Does your campus outreach, youth group, church reward the faithful? We've all heard the saying, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you live by that saying than you are going to end up with a lot of squeaky wheels. You build what you focus on.
The problem with a one-size-fits-all approach to ministry is that it always descends to the lowest common denominator. If you want to build strong disciples, if you want your youth to maintain their faith into adulthood, you need to offer additional opportunities for the faithful.
This was central to Jesus' personal ministry. He preached to the multitudes, he pastored many, but he poured himself into the faithful. This group included the apostles, but it didn't end there. He also gave extra time to Mary and Martha, his mother, and several other faithful women. We hear of one group of seventy-two that Jesus trained in outreach (Luke 10:72). Individuals from these groups traveled with him, shared meals and campfires, and were offered additional training and opportunities.
I care for the fringe and the lost. I want to see people transformed for the first time, but those who have been reached must be rooted in their faith and equipped to minister. Anything less is failure.
Failure? That seems like a strong statement, but look at Jesus' command. He didn't command us to make converts. That's not enough. He called us to make disciples. Outreach is not complete until the convert is ministering at your side. Effective ministry is not measured by the public activity of a leader. It's measured by the fruit of those he or she disciples (Mat 28:18-20).
You set the bar low, and you will not be disappointed. On the other hand, if you set the bar higher, reward faithfulness by giving the faithful more attention, you are likely to be pleasantly surprised and more people will be reached because you will have created a partner and a coworker.
Students that come out of this kind of background will become influencers rather than the influenced, and they will survive into an adult faith. Jesus pastored the many, but he poured himself into the faithful. We should do nothing less.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Are You Working for the Wrong Side?
It's when we fight the world's systems that we are most likely to be controlled by them. This is a hidden danger that we don't often recognize and many in the church have fallen to it.
We are to fight the systems of this world. Not for the sake of the fight but to free those who have been held captive by these systems, actions, and beliefs. This is an important distinction. If we lose it than our battle turns on people (flesh and blood) rather on the spiritual powers that create the deception (Eph 6:12). We begin to destroy people rather than strongholds. Sadly, that has too often been the practice today, and the gospel has been disgraced. But even when our focus is right, we are open to manipulation.
When we confront the beliefs and systems of the world, we must begin by stepping back and consulting with God first. The powers and principalities that entrap and deceive don't play fair. If they only lied, they would be easy to confront, but they make the task harder by mixing truth in with their deceptions. If we simply react before we consult with God, then we will inevitably throw the baby out with the bath water. We will reject the truth along with the error, and that is just what the enemy wants. He wants to unconsciously recruit us to his cause by tricking us into opposing truth as well as error.
God taught us the principles that led to scientific method, but because some people have misused science to try to prove there is no God, many Christians have rejected those God-given principles. The Scriptures have a great deal to say about the stewardship of nature, but because some extreme environmentalists have tried to diminish humanity through distortions of Biblical principles, many Christians have rejected Biblical stewardship. Even though social justice is perhaps the most reoccurring theme in both the Old and New Testaments, because some people have attempted to build new systems of justice based on worldly opinion, many Christian oppose social justice in general.
In each case, Christians have become pawns of the enemy when they thought they were doing the right thing. Why? Because they didn't stop first and consult with God. We must go to Scripture and test the challenges. We must separate the truth from error, so that we don't throw away God's truth while opposing the enemy's lies.
I know it's tempting to say that the issues are so important that we can't waste time with things like study. The perceived urgency of the moment is one of the enemy's greatest weapons. Who or what is in charge? Does the situation or God rule our lives? If it's God, then we can afford the time to consult with him. Not just try to find a few proof texts to support our preconceived ideas, but time to wrestle with the truth. God honors those who put in the time. The apostle Paul gives us a great example: "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11)
We live in a fast food world, and I think that has rubbed off on us. God's truths are not self-evident. Sin has blinded us. It takes work to throw off worldly common sense and replace it with the wisdom and knowledge of God. Too many today try to take on the world while their Bibles and theology texts gather dust. When that happens, God is no longer in control. Satan is now leading us by the nose as we react to his carefully laid plans. It's past time to repent and do the hard work of reclaiming God's truth and put away the false, fast food theologies of reaction.
