Gatekeeper or Host?

Are you a gatekeeper or a host? The way you answer this question will mark your interaction with students, the way they interact with the world, and finally whether your ministry will bring those far from Christ closer to him.

Gatekeeping is about... gates, really. Gates, fences and barriers. The job of a gatekeeper is to make sure the wrong people don't get in. They have the task of checking people's papers--peoples dress, behaviors and beliefs--before allowing entry. A gatekeeper's job is to be suspicious. After all, you don't want the people inside to mingle or associate with the wrong sort.

A host has a different task. A host throws a party and then invites all to attend. A host's job is to make people welcome and make sure the experience, as much as it is in their power, a positive one. When a host is combined with a teacher or an evangelist, then the goal is to create a welcoming environment that brings in all sorts, so that growth and transformation can take place.

It's all about contamination. The Gatekeeper wants to protect weak, vulnerable Christian's from contamination. The host believes that Jesus has unleashed a new kind of love and power (new to us, but eternal with God) and hopes to contaminate the whole world with it. The gatekeeper believes that God's work is fragile, the Holy Spirit easily intimidated, and the world is stronger. The host is confident that God's Spirit within believers is greater than the spirits in the world, that Jesus really meant it when he told us to go out into the world and make disciples, and that the Holy Spirit is strong and active, and that God's people can be a greater influence than the voice of this age--provided that God's people are close enough to the world to be heard, their service felt, and their love experienced.

There is a tragic difference between a gatekeeper and a host. A gatekeeper not only keeps the world out but keeps believers in. The fence, the wall, and the barrier work both ways. This work of keeping the world out and believers in has more to do with Satan's goals than it does with God's. In fact, it flys in the face of God's commands and conflicts with Jesus' work on the cross.

There is a graciousness in Jesus that is not always seen in his people today. Outsiders should know more about what we are for than what we are against. This does not mean we ignore or demean the warnings of Scripture, but it is a matter of focus. We should major in the good news and minor in the bad news. Inspiration is more powerful than fear and dread.

The gatekeeper really calls into question whether Jesus won on the cross. There is much that could be said about fear and self-protection (and I will return to this soon), but what is important here is that fear and self-protection imply weakness and defeat. This is not the stance of the host. The host works from the confidence that Jesus has made us more than conquerers and that his Spirit in us is greater than the spirit in the world. A host is not arrogant because he or she knows that the greatest in the Kingdom of God is the servant of all. A host works with God inviting all who will listen to the great banquet that God has laid out for us.

In the end, we disciple through our lives. If we are gatekeepers, then we teach students that God is weak and that we have much to fear. If we are hosts, we teach students to share the gracious gift of God and teach them that perfect love casts out fear. But most of all, we choose to let the greatest host build his character in us.

Heroes Matter: Expanding the List

Here are some additional examples of Christians who have reshaped our world. This is by no means an exhaustive list. These names will lead to others.

I am always looking for ordinary people who made an extraordinary difference through the power of Christ. In a culture that is always highlighting the mistakes made in Jesus name, we need to be ready to show the very real difference Jesus has made through his people. I never want to sweep the mistakes under the rug, but the good far outweighs the mistakes. Your students should have many real-world examples of Christ's work to carry with them.

Health Care
Saint Basil - established the first hospital in Caesarea 369 AD. This was the first of many resulting from a decree from the Council of Nicea. In the end, the work the Council began lead to hospitals throughout Europe and eventually to our modern system of hospitals.
Florence Nightingale and the founding of the Red Cross.

Prison Reform
Elizabeth Fry worked with women in prisons and led the way to major reform.
Chuck Colson's work in prisons. Colson began his prison experience as an inmate after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges during the Nixon administration. This led to his conversion to Christianity and a life-time devotion to bringing the gospel to prisoners.

Artists
Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Rubens.
Writers such as Annie Dillard, Walker Percy, Flannery O'Conner, Leo Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Madeline L'Engles.

Music
Avoid the modern Christian contemporary music scene if you want to make your point. Musicians who create for a general audience are the ones who have made the greater difference in the world.
Bach, Handel, Mendelssohn, Haydn.
On the contemporary scene, Bruce Cockburn is a great example of a popular musician who has added to the art while influencing a new generation of musicians and at the same time expressing his faith and its application to modern events and politics.

There are so many Christians we could choose from, but this is a good start. As you explore these names you will discover many more.

None of these people are perfect. That quality is reserved for God. I am not looking for perfect people, but flawed people that God did good things through. A good thing too. Since I am not perfect, it gives me hope that God can work through people like me.

