hanlyblog

The Decline and Fall of Christian America

2009-04-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Last month the cover article of Newsweek was titled "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." It cited recent polls which indicate that the number of professing Christians is on the rapid decline. In less than 20 years the number of those who profess to have no religious affiliation has doubled from 8 to 15 percent. From a Christian perspective, this may not be all bad news. Such a sharp decline is at least as much reflective of a growing sense that it is socially acceptable to be an unbeliever as it is that true believers are abandoning their faith. This, I think, is a good thing. For quite some time in America it has been, and still is in much of our country, socially advantageous to identify oneself as a Christian. As such, the church has always been filled with those who simply "go to church" because that's what you're supposed to do. Such "Christians" are quintessentially nominal--in name only. But being a true follower of Jesus means nothing less than reorienting the entirety of one's life around the reality of his lordship over all of creation. As such, if the church is losing the nominal, we might see it as a welcome foreshadowing of God's separation of the wheat and the tares. Moreover, nothing is more damaging to evangelistic efforts than those who acknowledge Jesus with their lips but deny Him with their lifestyles. My prayer is of course that those who have left the church will return, but now not as those seeking social status but as those who genuinely desire to seek God.

Unfortunately, I doubt the decline is due simply to the loss of the nominal. But the picture of Christianity that Newsweek paints leads me to suspect one central reason as to why many true seekers have turned away from the faith--they simply don't understand what Christianity is really about. This is not surprising. The uniqueness of Christianity is so counter-intuitive that historically its essence has often been distorted. Many people say that all religions are the same--and based on the picture of Christianity painted in this article--I would agree. But simply put, you can sum up the difference between Christianity and all other religions as Tim Keller does. Religion says, "I obey, therefore I am accepted." But authentic Christianity says "I am accepted, therefore I obey." These two statements are polar opposites. It is Christianity's uniqueness that reveals how it is that all religions except for Christianity really are essentially the same and directly contradict the Christian worldview. However, it is our human nature to resort to the religious worldview and so historically Christianity itself has often had a tendency to lose its flavor and become like every other religion. The Christianity portrayed in Newsweek would certainly be guilty of this. The article's author, Jon Meacham, shows that he too has bought in to this misconception in this summary statement:

"Roughly put, the Christian narrative is the story of humankind as chronicled in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament—the drama of creation, fall and redemption. The orthodox tend to try to live their lives in accordance with the general behavioral principles of the Bible (or at least the principles they find there of which they approve) and anticipate the ultimate judgment of God—a judgment that could well determine whether they spend eternity in heaven or in hell."

Meacham starts off his summary right on target. Christianity is fundamentally about creation, fall, and redemption. But his further analysis betrays a complete misunderstanding of this. Creation, fall, redemption is not about "trying to live their lives in accordance with the general behavioral principles of the Bible." This is exactly the kind of moralism that is at the heart of mere religion. But creation, fall, and redemption is about what God has done precisely because we have failed to live in accordance with the aforementioned biblical principles. As God brings about redemption, his followers do in fact begin to follow these principles, but it isn't by one's own efforts but by the power of God working in the life of the believer. One adheres to biblical principles not because they have to in order to be accepted by God but because they are already accepted and are empowered by God to live in such a way---a way that is in fact the best way to live. And here's where the rubber meets the road. Christians should not depend on the government to enforce morality but on the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the redeemed. Forcing a person to act like a Christian no more makes them a Christian than throwing them in the ocean makes them a fish. I agree with Charles Finney who says as quoted in the article that "the great business of the church is to reform the world—to put away every kind of sin" but we must be very careful with his conclusion that Christians are "bound to exert their influence to secure a legislation that is in accordance with the law of God." I do not wish to delve into the complex issue of how a Christian is to live in a democracy, but suffice it to say that true Christian reform is accomplished when God writes the law not on stone tablets but on the heart. A nation that relies on the government to enforce biblical principles is not a Christian nation but a religious one, and those who look to the government in this manner misunderstand the primary means by which redemption is to take place. If those who have turned away from Christianity have done so because they understand it as it is portrayed by Newsweek--primarily about enforcing a moral way of life--they have put the cart before the horse and rejected not Christianity but religion.

Play It Twice And Call It Jazz

2009-04-14T02:07:00.000-07:00

"Play it twice and call it jazz" is an expression for how to make a wrong note sound like it was intentional. It's a joke that us non-jazzers find amusing because of our musical insecurities. It has been said of poetry and of music that you must know the rules before you can break them. The greatest poets sometimes use poor grammar, punctuation or speling. :) They bend the rules in order to create a beauty not possible within the confines of proper structure.

One of the problems with much of Christianity today is that we are too worried about playing a wrong note or misspelling a word. When we make rules that say Christians shouldn't watch R-rated movies, go to bars, drink alcohol, listen to "secular" music, or have tattoos, we are playing music in such a way as to be certain that we don't play a wrong note. We are sticking to the 3 chords that make up "Christian" music (ok, maybe it's 5, sometimes we get creative and throw in a 2 or a 6 chord but the 3 pretty much warms the bench.) Such a parallel between the simple state of Christian music and Christian living is perhaps telling.

This is not to say that simple music or simple living cannot be beautiful. To the contrary some, if not most, of the greatest works of art are the most simple (and there is some great "Christian" music.) Similarly, I have many friends who follow the Christian "rules" to a T and whose living writes a song of simple beauty before God. Many of us could learn a lesson or two about getting back to the basics. But forcing all musicians into the same mold is what makes cookie cutter CCM. Not only does it result in a plethora of bad art, but even what is truly beautiful only connects with those who like the same cookies. Similarly, if Christianity is to reach an increasingly diverse society, we must be willing to take the risk of using what the Apostle Paul calls Christian freedom in our living as well as our music.

This is not to suggest that we are to be governed by no rules at all. For the poet such an approach results in gibberish, for the musician in noise, and for the Christian in unholy living. As Paul says, we are not to use our freedom to indulge the sinful nature, but to serve one another in love. (Gal 5:13) But we must not be afraid of wrong notes. The simple truth of "Amazing Grace" reminds us that we get a second take. Moreover, it might not be wrong at all. It might be jazz.

Why, God?

2009-04-08T15:48:00.001-07:00

"My God My God, Why have you forsaken me?" As we close in on Good Friday it is comforting to know that even Jesus felt abandoned. Have you ever had a day when you've been all around people, even people you know and love, and yet you still feel alone? That's been me today. God doesn't promise me that I won't feel this way-- but at least he's been there Himself.

Saturday

2009-04-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

If you have the chance. Take Saturday and do nothing. It's one day of the year when it can be good to reflect upon what it would be like if Jesus had not risen from the Dead. Imagine how the disciples must have been feeling-- that everything they'd put their hope in had been a farce. That they were, as Paul would suggest later in imagining the same thing, to be pitied the most of all people.

Basketball With Jesus

2009-04-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to go play basketball yesterday. The other guys at church forgot about me and scheduled it when I was busy. Actually, I think it was intentional. They are all afraid of me. But in reality, I'm glad I didn't go. I haven't played in a long time and if I'd played I would have been that guy. You know the guy I'm talking about. The guy who shakes his head every time he misses a shot. The guy who wants everyone to believe that he's better than the way he's playing. "It's been a while." "Boy am I rusty." "My allergies are kicking in." "Is that rim regulation?" You know the excuses. But I think it's a microcosm of what we are all trying to do in life. We are all trying to show everybody that we are better than what it looks like. Isn't that what self pity is? When we walk around moping about how bad we are, aren't we really just trying to convince everyone (including ourselves) that we are better than we really are? That's why I'm thankful that Jesus calls me out on this every time I read the Bible. It's frustrating. Reading the Bible is a little like if your friend turned to you in the middle of the game and said, "why are you shaking your head? You've never been able to make that shot." I think that's why we shy away from Jesus, he calls us out. But then he says the most amazing thing. "It's ok. Really, it's ok. It's ok that you can't make a layup to save your soul (everything's always so spiritual with Jesus). Come follow me and I'll show you how. But it's going to start with you realizing how bad you really are."

Love Your Enemies Do Your Laundry

2009-03-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

The other day I hadn't done laundry in a while and found myself in a pinch. So I went to the store and bought a package of underwear. I wonder if that is reflective of a general American attitude? Rather than take the time to work with what you already have (washing clothes for instance) it's much easier to just get a new one. In relationships, rather than working through things, it's easier to get a new one. Rather than making your job work, it's easier to get a new one. But when Jesus says that we are called to love our enemies I think he means that when conflict arises with our friends we should work it out rather than cutting ties and looking for new ones. Which I guess also means that I should have just done my laundry.

Worship With Wooten

2009-03-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to worship God tonight. I know, it seems strange. Worship God on a Tuesday? Who does that? Is there a special event at church? No. Is Chris Tomlin coming to town? No. Is there a Rick Warren special on ABC? No. So what's going on? Victor Wooten is coming to Rams Head Onstage at 7pm tonight and I'm expecting him to draw me into the presence of God. Is Wooten a Christian? I have no idea. But he, like everyone, was created in the image of God and when he plays bass it shows. When building the Temple, which was of course designed for the sole purpose of Worshiping Yahweh, King Solomon hired workers from the city of Tyre who themselves did not profess faith in Israel's God. (1 Kings 5) Yet because of their skill he knew that their work would bring glory to God. If I were making a worship album and Victor was available to play on it I'd hire him in a second!!
So if you can worship God at Rams Head why go to church at all? Because my weekly time in corporate worship and study of the Scriptures helps me keep my thinking straight concerning the full scope of who and what He and His plan is and allows me to more fully appreciate and worship Him at a concert or wherever I am. The beauty of music alone is powerful and can do much to lift one's spirits. But as the handmaiden of theology (to steal from Luther) music can truly heal the soul. As Wooten lays down some fat grooves tonight I will enter into the presence of God through the door of God's beauty. From there I will be reminded of His other attributes--His love, that he cares about me and is committed to me; HIs patience, that his love continues even when I don't return the sentiment; His omniscience and wisdom, that He knows my situation and how to best love me; His sovereignty, He has the power to do it; and His grace, that He will do it no matter the cost.

SOTM 26: Chip Off The Old Block

2008-12-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[b] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

-Mt. 5:43-48

I'm a chip off the old block. As I grow older I notice more and more how much I'm like my father. We are both fashion-challenged. My dad plays tennis in a long sleeve button down shirt tucked into blue elastic shorts (pulled up way too high) with black socks and white shoes. I was ordered to wear only what was purchased for me when I played in a band for Christian youth conferences. Dad and I are both snobs about our music and beverage choices. Nothing makes for more exciting dinner conversation than a little political banter or a discussion of the Civil War. It drives the rest of our family crazy during the holidays, but we sure have a lot of fun. I don't try to be like my dad. I just am.

Similarly if we are to be like our heavenly Father it won't come simply by trying to be like him. This is good news because otherwise this passage of scripture could lead us into an endless cycle of trying and failing. Jesus tells us to perfect. We must take this passage in its biblical context. We were in fact created to be perfect like our heavenly Father. (Gen. 1) But sin has infected every area of our lives and tarnished the image in which we were created. Colossians teaches us that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God." (1:15) Through uniting ourselves to Christ in relationship we are reconciled to God. We become "new creations" (2 Cor 5:17). Our old image is restored and we become "perfect in Christ." (Col 1:28). We are seen as perfect in the sight of God even while Christ works out that perfection slowly, wonderfully, and often painfully in our lives. (Hebrews 10:14) But as this process grows and we mature we are able to act more and more like our heavenly Father.

If I suffered from some kind of mental illness I might stop acting like my dad. I might start dressing better. I might start liking lite beer. But medical treatment could repair the damage and I could go back to being a chip off the old block. Similarly, our relationship with Christ helps restore us to how we were originally created--to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.

SOTM 25: Headed Somewhere

2008-12-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'[a] 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

-Mat. 5:38-42

"Joe Versus The Volcano" is one of the greatest movies of all time. Joe (Tom Hanks) works in a basement office with bad lighting selling catalogues for prosthetic testicles. There's a little bit of Joe in all of us-- life seems to be headed nowhere. Everything we do feels like we are spinning our wheels. A spirituality of timeless truths only reinforces the dead-endness of life. Escapist spiritualities--those which provide a means to get out of the vicious circle of nothingness, fail to ring true because they force us to accept the notion that this world is really nothing but a big waste of time. But Jesus offers us a picture of a world that is neither to be reluctantly accepted nor to be escaped from. This is a world that is headed somewhere. It has its hiccups for sure, but God's plan will prevail. In this passage we see that God's plan for his cosmos is one of progression--from the barbaric to the civilized to the heavenly. "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" is an Old Testament teaching designed for a time when a world of tribal warfare was constantly fueled by escalating demands for revenge. The punishment should match the crime and put an end to it. This lies at the center of civilized justice. But with Jesus we see this to be but a first step toward the true end--a world that operates with peaceful harmony not when we demand equal treatment but when, like Jesus does himself, we treat even our enemies as our superiors. Jesus invites us to enter into this world even while we expectantly wait for him to fully bring it to fruition.

