Avoid Creating Dumb Christians

Recently, at the church I am helping out at as an interim pastor, we had some guests come to our Sunday service.  They were a nice family.  They were actually family members of our choir/music directors.  The father was Hawaiian and the mother was Japanese.  Their three children ranged from age eight to thirteen (two young girls and an older brother).  Like many churches we dismiss for Children’s Church during the Sunday sermon.  So their three children left to join the class.

My wife taught the class with the help of another woman.  After church I asked how it went with the children.  To my wife’s surprise these children knew very little about Jesus, not to mention the Bible and characters like Noah and Moses.  At one point one of the children held up the Bible and said, “What’s this book?  It’s so big and doesn’t have any pictures.  I wouldn’t want to read that book.  It looks boring” (Of course I am paraphrasing and will get yelled at later for not quoting her correctlyJ).  As my wife and the other woman would answer the questions, the children showed continual signs of unfamiliarity with what we as Christians often take for granted.

Needless to say my wife was quite astounded.  Afterwards the choir directors explained to us that the children’s mother was into some Eastern religions and often dismissed Christianity to her children.  Therefore her children had a rather ignorant and stuffy attitude about Christianity.

We learned from that experience that we take far too much for granted as Christians and don’t often appreciate the vast amount of resources and understanding we have in regards to our faith.   Our children are three and four years old and they know who Noah is and the Biblical story encompassing him.  If you ask them if they know who Noah is they would look at you as if you asked them if they ever heard of candy.  They know much about the Faith because we have taught them and they have been surrounded by a faith community that has put forth the time and energy to inform them.

I am very concerned about this issue in our day.  It seems that many Christians are unaware of this problem and think that everyone else has been churched like they have and all went to Sunday school at some point and learned how Jesus fed the thousands with five loaves and two fish.  But the reality is…there is a growing segment of our culture who do not have a clue who Jesus Christ is—I know, I have met a few!

I have a book called The Art of Reading Scripture.  In it, one of the essays addresses pastors and teachers within the Church and how they address their audience.  The author explains that the days of assuming your audience knows what you are talking about are long gone.  NEVER ASSUME YOUR AUDIENCE’S KNOWLEDGE OR GRASP OF THE FAITH.  Assume the opposite…that they haven’t got a clue—because many of them haven’t.

This may be due to the fact that they haven’t had the convenience of being taught much about the Faith.  Or it may be that at the age of eight they learned to check out mentally during our sermons or lessons because we either used large theological words and concepts (that few people grasp) or because we preach/teach almost apologetically—because we are not fully convinced that what we have to say is of any merit or consequence.  Either way, we need to have a fresh approach and invest time and energy in passionately educating our flock in the things of God.

Much of the evangelical church has moved too far away from catechisms (probably because of anti-Catholic sentiments and an over-emphasis on only getting people converted so that they can die and go the sweet by and by) and it has been to our own detriment.  We need Christians who truly understand their faith so that they can effectively flesh it out in day to day life and share the good news with others.

Hosea 4:6 says, “My people perish from lack of knowledge.”  This is a major epidemic in our Church today and if it is not addressed now and continuously we may find that we have bred too many shallow Christians for the world of tomorrow.  Please, let’s get back to catechisms, discipleship classes, mentorships, Bible studies, and solid Christian education.  There are far too many alternative forms of Christianity through Christian-like movements that are confusing our people.  We cannot be mad at them for straying when we have done little as shepherds of God’s fold to attend and keep them.  Having a nice choir with exciting sermons is not enough.  We need to deeply root our family of Christ in what John Wesley called “a right-living faith.”  Bring back the creeds, confessions, memory verses, sword drills, conversations (allowing the tough and uncomfortable questions) and praise/worship songs (with scripture put to music—not just catchy melodies with meaningless words).

Never before has the Bible been so readily available; yet never before have so many people been so Biblically illiterate.  We can change that!

 

 

Crazy Semester

I wanted to take a moment to communicate to my followers and readers that I am sorry for not writing that many posts these last few months.  It has been a very busy semester in seminary full-time, working full-time  and filling in as an interim pastor at a local church.  And that is all on top of my greater responsibilities of being a husband and father.

I am sure you all understand and have in the past or are experiencing hectic schedules.  I just wanted to let you all know, I have not given up on the blog but have had no practical time to focus on it much.  Thank you for being so supportive of Jeremiah’s Trumpet!

Blessings!

Jeremy

 

Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About Him: Intimacy with Jesus During the Lenten Season

“Jesus and his disciples went on…On the way he asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?” They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am” (Mark 8:27-29 NIV)?

