This past week I was challenged by a particular thought about escaping the tyranny of busyness. It is no big secret that our culture and society are busier than ever, especially the rate at which our children move between various activities. Yet all of this running about does not really make us less lazy, nor does it bring us any real fulfillment. Nevertheless, we are still overloading ourselves with so many activities.
Although this is no shocking revelation, it did cause me to think of our churches. Have we become to busy in our spiritual activities that we have lost our basic ability to think straight and consider spiritual things? I believe that we have, and that such an approach to our churchtime is becoming one of the fundamental flaws within our early 21st Century evangelicalism. Not only has it become a problem in and of itself, it is actually being prescribed by many church leaders and church growth "specialists" who believe that people must be very active less they fall away.
While I do believe that activity within the body is vital for the community of faith, an overemphasis on Christian activity can be equally destructive to the well-being of the church. When our lives become so full of activity and noise, it is easy to lose the ability to think straight. The same is definitely true of spiritual activity, which is why Scripture advocates the need to isolate oneself from activity and wait upon the Lord (Psalm 46:10).
It has been the philosophy of many church leaders and so-called "experts" that we must take new converts or members and plug them in to various activities of responsibility within the church so that they will be able to foster their growth and feel an "ownership" of the community itself. This, we are told, will ensure their ongoing participation and spiritual growth. I believe this might be wrong. For if we are to accept the premise that our lives are already filled with so much activity and that our culture has lost the ability to wait patiently upon the Lord, then it makes little sense that we should try to combat overactivity with more activity!
For some reason, this approach believes that slapping a "Christian" label onto the front of "activity" will make it a magical practice that does not have the same effects as little league, soccer games, bake sales, band concerts, etc. . . Yet the primary problem still persists: we are running around without reflection. In all of this, Christian activity is being promoted at the expense of Christian reflection and spiritual maturity. Church-centered activities may be well and good, but without the proper priority given to engaging God one-on-one then our activities are worthless (from a more Kingdom-oriented viewpoint).
What to do, then, with our newest and youngest in the faith? I propose that, along with everyone else in the faith, they follow the model presented by Jesus. As Mark presents Jesus' preparation before his public ministry, he emphasizes the fact that Jesus goes into the wilderness and is alone with God for an extended period of time (Mark 1:12-13). The only phrase that is repeated in these few words are "in the desert" which shows the emphasis Mark is giving to this aspect of the story (since he takes no time to develop or emphasize Jesus' showdown with Satan). It should follow that since no servant is greater than his master, we should not expect that we can be effective apart from the Spirit and ready for activity until we have spent time alone with God - just like Jesus.
A church cannot be built upon activity, yet we always try to do so. This often results in activity centers rather than churches, or churchy groups that have high attendence, impressive buildings, and much cash - all of which will fade away, none of which will be of any benefit before our Master. In fact, Jesus modelled a continuous participation with the Spirit even when he was in the midst of his ministry (Mark 1:35). To grow a church we need a community that is characterized by love: for God and for each other. Out of this our ministry will grow and be effective as well as drawing persons to a more mature relationship of faith.
Our numbers are not indicative of our effectiveness. . .
Tuesday, July 5
Tuesday, June 28
pendulum
The Supreme Court is back in the news again, after releasing its newest judgments regarding courts and Ten Commandments and Christmas scenery. And the evangelical community responds with its predictable bellyache as though it were waiting just offstage reading a copy of the script. As I said, it is a respondent bellyache to a situation way out of control rather than taking some initiative to induce change and make the situation right.
After some thought on this particular situation it has occurred to me that we have the proverbial pendulum at swing. If we take this image to be a fixed weight hung so that it can swing freely back and forth (say, a clock pendulum which swings anywhere between the 9 and the 3), then we can envisage how trends and ideology moves from one extreme to another. This is largely based upon action and reaction. What if the points between 3 and 9 were submerged, as though it were underwater? This would mean that both extremes were rather shallow and that the correct balance of both could be the deepest option.
This is not true in all things, mind you, but it can be a very important axiom to have in mind. Evangelicalism has popularized itself into an extreme of Christianity (mostly refered to as 'Christianize') which is very shallow, displaying its intellectual depth in various bumper stickers and abounding "self-help" books (RABBIT TRAIL: why self-help and not Spirit's guidance?). One of the effects of this pop-Christianity is that it has disengaged the message of Christ from the arena of public ideas. And then it becomes easier for churches to gripe about the situation than working to offer alternative, biblically based solutions.