SOTM 24: Murderous Elder

2008-12-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

--Matthew 5:33-37

I heard a story about an elder of a church who was having an affair. In order to avoid the scandal and maintain his upstanding religious and moral reputation he murdered his wife. He hoped to do so in a way that would stage his innocence. The Pharisees understood that some oaths were more binding than others. If you swore by the temple this was not binding but if you swore by the gold of the temple it was. But Jesus is teaching us that all things are his. All things reflect his beauty and glory. In other words, acts done in secret are no different than those done in public. He sees it all. If a tree falls in the forest and no one else is around, it makes a sound after all. And in case anyone's confused, it's wrong to murder your wife even if no one finds out.
The story of our murderous elder illustrates well for us the powerful effects of legalism. He rightfully assumed that knowledge of his affair would be a crushing blow to his reputation. Jesus would not challenge this. In the previous passage Jesus highlights the severity of divorce and adultery. But then he goes on to the heart of the matter. Those of you, he says, who have stayed faithful in marriage must not think you're good to go. The issue, even with marriage, is of integrity. Your "yes" should be "yes" and your "no" be "no" with regards to faithfulness and adultery respectively. But your "yes" should be "yes" and your "no" be "no" in all areas of life. To draw a wedge so deeply between the commitment of marital faithfulness and all other commitments encourages a lack of integrity that ultimately undermines marital faithfulness itself.

SOTM 23: Middle School Science

2008-11-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5:33-37

33"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

I think many of us didn't fully pay attention in our middle school science class. Copernicus said that the earth revolves around the sun, he didn't say it revolves around me. There is an important benchmark of human development that used to be reached around the age of 1 or 2 and now for many of us never really happens. We still think that if we can't see something it doesn't exist. If I can't make it to the wedding, the wedding doesn't really take place. So it doesn't matter that I volunteered to pick up the tuxes. Maybe we need to retake middle school science.

SOTM 22: Interrogation Room

2008-10-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

31"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'[a] 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:31-32

We all know that sinking feeling when into the room walks that certain someone that we are convinced would be a better fit for our honey. It sticks with us all day, we can't get it out of our mind. We usually keep it to ourselves but sometimes we reach a breaking point. We are sitting on the couch cozied up with our honey and all of a sudden we turn the nice romantic warmth of our apartment into an interrogation room. "you totally like ______ don't you?" We blurt out. "Do you think _____ is a better match for you?" Now imagine if your honey's response was "I don't know." I don't imagine that would go over real well. What we want is for our honey to place us side by side with ______ and then tear them apart while singing our praises.

But I actually think that "I don't know, I don't think about anyone but you" is the better and more comforting answer. Because the other kind of answer requires us to do a comparison. It requires that we actually think in a "check-them-out sort of way" about ______. Even if we win the comparison game this time, there is that looming doubt about the next time, or the next. What keeps a relationship going isn't superior compatibility but single-mindedness. At the end of the day, I don't think I need to know that I am the best suited for my honey, just that I am the only one she thinks about.

SOTM 21: Divorce a Tragedy?

2008-10-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

31"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'[a] 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

-Mt. 5:31-33

The tragedy of divorce is that it is the result of a failure to find that for which we all are most longing. We have no greater desire than for true friendship and intimacy. But more and more people today are foregoing even the pursuit of marriage or only give it a half-hearted attempt at best. I think we are just chicken. Fear of failure, fear of getting hurt holds us back. Maybe that intimacy we all crave is possible but it's so rare. It doesn't seem worth the risk. We take what could be extremely beautiful and water it down in casual relationships. We fear that in its purest form it might be too hot and we might get burned. So we live bland, safe, mediocre lives. Divorce isn't a big deal because we don't let marriage become a big deal. If we did, divorce would be tragic. And we don't want to put ourselves in the position of that ever becoming a possibility.

Dream Big

2008-10-24T04:42:00.001-07:00

Rev. 1:5b

-"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,"

Do we really believe that sin is our problem?--That life will really be better off if we walk free from it? We dream about the future--where we'd like to be 10 years from now. We dream big of promotions, starting a business, boats and sound systems, weddings, holidays with the family, traveling to Italy or Israel or Istanbul (you'll have to ask me about that one). But how often do we dream about walking free from sin? How often do we look ahead to 10 years from now and imagine ourselves walking with victory over the pride that hinders our relationships at work, the selfishness that kills our marriages, the envy and lust that eat away at us from the inside out? This verse tells us these chains that rob us of God's joy are ones from which we've been set free. Why do we not dream more about the working out of this freedom?

Note: I haven't abandoned the Sermon on the Mount its just. . .A.D.D.

"Fireproof" Review

2008-10-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

When it comes to art, I'm picky. God is as much honored by artistically sensitive expression as he is by the content being expressed. Oftentimes "Christian" art, in an attempt to make sure that the "point" is clearly communicated, runs recklessly over the crucial artistic element of subtlety. "Fireproof" is certainly guilty of being overly didactic. It's almost like there was a list of principles the director was checking off, making sure he got them all in no matter how cheesy and George Lucasesque it forced the dialogue to be. As a result, there were moments when the characters embodied the very inauthenticity that nonChristians are so critical of in real life. Subtlety is part and parcel not only of good art but also of authentic living. When we fail to acknowledge this in our lives and the lives of others, we come across as disingenuous.

However, I'll come right out and admit that I bawled my eyes out. Fireproof will be criticized for being overly simplistic. And to a certain degree this criticism is warranted. But at the end of the day the central message it was trying to communicate, the central message of Christianity, really is very simple. That the fullness of life (and the key to a successful marriage) is found in the paradox that whoever wants to be first must be last and the servant of all--that we are able to love because God first loved us-- is not merely the kind of substance that can grip you for 2 hours in the theater, but the kind that should absolutely change your life. "Fireproof" drives this home. If you and your date are just looking to be entertained or be familiar with what they'll be talking about at the Oscars, there are definitely better options than "Fireproof." (Though it definitely kept my attention and had many good moments.) But if you want to help ensure that you and your date will even be going out 10 years from now, I suggest you see this movie.

SOTM 20: Black, White, and Gray

2008-10-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[a] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

Mt. 5:27-30

(part 4)

The problem with rules and regulations is that they are at once both the lifeblood of a stable society and also the heart of Pharisaical legalism. Some rules are simply pragmatic. I flew to California last week. I was given a airline ticket that assigned me to a specific boarding group and was asked to board accordingly. That's a good rule. We'd need rules like that even if we weren't a bunch of sinners. It just makes things run smoothly. Churches also have to establish policies. For example, my church had to make sure that I really was a Christian before hiring me as a pastor. In fact, not only do I need to be a Christian, but not a "nominal one." The challenge of course, is that true religion is religion of the heart, which can't be assessed through a series of simple litmus tests. Ultimately, only God knows if I've really declared him as Lord. Not even my family, closest friends, or fiancee, can know with certainty. But decisions have to be made, pastors have to be hired, etc. So we are forced to come up with easy and quick ways of guestimating who's in and who's out. It's unavoidable. But we must only draw these lines when WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO. The problem with much of religion is that the easy thing to do is to set up a complete system of litmus tests so that we can easily organize our chaotic world. This is what the Pharisees did. They figured that as long as they followed their system of rules, they would know that they were OK. But again Jesus tells us that at once it is both much more complicated than that and also much simpler. It is complicated because the complex combination of a heart that is constantly changing as forces of good and evil weigh in on it, along with the fact that the state of one's heart will manifest itself differently depending on the individual's personality and cultural background, make it difficult for us to assess anyone's spiritual condition with precision or certainty. Yet at the same time Jesus makes it clear to us that actually it's all very simple. Nobody "has it down." Every single one of us, whether we sport a Bertrand Russell or WWJD bumper sticker is (by virtue of the fact that we've all lusted in the heart) in desperate need of the grace of God. Jesus' religion of the heart shows that virtually everything else is gray and ultimately beside his very black-and-white central point.

SOTM 19: The Christian Lifestyle Tension

2008-10-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

SOTM 18: Seriousness of Sin

2008-10-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[a] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

Matthew 5:27-30
(Part 2)

Many people reject Christianity because they think it is irrelevant. Whenever someone comes to believe something, it never happens in a vacuum. Usually, you come to believe something not only because you have found its tenets ring true but also because you identify socially and culturally with others who believe the same thing. This is why those who grew up on Metallica have such a problem identifying with a religion where people get together and sing with hymnals and an organ. So it's important for us to all assess what is central and unchanging to Christianity and what is merely a cultural expression of an unchanging truth. The call to worship God is unchanging--the use of hymnals and organs can come or go.
Mariners is going to start a Saturday service with the specific goal of reaching a different segment of our culture. So there will be elements of the service that will be different from other churches and even from our own Sunday morning services.
But this passage identifies something that simply doesn't change--the seriousness of sin. Come January, when we launch our new service, I might try to be as cool and hip as possible (which will take some work)--maybe I'll go to the mall and see what the mannequins at The Gap are wearing (I think The Gap is still cool, at least it was when "Friends" was popular). But what will not change is the message that Sin is serious business. This message will undoubtedly not be received well by some. We don't like being told that there is anything we shouldn't do. But to stand offended at the thought that our lifestyle habits should be guided by moral principles is as ridiculous as being offended that certain eating habits affect our health. Who gets mad at God for the fact that eating McDonalds makes you fat? Jesus is giving us a similar warning in this passage. An undisciplined thought life can rob you of the joy God intends for you and destroy relationships. I think one reason Jesus uses the example of lust to discuss the seriousness of sin is because its subtle deception can instantly blow up into devastating actions. If you eat McDonalds daily you will slowly but surely get fat. People will see it happen at every stage right before their eyes. If you allow your thought life to impinge upon your daily life it may go unnoticed until it blows up in adultery. No "small" sin can so quickly lead to actions of devastating proportion as can lust. So Jesus uses it to highlight the seriousness of sin. Just as keeping a body healthy physically requires disciplined daily attention, so does the soul require a constant awareness of how it is being exercised.

SOTM 17: Sex

2008-10-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[a] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Mt. 5:27-30.

I have a non-Christian friend who really likes church. He likes the people, he likes the music, he likes the messages. He might even say he NEEDS church. The problem is that it seems to him like God doesn't want him to have any fun. He likes the freedom to get hammered, do this, do that, and sleep with whomever. And his objection seems quite reasonable. Not only does Jesus not want us sleeping around, he doesn't even want us looking around! Many couples, though recognizing the negative impact sleeping around would have on their marriage, see little wrong with a look here, a look there, maybe even a video or a magazine. "Boys will be boys," says a friend of mine whose husband likes pornography.

But consider this for a moment. What if it's totally the opposite? What if rather than trying to stop you from having fun God wants you to have the most fun having sex you could possibly imagine? Read Song of Solomon. There are some passages that I'd literally feel embarrassed to quote in this blog. That's right--I'm censoring the Bible. It might be too much for your virgin ears. God created sex. And so he knows how you can get the most out of it. And here's how: sex is inextricably connected with commitment. In fact, the whole ordeal-- making out, cuddling, etc. will never be as much fun as it's supposed to be if it's just about having fun. It's all about commitment. This is why the question "How far is too far?" is not the right question. The question is "are you committed?" I don't mean sort of committed. I mean--COMMITTED. If there is any question in your mind that this might not be forever--it won't be nearly as much fun as it could be--and is supposed to be. This is why even looking lustfully at a woman to whom you are not committed is unhealthy. God doesn't want you to settle for a lesser fun than you are supposed to have.

So don't tell me God doesn't want you to have fun. If you're married, break out Song of Solomon and have some fun. Put down your Cosmo article and take a sex tip from the one who invented it: Sex + Commitment = FUN!!!

SOTM 16: Shame vs. Guilt

2008-09-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

-Matt 5:21-23. . .again

As a pastor, I'm watched very carefully. In fact sometimes I wonder if people are spying on me. Every time I see a van in the parking lot outside my condo complex I lower my voice and duck down behind the couch hoping to avoid detection by the highly sophisticated cameras and microphones that I'm sure are pointed my way. OK, not really. In fact I've taken the very opposite approach. In an effort to show that I have nothing to hide, I don't have blinds on any of the windows in my living room. OK, that's not really true either. Well, it's sort of true. I don't have blinds in my living room, but it isn't out of an act of disclosure. I just haven't gotten around to putting any up. Anyway, In many respects I'm thankful for the added accountability. Knowing that moral failure will cost me not only my reputation but also my job gives me an extra incentive to keep my act together.

But Jesus would would not be happy with this perspective.

The fundamental difference between religion and the teachings of Jesus is that religion motivates through shame but Jesus motivates through guilt. I think I probably need to unpack and qualify that. We must understand the difference between shame and guilt. We experience shame when we feel like we've let other people down. We experience guilt when we feel like we've let God down. Though religion may talk a lot about God, in the end I believe what truly motivates "religious" people is the fear of letting others down. They fear that their reputation will be tarnished. This was the problem of the Pharisees. Jesus is drawing a distinction between fear of judgment at the hands of the civil authorities and fear of judgment at the hands of God. Jesus is saying, "Are you more worried about what other people think of you than what God thinks?" If you are, then you can play the game of hide and seek, ducking down behind the couch and putting up blinds so that others don't know what's going on. But you've forgotten that this whole deal is about God. And no matter how hard you try to isolate yourself--God sees what really matters. HE sees what's going on your heart.

And this should really scare us. This is what Jesus means when he says that our righteousness much surpass that of the Pharisees. It must be a righteousness of the heart. It must be a righteousness before God, not before people. Like I said, this should really scare us. Each one of us should recognize that we stand guilty before God. Only then will we truly see that we are really hanging by a thread. Only then will we see day after day our need for the grace of God.

