Good morning, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, I am going to continue my sermon series on “Why Are We Here?” Last week, I laid the groundwork by talking about my experiences in a couple of large non-denominational churches and the importance of having a unified mission–a unified understanding of why we are here. I promised that I would not give you a mission because that was something that we had to arrive at together, but I also promised that I would share with you several things that I believed were non-negotiable when it came to why the church was here. These things must inform our mission as we move into the future.
Today, I must begin by asking for your forgiveness because as a good Christian, particularly as a good Lutheran Christian, I should begin with the Scriptures and then move into other avenues in regards to why the church is here. But I am not going to do that. We will most definitely get to the Bible and what it has to say about the church, but I wanted to start in a bit of a different place today. I wanted to start with the Lutheran confessions, particularly the Augsburg Confession.
Now, how many of you have even heard of the Augsburg Confession? Not many. That’s not surprising. It’s not a document that we generally reference much in our worship or even our Christian Education. The Augsburg Confession was written during the time of the Reformation in the 1500's as Protestants were trying to define themselves and their beliefs to the civil and church authorities. They were trying to help those authorities see how their stance was in accordance with the Bible and how they were not a threat to civil order. The theology and practice is rich, and it has stood the test of time. How so? Because we and most every other Lutheran congregation directly reference it in our Constitution and By-Laws. Did you know that? Did you know that it serves as one of the foundational documents for what it means to be a Lutheran church here in Cat Spring? Let me read to you what our Constitution says about it:
C2.05.This congregation accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.
C2.06. This congregation accepts the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Formula of Concord, as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
C2.07.This congregation confesses the Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scripture and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God’s mission in the world.
Did you catch all of that? Did you catch and see how the Augsburg Confession, while not on the same level as Scripture, is a very, very important document in helping us understand who we are and why we are here? It is indeed central to our identity as Lutherans, and it has something to say about why we are here as the church.
In article seven, these words appear, “It is also taught among us that one holy Christian church will be and remain forever. This is the assembly of all believers among whom the Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel.” So we see two reasons for the church’s existence in this statement: the preaching of the Gospel, and depending upon which translation you use, this is also stated as the preaching of the Word, as well as the administration of the sacraments. Today, we are going to try and cover the preaching of the Word.
We are here to preach the Word. Now, when you hear me say preach the Word, what do you automatically think? The Bible. Right. That’s what we mostly think when we hear someone say that we preach the Word, but let me try and expand your thinking just a bit because the Word doesn’t simply mean the Bible.
Do you remember the beginning words of the Gospel of John? Let me remind you. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Now, we are going to skip down a few verses where we then read, “14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” So, what is the Word, or better yet, who is the Word here in the book of John? That’s right, it’s Jesus. Jesus is the Word.
But, we cannot stop there. It might make it easy if we did, but we’ve got to go one step further. We’ve got to understand something more about the Word of God because the Word of God is incredibly rich. When you read through the Bible, you see something quite incredible about God. You see that God is a God who speaks. God is not silent. He has spoken in the past. He speaks in the present. And in the future, there will be a time when He will intimately speak with those who love Him. One of the tasks for the church today is to discern the Word of God as it is spoken to the world today and bring that word to the world.
And so, we have outlined what the Word of God is, and this matches what is in our Constitution as a church: The Word is the Holy Scriptures; The Word is Jesus Christ; the Word is God’s Word spoken through the church to the world today. And it is our job; it is our calling; to preach that Word: to preach the Bible; to preach Jesus; to preach God’s message to our community.
This is not a calling to be taken lightly. It is of infinite importance. Why? I don’t know if you know this or not, but there is a suicide epidemic in our nation right now. Those who study the numbers tell us that there has been a huge up-tick in the numbers of people taking their own lives. I have noticed this on a real personal level because in the past three years or so, I have counted at least five of my friends on Facebook who have committed suicide. These folks all come from a town of about 2300, and to me, that is a huge disproportion. Why so many suicides? Why the increase?