Do you know Jesus? I mean, do you really know Him? This is a question we must all ask ourselves. Perhaps, like the disciples we know what others say about Jesus. The world offers endless answers to the question Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Some say He was a good, moral and ethical teacher and we should all strive to be good people like He was. Others claim He was just another prophet. Yet, others believe He never even existed.

This is the most important question we will have to answer in our lives, “Who do you say I (Jesus) am?” If you listen close enough you may hear Him whispering it. I can’t answer that question for you, and you can’t answer that for me. Yet, if we are willing, Jesus will spend time revealing Himself to us in this Lenten season. As we enter this season of discovery we need to let Jesus into our daily lives so we can answer for ourselves who Jesus truly is to us.

Lent is a unique time of the year where Christians all over the world set aside several weeks to search their deep thoughts, reflect on the direction of their lives, examine what motivates them from day to day, and contemplate how they can surrender more to Jesus. It is a somber time of wholesome spiritual reflection, self-examination, and change. It is an opportunity to reaffirm to ourselves, through the inner working of the Holy Spirit, who Jesus is. It is an occasion to contemplate how the reality of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection impacts our lives.

Christians go about this in different ways. For instance, some may read through a Christian classic like Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Others “fast” something in their lives such as a particular food, coffee, or TV. And yet, some commit to waking up earlier to pray, read through a Gospel devotionally, or keep a journal of what the Lord is speaking to them during this season. Whatever method we use, we need to remember that they are merely tools to center us and help us focus on God.

Therefore, as we anticipate the coming of Easter Sunday, Lent is also a hopeful time of joy and celebration. After all, Lent is a journey to Easter Sunday where we rejoice that our Savior has risen. He is ALIVE! And He has the power to save and transform us into His image. The fact that He is alive also offers the reassurance that He is present and ready to help answer His question, “Who do YOU say that I am?”

Gracious Lord, we pray that you will help and guide us during this Lenten season. Lead us in exploring our answer to this question and who we are because of what you have done for us. We pray that this will be a season of discovery and transformation for all of us. We look forward to the glorious sunrise on the day we celebrate the reality of the resurrection of our Lord. Amen!

*Adapted from my Lenten message for a chuch newsletter.

 

God Holds Leaders and Voters Accountable: Even in the Election Season

“The Lord takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people.  The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: ‘It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses” (Isaiah 3:13-15 NIV). ”

One commentary says, “[ruined, plunder] Normally refers to that taken by violence, but this is probably Isaiah’s way of condemning a social order which allowed the powerful to grow rich at the expense of the weak, even though this might be done by legal means…all the more appropriate that Yahweh is here depicted as bringing the powerful to trial”

I find it interesting that this passage is probably on the verge of the Assyrian invasion and exile of the Northern Kingdom.  More liberal scholars would place the date perhaps after the exile.  Either way it is apparent here that although it would seem that the Assyrians are in control of history and the fate of Israel and Judah—it is actually Yahweh who calls the shots and is at work.   For instance, in Jeremiah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is viewed as the Lord’s “servant.”  That is, Yahweh uses him to bring judgment upon his people.  Not a very comforting thought, huh? As a side note:  I don’t think God deals with his people like this anymore, even if he does have to chastise/discipline us at times.  I will not get into it here in this article but let me put it this way…EVERYTHING changes within the life, death, and resurrection, especially the way God deals with his people and all people of the world.

I suppose that the invasion and exile caused many to blame the evil of Assyria or perhaps Yahweh.  Yet this passage here paints a different picture.  It is because of the evil of the leaders of Israel and Judah that terror came upon the region as judgment.  Yahweh is envisioned as The Judge in the court room delivering the accusations and verdict.  It is intimidating and fearful.  He is the defender of the poor and an ever watchful protector of them.  When those leaders whose essential role was to provide for and defend the poor instead exploit and rape them economically, socially, and emotionally, Yahweh intervenes on their behalf.

Although I am discomforted by this image of a forceful god, I am comforted by the thought that he is on my side—or rather I hope I am on his.  He is a god who is involved, and even though there are times where it seems as though he is silent, he is fully aware, attentive, and watchful–especially for the vulnerable.  Leaders should serve with fear because it is apparent from this passage alone that they will be held accountable for the way they lead.  Are they ethical and honest?  Are they egocentric and self-serving?  Are they mindful of the people or are they more mindful of their wealth, power and careers?