So, like I said, I'm thankful that I'm being watched. It helps set boundaries. But the minute I start wanting to act a certain way in order to please others rather than to please God is the minute I shouldn't be a pastor. I do want to be a good person. But not so that I'll look good to others. I want a be a good person because doing the right thing is where the fullness of life is found, and because God loves me even I don't.

SOTM 15: Reconciling Relationships

2008-07-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

SOTM 14: Christians the New Pharisees?

2008-07-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

-Mt. 5:20

Jesus could be pretty harsh sometimes. He was no pushover and he wasn't there to tickle people's ears by telling them what they wanted to hear. But when Jesus laid down the smack it was almost always towards his own people--his fellow Jewish religious types. Jesus says that to enter into the Kingdom of heaven our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. Jesus isn't raising the bar from the Old Testament Law, he's trying to get us back on track. Later on Jesus reveals what he means by the righteousness of the Pharisees. He calls them white-washed tombs. He says that their righteousness was only on the outside which is really not righteousness at all. In other words they were hypocrites.

Sadly, the way Jesus viewed the Pharisees is not much different from how our world often views Christians. And I wish I could say they are unjustified but the evidence is conclusive. In virtually every area of behavior that Christians claim to be against, there is virtually no difference between us and everyone else--domestic abuse, viewing pornography, consulting mediums or psychics, lying, revenge, use of illegal drugs. . . the list goes on (see below). Yet at the same time we outshine everyone else in the number of Bibles we own and number of religious services we attend. Let's face it, by-and-large, Christians are the new Pharisees.

As I discussed in the last post, the problem with much of Christianity is that we think, and we come across as thinking, that following rules is what it is all about. The irony here is that the more we think that's what it's about the worse we are at actually doing it! The answer is not to try harder but daily to confess our sins before the one who came to fulfill the law--that through a genuinely growing relationship with Him we might be transformed into the kinds of people who actually do follow the rules.

See "unChristian" by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons (p. 47)

SOTM 13: Our Breath Stinks

2008-07-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Mt. 5:17

Years ago a friend of mine asked me how my love life was doing. I got really excited because I knew that he knew that we both knew that I had no love life. So I thought maybe this was a clever way of starting in on how he knew about someone who liked me. "Not much going on" I said. "Why?" "Because your breath reeks," he responded. Ouch! One of the 15 books I'm currently reading (I can't stay focused on one book for very long) is about why people don't like Christians. Yeah, that's right. A lot of people don't like us. And it basically feels like the book is telling us that our breath stinks. People don't like us because we aren't very pleasant to be around. The books lists specific things that are often associated with evangelical culture that our society finds so unpleasant. The central theme is clear--we are viewed as being too negative. We are known for what we are AGAINST rather than what we are FOR. This, unfortunately, is what Phariseeism is all about. The problem with the Pharisees wasn't that they wanted to follow a bunch of rules (though some of them were a little wacky) but that it appeared that that's what it was all about. There are many things that we should be against, but if that is what we are known for, then we aren't coming across as much different than the very people with whom the one we claim to follow found himself in so much opposition. This is why verse 17 is so important. In fact, I do not think I'm overstating the case to say that this verse is the key to understanding every other verse in the Bible. In other words, as you read about Moses and the burning bush, David and Goliath, sacrificing pigeons, unclean bodily discharges (it's really in there!! See Leviticus 15:2), etc., the key to understanding it all is to see how it fits into the overall story of Jesus and his fulfillment of the story of the people of Israel. In a similar passage Jesus scorns the Pharisees for missing this point. "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39-40). We need to be absolutely clear, not first and foremost about what we are against, but about what we are for: Jesus. It is through Him and by Him that the law is and can be fulfilled in our lives.

SOTM 12: Don't Ever Give Up?

2008-07-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 5:17-21

If hell was your worse nightmare, then hell for me would be a graduation ceremony. I went to one recently where I had to listen to 4 different commencement addresses in a row. And it didn't seem that public speaking ability was one of the criteria for selection. What were they about? I brought a book. Anyway, I heard once about a speaker who stood up and before people like me had even gotten through the first paragraph of our read, he was done. He stood up and all he said was, "Don't ever, ever, ever, ever give up." And then he sat down. Honestly, that might be one of the best commencement addresses I've ever heard of. It's exactly what we need to hear as we move from the safe, dependable library to the frightening, chaotic world of real life. But it's a good thing that Jesus didn't say the same thing-- though v. 20 sure sounds like it. There are some things in life that we are good at, and some things that we aren't, and being good just isn't one of them. I'm 5'7 and no more than 125 pounds. When I was growing up if I'd told my parents I wanted to be a linebacker I think the stupidest think they could have told me is to never give up. Such advice would have left me in a lot of pain. It's the same thing when we try to be good people. We just aren't any good at it. This is really a bummer because Jesus tells us here that the fullness of life he desires for us both now and in eternity is inextricably linked with who we are as people. But the good news is found verse 17-- Jesus came to fulfill the law. What we can't do, Jesus came to do for us and through us.

SOTM 11: Enlightenment

2008-07-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

I would love to own an Olson Acoustic guitar, a beach house in Hawaii, and travel to Europe a couple of times a year. Maybe you would too. Very few people can really have whatever they want. But one of the great facts of life is that as fun as luxury is, the things in life that make life worth living--friends, relationships, health—-are all, more or less, equally accessible to all.

I would also love to be brilliant. Don’t get me wrong, I think I’m pretty smart. But I’m not brilliant--you know, C.S. Lewis brilliant. Mozart, Einstein, Weird Al brilliant. I’m just not. The Enlightenment era has tried to tell me that my deficiency in intelligence is really a great detriment. Only the wise men and scholars REALLY know what’s going on. And for those of us who can’t hang, well too bad. But Jesus tells us that true wisdom is accessible to all. The true “enlightenment” occurs when his followers reveal the goodness of our heavenly Father through their loving behavior.

SOMT 10: Persecution

2008-07-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Mt. 5:10-12

Once again we see that one of the things the world tells us we should try to avoid is exactly something that Jesus says will be a part of following him. If your life meets little opposition, there is reason to believe you are not walking in the light of the Kingdom. One central theme that runs through the lives of Jesus and his faithful followers is persecution. A Christianity that ruffles no feathers is a Christianity that is no different from that which it purports to change. And if it's no different than the rest of the world, why should the rest of the world be interested?

Yet this passage doesn't say that all who are persecuted are blessed, but those who are persecuted BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. There is an unfortunate tendency within Christian circles to seek out persecution as a way of validating their faith. If people hate me I must be doing the work of God. But there are all kinds of other reasons why people might not like you. You might, for example, be annoying or insensitive. It is not uncommon for us to think that people are rejecting the Gospel when in reality they are simply rejecting our mode of delivery. Other times it isn't the Gospel they are rejecting, but some other conviction we've pontificated about and assumed all gospel believers share (political views for instance), thinking rather irresponsibly that they are inseparably linked. But to be persecuted for righteousness is to be persecuted for setting a lifestyle example that challenges at the core our inherent cravings for domination and self-gratification. To refuse to exercise unethical business practices, for example, challenges the unspoken dogma of the survival of the fittest--truth is what I can get away with and is what gets me what I want. If you challenge what is increasingly viewed as our evolutionary right and the key to success, you will surely be met with resistance.

SOTM 9: Peacemakers

2008-07-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
-Mt. 5:9

"Peace" in the Jewish mindset was an all-encompassing concept referring to the way things are supposed to be. Shalom is what everything is headed for. When peace is achieved everything is at rest, everything is calm, there is a collective sigh of relief. Jesus is called the prince of peace. He is the one who has come to make things the way they are supposed to be. Spiritual, physical, psychological--all the various categories we use to evaluate the person--he has come to make right all that has gone wrong. As his children, we too are to be his agents of peace, seeking to make right what is wrong at every level. We must seek to tackle the largest and most insurmountable of problems--genocide, famine, poverty. But we must begin with you and me. Making peace means restoring all relationships. You don't have to be fighting to be at war. Each one of us may secretly be fighting cold wars on many fronts, in many relationships. Sometimes we don't even notice. Trade and diplomacy continue. There are no official embargoes. But inside our minds and maybe even behind their backs secret agents are doing their work. Sometimes covert attacks are launched, perhaps through a subtly manipulative word or cold shoulder. It isn't official, but we are at war. But the peacemaker says no. She identifies and focuses on the speck in her own eye even if the other is sporting a plank. She seeks forgiveness, and makes amends. Is there someone out there with whom you need to make peace?

SOTM 8: Pure?

2008-07-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

Mt. 5:8

This might be one of the most frustrating verses in the Bible. Remember the SNL skit where the fat guy speaks of the deplorable cycle he's in? "I'm fat because I eat, and I eat because I'm fat," he cries. Similar is the human condition itself. I can't see God because I have an impure heart. And I have an impure heart because I can't see God. To walk in the light is the only way to be purged, transformed, renewed. But it is that which must be purged that prevents us from walking in the light. We stumble in darkness crying out "create in me a clean heart" to a God whose face has been hidden from us because of our sin. It is at the cross that this cycle is broken. It is here that light penetrates a darkness that should hide it. It is here that as we turn in repentance we discover that we weren't the ones doing the turning. God help us.

Didn't Constantine Write The Bible?

2008-07-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

If you think the Bible descended out of heaven in a red letter edition complete with concordance, leather binding, and dedicated to your grandmother, you're going to be disappointed. The Bible is through and through the product of human culture. It was written at a particular time in history, by particular people, with the particular idiosyncrasies of a particular culture. So when I hear people say things like "the Bible is the product of the political forces -- you know, Constantine's rise to power, and all of that" my response is "So what? What did you expect?" To say that the fact that the Bible is the product of human society (with its personal, political, and social factors) somehow makes it less divine is to make the same mistake as saying that the fact that Jesus was a Jewish carpenter precludes his divinity. The central mystery of the Christian faith, in which lies the hope of humanity, is that God condescended himself and came to this earth as one of us. Not the condescending of the rich kid who decides to play homeless for a few days but always keeps his daddy's credit card in his back pocket in case things get bad, but the kind of condescending that leads to the cross. The kind where he realizes there's no way out because he really has become one of us. In the same sense that God became fully human in the person of Jesus, so the word of God became fully human in Scripture. Conservative Christians are often guilty of scriptural docetism. In the same way that gnostic Christians of the early church thought that Jesus only "seemed" to be human, some of us try to ignore the obvious human elements in scripture. It's understandable, it stems from the desire to protect the divinity of scripture against a secular culture that makes the opposite error of seeing only its humanness. In the same way that we can look at Jesus and see him as 100 percent human we can also look at the development of the canon of scripture from a 100 percent sociological perspective. But no matter how many political or social agendas one may find as she traces the history of the canonization of scripture over its several hundred year course I believe she will still find such a purely sociological explanation wanting. Scripture has always had an incredible power over the lives of those who faithfully follow it, and time and time again has called them to action in ways that secularists will never quite be able to understand--in just the same way that for all his humanness, Jesus' life on earth has all the marks of divinity.

SOTM 7: Total Loser

2008-07-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Mt. 5:7

Maybe you're like me and helping others doesn't always come naturally. And from time to time you find yourself in that awkward situation of realizing that you just can't justify not helping out. Maybe a friend just bought a new sofa and they've asked you to come over and help move it in. You wish you'd already made other plans, but you haven't. And you're totally busted because the previous week you had 500 people spend the day helping you move into your new house. If you don't help out, face the facts. You're a total loser. That's the basic gist of the parable of the unmerciful servant. When you've been shown mercy--when you've been in great need and received help and you don't respond in kind to others--you're a total loser. Of course Jesus' scope is much bigger. He's not just getting at who the cool and lame friends are. He's addressing the question of who really knows where they stand with God--who has the keys to the Kingdom. The bottom line is that God is a merciful and forgiving God. What he's telling us is that that day when you had 500 people over to help you move in, that is every day. That day when you were shown mercy, that's every day. Every single moment of our existence is a merciful gift from God. And every time we don't show others mercy it is an indication that we've forgotten what God has done and continues to do for us. The unmerciful servant loses his opportunity for mercy because in forgetting his need for it he has refused it.

SOTM 6: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Righteousness

2008-06-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
-Mt. 5:6

I want to be happy. Ultimately, that might be all I really care about. You might be the same. It's written in our official documents-- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If there were a drug that would forever make me happy I might try it. Many of us do. There are all kinds of drugs: sex, stuff, power, religion, and of course drugs. Marx says that religion is the opium of the masses. I think he might be right. Some of us hunger after worship "experiences" in ways not dissimilar to how some hunger to get high. But increasingly in our Post-Christian world I don't think that religion is still the drug of choice for most of us. Sex, stuff, and power seem to be quite enough. Oh yeah, and drugs.

But none of it is working.

It isn't working because Marx is right. It's just a drug. And sometimes drugs are good for alleviating the pain but they don't do anything to fix the problem. If my leg has been cut off, it doesn't matter how much Tylenol I take. When I've finished the bottle I'll still have to hop to the store to get more.