Now, it is true that chronic depression can lead to suicide, but the statistics that I have read indicate that this accounts for just about half of suicides. What about the rest of those? Two articles that I have read helped give me a bit of insight into this. In the first one, Clay Routledge, professor of psychology from North Dakota State University argued, “that the suicide crisis in the USA is in part a crisis of meaning. Recent changes in American society, greater detachment and a weaker sense of belonging, are increasing our existential despair. Although we try and distract ourselves (most of the time nowadays successfully) we realize that everyone we know and care about, including the person we care about the most, ourselves, will die. Despite our best attempts at avoiding it, we understand that pain and sorrow is part and parcel of life. But what is the point of life? One way in which we keep this existential anxiety quiet, Routledge argues that we “must find and maintain perceptions of our lives as meaningful”. We seek not only to live, but to have a meaningful existence. And when we don’t feel like our lives matter, then we are psychologically vulnerable.”
So, if you don’t feel like your life is meaningful, you are vulnerable. The second article I read was in Sports Illustrated. It had to do with budding star quarterback Tyler Hilinski’s suicide and the family’s desperate attempts to understand why it happened. There is a lot in the article to take in, but one thing struck me because it was repeated over and over and over: Tyler thought he was Superman. Tyler thought he was supposed to pull off the spectacular play every time. Tyler thought he should lead his team to victory and be heroic. But, he found out that he wasn’t Superman. He found out that he couldn’t always pull off the victory. After one particularly difficult game where he suffered a huge hit and a crushing loss, folks said he wasn’t the same. The fact that he couldn’t be what he wanted to be seemed to have a profound effect on him. Faced with limitations, he had a difficult time coping.
It seemed to me that Tyler was finding his meaning in things that were beyond his capability to grasp. It seems to me that a lot of folks are trying to do such things. I understand very well what is behind that. I had a lot of hopes and dreams about what my life would look like at this point and time, but very, very few of those things have come to fruition. If I were basing the meaning of my life on those things, I would probably be very depressed as well, but fortunately, I have found meaning elsewhere. I have found meaning in Jesus.
The Greek word used in John chapter 1 is logos. It is a word with deep, deep meaning in the ancient world. The ancient Greek philosophers oftentimes used it when talking about the meaning of life; the meaning of existence; the reason for everything. It is no stretch to think that John, when he was writing the introduction to this gospel had this in mind. So, let’s read that introduction once more with that understanding. “In the beginning was the reason for everything. The reason for everything was with God. The reason for everything was God...The reason for everything became flesh and lived among us.” Jesus is the reason for everything. Jesus gives meaning. Jesus gives hope. Jesus gives assurance. The question is: how?
And this goes directly to the understanding of the Gospel. Now, I know it is fashionable in some circles to use the saying attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” I used to believe it. But I don’t any more. Because I know now that the Gospel is news. You cannot do news. You can only share news. Now, this doesn’t mean you can’t package the news up in doing good deeds. You don’t tell a hungry person that Jesus loves them without giving them food, and you don’t just give them food and expect them to understand that Jesus loves them. Proclaiming the Gospel involves loving our neighbors, but too often these days much of the church is guilty of either/or instead of both/and.
I mean, face it, anyone can and does acts of kindness. The Hindu does acts of kindness. The atheist does acts of kindness. The Muslim does acts of kindness. If the Gospel is simply acts of kindness, then everyone is proclaiming the Gospel. And it would stand to reason, if everyone is proclaiming the Gospel, then why is there a lack of meaning? Why is the suicide rate continuing to climb?
The answer is because the Gospel isn’t just about doing nice things for others. It’s about God’s redemption of our fallen condition through Jesus’ death and resurrection. You see, the Gospel tells us that we are all corrupted by sin. We are not Superman. We cannot be Superman. We fall far short of the glory of God. This means that we will never be like Tyler Hinski. We will never believe that we have the capacity of doing everything right and making our team win all the time. We know we are limited. We know we are not perfect. We can grapple with and understand the trials of life including losing. Now, if we stopped here, that would be a recipe for despair. Imperfection rules the day. Sin actually wins. But that is not the case because Jesus acts to redeem our sin. Jesus acts to redeem our imperfection. On the cross, Jesus takes our sin into himself and defeats it. And then Jesus gives us His righteousness. Jesus gives us His glory. We are clothed with Christ. Now, this doesn’t mean that everything turns out perfectly for us in this life. No. We know this all too well, but what this does mean is solidified in the resurrection. For in the resurrection every evil that was done is undone. Every wound is healed. Every evil is made good. Darkness is changed into light. Sickness is changed into health. We are reminded that God will work to do this in our lives. God will transform everything in His time and bend everything toward our good. This means we have hope.
