvian Indians came to know Jesus as a result of the Bower’s river ministry in the houseboat Bill played a key role in providing. Generations of Peruvian Indians have come to Christ because of Bill’s work. For all eternity that work will continue in Peru because of what Bill did.

But that wasn’t the end. Bill and Carol made it possible for Jim and Roni to adopt their precious baby Charity who gave them such joy in her short life on earth.

Then in 2001 the whole world stood at attention for two weeks as every major news outlet was riveted on the story of the missionary airplane mistakenly shot down over the Amazon River by the Peruvian Air Force and the American CIA. Roni and Charity were instantly killed, while the wounded pilot and Jim and Corey survived by clinging to the sinking airplane in the Amazon River until the Indians rescued them in their dugout canoes.

Every major television and radio network, national news paper and magazine, and other sources of news camped out at Calvary Church in Fruitport to cover the events leading up to the funeral which was broadcast live all over Western Michigan. For more than a week, the missionaries’ story remained as a top news story across the nation. Jim and many others had amazing opportunities to talk about Jesus as the One who was sustaining them through this tragedy. Jim interviewed multiple times with Diane Sawyer and others and met President Bush at the White House.

Through the tragedy, Jim and many others had a platform to tell the story of Jesus. Only God knows how many came to know Christ through that time.

A number of young people heard the story and as a result gave their lives for missionary service. They now serve in various parts of the world. The book which told the story quickly became a best seller in the USA and was translated into Spanish so it could spread the message through the Hispanic world.

None of this would have happened apart from the houseboat in which Bill was such a key player. It probably never occurred to Bill that he had an essential role in the spread of the Gospel around the world in such clear and dramatic ways and that his efforts would result in thousands of people around the world hearing about Jesus.

Bill never thought a great deal about himself. He was a model of self-deprecating humility and was embarrassed if anyone called attention to the good things he did. He probably never allowed himself to even think about how God used him to spread the Gospel around the world. In heaven today, he knows and has heard His Lord’s “well done.” Probably he has met many people who came to Christ through the chain of events in which Bill was an essential link.

Bill deeply loved his family. He often told us what a wonderful wife Carol was and how much he loved his children and grandchildren. Nothing gave him greater joy than to think of them loving and following Jesus.

2011-12-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

Joseph's Prayer

Lord, I cannot believe
and yet, I must --
that I have been betrayed.
O God, she seemed so pure.

I love her still, though she
has pierced my heart --
no, torn it out,
I cannot bear to see her branded
"unclean," a "harlot."

What if I privately put her away?
No charges. Then it would seem
that I, not she,
had played the rogue.

What's that, my Lord? "Your son?" "Not man's?"
"Son of David," did you say?
"My wife?" O yes, my Lord!
What can I say?
"Mary, my love, my wife, I understand."

2011-12-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas conversation in Meijers checkout line

I was waiting in the checkout line at Meijers today when the friendly man behind me commented, "Christmas is so expensive today. When I was a boy a hot wheels car was great. Today our kids want all this electronic stuff that costs a fortune."

I commented, "Isn't it interesting that it's all about a baby who was homeless and born to peasant parents?"

He liked that.

Then I mentioned that he could blame the Magi for starting the whole tradition with some really expensive gifts.

He liked that.

To keep it all in perspective, I need to remember 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."

I like that!

2011-12-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

How to pray when you don't know how to pray

When Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, He gave them what we call "the Lord's prayer" -- "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name..."

When I don't know how to pray or what to pray for, I often pray this prayer. When I lie in bed at night, I often pray this prayer. In the morning when I wake up, I often pray this prayer.

The more I pray it, the more I realize it is not merely a formula of specific words to use like a mantra. These are categories of prayer . . . an outline of the theology of prayer . . . prayer launchers from which my prayers can rise and form . . . lessons about what and how I should pray . . .

The more I pray this prayer with understanding, the more I realize how little my prayers sometimes reflect the revealed will of God, or are qualified to be prayed "in Jesus' name" since that implies it would be what Jesus would pray for.

Here's a great discussion of the Lord's prayer by Francis Chan: http://www.christianpost.com/news/francis-chan-christians-not-praying-how-god-intended-64814/

Lord, teach us to pray.

2011-12-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

Jesus was a failure.

Well, if you look at numbers at a certain point in His life some might say that. Early in His public ministry His followers swelled to many thousands. Perhaps He was the original "mega church pastor." Then over three years many were offended or left Him for other reasons. At one point He even asked the twelve if they would also go away. And they did . . . at the time of His greatest need, they abandoned Him and ran for their lives. His "church" was down to one.

At Christmas, we certainly should be deeply grateful that He was willing to suffer all that for our redemption. And, we should learn to be careful in how and when we evaluate "success" -- for ourselves, or others.

If a business has a record profit, did it have a successful year, or could there be a failing business which is laying off workers which in God's eyes is more successful than its more profitable counterpart? Is a soccer team's success measured in the score or its win/loss record? Or, at least for Jesus' followers, is there some more important measure of a successful game or season? Is Tim Tebo a success because he has had an amazing year at quarterback with fabulous come-from-behind-victories? Would he be just as successful if they had lost all those games but he continued his outspoken Christian commitments? Is the most successful politician the one who gets the most votes and wins the most elections?

I am shamed how often I have had secret pride because I am a pastor at one of the largest churches in West Michigan and that my emotions can ride the waves of increases and decreases. On a great day like last Sunday when the services were full, the programing was exciting, and the offering was huge, I can tend to think, "That was success!" I must learn to be faithful and not measure success prematurely -- on a great day or a "bad" day. Jesus will be the Judge! He is the only one we must please!

Here's a challenging blog about numbers and other issues where we may be too quick to jump on the band wagon: http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/2145/bandwagon-church

Remember big isn't better nor is small better. Being faithful to Jesus is better.

2010-08-16T12:46:00.000-07:00

Up front: I am VERY thankful to live in the USA and feel incredibly blessed by God and grateful to all who've sacrificed (even their lives) for our freedom and for many of our founding values. I'm very thankful for those who serve our nation with integrity and honor and for those who are called to the political arena as a vocation or in specific ways to make a difference (like our own Bill Cooper in West MI -- I was so proud of him and so disappointed that he did not win the primary -- I believe he would've made a difference!). I believe that Christians should invest in the good of the nation where God has placed them. They should be knowledgeable and participate as good citizens.

That said, driving today and listening to a Christian radio station spending hours on political issues reminded me about how much emphasis many Christians, churches, and Christian organizations are increasingly putting on politics -- denegrating politicians and mounting campaigns of various kinds. I'm conservative, always vote, and have strong feelings about many candidates and political issues. But I feel passionately that the primary focus of Christ-followers and the church must be to fulfill Jesus' Great Commission by our proclamation of the Gospel by our words and good works.

I'm very concerned that we have traded our mission for one which is vastly inferior to Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18ff) and the advance of His kingdom and which won't make any difference in a thousand years. Many Christians are far more passionate about their political concerns than about the Gospel, the kingdom of God, the eternal souls of men, and the holy Scriptures.

The first century church made an astonishing impact on their world and spread the Gospel/church throughout the Roman empire in one generation. Their impact was not political. They did it by preaching and living the Gospel. They did not focus on changing laws or getting their candidates and values in place through political means. They understood that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 19:36) and that we do not use "the weapons of the world" (2 Cor 10:3ff). They changed lives by the power of the Gospel, not political action.

Throughout history, when the church has married the state, it has always been a horrible marriage with devastating results.

2010-05-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight and tomorrow our sermon focus is on Matthew 7 -- penetrating teaching by Jesus about judgment and judging -- ours and God's.

As I reviewed Jesus' command against judging other believers inappropriately, I was reminded of a series of questions it would be good for me to ask before I negatively pass judgment on another Christian's character or action.

Do I know ALL the facts?
How do I know whether or not I know ALL the facts?
Have I interpreted the all the facts correctly?
How do I know that I have interpreted all the facts correctly?
Can I see his/her heart/motive?
Is my judging necessary, kind, and loving?
If I share this with anyone else, will it follow the procedure of Matthew 18:15-18?
Will my sharing this with anyone else help to build up the person with the problem or will it tear them down?
What is my motive in making this judgment -- helping the person, or putting them down?
Have I specifically and persistently prayed for the person in the area of concern?
Have I examined my own life for the same or related problems?
Am I diligently dealing with the problems in my own life?
Do I want others to judge me the way I am judging this person?
Do I want God to judge me this way?
Is this the way God has reacted to my sins?
Will others see God’s love in the way I respond to these faults?
Have I gone to the person first to check the facts and, if necessary, to loving help them overcome the problem.

Perhaps the reason Jesus immediately followed His instructions (on not judging inappropriately, Matthew 7:1-5, and on making discerning judgments, 7:6) with encouraging lessons about prayer (Matthew 7:7-11) is because we so desperately need His wisdom and help to obey these commands. I am so prone to making wrong judgments. Wrong judgment is an epidemic in many churches. "Lord, help us in everything, to do to others what we would have them do to us" (Matthew 7:12).

2009-06-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

A QUEST FOR LOVE

We ate lunch at a restaurant this week with Ryan and Angela and our two of our amazing grandchildren, Maya and Sophie. Sophie is just over one still has this incredibly cute, unstable, tee tottering “walk” and after she finished eating we let her walk around the table a little. At the next table were some teenage girls who spotted Sophie and smiled at her. That’s like saying “sic ‘em” to a dog, so she took a few “steps” toward them and just stood there coyly smiling at them while they made a huge fuss over her. Maya, now three, and also devastatingly cute, but no longer in the “very-cute-baby-who-just-started-walking-category” saw this, and so after Sophie had moved on to other pursuits, Maya walked over to where Sophie had been standing and eagerly looked at the teenaged girls hoping to elicit a similar response. Sadly, they ignored her (I’m not blaming them, I fully understand). So, she began to walk back and forth a little closer, her eyes locked on the one girl who had given so much attention to Sophie. Maya was smiling hopefully as she held her arms out and started to twirl to get their attention . . . nothing. Seeing this, I started to call Maya’s name to divert her from this painful effort to be noticed, but she was intent on getting the same attention her little sister got.

I wanted to say to the other table, “Would you please pay attention to my other grandchild?” but I didn’t. I don’t know if I was more sad for Maya’s disappointment at that moment (after all, we could “fix” it pretty quickly) or if I was more sad knowing that what had just happened on a very small scale was going to happen again and again throughout Maya’s life on a much larger scale, as it does to everyone of us in this broken world where our deep longing to be loved is so often unfulfilled.

I couldn’t help but think what a parable of life that little drama was that unfolded before me. We may not be so obvious in our efforts to be noticed and valued, but it’s what we all long for – “Will someone please notice me? Will someone please do something that tells me I have value and worth? Will someone please LOVE me?”

Proverbs 19:22 is a profound commentary on human nature, “What a man desires is unfailing love.”

Much of our lives we’re on a quest – a life-time search for love – TRUE LOVE – unfailing love, “no-matter-what” love, unconditional love.

This is the focus of our sermons this weekend at Calvary, "DOES TRUE LOVE EXIST?'

Ultimately, that longing for love can only be fully satisfied when we find ourselves embraced by the love of God.

2009-05-01T19:08:00.001-07:00

WOW! What a sermon!

Have you ever listened to a sermon and thought, "That was just for me! How did he know all that about me and what I've experienced?"

This week someone sent me a link to a sermon by Mark Dricoll. It's long (over an hour), but worth every minute. As I listened to the message, for me it was revealing, astonishingly familiar (has he been looking over my shoulder?), comforting, convicting, challenging, humbling, affirming, reassuring, helpful, encouraging, insightful, and pretty amazing.

Here's the link: http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/resources/video/Rightly-Dividing-the-Word-of-Truth#

2009-04-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

SLEEPER CELLS IN THE CHURCH?

The following is an email my cousin Brian sent me today. It's a bit different than what I would normally jump on, but has a serious message that is much needed in many churches (including ours) today. I might add, "Bin Gossipin" and "Bin Dividing." Here's the email:

"Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches.They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin.

Their leader, Osama Bin Lucifer, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy.

However, there have also been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the
name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. This group appears to be very weak. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along.

Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different characteristics than the others. They have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return.

To which cell group do you belong?"

2009-04-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

JESUS RESURRECTION

Jesus' resurrection from the dead makes:
the Bible irrefutable,
faith reasonable,
judgment inevitable,
forgiveness possible,
victory attainable,
Christianity indisputable,
confidence unshakeable,
sin unconscionable,
life meaningful,
siffering bearable,
sorrow endureable,
sacrifice accepable,
silence inexcuseable,
hope unquestionable, and
heaven certifiable.

2009-03-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

THE CROSS

Without question, history’s most shocking transformation of something loathsome and terrible into something beautiful and beloved is THE CROSS.

The cross was one of the most painful implements of torture and execution ever devised by evil men. As awful as gallows are, they at least bring death quickly and with a minimum of suffering. The cross on the other hand purposefully delayed death in order to extend and maximize suffering.

To die on a cross was the ultimate horror, the ultimate disgrace, the ultimate failure.

But today the cross has become the most treasured religious symbol in the world. Covered with gold, the cross is worn as decorative jewelry on a necklace or bracelet. The cross is a frequent subject of artists, an ever-present architectural emblem, the most revered religious icon, and a favored theme of poets and musicians.

Imagine singing about cherishing the gallows, or clinging to an electric chair. Imagine wearing a gold-plated noose around one’s neck as jewelry, or of having a miniature gallows decorating your fireplace mantle.

Yet millions of people nostalgically sing about “loving [and] cherishing the old rugged cross,” of the “wondrous attraction [and] beauty” it holds for them, and pledge always to “cling to it.”

The astonishing transformation of the cross from something unspeakably ugly to something fantastically beautiful is a metaphor for what Jesus does in the life of those who believe and follow Him. He transforms us! He takes the ugliness of our sin and transforms us into a brand new people, not yet perfected, but irresistably moving down the path of becoming more and more like Jesus in what we think and say and do.

2009-03-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

NEW BODIES

Getting a new body is huge business today -- from surgeries, pills, diets, exercise plans, flattering clothes, etc.

Standing by a hospital bed today listening to a friend indicating that the surgical procedure he will have tomorrow carries life-threatening risk, the conversation turned to the great hope of Christians for the resurrection of the body.

We talked about N.T. Wright's great book, Surprised by Hope, in which he reminds us that heaven is a wonderful but temporary future home for Christ-followers. Jesus' resurrection guarantees our resurrection -- not to an etherial, spirit-existence floating around the clouds or beyond, but to physical life on the new earth in a world as it was intended to be at the beginning.