However, if we swing the pendulum to the other extreme we find an overly fundamentalist view that reads Scripture only as a condescending and judgmental. This position seems only to view the biblical text as a list of rules to be followed and spends little time reaching society on its own level - in terms it can understand. Our culture often refuses to see this situation as valid (can we blame them?), even though many of the positions can be viewed as biblically accurate in its foundation.
Where is the pendulum right now. I suppose it depends on who you are; it is quite subjective. While there are pockets of both extremes in our own evangelicalism today, most persons fall under the easy (lazy?) position of popular Christianity, with more CD liner notes memorized than Bible verses and more reading devoted to Christian dating than how we can be the most effective salt and light as possible.
Let the pendulum swing when it must and rest when it can. That might be a :micverb (I think I'll send it to clave on a bumper sticker).
After some thought on this particular situation it has occurred to me that we have the proverbial pendulum at swing. If we take this image to be a fixed weight hung so that it can swing freely back and forth (say, a clock pendulum which swings anywhere between the 9 and the 3), then we can envisage how trends and ideology moves from one extreme to another. This is largely based upon action and reaction. What if the points between 3 and 9 were submerged, as though it were underwater? This would mean that both extremes were rather shallow and that the correct balance of both could be the deepest option.
This is not true in all things, mind you, but it can be a very important axiom to have in mind. Evangelicalism has popularized itself into an extreme of Christianity (mostly refered to as 'Christianize') which is very shallow, displaying its intellectual depth in various bumper stickers and abounding "self-help" books (RABBIT TRAIL: why self-help and not Spirit's guidance?). One of the effects of this pop-Christianity is that it has disengaged the message of Christ from the arena of public ideas. And then it becomes easier for churches to gripe about the situation than working to offer alternative, biblically based solutions.
However, if we swing the pendulum to the other extreme we find an overly fundamentalist view that reads Scripture only as a condescending and judgmental. This position seems only to view the biblical text as a list of rules to be followed and spends little time reaching society on its own level - in terms it can understand. Our culture often refuses to see this situation as valid (can we blame them?), even though many of the positions can be viewed as biblically accurate in its foundation.
Where is the pendulum right now. I suppose it depends on who you are; it is quite subjective. While there are pockets of both extremes in our own evangelicalism today, most persons fall under the easy (lazy?) position of popular Christianity, with more CD liner notes memorized than Bible verses and more reading devoted to Christian dating than how we can be the most effective salt and light as possible.
Let the pendulum swing when it must and rest when it can. That might be a :micverb (I think I'll send it to clave on a bumper sticker).
Monday, June 20
but I don't know how to swim
"When we talk of 'finding God's will' we generally want divine guidance on specific choices, but it should be noted that this specific term is never used after the Holy Spirit came upon the church at Pentecost. The apostles, upon whom the church is founded, did not teach that we are to seek God's will in this way. Instead, the New Testament offers us a program of the Father's guidance that is based upon having a close relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit."*
This quotation is taken from a challenging book which was produced ten years ago but has largely been unnoticed by evangelicalism as a whole. Waltke's premise is obvious from reading his comments, and it points out the tendency of today's Christians who want little more than quick answers to any and all of their problems. His argument is quite good: this type of activity is closer to pagan divination than Spirit-driven lifestyle.
Why this matters is that it explains very much how our spirituality at the turn of the century has become so shallow and self-serving that it cannot see beyond our immediate need/wants (most of which are quite insignificant in view of worldwide need and in light of eternity - i.e., praying for parking spaces). We refer to this as knowing God's will for our lives, but in reality we are just looking for pat answers to common headaches.
What we are called to is a realationship with the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit which guides and directs our lives. It is not for us to appease the Spirit so that we might have a "get out of jail free" card or some cosmic umbrella to keep out the rain, but a relationship that joins the Lord of Creation at his table of fellowship because we have been invited to join him and find our rest and completeness. And yet we take such an invitation for granted and slap another bumper sticker on our cars in order to find that preordained parking place.
So instead of overspiritualizing everyday events and reading into random events of life that happen to just about everyone and 'decide' that it is God's will at work, perhaps we ought to do the unthinkable: wait upon the Lord and renew our strength that we may know his will through the Spirit's constant work within us. Jesus never asked for God's will, for it flowed through him constantly as did the Holy Spirit which facilitated his communion with the Father. And since he is our paradigm for faith, we might find a more constant and deeper understanding of God's will by having his Spirit more constantly and deeper through us.
