There are a lot of ways to get to Boston. We live on a sphere. If you have the resources you can even start out in the wrong the direction and still get there. There are a number ways you can achieve your career goals. There are even a lot of ways you can go about becoming my friend, but there is one important ingredient you must include in this last goal - me.
If we see the goal of Christianity as getting to heaven or being moral so God won't get mad at us or being able to answer some key questions correctly, then there could be a number of ways to achieve that goal. But Jesus told us his goal was to reconnect us with God, to establish the relationship of love that man and woman first experienced with God before they tried to become their own God.
Jesus came to build friendship with God. Since Jesus is God (the second person of the Trinity) that friendship can't happen without him. We can only take the stance that there are other ways to God only if we misunderstand the goal or misunderstand Jesus. Both happen often. It is important that our students understand Jesus' identity and the objective for our lives.
It may seem that the concept that Jesus is God is a given, especially in the church, but that would be wrong. The things that seem obvious are often skipped. I was involved in a two year class leading up to my confirmation (okay, I missed quite a few classes, but still...). One of the things I didn't learn was that Jesus was God. I suspect that it was seen as such a basic truth, it was assumed. It would be years before I learned that vital piece of intel.
Students need to understand why we believe Jesus is God, but I will leave that for a future blog.
One thing we need to guard against is making, as C. S. Lewis once said, second things look like first things. If we talk more about morals, heaven, politics, and social justice more than we talk about Jesus, then all these things will seem to be more important than Jesus. He can begin to seem to be a means to another end. You need Jesus so that (fill in the blank) can happen. That's backward. We need Jesus because he is everything: the Alpha and Omega, our beginning and our end. The rest is important, but it flows out of our relationship with Jesus. They are not the reason for our relationship with Jesus. They are second things.
When we forget this, secondary things become gods. They begin to lead and guide us instead of Christ.
There are many errors that can take place when second things are treated like first things, but one of the biggest is that we realize there are many ways to accomplish second things. If they become the ends, then Jesus becomes merely another competing means.
We see this today when political parties and agendas (both conservative and liberal) become central. When middle class values take the lead then the Scripture becomes a self-help guide (5 Steps to a Good Marriage, Eight Steps to Financial Freedom, Property Improvement for Christ, etc.). None of these issues are unimportant, but we have to ask if they are the tail wagging the dog.
It's easy to stray, but effective ministry to students is Jesus centered. If not, then we accidentally reinforce that Jesus is just one road to other goals.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
The "A" Word
"Young people today are apathetic." That often heard refrain is usually followed by self-centered and self-absorbed and always spoken as though it were some new insight on the state of society - and I don't believe it for a moment.
First, I'm not much of a fan of the "A" word. I believe it's my job to inspire the next generation. I need to introduce them to the love of Christ and spur them on to love and good works. Most of all, it's my job to introduce them to Jesus himself so he can reveal the hope his grace brings. That's not always easy and, sure, there will be the occasional slacker or-dare I say-sinner, but if the overall effect of my ministry is reflected in an apathetic response, then I need to re-evaluate what I'm doing. I don't allow myself or my co-workers the cop out of blaming student apathy for a lack of fruit.
Second, these words have been used to describe every group of teenagers from the mid-fifties to the present. Each generation seems to make the pronouncement forgetting that it was once made about them. The wisdom of descriptive cliches is questionable at best.
But the biggest reason I don't accept this time-worn description of today's youth is that I have spent time with them. This is not an apathetic bunch. It is true that they don't protest in the streets or make a big noise to make their demand heard but don't mistake that for apathy. The generation that is just now coming of age, just now entering our colleges and universities is a generation of builders.
They understand that the world is screwed up, but they lack faith in the ways previous generations have addressed the problem. Their solution is to quietly roll up their sleeves and work for change. This is a volunteer generation. Organizations such as Peace Corp have more volunteers than ever before. Students on campus are at work getting clean water and food to emerging nations. Many take their spring breaks to do physical work to improve the lives of others. I know students (many students) who have waited in line two days (two full days!) to get into one of the spring break relief trips that are organized by the university. Some high schools are offering after school clubs to write grants for the needy. Many schools now have volunteer clubs that do work within the community.
They don't spend a lot of time on protest, because they don't believe other people will fix the problem. If they want to see change, they must be responsible and act. Today's student is looking for more than moral philosophy and upbeat worship services (neither is bad). They want to see the church making a real difference in the world. They need activities that allow them to roll up their sleeves and serve. They need to experience their faith as more than study, as a way of life, as an investment of love.
The danger of describing any generation is that it will be a generalization. You will find many exceptions. The danger in ignoring the trends within a generation is that you may miss that generation and even alienate them.