We are to fight the systems of this world. Not for the sake of the fight but to free those who have been held captive by these systems, actions, and beliefs. This is an important distinction. If we lose it than our battle turns on people (flesh and blood) rather on the spiritual powers that create the deception (Eph 6:12). We begin to destroy people rather than strongholds. Sadly, that has too often been the practice today, and the gospel has been disgraced. But even when our focus is right, we are open to manipulation.
When we confront the beliefs and systems of the world, we must begin by stepping back and consulting with God first. The powers and principalities that entrap and deceive don't play fair. If they only lied, they would be easy to confront, but they make the task harder by mixing truth in with their deceptions. If we simply react before we consult with God, then we will inevitably throw the baby out with the bath water. We will reject the truth along with the error, and that is just what the enemy wants. He wants to unconsciously recruit us to his cause by tricking us into opposing truth as well as error.
God taught us the principles that led to scientific method, but because some people have misused science to try to prove there is no God, many Christians have rejected those God-given principles. The Scriptures have a great deal to say about the stewardship of nature, but because some extreme environmentalists have tried to diminish humanity through distortions of Biblical principles, many Christians have rejected Biblical stewardship. Even though social justice is perhaps the most reoccurring theme in both the Old and New Testaments, because some people have attempted to build new systems of justice based on worldly opinion, many Christian oppose social justice in general.
In each case, Christians have become pawns of the enemy when they thought they were doing the right thing. Why? Because they didn't stop first and consult with God. We must go to Scripture and test the challenges. We must separate the truth from error, so that we don't throw away God's truth while opposing the enemy's lies.
I know it's tempting to say that the issues are so important that we can't waste time with things like study. The perceived urgency of the moment is one of the enemy's greatest weapons. Who or what is in charge? Does the situation or God rule our lives? If it's God, then we can afford the time to consult with him. Not just try to find a few proof texts to support our preconceived ideas, but time to wrestle with the truth. God honors those who put in the time. The apostle Paul gives us a great example: "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11)
We live in a fast food world, and I think that has rubbed off on us. God's truths are not self-evident. Sin has blinded us. It takes work to throw off worldly common sense and replace it with the wisdom and knowledge of God. Too many today try to take on the world while their Bibles and theology texts gather dust. When that happens, God is no longer in control. Satan is now leading us by the nose as we react to his carefully laid plans. It's past time to repent and do the hard work of reclaiming God's truth and put away the false, fast food theologies of reaction.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
The Power of Grace on 9-11
Swift, mindless, and violent retribution. That's what tends to come to mind when everything we love is put into danger. From Walking Tall to The Patriot the message from Hollywood is that you hurt those who endanger you and yours, and that revenge is justified and noble. I'm thankful that on 9-11, I saw behavior that looked nothing like Hollywood. On that day and the days that followed there was a vision of hope on campuses as well.
I had been in the D. C. area for about a week conducting outreaches on several campuses. Harvey and Sally Herman were city directors there, and I was staying at their place. That morning a prayer meeting was scheduled and campus missionaries had begun to arrive. I fired up my trusty MacBook and logged onto AOL (yes, those were some of the early days of the Internet). As the welcome screen came up, there was a picture of one of the World Trade Centers and the now famous gaping, smoking hole. We turned on the television just as the second tower was struck. There was the Pentagon strike, close enough that we heard and felt the impact, and the nervous hours until all the remaining planes were accounted for.
The prayer meeting went on, but the agenda had radically changed.
The images of destruction will never be forgotten. The collapsing towers, the sight of the Pentagon smoking for several days, the military personnel who could bear to look as we passed the broken building, and the military Humvees on every corner. But it was the student response that was a hopeful surprise.