For this to happen, we will need to want to go deeper. . .
*Bruce K. Waltke, Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 10-11.
This quotation is taken from a challenging book which was produced ten years ago but has largely been unnoticed by evangelicalism as a whole. Waltke's premise is obvious from reading his comments, and it points out the tendency of today's Christians who want little more than quick answers to any and all of their problems. His argument is quite good: this type of activity is closer to pagan divination than Spirit-driven lifestyle.
Why this matters is that it explains very much how our spirituality at the turn of the century has become so shallow and self-serving that it cannot see beyond our immediate need/wants (most of which are quite insignificant in view of worldwide need and in light of eternity - i.e., praying for parking spaces). We refer to this as knowing God's will for our lives, but in reality we are just looking for pat answers to common headaches.
What we are called to is a realationship with the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit which guides and directs our lives. It is not for us to appease the Spirit so that we might have a "get out of jail free" card or some cosmic umbrella to keep out the rain, but a relationship that joins the Lord of Creation at his table of fellowship because we have been invited to join him and find our rest and completeness. And yet we take such an invitation for granted and slap another bumper sticker on our cars in order to find that preordained parking place.
So instead of overspiritualizing everyday events and reading into random events of life that happen to just about everyone and 'decide' that it is God's will at work, perhaps we ought to do the unthinkable: wait upon the Lord and renew our strength that we may know his will through the Spirit's constant work within us. Jesus never asked for God's will, for it flowed through him constantly as did the Holy Spirit which facilitated his communion with the Father. And since he is our paradigm for faith, we might find a more constant and deeper understanding of God's will by having his Spirit more constantly and deeper through us.
For this to happen, we will need to want to go deeper. . .
*Bruce K. Waltke, Finding the Will of God: A Pagan Notion? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 10-11.
Thursday, June 16
somebody take a stand. . .now go away!
This particular post is going to be more of a rant than I've ever attempted on this site before. For quite a while I have been watching the Christian community as it continually whines and cries over the fact that nobody ever takes a real stand in the public forum for the ideals and ways of the church. In the past few years this sentiment has revolved around our president, who categorizes himself as a believer but is forced to constantly defend himself - mostly from other Christians.
It never ceases to amaze me how evangelicals keep calling for lambs that roar (quite the overused metaphor), and then running back to the house to find the shotgun at the first hint of disagreement. I have to say that this is not the picture of grace that one envisages from all of the biblical talk about community. Nor does it sound like the attitude of commitment and edification that comes from those who are true and devoted followers of Jesus.
One of the more ongoing favorites for personal attacks is Dr. James Dobson (founder of Focus on the Family). And I just caught another "theo-"blog kicking up some dirt in his direction. Although this individiual has provided such an incredible impact for the ethics and morals of the kingdom of God, he is frequently attacked by churchgoers (a rather ambiguous term) who couldn't theologize their way out of a wet paper sack. Yet they feel the need to take someone who has stepped out to make a difference and fire shots at his back.
Not that it has made much of a difference. For those who are about the Father's business will not be taken down, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and they work through the empowerment of the Spirit. Of all of the attacks, supposed exposes, insider trashing and constant annoying the work of the kingdom moves forward through such incredible individuals.
There are lessons to be learned:
1) to take out a person of faith is to take out the Spirit at work within them (which is quite impossible)
2) to be a part of a community demands commitment and a call to edify
Are we commited?
This might be something along the lines of our identity being wrapped up in our love for each other or something like that. . .
It never ceases to amaze me how evangelicals keep calling for lambs that roar (quite the overused metaphor), and then running back to the house to find the shotgun at the first hint of disagreement. I have to say that this is not the picture of grace that one envisages from all of the biblical talk about community. Nor does it sound like the attitude of commitment and edification that comes from those who are true and devoted followers of Jesus.
One of the more ongoing favorites for personal attacks is Dr. James Dobson (founder of Focus on the Family). And I just caught another "theo-"blog kicking up some dirt in his direction. Although this individiual has provided such an incredible impact for the ethics and morals of the kingdom of God, he is frequently attacked by churchgoers (a rather ambiguous term) who couldn't theologize their way out of a wet paper sack. Yet they feel the need to take someone who has stepped out to make a difference and fire shots at his back.