Yet, there is a bit of a caveat to this, but it is an important caveat. This only happens for those who trust in Jesus and His actions and not our own. This only happens for those who do not try to work out their own salvation, but for those who believe their salvation is won for them on the cross. For when we put our trust in God, we change allegiances. We no longer live for ourselves, we live for God. We seek God and His will in all that we do. And this gives our lives meaning. We know what our purpose is. We know that we are to seek God and His will in our lives. We know that we seek to grow in our faith. We know we are to grow in our knowledge of God. And we know that we are called to bring as many people to Jesus as we possibly can. We know we are to share the good news of Jesus. We are to preach the Gospel.
And so you see, I hope, why I started with the preaching of the Gospel. One of the fundamental reasons and non-negotiable reasons the church is here is to proclaim it because through it we come to understand our limitations. We come to understand our imperfections. But we also come to understand the love of God. We come to understand what He has done in Jesus in the cross and resurrection. We come to place our trust in Him and seek His will in all things. We come to understand through Him how we have purpose and meaning, and in a society that is fast losing meaning and seeking perfection, we have a very, very important message to bring. May we remember how important proclaiming the Gospel is to our mission. Amen.
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Church. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
The Church Needs to Die
34 He called the crowd
with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow
me.
35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. --Mark 8:34-35
It is quite hard to believe that this July, I will be celebrating 15 years of ordained ministry. Lots has changed in that 15 years.
One thing that hasn't is a repeated mantra that I have heard over and over and over again at conferences, in sermons, and read in books:
The Church must change, or it will die!!!
Now, for the record, I once believed this. I once believed it down to my very core. I believed that the Church must always be reforming--and to an extent, it must always re-form. But re-forming does not mean changing. It does not mean examining our core beliefs and understanding and changing them to fit a culture or a context which has trouble understanding those beliefs and concepts. There is a reason there is such a thing as apologetics!!!
Reforming, at least in the Church, is a process of going backward to go forward. It is a process of returning to the basics of the Christian faith which propelled it forward in the ancient world. It is a process of returning to the bedrock foundation of the Christian faith: we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus who lived the life we should live and died the death we deserved to reconcile us unto God.
When this core statement, the Gospel, grasps the heart and the heart grasps it changes you to your very core and being. For many years, I had heard the Gospel, but I never understood it. I figured Christianity was best served by focusing on the Law--the doing; particularly loving God and loving one's neighbor. How simple was that? It should be relatively easy for everyone to agree upon that? Right?
But it isn't. Not in the least. For loving God and loving the neighbor, while we can agree on the basics, is not easily fleshed out. It is not easily applied, and it fails to address what is really wrong with the human heart.
For while I might desire to love God and love my neighbor, more oftentimes than not, my heart centers on myself. I only love God and love my neighbor in so far as they help me accomplish my goals and my desires. Unless my heart is deeply affected or moved by the plight of another, I remain content to keep my business as usual approach to life. And, here is the kicker, oftentimes I engage in loving God and loving my neighbor because "it makes me feel good." It becomes all about me.
Most of the time, when we examine ourselves, it indeed becomes all about us. It becomes all about what we want and we desire. It becomes about how something makes me feel or about how something works to my advantage.
Institutions are no different. They may begin with all sorts of lofty goals and ideals. They may begin with an outward focus, but before long institutional preservation becomes the order of the day. This is especially true of the Church. We spend a lot of time, effort and energy trying to get people to fall in love with the Church--of whatever denomination we are a part; of whatever congregation we are a part. And if things start going south, we proclaim: the Church must change or die! What is at the heart of this statement? Self-preservation.