Most of today's student want to make a difference. If your depiction of the gospel begins and ends with personal salvation and does not change the world, then don't expect it to be inspirational for today's students. The question I am most often asked is, "What difference does God make in the world?"
Jesus has come to establish his Kingdom. What does that mean? Personal salvation is the starting point of our discipleship, but our discipleship itself is the act of following Jesus as he continues to fulfill the work that was initiated with his resurrection and Pentecost. That work will not be finished until Jesus returns, but that doesn't mean that we can't make progress today
Jesus calls us to stop complaining and grumbling and, instead, roll up our sleeves and act through love and serve both those inside and outside the church. We need to include students in the work of bringing the Kingdom of God into this world. We need to be doing the kind of work we can ask students to roll up their sleeves and join in with. Then they will see what difference Jesus makes in the real world.
First, I'm not much of a fan of the "A" word. I believe it's my job to inspire the next generation. I need to introduce them to the love of Christ and spur them on to love and good works. Most of all, it's my job to introduce them to Jesus himself so he can reveal the hope his grace brings. That's not always easy and, sure, there will be the occasional slacker or-dare I say-sinner, but if the overall effect of my ministry is reflected in an apathetic response, then I need to re-evaluate what I'm doing. I don't allow myself or my co-workers the cop out of blaming student apathy for a lack of fruit.
Second, these words have been used to describe every group of teenagers from the mid-fifties to the present. Each generation seems to make the pronouncement forgetting that it was once made about them. The wisdom of descriptive cliches is questionable at best.
But the biggest reason I don't accept this time-worn description of today's youth is that I have spent time with them. This is not an apathetic bunch. It is true that they don't protest in the streets or make a big noise to make their demand heard but don't mistake that for apathy. The generation that is just now coming of age, just now entering our colleges and universities is a generation of builders.
They understand that the world is screwed up, but they lack faith in the ways previous generations have addressed the problem. Their solution is to quietly roll up their sleeves and work for change. This is a volunteer generation. Organizations such as Peace Corp have more volunteers than ever before. Students on campus are at work getting clean water and food to emerging nations. Many take their spring breaks to do physical work to improve the lives of others. I know students (many students) who have waited in line two days (two full days!) to get into one of the spring break relief trips that are organized by the university. Some high schools are offering after school clubs to write grants for the needy. Many schools now have volunteer clubs that do work within the community.
They don't spend a lot of time on protest, because they don't believe other people will fix the problem. If they want to see change, they must be responsible and act. Today's student is looking for more than moral philosophy and upbeat worship services (neither is bad). They want to see the church making a real difference in the world. They need activities that allow them to roll up their sleeves and serve. They need to experience their faith as more than study, as a way of life, as an investment of love.
The danger of describing any generation is that it will be a generalization. You will find many exceptions. The danger in ignoring the trends within a generation is that you may miss that generation and even alienate them.
Most of today's student want to make a difference. If your depiction of the gospel begins and ends with personal salvation and does not change the world, then don't expect it to be inspirational for today's students. The question I am most often asked is, "What difference does God make in the world?"
Jesus has come to establish his Kingdom. What does that mean? Personal salvation is the starting point of our discipleship, but our discipleship itself is the act of following Jesus as he continues to fulfill the work that was initiated with his resurrection and Pentecost. That work will not be finished until Jesus returns, but that doesn't mean that we can't make progress today
Jesus calls us to stop complaining and grumbling and, instead, roll up our sleeves and act through love and serve both those inside and outside the church. We need to include students in the work of bringing the Kingdom of God into this world. We need to be doing the kind of work we can ask students to roll up their sleeves and join in with. Then they will see what difference Jesus makes in the real world.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Nostalgia Kills Vision
There is one thing that I have little patience with and thats when people start talking about the good old days and how we need to bring them back. I'm in good company in this. It seems that God has little patience with this either. In Ecclesiastes 7:10 we read, "Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions." Not only is it not wise, but it is disastrous when ministering to emerging adults.
About nostalgia, Will Rogers once said, "Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was." Former UN Ambassador George Wildman Ball went straight to the point when he said, "Nostalgia is a selective liar." But perhaps Billy Joel said it best, "The good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow's not as bad as it seems." But worst of all, nostalgia forgets that time is a river. Each moment is unique, and there is no stepping back. To yearn for what cannot return just makes you sad, bitter, and ultimately hopeless.