Not that it has made much of a difference. For those who are about the Father's business will not be taken down, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and they work through the empowerment of the Spirit. Of all of the attacks, supposed exposes, insider trashing and constant annoying the work of the kingdom moves forward through such incredible individuals.
There are lessons to be learned:
1) to take out a person of faith is to take out the Spirit at work within them (which is quite impossible)
2) to be a part of a community demands commitment and a call to edify
Are we commited?
This might be something along the lines of our identity being wrapped up in our love for each other or something like that. . .
Monday, June 13
faking it
I think the biggest fear I have for myself is that I will lose this fullness of the Spirit out of which authentic ministry flows. People will not at first notice that I am ministering in the flesh. I think I have enough knowledge, experience, and abilities that I would be able to fool people for a considerable amount of time. Even if they noticed, they probably would not mention it. But in terms of effectiveness in teh agenda of the kingdom, I would be castaway, disqualified from the service that meets God's approval. It is a comfort to know that Paul also lived with that fear. He said, 'But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified' (1 Corinthians 9:27).*
This amazingly open and honest quotation is taken from perhaps the greatest book on Christian ministry and leadership this current generation has seen. And since I never read books that systematize leadership, ministry or relationship, then it is the best book on any of these subjects that I have ever read. Working through this book for the second time, this particular quote really stood out in a chilling way. It raises a couple of disturbing questions that we as Christians living in the early 21st century must face head-on.
What a shame that we spend so much time categorizing and labelling our different doctrinal positions regarding the experience of the Holy Spirit while never addressing the need for each believer to act through the power of the Spirit. Notice here that I am not suggesting that we do not seek to understand the Spirit - we should seek so that we might find. I am advocating that after all of our debates, challenges, doctrinal statements, creeds, books and sermons that we actually seek to experience the Holy Spirit as the empowering force which drives all believers onward.
There are, I believe, two unsettling questions to ponder that flow out of Fernando's discussion:
1) Would my life and ministry be unchanged if the Spirit were not a part of it?
2) Would anyone notice?
*Ajith Fernando, Jesus Driven Ministry (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2002), 36.
This amazingly open and honest quotation is taken from perhaps the greatest book on Christian ministry and leadership this current generation has seen. And since I never read books that systematize leadership, ministry or relationship, then it is the best book on any of these subjects that I have ever read. Working through this book for the second time, this particular quote really stood out in a chilling way. It raises a couple of disturbing questions that we as Christians living in the early 21st century must face head-on.
What a shame that we spend so much time categorizing and labelling our different doctrinal positions regarding the experience of the Holy Spirit while never addressing the need for each believer to act through the power of the Spirit. Notice here that I am not suggesting that we do not seek to understand the Spirit - we should seek so that we might find. I am advocating that after all of our debates, challenges, doctrinal statements, creeds, books and sermons that we actually seek to experience the Holy Spirit as the empowering force which drives all believers onward.
There are, I believe, two unsettling questions to ponder that flow out of Fernando's discussion:
1) Would my life and ministry be unchanged if the Spirit were not a part of it?
2) Would anyone notice?
*Ajith Fernando, Jesus Driven Ministry (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2002), 36.
Thursday, June 9
blinded by the dark
[SPOILER!! - This blog discusses the transformation of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. If you did not know that Anakin is Vader, then do not continue reading this post.]
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith started its first week with such a bang that many people thought it to be on its way to cruising into the spot of highest grossing film ever made. Then Madagascar was released the next week and caused for a lot of retractions. Having seen it recently I can verify that it is a good flick, although their various attempts at suspense are difficult to achieve since most everyone has already seen Star Wars: A New Hope (the original 1977 movie). Something that I've been waiting for is Anakin's morph into Darth Vader (along with Yoda - the coolest character in the series. . .and really, Yoda really spiked in popularity with the lightsaber scene in Episode II).
What struck me as odd in this latest installment is how Anakin is being persuaded to join "the dark side" of the force. For those who have been under a rock for the past thirty or so years, the force is a Hindu/New Agey rip-off that writer/director George Lucas put into these movies as an energy that binds all things (living/dead) together. It's totally bogus, but most sensible people just look beyond it in order to see some cool outer space effects. This force has a good side and a dark side, one which empowers and one which corrupts and destroys. The myth in all of this is that one can become more powerful by going to the dark side and the lure of power has drawn many down that path.