"For those who want to save their life..."
Yes, Jesus' teaching applies to the Church as well. If we are interested in saving ourselves; if we are interested in preserving our institutions; if we are changing so that we don't die, we will do exactly that. We will die. A slow and painful death.
But there is a remedy.
"Those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it."
Die now. Die to self. Die to what we want and what we think will save us. Quit trying to focus on making people fall in love with us, and work to get people to fall in love with Jesus and His saving action. Reform. Return to the Gospel and let it change the hearts and minds of those who hear it proclaimed.
The Church doesn't need to change.
It needs to die.
It is quite hard to believe that this July, I will be celebrating 15 years of ordained ministry. Lots has changed in that 15 years.
One thing that hasn't is a repeated mantra that I have heard over and over and over again at conferences, in sermons, and read in books:
The Church must change, or it will die!!!
Now, for the record, I once believed this. I once believed it down to my very core. I believed that the Church must always be reforming--and to an extent, it must always re-form. But re-forming does not mean changing. It does not mean examining our core beliefs and understanding and changing them to fit a culture or a context which has trouble understanding those beliefs and concepts. There is a reason there is such a thing as apologetics!!!
Reforming, at least in the Church, is a process of going backward to go forward. It is a process of returning to the basics of the Christian faith which propelled it forward in the ancient world. It is a process of returning to the bedrock foundation of the Christian faith: we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus who lived the life we should live and died the death we deserved to reconcile us unto God.
When this core statement, the Gospel, grasps the heart and the heart grasps it changes you to your very core and being. For many years, I had heard the Gospel, but I never understood it. I figured Christianity was best served by focusing on the Law--the doing; particularly loving God and loving one's neighbor. How simple was that? It should be relatively easy for everyone to agree upon that? Right?
But it isn't. Not in the least. For loving God and loving the neighbor, while we can agree on the basics, is not easily fleshed out. It is not easily applied, and it fails to address what is really wrong with the human heart.
For while I might desire to love God and love my neighbor, more oftentimes than not, my heart centers on myself. I only love God and love my neighbor in so far as they help me accomplish my goals and my desires. Unless my heart is deeply affected or moved by the plight of another, I remain content to keep my business as usual approach to life. And, here is the kicker, oftentimes I engage in loving God and loving my neighbor because "it makes me feel good." It becomes all about me.
Most of the time, when we examine ourselves, it indeed becomes all about us. It becomes all about what we want and we desire. It becomes about how something makes me feel or about how something works to my advantage.
Institutions are no different. They may begin with all sorts of lofty goals and ideals. They may begin with an outward focus, but before long institutional preservation becomes the order of the day. This is especially true of the Church. We spend a lot of time, effort and energy trying to get people to fall in love with the Church--of whatever denomination we are a part; of whatever congregation we are a part. And if things start going south, we proclaim: the Church must change or die! What is at the heart of this statement? Self-preservation.
"For those who want to save their life..."
Yes, Jesus' teaching applies to the Church as well. If we are interested in saving ourselves; if we are interested in preserving our institutions; if we are changing so that we don't die, we will do exactly that. We will die. A slow and painful death.
But there is a remedy.
"Those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it."
Die now. Die to self. Die to what we want and what we think will save us. Quit trying to focus on making people fall in love with us, and work to get people to fall in love with Jesus and His saving action. Reform. Return to the Gospel and let it change the hearts and minds of those who hear it proclaimed.
The Church doesn't need to change.
It needs to die.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Only Once a Month?
I wish I would have saved the reference so I could note it in this blog post, but perhaps the reference isn't as important as the reality to which it pointed:
MOST FOLKS IN THE U.S. DEFINE THEMSELVES AS REGULAR CHURCH ATTENDEES IF THEY ATTEND ONCE A MONTH.
Sorry for shouting, but it's an important item to wrestle with. I cannot remember if the article I read referenced PEW or Gallup, but the point is the same no matter who conducted the survey.