This is an important thought not only for leaders to consider but for those of us who live in a quasi-democratic society that “chooses” our leaders.  Who will you vote for for president of this nation?  What is our accountability when we choose leaders?  Are we aware that some of them may be getting rich or making this nation rich at the expense of the poor or third-world countries?  Do we care? What about the abortion issue?  If we vote for a president who supports abortion, is the blood of millions of innocent children on our hands too (an issue for many Democrats)?  If we vote for a presidential candidate whose answer to most foreign conflicts is war, is the blood of all those young men and women who are fighting for oil or our “influence” around the world on our hands (not to mention foreigners blood)?  That’s a typical issue for Republicans.  Or ignoring the poor or making fun of those on food stamps or government assistance.

These are big issues with a lot of consequences.  We must vote prayerfully.  I may even suggest not voting if you don’t have a peace of mind about who you vote for.  Don’t fall for these comments that people make that you are irresponsible if you don’t vote and have no reason to complain then.  That is a lie!  We have every reason to complain when what we are offered for candidates I wouldn’t trust them with cutting the grass in my backyard nonetheless running the government.  And frankly, I am tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.  I vote for Christ because in the kingdom of God he is king and commander-in-chief and is such over this world if they recognize it or not.  My allegiance is the Christ first and foremost and the state is at best secondary.

Let’s also not vote for people just because they say they are a Christian.  I don’t want to hear they are a Christian, I want to see it.  I want to see the fruit of it.  And sadly enough, the Republican candidate who appears to be most Christian of the four stooges is a Mormon.  Then there is another who touts Christian values but has cheated on his wives more than my brother cheats in monopoly.  And that’s just the Republican field.  My point is, God is watching and is fully aware of their ploys and our votes.  Let’s not vote for who we want but for who God wants.  And if we don’t have a peace about anyone…vote for no one.  I believe that when it is our turn to give an account…God will understand that we trust in him and in good conscience could not vote for anyone.

Lord, help me to defend the poor and out of my substance and ability serve them.  I pray for the leaders of our nation that tend to hide behind the rhetorical veil of “freedom” “liberty” and “democracy” and yet either do or are tempted to be drawn by the lust of wealth and power.  May they serve the people like Christ serves and loves his Church.  In Christ name, Amen.

 

Christians and Violence: Why the two don’t go together!

The older I get and the more time I reflect on things, the more I become a pacifist.  I see no need for violence and war, even though many argue with me that we have the right to defend ourselves or protect the innocent.

I am usually accused of being a coward or a traitor for not seeing the romanticism behind being a pawn of the state to be sent off to do the state’s bidding.   I am not fooled by the nationalism of a so-called Christian nation.  I have seen what it is like to be on the receiving end of capitalism and economic imperialism in a third-world country.

I think many Christians in America have fallen prey to the ambiguous axioms of “duty” and “allegiance” to the state.

Perhaps all this nationalistic romanticism would not be as appealing to Christians if they lived in another country.  It’s a different ball game when you live under a Stalin or a Gaddafi.  The romanticism of patriotism shows its flimsiness then.  I don’t buy the “just war” package.  It should be returned to sender, marked “Middle Ages!”

I believe that Christ’s life, death and resurrection changed everything.  He ushered in a new kingdom that I believe has the power to end the cycle of violence in the world and usher in Isaiah 2:1-5.  But it starts with the Church.  We have to turn the other cheek, leave the sword to the state, allow vengeance to be God’s, and not return evil for evil.  We are to give our lives to end the cycle of violence if need be…but not by storming the beaches of Normandy, dropping a bomb on Nagasaki, or sending an aircraft carrier through the Strait of Hormuz to see what kind of response we are going to get.

I find it awkward that I have actually lost close friends because I have these convictions and that I was grieved for days after the assassination of Osama bin Laden.  Not that I didn’t believe he should’ve been brought to justice, but because as a spokesperson for the Vatican stated, “Catholics rejoice at the death of no man.”  I grieve for the wasted life of a man created in the image of God and a continued cycle of violence.  Did America decrease the numbers of her enemies that day?  Some would laugh and say yes…one.  I believe we created dozens more.  And I pity the Christians locked into this mindset of cyclical violence that they subscribe to.

Christians ought to be the first people to see the reality of the kingdom present in the world, the true governance is God, that the real king who sits on his real throne is Christ.  Our allegiance is to him first and only.  If that makes us good citizens, that’s terrific.  If not, then we conform to Christ and not Uncle Sam.

Let us therefore be the first to “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”  Call me naïve, but Christians have no business being in a military, under the whims of the state, and being dehumanized by putting bullet holes into other humans, beating infants heads upon stones, or urinating on the corpses of people God loves.

Some say I am extreme, radical or too loving and peaceful and that I live in a fantasy world.  Well, I trust that standing before the Judge in roughly six decades (give or take a few) I will rather be accused of being too loving and peaceful than not enough.

 

Why I Love the Church!!!