Anakin is definitely dealing with issues of power and responsibility in this movie. He is being lured to the dark side and struggles to make the right choices. Initially I was a bit confused about the attractiveness of the dark side. From a marketing standpoint it couldn't have a worse name. "The dark side." If they were really serious about getting folks to sign up for this, perhaps they would use more ambiguous titles. . .the cool side of the force; the deeper side of the force; the new black. . .
It seemed absurd to me that this was going on, perhaps because I have learned that evil does not usually persuade us by presenting itself as evil. I kept thinking about how Satan "masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14) and manipulates our perception of right and wrong. This outlook made the movie hard for me to accept. However, it later came to me that there was a more intrinsic message in the characterization of young Skywalker. For him to be drawn in by an evil that did not seek to hide itself meant that he had already come to struggle with his own reality. . .just like so many in our own culture. To turn this movie outward is to see something wrong within ourselves.
Our own society has come to struggle with right and wrong. The moral and ethical relativism that plagues our culture today means that we often choose evil even when it is not hiding itself. Labelled as "rebellion" or "experimentation" we allow so many of our younger generations to toy with evil, taking away its edge and making it more familiar. Let's face it. . .if we do not understand dark as an ethical descriptor, then we will have no problem exploring the dark side. But if we can regain the standards of right and wrong; light and dark; truth and lies. . .moral relativsts beware!
mmmmm, truth shall you know - set you free, it will.
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith started its first week with such a bang that many people thought it to be on its way to cruising into the spot of highest grossing film ever made. Then Madagascar was released the next week and caused for a lot of retractions. Having seen it recently I can verify that it is a good flick, although their various attempts at suspense are difficult to achieve since most everyone has already seen Star Wars: A New Hope (the original 1977 movie). Something that I've been waiting for is Anakin's morph into Darth Vader (along with Yoda - the coolest character in the series. . .and really, Yoda really spiked in popularity with the lightsaber scene in Episode II).
What struck me as odd in this latest installment is how Anakin is being persuaded to join "the dark side" of the force. For those who have been under a rock for the past thirty or so years, the force is a Hindu/New Agey rip-off that writer/director George Lucas put into these movies as an energy that binds all things (living/dead) together. It's totally bogus, but most sensible people just look beyond it in order to see some cool outer space effects. This force has a good side and a dark side, one which empowers and one which corrupts and destroys. The myth in all of this is that one can become more powerful by going to the dark side and the lure of power has drawn many down that path.
Anakin is definitely dealing with issues of power and responsibility in this movie. He is being lured to the dark side and struggles to make the right choices. Initially I was a bit confused about the attractiveness of the dark side. From a marketing standpoint it couldn't have a worse name. "The dark side." If they were really serious about getting folks to sign up for this, perhaps they would use more ambiguous titles. . .the cool side of the force; the deeper side of the force; the new black. . .
It seemed absurd to me that this was going on, perhaps because I have learned that evil does not usually persuade us by presenting itself as evil. I kept thinking about how Satan "masquerades as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14) and manipulates our perception of right and wrong. This outlook made the movie hard for me to accept. However, it later came to me that there was a more intrinsic message in the characterization of young Skywalker. For him to be drawn in by an evil that did not seek to hide itself meant that he had already come to struggle with his own reality. . .just like so many in our own culture. To turn this movie outward is to see something wrong within ourselves.
Our own society has come to struggle with right and wrong. The moral and ethical relativism that plagues our culture today means that we often choose evil even when it is not hiding itself. Labelled as "rebellion" or "experimentation" we allow so many of our younger generations to toy with evil, taking away its edge and making it more familiar. Let's face it. . .if we do not understand dark as an ethical descriptor, then we will have no problem exploring the dark side. But if we can regain the standards of right and wrong; light and dark; truth and lies. . .moral relativsts beware!
mmmmm, truth shall you know - set you free, it will.
Tuesday, June 7
a big inning
"The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Mark 1:1
So I was having an ice cream with hipperken yesterday and we were talking about the implications of an existential understanding of the variegated nomism which characterized the salvific expectations surrounding second temple Judaism as is depicted through the narrative dynamics of the Pauline corpus within the first century. He had made some pretty good points, but really caught my attention with some comments on the process of living life on this side of eternity. For the sake of berevity, I'll save the comments on the former topic and focus our attention on the latter.
It is very apparent that the New Testament is (from start to finish; top to bottom; front to back. . .) essentially a balance. The entire notion of a new covenant is built upon what biblical scholar George Ladd once called an "inaugurated eschatology." Even though this phrase can astound your friends and family with its percieved percipience, it is a very simple descriptor which means "the beginning of the end." This inaugurated eschatology is found in the coming of the kingdom. As Christians we believe that the kingdom of God has arrived (coming with and through Jesus) but also recognize that the kingdom of God has not come in its fullness, which will happen at the second coming of Christ.