Sin has been at work since Adam and Eve tried to become their own gods. Each generation looked nostalgically back to a illusionary,simpler time. Grumbling would appear to be an inalienable right of each generation if weren't for the fact that God calls us to stop complaining (Phil 2:14). There's nothing wrong with becoming old men (some say it can bring wisdom), but there is something wrong with becoming bitter, complaining, grumbling old men who are always talking about how good it used to be. God says it's foolish and to be avoided. In other words, such behavior is godless.
It's also uninspiring. The world is full of sin. It has been since the fall. It is into this world that we are called to minister the gospel and work to build the Kingdom of God. That work cannot be completed without the return of Jesus, but that doesn't mean that progress can't be made in the meantime. Too many students have heard that they turned up too late. All the good work of God is done, and it's all downhill from here. That may sound good to the hard and the bitter, but it only convinces the young that they need to find their inspiration elsewhere.
Nostalgia also makes it hard to hear from God. He works to meet the needs of every generation in the situation they find themselves in. There are great things that God has done in the past, and I can learn a great deal from them, but I don't expect him to work the same way in new situations. Jesus warned us that new grace requires new wineskins. His character is eternal, so I can count on that. On the other hand, God is creative. He will work differently to address different problems, different sins, different generations. We need to look forward to what God is building and not just backward to what he has already built. Too many past movements followed God as he revealed new wineskins only to later fold their arms and declare that what they experienced was the last word from God.
The question that is most asked on campus today is, what difference does Jesus really make in the world today? If we are looking backward and only find our hope there, then our answer has to be that Jesus makes no real difference. On the other hand, if we listen to Jesus, then we believe that he still changes lives and through changed lives transforms communities, and through changed communities transforms nations, and we have hope to inspire a new generation.
About nostalgia, Will Rogers once said, "Things ain't what they used to be and probably never was." Former UN Ambassador George Wildman Ball went straight to the point when he said, "Nostalgia is a selective liar." But perhaps Billy Joel said it best, "The good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow's not as bad as it seems." But worst of all, nostalgia forgets that time is a river. Each moment is unique, and there is no stepping back. To yearn for what cannot return just makes you sad, bitter, and ultimately hopeless.
Sin has been at work since Adam and Eve tried to become their own gods. Each generation looked nostalgically back to a illusionary,simpler time. Grumbling would appear to be an inalienable right of each generation if weren't for the fact that God calls us to stop complaining (Phil 2:14). There's nothing wrong with becoming old men (some say it can bring wisdom), but there is something wrong with becoming bitter, complaining, grumbling old men who are always talking about how good it used to be. God says it's foolish and to be avoided. In other words, such behavior is godless.
It's also uninspiring. The world is full of sin. It has been since the fall. It is into this world that we are called to minister the gospel and work to build the Kingdom of God. That work cannot be completed without the return of Jesus, but that doesn't mean that progress can't be made in the meantime. Too many students have heard that they turned up too late. All the good work of God is done, and it's all downhill from here. That may sound good to the hard and the bitter, but it only convinces the young that they need to find their inspiration elsewhere.
Nostalgia also makes it hard to hear from God. He works to meet the needs of every generation in the situation they find themselves in. There are great things that God has done in the past, and I can learn a great deal from them, but I don't expect him to work the same way in new situations. Jesus warned us that new grace requires new wineskins. His character is eternal, so I can count on that. On the other hand, God is creative. He will work differently to address different problems, different sins, different generations. We need to look forward to what God is building and not just backward to what he has already built. Too many past movements followed God as he revealed new wineskins only to later fold their arms and declare that what they experienced was the last word from God.
The question that is most asked on campus today is, what difference does Jesus really make in the world today? If we are looking backward and only find our hope there, then our answer has to be that Jesus makes no real difference. On the other hand, if we listen to Jesus, then we believe that he still changes lives and through changed lives transforms communities, and through changed communities transforms nations, and we have hope to inspire a new generation.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Practical Discipleship
We are disciples of Jesus, but we are to follow Jesus together. We are baptized into the body of Christ. We are personally responsible to God, but our life and growth is to take place in community. So, we can, and should, work together as we follow Jesus. We do this through teaching, encouragement, exhortation, love and service. If we take this seriously, then we are responsible to create a discipleship structure for students. It should be flexible, changing over time, but it should be planned.
During their grade school years, my kids were involved in a Follower's program at our church. The program was created by the education pastors. It involved one afternoon a week where the youth that wanted to be involved met together. They were assigned small groups with a college student or adult who led the group. They worshiped together, had a short teaching together, and then worked it out personally in the small group.
My kids loved it. The personal time and the answered questions were important (never underestimate the questions of a fourth grader). They built positive bonds with their small group leaders. They began to carry their Bibles around with them, read their assignments for the following week (yes, assignments), and eagerly looked forward to the next meeting.