I mentioned earlier that I am quite tired of the bad press the Church is always getting.  Of course there are issues that need to be addressed and changes that need to be made to have a more effective Church, not only in America but around the world.  Yet I wonder if one of the things that need to be addressed and changed is the constant complaining about ourselves.  For one thing the world does not think a whole lot about the Church these days, does it?  And I am not entirely sure they are going to want to have much to do with us when we are constantly publicizing how horrible we actually are as well.  The world says we stink (to put it very mildly) and then we respond, “Yup we do stink.”  Clever!

Like anything it is always easier to point out the negative instead of finding the positive.  So here is one reason why I love the Church…the people.  Now I will be the first to admit that church people aren’t perfect, in fact they are far from it.  But that is exactly what I love.  They are humans, just like me.  They are full of flaws, mistakes, mixed emotions and faulty reactions.  But they are people and I love them for it.  The problem is we expect too much of our brothers and sisters in Christ…we expect them to be perfect.  Really?  Are you perfect?  So we bicker sometimes and often about little stupid things.  Have you been married for more than a year?  Have you lived in the same house with a family member for more than a week?  Then you would know that it is often the people we love the most and that we are the closest to that we find it easiest and most comfortable to bicker with over stupid things.

We are a family!  We are brothers and sisters in Christ in the household of God as Paul says in Timothy.  If you want to find a church where everyone is perfect and always get’s along…then stop looking for a church because you will not find one like that.  Why?  Because even though we are Christians, we are still humans in the process of being sanctified.  It is a process that isn’t immediately completed the moment you say the sinner’s prayer.  In fact, it is a process that will last a lifetime.

So get used to that brother who always makes sure he is the first in line for food at the church banquet; the sister who bellows out every note and lyric of every hymn or praise song above everyone else; the guy who sits behind you every service sniffing in your right ear when all you want to do is turn around, hand him a kleenex and say “blow your frickin’ nose!”; the kid who double dips his communion bread in the cup of grape juice we use for communion leaving bread crumbs floating  for the next victim who is going to dip the body of our Lord in Christ’s blood–thanks kid!; the elderly lady who takes 3 minutes to dig for the loose change at the bottom of her purse while the patient usher holds the plate under her nose; the pastor who tells the same life stories each Sunday to illustrate non related points and the list goes on endlessly.

But these are the people we are commanded to love because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Why are they goofy?  Because they are people.  They are broken.  They come with baggage and in constant need of healing and a warm friend to say, “Peace be with you…I love you.”  Your hug may be the only hug they get all week.  Your smile may be the only smile that warms their heart.  And we all need each other.  What annoys people about me?  I get quiet and short-tempered when I am tired or hungry and I can tend to be a private person on many things.  I love to talk about theology and scripture and can tend to share more than someone asks for and can thus come acrossed as a theological know it all.  I don’t mean to be that way but I have to be purposeful in not coming acrossed that way.

I love to sit around a table with my church family over good to not so good crock-pot meals and cheap church coffee and for a brief moment in our lives shut out the cares of the world and laugh together.  I love when I am feeling down or things aren’t going so well, to hear the old church lady say in her simple faith “Jeremy, it will all work out for those who love God…he is in control.”  And even if I don’t agree with their premise, I hear and receive the love and care those words carry from their hearts.  I know those old church ladies love me and will be proud of me even if I turned out to be the world’s biggest failure.

I love the hymns I have song a million times and the ability they have to bring tears to my eyes when I hear the small voice of my daughter sing them next to a 90-year-old woman who used to be my daughter’s age.  I love the lipstick marks on my sports coat or dress shirt from the elderly women who gave me hugs.  The smell of Old Spice on the old ushers.  I love the sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence in a charismatic contemporary church or in a reserved liturgical service.  I have found him just as strong in both but in different ways.  Why?  Because the human hearts in a 150 year old church hunger for him just as much as the human hearts in the youthful modern church.

I once attended a church that was very old.  I remarked to one of the lay leaders that the building was very beautiful.  It had a gorgeous chandelier, beautiful architecture, a balcony overlooking the sanctuary, a spectacular painting of Christ behind the platform, and the pews were rather ornate.  After the third time of mentioning to this man how beautiful and historical the building was he interrupted me and said, “It is the people inside that are beautiful.”  He was right.  Those people in that small congregation are beautiful.  They are all unique and they all have different and very special life stories.