From the time of the original fall into sin God promised to send a Rescuer to restore His ruined creation to its original perfection.

Age, illness, and accidents can make life in these fallen bodies less than pleasant at times. But for those who embrace new life through faith in Jesus' redemptive work, the RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS, including our physical bodies, is thrilling.

2009-03-18T07:00:00.001-07:00

REJOICE! THAT'S AN ORDER!

Hmmmm. Does it make sense to order someone to be joyful?

Tonight our LIFEGroup will discuss chapter four of John Ortberg's excellent book, THE LIFE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED. He reminds us that God is the most joyful Being in the universe and that Jesus desired and prayed that the full measure of His joy would be in us (John 15, 17). Paul twice commanded believers to rejoice always (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Even a cursory glance at Biblical references to joy (they are many!) will reveal that joy and sorrow are compatible, even essential in a broken world awaiting Jesus' return and promise to restore everylasting joy (Isaiah 35 et al).

Ortberg shockingly identifies joylessness as sin . . . one not often discussed or condemned. He gives practical suggestions for upping strategic celebration and the joy factor in our lives, including regularly setting aside a day for joy.

In the midst of often heart-crunching sadness, the reminder that "joy flows from a certain kind of thinking . . . exchatological thinking" was most helpful. Viewing "all events in light of the Resurrection and the ultimate triumph of the risen Christ" comprises "eschatological thinking."

Jesus endured the cross because of His own eschatological thinking (Hebrews 12:1, 2).

Sheldon Van Auken said, "The best evidence for Christianity is Christians, their joy, their certainty, and their completeness. And the best evidence against Christianity is Christians, when they are joyless and somber, self-righteous and smug, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths."

2009-03-17T04:03:00.001-07:00

SELF-DENIAL

That doesn't sound like fun -- self-denial.

Jesus' call to self-denial is a reminder of how counter-cultural His kindom is. So many things are up-side-down. The first will be last. Lose your life to find it. Love your enemies.

I'm reading a great new book by Richard Stearns, THE HOLE IN THE GOSPEL. He includes a quote at the begining of chapter two: "The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment."

I fear that the Western Church has too often turned the Gospel into a means to achieve self-fulfillment, and in the process lost the gospel and true fulfillment.

I need to think about this.

2009-03-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

People are God-like – made in His image, of immense worth. Hence, to be treated with respect and love.

People are sheep-like – so said the prophet, our Savior, and His apostle. An old song admits, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.” Sheep go astray.

People need shepherds – the Scripture so designates governmental leaders and pastors.

Shepherds are also sheep, hence sometimes wander.

There are good shepherds and bad shepherds. Sheep can’t always tell the difference. Bad shepherds need to be identified, not followed.

Shepherds and sheep are also God-like, hence worthy of respect and love, even though they go astray.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. To be a good shepherd, I too must be willing to lay my life down for the wandering sheep. Redemption comes through the cross.

The cross is hard . . .especially for a sheep.

2009-03-12T19:14:00.001-07:00

I marvel at God’s love.

I don’t think I could offer one of my children to be tortured and crucified for the persistent, willful, ugly sins of those who had trampled on all the good things I had given and planned for them.

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him [Jesus] and cause Him to suffer” (Isaiah 53:10). One translation renders the verse, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.”

I cannot comprehend God’s pleasure in the crushing of His Son. As a parent, I agonize when I know any of our children or grandchildren are hurting. The pain is exponentially greater when I am aware that my own failures have caused or contributed to their pain. I cannot imagine taking pleasure in the pain of my child.

I am made in God’s image. That is why I have emotions. When I feel my children’s pain, I learn about the pain God must have felt as He observed His Son’s suffering – suffering beyond anything we can imagine. His willingness to endure that pain and allow, even plan, the pain of His Son reveals the extent of His love.

How could God be pleased in His Son’s bruising? I can only guess that His eternal perspective sees so clearly the wonderful and eternal results of Jesus’ suffering that He is able to have pleasure even in His Son’s pain that produces such great results.

I suppose that if my faith in God’s inexorable plan for His children to turn all of their pain into good -- eternal good – then I would be more able to deal with the pain of those I love. I must learn, by faith, to view pain through the lens of the future when God will not merely wipe away all tears, but grant the crown of life to those who endure trials (James 1:12).

2009-02-20T05:53:00.000-08:00

"Jesus loves the little children of the world."

As a child and teenager, we used to sing that chorus a lot: "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow black and white, all are precious in His sight..."

Last night Gloria and I saw the movie, Slum Dog Millionaire. Wow! I'm not surprised it's in the running for an Oscar this week. If you read a little about how it was produced before you watch, it will add layers of appreciation to the experience. It's a great story.

Knowing that the slums pictured were the real thing, not a movie "set," moved me deeply. It's so easy as I live in "Disney World" (the USA) to forget the plight of billions of people, especially children, around the world. I wanted to turn in my bucket of popcorn and give the money to someone who would help the children.

I don't want to lose the way I was touched nor the sense of urgency to know how best I should live in this "flat earth" where I have to work hard to not know about global suffering.

I must not be paralyzed by the struggle to balance the need to reach out with Jesus' compassion to allieviate suffering with the even greater need to address peoples' allienation from God.

"Lord, show me how to live in this broken world, and how to be an agent of your Kingdom as we wait for 'the restoration of all things.' Speed the day!"

2009-02-19T07:03:00.000-08:00

LEADERSHIP

David recently blogged about leadership and it so resonated with me that I made a "comment" which I'll post on my blog today (to the amazement of those who thought I must have gone into a nursing home without internet connection).

I so agree. Having been caught up in the "leadership movement" myself and more damaged than helped by it, I concur. The familiar mantra, "Everything rises and falls on leadership," leaves something out -- GOD! "Leadership" is one of many spiritual gifts, never exalted above the others in Scripture. I have seen gifted people ruined by the "leadership" movement, and I almost fired a GEM once because I thought he didn't measure up to the "leadership" koolaide I had been drinking.

God uses leaders and leadership, but great leadership can be a detriment as well as a blessing.

Hitler was a great leader. Not everything that "rises with leadership" is a good thing. A "great church" can be built on leadership, but it might not be a godly church.

2009-01-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

A VERY OLD NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

On January 1, 1705, this is the resolution that Matthew Henry wrote in his journal:

“Not renouncing, but repeating and ratifying all my former covenants with God, and lamenting it, that I have not lived up more closely to them; I do in the beginning of this New Year solemnly make a fresh surrender of myself, my whole self, body, soul and spirit, to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, covenanting and promising, not in any strength of my own, for I am very weak, but in the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, that I will endeavor this year to stand complete in all the will of God.

I know this is the will of God, even my sanctification; Lord grant that this year I may be more holy, and walk more closely than ever in all holy conversation; I earnestly desire to be filled with Thy holy thoughts, to be carried out in holy affections, determined by holy aims and intentions, and governed in all my words and actions by holy principles. O, that a golden thread of holiness may run through the whole web of this year.”

2008-12-24T04:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas is the time we remember how Jesus "humbled Himself" (Phil. 2) in order to come down to rescue us and all of His ruined creation.

Tim Keller gives some penetrating, and greatly convicting,thoughts about humility in a recent CT article:

The teaching seems simple and obvious. The problem is that it takes great humility to understand humility, and even more to resist the pride that comes so naturally with even a discussion of the subject.

We are on slippery ground because humility cannot be attained directly. Once we become aware of the poison of pride, we begin to notice it all around us. We hear it in the sarcastic, snarky voices in newspaper columns and weblogs. We see it in civic, cultural, and business leaders who never admit weakness or failure. We see it in our neighbors and some friends with their jealousy, self-pity, and boasting.

And so we vow not to talk or act like that. If we then notice "a humble turn of mind" in ourselves, we immediately become smug—but that is pride in our humility. If we catch ourselves doing that we will be particularly impressed with how nuanced and subtle we have become. Humility is so shy. If you begin talking about it, it leaves. To even ask the question, "Am I humble?" is to not be so. Examining your own heart, even for pride, often leads to being proud about your diligence and circumspection.

Christian humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less, as C. S. Lewis so memorably said. It is to be no longer always noticing yourself and how you are doing and how you are being treated. It is "blessed self-forgetfulness."

Humility is a byproduct of belief in the gospel of Christ. In the gospel, we have a confidence not based in our performance but in the love of God in Christ (Rom. 3:22-24). This frees us from having to always be looking at ourselves. Our sin was so great, nothing less than the death of Jesus could save us. He had to die for us. But his love for us was so great, Jesus was glad to die for us.

2008-11-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

When I Lay My Isaac Down

One of my New Year's resolutions was to read 30 books during 2008. This was a year in which I desperately needed renewal, restoration, refreshment, and sometimes simple escape.

Tonight I finished book #53. This year's reading has been my "salvation." The books have ranged from theological treatises to spy novels.

Tonight I finished a book authored by a dear friend, Carol Kent. Carol is internationally known as a speaker and author. She and Gloria were hall monitors together in the Christian university we all attended just after the ice age (today's term would be "R.A."--resident assistant). Like my bride (they could almost be twins), Carol is an attractive red head, full of life and passion for Jesus. Nearly a decade ago she and her dear husband Gene began one of the most horrific journeys imaginable -- their perfect son Jason (J.P.), a Naval Academy grad with a stellar future, was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

Carol tells the heart-breaking, faith-inspiring story in her book, "WHEN I LAY MY ISAAC DOWN: Unshakable faith in unthinkable circumstances" (Navpress). I highly recommend the book. It was healing and challenging for me on so many levels. I had read parts of it several years ago, but needed it more this year...specifically now.

Tonight I sent an email to President George Bush asking him to consider issuing a pardon for Jason. If you are reading this, would you pause to pray for God's will to be done in this? I understand that my request is one of many thousands.

The themes of Carol's book parallel the study we will finish in church tomorrow morning on Hebrews 11 -- the faith heroes. My sermon will focus on Joseph whose life illustrates the principle that faith focuses on the end of the story.

Faith hears the melody of the age to come and starts dancing now.

2008-11-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

Today we're celebrating with the Norwoods at the "miraculous answer to prayer" for their little granddaughter Iliana. Doctors at DeVos Children's Hospital were sure it was cancer and pronounced them "lucky" for the "all is well" final diagnosis. Hmmmmm. We think that God's providencial care, not luck, gets the credit.

At the same time our hearts break with numerous others we love for whom prayers seem fruitless.

Why does God answer the prayers of some and appear to ignore the equally passionate prayers of others? Why are some delivered and others apparently abandoned?

Such is the journey of FAITH. Perhaps we are too quick to identify the "end of the story" when it is not really the "end."

This is one of the key themes in our current "Heroes" series from Hebrews 11.

2008-11-18T04:05:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICKEY MOUSE

Today is Mickey Mouse's birthday. Think of the pleasure his creators have brought to people, especially children around the world. Creativity employed to bring joy to others is certain an expression of our being God's image-bearers. How sad when our god-like capacities are used to bring harm instead of good.

Soon we will celebrate Jesus' birthday. "God speed the day when everyone will celebrate."

2008-11-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

Election Reflection

The election is over and now the professional pundits and many of the rest of us are reflecting on its outcome.

It's fascinating how many Christians are lining up on opposite "sides" to rejoice or mourn and to assign praise or blame for the outcome...often framing their reflections in clear or even harsh moral and Biblical terms. It's interesting how easy it is to demonize those who don't see the issues as clearly as I do.

Certainly there were and are important issues about which Christ followers should be passionate concerned. However, I confess that too often I have discovered my own failure to listen, to understand, to re-examine, and my propensity to see people, platforms, and parties as if they were worthy of wholesale embrace, rather than as a mixture of relative good and evil. The kingdoms of this world simply are not the kingdom of our Lord.

This morning while researching for the December sermon series, "The Whole Gospel for the Whole World," I came across this sentence from a missional statement:

"The church is the community of God's people rather than an institution, and must not be identified with any particular culture, social or political system, or human ideology."

We cheapen the Gospel and the church when we think it can be identified with any political system or candidate, as if it or he/she embodies the whole Gospel rather than partial and often flawed pieces of it alongside of huge contradictions and compromises.

I had strong opinions in this election and cast my vote after careful thought. However, I would not (though this is not where I have always been) want to identify myself or certainly the church of Jesus Christ with either a donkey or an elephant. My primary focus should be expressed in the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, "let Your Kingdom come..."

I'm very glad that the eschatos is not in the hands of any politician or party, and want to remember that my primary loyalty is not to any one or anything other than to the Lord Jesus Christ.

2008-11-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

A great story from the November issue of CT: A 19th century Russian priest named Father John of Kronstadt did what most of his fellow clergymen refused to do . . . visit the villages that surrounded their cathedrals. The villages were filled with chronic poverty which had fostered a debauched despair that made the rural areas treacherous. But Father John would enter the slums and get down in the gutters. He would find some guy sleeping off whatever he had done the night before, would cup his chin, look him in the eyes and say, “This is beneath your dignity. You were created to house the fullness of God.” Wherever Father John went revival broke out, because people discovered who and whose they were.

2008-11-06T17:58:00.001-08:00

November 5, 2008

Dear President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your election as President of the United States of America! You have inspired millions with your vision for the future of American.

I promise to pray for you regularly as you assume the honor and responsibility God has entrusted to you. I will pray that God will protect you and your family, give you great wisdom as you govern, and use you to make a positive impact on our country and the world.

I appreciate your confession of faith as a follower of Christ and your desire to bring the values of your faith into your leadership.

It is thrilling that you have become the United States’ first black president. I am so happy for this wonderful accomplishment and its symbolic importance in the history of our nation in its ongoing journey to abolish the horrible sin of racism and its tragic consequences in our society. Thank you for all you have done to encourage unity in our land. Thank you also for your evident concern to address issues relating to poverty, education, and care for God’s creation.

Please give serious consideration to the legacy you will leave for decades and generations with regard to human life. You have the opportunity to become the Abraham Lincoln of the pre-born, or to be the facilitator of the genocide of the pre-born. Few things you do will be more important than the legislation you encourage or veto in this regard and the judges you appoint.

We will all give account before God of what we did with the opportunities and privileges He gave us. Please consider the implications of Proverbs 24:11, 12 in the Holy Scriptures (particularly with regard to the pre-born): “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?”

I believe that you could be one of America’s great presidents. You have come to this office in a time of crisis and opportunity. I pray that you will seek and follow God’s wisdom and surround yourself with godly counselors.

Sincerely,
Dr. William J. Rudd

2008-11-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

REFORMATION.

As I write this, America is going to the voting booth.