Very quickly after the disaster there was a fear of violent retribution toward anyone of Middle Eastern descent. The first reports, though, were not of violence but of American students seeking out Middle Eastern students to form protective shields for them. In most cases, those were Christian students.
There was a need for food, clothing, and blankets for those displaced by the disaster. College students went to work and had begun collecting supplies while most of the country was still sorting out what had happened.
Chaplains on campus began collecting people together to process what had happen. I was part of a crowd of thousands at American University. Around me I could hear people talking about family members and friends that worked in the Trade Center or the Pentagon that had not been heard from. I heard people remark that they had been bumped off the fatal flight from D.C. I was amazed by the close connection between D.C. and the people of New York. This was personal.
The Christian and Jewish chaplains worked together with the Islamic chaplain. The goal that day among Christians was to make sure that Jesus' teachings were upheld: "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mat 5:43-48) It is interesting that it was people of faith who did the most to comfort, unite, and mobilize people on campus.
I returned to American University one year later to publicly discuss the differences between Islam and Christianity with an Imam. The strongest difference is that the god of Islam is a god of justice and judgement that will never be close or intimate with his followers - grace and mercy should not be expected. While Jesus so loved us that he got as close as possible to and demonstrated both justice and mercy by paying the price of sin through his own life. What I will remember about those first days after 9-11 is that the grace and mercy of Jesus was shown to be more powerful in a disaster than prejudice, hatred, and revenge. Hollywood was wrong and Jesus was right.
I had been in the D. C. area for about a week conducting outreaches on several campuses. Harvey and Sally Herman were city directors there, and I was staying at their place. That morning a prayer meeting was scheduled and campus missionaries had begun to arrive. I fired up my trusty MacBook and logged onto AOL (yes, those were some of the early days of the Internet). As the welcome screen came up, there was a picture of one of the World Trade Centers and the now famous gaping, smoking hole. We turned on the television just as the second tower was struck. There was the Pentagon strike, close enough that we heard and felt the impact, and the nervous hours until all the remaining planes were accounted for.
The prayer meeting went on, but the agenda had radically changed.
The images of destruction will never be forgotten. The collapsing towers, the sight of the Pentagon smoking for several days, the military personnel who could bear to look as we passed the broken building, and the military Humvees on every corner. But it was the student response that was a hopeful surprise.
Very quickly after the disaster there was a fear of violent retribution toward anyone of Middle Eastern descent. The first reports, though, were not of violence but of American students seeking out Middle Eastern students to form protective shields for them. In most cases, those were Christian students.
There was a need for food, clothing, and blankets for those displaced by the disaster. College students went to work and had begun collecting supplies while most of the country was still sorting out what had happened.
Chaplains on campus began collecting people together to process what had happen. I was part of a crowd of thousands at American University. Around me I could hear people talking about family members and friends that worked in the Trade Center or the Pentagon that had not been heard from. I heard people remark that they had been bumped off the fatal flight from D.C. I was amazed by the close connection between D.C. and the people of New York. This was personal.
The Christian and Jewish chaplains worked together with the Islamic chaplain. The goal that day among Christians was to make sure that Jesus' teachings were upheld: "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mat 5:43-48) It is interesting that it was people of faith who did the most to comfort, unite, and mobilize people on campus.