Was it for everyone? No, and that's the point. There was a rather traditional youth group, but this was an option for families who were willing to invest a bit more in their children's growth. While it wasn't for everyone, the first cycle brought in about thirty kids. That's significant. It will be these students that will later have an impact on their peers.
There is plenty of material available for high school students and twenty-somethings. Much of it can be made applicable to middle school students with just a little work. We will have material coming out the ministry here a Boston in the near future, but for the present Intervarsity, Campus Crusade for Christ, and Navigators puts out a lot of quality material for small groups, classes, and one-to-ones. They all offer topical and inductive series that include both member and leader material.
Students who are ready need the opportunity to move forward in their faith. If we build all our programs for the lowest common denominator or with the goal of 100% involvement, then you are going to lose those with the greatest interest. Again, pastor the many, disciple the willing, the eager, and the faithful. If you do this, you will find that you have trained the next generation of leaders who will stand beside you and take the work of the gospel forward. That sure beats a generation of students who drop out because they are bored, never got their questions answered, and have come to believe that the church is just a moral, political action group trying to run the lives of others. I'll work to create disciples any day to stave off the alternative.
During their grade school years, my kids were involved in a Follower's program at our church. The program was created by the education pastors. It involved one afternoon a week where the youth that wanted to be involved met together. They were assigned small groups with a college student or adult who led the group. They worshiped together, had a short teaching together, and then worked it out personally in the small group.
My kids loved it. The personal time and the answered questions were important (never underestimate the questions of a fourth grader). They built positive bonds with their small group leaders. They began to carry their Bibles around with them, read their assignments for the following week (yes, assignments), and eagerly looked forward to the next meeting.
Was it for everyone? No, and that's the point. There was a rather traditional youth group, but this was an option for families who were willing to invest a bit more in their children's growth. While it wasn't for everyone, the first cycle brought in about thirty kids. That's significant. It will be these students that will later have an impact on their peers.
There is plenty of material available for high school students and twenty-somethings. Much of it can be made applicable to middle school students with just a little work. We will have material coming out the ministry here a Boston in the near future, but for the present Intervarsity, Campus Crusade for Christ, and Navigators puts out a lot of quality material for small groups, classes, and one-to-ones. They all offer topical and inductive series that include both member and leader material.
Students who are ready need the opportunity to move forward in their faith. If we build all our programs for the lowest common denominator or with the goal of 100% involvement, then you are going to lose those with the greatest interest. Again, pastor the many, disciple the willing, the eager, and the faithful. If you do this, you will find that you have trained the next generation of leaders who will stand beside you and take the work of the gospel forward. That sure beats a generation of students who drop out because they are bored, never got their questions answered, and have come to believe that the church is just a moral, political action group trying to run the lives of others. I'll work to create disciples any day to stave off the alternative.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Is It Real or Is It Photoshopped?
I have been telling my students at Boston University that the pictures they hold in their minds are important. They shape the way we interpret the world and our experiences. As a result, it's important to check their internal pictures against reality.
Quickly, picture the Pilgrims in your mind's eye. What are they wearing? The picture most of us will come up with is a group pressed in black with white cuffs and ruffles. The women will be wearing bonnets and then men will be wearing ridiculous tall hats with, of all things, belt buckles. We've seen them depicted like this often. Yet, they never dressed that way in reality.
In reality, they wore shirts and pants and dresses (the women anyway) in solid colors. Yes, they liked color. They wore single colors because they had not been able to bring looms over yet. The men wore hates, but they were mostly stocking caps. A few wore floppy brimmed hats. The women wore bonnets when they worked to keep their hair clean.
Where did our modern picture come from? The nineteenth century to be exact. The picture was created about the same time our modern picture of Santa Claus was formed. Both wore buckles because people thought they were quaint at the time and they looked good on greeting cards. The Pilgrims must have been especially quaint. They got an extra buckle on their hat.
Many of you were taught that people opposed Columbus' trip across the Atlantic because they thought the world was flat and they would fall off. I think this picture originated from a combination of lazy teachers and American cartoons (curse you Bugs Bunny). In fact, we have known that the world was round (or roundish) since the ancient Greeks. The math had long been worked out. The reason people opposed Columbus' expedition is that they thought his numbers were wrong, that he thought the world was too small. They feared his crew would starve. They were right. Columbus' math was extremely off. If there hadn't been an extra continent sitting there,that Columbus knew nothing about, his crew would have died.
The one that really bummed our students had to do with the Vikings. What do you think of when you think of Vikings? Helmets with horns of course! Yet, there is no evidence that Vikings ever attached horns to their headgear. I blame opera and, again, Bugs Bunny.