The point that stuck with me through the conversation with hipperken is statement regarding the importance of this present age. If the kingdom is in fact already present among us (through the church), then it is of vital importance that we work to see this kingdom realized (. . .as it is in heaven). I could not agree more. In fact I believe there are far too many Christians who write-off this world as something temporary and (therefore) insignificant. Not if we are to believe that the advent of Jesus truly means something. We have a great work to do and this world is not just something we endure until we move on. . .it is a place where ministry and worship and glorification and spiritual warfare happens.
The beginning of the gospel is not just some clever way to start an adult biography. Mark intentionally places this phrase at the outset of his work to remind us that what Jesus came to do only started something that cannot be stopped. This really seems to be a title of what follows. . ."Interpreting 1:1 as the title of the book, therefore, helps make sense of the abrupt ending of 16:8 - the beginning of the good news is over on Easter morning; after that "the good news of Jesus" will continue through the life of the church."
The life and work of Jesus did make for a big inning, but it wasn't the ninth.
*Joel Marcus, Mark 1-8 (New York: Doubleday, 2000), 146.
Mark 1:1
So I was having an ice cream with hipperken yesterday and we were talking about the implications of an existential understanding of the variegated nomism which characterized the salvific expectations surrounding second temple Judaism as is depicted through the narrative dynamics of the Pauline corpus within the first century. He had made some pretty good points, but really caught my attention with some comments on the process of living life on this side of eternity. For the sake of berevity, I'll save the comments on the former topic and focus our attention on the latter.
It is very apparent that the New Testament is (from start to finish; top to bottom; front to back. . .) essentially a balance. The entire notion of a new covenant is built upon what biblical scholar George Ladd once called an "inaugurated eschatology." Even though this phrase can astound your friends and family with its percieved percipience, it is a very simple descriptor which means "the beginning of the end." This inaugurated eschatology is found in the coming of the kingdom. As Christians we believe that the kingdom of God has arrived (coming with and through Jesus) but also recognize that the kingdom of God has not come in its fullness, which will happen at the second coming of Christ.
The point that stuck with me through the conversation with hipperken is statement regarding the importance of this present age. If the kingdom is in fact already present among us (through the church), then it is of vital importance that we work to see this kingdom realized (. . .as it is in heaven). I could not agree more. In fact I believe there are far too many Christians who write-off this world as something temporary and (therefore) insignificant. Not if we are to believe that the advent of Jesus truly means something. We have a great work to do and this world is not just something we endure until we move on. . .it is a place where ministry and worship and glorification and spiritual warfare happens.
The beginning of the gospel is not just some clever way to start an adult biography. Mark intentionally places this phrase at the outset of his work to remind us that what Jesus came to do only started something that cannot be stopped. This really seems to be a title of what follows. . ."Interpreting 1:1 as the title of the book, therefore, helps make sense of the abrupt ending of 16:8 - the beginning of the good news is over on Easter morning; after that "the good news of Jesus" will continue through the life of the church."
The life and work of Jesus did make for a big inning, but it wasn't the ninth.
*Joel Marcus, Mark 1-8 (New York: Doubleday, 2000), 146.
Tuesday, May 31
is this thing on?
"We have a responsibility to communicate the gospel to our generation. . .No one can become a Christian unless he understands what Christianity is saying. Many pastors, missionaries and Christian teachers seem to be helpless as they try to speak to the educated people and the mass of people about them. They do not seem to face the fact that it is our task to speak to our generation; the past has gone, the future is not yet here. So the positive side of apologetics is teh communication of the gospel to the present generation in terms that they can understand." *
Tired old discussions of religion still dominate many of our churches today. Sometimes this is seen in the lack of preparation that many of our church leaders provide for themselves. Knowing full well that not everyone has the opportunity to study and learn the finer points of theology, philosophy and reason, my argument here is against the poor attempt to understand and to think about our faith. In support of my thesis is the overwhelming people who are still being had by the health and wealth heresies (the Hinnster, Hot Rod Parsley, Bobby $Tilt$ton, etc. . .) as well as the "upper class" churchgoers who attend Sunday morning musicals with no mention of sin and sacrifice.