The majority of folks interviewed considered themselves regular church attendees if they attended worship only once a month.
This is quite different from a decade or so ago when regular church attendance was considered three or four times a month. Now, it's only one, and even though I don't like it, it did jar me with my experience as a pastor even in rural Texas. Even in my congregation, I think I can safely say a good chunk of people in my congregation fit this trend.
There are many things to wrestle with in regards to this trend. I have already breached the topic with my staff, and will be visiting with the congregation council about this matter at our next meeting, but I hope to spend only a few moments bemoaning and griping and wondering why. We can speculate and gripe and wonder 'til Kingdom come, and that does no good. The trend is not only in Cat Spring, TX--it is nation wide. The trend is caused by multiple factors, not by a simple cause and effect. Deciphering what is "wrong" and trying to give it a quick "fix" will not happen--even though we like to think we are capable of "fixing" such matters or people. What I hope to accomplish is get people thinking about the reality of church 1) if this is the trend and 2) what really must happen if the trend is to be reversed.
THE GRIPING
Are there more factors: absolutely, but I told you, I don't want to focus too much on griping. Onto the implications--or rather, what are some major questions of implication?
THE SOLUTION?
Solving the "problem" goes far beyond logistics. This is not something that can be cured by making sure a congregation is warm and friendly; or has a website, Facebook page, Tweets, podcasts its worship services and has the latest technology; or has great programs; or has a dynamic preacher; or has a central authority; or who focuses on the right doctrine; or so on and so forth. This is not a problem which can be solved by a quick fix of tweaking something here or changing something just to be changing it. It's not about trying harder and working one's self or one's congregation at a fever pitch. Those will not change society. Those will not change people's hearts.
I am convinced only the change of hearts in people can make a difference. I am convinced that unless the Gospel fundamentally changes people and leads them to be in a church community more often, we will, as congregations struggle mightily with this issue. And the problem with this approach: it takes a lot of time before the Gospel affects this kind of change--a lot of time.
I am 40. I can say that it is only in the past year that I have finally come to begin to truly understand the Gospel--that it isn't about what I do but what God has already done. For so long, I was trying to justify myself and worship false gods. I thought I would get a sense of satisfaction and wholeness through such pursuits. You would have never, ever convinced me of this at the time. I thought I was doing God's work. I thought I was doing the right things. I thought my priorities were in line. I was and am a pastor, for heaven's sake!!
But I was wrong. Dead wrong. And I had to be fundamentally confronted with my sinfulness--my wrongheadedness before the Gospel could begin its transformational work. That's started. I know the Gospel's power. I know it can change things and mightily. But it takes time. A lot of time, and with a huge chunk of people coming to worship only once a month, it will take an abnormal amount of time before change is affected. Do we have patience?
I hope so.
I hope so.
MOST FOLKS IN THE U.S. DEFINE THEMSELVES AS REGULAR CHURCH ATTENDEES IF THEY ATTEND ONCE A MONTH.
Sorry for shouting, but it's an important item to wrestle with. I cannot remember if the article I read referenced PEW or Gallup, but the point is the same no matter who conducted the survey.
The majority of folks interviewed considered themselves regular church attendees if they attended worship only once a month.
This is quite different from a decade or so ago when regular church attendance was considered three or four times a month. Now, it's only one, and even though I don't like it, it did jar me with my experience as a pastor even in rural Texas. Even in my congregation, I think I can safely say a good chunk of people in my congregation fit this trend.
There are many things to wrestle with in regards to this trend. I have already breached the topic with my staff, and will be visiting with the congregation council about this matter at our next meeting, but I hope to spend only a few moments bemoaning and griping and wondering why. We can speculate and gripe and wonder 'til Kingdom come, and that does no good. The trend is not only in Cat Spring, TX--it is nation wide. The trend is caused by multiple factors, not by a simple cause and effect. Deciphering what is "wrong" and trying to give it a quick "fix" will not happen--even though we like to think we are capable of "fixing" such matters or people. What I hope to accomplish is get people thinking about the reality of church 1) if this is the trend and 2) what really must happen if the trend is to be reversed.