Regardless of one’s political leanings, I suspect that most of us are anxious to have the election over with. We’ve been bombarded from all sides with the need for reformation in our country – change, out with the old, in with the new. I don’t know of any candidate who is running on a “status quo, no change” platform. Everyone seems to want things to be reformed. We just don’t all agree on what and how.

Is it possible that the church of Jesus Christ must continually be reformed? Ultimately we are or should be being reformed into the image of Christ. That calls for a lot of change. In about 30 A.D. Jesus burst on the scene in Israel with a message of reform. The New Testament letters were virtually all targeting specific ways in which the church needed reform. Jesus’ seven letters to the seven churches of Asia (Revelation 2 and 3) near the end of the first century were nearly all calls for reformation.

The famous Protestant Reformation in the 16th century is famous for the radical change it brought about in the church as is the consequent and subsequent reformation in the Roman Catholic church.

Do we need reformation? Does our church need reformation? Or do we think the church as it is and as it does is a perfect reflection of what Jesus desires? Is Calvary Church passionately and effective carrying out Jesus’ mission in West Michigan and around the world? If Jesus wrote us a letter would He simply congratulate us for having our act all together, or would He call us to reformation with the kind of strong language we see in Revelation 2 and 3?

Status quo or reformation -- what do we need? What will be the result of keeping things as they are? What will be the result of reformation? What price will we pay if everything stays pretty much the same? What price will we pay if we follow the path of reformation?

What is the standard by which we determine if reformation is needed and how it should take place?

2008-11-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

The Real Story.

I included this quote in my sermon this morning. I taped it in my Bible across the page from the very last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22. It comes from the last paragraph of the last of the books in The Chronicles of Narnia:

“But the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is not the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

2008-10-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

Feast or Famine

After not blogging for quite a while, here go two in one day...of course, if you've read the previous one, you understand that I've placed myself under some pressure.

A few days ago, Angela sent me these challenging words from "Of the profit of Adversity" from Thomas a Kempis' The Imitation of Christ:

It is good that we sometimes have griefs and adversities, for they drive a man to behold himself and to see that he is here but as in exile, and to learn thereby that he ought not to put his trust in any worldly thing.

It also is good that we sometimes suffer contradiction, and that we be thought of by others as evil and wretched and sinful, though we do well and intend well; such things help us to humility, and mightily defend us from vainglory and pride. We take God better to be our judge and witness when we are outwardly despised in the world and the world does not judge well of us

Therefore, a man ought to establish himself so fully in God that, whatever adversity befall him, he will not need to seek any outward comfort. When a good man is troubled or tempted, or is disquieted by evil thoughts, then he understands and knows that God is most necessary to him, and that he may do nothing that is good without God. Then the good man sorrows and weeps and prays because of the miseries he rightly suffers. Then the wretchedness of this life burdens him, too, and he yearns to be dissolved from this body of death and to be with Christ, for he sees that there can be no full peace or perfect security here in this world.

2008-10-31T16:17:00.000-07:00

Investing in people

Years ago Calvary had a radio program on a local station. It was a "call in" show where people could ask questions about the Bible...or almost anything. Usually two of our pastors would share the mic and when no one was calling, we would just "jabber" on .. . sometimes about the Bible, and sometimes just "jabber." I viewed it as a good investment of my time to reach people in a public space.

Most everyone in our church thought the broadcast was a great outreach, and hence, a great use of their pastors' time. I don't disagree, but in retrospect would have to acknowledge that a few hundred people were probably the actual audience on a good day. The total who could have tuned in for the 30 minutes (you listened at that time or it was gone forever) probably numbered in the thousands -- maybe 40 thousand at the very most if every person in the county had their radio tuned to that station at precisely that time.

Sometimes I hear people criticize pastors who blog as if it's a poor use of their time. That's interesting. I find blogs to be a wonderful source of spiritual instruction and thought-provoking insights--free if charge to anyone who cares to "click." Of course, the blogisphere has junk too, but then, so did the radio station.

It is estimated that at least 45 million people all over the world currently go to the internet to find spiritual instruction. That potential audience (and its global makeup) causes our old radio outreach to look rather puny at best -- 40 thousand to 45 million. Actually, that's the wrong comparison. The number of people who now have access to the internet is estimated at over a billion. The real comparison between the potential audience of our old radio broadcast and THIS BLOG is: 40,000 to 1,000,000,000+. And the neat thing is that a blog stays available without cost 24/7 virtually forever. Wow!

I wish I were more disciplined about blogging. Maybe I will be. There's no question that I should be. I'll try. Mean while, I'll keep reading blogs that help me a lot.

2008-10-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday Gloria and I saw the new movie, FIREPROOF.

It's unfortunate that most "Christian" movies struggle to compete with the quality of Hollywood's productions, but I perceive that recent years include more awareness and effort in that direction. There's still a ways to go!

Strong pro and con arguments could be produced for how overt the message should be to be effective in this culture. I think we stand to learn from Jesus whose parables often left His audience hanging to supply their own meaning and application.

These concerns not-with-standing, we enjoyed this movie. It certainly includes some much needed messages about marriage and life even if they are sometimes a bit too obvious and preachy.

I appreciated the powerful reminders about what it takes for a marriage to thrive. I would recommend it highly with the above disclaimers. People whose marriage is at risk may especially be helped, though every husband and wife could benefit.

The gospel is very clearly presented. That's great for those who are ready to hear. A more subtle approach would likely gain a much larger hearing.

2008-08-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

Go to the source.

I would not want to get a second-hand kiss from my wife -- that is to receive her kiss by kissing someone who had kissed her.

Sadly, too many people (too often me) are only "kissed" by the Bible second hand -- they read what others have said about the Bible rather than reading the Bible itself.

I would rather have someone hear something direct from me rather than have it reported and interpreted by someone else.

Trusting others to interpret the Scriptures for me is as dangerous as trusting a gossip to tell me the truth. On the other hand, there is safety in a multitude of counselors (Proverbs), so when I do read the opinions of others about the Scriptures, I must read broadly and deeply, not just those who agree with my current understandings. I have too often done that. I should not be so arrogant as to think that I will discover a new and accurate interpretation of Scripture which godly generations have missed for centuries.

Certainly there is great value -- even essential dependence -- in learning what others say about the meaning and application of Scripture. My interpretations must always be checked by what the Spirit has said through the church through the ages and now.

But there is a wonderful freshness about allowing God's Spirit to speak anew to me as I open my mind and life to the transformative influence of the Scriptures.

Jesus often said, "You err because you do not know the Scriptures." Perhaps it was with a tinge of amazement, rebuke, and sadness when He repeatedly asked, "Haven't you read...?"

I'll keep reading to learn from others, but I'm renewing my commitment to GO TO THE SOURCE.

2008-05-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Silence is noisy.

While sitting in my eye doctor's examination chair, I was instructed to keep my eyes shut for a time while while she conducted a test to see how effectively tears were being produced (I flunked the test -- dry eyes are apparently another plague of the aging).

Sitting there in the dark silence for an interminable length of time (probably all of 3 or 4 minutes) I discovered sounds of which I had previously been unaware . . . such as the metronome-like ticking of a distant clock. Suddenly aware of this previously unnoticed sound, my foot began to tap in time.

I wonder how often I've sat in that chair and never heard the clock?

It occurred to me that my life is constantly filled with noise, movement, and business. Lost in it all are many sounds I never hear. Perhaps one of them is the quiet voice of God.

2008-05-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

I love this Q&A from the Heidelberg Catechism:

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own,
but belong--
body and soul,
in life and in death--
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.

2008-05-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes truths seem to coexist in tension, which is not the same as in contradiction.

For example, in the "one another" commands, "accept one another" seems at odds with "instruct one another." There is tension between "forgive one another" and "admonish one another." The command to "bear with one another" (see previous post) seems out of sync with "spur one another on to love and good deeds."

I suspect that one's temperament, experiences, and gifts determines which side of the tension is the default mode, and which comes more naturally or easily. Most of us are more "grace" people or "truth" people. Only Jesus perfectly balanced them, "full of grace and truth."

Which ever side of the tension is more difficult and less natural for me is probably the one that I need to work on. In every case, opening myself to the work of the Holy Spirit to make me more like Jesus as I live in community is the journey I must continually reaffirm.

2008-05-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

For several years at Calvary, we have kept coming back to the "one another" commands in the New Testament. Many have observed that they "flesh out" the foundational directive to "love another" -- Jesus' "new command" in John 13.

In his excellent book, The Life You've Always Wanted," John Ortberg talks about the spiritual discipline of SERVANTHOOD, what he calls, "Appropriate Smallness." Included in that chapter is his disscussion of the command to "bear with one another."

"We are called to bear each other's burdens. Sometimes this may involve praying for another's need, or trying to comfort someone in pain. But at times it may feel as if an entire relationship is burdensome. I may need to 'bear with' people until I learn to love them...The ministry of bearing with one another is more than simply tolerating difficult people. It is also learning to hear God speak through them. It is learning to be 'for' them. It is learning that the difficult person I have most to deal with is me.

"This means that a part of the ministry to which I am called is to free people--repeatedly if necessary--from the little mental prisons to which I consign them."

2008-04-30T01:16:00.000-07:00

Writing about the approval addiction and the spiritual discipline of secrecy, John Ortberg ("The Life You've Always Wanted") discusses the dangers of seeking the approval of others, being unduly affected by criticism, comparing ourselves to others, etc. He writes:

"Away from the winds, the earthquakes, and the fires of human recognition, I can hear again the still, small voice, posing the question it always asks of self-absorbed children: 'What are you doing here?' Too often I reply to the voice by whining about some of my own Ahabs and Jezebels. And the voice gently reminds me, as it has reminded thousands of Elijahs before me, that I am only a small part of a much larger movement and that at the end of the day there is only one King whose approval will matter: 'It is the Lord who judges me.'"

May I live for His approval alone.

2008-04-29T00:53:00.000-07:00

Bible study . . . how easily it becomes a duty to check off my list each day rather than a transformational exercise whereby my life is opened to the Holy Spirit to make me like Jesus. Pride or guilt are often the result of reading the Scriptures as an end in itself rather than a means to an end.

In one of his messages, David shared some very practical helps for Bible study.

Every day as I read the Scriptures, I'm referring to his "contexts of application" to open myself for change:

Global--how does this change my view of the world?
Political--what does this mean for me as an American?
Social--how does this impact me as a member of my local community?
Relational--what does this mean about my interpersonal relationships?
Personal--how does this change me?

2008-04-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

"Discipline" is a dirty word...at least it feels like it sometimes.

Our current Sunday series on "Formations" includes emphasis on the spiritual disciplines. It's been good for me to revisit a couple of the classics on that theme written by Foster and Willard.

David's devotional on Formations and one of our members both reminded me that Ben Franklin had about a dozen "disciplines" that shaped his life and to which he gave credit to much of his success. He concentrated on one each week. His weren't necessarily "spiritual" disciplines.

I'm having mixed success in a similar approach to the list of 13 disciplines I mentioned in my sermon a few weeks ago. I'm committed to the process.

DISCIPLINES OF ENGAGEMENT:
1. Bible study
2. Prayer
3. Worship
4. Fellowship (sharing life in community, Acts 2, the "one anothers")
5. Good works/service
6. Giving
7. Evangelism (I just finished the book our Life Group is studying about this--it's been really helpful: "Just Walk Across the Room," by Bill Hybels)
DISCIPLINES OF DENIAL:
8. Fasting
9. Solitude
10. Silence (in order to listen to God as well as to not talk too much, saying the wrong things, words that are defensive, retalitory, unkind, critical, condemning)
11. Secrecy (not sharing my perceived good works, etc.)
12. Simplicity (doing less, buying less, keeping less, eating less, etc.)
13. Chastity

2008-04-03T14:25:00.001-07:00

2008-04-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

In preparation for my sermon in the Formations series, I'm reading a great book by John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted.

He references a scene from Homer Simpson in which the fundamentalist neighbor was asked by Homer where he'd been. He replied, "We went away to Christian Camp. We were learning how to be more judgmental."

Ortberg retorts, "Where is that camp, and why is it so well attended?"

2008-02-22T09:25:00.000-08:00

It's not what you know . . .

It's nice to have famous relatives. At least, I think Kevin Rudd must be our relative. How many branches of the Rudd family tree can there be? We are undoubtedly close of kin back on the beautiful Irish island.

Check out our "cousin" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Rudd

Actually, my VERY BEST relationship is that as a result of Jesus' redemptive work, I have become part of the family of God. Wow! God is my Father and Jesus my brother. What a privilege! John 1:12 and 1 Peter 2:9ff.

It's not what you know, it's whom you know.

2008-02-22T05:40:00.000-08:00

I borrowed my son's Rev! magazine and am enjoying a lot of very helpful articles...nearly all rather short, likely reflecting their understanding that we live in a "Google" culture today rather than the "Gutenberg" culture people my age grew up in and too often still assume.

One article on "being a team player" had some good reminders: understand that your way is one way and not the only way; remember, if you always agreed with others, it wouldn't be called "submission;" and do what's asked of you first, ask questions later.

Those are good reminders for me.

2008-02-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

Today is my mother's 91st birthday.

She's been in heaven since October 1999, joined by my father not quite two years later.

It's hard to believe they've been gone that long. I still miss them greatly and think of them virtually every day. Even after this many years I still find myself wanting to pick up the phone and call them to share some news about us, or about our children or grandchildren.

My brother and I both lived a minimum of 300 miles away from them from the time we graduated from high school (except a few summers), I sometimes feel pain for how they must've felt isolated from their children. I wrote to them often, but wish I had phoned them more.

The unselfishness, love, generosity, prayers, affirmation, and Christ-centered values of my parents is an amazing legacy. I hope our children and grandchildren will be able to say the same of us.

Hope of eternal reunion is one of the most wonderful aspects of our Christian faith. My heart aches for those who lack that hope.

2008-02-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Christianity Today magazine sends out an online version which arrived this morning. One link connected me to an article by Tim Stafford, "This Samaritan Life."

Starrord responds to the suggestion that American Christians often behave as if they are living in Jerusalem when in fact, they live in Babylon...or, more precisely in his view, in Samaria. Hmmmm. The article is very insightful about church history, the enlightenment, post-modernity, and how to live out our faith "in Samaria."

I would highly recommend reading the entire post: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/21.47.html. It's fairly long but definitely worth the read.

Here's the opening...

"Denis Haack, who critiques films, books, and music on his Ransom Fellowship website, says that Christians often act like they live in Jerusalem. Not so, argues Haack—we live in Babylon, as aliens and strangers. Why, therefore, are we surprised when we see a movie that offends our values? Babylonian movies reflect Babylonian values, not Christian ones.