These are not earth shattering revisions, but they point to bigger things. How many of our pictures are wrong? Do you see Thomas Jefferson as a strong Christian? Do you know that he rewrote the New Testament and cut out the miracles of Jesus because he did not see Jesus as divine? Most Christians think their eternal future is in some etherial, and very Platonic, heaven while the Scriptures tell us we will be resurrected bodily to live together on a restored earth. This last, false picture has often led to a godless approach concerning our stewardship of God's creation and toward our investment in community.
Cultural pictures are strong, and our culture has volumes to say about Jesus. Most of these pictures were formed as an attempt to reform Jesus into our own image. If we don't replace these pictures with truth, then we are setting our students up for failure.
We need to be proactive in this and avoid reaction. Reactions have led to teaching about environmental stewardship, social justice, and science that are as atrocious as they are anti-Biblical.
I know I have been influenced by the pictures my culture has given me. That is why I continually seek to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). I then have the responsibility to pass that knowledge on (2 Tim. 2:2).
Quickly, picture the Pilgrims in your mind's eye. What are they wearing? The picture most of us will come up with is a group pressed in black with white cuffs and ruffles. The women will be wearing bonnets and then men will be wearing ridiculous tall hats with, of all things, belt buckles. We've seen them depicted like this often. Yet, they never dressed that way in reality.
In reality, they wore shirts and pants and dresses (the women anyway) in solid colors. Yes, they liked color. They wore single colors because they had not been able to bring looms over yet. The men wore hates, but they were mostly stocking caps. A few wore floppy brimmed hats. The women wore bonnets when they worked to keep their hair clean.
Where did our modern picture come from? The nineteenth century to be exact. The picture was created about the same time our modern picture of Santa Claus was formed. Both wore buckles because people thought they were quaint at the time and they looked good on greeting cards. The Pilgrims must have been especially quaint. They got an extra buckle on their hat.
Many of you were taught that people opposed Columbus' trip across the Atlantic because they thought the world was flat and they would fall off. I think this picture originated from a combination of lazy teachers and American cartoons (curse you Bugs Bunny). In fact, we have known that the world was round (or roundish) since the ancient Greeks. The math had long been worked out. The reason people opposed Columbus' expedition is that they thought his numbers were wrong, that he thought the world was too small. They feared his crew would starve. They were right. Columbus' math was extremely off. If there hadn't been an extra continent sitting there,that Columbus knew nothing about, his crew would have died.
The one that really bummed our students had to do with the Vikings. What do you think of when you think of Vikings? Helmets with horns of course! Yet, there is no evidence that Vikings ever attached horns to their headgear. I blame opera and, again, Bugs Bunny.
These are not earth shattering revisions, but they point to bigger things. How many of our pictures are wrong? Do you see Thomas Jefferson as a strong Christian? Do you know that he rewrote the New Testament and cut out the miracles of Jesus because he did not see Jesus as divine? Most Christians think their eternal future is in some etherial, and very Platonic, heaven while the Scriptures tell us we will be resurrected bodily to live together on a restored earth. This last, false picture has often led to a godless approach concerning our stewardship of God's creation and toward our investment in community.
Cultural pictures are strong, and our culture has volumes to say about Jesus. Most of these pictures were formed as an attempt to reform Jesus into our own image. If we don't replace these pictures with truth, then we are setting our students up for failure.
We need to be proactive in this and avoid reaction. Reactions have led to teaching about environmental stewardship, social justice, and science that are as atrocious as they are anti-Biblical.
I know I have been influenced by the pictures my culture has given me. That is why I continually seek to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). I then have the responsibility to pass that knowledge on (2 Tim. 2:2).
Monday, February 7, 2011
Why Emphasis Discipleship?
Whether we emphasis discipleship or not has a lot to do with how we define a living faith in God. Is faith static or dynamic? A set of beliefs or a life based on those beliefs? In both cases I think the latter is true.
While hosting the Academy Awards, Steve Martin admired one of the especially fit presenters. As she left the stage, he quipped, "I would do anything to look like that--except eat well and exercise." That was an insightful comment. We can admire all kinds of examples of virtue, success, and happiness, but if we don't invest ourselves, we will never experience what we admire.
Jesus makes a large numbers of pretty spectacular promises, but if we don't invest ourselves, if we don't follow him, we shouldn't expect to see those promises fulfilled in our lives. But wait! I thought everything from Jesus was a free gift. Doesn't that mean it's all up to him? What does Jesus actually say?