I returned to American University one year later to publicly discuss the differences between Islam and Christianity with an Imam. The strongest difference is that the god of Islam is a god of justice and judgement that will never be close or intimate with his followers - grace and mercy should not be expected. While Jesus so loved us that he got as close as possible to and demonstrated both justice and mercy by paying the price of sin through his own life. What I will remember about those first days after 9-11 is that the grace and mercy of Jesus was shown to be more powerful in a disaster than prejudice, hatred, and revenge. Hollywood was wrong and Jesus was right.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Of Orange Trees and Theology
I have eaten oranges and consumed orange juice all my life, and yesterday I learned I knew almost nothing about oranges and what little I knew was wrong. I began reading John McPhee's book, Oranges, yesterday. McPhee is one of America's greatest nonfiction writers. I wanted to learn from his writing style, so I chose Oranges because I wanted to see how he could sustain the reader's interest through a whole book on just one fruit. The answer? Oranges are pretty interesting
How can something so familiar be so unknown? I never questioned the existence of oranges, where they came from, how they work into human history, or ever what color they are (Orange right? It's right there in the name, right? Turns out thats not really the case)? Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I can guarantee that cat's short life was richer for the exploration. And what kind of society are we that we made up such a morbid saying about the desire to know more? And whose cat was it anyway?
What's true of oranges is true about a great many things, including theology. If you don't ask questions, dig deeper, and risk an untimely, feline death, then the Christian faith and the things of God seem pretty dull after a while, and the dullness is infective. I am surprised about the lack of hunger to learn more about God, the Scripture, and the history of the Christian faith that I see around me today. But it is understandable. Many sermons, Christian classes, and books are little more than self-help guides, moral lists, and dry Cliff Notes versions of Divine truth.
Who wants Cliff Notes when they can have Shakespeare? Actually, that's easy. The uninspired, the lazy, and the mediocre. The people who are content to have what is given to them by others but never question for themselves. Toadstools rather than explorers. People who waste their life watching other people go through the motions on reality shows rather than experience life for themselves.
That sounds a bit harsh, but that is the legacy our ministries leave unless we are willing to bring the fact forward, unless we are willing to dig deeper to have more to offer, unless we welcome and encourage questions.
Did you know that ripe oranges are not necessarily ripe? An orange needs a cold spell in order to turn the color orange, but that has nothing to with its ripeness. In fact, oranges are one of the few fruits that can only ripen on a tree. It doesn't contain the starches that apples and pears have that allow them to ripen after they are picked. So if you avoid green oranges in the store, you are passing up perfectly ripe oranges. In fact, some oranges turn the color orange and then go back to green as they ripen. That's a meaningful fruit fact. It could keep you from starving in an orchard of green oranges.
Did you know the Christian faith got it's start in cities? That the wealthy and educated were among the early converts? That the early church warned people strongly against taking the Genesis creation account as a scientific, literal picture of how God created the earth and man(while affirming God as Creator)? Do you know how the religious festivals that were a backdrop to most of Jesus' public miracles deepened the meaning of those miracles? Did you know that Moses' body was taken up into heaven by an angel (One of four bodily ascensions into heaven? The other three were still alive. Lucky them).
The wonder is in the detail not the generalizations and the quick and easy outlines. Writers such as N. T. Wright and John Walton (The Lost World of Genesis One) are good at bringing these details to bear and there are many more authors that I will recommend later. Unlike that unfortunate feline, curiosity about God brings revelation, knowledge, life, and enough fascination for several lifetimes. Why settle for less?
How can something so familiar be so unknown? I never questioned the existence of oranges, where they came from, how they work into human history, or ever what color they are (Orange right? It's right there in the name, right? Turns out thats not really the case)? Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I can guarantee that cat's short life was richer for the exploration. And what kind of society are we that we made up such a morbid saying about the desire to know more? And whose cat was it anyway?
What's true of oranges is true about a great many things, including theology. If you don't ask questions, dig deeper, and risk an untimely, feline death, then the Christian faith and the things of God seem pretty dull after a while, and the dullness is infective. I am surprised about the lack of hunger to learn more about God, the Scripture, and the history of the Christian faith that I see around me today. But it is understandable. Many sermons, Christian classes, and books are little more than self-help guides, moral lists, and dry Cliff Notes versions of Divine truth.
Who wants Cliff Notes when they can have Shakespeare? Actually, that's easy. The uninspired, the lazy, and the mediocre. The people who are content to have what is given to them by others but never question for themselves. Toadstools rather than explorers. People who waste their life watching other people go through the motions on reality shows rather than experience life for themselves.