I liked Haack's point, but I had a nagging sense that he was missing something. Eventually I figured out what: We don't live in Babylon. We live in Samaria.

Babylon is far from Jerusalem and doesn't know much about its religion. What you believe or how you worship is of little significance to Babylon, so long as you keep the peace and contribute to civic life. Daniel and other Jewish exiles did. They got in trouble only when they were perceived to undermine the government or got caught up in petty politics.

It's different in Samaria. People there know plenty about Jerusalem's religion (though some of their information is distorted), and have a definite grudge against it."

Don't read it if you prefer to live in blissful (but dangerous) ignorance of what's happening in the culture.

2008-02-06T05:23:00.000-08:00

I read an article today that suggested that if evangelicals elected a pope, it would be John Stott.

Hmmmm. I'm not sure I agree and, of course, by definition, evangelicals would not elect a pope. But of course, that wasn't the author's point. He was merely engaging in a bit of overstatement to suggest the level of respect and confidence which is stirred by the name of English theologian, preacher, author, and rector of All Souls Church in London, John Stott. To that I agree. Stott is a giant. He has always been one of my favorite authors--one who stretches and challenges my thinking.

Anyway, the article quoted Stott (from his book, THE LIVING CHURCH):

“We cannot proclaim the gospel of God’s love with any degree of integrity if we do not exhibit it in our love for others. Perhaps nothing is so damaging to the cause of Christ as a church which is either torn apart by jealousy, rivalry, slander and malice, or preoccupied with it’s own selfish concerns. Such churches urgently need to be radically renewed in love.”

"....especially in the West, if I may generalize, the church is not growing. Its development is stunted. Its waters are stagnant. Its breath is stale. It is in a state not of renewal but of decay. We long to see it continually being reformed and renewed by the Word and the Spirit of God."

Wow!

2008-02-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

This is the second time in the last couple of months Gloria has said to me, "You HAVE to read this book NOW!"

The first time it was TALE OF THREE KINGS. It was extremely helpful in helping me understand some very painful things going on in our lives. I don't agree with everything the author (Gene Edwards) says, but then, I don't agree with a lot of things I say shortly afterward. The book was immensely helpful to me.

The new book was recommended to us by our dear friend, Barb Yates. I ordered it but hadn't gotten to it yet, and Gloria picked it up and read it while I was in PA this week.

That's when the new recommendation/ultimatum came. "You HAVE to read this book NOW."

So, knowing where my bread is buttered, I've started reading WHO STOLE MY CHURCH. The author is one I have greatly appreciate in the past, Gordon MacDonald.

Gloria was right. I'm almost half way through it beginning last night. To all my readers who are struggling with change in church, this is a must read.

Perhaps every Christian over 40 who has been a Christian for 10 years or more needs to read this.

Back to the book . . .

2008-01-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning I'll continue our current sermon series, "Questions Jesus Asked." This week's question lies in the middle of a famous miracle story, the feeding of the 5000: "What do you have?"

One aspect of the story is the issue of how to respond to staggering need (20,000 hungry people counting women and children, who, in that culture "didn't count" so weren't included in the numeration of 5,000 men) with insufficient resources (a little boy's lunch).

Studying for the story has brought depressing thoughts about the overwhelming suffering in this broken planet we call "home."

Today's mail brought an opportunity to send a note to Fred and Diborah, two African (Ghana) children we have the privilege of supporting. The communication included the following story:

“She was only four when genocide swept across her native Rwanda. ‘We fled our home. It was in the night.’ Her family was captured, and she saw her mother clubbed to death. Her siblings were also murdered. ‘They struck me on my back, but I did not die. I just lay there. I could not stand up, because my back was broken.’

Alice survived. But she was shattered in body and spirit. Her family was gone. She had little hope for a decent future.

By age 14, she was trapped in a ‘job’ that included abusive sexual exploitation. Her innocence was sold for 500 Rwandan francs—less than a dollar.

By God’s grace, Alice managed to escape. Thanks to help from generous friends like you, she was able to survive and go to a school to learn how to be a tailor. She graduated with the highest marks in her class. Taken in by a Christian family, she also turned to the Lord. ‘My faith has helped so much. Before…I lived in loneliness. I lived in self pity. Because of a Christian ministry I have been much blessed. I feel my future is good.'

And yet, her happiness is tinged with sorrow. [Alice says] 'I know there are many street children who are suffering and others living in households who do not have a happy life. I wish those children could be cared for.’”

Reading that reminded me how incredibly blessed I have been, growing up in "Disney Land" (the USA) where I have been pampered and insulated from a degree of suffering all-to-familiar in other parts of the world.

"Forgive me, Lord, for my ignorance and indifference. Help me to know how to place my limited resources in Your hands to multiply help to those in need. Help me to bring little glimpses of renewal into this broken world so others can see pictures of Your coming kingdom at the restoration of all things. Help me to give bread to the hungry as well as introducing the Bread of Life (John 6)."

2008-01-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

SIMPLE

Last year I read three different books with a form of the word "simple" in the title. Hmmmmm, does that reveal something deeply significant about me or about that time in my life?

All three books deeply impacted me, though the theories are still a long ways from becoming practice to the degree I desire.

This week David sent our pastoral team a quote from The Orchard Church. It really resonated with me. So, here it is:

"One of the things we value here at The Orchard is simplicity. We don't just say that, we really DO keep things simple here.

So what does that look like for us?

Well it means that we pretty much stay focused on a handful of things we know we can do well and consider anything above that "bonus." For example, we don't have a lot of the "ministries" and "programs" that you'll find at most churches (i.e. men's ministry, women's ministry, classes out the whazoo, etc...) I'm certainly not saying that having these programs are bad or shouldn't be done in some churches - they're just something we've decided we're not going to do here at The Orchard.

Here are a few reasons why simplicity rules at The Orchard:

We'd rather keep people freed up throughout the week to engage missionally in the community around them and to gather in small groups. (Instead of keeping them inside the walls of the church three or four nights a week.)

We're not interested in having programs JUST to have programs. If we're going to offer a class, environment, etc... we want to make sure that it is a STEP TOWARDS something else. (See Seven Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley.) On a side note - the only people who WANT a gazillion programs are churched people. And that's not who we're trying to reach. I NEVER get asked by an unchurched person why we don't do women's ministry.

By keeping things simple, it allows us to maintain a good amount of "asking equity" from our volunteers. Since we don't have to maintain numerous programs and events throughout the month, it keeps our volunteers fresh and focused on what's most important. This is especially helpful when it comes to things like FUEL - our monthly leadership gathering. I'm convinced that the reason we don't have a problem getting our leaders to FUEL is because we aren't asking them to be at numerous other meetings throughout the month IN ADDITION to this one!

Keeping things simple allows us to pour a good amount of resources, time and energy into the things that we are most passionate about and consider to be missional priorities. So instead of doing a hundred different things poorly, we are able to do a handful of things very well. It communicates to EVERYONE what is most important.

Being simple helps clearly define what we will and will not do. This is beneficial all the way around! For example, because of this, staff meetings can stay focused on what they need to be focused on instead of wasting hours having conversations debating and going back and forth as to whether or not we should or shouldn't do a particular ministry or program. Does it mean we don't come up with new, innovative ideas? Of course not! But we don't add just to add. It's always strategic and directly tied to the mission - or else we don't waste time talking about it.

Now, with all that said, let me also say that keeping things simple is not always easy. It requires a lot of "NO's", tons of vision casting and lots of reminders as to WHY we value simplicity. It also requires a willingness to recognize that this is just one more reason why The Orchard isn't the right church for everyone. And that's ok!

How about you? What does simplicity look like for you?"

Selah

2008-01-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

I could've been killed

Driving to Grand Rapids this morning to make a hospital visit on one of our LIFEGroup members, I was moving with the traffic (under 70 mph) on what appeared to be a dry road (I-96)when suddenly everyone in front of me was slowing down rapidly (I later learned that there was an accident around the bend ahead).

I touched the brake and discovered I was now on ice. Careful brakework didn't solve the problem and it appeared I might not be able to stop before my front bumper arrived in contact with the back bumper of the car in front of me.

I eased onto the shoulder so if I wasn't able to stop in time I could ease up beside the car rather than raming into his trunk.

Unfortunately, the shoulder was not plowed wide enough for my car to fit without my left tire going into the snow. Immediately, the snow grabbed my car and yanked me downward into the median.

As I sailed into the median at perhaps 50 mph, instantly my windshield was totally covered with flying snow so I could not see anything. After traveling a little ways and holding the car somewhat straight so as to not roll, I realized that I could be about to emerge on the other side of the median into the path of approaching traffic. A head-on-collision was not high on my "to do list" so at that point I decided to turn my wheel so that moving through the median sidewise could slow and stop the car.

I was very much aware of the automatic response of asking God for help -- the prayer wasn't fancy -- probably a little like Peter's when he began to sink into the Sea of Galilee after his brief walk-on-water experience. "Help, Lord!"

Thankfully, He did and I stopped in the median's deep snow -- but only a short distance from emerging into the oncoming trafic. I was very much aware that I was a few yards and a few seconds from what could easily have been a fatal head-on-crash.

30 minutes and a $75 tow job later I was back on the road . . . grateful that God hadn't wanted to end my earthly journey quite yet. Not because being with Christ isn't "better by far" (Philippians 1), but because I'm not eager yet to stop investing in the people I love and in the ministry to which I've been called.

Thank you, Lord.

2008-01-16T04:26:00.000-08:00

We're all mixed bags.

Recently I read a book someone recommended to me and was profoundly impacted by it. It was just what I needed! It was well-written, amazingly insightful, Biblically sound, and so helpful! I have already recommended it and purchased and passed on numerous copies to others.

I ordered a second book by the same author and once again was deeply blessed. I've recommended it to others and purchased half a dozen copies to distribute.

I ordered a third -- it was very good, but the themes didn't connect as much with where I was in my journey. None-the-less, I appreciated the fresh insights into the Biblical story.

I ordered #4 -- this author really hooked me.

Wow! I could hardly believe it was by the same author. It reeked with sarcasm and negativity. It was brutal and harsh in its judgments on other believers and painted large segments of Christianity with broad strokes of horrendously ugly shades--even using coarse language to describe Christian brothers and sisters. It was full of logical fallacies, and, in my opinion, gross ignorance and perversion of the Scriptures and church history.

Could this be the same author who had so blessed me?

Yes. We are all "mixed bags" -- made of dust (Psalm 103:14) -- fallen and depraved dust. Yet, we are made in God's image, and the worst of us display moments of His beauty shining through.

Should I throw this author out the window because I have found one book with which I have profound disagreement? No! Even in it I must remain open for what I can learn and need to hear. And even if my negative evaluation of this book is accurate, it does not cancel the profound value of the others.

"Lord, help me to balance grace and truth. Help me to judge as I want to be judged. Help me to set aside the bones and enjoy the fish."

2008-01-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

Ticking People Off

Every Monday, I get an email from mondarymorninginsights.com (by Todd Rhoades). It seems specially designed for pastors who, after Sunday, need to be restored, renewed, and revisioned.

Today, he wrote about a book by Oren Harari entitled, The Leadership Secrets of Collin Powell.

Former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, is quoted as saying, "Being responsible sometimes means ticking people off." Todd observes: "Sometimes when you're a responsible leader, people will not like what you're doing. Sometimes people will get quite angry. Unfortunately, in a church leadership setting, many times this means that people will get so angry they will leave the church."

Again, he quotes Powell: "Making people mad was part of being a good leader. As I had learned long ago, an individual's hurt feelings run a distant second to the good of the service."

The author writes: "Leadership can't be a popularity contest. Trying not to offend anyone, or trying to get everyone to like you, will set you on the road to mediocrity. Why? Because leaders who are afraid to make people angry are likely to waver and procrastinate when it comes time to make tough choices. Leaders who care more about being liked than about being effective are unlikely to confront people who need confronting. They won't challenge the status quo. And inevitably, by not challenging tradition, they hurt both their own credibility and their organization's performance."

Rhoades concludes: "Clearly, in ministry work, peoples' feelings are important. But the work God has called us to do for the kingdom is equally important. Many churches are deadlocked in tradition and will never change because there's a group of people whose feelings (or even sins) will never be confronted...As effective leaders, sometimes being responsible means ticking people off."

Ouch! Wow! That's tough! Especially for someone with my temperament which wants to make everyone happy. "Can't we all just get along?" I'm sure there are some who would not believe that is my temperament, but rather have suggested I am manipulative, self-seeking, insensitive, and high-handed. Ouch! Lord, help me to be open to what I need to learn.

I must remember that Jesus did not hesitate to "tick people off" with the truth and by exposing their hypocrisy, deceitfulness, and lack of comprehension of the way of the Kingdom and the cross.

One of my hindrances is that I know that I am not Jesus and that I, like everyone, have a proclivity for self-deception (Jeremiah 17:9) and often nurture a lack of self-perception. After all, a "blind spot" is, by definition, a "BLIND" spot -- i.e. a flaw I cannot see.

People with a temperamental bent like mine (which includes both a strength and a weakness) often promote a "culture of niceness" in which ticking people off feels very wrong. As suggested above, it can really contribute to mediocrity.

Of course, the pendulum may be swung too far the other way, and often is by those whose temperament is more confrontational than conciliatory.

May God help me to self-perceive and, guided by the Holy Spirit, to be fearless about integrity and truth, even when it is offensive. I must fear offending God far more than offending people.

2008-01-11T05:57:00.001-08:00

Forgiven! How incredibly freeing!

What does it mean to be forgiven?

My O.T. reading today in Jeremiah 50 uncovered a great illustration in the future restoration of God's covenant people, Israel: "In those days...declares the Lord, search will be made for Israel's guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare."

To be forgiven is to have no remaining record of one's sin. Wow!

I'm so grateful!

God calls on us to forgive others as He has forgiven us.

If this means that I eliminate all evidence of their wrongs (real or perceived) against me, I will need God's grace to make and maintain that commitment.

A related challenging issue relates to wrongs which are not merely personal (which I must forgive) but which fall into the category of crimes against other individuals, or institutions, or society --wrongful actions which go beyond personal offenses.

What is personal, I must forgive -- erase the record. What is civil or social I must release to God and to those He has ordained to deal with such (e.g. Romans 13).

I have sometimes briefly thought (this is undoubtedly the suggestion of my sinful nature) how gratifying it will be someday to receive God's vindication where I have been wronged. Then sanity returns and I recognize that in His presence, I will undoubtedly be so overwhelmed by a new comprehension of His grace and mercy in MY life, that I will not desire nor find any pleasure in anything but God's grace and mercy in the lives of others as well.

I am so thankful for the forgiveness Jesus provides.