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:28
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
John 14:15
This is just a small sampling. Yes, salvation is a free gift from God. You can't earn it. You can only receive it. But Jesus does call us to follow him, to become his disciple. His Spirit gives us the power to change, but we still need to choose to follow. Jesus did not merely call us to a new belief. He called us to a new way of life, a new pathway that is to be walked with him. He is our guide, our strength, our power, and the one who transforms us, but he doesn't do this for the unwilling. We must walk the way to receive the blessings that Jesus brings into our lives.
Faith is trusting and living our theology. In the ancient world belief was never simply intellectual assent. They understood that we can say anything, but we act on what we actually believe. Show me someone's life, and I'll show you what they really believe.
I am not implying that my life is a perfect embodiment of obedience. Only Jesus pulled that off. The mark of a disciple is active learning and application of truth. It is a life dedicated to following Jesus as closely as possible. This is reflected in growth, grace, and a dedication to Jesus' work in the world. The operative word here is "active."
If our students don't define the Christian life in terms of discipleship they will be frustrated because Jesus doesn't seem to work in their lives. Jesus rescues us from a futile life by teaching us how to live as we were intended to live. If we choose to remain in the old futile life, then that life's fruit is what we will experience rather than God's blessings.
There is an intellectual side to our faith, and it should not be ignored. Theology informs us about God and the life he has set before us. Discipleship is the act of trusting that information and letting it inform and shape our lives.
The added gift of discipleship is that it is not something we do alone. Ultimately, we are disciples of Christ, but it is never just me and Jesus. We are baptized into the body of Christ when we are baptized into Jesus. Our life with Christ is to be communal. We are not expected to walk alone without assistance. In fact to do so is to be a poor disciple. As an American, I might be enamored by the ideal of the rugged individual, the strong, silent stranger, but make no mistake, those are not ideals that Jesus values. Our walk with Christ is not be a solitary one.
If discipleship is not a central component of youth and young adult education, then don't expect them to make a smooth transition to adulthood with their faith intact. But that's only natural. Our approaches seldom works as well as Jesus'.
While hosting the Academy Awards, Steve Martin admired one of the especially fit presenters. As she left the stage, he quipped, "I would do anything to look like that--except eat well and exercise." That was an insightful comment. We can admire all kinds of examples of virtue, success, and happiness, but if we don't invest ourselves, we will never experience what we admire.
Jesus makes a large numbers of pretty spectacular promises, but if we don't invest ourselves, if we don't follow him, we shouldn't expect to see those promises fulfilled in our lives. But wait! I thought everything from Jesus was a free gift. Doesn't that mean it's all up to him? What does Jesus actually say?
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20
"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:28
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
John 14:15
This is just a small sampling. Yes, salvation is a free gift from God. You can't earn it. You can only receive it. But Jesus does call us to follow him, to become his disciple. His Spirit gives us the power to change, but we still need to choose to follow. Jesus did not merely call us to a new belief. He called us to a new way of life, a new pathway that is to be walked with him. He is our guide, our strength, our power, and the one who transforms us, but he doesn't do this for the unwilling. We must walk the way to receive the blessings that Jesus brings into our lives.
Faith is trusting and living our theology. In the ancient world belief was never simply intellectual assent. They understood that we can say anything, but we act on what we actually believe. Show me someone's life, and I'll show you what they really believe.
I am not implying that my life is a perfect embodiment of obedience. Only Jesus pulled that off. The mark of a disciple is active learning and application of truth. It is a life dedicated to following Jesus as closely as possible. This is reflected in growth, grace, and a dedication to Jesus' work in the world. The operative word here is "active."
If our students don't define the Christian life in terms of discipleship they will be frustrated because Jesus doesn't seem to work in their lives. Jesus rescues us from a futile life by teaching us how to live as we were intended to live. If we choose to remain in the old futile life, then that life's fruit is what we will experience rather than God's blessings.
There is an intellectual side to our faith, and it should not be ignored. Theology informs us about God and the life he has set before us. Discipleship is the act of trusting that information and letting it inform and shape our lives.
The added gift of discipleship is that it is not something we do alone. Ultimately, we are disciples of Christ, but it is never just me and Jesus. We are baptized into the body of Christ when we are baptized into Jesus. Our life with Christ is to be communal. We are not expected to walk alone without assistance. In fact to do so is to be a poor disciple. As an American, I might be enamored by the ideal of the rugged individual, the strong, silent stranger, but make no mistake, those are not ideals that Jesus values. Our walk with Christ is not be a solitary one.
If discipleship is not a central component of youth and young adult education, then don't expect them to make a smooth transition to adulthood with their faith intact. But that's only natural. Our approaches seldom works as well as Jesus'.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Conversion or Submission?