I believe that if we would pause and listen to each other we would learn to love and appreciate each other.  I have heard all of the gimmicks of how to fix the Church today, how to start revival and how to make our churches grow.  I have read the countless books and heard the many lectures and sermons.  Yet I believe that what the world wants now more than anything, is a family that will love them unconditionally.  That’s the Church folks.  I find the love of Christ more and sense his presence greatest sitting around a table of brothers and sisters in Christ fellowshipping like a family than I do in loud technological churches with fine-tuned theologies and theatrics.  Each has its place but being a family must be at the center of it all.  Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength.  The second greatest commandment is like the first…love you neighbor as yourselves. What’s that mean?   Well the second is LIKE the first.  I think it is impossible to do the first without also being able to do the second.  At least, obeying the first will cause the second.  Loving God will cause us to love each other.

I love being a Christian and I love Christ’s Church.  Although there is always work and reform to be done in the Church there is so much that blesses me and that I am thankful for.  The Church has never been perfect and if we think the early church had it all together…think again.  The Church has always been filled with humans and humans have always been imperfect, opinionated, silly, childish, passionate and yet lovable.  If God can love us…than we can love us too!

 

Does Anything Good Come Out of The 21st Century Church??? Countering Negative Opinion

Is anyone else tired of hearing the Church constantly slammed by critics within and without the body of Christ?  As I visit different blogs, read different books, and listen to many voices, all I hear is about how horrible the Church is and how we are doing everything wrong.  I think I have had just about enough of the negativity.  I know I am guilty of it too.  I also am aware that the Church has to always be checking itself and critiquing.  Yet lately it seems to be getting so depressing.  As someone who often writes about the Church, it is always easier writing to criticize than to find the good things.  It is simple to shoot off every flaw and failure.  This is why many marriages end in divorce, because spouses begin to highlight the shortcomings of their partner instead of looking for the good.

What I am saying is that I am committing to write some articles where I explore the good in the Church and give you and me a taste of something different for a change.  Frankly, I am beginning to find the criticisms quite nauseating and I wonder what the complainers are doing to make a difference.  I hear all the statistics about what failures Christians are but I wonder how involved those folks are in Church and how committed they are to a devotional relationship with Christ.  I will be the first to admit that I have had negative experiences in the Church (some churches more than others).  Yet I have had such blessed and overwhelming experiences as well.  I have felt the presence of Jesus Christ in the company of my Church family as we live life together. I have known a deep sense of joy and peace in receiving a faith and even healthy traditions that run as far back as Christ and the apostles.

I invite you to begin to look for those blessed things that are in the Church this Christmas Season to begin with.  I for one am blessed by little children performing a Christmas play where they reenact the Nativity.  That is a powerful experience for them that begins to embed within their little hearts the story of our Savior being born!!!  As you are able I invite you to share your own thoughts as we go.  Thank you and God Bless you all!

 

A Few of My Favorite Things…Christmas, Nintendos, and Morning Breath

I don’t know what your childhood was like, but Christmas Eve night and Christmas mornings were always magical times in my life.  Connected with those moments are magical memories.  My parents were never made of money but they always saw to it that our Christmas’ were special.  We never got super expensive gifts, although I do remember that year I got a Sega Genesis with Sonic the Hedgehog or X-Men.  Yet we seemed to usually get a lot of gifts.  Even to this day, when I think there certainly couldn’t be anymore gifts, my mother dismisses herself and says, “I think I have something else downstairs that I didn’t get a chance to wrap.”  Sure enough, she always comes upstairs to the living room with another sweater, socks, underwear, or game.  One year I specifically remember getting a Transformers punching bag.  Do you remember those things from the late 80’s early 90’s?  They were filled with air and if you punched them they would fall back and pop back up again.

So here’s the question: Did you ever peak?  I only peaked once and I regret it to this day.  All I wanted this one year was a Nintendo.  The summer before we had visited my uncle’s cottage in Canada and one evening he hooked up a Nintendo.  On the screen appeared a squatty man with a thick mustache and  red overalls…I would later learn it was Mario.  He would move acrossed the screen from left to right banging his head on bricks while squashing fat diamond-shaped bird heads and would transform if he ate mushrooms or flowers.  WHAT A CONCEPT!  Why didn’t I think of that?!?  Instead of fishing being the highlight that summer, it was shooting ducks on an electronic screen with a dog who would mockingly laugh at you if you missed and battling giant lizards with a short italian plumber.  It was a glorious vacation but one our grandparents wouldn’t understand.

So that Christmas I couldn’t take it anymore…was I getting a Nintendo or not?  I snuck into my parents room, my mother was never very good at hiding things, opened the closet door, shuffled some bags…when all of a sudden a beam of light exploded into the closet, while soft angelic voices hummed the theme melody of Mario Brothers.  Dun dun dun da dun da dunt da da dun da dunt da da dunt.  There it was in all of its splendor…a Nintendo.  Sure I felt joy and unexplainable awe at my discovery, but I also realized I had selfishly experienced that moment alone and no longer had anything to wonder about. 