2008-01-11T05:12:00.000-08:00

The metaphor of the church as the Body of Christ "extends the incarnation through time."

That is one conclusion Philip Yancey makes as he reflected on a pre-Reformation debate between theologians Thomas Aquinas and John Duns Scotus.

Believing that baptizes all of life with astounding worth. Whether carpenter or teacher, I continue Jesus' mission on earth.

How tragic that I settle for much less -- not so much in what I do, but in my awareness of what it means, and thus, how I carry it out.

How does Jesus want to change the world through me today?

2008-01-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

Philip Yancey is one of my favorite authors. The most recent book of his I read was "Prayer." His gutsy honesty and depth are refreshing. He has great insights. CT on line included a piece he wrote about "A Believer's To Be List." It's really worth reading: http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2001/001/4.45.html

The same CT included an article entitled "What Evangelism Isn't." I wouldn't put it on a parr with the above, but it's also worth a read: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/decemberweb-only/101-12.0.html?start=1

2008-01-05T05:05:00.001-08:00

One of my 2007 goals which I met and exceeded (that doesn't happen very often!) was a targeted number of books to read. My reading took a different turn than usual as I dipped into a number of novels...partly, I'm confident to escape pain into a world of fantasy. Imagination is a wonderful gift from God.

But most of the books were not fiction.

Thanks to Dan Lenz for suggesting A TALE OF THREE KINGS by Gene Edwards, and my bride's not-so-gentle-encouragement, "you HAVE to read this book TODAY," I "ate the whole thing" in one day. The timing of it's message was providential -- convicting, healing, insightful, affirming, revealing . . . It would probably not be as impactful (is that a word?) to someone not experiencing some of what we were at the time.

I followed up with another book by Gene Edwards (I've now read four by him but was as enamored by all), PRISONER IN THE THIRD CELL. Wow! For those whose lives include lots of disappointment and a sense of "where-is-God-when-you-really-need-Him?", this one is really helpful.

Books are great. Shouldn't be a surprise as God chose to use a book (a book of books) to tell His story so we could frame our existence and live as people of hope in a very broken world.

2008-01-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we will begin our new Sunday morning series which is a study of "Questions Jesus Asked."

In my Bible reading this morning in Mark 6, I came on another of the hundreds of questions Jesus asked: "What do you have?" In this face of a huge mob of hungry people, Jesus' question challenged His disciples to check their available resources.

As with us, their resources (a little boy's lunch) were woefully inadequate to meet the need, but sacrificed to the mission, Jesus multiplied their impact both to fill stomachs and to picture the coming kingdom/restoration when the Promised One will return and restore the ruined creation to its original perfection. Hunger will be banished.

Jesus' question, "What do you have?," reminded me of a note I recently saw which I had written some time ago in the front of my Bible:

"If you have household assets exceeding $61,000 then you are among the richest 10% in the world. If you have assests exceeding $500,000, you are among the 1% -- which numbers 37 million people. The bottom half of the world’s adult population have 1% of the world’s wealth."

As another modern prophetic voice reminded me, I "live on an island of luxury in an ocean of need."

May my heart be tender to how God wants to change me, and my hands open to share what He has so graciously given.

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19

2007-12-30T19:19:00.000-08:00

From CT magazine (1/08, p. 34): "Jesus Christ, the Lord of Creation, Redemption, and Fulfillment, calls the church the salt and light of the world. Jesus seems to have had in mind a community engaged in virorous, self-sacrificing mission that goes to great lengths to enact costly love, that inconveniences itself regularly to seek justice for the oppressed, that creatively serves the forgotten, all to portray that the kingdom of God is at hand.

Depending on where we look in the world, however, that church seems to have gone missing.

Rather than seek the God who spoke from the burning bush, we have decided that the real drama is found in debating whether to podcast our services. Rather than encounter the God who sees idolatry as a pervasive, life-threatening temptation, we decorate Pottery Barn lives with our tasteful collections of godlings. Rather than follow the God who burns with justice for the needy, we are more likely to ask the Lord to give us our own fair share. A bland God for a bland church, with a mission that is at best innocuous and quaint--in a tumultuous world."

Wow! That's painful to read...but important to ponder.

2007-06-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

PRAYING FOR OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN

There is nothing I pray about as much as for our children, their spouses, and our seven amazing grandchildren.

While praying for them this morning it occurred to me that my selfishness might be reflected in the disproportionate amount of time I spend praying for them compared to world evangelism and for resolution of needs such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, injustice, and other prevalent kinds of global suffering.

I don’t know if the next thought was my own rationalization or a word from the Spirit, but I recognized that love of family is not evil, but rather is a reflection of being made in the image of the heavenly Father who takes great delight in His only Son. The problem is not that I spend too much time praying for my immediate family, but that I spend too little praying for the vast global family of which I am also a part.

Further, while praying for our family recently, I’ve been convicted about the shallowness of many of my prayers. I realized that a great deal of my prayers were focused on the short-term happiness of my children as a result of their living “good Christian lives,” having strong marriages, being good parents, having success in their vocations, etc.

But now, nagging at the edge of my consciousness was the thought that God’s plan for our children may include pain and suffering through which God would ultimately be glorified, though not always by joyous deliverances this side of “the renewal of all things.”

If the Old Testament prophet Hosea’s parents prayed for him, I wonder how they felt about how God was glorified in his life? His wife was repeatedly unfaithful to him and presented him with children not his own. It could not have been a happy marriage and then she left him for her lovers. Yet in obedience to God, Hosea took her back, restored her as his wife, and showered her and her children with an unconditional love which for more than two thousand years has been an astounding object lesson of the love of God for His wandering people.

Do I really want God to be glorified in the lives of our children no matter what it takes? Is the glory of God more important than the comfortableness of my family? Am I willing to pray that God would be honored even if it is through great suffering in the lives of those for whom I would gladly die to protect them from the slightest pain?

I’m struggling, but finding myself increasingly asking God to glorify Himself through our children and grandchildren and leaving the details of “how” to His infinitely wise, loving, and eternal plan. Of course I want them spared from pain, and often ask for that without sense of guilt or selfishness. But I find myself whispering what our Lord exampled for us, “Nevertheless not my will but Yours be done.”

“Lord teach me to pray and to love Your glory more than anything. Thank you for assuring me that you are always good and that you love my children more than I ever could.”

2007-06-20T20:06:00.001-07:00

BAD PLANNING

Gloria has a very attractive hanging fern just outside our front door. It requires a fair amount of water, so nearly every day one of us will run the hose into it for an extended time.

For a couple of days we were startled by a bird flying out of the fern. Inspecting, we discovered she was building a nest. We should have immediately removed the partly constructed structure, but waited a couple of days. When I went outside tonight to remove the nest before the mama bird became too attached to her site, I discovered . . . you guessed it…two eggs.

Now what do we do? If we immerse the fern every day, it will flood the nest. If we don’t, the fern may not survive. If we remove the nest, the eggs will be lost, and, I assume, the mother bird will grieve.

When you think about it, the location of the nest reflects really bad planning by the mother bird. She didn’t take into account the possibility that someone much bigger than her could frustrate her plan and obliterate her carefully prepared but ill-placed “nursery.”

Some of our plans are really bad too. Like our short-sighted, feathered friend, we don’t see the big picture. Our illadvised actions place us and others at risk.

Aren’t you glad that the all-powerful God is not in His nature a home-wrecker and egg smasher? He is loving and kind, and works His sure plan for the ultimate good of all who nest in Him.

2007-05-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Homosexuality, part 3 (see previous 2 posts)

10. I really struggle with some practical issues such as providing health insurance for a committed homosexual couple. A part of me favors this in spite of my conviction about the morality of the relationship. However, I’m not sure I comprehend all the related issues (other groups of people, economic impact, etc.) which may be involved. Should any two people (regardless of gender) who live together in a long-term, non-sexual relationship be granted these benefits? If two heterosexual women share a committed relationship, even adopting a child, but are not homosexual, should they qualify or be given the right of some legal recognition and benefits (we have such a “couple” in our church – 2 ladies who have lived together, not sexually, for 40 years and raised a child—but are not homosexual). How about a parent and an adult child – or three generations -- living together? If one of them qualifies for medical insurance, should the others have a right to be included in the plan? I suspect that this needs to be considered apart from the question of the validity of homosexual “marriage” though I think I understand why many want it to be connected.

11. I really grieve that many of those who hold to the same Biblical understanding as I do about homosexuality have too often been guilty of the sin of hate, unkindness, misunderstanding, discrimination, and even violence. That is deplorable and all Christians should speak out against it. I am embarrassed and ashamed that I have not always recognized this and practiced it myself—at least to the degree I should.

12. I do not believe the United States ever was or should become a “Christian nation” in the sense those terms are typically used. Although our nation was founded on many Judeo-Christian principles, it never was nor should it have been another “Geneva.” The nation of Israel was a theocracy – ruled by God and His law (at least, it was supposed to be). When Jesus returns, He will establish/impose His righteous kingdom on the entire earth. Today, we are called to live as aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 1:3, 17; 2:11; Hebrews 11:13; Philippians 3:20). We certainly should impact our culture and our nation by our good works and our values, but we are not called to impose our values or beliefs on others. I would no longer support any part of the view that we are called to make this a “Christian nation” in any sense other than that we want to share the Gospel with everyone in America to give them the opportunity to freely choose to become a Christian.

2007-05-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Homosexuality, part 2 (see previous post)

7. Homosexual inclination is not necessarily sinful. As God’s people (Israel and the church) have always understood the Scriptures, homosexual practice is sinful. When a person struggles with sexual desires (heterosexual or homosexual) which cannot be legitimately fulfilled, there are spiritual practices that can decrease temptation’s power, persistence, and victory (though they will not necessarily eliminate them in every case). I am responsible to engage these spiritual disciplines and practices. I believe that some homosexuals can be “healed” so as to be able to enjoy God’s original creation plan, while others may not be “healed” in this life, but nevertheless are called to a life of purity and chastity. The church should surround those who struggle with homosexual temptations with love, support, respect, and help, even as they should do for those who struggle with heterosexual and other kinds of temptation. This should be in an atmosphere of grace, acceptance, respect, and support of the person – not of the sin, whatever kind. Christians should have great compassion for those whose sexual inclinations must be resisted and unfulfilled throughout their life. It is tragic that some (both homosexual and heterosexual) will never enjoy a relationship for the fulfillment of these longings. We are all broken in different ways and should support each other with our struggles and God’s call on our lives as we await Jesus’ return and the restoration of all things. Hence we pray with passion, “May Your kingdom come!”

8. It is my opinion that the “jury is out” with regard to definitive and comprehensive identification of the reasons for homosexual inclinations/vulnerability. It seems probable that the influences toward homosexual inclinations are diverse and complex, but all expressions of the brokenness of this fallen world since sin entered. Although some may choose to experiment with and become addicted to sinful sexual practices of various kinds (including homosexuality), I suspect that most homosexuals did not make an initial choice resulting in their vulnerability/inclinations. I am certainly open to believing that some homosexual vulnerability may be genetic, even as some people are genetically more vulnerable to alcoholism. This does not eliminate the need to live a pure and self-controlled life in either case. This is not to say that the inclinations are sinful for the individual struggling with them, but that the origin of inclinations contrary to God’s design and will are continuing results of the sin of Adam and Eve, as are many other things in the fallen human condition. It seems clear that not all homosexual vulnerability is genetic, but in many cases springs from other causes – abuse, dysfunctional family, etc. – all of which are symptoms of the fallenness of this world. In these cases, the individual is not responsible for the cause, but they are responsible for their response and choices.

9. Persons are not defined by their “sexual orientation.” They are defined by God and His image. I am not my sexual orientation. I am a person made in the image of God, the object of His love and redemptive plan.

2007-05-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Homosexuality

I'm involved in several on-going conversations regarding homosexualilty, the Bible, and our culture, so put down some preliminary thoughts. Please feel free to comment to sharpen my thinking. This is too long for a single post, so it will take two or three.

1. Jesus’ followers, like their Master, should treat all people with love, respect, and kindness, regardless of their lifestyle or beliefs. Jesus showed us the balance of grace and truth. We too often emphasize one without the other.

2. Christians should be agents of justice and mercy in the world—seeking to relieve suffering without being judgmental and standing up for justice for everyone. This will sometimes mean responding to the symptoms of (e.g. hunger, etc.) apart from the deeper causes, sometimes means responding to causes (e.g. lack of education, systemic discrimination, etc.), and sometimes (most preferable) to both.

3. Christians should always affirm, practice, and communicate Biblical truth, even if it is unpopular or misunderstood, because they believe that obeying God’s commands is always for everyone’s ultimate benefit, even though it may involve in temporary pain or suffering.

4. God’s plan for sexuality, consistently communicated throughout the Scriptures (including by Jesus) is for one man and woman to enjoy sexual intimacy within a loving, lifetime marital relationship. The New Testament indicates that the relationship of a man and a woman (not just of two people – but specifically of a man and woman) in marriage is to beautifully portray the relationship of Christ and the church. The Old Testament suggests a similar portrayal by the faithful marriage of a man and woman with regard to the relationship between God and His people (e.g. the story of Hosea).

5. Outside of a committed heterosexual marriage, the Bible consistently calls all humans to lives of purity, chastity, and self-control. The Bible teaches that self denial and suffering are purposeful and beneficial for God’s children. We must all deny ourselves and take up our cross daily to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23) though for each of us that will play out in different ways. Fulfillment of physical desires (of all kinds) is not a right to be pursued at all cost (cf Matthew 4:4 on Jesus and the need for food). My physical desires must always be subjugated into conformity with God’s revealed will – even if that requires self-denial and suffering. As a real human, Jesus most certainly had a powerful sex drive. But, because of His mission was never able to give it expression or find fulfillment in a sexual relationship. He is our example and should give encouragement and comfort to any who must deny the fulfillment of their sexual desires whether heterosexual or homosexual.

6. Every reference to homosexuality in the Bible is prohibitive—there are no exceptions. Recent efforts by some to reinterpret Biblical passages in support of some kinds of homosexual practice do not stand up against the standards of unbiased Biblical scholarship, consistent hermeneutical practice, or the united voice of Jesus’ global church through time. We should always be open to reexamining our interpretations of Scripture but must attempt do so without bias (that’s hard!) and without giving in to external pressures (cultural, governmental, emotional, or personal).

2007-05-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Justice and Mercy series at Calvary (see www.calvarymuskegon.com) was an emotional series -- even more for those who participated in the breakout sessions during the week in addition to the Sunday services.

God has been stirring in my heart with new insight, understanding, conviction, and compassion.