Is the goal of discipleship conversion or submission? This is an important question. It shapes the way we do ministry, what we call people to, and how we see ourselves.
Conversion and submission are linked when we consider our life with God himself. He is our Creator and we are his creatures. His wisdom and love are perfect, and while we are to wrestle with God to understand them, we never stand in judgment of his wisdom. We submit to it. But when we come to our role in the discipleship of one another, conversion and submission need to rethought.
"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mat. 20:26-28)" Christian lead from a posture of humility and service. Instead of asking people to submit to our authority, we work to help people work through the teachings of Christ until they own them for themselves. We direct them to Jesus' authority and ask them to wrestle through their issues with him. In the end, only God can change a heart. This process of teaching, service, and prodding people to wrestle with God is the heart of discipleship. This is also the reason that discipleship requires relational interaction.
We can teach in a classroom or worship setting. We can inspire in the same setting. But if discipleship is the process of helping someone transform their worldview by applying theology to his or her life, then that process must be much more personal. A relationship of trust, service, confidentiality, and commitment is necessary. This can happen on a one-to-one basis or in a small committed group, but it seldom happens on the classroom or worship service level.
Can people grow and develop without this kind of discipleship opportunity? Sure, but why should they have to struggle on their own when Jesus' own model is so much more effective and caring.
Creating these opportunities for youth and young adults is very important. They are going through a great deal of change, confronting new challenges, gaining new insights and ideas, and having to make very important choices for the first time. They need a relationship or set of relationships that they can go to in order to be heard, encouraged, and exhorted. The body of Christ is meant to grow together and to bear each others burdens.
The reason I started with the question of conversion or submission is that if we disciple from an authoritarian position--just do what I tell you because I'm an authority--we build an environment where few will truly be open about their struggles and their doubts. If you can't get to the issues of someone's life because they feel it will be dismissed with a simple, authoritarian answer, then you are unlikely to see conversion. Instead, you will see the power of peer pressure. They will act and talk the way you want while you're in the room, but they will live their convictions (or lack thereof) when your gone.
Conversion and submission are linked when we consider our life with God himself. He is our Creator and we are his creatures. His wisdom and love are perfect, and while we are to wrestle with God to understand them, we never stand in judgment of his wisdom. We submit to it. But when we come to our role in the discipleship of one another, conversion and submission need to rethought.
"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mat. 20:26-28)" Christian lead from a posture of humility and service. Instead of asking people to submit to our authority, we work to help people work through the teachings of Christ until they own them for themselves. We direct them to Jesus' authority and ask them to wrestle through their issues with him. In the end, only God can change a heart. This process of teaching, service, and prodding people to wrestle with God is the heart of discipleship. This is also the reason that discipleship requires relational interaction.
We can teach in a classroom or worship setting. We can inspire in the same setting. But if discipleship is the process of helping someone transform their worldview by applying theology to his or her life, then that process must be much more personal. A relationship of trust, service, confidentiality, and commitment is necessary. This can happen on a one-to-one basis or in a small committed group, but it seldom happens on the classroom or worship service level.
Can people grow and develop without this kind of discipleship opportunity? Sure, but why should they have to struggle on their own when Jesus' own model is so much more effective and caring.
Creating these opportunities for youth and young adults is very important. They are going through a great deal of change, confronting new challenges, gaining new insights and ideas, and having to make very important choices for the first time. They need a relationship or set of relationships that they can go to in order to be heard, encouraged, and exhorted. The body of Christ is meant to grow together and to bear each others burdens.
The reason I started with the question of conversion or submission is that if we disciple from an authoritarian position--just do what I tell you because I'm an authority--we build an environment where few will truly be open about their struggles and their doubts. If you can't get to the issues of someone's life because they feel it will be dismissed with a simple, authoritarian answer, then you are unlikely to see conversion. Instead, you will see the power of peer pressure. They will act and talk the way you want while you're in the room, but they will live their convictions (or lack thereof) when your gone.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Discipling the Faithful
Discipleship is the life-blood of our ministry on campus. We see the greatest results when we take the time to train the faithful to join us in the work of ministry. This means extra investment in helping students learn theology and then working with them as they apply it to their lives transforming their worldview. But this is not for everyone, and that is one of it's strengths.
Too often youth ministry is aimed at the lowest common denominator. How can I get as many youth as possible involved and keep them involved? This may seem wise in the short run, but it will fail in the long run.
When you shoot for the lowest common denominator and aim at the reluctant, you will bore the interested and the faithful. You will lose them. You also send a clear signal: there is no reward to be found in being faithful. If the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, then you will reproduce squeaky wheels.