Let's explain the analogy. Drugs are circumstances. The pursuit of power, sex, stuff, and religion is all the pursuit to arrange circumstances in such a way as to make us happy. But what Jesus is showing us is that the problem isn't with our circumstances, the problem is with us. This basic insight concerning the fundamental human predicament is something which Jesus brought afresh to our world. It is why Augustine's "Confessions" is recognized by many as the first true autobiography. No one before had seen the necessity of looking so deep within. (As the "Confessions" teaches, the path to God is to look inward and this will direct us upward. The unfortunate turn of Western Civilization has been that we've only followed Augustine up the first step--and not even that with both feet. We've turned our attention entirely on ourselves but have not discovered our problem and certainly haven't found our way to God. Rather we've just poured more fuel on the fire of narcissism.) But when we discover that the problem isn't with circumstances but with ourselves we are in a position to find happiness after all.

So Jesus says "blessed" or "happy" are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Happy are those who know the problem is with themselves and seek to correct it. For those of us familiar with Christian lingo, the righteousness in question involves both justification and sanctification as well. Happy are those who first of all know that God loves them--that he has done what is necessary to secure our relationship with Him--and secondly desire to be like Him. Do you want to be like God? Do you want to be a good person? Because becoming one is also how one becomes happy. (We all know this. Mean and nasty people are usually not very happy.) Jesus is inviting us to follow him and shows us how. It's time to change the books to life, liberty, and the pursuit of righteousness.

SOMT 5: The Gospel of Criticism

2008-06-28T05:03:00.000-07:00

5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
-Mt. 5:5

When was the last time you used the word "meek" in a sentence? Other versions translate it differently--humble, gentle, etc. There is a difficulty in ascertaining how Jesus wishes us to take this word and the difficulty stems from the same basic problem we encounter when trying to understand the beatitudes as a whole. Is Jesus saying, "this is what you must be like if you are to be blessed" or is he simply saying "these are the kinds of people who will be blessed"? If it is the latter then the emphasis in each verse may not so much be that the so described is a characteristic for which we are to strive. Some translate "meek" as "humble" and this helps to highlight the problem.

For much of the Greek and Roman worlds there were two great classes the "honestiores" and the "humiliores." The former were the well off and the latter were the poor, the marginalized, the afflicted. This is the origin of the word "humble" which we now more frequently take as an essential part of Christian character for which we should strive rather than a description of the marginalized. The reason for this confusion, I believe, highlights the essential conflict between the principles of this world and the principles of the Kingdom of God. The cold, hard fact is that being humble is not the way to succeed in this world. Being humble is precisely the way to find yourself being marginalized. Just one glance at how presidential candidates run their campaigns makes this clear. Humility requires admitting fault-- something no candidate can risk doing. Americans don't want a president they've had to forgive. But in the Kingdom of God the greatest are those who have been forgiven of much. So I think Jesus is both describing those who will be blessed and calling us to the character of the blessed.

But humility is more than admitting fault. Within Christian circles admitting fault is a way to appear humble. But the true test of humility is how we respond when someone else criticizes our character. I don't have much of a problem walking around church telling people I'm selfish--it makes me look like a nice humble pastor. But it's a totally different story if someone else tells me this. We respond in one of two ways, we either get proud and defensive, or we put on a "woe is me, I'm horrible, I'm not good enough, nobody loves me" attitude. And as Bill McKinney pointed out the other day, the latter response is just as much a response of pride as is the former. When we say to ourselves "I'm so bad, I can't do anything right, woe is me" what we are really saying is "I think I'm BETTER than that and can't believe I did that (or can't believe others think I did)." But true Christian humility stems from the understanding that no, you're not better than that, and don't fool yourself into thinking you are or should be. Christian humility neither pridefully defends nor pridefully self-pities but asks God for the grace to forgive and change.

This allows us to see criticism in a whole new light. Every criticism against your character is really a presentation of the gospel. Every time someone calls you out on something, what they are really saying is “you need Jesus.” So thank your worst critic for being such a wonderful evangelist.

SOTM 4: The Path to Joy

2008-06-27T04:35:00.000-07:00

4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Mt. 5:4

"Eat drink and be merry" is our world's motto (and part of the chorus of a sweet Dave Matthews Song!!!). It is a flippant attitude toward life. An attitude in which the best way to deal with tragedy and pain is to move past it, forget about it as quickly as possible. Don't worry, be happy. Christians often make the mistake of thinking that we must outdo everyone else with our happiness. If Jesus doesn't make us look happier, why would anyone want Jesus? But people can see that this happy-smiley-always-positive-Christian-radio approach is just as inauthentic as the "Eat drink and be merry" one they are already living. Much of eastern religion also teaches us to move past pain and sorrow through "detachment." But Jesus says we can have our cake and eat it too. Jesus tells us that to find happiness we don't need to ignore pain and sorrow--but that in fact dealing with our stuff head-on is the way to get there. Jesus wants us to know that a good God is in control. And therefore there is no need to ignore our pain but we can meet it head-on with hope. A hope that is grounded in the belief that God will one day make all things right-- he will bring about peace: the way things are supposed to be.

But Jesus also and primarily has a specific kind of mourning in mind. Certainly we can mourn with hope over, for example, the death of our loved ones. But for Jesus, the main thing he's getting at is different. Jesus was a "man of sorrows." He was a mourner in the good old-fashioned OT prophet kind of way. He mourned over the sins of his people. He wept over Jerusalem and he got ticked off in the temple courts. And Jesus wants us to know that the path to the good life comes through a mourning over our sins. Blessed are those who day after day weep over their sin. Blessed are those who day after day weep over the sins of the world. The follower of Jesus looks at the injustices of the world, the rancid violations of human rights, and weeps. The follower of Jesus looks inside his own heart, and seeing that what he finds is what is at the heart of the world's injustices, he weeps. But his sorrow quickly becomes joy when he looks to the cross and daily discovers forgiveness. His compassions are "new every morning" declares the author of Lamentations amidst great sorrow and mourning. Mourning is not to be replaced by joy in the present Christian life, but rather is the pathway to it.

SOTM 3: Fat and Unhappy

2008-06-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."
-Mt. 5:3

Jesus is the champion of the have-nots. In Luke Jesus emphasizes the physically poor, in Matthew the spiritually poor. Though recent economic woes might cause us to identify with Luke's, most of us Americans are the fat and unhappy ones that Matthew's gospel seems to address. How can going through a life that is so easy feel so hard? Jesus has good news for us. What we are really looking for has come. It's just that we don't really have any idea what it is.

Sermon On The Mount 2: Wrong Direction

2008-06-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

-Matthew 5:3-11

It's always frustrating having to ask for directions. You're already late. You probably spilled your coffee trying to read a road sign. If they tell you that you're close by--it's just around the corner or just over the hill--it can bring a sigh of relief. But nothing is more disheartening than when that worried look comes across their face and they tell you that you've been heading in completely the wrong direction. It is always accompanied by mass confusion because the surroundings don't look anything like you'd expected. Like Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber who questions John Denver's description of the mountains in "Rocky Mountain High." After driving 400 miles in the wrong direction Colorado looked awfully flat. We find ourselves with a similar confusion when reading the Beatitudes. Like Lloyd we have been traveling, unwittingly, unknowingly, in the wrong direction. But because we've been doing it for 400 miles we have become used to it. It has become all we know. Jesus is about to tell us the right direction and it's going to seem as confusing, backward, and unexpected as Lloyd's suspicion that the mountains looked an awful lot like the Nebraska cornfields. Jesus is telling us that those who will experience the fullness of life, as heaven and earth become united through his redemptive work, look the complete opposite of what we would expect. It is not the wealthy, the successful, or the victorious, but the poor, the meek, the mourners. As such the beatitudes may be less a description of what we must do to find God (though they will point us there) but more simply a description of those who will. Sometimes the wealthy, the successful, and the victorious have the unfortunate happenstance of never needing Him.

Sermon On The Mount 1: A Mariner

2008-06-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

"1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:"
-Matthew 5:1-2

A "Mariner" is one who makes his way by use of a compass. We all have a compass. We all have something which has the final authority on which way is north in our lives. John Wesley identified what he saw to be the 4 compasses used in Western Civilization-- tradition, experience, reason, and scripture. There is an unhealthy tendency to separate them and see them as incompatible and competing compasses. I would rather look at them more like one sees multiple navigation systems within the cockpit of a plane which work together to give direction. However, this picture isn't quite right. For if my understanding of navigation systems within planes is correct (I probably have no idea what I'm talking about) the different systems all function to communicate different types of information (speed, altitude, radar, etc.). While to a certain degree this is true of the 4 components of the Wesleyan quadrilateral there are unquestionably times when one or more of them appear to be communicating conflicting information. It is at those times when the components function more like members of a committee--and every committee needs a chairman. Wesley's vote was for Scripture, and while many have concluded that the 250 years since Wesley cast his vote has proven his candidate to be ill-equipped, I would argue that recent trends have only proven Wesley correct. Tradition is vital. It connects us with the past and helps prevent us from reinventing the wheel (which, by the way, is something that we non-denominationalists find ourselves doing time and time again). But tradition often, by its very nature, lacks the flexibility necessary for changing times. Experience is also a vital instrument of direction and is one that cannot be turned off. But it has the pesky problem of being inconsistent--one day saying that north is out your front window and the next day pointing toward your backyard. Reason has been the compass of choice since the enlightenment. And for the most part it has proven to be exceptionally reliable. But in recent times it has become increasingly apparent that what we call "reason" is not the fixed point we once thought it was. Rather it, like the other members of the committee, has proven to be just another opinion, biased by its own cultural agendas. So, left to fly through life with these three instruments of direction, we find ourselves in the Bermuda triangle of the postmodern era where up is down and north is south. It is in this context that we can begin to understand the necessity of re-electing Wesley's candidate chairman. If there is a God, and if he is to guide us, what the postmodern era is teaching us is that the only way we could ever possibly know about Him is if he came down and told us. When the phones aren't working, the internet is down, and the postal service has gone on strike, you have to walk over to your neighbors house to say hello. This is of course exactly what Christianity says God has done. Scripture is our authority because it is the camera (actually multiple cameras) that recorded God's unique visit. The higher criticism of the late 19th and 20th centuries has attempted to discredit the report. But once again the postmodern era is showing us that higher criticism reveals as much, if not more, about the cultural biases and presuppositions of modern reason than about the "historical Jesus."

This may seem like a rather odd introduction to a blog about the Sermon on the Mount. But nowhere in Scripture do we find a more succinct account of what Jesus came here to tell us. So turn off your phone (the reception is bad anyway), wait for the cable company to fix the internet, let the mailman go on strike, and by faith join the disciples on a Galilean mountainside to hear what God has to say.

Distinctiveness, Service, and Vodka

2008-06-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

When you're at a Russian dinner party you've got to learn to sip your vodka slowly and drink lots of water. A certain American general didn't understand this, and had his wife not been on the trip with him, the other officers would have had to babysit him all night to make sure we was up and ready for a 7:30 appointment the next morning. Psalm 104:15 says that God makes wine "that gladdens the heart of man." There are very few things (if any) in this world that are intrinsically bad. Evil is a distortion of good. God has given us many wonderful things, notably sex, drugs, and alcohol. In their proper context (marriage, medicine, and moderation) they serve as reminders of God's wonderful provision. Otherwise they become the objects of the unhealthy desires that war against our souls and from which 1 Peter exhorts us to abstain. But to be "in the world but not of it" is not fundamentally about finding that middle path--though when we understand what Christian distinctiveness is really about we will naturally walk it. The Christian journey is quite simply to follow Jesus. And though as his disciples found, his parables are sometimes hard to understand, he declared his central mission with absolute clarity: "the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mt. 20:28) Jesus came to serve. He came to serve not because serving others is the way to get them to serve you but regardless of whether or not they reciprocate. Jesus calls us to be the "slave of all." Slaves expect nothing in return. Plato says "how can anyone be happy as long as he is a slave?" Jesus asks how anyone can be happy unless he is the slave of everyone else. (cf. Mt. 20:27) Nowhere does being Christian go more against the grain of our culture--nowhere does Christian teaching more fundamentally challenge the principles on which this world operates than with this radical call to service. And it is in this light that we can properly understand where our American general stumbled. After 4 quick shots of Russian vodka the general had placed himself in the position to BE SERVED. (Fortunately for the other officers his wife was there to help!) Rather than putting himself in the position TO SERVE. In Ephesians 5:18 the writer tells us "Do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery." Why? because as he says in the verses immediately preceding we are to "make the most of every opportunity." The general missed his opportunity to build relationships and serve his Russian counterparts because of his irresponsible behavior. Yet to refuse vodka altogether would likely have been construed as a refusal of hospitality--also not exactly making the most of the opportunity. (American officers who adhere to strict abstinence are sometimes stationed somewhere other than Russia precisely for this reason.) Christian distinctiveness is to be characterized by our radical call to service--making the most of every opportunity to serve. So when at a Russian dinner party sip your vodka slowly and drink lots of water.