Most of the responses I've heard have been extremely positive with people growing in their understanding about the tragedies of poverty and racism--not just in the world, but also in West Michigan. Some are seeing the importance of responding to need without also trying to judge or attach responsibility and blame (something that comes rather naturally, cf John 9:1ff). There is a new wave of people committed to growing in justice and mercy.

Perhaps the cummulative effect of (1) the long Book of Acts series with it's frequent mention of ministering to the poor (chs. 2, 4, 6, etc), (2) the "stories Jesus told series" which spotlighted poverty-related themes again, and now (3) the 4-week Justice and Mercy series, have left some understandably weary and wanting to move on to new themes. That's why our next series will focus on 1 Peter, Contentment, and a survey of the Old Testament.

Some are wondering what happened to their pastor...even wondering if he has "gone Liberal" with his new interest in the "social gospel." I haven't. But I have had to repent of having an "unsociable gospel," a perversion of Scripture, which too often didn't address the whole man. Certainly our priority is the proclamation of the Gospel of salvation through faith in Christ. The biggest changes in poverty and racism will come when people experience the transformation of Christ's redemption in their lives. But I now have had the blinders removed (at least in part) that hindered me from seeing the powerful emphasis in Scripture on Justice and Mercy related issues.

Today I was challenged by the "virtually book" Bono has written (with others) at http://one.v1.myvirtualpaper.com/brochure/2007051702.

Read it!

Perhaps some have responded negatively because of God's conviction in their lives of hidden racist attitudes or of a lack of a compassionate and generous spirit. If we are not ready to repent, we typically find ways to excuse, justify, rationalize, or accuse and counter attack.

I certainly am not suggesting that anyone who had negative feelings about our Justice and Mercy series is in this last category. These are difficult and complex issues and we all look at them through the lens of our own experiences and understanding. We are all at different stages of maturity and immaturity.

I was deeply convicted by the prophet's words (Isaiah 58:6-9):

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousnessa will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

2007-04-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

A Day with a Perfect Stranger

Last year I read a short book by David Gregory entitled, DINNER WITH A PERFECT STRANGER. It was a very engaging story (a short, easy read) about a businessman who received an invitation to have dinner with Jesus of Nazareth at an Italian restaurant. Interesting that Jesus ordered wine. Does that catch your interest?

I liked the book so well I've given away more than a dozen copies -- especially to those who might be seeking God and truth but struggle with some of the classic (and very difficult) objections to the Christian faith or have been exposed to offensive caricatures of Christianity.

Don't be fooled if the idea sounds a bit cheesy. The book will surprise you.

Tonight I finished reading A DAY WITH A PERFECT STRANGER. It's a continuation of the original story, but this time the wife of the man who had dinner with Jesus has a remarkable conversation with "Jay" while crossing the country on an airplane.

If someone "hates religion," they just might enjoy spending a day with this perfect stranger.

I recommend it...for a fresh reminder of what it means to enter into a relationship with God and as a unoffensive gift to share with someone who might be seeking more than they know.

2007-04-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

White Privilege

The Justice and Mercy series we're doing at church (see http://justiceandmercy.com/) is part of an ongoing journey God has been taking me on. I feel like I'm slowly waking from a long Rip Van Winkle slumber with regard to issues of poverty and racism.

I must've heard the expression, "white privilege" before, but until fairly recently, had little comprehension of how much a part of my life it has been and is.

WHITE PRIVILEGE is an invisible package of unearned assets which I cash in every day of my life, giving me a significant, lifetime advantage over many of those whose skin-color is different than mine.

This web site gives some helpful discussion and illustration on the theme: http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~mcisaac/emc598ge/Unpacking.html

My friend Pastor Terry Williams from Unquenchable Fire Ministries, a really great inner city, diverse church in Muskegon, handed me a video to watch this week: WORDS BY HEART, about a young black girl in a rural town at the turn of the century. I'm pretty sure it never won any cinematic awards, but it is a helpful, though gentle portrayal of privilege and racism. Children could watch it and benefit.

Pastor T also recommended I watch the just-released-on-DVD movie staring Hilary Swank entitled FREEDOM WRITERS. It's based on the true story of Erin Gruwell, a first year teacher who believed in her students. Gloria and I watched it tonight. Wow! What a powerful portrayal of the jungle that exists in many cities and schools today, and the amazing difference one person can make. Get it!

2007-04-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

When the excitement is gone

Thinking about the contrast between the spirit of the worship gatherings we experienced in Mexico and many in the United States, I wonder if some of the difference is that we are no longer overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for God's mercy, grace, and love.

Living under the addictive opiate of Disneyland (the USA), we too often forget what it meant/means to be "lost." Hence, our sense of wonder at being "found" is diminished.

If I am not filled with wonder at God's salvation, "worship" too easily becomes diminished into an "entertain me" mentality in which I evaluate the various elements of the service based on my preferences and how I feel about what is happening.

Similarly, an awareness of the presence of God, burns away any idea that "it's about me."

2007-04-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Mexico with Pastor Tony Gomez

In our recent trip to Mexico, Gloria and I were impressed with the vibrancy of the believers. Their church gatherings could not have been farther from a duty-driven or "business-as-usual" atmosphere.

In one poverty-filled village on a Saturday about 250 believers of all ages came together (most walked some distance to be there) for fellowship and worship. This was a monthly gathering of village churches. The location rotates between the churches each month.

The people's enthusiasm for praising God and responding to preaching was contagious even though I could only understand a smattering of words.

We arrived about 11 a.m. to find a packed church auditorium (a very simple block building with hard wooden benches) and a worship service which had already been underway for some length of time. I was the third preacher. The first two were native pastors who, of course, spoke in Spanish (about 40 minutes each). Though I couldn't understand very many words, their passion and warm connection with the audience were inspiring to sense.

Before, between, and after the two sermons there was lots of great congregational singing, choirs, randalla bands, and a missionary presentation (a church planting ministry with the native Indians in the mountains), etc.

We took a half-hour break for lunch (Wow! Delicious! It was as authentic as the Christianity), and then the the singing, special music, etc. resumed.

It was my turn to preach (Pastor Tony Gomez was my wonderful interpreter). The congregation responded with the kind of enthusiasm that shouts their love for the teaching of God's Word.

When I finished preaching about 5 p.m. (about 6 hours after we arrived) we had to leave in order to get back to Torreon for an evening meeting. As we left, the service was going strong with no sign of an approaching conclusion.

Imagine a service in the USA that went more than 6 hours! Who would stay? Rather than the kind of unabated, enthusiastic participation I witnessed, in the USA a pastor could expect a continuing exodus of those whose priorities had no room for 6 hours of meeting with God and His church. There would be the "devil to pay" if we trapped people in that kind of marathon.

Perhaps we have completely lost touch with what it means to worship. If I am subconsciously saying, "God, I've come to worship You today, but I can only spare 60-90 minutes and then I really have to be about other parts of my life," I wonder if genuine worship is even possible. It seems like worship involves giving myself totally to God -- everything, including my time and schedule--surrendering to His agenda, not demanding mine.

I understand that we must be incarnational to the culture in which we live. Ours is obsessively time conscious.

But then, time is the currency with which I purchase my real values.

2007-04-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

I dreamed last night that our church was located near a large university campus and that I needed to come up with a sermon title targeting the incoming students.

I thought of "Fitting God Into Your Class Schedule," but then realized that God is not be to be "fit" into anything. He FILLS EVERYTHING.

Herein lies a good deal of my problem. I want to fit God into my life -- making Him another important element along with the others I have selected for myself. God will not be "fit" into anything. Either He fills it or He does not fit at all.

2007-04-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Why do we meet?

Believers are called together by God (church = the ἐκκλησία).

But why do we meet?

I'm playing with this . . . We meet in community with other Christ followers in order to encounter God and His truth in ways that are transformational.

What do you think?

2007-04-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Trends in the American Church

Recently I read a paper (“Measuring What Matters Most”) by IgniteUS, Inc., with thought provoking statistics. They were introduced as follows: “The following are issues that are endemic in the church in America. We must be humble, diligent, courageous, and wise as we seek to bring corrective theological solutions to this profile. Think carefully and systematically through these facts - - prayer is essential.”

1. Only 3% of the churches in America (386,000) are growing by conversion growth; people being redeemed, baptized, and becoming growing disciples in that local church.

2. Around the globe, Christianity is the fastest growing religion. There are approximately 4,000 churches begun per week around the world.

3. In America we close 70+ churches per week.

4. In any local church, 47% of the people are highly resistant to change. 17% are devoted to peace, don’t make any waves. They always side with those who oppose change. The collective result is we face a 64% opposition force in almost every church in introducing change.

5. Recent studies indicate that at least 19,000 churches are split or scarred by major conflict each year.

6. The average pastoral tenure is about 4.3 years. The most effective ministry occurs between years 5.4 and 14.3 of a pastor’s tenure.

7. Less than 1 in 10 regular attendees of Christian Churches give 10% (3% in 2003) or more of their income to the Lord through the church.

8. People say they believe in truth, yet, 2 out of 3 adults and 4 out of 5 teenagers say that truth is relative, there is no absolute truth.

9. The number of ‘regular attendees’ in local churches that are absent on any given Sunday continues to increase. 10 years ago it was 2 in 10. It is now 3 in 10, soon to be 4 in 10. This means that if you have 500 regular members, on any given Sunday you will have 30-40% of them absent. This is a clear reflection of values when the absence is discretionary, that is, they choose to not attend in deference to another activity.

10. There is a famine of hearing of the Words of the Lord (Amos 8:11) . . . People say that they believe in the Scriptures as the Word of God, but, when their shepherd seeks to make application to daily living and conduct, he is castigated, rebuffed, or worse, fired. Culture, not Scripture, shapes many aspects of the church in America.

Wow! Some of those I can affirm from my own experience. Some are like a knife in my heart, exposing the apathy and indifference of which I am part.

“Lord, teach us to love the faithless as You do. Give hands and feet to Jesus’ love by energizing our bodies by Your Spirit. Break our hearts for those who need to experience Jesus’ mission through us – the redemption of sinners and the relief of suffering. Forgive us for our idolatrous commitment to our own comfort and our sinful resistance to sacrificing our preferences in order to be incarnational to this broken and diverse culture. Amen.”

2007-04-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

What about liturgy?

In the words of www.wikipedia.com, “A liturgy comprises a prescribed ceremony, according to the traditions of a particular group or event.”

Actually the English word “liturgy” comes from the Greek λειτουργία which refers to service rendered for a god (or, for God).

Many denominations follow a prescribed litury in their weekly worship services. Anglicans, Episcopalians, and Roman Catholics would be among those whose worship orders are ancient and familiar to their regular congregants.

Even within the “free” church where spontinaeity or at least lack of prescribed or traditional liturgy has often been a high value, liturgy nevertheless exists. Often a rather predictable “order of service” is followed without deviation week after week: song, prayer, song, song, announcements and offering, song, special number, sermon. The order may not be found in The Book of Common Prayer, but its elements may be more rigidly adhered to than a Lutheran collect during Advent.

How sad that I have too often viewed the traditions of other groups as unbiblical or inferior either because they were unfamiliar, because I was ignorant of their origin or purpose, or because I unnecessarily associated them with some group with whom I differed.

I am very embarrassed that for many years of my ministry I did not encourage the use of “the Lord’s Prayer” in our worship services, because some suspect “liturgical” church regularly “chanted” it’s syllables. "Vain repetition" was my horribly judgmental analysis. I rejected the use of that glorious prayer because of its suspicious association. This in spite of the fact that it’s words are inspired Scripture given by the Lord Jesus for the use of His followers (Matthew 6).

Recently, I have been enriched by keeping The Book of Common Prayer by my bedside to read before I fell asleep. The depth of many of its ancient prayers has challenged the shallowness of many of mine. Praying them as my own has strengthened my prayer life, much like praying the Biblical prayers of David or Paul.

“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved thee with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in thy will, and walk in thy ways, to the glory of thy Name. Amen.”

“Lord Jesus Christ, who didst stretch out thine arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of thy saving embrace: So clothe us in thy Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know thee to the knowledge and love of thee; for the honor thy Name. Amen.”

2007-03-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

Sharp or dull?

I have a couple of axes that belonged to my father and to my grandfather before him. A good ax is quite indestructible.

The effectiveness of an ax is determined by the quality of the metal, the sharpness of the blade, and the skill of the user. No matter how skillful the user may be, a dull ax makes it difficult to cut wood.

Dullness comes from lack of use, misuse, neglect, as well as from ordinary use – the harder the wood, the faster dullness occurs.

Dullness happens inexorably and often imperceptively. Perhaps there should be a bumper sticker that reads, “Dullness happens!” Unless a person is alert to the dulling of his blade, he may not realize that he is working harder with less results.

To keep an ax at peak performance, it must be sharpened regularly (on a schedule) as well as periodically as needed. Further, in order to sharpen an ax, you have to stop working with it. But sharpening time is not wasted. Ultimately the “down time” for sharpening maintains and significantly increases productivity.

Proverbs 27:17 is a great reminder that these observations apply to me and my work: “As iron sharpens iron, so one many sharpens another.”

I get dull! If I’m not alert, I may not recognize how much harder I’m working and how my productivity has declined. I need to stop working at times to engage in sharpening.

Sharpening is the result of contact (sometimes abrasive contact) with other people. Contact with other metal may sharpen an ax or dull an ax, even as my contact with another person may do either depending on the angle of impact.

Some people sharpen me and others hasten the dulling process. Sometimes if I make a slight adjustment in our contact, I can turn a dulling experience/person into a sharpening one. Some people will never be sharpeners. I need to be sure that I get away from them long enough to get near someone who sharpens me.

I bring sharpness or dullness to others. It all depends on how I connect with them.

2007-03-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

Needs and wants…a long time ago

Preparing for today’s sermon on Jesus’ story about the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21), I ran into some very old but fascinating statistics about the average American's sense of what is a “need” and what is a “want.” It seems that during the century between 1840 and 1940 peoples’ perception of what they needed as well as their identification of what they wanted rose exponentially. During the same period, the number of manufactured articles in the US increased at an even faster pace.

In 1840 the average American needed 16 things and wanted 72 things in an environment in which 6,000 items were manufactured.

In 1940, people needed 94 things and wanted 484 things, while the number of manufactured items had risen to 356,000.

I wish I had been able to find similar statistics for the present, but I was unsuccessful in my attempts. I would like to think that the number of needs, at some point, would level off rather than continuing to multiply. On the other hand, probably no one would be surprised if the number of wants and manufactured items have both continued to increase significantly.