I think it is wiser to pastor the many and to disciple the few. I will always be involved in outreach, but outreach needs good discipleship if you are to preserve the fruit of evangelism. I will go out of my way to give extra attention to those who show real interest and effort. By doing that, I reveal that I respect and honor my student's desire to draw closer to God.
I have a purposeful two-tiered approach to my pastoring. It is not based on popularity or natural talents but on eagerness to grow and faithfulness. It is not favoritism. It is wisdom.
Discipleship emphasizes the priesthood of all believers, the fact that every Christian is a minister (or lazy or disobedient). Ephesians 4:11 tells me that my job is to equip believers to do the work of the ministry. I am not the only minister present. Every faithful believer is to be a minister. When I take time to disciple the faithful, I am investing in them to help with the work I am involved in. On one hand, this reflects the value Jesus has given them (we are now friends and not merely servants because we are fully involved). On the other hand, my time will eventually pay off as students begin to reach and train their peers.
Through small groups and special training I give the faithful additional training and opportunities that would not be available if everything I did was always directed at everyone (the uninterested and the reluctant). I will still reach out to the resistant, but I need to reward and train the faithful. If I don't, I send all the wrong messages to those I have been entrusted to care for.
Too much of our ministry looks like the Discovery Channel. The Discovery Channel puts out some good programing, but it's always only an introduction to whatever fascinating topic they are covering. There is a reason for that. They can't count on any of their audience having seen prior shows. They don't want to lose anyone, so they never build to the next step. That's a shame because some of the best information comes after the introduction.
We get past this trap when we pastor the many and disciple the few. We have the introductory material and the follow-up. This requires a two-tier strategy. It requires some additional time and investment, but even if it only birthed one co-worker a year it would be worth it. But it wouldn't just yield just one co-worker a year for long. Peers best reach peers. If you disciple students, they will reach students.
If all this sounds a bit familiar, it's because this is the way Jesus started. Interestingly enough, it's not how most churches or youth groups operate. Perhaps that's part of the reason we see the modern church in decline. If it was good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for me.
Next time I'll suggest some ways to apply discipleship.
Too often youth ministry is aimed at the lowest common denominator. How can I get as many youth as possible involved and keep them involved? This may seem wise in the short run, but it will fail in the long run.
When you shoot for the lowest common denominator and aim at the reluctant, you will bore the interested and the faithful. You will lose them. You also send a clear signal: there is no reward to be found in being faithful. If the squeaky wheel always gets the grease, then you will reproduce squeaky wheels.
I think it is wiser to pastor the many and to disciple the few. I will always be involved in outreach, but outreach needs good discipleship if you are to preserve the fruit of evangelism. I will go out of my way to give extra attention to those who show real interest and effort. By doing that, I reveal that I respect and honor my student's desire to draw closer to God.
I have a purposeful two-tiered approach to my pastoring. It is not based on popularity or natural talents but on eagerness to grow and faithfulness. It is not favoritism. It is wisdom.
Discipleship emphasizes the priesthood of all believers, the fact that every Christian is a minister (or lazy or disobedient). Ephesians 4:11 tells me that my job is to equip believers to do the work of the ministry. I am not the only minister present. Every faithful believer is to be a minister. When I take time to disciple the faithful, I am investing in them to help with the work I am involved in. On one hand, this reflects the value Jesus has given them (we are now friends and not merely servants because we are fully involved). On the other hand, my time will eventually pay off as students begin to reach and train their peers.
Through small groups and special training I give the faithful additional training and opportunities that would not be available if everything I did was always directed at everyone (the uninterested and the reluctant). I will still reach out to the resistant, but I need to reward and train the faithful. If I don't, I send all the wrong messages to those I have been entrusted to care for.
Too much of our ministry looks like the Discovery Channel. The Discovery Channel puts out some good programing, but it's always only an introduction to whatever fascinating topic they are covering. There is a reason for that. They can't count on any of their audience having seen prior shows. They don't want to lose anyone, so they never build to the next step. That's a shame because some of the best information comes after the introduction.
We get past this trap when we pastor the many and disciple the few. We have the introductory material and the follow-up. This requires a two-tier strategy. It requires some additional time and investment, but even if it only birthed one co-worker a year it would be worth it. But it wouldn't just yield just one co-worker a year for long. Peers best reach peers. If you disciple students, they will reach students.
If all this sounds a bit familiar, it's because this is the way Jesus started. Interestingly enough, it's not how most churches or youth groups operate. Perhaps that's part of the reason we see the modern church in decline. If it was good enough for Jesus, then it's good enough for me.
Next time I'll suggest some ways to apply discipleship.
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