I would highly recommend two books by Rodney Stark. The Victory of Reason and The Rise of Christianity give many examples of Christian virtue. The modern, cultural explanation for the growth of Christianity is that it came through military violence. That was not the case and these two books give an accurate picture of the spread of Christianity.

A Few Heroes

Students need examples of people who have made a difference for Christ in the world. These examples should come from all walks of life. Here are a few examples and resources connected with them.

The Internet has some excellent resources but always take them with a grain of salt. Make sure you can back up claims made on Web sites. Wikipedia remains an excellent source for biographical information.

Vocational Ministry
J. Hudson Taylor - missionary to China.
Books: Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, by Dr. And Mrs. Howard Taylor. Taylor's autobiography is available at amazon.com for digital download for $1.00.
William and Catherine Booth - founders of the Salvation Army. The founding of the Salvation Army is a story of faith and social justice. The couple realized that their evangelism trips into poverty ridden neighborhoods were ineffective. In order to minister effectively, they needed to share the lives of the people they hoped to reach. The result was an effective worldwide ministry. There are many surprises in this story. I found the Salvation Army's roll in World War I and India especially interesting. Catherine's work is a good example of women in ministry.

Science
Galileo Galilei - his story highlight the conflict between faith and science. While placed under house arrest for claiming that the earth orbited the sun (many theologians believed the earth was the center of the universe due to bad Bible study and the adoption of Aristotle's writings), he maintained his faith and described many features needed for a good relationship between faith and science. Amazingly the same mistakes that forced his house arrest still exist today.
Books: Science Held Hostage: The Galileo Connection, Charles E. Hummel
What's Wrong With Creation Science and Evolutionism by Howard J. Van Till, Davis A. Young and Clarence Menninga

Francis Collins - a good contemporary example of a healthy pursuit of faith and science. He headed up the Human Genome Project and is now the Director of National Institutes of Health as well as an outspoken believer.
Books: The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, Francis Collins
Website: biologos.org

Miscellaneous:
John R. Mott - Involved in the early days of the Student Volunteer Movement and the YMCA (when it was still a Christian outreach), he gave his life to organizing world missions. He also used his contacts to help with relief work during and after World War I. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work for the gospel.
Resources: His Wikipedia entry is a good place to start. From there you can find entries concerning his Nobel Peace Prize. His Nobel Peace Prize speech is of special interest.

I'll add a few more next time.

Heroes Matter

Too often the Christian faith is presented as a series of mistakes. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials, and angry evangelists yelling insults on the corner are offered as typical examples of the fruit of Christian faith. But that is far from the whole story. It is our responsibility that students get a bigger picture of what God has done through the life of his people.

I have heroes who are not Christian, and I don't discourage that. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Steve Jobs have been an inspiration on many levels. Heroes are not perfect. Only God fits that description. These people all have flaws, just like I do, but that doesn't negate those parts of their lives that have made me dream bigger dreams.

That said, we need to teach each generation that great things have been done in Jesus' name. There is much to be admired in both Saint Patrick's very New Testament approach to mission work as well as the fruit that came from the effort he inspired. The commitment, struggles, and insights of J. Hudson Taylor are inspirational. As are William and Catherine Booth, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Aquinas, and many others.

While it is important to pass on the stories of missionaries and clergy, I think it is vital that we give even more examples of Christians who were not clergy and made a difference in the world. Galileo had many faults, but his Biblical defense of science in the face of persecution was brilliant. Elizabeth Fry reformed the British penal system and returned hope to many who had been cast aside. That reform helped shape American Law. William Wilberforce used his political position to work for the abolishment of slavery in Britain based on Biblical grounds. It took most of his life to accomplish, but in the end success was achieved without a shot being fired. George Washington Carver started his life as a slave and ended it as an advisor to Presidents. He used his gifts to make discoveries so that fewer people would go hungry. His ethics, his understanding of science, the way he spent his life were all directed by the God he overheard white people talking about. The God that he was so intrigued by that he taught himself to read so he could read the Bible for himself. These are only a few of the people who were not clergy but used their gifts to help establish the kingdom of God.

Too often, vocational ministry is the model held up to students as a way to serve Christ powerfully. We may remind them occasionally that God uses everyone, but unless we have examples to give them, to feed them regularly, that message seems to be little more than an afterthought.

Our students are given a few examples of evil done in the name of Jesus. It's our job to supply them with the bigger picture, with all the good God has been able to do through us in spite of our shortcomings. They need specific examples, though, rather than vague statements. Our mistakes are exposed in excruciating detail, as they should be. The good deserves just as much attention to detail.

In the next blog, I'll offer some names and materials to help you introduce students to some heroes of faith.

One Way? Which Way?

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.

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.

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.