Intertwined with all of this is the subject of Jesus’ story: greed – the desire to have MORE. The rich man thought he had a storage problem. He assumed he had too little storage when in fact he had too much stuff. Both his storage problem and his greed problem would’ve been solved if he had determined to give generously to the poor, rather than hoarding for himself.

No culture has ever needed as much storage space as ours. We add closets, additional stalls in our garages, storage buildings out back, and even rent “self-storage” space somewhere down the road.

Somehow we don’t seem to recognize our addiction to SUPERSIZING and our aversion to DOWNSIZING, nor does it seem to occur to us that if we gave more away to those in need, both our storage problem and our heart problem might be resolved.

The author of Proverbs 30:8, 9 prayed a rather surprising prayer based on his remarkably candid assessment of his tendencies toward independence and idolatry on the one hand or unbelieving panic on the other. I wonder if I would dare to make his prayer my own?

“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

2007-03-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

Speaking their language

This morning I was reading Acts 21 and 22. At the end of chapter 21, Paul spoke to the commander of the Roman Soldiers who "rescued" him from the mob.

He grabbed the commander's interest and attention by speaking his language, Greek (21:37). Moments later, Paul captured the attention of the mob by speaking their language, Aramaic (22:2).

When we send missionaries into a different culture, their first assignment is to learn to speak their language -- usually a multi-year process. We understand that if people are going to listen to you, you have to speak their language.

For Jesus' church, eager to tell His story to everyone everywhere, learning the "languages" in a rapidly changing and diversifying culture will be an on-going challenge. In many ways it seems as if the Babel-effect is accelerating.

2007-03-09T12:33:00.000-08:00

I am so embarrassed!

I can't believe how many years I have studied the Bible with some degree of diligence, yet missed the in-your-face, pervasive emphasis about poverty and injustice and how God's people are to respond to it.

Last Sunday's theme in our "Stories Jesus Told" series was the vivid and frightening story about hell (actually "hades" in the Greek) in Luke 16. The full sermon is available at http://www.calvarymuskegon.com/. It includes a discussion of five different ways people understand the doctrine of hell, including the one I have tentatively adopted (a change from most of my life).

What now seems inescapable in this story that I completely overlooked in the past was the equally shocking theme of wealth and poverty in relationship to hades and paradise.

Obviously Jesus was not suggesting that if one is rich and wears purple, he is headed for the fire. Nor was He advancing the idea that if one is poor and licked by scavenging dogs he will sit beside Abraham in the great heavenly banquet.

However, it would be hard to miss the point that what we do with our resources and how we respond to suffering and need are infallible indicators of the true condition of our heart.

Perhaps the rich man’s wealth served to isolate him to some degree from the suffering of the beggar at his gate. But, it did not excuse him from his heartless and wicked indifference.

In today’s “flat earth,” I have to be willfully indifferent to isolate myself from the horrible suffering of poverty and injustice in West Michigan and the world. The comfortableness of my middle-class suburban lifestyle has isolated me, but does not excuse me.

This is the only one of Jesus’ stories in which a character is named. The pathetic beggar is “Lazarus.” His name meant “God is my helper”—it must’ve mocked him with the realization that God didn’t seem to be doing a very good job of helping him. Yet his angel-escorted-arrival at the heavenly banquet table next to the father of Arabs and Jews would suggest that his trust in God was not destroyed by his earthly suffering.

By naming Him, Jesus humanized a person who had been dehumanized and marginalized by his community. We’re more comfortable if we don’t know a beggar’s name for the same reason we avoid eye contact with him. If we look him in the eyes or give him a name, he becomes a person – a fellow human being like us who is suffering and needs our help. It’s easier to walk by if he isn’t a real person to us.

How big a deal is it whether or not we use our resources to help the needy?

If asked, “What was the sin of Sodom?” most would respond with a hot-button moral issue. How shocking when the Scripture (Ezekiel 16:49f) describes a different primary issue: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”

Jesus’ story in Matthew 25 describes entrance into or exclusion from God’s kingdom on the basis of whether or not people fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, took in the stranger, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and imprisoned.

We tend to think our reward will depend on how often we went to church. The Bible says it will be based on what we did for the poor and needy.

I am so embarrassed that these themes have been largely absent from my teaching. I repent. God is changing me. Do I ever need it!

2007-03-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Which church would you choose?

A regular email I receive from MondayMorningInsight.com posed three sobering questions recently:

1. If you weren't on staff at your church, would you worship there? I think we've all served at churches that we wouldn't worship at. (I know I have). And many times we are in the process of transitioning them into a church that we'd love to attend. If you're in that position right now, this is still a great question to ask. Why wouldn't you want to worship there? And what is keeping other people away from the church that you serve?

2. If you didn't know ANYTHING about Jesus, what would you know about him after a normal weekend at your church? Think about your service yesterday. If you didn't know squat about Jesus yesterday morning; what would you know about Him or think about Him today? This is a question that we need to ask each and every week. How does your church communicate Jesus?

3. If you had a loved one who didn't know Christ, and they had one week left to live, would you take them to your church or another? In this last question, it goes one level deeper. How's your church doing at communicating the main message? Truthfully; would you take your dying unsaved mother to a service at your church or another church across town? How clear is the gospel presented in your church?

Those are great questions, not just for church staffers, but for anyone to ask about the community of faith in which God has called them to share life.

The consumer mindset so prevalent in our culture has infiltrated the thinking of many Christians so that rather than investing themselves and their resources to help their church become more formative, caring, and missional, they "jump ship" for another church where "their needs are better met."

I am very thankful for the church to which God has called me. I do not hesitate to invite people to our celebration gatherings and LIFEGroups. Yet, I am painfully aware of how far we are from the "beautiful bride" Jesus longs for, and how far we have to go if we are going to effectively model and pass authentic Christianity to our children and grandchildren.

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing the dying church of America is whether it is able and willing to make the changes necessary to be incarnational to future generations in this rapidly changing world. I am committed to spending whatever years God gives me to that process.

2007-03-07T10:18:00.000-08:00

And You Thougtht You Were Worshipping

My daily Bible reading this morning took me to Isaiah 58. God's people were frustrated because they felt that their worship and pursuit of God were stellar and yet God didn't seem to notice or reward their self-acknowledged spirituality.

God responding by exposing the hypocrisy of their worship because their lives were selfish and self-centered resulting in failure to show loving care for others and in ungodly conflict with each other.

God described the kind of "fast" He desired: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" (Isaiah 58:6-8).

This chapter was another rebuke to me as to how much our Western "churchianity" has become focused on "going to church" instead of the church going into the world's pockets of suffering to carry out Jesus' mission. God is unimpressed with my "worship" if I am not immersed in feeding the hungry, bringing justice to the oppressed, providing shelter for the homeless, and clothing the naked. May God forgive my comfort, self-centered ignorance and indifference!

When I started my current sermon series on "Stories Jesus Told," I had no idea how much God was going to speak to me (and to our church) on issues related to using our resources to relieve suffering. Nor did we realize how appropriate it would be to follow up (right after Easter) with a special four-week series we're calling "Justice and Mercy." God's providence in the sequence and timing is evident. I'm praying that this special focus, April 16-May 6, will help us to translate into action what God has begun speaking to us about. We plan to focus our celebration gatherings, LIFEGroups, adult Discipleship Communities, and student ministries on the theme of Justice and Mercy.

I hope I'm ready for this and I pray that I will never be the same!

2007-03-03T05:54:00.001-08:00

Too much of a good thing?

Computer viruses are bad. Right? Very bad!

So anti-virus programs are good. Right? Very good!

If one anti-virus program is good, two are better. Right?

Not necessarily!

In fact, by 2 a.m. this morning, I was totally convinced that when it comes to computer anti-virus programs, you really can have too much of a good thing.

For several days my computer has been getting painfully slower and slower like an arthritic senior in damp weather. Finally, about 11 p.m. last night, it decided to slow to a virtual stop. The problem is, my sermon for tomorrow, and a great deal of my "life," were now unretrievable on this recalcitrant beast called a lap top. Okay, so if my life can be locked up in rebellious technology, maybe my life has become a little pathetic. Sorry.

With computers, shutting down and restarting cures a lot of junk. But, after initiating and watching a number of horrendously slow and fruitless restarts (kind of like watching paint dry), I finally chased down a technical support number for Dell. If you haven't yet discovered, technical support is now an intercultural experience. After a couple of very frustrating contacts, a sweet lady in the Philippines was very helpful but ultimately connected me to a $79-just-to-get-started-for-pay-technical-support-person not covered by our service contract. Actually, I never did get connected or pass my credit card numbers to an unknown person in order to rescue my stalled life.

While on hold, I slowly navigated through the add-and-remove process and wiped out one of those good anti-virus programs. INSTANTLY, MY COMPUTER WAS WELL! Hmmmm. I guess you can have too much of a good thing, aka, two good anti-virus programs.

Going to church (that may be an interesting alternative to "being the church") is a good thing. Right? So going to church a lot (a concept which seems quite building- and program-oriented) is a really good thing. Right? I grew up in the era when good Christians went to church "every time the doors were open." I apologize to all those to whom I encouraged that abominable idea.

Maybe going to church a lot is not a good thing. Maybe the church in the USA (one of the few places in the world where the church is in decline) has substituted "going to church" for "being the church." We feel like good Christians when we go to church, whether or not we really are more and more like Christ.

Perhaps our seemingly infinite expansion of meetings, events, and programs (all likely good in themselves--like my two anti-virus programs) has been substituted for authentic Christianity and the enactment of Jesus' mission in the world (redeeming sinners and relieving suffering--bringing the newness of the kingdom of God to broken people and a broken culture/world).

At 60, I'm slowing down (not quite as badly as my computer last night) and I sense that I'm running out of time. I want to invest what time I have left in moving toward a different model of being Jesus' church--His new community bringing new life to a broken world. That's why the pastors are talking quite a bit about "sharpening our focus" and "doing less better." It's not just about doing less things though. It's about trying to do the right things -- nurturing relational communities that are formative, caring, and missional. But we don't want to just add that to an already too full menu.

I guess you can tell that I'm thinking that our model of church and Christianity may have inadvertently (with all good intent) become too much of a good thing.

2007-03-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

President's Wife Pregnant by Alien

Have you seen that headline in the news? Probably not, but you might expect it in one of the tabloids at the grocery checkout. I always marvel that anyone would spend money on such obviously sensationalized idiocy.

The Discovery Channel seems to have become the video version of the grocery store tabloid. Consider the recently announced television "documentary" on "The Lost Tomb of Jesus." Not having seen the program, it may be that the sensational topic is presented with appropriate contradictory information.

The advance publicity reports that Jesus' tomb has been discovered in Israel with burial boxes which once contained the bodies of Jesus, Mary, Jesus' wife, and Jesus' son. Archeological, statistical, and DNA evidence are marsheled in support of these conclusions, which, of course, would disprove the physical resurrection of Jesus, a sine qua non doctrine of Christianity.

Nevermind that no serious scholar, atheist or Christian, gives the slightest credance to these claims. The discovery is not new. The tomb and burial boxes were found in 1980. No one then or since thought they were of any significance, until a talented movie producer grabbed it for a sensational, if ludicrous, story.

Christ followers must never fear having their faith questioned or examining any claim to the contrary. By definition, faith commitments are not always testable by the scientific method. But, we must never fear or run from true science. We believe that God's Word, rightly interpreted, will be in agreement with God's world, rightly interpreted. God's word and world inform each other, and, in my conviction, will never ultimately contradict each other. There may be temporary tentions and apparent contradictions because fallible humans sometimes misinterpret the Word and/or the world. Christ-followers must continually pursue better understanding of both.

There are issues of interpretation where I believe the "jury is still out" as to whether the current interpretation of the Word or the current interpretation of the world is flawed. In some cases, both contemporary interpretations may be incorrect. Ultimately, I believe that the Word and world will be seen to be in perfect harmony, though maybe not entirely this side of the "restoration of all things." Then theologians and scientists will be completely agreed and God will be glorified by our better understanding of His revelation and His creation. Don't be alarmed if we don't get it all worked out right now, and don't be overly dogmatic where Scripture does not clearly demand it. Both theologians and scientists probably need a bit more humility than they sometimes display.

In the mean time, forgive my sarcasm if I suggest that the alien impregnation seems more credible than the claims of the "lost tomb of Jesus."

2007-02-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

Walking in or knowing about?

Near the end of the apostolic age, John the apostle wrote, "It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us" (2 John 4).

Much diligent thought is being addressed toward understanding the frightening decline of the church in America while it is exploding with growth in virtually every other part of the world. This in spite of the astounding resources for Bible study, etc., available to American Christians far beyond any generation of believers in any other time or place.

Perhaps one factor is that the model of "doing church" in the USA has primarily emphasized KNOWING the truth. Learning Bible content and doctrine is the focus of a plethora of ministries in most churches.

John's joy was not the result of people knowing the truth, but walking in it -- that is, living it in life transforming ways.

Maybe we need a new model of doing church in which we decrease the number of ways we communicate Bible knowledge (they keep us very busy) and more strongly emphasize a few ways to apply and live the truth we know -- encouraging and holding each other accountable as we share life in relational communities whose DNA is to be formative, caring, and missional.

While I'm at it, remembering the "Stories Jesus Told" (check out the sermons at www.calvarymuskegon.com), perhaps our new model of church needs to radically reduce the number of things we do which keep us inside our "Christian bubble/sub-culture" so that we have time to hang out with sinners and get to know those who are poor and disadvantaged. It's impossible to practice the lessons of Luke 14 and 15 if we live inside the "bubble."

2007-02-26T04:17:00.000-08:00

How to extend your life

I read today in US News & World Report that "according to research, you can gain around two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular exercise." Wow! That's quite motivational. The article proceeds, "Beginning an exercise routine doesn't have to feel like training for the Olympics; simply start small. Take the stairs instead of the elevator...Park your car further out in the parking lot."

I wonder if any research has been done on the converse -- e.g., "one week without exercise cuts one day off your life expectancy" (that's not research, it's just my surmising).

Small habits in many areas of life can produce big results--both positive and negative. I think about the long-term impact of the habit of putting a small amount of money into savings from every pay check...and the long-term impact of not doing that. How about the long-term impact of regular Bible study? The applications are myriad.

I think I need to pay more attention to my habits...including my inadvertent ones.

2007-02-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

Can you be too polite?

Some time ago I observed someone who was visibly upset as he angrily confronted what he saw as sinful behavior.

It was a very uncomfortable moment. I suspect that some or most who were present felt that the angry words were inappropriate.

I was reminded of the incident this week as I studied for my sermon -- #6 in the series on “Stories Jesus Told.” In Luke 14, Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of His fellow guests at a Pharisee’s banquet as well as the host himself (see Luke 14:7-14 or check out the sermon at www.calvarymuskegon.com).