I experience Christmas differently now that I am an adult with a four-year old daughter and a two-year old son.  Now it is about them and the joy I receive in watching the experiences they now have.  I understand Christmas in a different way now as well.  I realize that what I have enjoyed most over all of these years is–family.  I remember laying in bed Christmas Eve night hearing my parents laying the presents out under the tree or waking up the next morning and hearing them at work.  I remember getting up with my siblings and going out into the living room to see an array of presents scattered under the tree, some wrapped some not.  I remember everyone smelling like morning because we had all stormed out of bed without changing or brushing our teeth:)  I remember mom giving instructions on what to open first and in what order.  I remember dad putting on the Macy’s Day Parade and telling us to look up and see the Snoopy, Big Bird, or Gummy Bears floats.  I remember him holding a cup of coffee with a big grin on his face because he has always LOVED Christmas.  I remember mom in the kitchen filling the air with breakfast aromas and dad putting together our toys or “just trying out” our video games to make sure they worked.  As I recall these memories I feel warmth and am holding back joyful tears.  Why?  Because more than being able to remember the gifts (which I have forgotten most of them) I remember those moments I shared in relationships with loved ones.

As I get older I realize more and more that life is mostly about one thing…PEOPLE.  If you haven’t figured this out yet you have a lot to learn and many disappointments ahead.  THINGS will never bring true joy…even though I have a Nintendo that still brings me joy to this day.  Oh yeah folks…it works like a Nintendo was meant to work.  You know, it never actually works the first time until you have developed the art of Nintendo.  This art is highly skilled and developed and only the experienced know the ancient Japanese secrets.  You pound the top of the system, you take out the cartridge and swiftly blow into the trench at the bottom, also blowing into the system itself as though you are giving it CPR.  Those who are truly the Masters practice the Game Genie Method.  This is where you connect the game to a golden attachment cartridge that was meant to enhance your gaming experience with codes and passwords…

Okay, sorry I got sidetracked.  They say, “when you die you can’t take anything with you.”  This is true but what will be waiting for you and will eventually come with you is people.  What am I suggesting?  People are forever and so are those relationships we have with loved ones.  This is our hope as Christians isn’t it?  Our hope is that when we die we will actually live in Christ and in some way we will all be together for all time.  So this Christmas season, stop to notice the details and take in the moments.  But most important of all, stop and watch the people, your loved ones, and let those moments create memories in your mind.  Dad holding his cup of coffee with a big grin on his face, mom crying as she opens the gifts the kids made for her, brother or sister, son or daughter jumping up and down with joy as they say “it’s what I’ve always wanted!”

Enjoy the conversations, the hugs and kisses, the smells of comfort food coming from the kitchen, the feel of cold winter air on your face as you walk toward a warm dwelling where you will celebrate.  The smell of pine, the feel of wrapping paper, the sounds of laughter, the taste of candy canes, and the sight of lights.  And in the midst of all of this…think of Christ.  The giver of all good gifts who is preparing a place for us that will one-up Christmas morning a million times over for an eternity.  May this message be more than just cliché for you this year, let it be reality.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

 

Guarding Our Faith

At the beginning of Thomas á Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ he speaks of the most important thing a Christian can do in their life time is to study Christ.  Yet it is not enough to merely study him but to imitate him in our everyday lives.  The very practice of doing or saying what  Jesus said or did is to experience a bit of life through the mind of Jesus Christ.  Think about it, when Jesus didn’t ignore those who were often invisible in his culture (like children) but embraced them.  Such an act changes a person from the inside out.  One learns to see the disenfranchised with compassion and love.  Or when Jesus said to turn the other cheek or walk the extra mile for an enemy.  This sort of sacrificial living teaches that life is not all about us and that even the hearts of our enemies can be softened.

We can also examine the lifestyle of Christ, how he spent significant amount of time away in prayer.  We all need this time of prayer and fellowship with God.  We can often fall into the trap of feeding our rational/intellectual side of being human and neglect the other basic need of being a social being as well.  We need that time to simply have relationship with God.  This is vital for becoming like Christ.  Paul encourages us in Romans to have the mind of Christ, to renew our minds.  A very big element of this is spending time, getting to know Jesus.  What does this do?  It helps us to truly think, act, and speak like Jesus.  I believe that this is the reason for so much nonsense in the world and even among so-called Christians who appeal to a gospel, that Paul says in Galatians 1, REALLY ISN”T A GOSPEL AT ALL.  Why?  Because they have perverted the faith of Christ, the apostles, the early Church fathers and mothers, and great men and women of God down through the ages for a lie.  How?  Because they do not truly know Christ or have not spent significant time in his presence getting to know him.  Instead they follow their passions, imaginations, feelings, emotions, lusts…to create something that though it sounds biblical because they use scripture, it is not biblical at all because they twist scripture.