That sounds a bit harsh, but that is the legacy our ministries leave unless we are willing to bring the fact forward, unless we are willing to dig deeper to have more to offer, unless we welcome and encourage questions.
Did you know that ripe oranges are not necessarily ripe? An orange needs a cold spell in order to turn the color orange, but that has nothing to with its ripeness. In fact, oranges are one of the few fruits that can only ripen on a tree. It doesn't contain the starches that apples and pears have that allow them to ripen after they are picked. So if you avoid green oranges in the store, you are passing up perfectly ripe oranges. In fact, some oranges turn the color orange and then go back to green as they ripen. That's a meaningful fruit fact. It could keep you from starving in an orchard of green oranges.
Did you know the Christian faith got it's start in cities? That the wealthy and educated were among the early converts? That the early church warned people strongly against taking the Genesis creation account as a scientific, literal picture of how God created the earth and man(while affirming God as Creator)? Do you know how the religious festivals that were a backdrop to most of Jesus' public miracles deepened the meaning of those miracles? Did you know that Moses' body was taken up into heaven by an angel (One of four bodily ascensions into heaven? The other three were still alive. Lucky them).
The wonder is in the detail not the generalizations and the quick and easy outlines. Writers such as N. T. Wright and John Walton (The Lost World of Genesis One) are good at bringing these details to bear and there are many more authors that I will recommend later. Unlike that unfortunate feline, curiosity about God brings revelation, knowledge, life, and enough fascination for several lifetimes. Why settle for less?
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Reinventing Jesus in Our Own Image
Selective Attention: to focus on those things that are consistent with our opinions, beliefs, attitudes, and felt needs.
It's how we are wired. We can't take everything in at once, so our brain edits what's around us to make it manageable. Without this mechanism, we would be so overwhelmed with information as we raced down the freeway that survival would be questionable. Unfortunately, selective attention is always at work trying to shape Jesus to meet our expectations.
Ask someone to draw a picture of Jesus and they will draw a Jesus that looks like them. He will be black or white, Asian or European, barefoot or sandaled, clean shaven or bearded based on what the budding artist is familiar with. Selective attention has led to the familiar portrait of a blue-eyed, light-haired, pale-skinned Jesus that could never have been of middle-east birth. In many cases this is harmless, but in others this distortion has left racism unchallenged.
Labels such as conservative, liberal, traditional, radical, and middle of the road can be dangerous when we are approaching Jesus and the Scripture. First, they are vague, confusing labels that mean radically different things to different people, but their greatest danger comes from the fact that they are all social labels that are culturally informed by the times we are living in. Cultural expectations are formed by what we already know. Jesus' wisdom is based on eternal truth that we are still learning. Culturally conditioned faith fosters the belief that we have already captured the truth, but the apostle Paul tells us that living faith involves an ongoing activity of taking off the old man with his old understanding and assumptions, and putting on the new man as Jesus continually reveals himself (Eph 4:22, Col 3:9,10).
Are you stuck in a rut? Has it been a long time since you have been surprised by something Jesus said? A long time since you have disagreed with something in Scripture and had to wrestle it out with God? If so, then you have been making Jesus in your own image. If you doubt this could happen to you, then you underestimate our tendency to wander and the deceptiveness of sin.
We need to be surprised by God. We need to wrestle with Jesus as our prejudice is confronted. We need this because Jesus brings a liberation that leads to love, joy, peace - and a meaningful life. We may feel safe with what is comfortable, but it's a trap set up by the enemy. He loves us to be comfortable if comfort acts as a cage to keep us from God.
So how do we escape selective attention? I'll suggest three ways, though I'm sure there are more.
1) Study the Scripture with others. Small group Bible studies mean there are more eyes on the page, more chances of seeing what we usually miss. This is especially true if you make sure the members of the study are from different backgrounds, professions, and even racial groups.