Unbelief

2008-02-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

1 The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

--Psalm 14:1

We may believe in God. I recently took an assessment which told me that I believe very strongly in the trinitarian God. Maybe you've never doubted God's existence in your mind. But what about in your heart? The psalm says the fool says in his HEART "there is no god." We might say we believe in God, but do we live as if that's really the case? Out of the heart everything flows. The brain directs and points us this way and that. But the heart keeps us alive. We can kick and scream all we like and try to convince ourselves of this and that but ultimately we always follow our hearts. In our hearts lie our desires and they pull and nag at us and ultimately have their way. If we don't believe in God in our hearts, it matters little what we tell ourselves. Of course beliefs are made with the mind. What can it really mean to believe with your heart? This kind of belief cannot come from within ourselves. It is not ultimately based on a mental assessment and evaluation. This kind of belief comes from God. Like the man in Mark 9 we must turn to Jesus and say "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

The Path To Peace

2008-02-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers[a] and deacons:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
--Philippians 1:1-2

Grace and peace are the substance of love. Peace is the way things are supposed to be. Grace is how you get there. Everybody wants peace. Everybody knows peace is what's supposed to happen. But do we really understand that grace is the necessary prerequisite for peace? Grace is given by those who have been wronged to those who have wronged. The lion's share of global tension is rooted in deep-seated hatred and bitterness over past wrongs. The parable of the unmerciful servant teaches us that our inability to forgive others is rooted in our lack of understanding of how much we need to be forgiven ourselves. What does it mean to sin against God? Why does it matter to Him what I do down here? Why does He get bothered by stuff I do? Until we really get what it means to have fallen short of the glory of God we'll never get the grace of God. And until we get the grace of God we'll never be able to really offer it to others. And until we can offer it to others we'll never find peace. So when we are discouraged--when we feel unsettled--we must ask God to show us the reality of the depths of our sin.

The Lions Den

2008-02-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

--Psalm 7:1-2

It is an important step of growth to be broken down. Muscles grow when they are first worked beyond their capacity. It is frightening yet necessary to come to that point in life when you realize that defeat is a real possibility. Perhaps you dreamed of nothing but the best for yourself. But now you see that it might not happen. You just might lose. Circumstances or sin might overtake you. You aren't as strong or as good as you might have thought. You just might be torn by the lions. You can't depend on yourself, you don't have the strength. You can't depend on others--who possibly could carry you through this? Your only hope is that God himself will reach down into the lions den and pull you out.

Praying the Psalms

2008-02-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.

--Psalm 31:9-10

We wake up in the morning and we have our quiet time. And each morning we enter into it with an expectation about what's supposed to happen. We are supposed to "get something out of it." We are supposed to have some sort of an ah-hah moment where God opens our eyes with new insight to a pearl of spiritual wisdom. If this doesn't happen we feel like our time with God has failed. Like it didn't really count. We need a do-over. But the psalms teach us otherwise. The psalms aren't really meant to be studied. The psalms are meant to be prayed. We shouldn't read the psalms trying to get something out of them. Rather, we should live them. The psalms are the prayers and journal entries that our own hearts need to pray and need to write. So I read this psalm today and pray it as if it were my own.

Down In The Dumps (aka the Pit)

2008-02-01T04:51:00.000-08:00

1 I will exalt you, O LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.
3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave;
you spared me from going down into the pit.
4 Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said,
"I will never be shaken."
7 O LORD, when you favored me,
you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 "What gain is there in my destruction,
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help."
11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

--Psalm 30

"What gain is there in my destruction?" Have you ever actually been to the point where you are wondering if God is allowing or even planning to have you destroyed?--that point where your misery is all that God seems to have in store for you? The depths of pain and defeat to which God will allow us to reach is sometimes staggering. Though the extent to which we see this to be so common in the lives of His people as revealed throughout scripture and especially in the psalms should cause us not to be surprised. It might be a test of our faith. It might not have any reason we can perceive or understand. But it should always turn us heavenward. Like a beetle stuck on his back squirming helplessly and looking toward the sky, we also must turn in defeat and despair to the only one who can turn us right side up. Cry out as we may--even accusing God of foul play--let us return to praise as we confidently look beyond the here and now and see clearly a future written by the hands of a good and sovereign God. Our weeping will turn to rejoicing, our wailing to dancing, and our hearts will turn from silence to singing.

Control

2008-01-29T04:01:00.000-08:00

1 Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

--Psalm 29

We think we are in control. We think we are slowly gaining more and more control of our surroundings. The ancients understood the world to be under God's control. Drought, famine, rain, plenty--were all at the whim of God. God was in control and deserved praise. But our modern world has squeezed Him out. We have conquered nature. We sit in our heated or air conditioned homes. We travel the world in a day. And we feel in control. But come on. A friend of mine was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We are not in control. One patch of black ice or a poorly timed cell phone call--we are not in control. And even aside from the dramatic, there was a period in my life when within a year I picked up the phone to make calls that would radically have altered the course of my life, but stopped. If I had or hadn't waited a day or two longer maybe I'd have come to a different conclusion and now be somewhere totally different. We are not in control. I was browsing through a bookstore with a friend. He pointed out a book about a guy he'd heard something about whom I'd only barely heard of. I bought the book on a whim. Two years later I almost moved to England to study the guy. We are not in control. We arrogantly turn from God when we should gather in his temple and cry "Glory." And when we do, he gives us peace.

Confident Praise

2008-01-28T04:03:00.000-08:00

1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

Psalm 28:1-2

When you're a kid, silly, mean, obnoxious things can be hysterical. The famous whoopie cushion is always good for a laugh or putting toothpaste on someone when they are sleeping. And then there is pulling a chair out from underneath someone when they sit down. Do you remember that frightening feeling that hits you as you fall backwards to the ground? Perhaps you've walked in the dark and stepped off the edge of the stairs. You thought there was something there on which to ground yourself.
The psalmist here once again refers to God as his rock. He is the foundation on which his life is built, on which his life rests. And so when God isn't there, when God turns a deaf ear, when God remains silent, it is as if the whole bottom falls out and he stumbles into the pit.
I have had long periods of time when God seems all but silent. There are times when I really need to hear from him but find nothing. So this psalm is very comforting. For whatever reason, in the mystery of God's wisdom and providence, the rock of our salvation appears at times to move from underneath us. The Word of God does not try to hide the darkness that God's people can sometimes experience. But it encourages us to trust Him nonetheless. Despite the psalmist's frustration, he goes on to say "Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to him in song." (28:6-7) Perhaps this section was written after the psalmist experienced God's deliverance firsthand. I think it more likely that this comes at the same time as the prayer of despair. But the psalmist has such confidence in God that despite God's apparent absence he can praise Him as if He's already delivered him.

Troubled Heart

2008-01-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.

18 Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
--Psalm 25:16-18

Loneliness is not the same as being alone. You can be lonely in a crowd of people. You can be lonely around your friends. John Mayer says "I'm not alone, I wish I was, cause then I'd know I was down because I couldn't find a friend around to love me like they do right now." I have felt quite lonely lately. The passage goes on to say, and I believe it to be linked to the previous verse, "the troubles of my heart have multiplied." When your heart is troubled it often doesn't matter who is around. You will feel lonely. The passage doesn't say who is responsible for the multiplication of troubles in the psalmist's heart. But in the very next verse he asks for forgiveness of his sins. So I think it likely that he sees the multiplication of troubles in his heart to be as much his own fault as any one else's or of any arrangement of circumstances out of his control. We are often the king of multiplying the troubles of our own hearts. We are our own worst enemies. May God guard and protect us from ourselves and may we find refuge in him.

Beautiful View

2008-01-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.
-Psalm 18:1-3

Everyone loves a personal testimony. Here the psalmist begins by telling us what he has learned or been reassured of. In the next 16 verses he will describe why he knows this and how his life experience revealed this. "In my distress I called to the Lord, I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came before his ears." Where do we go when we are distressed? I often wallow in self-absorbed depression. It's easy for me to focus--no, dwell--upon all that is wrong with my world. But do we turn to God with it? And I mean more than mere lip service. I've been influenced by the Christian subculture in which I've grown up long enough that a quick prayer in times of trouble is almost automatic. But how often is it really heartfelt?

Over and over again in the scriptures God is called our rock. He is our foundation. He is that which orders all things around us. Psalm 27:5 says, "For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." Here, as elsewhere, the rock is a rock on high. When we rest on the rock of the Lord we are put in a place of perspective. So often we find ourselves meandering in the woods and can't see the forest for the trees. But God leads us to Him--he leads us to a place where we can see everything in its proper perspective. Turning to God in times of distress is like climbing up on that rock where we can see things as they really are. And we when we see things from God's perspective, it is always a beautiful view.

Colossians Interruption

2008-01-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

"9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

--Colossians 1:4-14

We often think of God's will or plan for our lives in terms of events. What life course of events does he have in store for me? However, this passage suggests that though specific life calling may be part and parcel of God's plan for our lives, God's will is more specifically about HOW we live than where, when, or with whom. The result of a "knowledge of his will" is that we may please God through living a life of good works. Spiritual wisdom with regard to the will of God is to know exactly how to live a life of good works through whatever circumstances we may face. This requires true wisdom because the line between true holy living and legalism is not always very clear. Moreover, the knowledge of God's will comes with the power and the strength to live according to His will.

(Having finished 1 Peter I decided to blog on this passage until I figure out which book to begin next)

The Forest for the Trees

2008-01-10T04:09:00.000-08:00

12With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it. 13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

-1 Peter 5:12-14

I'm getting married. I said, I'm getting married!! After 31 years of singleness I find that I often have to repeat this to myself in order to really believe it. It seems too good to be true. Similarly, Peter has just summed up the breathtaking goal and purpose of the entirety of human history--that God's grace will restore us to his glory. As I say often, the biggest obstacle to the Christian faith is that it seems simply too good to be true. It is beyond what we can wrap our depraved and earthly minds around. So the most powerful and meaningful of phrases become mere religious sentimentality. You can find millions who recite the Nicene Creed from memory every week in church with the same enthusiasm as if they were offering their social security number. They proclaim the resurrection of the dead as if they were already lying in their graves. So Paul wants to remind us once again of the grace that he proclaimed a verse earlier and indeed throughout the book. This grace of God is true. It really is. Let God pull your mind up for a moment. Pull you out of the valley of the vicissitudes of the here and now to see beyond. Let Him show you the forest for the trees.

Realism and Idealism

2008-01-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
--1 Peter 5:10-11

Grace, eternal glory, restoration are all words of such magnitude that they often slip beyond our comprehension. The promises of our God are simply too great for us to grasp--like a diamond ring to a five year old. This verse unites the realist and the idealist. Life is hard. Life is full of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The cumulative burden of our worldly existence weighs heavily upon us all. We must not face life with fanciful and unrealistic dreams about what it has in store for us. There will be suffering and hardship. And yet ultimately we are called to eternal glory in Christ. To be honest, I have no idea what that means! I could explain it, but it would all be with theological jargon that sometimes fails to connect with the reality of daily existence. However deep and intangible may our inheritance of the riches of God's eternal glory be, in the meantime we are assured that the struggles of the day-to-day will not overcome us. Though they may once have, and sometimes still do, God will restore our brokenness and give us the strength to endure the present and laugh at the days to come. (Prov. 31)

Spirit Powered Self-Control

2008-01-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
-1 Peter 5:8-9

This verse highlights an important theological tension with regard to our propensity to sin. "Be self-controlled and alert" is an exhortation based on the understanding that destructive tendencies originate from within and without at the same time. To say "the devil made me do it" is an excuse based on a half truth. Yes, the devil is on the prowl and we must be alert and aware that he will use anything to destroy us. And yet at the same time we are responsible to control our own actions. Every destructive act originates within us.

Secondly, this verse reveals to us the harrowing depths of the power of sin. We can be devoured. We can be destroyed. Many of us are alive only by the skin of our teeth--by the rescuing hand of redemption. Never before have I been so keenly aware of my own vulnerability to the powers that would like to see me destroyed. It is sometimes frightening to feel how easy it would be to allow oneself to fall victim to circumstances of irreparable damage.

So we must stand firm in the faith. Nowhere does the perplexing theological tension between God's sovereignty and human freedom find such practical expression than in the necessity that we be self-controlled by the power of the Spirit.

Letting Go

2008-01-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

5Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
-1 Peter 5:5-7

It's almost frustrating how simple the Christian life is. Over and over again we see the same thing coming through in various forms. Love one another, serve one another, show humility towards one another. Many of us have been burned--so taken advantage of that our reaction is to hold on to what we've got as tight as we can. We hold on to life with a death grip and end up extinguishing the very thing we want so dearly. Yet Christ's calling is clear. Let go. Take the risk. Leave it all in His hands and he will take care of you.

Wildcard of Compatibility

2007-12-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

1To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1 Peter 5:1-4

Peter presents the fundamental posture of the Christian preacher. He commands the people to do something by telling them they should want to do it. He commands them to be willing to do something. And so we see from the get go the central assumption of the gospel in this passage. Every command in scripture is a plea to look to the cross that the heart may change, resulting in willful obedience. The command is to serve.

Christian leadership is hallmarked with service. Internet dating is hallmarked with compatibility. We are consumed with finding that person with whom we are most compatible. I am recently engaged to a woman with whom I have many wonderful compatibilities. Such compatibilities, I am sure, will account for much ease in our relationship. But making compatibility the number one criterion is to start things off on a self-centered footing. To seek compatibility is to look for someone who likes things the way you do (or likes doing those necessary things that you don't like doing!). The wonderful freedom of the Christian servant is that they are no longer bound by such restrictions. Like the improvisational artist who writes his melody on the fly--adapting to the surrounding music--so the servant, no longer imprisoned by the rigidness of his own desires, is free to write his own life and write in harmony with whoever he encounters. Servanthood is the wildcard of compatibility.