In Jeremiah God speaks of false prophets crying out, “Peace, Peace” but the message and warning from God was that “there is no peace” but judgment.  Why is this important to recall?  Because we need to be in tune with God the Father and be aware of what is coming down the pike.  We need to be able to heed his warnings.  We need to be able to know the truth when we hear it and know what is false.  There is a lot of false teaching out there as we speak.  We live in a very pluralistic society where people are making up beliefs as they go along.  While studying philosophy in my undergrad, one thing that drove me nuts was that there was a philosopher for every crazy belief you could think of.  One day my professor said, “Philosophy is a dangerous thing, with the right charisma and eloquent rhetoric, a philosopher or orator could prove that a toothpick is God.”  Sounds ridiculous huh?  Well there are people that teach that god is in everything, in all matter and that that matter possesses the essence of God.  Therefore if God is in a tree and that toothpick came from the tree that housed God…the toothpick is God too.

So what is the safeguard to all of this.  Praying, and sticking to the faith you have received.  Pay attention to that check in your spirit that says, “You know…that sounds all nice and stuff but something isn’t right here, something is off.”  St. Irenaeus was a bishop in the ancient Roman province of Gaul in the second century AD.  He was very close to the time of the apostles and had received the faith that had been handed down to him by very trusted and faithful men.  In turn he taught the “barbarians” in Gaul, the simple folks who could not read or write.  Yet he says in Against Heresies if someone came and began to teach them a different Gospel than what the apostles had handed down to them they would recognize it immediately as a lie and would turn and run the other way.  It is a faith that many have suffered for, died for, and guarded, not only with their words but with their hearts, minds and lives.  We need to honor them by taking our faith as seriously as they did.

The moral of that story is that it is better for most Christians to not even listen to deception and to flee from it instead.  Now God has called many throughout the Church ages to practice what is known as “apologetics” or the defense of the faith.  Yet these individuals are usually deeply grounded in the teachings of Christianity and are very familiar with why we believe what we believe and most of the details behind our faith.  But the truth of the matter is that most Christians do not have the time, the resources, the interest or the calling to engage in this.  We are all part of the same body with different gifts, passions, and callings that are equally as vital and useful to our community as the next.  I have no ability in leading worship because I sing like a sick duck.  Yet I am thankful for those who are called into this ministry who can lead us into the presence of God through worship.

I say all this because it is necessary in our day to stay anchored in the faith and know what that faith is.  There are a lot of false gospels as Paul says in Galatians, but they are no gospels at all.  In fact, he says “If anyone teaches you another gospel than the one we have given, even if I or angels come doing so, let him be cursed.”  Pretty strong language that wouldn’t go over big in our day.  But his language emphasizes the urgency of his warning.  This is why Jesus was so sturn with those who departed from the true faith, same as the apostles, same as the early Church fathers and mothers.  Thomas Oden says in his three volume work Systematic Theology that “the vital question for Christians is not rather it is palatable but rather it is true.”  We are not interested in only the things we like about scripture but what is true…what is scripture and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles claiming is true.  That’s what we want to know.  That’s what we need.  That’s what God expects of us.

 

#1 Reason Unbelievers Don’t Believe in Christianity…It Is Our Fault

Life is busy!  Right?  I know I am not the only one experiencing this.  Fall always seems to be a busy time of year and just when I feel like I am starting to get a routine going and settling into the semester a bit…WHAAM!!! The Holidays Hit!  That’s right folks…Thanksgiving in the U.S. of A. is almost a week away.  Insane isn’t it?  Well that has nothing to do with my post but I thought I would just reach out for some support here:) Misery loves company.

Anyhow, what I really want to think about  is how the world sees us Christians.  I feel like I have this issue on my heart a lot.

The other night I was sitting on the couch and my wife had one of those “girly” flicks on.  You know, those movies that are oozing with sappiness.  They have more sap than a Maple tree in February.  But here’s my confession–the other night as I was sitting on the couch reading, my man-eyes found themselves watching the ooey gooeyness.  I found myself being entertained.  I know…AHHHH!

The movie was based on a novel where this young Christian couple move out west in the 1870’s to settle a ranch.  They hire some farm-hands to help them keep up with the work.  This couple is unlike most ranch owners in that they genuinely care about the farm-hands.  They invite them for dinner in their home, give them gifts, and even have them in their home for a Sunday morning gathering in which they read scripture and pray.