2) Read Christian authors who have stood the test of time. Most of the Christian books written today will not be remembered again after six months. That's because they merely reflect our time and prejudice. They just tickle our itching ears. But some books last because they convey eternal truth in a way that has been challenging and accessible to several generations. Add some of them to your reading list.
3) Break the bubble. We tend to listen to and read people we already agree with. Let yourself be challenged by other voices. You may still disagree after you have heard them out, but you will have gained something. No one is completely wrong, so you will take away some truth, but more importantly, you will come to Scripture with new questions. New questions always bring a positive response from God.
You may have noticed that Scripture has been at the center of this discussion. That's because without the regular study of Scripture you will be trapped in your preconceptions, and you will miss out on the riches that God has to offer. Ruts may seem safe and familiar, but they represent the broad way that leads to destruction. Jesus' narrow way has few ruts because few choose to travel it, and that's sad really. The view is so much better.
It's how we are wired. We can't take everything in at once, so our brain edits what's around us to make it manageable. Without this mechanism, we would be so overwhelmed with information as we raced down the freeway that survival would be questionable. Unfortunately, selective attention is always at work trying to shape Jesus to meet our expectations.
Ask someone to draw a picture of Jesus and they will draw a Jesus that looks like them. He will be black or white, Asian or European, barefoot or sandaled, clean shaven or bearded based on what the budding artist is familiar with. Selective attention has led to the familiar portrait of a blue-eyed, light-haired, pale-skinned Jesus that could never have been of middle-east birth. In many cases this is harmless, but in others this distortion has left racism unchallenged.
Labels such as conservative, liberal, traditional, radical, and middle of the road can be dangerous when we are approaching Jesus and the Scripture. First, they are vague, confusing labels that mean radically different things to different people, but their greatest danger comes from the fact that they are all social labels that are culturally informed by the times we are living in. Cultural expectations are formed by what we already know. Jesus' wisdom is based on eternal truth that we are still learning. Culturally conditioned faith fosters the belief that we have already captured the truth, but the apostle Paul tells us that living faith involves an ongoing activity of taking off the old man with his old understanding and assumptions, and putting on the new man as Jesus continually reveals himself (Eph 4:22, Col 3:9,10).
Are you stuck in a rut? Has it been a long time since you have been surprised by something Jesus said? A long time since you have disagreed with something in Scripture and had to wrestle it out with God? If so, then you have been making Jesus in your own image. If you doubt this could happen to you, then you underestimate our tendency to wander and the deceptiveness of sin.
We need to be surprised by God. We need to wrestle with Jesus as our prejudice is confronted. We need this because Jesus brings a liberation that leads to love, joy, peace - and a meaningful life. We may feel safe with what is comfortable, but it's a trap set up by the enemy. He loves us to be comfortable if comfort acts as a cage to keep us from God.
So how do we escape selective attention? I'll suggest three ways, though I'm sure there are more.
1) Study the Scripture with others. Small group Bible studies mean there are more eyes on the page, more chances of seeing what we usually miss. This is especially true if you make sure the members of the study are from different backgrounds, professions, and even racial groups.
2) Read Christian authors who have stood the test of time. Most of the Christian books written today will not be remembered again after six months. That's because they merely reflect our time and prejudice. They just tickle our itching ears. But some books last because they convey eternal truth in a way that has been challenging and accessible to several generations. Add some of them to your reading list.
3) Break the bubble. We tend to listen to and read people we already agree with. Let yourself be challenged by other voices. You may still disagree after you have heard them out, but you will have gained something. No one is completely wrong, so you will take away some truth, but more importantly, you will come to Scripture with new questions. New questions always bring a positive response from God.
You may have noticed that Scripture has been at the center of this discussion. That's because without the regular study of Scripture you will be trapped in your preconceptions, and you will miss out on the riches that God has to offer. Ruts may seem safe and familiar, but they represent the broad way that leads to destruction. Jesus' narrow way has few ruts because few choose to travel it, and that's sad really. The view is so much better.
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