The Misguidedness of Theodicy

2007-12-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
19So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

-1 Peter 4:12-19

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis grapples with the age-old question of theodicy. Why do bad things happen to good people? This question is probably the biggest and most frequent question people have of the Christian faith. If God is all-powerful and all-loving, then why does he let these things happen? Because evil and God's omnipotence and omnibenevolence seem incompatible, we doubt. But as our passage subtly suggests, the theodicy question itself is the problem. There is something this question assumes prematurely. It assumes that there is a such thing as a "good" person. V. 18 says, "It is hard for the righteous to be saved." Really, the word righteous should be in quotes. Because this verse is hinting at what Romans 3:10 says explicitly, "There is no one righteous, not even one." Every single one of us deserves nothing short of eternal destruction. I don't like this. It is what Calvin called "the horrible decree." I don't really understand it. But just as I find unfathomable and incomprehensible the vastness and beauty of our universe--where billions of stars and galaxies a billion times bigger than ours spread out at distances unimaginable having existed for lengths of time that only crude analogies can help me to understand--so also is the holiness of the God who created such a universe equally unfathomable. And subsequently so is my own depravity. The heart and soul of the Gospel plants its feet firmly on the assumption of our uttermost unworthiness. And we must humbly accept this unfathomable truth if we are ever to find the freedom the Gospel offers.

Our passage takes us in the complete opposite direction of where the theodicy questions want to go. Suffering, it seems, isn't even simply something that God allows. The theodicy problem is much bigger. Because as our passage indicates, God is in fact behind suffering. "For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God." What do we want out of life? Do we really want to become like God? Do we really want to be holy?

The End Is Near

2007-12-28T04:16:00.000-08:00

7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
--1 Peter 4:7-11

My grandpa came to live with me yesterday. He's 93 years old. He's too weak to spend much time outside. His eyesight is too weak for him to read and he's not sure he'd have the strength to concentrate long enough to handle a book anyway. So he spends most of his time sitting on the couch either listening to the radio, sleeping, or thinking. He spends a lot of time sitting and thinking. I asked him what he thinks about. "At my age you think about God and death," he replied. Because the end is near.

We see in this passage a beautiful deduction of the great commandments- love God and to love your neighbor. We are to love deeply--offer hospitality without grumbling (unconditionally). We are to use our gifts to serve others. Service is nothing more than the extension of God's grace. It is God's grace that brings about peace (shalom)--the way things are supposed to be. So grace comes in various forms. It comes through the proclamation of the Truth of God (for those who speak), and it comes in the form of acts of service. Jesus charges his followers to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God (grace in the form of proclamation) and to heal the sick (grace in the form of service) (Luke 10). And the reason we do this is "so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." Living as if the end is near is the great orienter. It gives life necessary alignment. It gives proper perspective. A person with a "the end is near" perspective is not a crazy dude with sign and a bullhorn. He's someone who understands and acts on what's important in life--God and neighbor.

Judgement

2007-12-21T05:11:00.000-08:00

5But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
--1 Peter 4:5-6

Judgement is not our favorite word. In fact religion and judgement is a word pair that turns people off as if you were cussing in their face. But judgement is a cold reality. "Judgement" has a finality about it. Capital "J" "Judgement" basically just means that there is a point in time when consequences will be measured out. In this sense everyone believes in Judgement because death is an ever-present reality. Though our world hates the idea of Judgement and acts as though only silly religious people would believe in something so archaic, in fact the opposite is true. Christians, in fact, can face the idea of Judgement boldly because we believe that in reality it doesn't apply to us. We are excused from it. We all tend to live with this fear that someday life is all going to come crashing down on us--that's nothing more than a practical concession to the reality of judgement. But living by the Spirit enables us to believe firmly that everything really is going to be ok.

Too Enticing

2007-12-20T04:31:00.000-08:00

3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.
--1 Peter 4:3-4

We are just plain weird. There's no doubt about it. Why we would intentionally restrain ourselves from indulging every desire is bewildering. If you can get it, get it--this is our world's mantra. Dear God help us to see it for what it is. Romans 1 sums up the problem. We either worship creation or worship the creator. You have given us so many beautiful things--food, sex, toys, beer, to name just a few. But Lord, we worship these things--we disadvantage and disrespect our neighbor to acquire them. And we would rather have them than you who made them. If only you'd made them more dull. Then maybe we could resist them. Your greatness and the greatness of your creation are what make us stumble. The things you've created are so enticing--indeed too enticing. They either direct us to the throne of glory or into a flood of dissipation.

Path To Life

2007-12-19T04:50:00.000-08:00

1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
--1 Peter 4:1-2

A genuine test of selflessness is sacrifice. If it doesn't cost you anything it isn't true selflessness. The selfless person has done away with sin because the root of sin is selfishness. The one who asks how it can be that selflessness leads to the good life is one whose theology ends on Good Friday. As the previous chapter highlights, Jesus was the ultimate sufferer. The cost of his selflessness is immeasurable. Why would anyone wish to imitate a life that ends in such a fashion? But though the penalty of sin may be dealt with on the cross, salvation is ultimately delivered through the resurrection. We die to ourselves each day precisely because it is the necessary path to life. The suffering of Jesus cannot be overstated nor can the pronouncement that he now lives in glory.

Conscience

2007-12-14T04:34:00.000-08:00

19through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
-1 Peter 3:19-22

There is nothing more freeing than a clear conscience before God. Of course to have a clear conscience towards God you have to have a conscience towards God to begin with. Preaching the message of forgiveness--the path to a clear conscience-- will mean nothing to those who don't think they need it. Why make peace with God, I didn't know we were at war? How do you tell someone that they are at war with God and expect them to meet you for coffee again the next week? We can, I think, only point them to what a difference making peace with God has done for us. If they see the way it should be, maybe they will start to see it isn't that way for them. For statements like, "you are saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" to be anything more than religious sentiment requires a major paradigm shift for the modern mind. It is difficult, I think, for it to make much sense apart from living in a community where the outworking of such salvation is evident at every turn.

Misguided

2007-12-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

17It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
--1 Peter 3:17-18

I second-guess everything. Every big decision I've ever made I've second-guessed. I over-analyze. We often live with an unceasing internal angst. There is a feeling of incompleteness that nags us. It drives us to constantly be evaluating where we are, what we are doing, and what needs to happen if we are ever going to be ok. It is comforting to me how misguided all of this is. It operates under the assumption that our primary need is to make things right with our surroundings--make things right with our world. If we can make things right--good relationships, good job, good etc., then we can rest. But as this passage reminds us, our fundamental problem isn't with our spouse, or co-workers, etc. Our problem is with God. Ephesians speaks of being reconciled to one another, but this is the result of being reconciled with God. If we get right with God (embracing Christ's rightness), everything else will take care of itself. (cf. Mt. 6:33) Embracing the righteousness of Christ is more than mere intellectual assent. It is a day-in and day-out appropriation to every area of our lives.

Authenticity--Ultimate Apologetic

2007-12-12T03:54:00.000-08:00

16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
-1 Peter 3:16

This verse does not mean that we should be nervous about our every move--making sure that we don't slip up and give those watching us an excuse to dismiss what we stand for. Sometimes, with best intentions, we live this way. We are so caught up in setting a good example that we are unable to enjoy the freedom of living under grace (cf. Gal. 5:13). But this verse doesn't say we must be perfect, it says to keep a clear conscience. And this means, as much as anything else, admitting fault. Though the Christian should growingly be marked by a life that more perfectly models Christ's example--a life of good deeds--the ultimate mark of the Christian is that she openly recognizes that she falls short, and is constantly in need of grace and forgiveness. Our world demands authenticity, not perfection. And hypocrisy, the greatest turn-off to our faith, is a failure to live the former, not the latter.

Taking Medicine

2007-12-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
--1 Peter 3:15

Gentleness is being careful not to apply too much pressure. Some people can down their medicine in one gulp. Others need to take it in sips. Sometimes we try to force the Truth down people's throats thinking that any other way is to fail to speak boldly. But communicating truth in a five-minute bombshell might send someone recoiling for years, maybe forever, whereas taking several months to say the same thing will soften a heart rather than rip it in two. Respect means seeking to understand where the other is coming from rather than putting everyone in a box for which we have neatly prepared answers.

Apologetics

2007-12-10T09:14:00.000-08:00

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect
--1 Peter 3:15

We have an obligation to understand and be able to articulate our faith in terms to which our world can relate. It is not enough to say that "it makes sense to me" and that is enough. Moreover, thinking through the compatibility of our faith with our world brings a coherence and consistency to a faith that otherwise can be quite disjointed. We can have a sort of religious schizophrenia where our two worlds-- religious and secular--are miles apart. But just as clinical schizophrenia hinders peace of mind so religious schizophrenia leaves us disjointed. At every corner of our worldly existence we find something that challenges and rubs our faith convictions the wrong way. (Do chimpanzees really have better memory than we do?) To fail to address these incongruencies leaves us unsettled.

The greek word translated as "reason" here is "apologia" from which we get apologetics--that branch of theology dedicated to defending the integrity of the faith. Apologetics must be handled very carefully, and in fact a misappropration of this verse can undermind the very authority we claim it has. To look for a reason for our faith can be miscontrued as meaning that we must turn to a higher court of appeal than either our experience or scripture in order to defend or justify our faith. In academic apologetics this has a tendency to manifiest itself in too strong a hold on philosophy and empiricism.

We see then two tendencies--one overemphasizes special revelation and leaves no room for general revelation to both inform our worldview and aid in the interpretation of special revelation. The other overemphasizes general revelation thus refusing the place of primacy that special revelation demands.

What we need is a sort of checks and balances understanding of the relationship between the two which operates under the assumption that an accurate understaing of them will yield congruence. Though scripture may be inerrant and God's world perfectly ordered, our ability to interpret either is not.

Fear the Dragon

2007-12-07T04:07:00.000-08:00

13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."
- 1 Peter 3:13-14

"Do not be frightened." Really? Is it just me or does this seem ridiculous? Life, I find, is filled with never ending vicissitudes, paralyzing uncertainties, and unexplainable tragedies. I attended two funerals yesterday. One person's death was expected and somewhat of a relief to the family. The other death was mind-bogglingly shocking. Decisions as grand as who to marry and as petty as whether to take a drive can have life-altering ramifications. And yet Peter tells us that to fear this is not for us. Somehow, apparently, there is a way to rise above these fears. These fears that keep us up at night, drive us to action, and saturate every decision-making process do not have to master us. If this is really true, which I think any sober-minded individual must approach with a healthy dose of skepticism, there must be freedom unimaginable on the other side. The answer, this passage subtly suggests, is not to do away with fear altogether. Rather, it is to exchange one kind of fear for another. Peter is quoting a passage in Isaiah which in the very next line says "The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread." As if we don't have enough fears already, there's one more biggy we failed to consider--fear God. But this fear isn't one you just add to the list. It's a fear that puts all others in perspective. It's like living in the wild, always looking over your shoulder, always keeping the fire going for light, always sleeping with one eye open never knowing when the next wild beast or creepy crawly might make its way through your camp. And then you come across a fire-breathing dragon. And now, you notice nothing else. A lion pounces through and steals your dinner. A snake plays footsie with you. A spider looks for a home in your shirt. And you're completely oblivious. All you notice is that there's a 15-ton fire-breathing dragon looking down at you. But if he's on your side. . . you have nothing to fear. And so Isaiah says in the next verse that if you fear the Lord, "he will be a sanctuary." And the writer of Oh Little Town of Bethlehem proclaims, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." This Christmas, fear the dragon.

Back of His Head

2007-12-06T03:43:00.000-08:00

12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
--1 Peter 3:12

There is nothing more disheartening than feeling as though God is not paying any attention to your situation--especially at times when you really need guidance. But God faces only one direction--in the direction of what is true, good, holy and points towards the fulfillment of the coming of His kingdom. When I don't hear from God I know it's probably because I'm talking to the back of his head. It's probably because something in my life is not in line with God's clear desire for me (Job notwithstanding). God does turn his face away but really because we've already done the same. And so when we don't hear from God, the answer isn't always to simply keep asking and waiting, though it may involve that too. The answer is to get right with God. The answer is not to diligently seek answers for specific prayers but to seek God. " And all these things will be added unto you." (Matt 6:33) When we get right with God we will start to hear from Him, because we will be talking to his face.

Fight for Peace

2007-12-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
--1 Peter 3:11

Peace is not as easy as it sounds. We often think of making peace as stopping fighting. It sounds almost passive. But here we see that peace is something that must be pursued. We have to fight for peace. We have to fight for peace in our relationships--it won't just happen, but every day we must struggle to protect peace. We have to fight for peace in our hearts. Paul writes of the peace of God that transcends all understanding which comes when we offer up our concerns to God. (Phil 4:6-8) This is a daily routine. And as Paul reflects in the subsequent verse, we must fill our minds with what is true, noble, right, pure, etc. if we are to find peace. My mind is always under attack with thoughts that bring worry and discontent. It is a daily fight to pursue the peace which transcends all understanding and guards our hearts and minds.