It is no wonder that the church is having such a difficult time in our culture. Yet in many places across the globe the radical message of the Gospel is being lived out in revolutionary ways - much to the explosive growth despite massive persecution for faith. And in these parts of the world it is still considered a privledge, responsibility and even honor to grow in God's Word.
And knowledge is not the end, but the means. Perhaps this realization will hinder the pile of arguments for Christian Theism that debate points nobody even cares about in today's society. Our apologetics seem to be on pace with our Sunday morning services - outdated and impotent. Let us remember to challenge ourselves with a tenacity for the truth of the Gospel, that we might rightly divide the Word of Truth, expose counterfeits for what they really are, and effectively engage our world. After all, it was Jesus who spoke of knowing the truth - for it will set us free.
So if our lives proclaim the Gospel, let's make sure the amplifier is cranked.
*Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Who Is There, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove: IVP, 1982), 172-173.
emphasis in original
Tired old discussions of religion still dominate many of our churches today. Sometimes this is seen in the lack of preparation that many of our church leaders provide for themselves. Knowing full well that not everyone has the opportunity to study and learn the finer points of theology, philosophy and reason, my argument here is against the poor attempt to understand and to think about our faith. In support of my thesis is the overwhelming people who are still being had by the health and wealth heresies (the Hinnster, Hot Rod Parsley, Bobby $Tilt$ton, etc. . .) as well as the "upper class" churchgoers who attend Sunday morning musicals with no mention of sin and sacrifice.
It is no wonder that the church is having such a difficult time in our culture. Yet in many places across the globe the radical message of the Gospel is being lived out in revolutionary ways - much to the explosive growth despite massive persecution for faith. And in these parts of the world it is still considered a privledge, responsibility and even honor to grow in God's Word.
And knowledge is not the end, but the means. Perhaps this realization will hinder the pile of arguments for Christian Theism that debate points nobody even cares about in today's society. Our apologetics seem to be on pace with our Sunday morning services - outdated and impotent. Let us remember to challenge ourselves with a tenacity for the truth of the Gospel, that we might rightly divide the Word of Truth, expose counterfeits for what they really are, and effectively engage our world. After all, it was Jesus who spoke of knowing the truth - for it will set us free.
So if our lives proclaim the Gospel, let's make sure the amplifier is cranked.
*Francis A. Schaeffer, The God Who Is There, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove: IVP, 1982), 172-173.
emphasis in original
Saturday, May 28
stronger than gravity
I'm always a bit taken back by the amount of people who want to find external blame for their own actions/inactions. Indeed, our own culture is still making great strides at removing any possible reason why we should ever be actually responsible for anything. As a species we have become quite good at shifting blame (of course, we could easily erect a hall of fame for such ethical achievements in this arena) and are always on the lookout for other possible escape hatches for our own lack of morality.
Several years ago I wrote a small piece describing what I refer to as the "My-Bad Syndrome." A seemingly harmless yet serious condition which emerged and flourished in the mid to late 1990s, this affliction may still be observed in varying areas in the world. The key tenet of the "My-Bad Syndrome" is that individuals may be released from any moral responsibility for any action simply by acknowledging the fact that it was not a desireable outcome. Notice that there is no need to admit that any wrongdoing ever occurred, since that would mean there were moral absolutes and actual rights and wrongs to begin with. Rather, simply stating "my bad" as a way of recognizing the "situation" released any need for apology or repentance.
This syndrome was largely harmless among humans as it frequently occurred among people groups that accepted such behavior as appropriate and found no problem in exchanging such verbal statements. The big problem is that this attitude began to influence our own interaction with truth and its Author. In actuality, the "My-Bad Syndrome" was just another phase of what has been happening from the beginning - a way of removing ourselves from the seat of moral responsibility. Jesus simply would have none of this and affirmed God's absolute standard time and again.
All of the lame excuses ranging from "the devil made me do it" to "but I was born that way" do not cut it. It is the human condition to fall. We are constantly fighting an internal pull downward which is part of our own human nature. Ours is a bent toward sinning and a natural tendency to pull ourselves down.
But we are faced with a tremendous opportunity to experience the love of God, which is the only antidote to this syndrome. The acceptance of his grace remains the only hope of our downward spiral, for his love is stronger than our own gravity.