I suspect that when Jesus finished these very pointed admonitions, it must’ve gotten really quiet and uncomfortable in the room.

Frankly, had we been there, we might have been tempted pull Jesus aside and say, “Jesus, that wasn’t very polite. You’re really being insensitive to these peoples’ feelings. You’re embarrassing them in front of others. You shouldn’t offend people like that! You need to be more tactful.”

I wonder if the disciples were a little shocked by Jesus’ apparent lack of sensitivity to the feelings of the people at the banquet and the host. After all, His words put the actions of those in the room in a very bad light.

In our American Christian culture it seems that we have exalted politeness, tactfulness, and non-offensiveness to a virtue status that trumps speaking the truth and exposing error and hypocrisy. We want to be “nice” so people will think well of us so we are afraid to raise our voice or to speak the truth when it is uncomfortable lest we offend. We've lost the ability to be outraged!

We don’t want to make people feel badly so we just say nice little polite things instead of speaking truthfully and passionately about what is right and wrong.

Far more often than I would like to remember, my sinful motivations have caused me to be “nice” when I probably should have been passionately angry and purposefully confrontational. When I "wimp out" it nearly always comes back to bite me...hard!

The Old Testament prophets didn’t seem to worry much about offending people when their message cut like a laser as they exposed sin and called for repentance. Was it Amos who called the women of Israel, "fat cows"? Ouch! Not too polite.

Jesus didn’t seem to worry much about offending people with the truth, and there were a number of times when His anger was obvious as He confronted people with their sin. There were times He called people hypocrites and snakes. When His anger drove people out of the temple and sent them diving for cover to escape the sting of His whip, He didn’t seem to worry about being polite and tactful. John tells us (2:17) that the incident reminded them of a word from the Psalms, "Zeal for your house will consume me."

In another situation, shocked by the way Jesus’ spoke to and about the hypocritical religious leaders, the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” Rather than backing down, apologizing, or attempting to smooth things over, He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:12-14). That was not very concilliatory.

This is no justification for being out-of-control or nasty or unkind. Anger held too long (Ephesians 4:26) or used inappropriately (James 1:19, 20) is wrong. But, I must remember that sometimes I sin if I am not outraged. Politeness is sin if it hides the truth.

God’s wrath is a frequent and frightening topic in Holy Scripture. It is and ought to be frightening, yet it is as much an expression of God’s perfection as is His love.

The surgeon’s scalpel isn’t polite or tactful, but if you have cancer, you’ve got to be willing to cut in order to heal.

Back to my opening scene – because my perspective is sometimes skewed by my brokenness and biases I’m not confident I can properly judge what happened. Further, we, unlike Jesus, can be mixed in our motives and methods—partly good and partly not so good or even bad. However, I have to admit that it is possible that the one whose anger made us uncomfortable, may have been acting like Jesus. Jesus had a way of making people uncomfortable so they would make positive changes.

2007-02-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

Everybody wants to feel valuable, respected, important. Everyone likes to be honored, recognized, and affirmed.

Some people take advantage of this human longing by flattering people, telling them what they want to hear, or giving them recognition in order to manipulate them or use them selfishly.

We are all turned off by the politician or salesman who gives us special treatment in order to get our vote or sale.

On the other hand, a person can, as Jesus did so well, acknowledge a person’s worth and value as God’s image bearer by giving them attention and respect. Consider His friendly and respectful treatment of the woman at the well.

In either case, it is natural for a person to be attracted to someone who treats them with respect and in a way that acknowledges their worth.

What's the difference between approprite honor and dispicable manipulation?

I think that the keys are TRUTHFULNESS and MOTIVE. If I attempt to "butter someone up" by saying what is not true, it is evil. If my motive is self-centered, to receive something from them or to get them to do something for me, it is wrong.

However, if my affirming words are honest and truthful, and my motive is to show respect to God's image-bearer for their encouragement and benefit, it is probably right and good. It calls for a motive check: is my motive to get or to give; to use or to bless; to manipulate or to edify?

2007-02-24T05:46:00.000-08:00

On being overly nice

It has become fashionable to only speak well of religions and beliefs other than Christianity and to suggest that they may even provide alternate ways to God. Unquestionably Christ followers should always display love and respect for all people regardless of their faith or lack of it. It is not wrong to acknowledge that which is right and good in another faith.

Nevertheless, in our commendable efforts to be loving, we must not miss the clear reminders of Scripture that false teachings and those who promote them are often inspired by demons (1Corinthians 10:20; 1 John 4:1; et al). John, "the apostle of love," did not hesitate to use the label "antichrist" for those who did not confess that "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh" (1 John 4:2, 3).

It is not loving to change the label on poison to something that sounds more gentle.

2007-02-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Proverbs and Promises

Perhaps because of my deep commitment to the Bible as God's Word, I have too often handled the Bible as a kind of "magical" book without adequate regard for what should have been simple and obvious interpretive guidelines--for example the genre of a particular book. I have grown up in a movement which, though with excellent motivations, hasn't always practiced careful exegesis.

For example, I, like many others, treated the book of Proverbs as if it were the book of "Promises"--divine commitments to make things turn out a certain way if conditions were met. Therefore if a generous person did not become wealthy or if a diligent parent had a prodigal child, it appeared that God had reneged on His word. A proverb is a pithy statement of popular wisdom, such as "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." No one turns that into an infallible medical law. We understand that proper eating habits promote good health.

The book of Acts is another example. Too often I have treated it as a manual on missiology and ecclesiology, instead of a book of unvarnished history presenting the birth and spread of Jesus' church in the first century. It is more descriptive than prescriptive, that is, it tells us what happened back then more than what we should do now. This is certainly not to diminish the value of any portion of Scripture, but rather to clarify how it should be read, interpreted, and applied.

Believing that one aspect of the image of God in us is the ability to think and communicate in signs and symbols (language), I should not distrust the normal usages of communication. For God to use the normal "laws" of language in His written revelation is no different than the incarnation of Jesus, in His humanity, occurring as a normal human being. Failure to perceive this has led to extreme allegorizing of Scripture as well as other misuses such as my turning proverbs into promises and history into doctrine.

Reading Acts 15 this morning (the occasion of this post) is an important recitation of how the early church developed both theologically and ecclesiastically. How the church affirmed what is required for salvation is a valuable companion to the doctrinal propositions of the apostles' teaching in the New Testament letters like Romans. Observing in Acts the emergence of elders as the leaders of the churches and seeing how decisions were made helps us contextualize passages like 1 Timothy 3.

2007-02-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm barely hanging on.

The world is changing and diversifying so rapidly. It's the Tower of Babel-effect in hyper speed.

One of the challenges today is that 25+ years ago we had a much more unified culture. It really wasn't that difficult to feel like you were "in touch" with what was happening in the culture (at least in our Western culture--we were painfully ignorant of much of the rest of the world and didn't know it). The media was a unifying factor in culture -- for example, it erased some of the distance/distinctions between urban and rural because the farmer in Iowa listened to the same radio broadcast as the school teacher in New York City. There were only a few radio (and TV) stations and they were all pretty much alike.

Today in the electronic/information age, media is NOT a unifying factor but a huge diversifying influence and reflector (think of the political difference between the news on ABC and FOX, for example). There are hundreds of radio stations and they are very different, each having an audience which is very different than the audience of another station (music style being one of the key differences). Think of the TV options with cable or dish. With only a few, rare exceptions (e.g. the Super Bowl) is there a culturally unifying influence through media. Our retirees are still watching "Little House on the Prairie" while their grandkids are watching MTV. Talk about different -- shockingly different!! Neither has much appreciation for or understanding of the culture of the other reflected in those media options.

When I was a 30-year old pastor, the culture of the seniors and the teenagers was different (we were starting to talk about a "generation gap"), but nearly like it is today. Many seniors today don't have a clue what the world of a teenager is like, and have long ago given up on trying. Of course, the teenager isn't spending a lot of time learning about or appreciating the culture of the AARP crowd either.

So, we face the great challenge of needing the wisdom that can come from age and experience but also the cultural awareness and fresh dreams that come from youth (without which we can easily become irrelevant -- not in our CORE message, but in its applications and methods). On the one end, it's easy for the older generations to think that the younger generations should "do it just like we always have." And, it's easy for the younger generations to "throw out the baby with the bath water."

The good news is that the all-knowing and all wise Holy Spirit is willing to be our guide. He works in and through Jesus' new community, the church. Hopefully the church will be the "lab" where cross-generational life sharing can happen in meaningful and productive ways. We need to soak it all in love and understanding.

I'm trying to hang on...

2007-02-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

The response to our Sunday series, "Stories Jesus Told," has been very gratifying -- especially because people are being serious about LIVING out the lessons, not just filling their heads with more Bible knowledge.

One man responded to the Good Samaritan study by picking up a man walking by the highway with a gas can, assuming his car had run out of gas. Once in his car, the man explained that he had lost his driver's license and so was doing a lot of hitchhiking. He learned that people were more likely to pick him up if he carried a gas can. Creative!

I had a great email question about the conclusion to Jesus' story on forgiveness.

If we take Jesus' words very literally in Matthew 18:35 and Matthew 6:14, 15, we might conclude that a believer could lose God's forgiveness by an unwillingness to forgive. Because we believe that the Scriptures teach that those who are truly saved cannot ever be lost, we tend to look for another explanation. Here are a few alternatives:

1. Jesus' parabolic teaching was not meant to be a "systematic theology" in which every sentence was intended as propositional truth to be organized in categories that seem logical to our Western, enlightenment-influenced thinking.

2. All true Christians will eventually forgive. They may struggle with the sin of an unforgiving spirit temporarily, but if they are truly born again, they will come to forgiveness.

3. If a person refuses to forgive, at some point that becomes evidence that they have not truly been regenerated. An unforgiving heart is inconsistent with a regenerate heart.

4. If a believer refuses to forgive, he doesn't lose God's forgiveness at a salvation level, but does at some other level -- e.g. day-to-day fellowship including the joy, freedom, and peace that come from walking in obedience to God. Perhaps this could be illustrated in marriage where some "offences" affect the closeness of the relationship, but have no impact on its permanence.

5. Perhaps Matthew 18:35 was meant to be a "proverbial" statement, rather than a precise theological proposition. The book of Proverbs is that -- a collection of "proverbs," that is, a collection of pithy statements of wisdom, which are generally demonstrated to be so. It is not the book of "promises." For example, a truism which is repeated frequently in Proverbs in various forms is that "generous people prosper." It is not a guarantee that if I am generous, I will be rich. You might be able to find a generous person who doesn't always prosper. This doesn't mean that the book of Proverbs is false, has errors, or deceives us. It is the book of "proverbs." We need to read and interpret it for what it is, not what we might like it to be. I could be stretching it here, but maybe that's what Jesus' parabolic teaching was also.

What do you think?

2007-02-13T03:46:00.000-08:00

Reading 2 Peter 1 this morning, I was reminded that Biblical knowledge is not an end in itself, but designed to enable Christ-followers to "participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (1:4). We must not be "ineffective and unproductive in [our] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1:8).

To increase knowledge without a resultant transformation of character is a perversion of God's design.

The intended goal of God's Word in my life is that I will add character qualities, most or all of which have to do with how I live and grow in relationship with others: "goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love" (1:5-7).

Which is more important, knowledge or character-development?

Which is more important, breathing or living?

As I live out the spiritual discipline of Bible study, I must never be content merely to increase my knowledge and understanding. I must ask if others can observe a difference in how I relate to them.

This has implications for how we do church. We must not be content merely to dispense Bible content. Our methodology should reflect our commitment to life transformation.

2007-02-12T04:05:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the brokenness of this world and we who call it "home" really smacks us in the face. This last week we said "good-bye" to two dear friends who succombed to brain cancer.

Rene Moser's battle was about 13 months. I don't know that in nearly 40 years as a pastor I have ever seen someone grow spiritual as fast, deep, and strong as she. In her life and death, she gave powerful witness to God's love in our suffering. One of her favorite phrases was, "God gets it, we don't." Her trust was child-like, but her insights about God and the purpose of suffering were profound.

We met Dan and Nancy Brower in graduate school, living a stone's throw apart on an island in Winona Lake, IN. Dan and I were youth pastors in churches in neighboring cities while attending seminary. Our four children arrived in close proximity to each other (reversing the sexes--3 boys and a girl for us, 3 girls and a boy for them). They were some of the most amazing missionaries we have ever known, bringing folks to faith and planting multiple churches (now led by nationals) in a Brazilian spiritist stronghold. Some of our most treasured memories are of our visit with them in Uberaba, Brazil.

Nancy's battle with cancer was much more brief than Rene's, but her faith and testimony were similarly unfaltering and inspiring. The morning after her homegoing, I felt compelled to arrange some thoughts in verse:

WHEN NANCY GOT HOME

An “abundant entrance”* is what occurred
As news of her arrival through glory stirred.
When Nancy showed up at heaven’s gate
A gigantic crowd came to celebrate
The arrival of one whose hero fame
Was known by thousands who’d heard her name.
When hundreds of parties* in heaven took place
Whenever an earthling found saving grace,
The angels came to the joyful event,
Their eager query to the Throne was sent:
“Who brought this Brazilian to faith in our Lord?
Whose witness for Jesus deserves the reward?”
Then from the Throne the word was sent:
“Nancy Brower’s the one who gladly went
To live in Brazil and tell of My love--
How to earth I came from heaven above.
Because of her My story was told.
Now this one like others is in My fold.”
So when to heaven Nancy came
Thousands already new her name.
They gathered to meet her with shouts and cheers--
It was just the beginning of millions of years
To celebrate with her dear Lord
And be with friends who heard the Word
Because of her and her husband Dan--
Her partner, companion, and godly man.
Together they served and never looked back--
A model of faithfulness has been their track.
They’ve blessed us all and showed us the way
Of what it means to serve and obey.
Our confident hope and comforting thought
Is the coming reunion our Savior bought.
Then Jesus’ face we’ll finally see
And with dear Nancy forever we’ll be

*2 Peter 2:11 (KJV); Luke 15:10

2007-02-12T04:05:00.000-08:00

2006-07-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

We've all looked with amusement, sympathy, or disdain at someone who seemed intent on looking or acting much younger than their age. Perhaps it was a bad hair dye job, an outfit that belonged on someone several decades younger, a mid-life-crisis-red-convertable, or some other give-away that she or he was not comfortable being who they were.

I hope this effort at a blog from a sixty-year-old doesn't put me in that category. If it does, don't just roll your eyes. Tell me. I can handle it.