Loaded Gun

2007-12-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
-1 Peter 3:10

I have a rule that I'm not very good at following. But when I do, I find that good days follow me. The rule is this. If I'm angry, I'm not allowed to speak. It's that simple. If I'm angry, I'm not allowed to speak. Even if I know I'm right. Even if I know the other person needs to hear what I'm about to say, Even if I know they've got it coming, I'm still not allowed to speak. Because anger blinds the mind from clear thinking, and even if your thinking is correct, anger always taints the way we speak, and words of healing become daggers. James 1:19 says we should be "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." When you feel offended there is nothing more unnatural than to be quick to listen and slow to speak to the offender. In the moment it always seems clear and justified to lash out, but every single time I act that way I find in retrospect that I've gone wrong. A situation where I was clearly in the right becomes my moment of shame. James 3 says the tongue can destroy your life like a fire. Isn't this true? It is amazing how with just a few words you can cause damage that can never be restored. There are things one can say in a moment that can never be taken back. The tongue is like fire--or like a loaded gun. Imagine how you would act if you were walking around all day with a loaded gun. You would always be conscious of it. You would be constantly making sure that the safety was on and that it wasn't pointed at someone. Because with one small move you could do irreparable damage. The same is true with the tongue. But taming the tongue will, as Peter says, bring good days.

Slow Learners

2007-11-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
1 Peter 3:9

We are slow learners. It took us millions of years to learn how to use a fork. And so we need repetition to get through our thick skulls. And so we see it again. An eye for an eye is replaced by turning the other cheek. It's not kind for kind, nice for nice, loving for loving, scratch for scratch, good for good, evil for evil. Our response is to be the same every time. And the remarkable promise is that in doing so we will be blessed. Loving others despite their behavior really is the best way to live. We often come to the Bible looking each day for fresh insight. We look for that penetrating innovative truth to pierce our hearts. But often this is a smokescreen for an hardheadedness towards what will really make a difference. It's pretty simple isn't it? Love one another.

Harmony

2007-11-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another"

1 Peter 3:8a

If God wants us to live in harmony, I wonder why he made us so different. Sometimes it feels like asking Britney Spears, Pavarotti, Weird Al, Miles Davis, and Metallica to make an album featuring bagpipes.

Excursis: Need for Certainty

2007-11-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

Excursis is a fancy word I used in seminary. And since I'm insecure, it makes me feel better to use it. I think it basically means an "aside." And aside is a much shorter word, so there's really no reason to use the word excursis except to sound fancy. But anyway, this post is an excursis or an aside from my working through 1 Peter. I'm sitting at CityDock coffee in Arnold and I was eavesdropping on the table next to me. I don't know what they look like, because I'd have to turn around and then they'd see me looking at them. Anyway, this one guy just said something like "Americans demand certainty, but why can't we just accept that life is uncertain?" This comment highlights a growing tension in the American psyche. The guy behind me is right, we do demand certainty. We demand certainty with regards to our health--we want and demand the best healthcare possible. We want certainty with our financial future--we are fixated on retirement and want to ensure that we will have exactly what we want when we get there. We are a society that demands certainty. Yet at the same time we are increasingly skeptical that anything really is certain. Religious pluralism--there's no place for the 21st century puritan to plant his separatist religious colony. Philosophical certainty--we are uncertain whether or not we are even making sense when we talk about uncertainty. Even scientific certainty isn't what it once was. Everywhere uncertainty--is that sugar or splenda? Does she really sing that well in tune or is it pro tools?

Reconciliation

2007-11-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

"3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. 7Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."

--1 Peter 3:3-7

We see a general theme emerging as Peter continues to moves from one social relationship to another--relationship to government, employee relationships, marital relationships. We find the theme of reconciliation. "By his wounds you have been healed" v. 2:24. . . Here "you" is plural. We are not talking merely about individual healing--though that is at the heart of it. But it is also talking about collective healing which in the language of Ephesians Paul calls reconciliation. In marriage equality is not diminished to uniformity but the beauty of gender differences is maintained through mutual appreciation. A woman's inner beauty takes center stage--it needs no formal authority to rule!-- and the captivated husband responds with humble respect.

Silent Submission

2007-11-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

"1Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives."

--1 Peter 3:1-2

Here we see St. Francis' mantra loud and clear: "Preach the gospel and if necessary use words." We have somehow come to think that preaching the gospel is a formula where if check off all the right phrases in a 5-minute presentation then you have preached the gospel. And if any of these phrases are lacking you may have done something good but you haven't "preached the gospel." Curiously, "preaching the gospel" has come to mean only what you say. Today, people are tired of hypocritical preachers who proclaim with their lips but deny with their lifestyle the good news. A 21st century contextualization of the gospel will be accompanied by verbal proclamation but grounded in behavior that authenticates our message.

"Wives, submit to your husbands"--this is not talking about submission to God-ordained leadership. This is submission as an evangelistic strategy which flows out of an other-worldly understanding of God's sovereignty. Just as we can fully submit to our worldly authorities (See blog a couple days ago) knowing that as Christians we are ultimately above it, so also can wives submit to their husbands knowing that ultimately they are under the rule of a much greater power.

Healer or Teacher

2007-11-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

22"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
--1 Peter 2:22-25

I was a disruptive little boy. My Sunday school teacher had to call a conference with my mom and me to discuss my behavior at church. At church camp one year I mischievously altered a sign in the woods which led to a group of campers wandering aimlessly in the woods. I'll never forget my counselor's response. He was understandably angry but when we returned to camp he bought me a candy bar and taught me about forgiveness and turning the other cheek. He was truly a role model for me. He modeled for me the example of Jesus.

But this passage goes farther than that. Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding of Christianity is to see Jesus as merely an example. As he suffered in the face of opposition, so to shall we humble ourselves with non-violent submission. The goal of the Christian life, it is assumed, is to seek and strive to follow the example of Jesus. But this passage moves beyond that. What Would Jesus Do? When I'm faced with temptation--to give in to that which ultimately will harm either me or others or both--When I am faced with the decision of doing what I want at the expense of others or placing their desires above my own--I can ask myself what would God do if he were in my shoes? But this passage goes farther than that. To be sure, verse 21 tells us that Christ left us an example, but verse 24 takes us far beyond the mere examplarism that sucks the supernatural out of religion. "By his wounds you have been healed." Somehow in some other-worldly way, when I am insulted, or hurt, or mistreated, or walked on, or made fun of, or put down, or forgotten--somehow the pain and the injustice which I suffered is taken from me and placed on the shoulders of Jesus. He is the scapegoat. We endure injustice not because we've seen that it can be done, as if Jesus' role as the first fruit means merely that we, like him, can rise above our mortality ourselves and somehow attain a similar deity, but because Jesus was so entirely different from us--as different as is the finite from the infinite, the mortal from the immortal, the human from the divine. How are we so united with him that our pain becomes his? This answer, as ultimately are all answers, is found in the one central mystery of the humanity and divinity of Christ. In him chaos meets order, time meets eternity, changing meets unchanging, and discord meets peace.

So central, then, is the Lord's Supper. For it is here that we symbolically, literally, metaphysically, spiritually (can we please finally move away from modern reductionism and simply say "mysteriously"?) unite with Him by whom our wounds are healed.

Apologetic

2007-11-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
--1 Peter 2:18-21

"They'll know we are Christians by our love." The greatest apologetic of any age but particularly in our day is the apologetic of love. What will draw outsiders in is a love that cannot be explained in natural and human terms only. Perhaps the most radical kind of Christian love there is is the kind that turns the other cheek. Usually when we find ourselves in situations where we are being treated unfairly we will do anything to get out. An ugly marriage, an ugly job situation. But Peter seems to be implying that there is something that can be gained only through such unjust situations. We are given the opportunity to honor God by participating in His sufferings. And we find a joy that proves itself faithful even in the darkest of places. "Why in the world would you endure such things?"-- can be answered only with the acknowledgment that there is another world.

Honor the King

2007-11-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

"13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."
--1 Peter 2:13-17

Tim Keller notes the opposite worldviews of the average news reporter and the Christian. The news reporter thinks that religion is ultimately about politics. When news reporters interview Christians, they think that ultimately what matters is who the Christian is going to vote for. But we know that ultimately politics is about religion. What undergird all political thought are worldviews and not the other way around. This is why the world ultimately won't be changed through political action. Real change will result in political change--indeed politics will in many ways be the means through which change takes place. But it is just that, a means.

So Peter tells us to submit to political authority because as Christians we are in fact above it. The power of the Gospel is so great that it doesn't have to fight for its own survival. It works at an entirely different level at which politics can neither operate nor interfere with. Our doing good will silence foolish men--even those in power. Joseph served diligently for Potiphar and in Pharoah's court. He did not need to fight for himself, it became clear to all that he was operating on a different level. The source of his strength was not simply more powerful, it was from a completely different world.

Vegemite

2007-10-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

"11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
--1 Peter 2:11-12

I hate vegemite. Nothing more clearly and succinctly reveals that my dad and I were brought up in different worlds than our relationship to vegemite. I hate it. He loves it. I am an alien and a stranger to the world of vegemite. In the same way then that I feel alienated and estranged from the world of vegemite, so am I to feel estranged from the world of sin. The world covers its life with sin like an Australian covers his bread with vegemite and cannot fathom why we abstain from such a delightful treat. We once were sons of darkness but now we are sons of light--New birth into the new world which makes us strangers from the old. But do I hate sin as much as I hate vegemite? Have I been fully born into the new world or am I still a son of my earthly father?

Darkness

2007-10-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
--1 Peter 2:9

Lord, I am called to declare the praises of you who brought us out of darkness and into your wonderful light. But today, your wonderful light doesn't feel so wonderful. There are days when your wonderful light seems to be blocked by clouds, and darkness prevails. Today, for me, is one of those. I see people around me in desperate need of your light. But who am I to point them to You? What am I to proclaim your light when darkness prevails? But I know you will return. The Israelites sat in Jerusalem in darkness as the Babylonians surrounded their walls. And so I will join in with Jeremiah who in the midst of their despair declared "Great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:23)

Priesthood

2007-10-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

"The priesthood of all believers" was a central tenet of the reformation. We don't need a mediator through whom to communicate with God other than Christ. So we can each one of us approach the throne of grace with confidence. There is a dangerous misinterpretation of this principle which we can fall into, because it fits American individualism so well. This is the idea that we really don't need anyone else involved in our relationship with God. If I'm my own priest, why do I need a church? I can go to God on my own.

But the principle speaks of a "priesthood," not a bunch of individual priests. One cannot be a priest if he or she is not part of the priesthood. The priesthood is a house, and we are the stones that make up this house.

It's hard to be a stone. It's hard to find the right place in the house to fit in. You might for a while find yourself in a spot that isn't quite right. You're helping to hold up the house but it's a strain-- you feel wedged in. So you try other slots. You move from the living room to the basement to the kitchen. Eventually, you'll find your spot.

Crave

2007-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
--1 Peter 2:1-3

How many of us really desire to become good people? Not because we think we need to be good to get into heaven or because we want to be people pleasers--not because others want us to be good but because we really desire to be good. Generally speaking, the five vices listed here all stem from an insecurity in identity. In particular, deceit and hypocrisy are carried out as an attempt to cover up who one really is or what what really does. Envy stems from an unhappiness with one's self or place in life. Slander is a way of bringing others down to one's own self-abased level.

There is an interesting grammatical translation issue which I believe drastically affects our understanding of this verse. Some translate the word for "rid" in a manner that reflects its participial Greek construction. In this view it serves to modify the main verb "crave" in verse two. This is how the KJV, ASV, and NASV translate it. This communicates the idea that these vices hinder us from drinking the pure spiritual milk we need. This line of thinking would reflect well Hebrews 12:3 "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles [in order that] we may run the race set out for us." But participles are often used and should be translated as main verbs, which is how the NIV, NRSV, and ESV translates the verb for "rid" in this verse. With this translation, verse 1 and 2 may be two independent thoughts, but more likely verse 2 becomes the means by which we are able to rid ourselves of these vices. I'm inclined to go with this latter interpretation. Growing up in our salvation is the process (viewing it negatively) of ridding ourselves of these vices which can only come through the drinking of pure spiritual milk.

Perhaps the most intriguing word in this verse is the word "crave." It is an imperative verb form. We are being commanded (perhaps to strong a word) to crave God's word (cf 1:23). Generally we think of our actions as being the result of one of two motivations-- either we do it because we want to, or because we have to--either because we desire to do it or because we've been told to do it. But here we are being told to want something. Bonnie Rait says "I can't make you love me." We can't be commanded to like something. But that seems to be what we are being told here. This leaves us with the mystery of desire. Where does it come from?

The Matrix

2007-10-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

24For,
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.
--1 Peter 1:24-25

A Dave Matthews song says, "Strange evolution how people have come to believe that we are its greatest achievement when really we're just a collection of cells overrating ourselves. Oh God I'm avoiding the truth." The thrust of what this is saying isn't all that different that what we find in verse 24 of this passage. It has an Ecclesiastes feel to it. "Generations come and generations go. . ." (Ecc. 1:4) "For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered, in the days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!" (Ecc. 2:16).

Some seem to be ok with this. Eat, drink, and be merry is the remedy for meaninglessness. And we are a society that has this way of life down to perfection. Some may dabble in religion here or there--a tool for finding satisfaction, but no different than a fork that brings tasty food or a cup that delivers delicious drink. Who cares if it's "true"? No one cares or debates about the truth of a glass of lemonade. Whether it refreshes is not a question for philosophers but for each one of us to answer on our own. To debate about absolute truth is as silly as debating about whether or not a glass of lemonade is "absolutely" tasty. If you don't like it, order something else.