What caught my attention most was how one of the farm hands turns to another worker and says, “If what they believe makes them the way that they are, then I want to know what it is that they believe.”  I thought immediately, “Well that’s Jesus’ vision of true evangelism in a nut-shell.”  Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Sounds pretty close huh?

If the world could see the love of Christ in the Church in how we act towards and treat each other they will know that we are the disciples of Christ.  A few chapters later in John 17:23 Jesus states that if we are one in relationship the world will believe in the reality of Christ and God’s love.  Sounds a lot different than what Ghandi said about Christians, “I would be a Christian if it wasn’t for the Christians.”  You know, I don’t blame him.  I listen and watch what the Church is often up to today and I see so much division and self-righteousness that I know that it is the reason why the spirit of Ghandi lives in many unbelievers.

Want proof?  Turn on Christian radio and listen to the right-wing conservative Christains demonizing and bashing so called “liberal Christians.”  The term that usually get’s thrown around is “Pharisees” and “heretics.”  I hear a lot more “Rushian” (that’s my word for followers of Rush Limbaugh) and “Beckian” then Christian coming out of many of their mouths.  Their rhetoric is twenty-first century, capitalistic, republican jargon that often high-jacks verses of scripture to support their preconceived ideology.  They make Christ look like…well Rush Limbaugh.  If other Christians do not conform to this type of Christianity then they question the “other’s” committment to Christ and wonder if they are really saved.

In addition, I am in seminary and I hear plenty of moderate to liberal voices that dismiss the right.  They call them “fundalmentalist lunatics” who would burn everyone else at the stake if they got the chance.  They often view the right as uneducated and uninformed cavemen.  They feel that the right interprets the Bible way to literally and at times are offended if they actually accept scripture at face value.  Oh my gosh how horrible, wouldn’t want that!  Oh yeah…they call the people on the right “Pharisees” too.

Yet I can hear the voices of those Christians on the fringes of the Church bashing everything that is orthodox, doctrinal, dogma, creedal, patristic, traditional, ritualistic, theological, ecumenical etc. as nothing but traps put in place by mean authoritarian monsters who just want to control the nice and good-intentioned masses.  These people feel that they have been specially ordained by God to set the record straight and teach us all what Jesus REALLY meant that the Church has gotten completely wrong over the last two-thousand years.  Oh and by the way…they call the two groups above “Pharisees.”  Yet the two groups above call these people “heretics” and even “Pharisees” at times.

So will the real Pharisees please stand up???  I’m confused.  Yet I know that all of us usually fit into one of these categories and I probably just upset most everyone who read those descriptions.  I think I offended myself too actually:)

I wonder however, if there is a golden mean…that is, is there something in common we all have?  UHHMMM YEAHHH!  Probably 85 to 90% of what we believe if not more.  Yet we major in the minors and demonize each other.  We allow our differences to become divisive.  WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?  My guess: because we all think Jesus favors our point of view over everyone else’s and would be on our team in the arguments.  But I think we are getting it wrong.  I think scripture teaches that God is aware of the differences and that often times they are gifts and not reasons for division.  Scripture teaches unity and “one-ness” in the midst of differences.  Relationship in the face of disagreements.  Disagreements and differences are good.  The challenge is not letting them become divisive.

Paul in Galatians 5 says that in this new kingdom, there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, slave or free.  He is not saying that ethnicity ceases or cultural heritage is obsolete.  He is not saying that women stop being women and men stop being men.  That is mere foolishness.  What he is saying is that those things are no longer reasons for division and that we all look upon each other as equals…”one in Christ.”  The love of Christ is all-embracing and requires us to “love one another.”  NO EXCEPTIONS.

I admit, I am guilty of my own prejudice against a certain group of believers that I find rude and abrasive.  It may be okay for me to address this concern with my brothers and sisters but it is not okay for me to get on the radio and attack them in front of the whole world.  It is not right to name drop and attack like vicious wolves.  Whatever happened to correcting your brother in secret and in love?  I think we think it makes us seem more right  when  we boldly and abrasively demean each other.  If this is how we continue to act I am sure the world is not going to witness the reality of Christ and God’s love among us.  We are being a disobedient Church.  Ghandi said, “You Christians don’t act like your Christ.” (paraphrase).  He is usually right.  Not because we can’t but because we choose to ignore his command.  Yet Christ says in John, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Loving Relationship in the midst of differences is what I am encouraging here.  As the world becomes more pluralistic and more violent toward Christianity we need to recoginize those precious things we have in common and embrace each other as family.  This is what our Christ commands.  We would do well to heed his words.  Let’s look past the differences and see Christ in us all.