Several years ago I wrote a small piece describing what I refer to as the "My-Bad Syndrome." A seemingly harmless yet serious condition which emerged and flourished in the mid to late 1990s, this affliction may still be observed in varying areas in the world. The key tenet of the "My-Bad Syndrome" is that individuals may be released from any moral responsibility for any action simply by acknowledging the fact that it was not a desireable outcome. Notice that there is no need to admit that any wrongdoing ever occurred, since that would mean there were moral absolutes and actual rights and wrongs to begin with. Rather, simply stating "my bad" as a way of recognizing the "situation" released any need for apology or repentance.
This syndrome was largely harmless among humans as it frequently occurred among people groups that accepted such behavior as appropriate and found no problem in exchanging such verbal statements. The big problem is that this attitude began to influence our own interaction with truth and its Author. In actuality, the "My-Bad Syndrome" was just another phase of what has been happening from the beginning - a way of removing ourselves from the seat of moral responsibility. Jesus simply would have none of this and affirmed God's absolute standard time and again.
All of the lame excuses ranging from "the devil made me do it" to "but I was born that way" do not cut it. It is the human condition to fall. We are constantly fighting an internal pull downward which is part of our own human nature. Ours is a bent toward sinning and a natural tendency to pull ourselves down.
But we are faced with a tremendous opportunity to experience the love of God, which is the only antidote to this syndrome. The acceptance of his grace remains the only hope of our downward spiral, for his love is stronger than our own gravity.
Saturday, May 21
renewing strength
I feel like I'm rejoining the world. . .AND I've just plugged in the new internet connection! There is so much that has happened over the last four weeks. It's one of those things where you realize that you haven't been able to blog but didn't realize that you hadn't realized THAT because you haven't had much time to realize any reality (easy for me to say). For the time being this particular site is being published out of the cornfields of Indiana - really! I suppose you never know where you will find the work of the kingdom waiting for you - I think Jesus said something of that sort.
Five months to the day of being fired from my position of "Assistant to the Minister" in Newnan, Georgia, and falling prey to some pretty nasty church politics, I gave my first sermon as Pastor in Twelve Mile, Indiana. Even re-reading my own blog doesn't get me out from the feeling of it being much longer than actuality. I came to realize that so many in my previous surroundings were so concerned with becoming the most, greatest, or best that they lost sight of the true nature of the Gospel. Truth of the matter is, I began to lose sight of it as well. Over the last few months I have been able to regain my perspective of the kingdom. It began with getting to know some great people at the restaurant at which I began working. There was a level of 'realism' that I had lost in the ecclesiastical communities in which I was running. And now the healing process can complete with folks who just want to be about their Father's business.
Healing can finish, although I will still bear the scars of FUMC. But it is like a scar on the back of my hand, which I earned one summer afternoon just a few miles east of here while cutting grass during college summer break. I will never forget the time, the experience, or the location. . .but the pain is forgotten.
Isaiah 40 speaks of those who hope in the Lord renewing their strength, because even youth grow tired and young people stumble. It occured to me that this all implies that believers will lose strength, but have hope in the knowledge of it being renewed. So I'm rejoining the world, at last. . .oh yeah, I also have internet again.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. . .
2 Peter 3:9
(the first Scripture my ears heard on my first Sunday in my new church home)
Five months to the day of being fired from my position of "Assistant to the Minister" in Newnan, Georgia, and falling prey to some pretty nasty church politics, I gave my first sermon as Pastor in Twelve Mile, Indiana. Even re-reading my own blog doesn't get me out from the feeling of it being much longer than actuality. I came to realize that so many in my previous surroundings were so concerned with becoming the most, greatest, or best that they lost sight of the true nature of the Gospel. Truth of the matter is, I began to lose sight of it as well. Over the last few months I have been able to regain my perspective of the kingdom. It began with getting to know some great people at the restaurant at which I began working. There was a level of 'realism' that I had lost in the ecclesiastical communities in which I was running. And now the healing process can complete with folks who just want to be about their Father's business.
Healing can finish, although I will still bear the scars of FUMC. But it is like a scar on the back of my hand, which I earned one summer afternoon just a few miles east of here while cutting grass during college summer break. I will never forget the time, the experience, or the location. . .but the pain is forgotten.
Isaiah 40 speaks of those who hope in the Lord renewing their strength, because even youth grow tired and young people stumble. It occured to me that this all implies that believers will lose strength, but have hope in the knowledge of it being renewed. So I'm rejoining the world, at last. . .oh yeah, I also have internet again.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. . .
2 Peter 3:9
(the first Scripture my ears heard on my first Sunday in my new church home)
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