It's all about expectations. Religious people simply set the bar too high and only set themselves up for disappointment. They either find God or find despair. But we take the middle road. We don't expect anything to last. Why get married? 15 years from now we'll just hate each other. "Sorry babe, you're just not stimulating enough norepinephrine in my brain any more." And there are plenty of ways to get our neurotransmitters firing. Hopefully one day it can be like in the Matrix and we can just lie in bed all day with an IV and a catheter with wires hooked up to our brains giving us all the stimulation we could ever want. Playstation 77.

"You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end." -Amos 6:4-7

During the concurrent reigns of King Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel the Israelites had all their neurotransmitters firing. If they were ever to find the life that God intended for them, he was first going to have to awaken them from their drunken stupor. "The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father, the son he delights in." (Prov. 3:11) Are we due?

"The word of the Lord stands forever."

Free Refills

2007-10-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

"22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."
-1 Peter 1:22-23

The coffee shop I'm sitting in used to have free refills. But now, I've got to savor each sip. War is waged over a scarcity of resources. When you think what you've got is going to run out there is a tendency to hoard it. You live thinking that you'd better suck every moment out of life while you can because eventually you will lose it. It will be taken from you, you'll miss out.

It is difficult, with this way of thinking, to truly love others. (Get your own coffee.) To love, to serve, to give goes against everything in us. To give will only bring us a quicker loss of the limited.

Unless what we have is unlimited--unperishable. Peter is telling us that we can love deeply and freely because it is impossible to lose that which is infinite. This is the living water, the well that never goes dry. Whatever we give up we will receive back 100-fold--Money, dream job, dream home, dream whatever (Mk. 10:30). Do we actually think that thing we want so much is really what we're after and not just a dim reflection?

There are free refills in heaven.

Reverent Fear

2007-10-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:17-21

I have a number of friends whose parents immigrated to America and made tremendous sacrifices to ensure a better life for their children. What is common among these friends is a "reverent fear" for their parents. It is a reverence however that waxes and wanes and sometimes they forget about the hardships their parents endured for their sake. Often the hardships are difficult to understand. What's it really like to leave behind the security of familiar culture and plunge into a new world where even the simplest things like learning how to ask where the bathroom is become a daily struggle?

How much more then do we struggle to comprehend the magnitude of the sacrifice God made on our behalf? Really, I do not know how we are supposed to wrap our minds around "the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." And so often, we downplay the unexplainable. But it is the centerpiece of our faith--and I have no doubt that the more we get it the more we will live in reverent fear.

P.S. "He was chosen before the creation of the world." What do I even do with that? In one sentence he makes Newton and Einstein seem like little children.

Self-Control

2007-10-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:13-16

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action. . ." It sounds almost like the end of a half-time pep talk. The first half went a little rough. They suffered many trials. And so the coach is reminding them what the game is all about. He's reminding them why they started playing in the first place. He's reminding them of the glory of the game. And now it's time to get back at it. It's time to step back onto the field.

I find it quite revealing that the first thing he mentions will be necessary as they start the second half is self-control. Central to the Christian life is self-control. I'm not very good at it. It goes against my nature and against my culture. It is a mindset that is completely antithetical to how our culture tells us we should live. If you like it, do it. If you want it, get it. If it feels good, touch it. If it smells good, eat it.

A hedonistic (that's for you Dave!) lifestyle is an indication of ignorance. Giving into unbridled desire is not only sinful, but it's stupid. We know this. How many times do we give into temptation because it offers immediate satisfaction only to regret it later on? So once again, "be holy, because I am holy" is not the command of a picky and anal God, like that annoying roommate who gets mad if you leave the cupboard open or the lid off your toothpaste, rather it is an invitation to the good life.

Stories

2007-10-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:10-12

We all love stories. Stories give us a birds-eye view of life. In 5 or 10 minutes we can hear of an adventure--the beginning, the struggles, the climax, the ending--that mirrors or is a microcosm of the adventure of life. I've told stories to my niece and nephews, and though they are usually very attentive listeners anyway, nothing draws them in more than when they find themselves in the story. If the rabbit with the cape or the talking dog has their name it takes on a whole new level of excitement. "Tell me a story and put me in it" is the cry of a child's heart.

And it is our cry as well. It is a cry that the Christian faith answers. Christianity is not a philosophy, though from its very inception when it was birthed at the great intersection of Jewish and Greek culture we have tried to make it one. Christianity is a story. "Tell me a story and put me in it"-- We all have a role to play in the unfolding of this great drama.

The problem is, we all want to be the main character. But the hero has already been cast. And it's not you or me. In fact the roles we play may often seem rather minor. As this passage indicates, the prophets were told quite frankly--"the story is bigger than you. You are only in the first act." But minor roles can play major parts. Serug, Peleg, Shelah (Luke 3:35)- had no idea that their great, great, great. . . grandson would be the Savior of the world.

So God tells us a story and puts us in it. Though for most of us the roles are very small. But when we see that the goal of our faith is the transformation of who we are, and that in fact the very unfolding of this story is what makes this transformation possible, we become happy to play whatever role God may have for us.

The Becoming of Salvation

2007-10-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:9
". . .for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Do I take the job in California? Do I go for the PhD? Do I marry xxxx? All great questions. These answers will all determine where you will end up. "He will go far in life"--this means he will make it to the top. But this verse reorients everything. The goal of our faith, indeed the goal of life, is the salvation of our souls. Now, unfortunately, we can secularize this goal and approach it in much the same way we approach everything else. If life is about where we go, or where we end up, then we can view our faith through this lens as well. Faith becomes about getting "saved." Faith becomes about getting into heaven. Now, I certainly yearn for the unfathomable beauties of the next life. But this verse is talking about something that we receive now. "Receiving" in the original has the sense of an ongoing process. Salvation here is not simply a matter of where our soul goes, but what it becomes.

There is incredible freedom in the understanding that this life is not primarily about where we go but who we become. The question then is not "what great things will I do for the Lord in my life" but rather "will I become the kind of person who naturally does great things for God?" Will my branches strain and bend at the weight of the fruits of the Spirit? Will my words and actions be apples and oranges to a hungry and thirsty neighbor? This is the salvation of my soul. And such a soul will fit in well in heaven.

Pleasure and Pain

2007-10-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:4-9

Pragmatism is the philosophy of our age. Which means that philosophy is dead, because philosophy is the investigation of truth. And pragmatism doesn't care about truth. It cares about pleasure and pain. The question isn't "is it true" but "does it feel good." Seeking pleasure and avoiding pain certainly seems like a good idea. The problem is that it's too near-sighted. So when Peter says that in the Christian life we may have to "suffer grief in all kinds of trials" we begin to wonder if full surrender is the way to go. In fact, says Peter, these trials, it seems, are brought upon us intentionally as a way of testing our faith. Will we like Job be proven genuine followers of God? Will we praise Him in the midst of storms? Will we "love him when we don't see Him?"

There are certainly times when I can only wonder if my faith is genuine. Pastors have very pragmatic pressures to keep up the faith. So there can be a myriad of reasons to believe, none of which stem from a genuine faith. So we need testing. We need to be beat down. Our faith needs to be refined so that no impurities steal from the beauty of true faith. True, genuine faith gives what pragmatism cannot even dream of--"an inexpressible and glorious joy" that transcends both pleasure and pain.

This might at first sound almost Buddhist. But to transcend pleasure and pain in Buddhist thought is to extinguish desire and longing. Christian faith does not seek to minimize or extinguish desire and longing but rather to embrace both pain and pleasure head on--to praise God for the glorious ways in which the material world can stimulate us and in the midst of trials to draw strength from Him who does not even remove himself from pain but willingly identifies with us in our suffering.

Second Chance

2007-10-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 1:3 "Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"

I never do things right the first time. So when Eminem says "you only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo" (Can you hear me rapping?) I get nervous. Unfortunately, he is often right. There are those moments that come in life that may never come again, there may be no second chance. That interview that you blew. That catch that you dropped. That missed phone call. That time when you forgot the lyrics to a love song you wrote for 60 tri-delt girls. . .

But Peter is telling us here that God is a God of second chances. The Greek for "new birth" is literally "second birth." A second chance. This is a substantive difference between the world order and the kingdom order.

I find an important tension at work in the life of a believer. On one hand every moment is a moment given us by God to be used to extend his kingdom. Our days our short and we should take advantage of every opportunity. Carpe Diem. And yet at the same time we can rest in the peace that we don't have to live wondering and worrying if we've blown our only chance at the life we were supposed to have.

Grace to Obedience to Peace

2007-10-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

"To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throught Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood. Grace and peace be yours in abundance."
-1 Peter 1:1-2

I am chosen unto a life of obedience. I am chosen unto a life of obedience to Jesus. Who wants to be obedient? I thought when you turned 18 that was when you got to stop being obedient? But a child's obedience is for his own good. If he's got good parents, then his obedience is for his own good. The difference between a child and an adult is not that an adult doesn't have to be obedient any more--it's that he realizes that obedience is for his own good. That's what it means to grow up and become mature.

We are all a bunch of children who still don't get that obedience is abundance. Lord, I don't know how to be obedient. At every turn, in my mind, my heart, my actions I want to rebel. I can't do it.

"Grace and peace be yours in abundance. . ." Grace because I need it to be obedient--abundantly--peace, the fruit of my obedience. May the sanctifying work of Your Spirit move me to obedience.

Peace means harmony. All systems go. Everything in me operating in sync with myself and with the world. I feel so disjointed. So does the guy serving coffee. He must be new here. I asked for a cup of decaf and a cup of water. Not a hard order. But he needed me to repeat myself. He seemed rattled. Disjointed. Not at peace. He was really trying to be nice and I could tell he felt really stupid for not remembering my order 3 seconds after I ordered it. He's racing around right now filling coffee cups, smiling, trying to figure out the register. Lord give him grace that he might experience peace. Peace is the fruit of grace--give him both abundantly.

Names

2007-10-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

So I used up all the pages in my last journal. this is quite an accomplishment because I usually lose my journal before I finish it. I lose everything. My brother bought each of my family members a pen that he thought fit them well. For me he bought not one pen but a box of bic pens simply because he knew that if he bought me a nice pen--I'd lose it. Actually, he did buy me a nice pen once--a gift for being the best man in his wedding. I bought him a nice pen too, and so we had a talk about whether or not we were going to use the pens with the risk of losing them or if we'd lock them in a safe and never touch them so as to ensure their protection. We opted for the former, agreeing that whoever lost their pen first, the other person wouldn't get mad. He was true to his word--but he'll never buy me a nice pen again. Anyway, all of this is to say praise God for myspace, because now it's no longer my responsibility to keep track of my journal. I'll try this blogging thing out--sometimes I'll make them private and sometimes public because if you saw everything that went through my head it might scare you.

I'm embarking on a project today-- to read through 1 Peter devotionally. I expect that all bible reading should be done devotionally-- but what I mean is that my central purpose is not to simply "understand" what Peter is saying but rather for my reading of the text to draw me into the presence of God and for that encounter to change the way I think and act on a daily basis. No doubt the latter cannot be done without also doing the former. But, I imagine that there will be times when my reading of the text will stir up something in me which is not directly related to the concerns which Peter is addressing, and I'm not going to worry too much about it if this happens.

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. . ."

Who am I? Am I a musician? Am I a pastor? Am I a Worship pastor? Am I a Christian? Am I an American? Am I a Dave Matthews fan? Can I be so bold as to say that anything defines who I am? Or am I a random collection of biological and cultural influences? When I meet someone on the street I tell them that my name is Kevin. And that's it. "Hi, I'm Kevin." I suppose that's the normal way of greeting someone--but really, as I read this passage I realize that the way I greet people is pretty lame. What does that person know about me after such a greeting? I don't know what "Kevin" means. . . wait--let me look it up on google, I'll be right back. . .

. . .Sweet!!! p.atheresa from Yahoo Answers says that Kevin means "beautiful or handsome." Of course, when I go to introduce myself to someone they are already going to know that, so there's no need for me to rub it in!!!! "Shawna" from Yahoo Answers says that Kevin means "gentle or lovable." Am I? This seems like the kind of title that can only be given to someone after the fact. I mean really, when I was born my parents had no idea what kind of perosn I'd be--gentle or lovable--maybe dumb, mean, arrogant--how were they to know? Maybe we should start naming people not when they are born but when they die. Or at least we could have people vote at our funerals as to whether or not we lived up to the meaning of our name or if maybe we should alter it on the epitaph.

But I digress. Peter totally shows me up on how to do a greeting. Using only a few more words he is able to communicate the very heart of who he is. He is an apostle-- a messenger of Jesus Christ. That's who he is. That defines him. That's what his life is all about. Being a messenger implies of course that you have something to say. You have a message. This is very dangerous today. Nobody is supposed to have a message. It's arrogant to have a message. It's arrogant to assume that you know something that someone else doesn't. I wonder if that's what Peter means when he says that we are "strangers in the world." Already, from the get go, simply with his greeting he has shown himself to not be of this world-- certainly not of the relativistic world in which we live today.

Am I a messenger of Jesus Christ? Can I legitimately make that a part of my greeting? Does that define who I am? What will that look like today? I don't mean "today" like "in this day and age." But I mean TODAY. October 5, 2007. I'm at City Dock right now. At the very least, maybe I'll smile when ever I make eye contact with someone.