THE GRIPING
- First, just a few moments of bemoaning, griping, and wondering why. In my estimation, there is little wonder the definition of regular worship attendance has slipped and is slipping. Society has shifted from setting aside Sunday as sacred--a day of rest to focus on God--to a day of work for retail and service industries and recreation/play time for others. No longer do most businesses shut down on Sunday. The need for more profit drives them, and workers' religious affiliation be damned. Folks who work in this area of society generally are living paycheck to paycheck, and they cannot afford to tell their bosses and supervisors, "I want to go to church." When the choice is bring home less income and decide whether or not to pay utilities, basic needs will win out just about every time. And as the sacredness of the day gets diminished by the god of money, so then other gods find it easier to chip away.
- The gladiators of the ancient Roman Coliseum could not imagine the overwhelming draw of sporting events in our day and time. A pastor friend has remarked numerous times, "Society shows you what is most important by the biggest buildings it constructs." In the middle ages, it was the churches. Then the universities became prominent. Then the skyscrapers of business. Now, the stadiums. Sports offers all sorts of promises to parents and children. Some of them are true, but a great deal are false. Sports supposedly builds character, but I know from my own personal experience, it doesn't change a heart.
- Our technological society doesn't help either. More and more we "connect" to each other via electronic means of communication. Even this blog and the posting of my sermons is a testament to this. If I miss church, I can read and hear pastor's sermon online. There is no need to really and truly attend. I can hear/read God's Word right from my bedroom in my pajamas, and I don't have to deal with the messiness of human relationships. (Hey, I can even skip putting a few dollars in the offering plate. It's a huge win!!!)
Are there more factors: absolutely, but I told you, I don't want to focus too much on griping. Onto the implications--or rather, what are some major questions of implication?
- How in the world does a congregation run a Sunday School or youth program in such a cultural climate? If regular attendance is once a month at worst (even that is stretching it for some) and two times at best, how can students learn much about the faith? How can congregations with less than a certain amount of members find enough teachers who attend on a hyper-regular basis (3-4 times a month) to staff their teaching positions? How can teachers build from one lesson to another if children are constantly missing--akin to teaching mathematics when a kid is present for simple addition and then next shows up for division? Is it possible to have well attended monthly activities any longer? What does the role of a youth director look like in such a society? More of a program director? More of a mentor? More of a person who seeks kids out at home in the evenings? Tough questions.
- How in the world do people connect to one another and have a sense of fellowship and familiarity? How do people become more than a gathering of strangers on Sunday morning? This is a fresh question since a family in my congregation decided to pull their membership in favor of another congregation down the road citing a lack of feeling "connected." It's not surprising. They fell squarely into that "once a month" demographic. Given that there are an average of four Sundays in a given month, when your once a monthers are spread out over those four weeks...there is no way you can ever be connected unless you associate with fellow church members at other times on a weekly basis. Plus, it takes time...sometimes lots of time to connect. I am embarrassed to say that I have had quite a bit of difficulty remembering a particular congregation member's name. I keep getting confused between "Bob" and "Bill." I am sure it is more than frustrating for him--and it is for me too; and the sad part is, Bill is no once a monther. We need personal contact between one another to connect and have relationship--it's part of human nature. When we consider ourselves regular attendees while only coming once a month, we shouldn't expect to feel connected. We simply can't with this irregularity. Makes being in community truly difficult.
- How in the world do you put together a choir? A bell choir? A children's choir? Getting individuals to sing shouldn't be a problem, but a group? For the same reasons youth and Sunday School become problematic, so does choir and musical ensembles.
- How do you have a united sense of mission and ministry when so few are truly connected to a congregation?
- How do congregation members care for one another if they do not know one another? How does a congregation prevent pastors from becoming burned out since he/she is the only one who has direct contact with people on a regular basis? (The same can be said for other church staff in their appointed areas.)
THE SOLUTION?
Solving the "problem" goes far beyond logistics. This is not something that can be cured by making sure a congregation is warm and friendly; or has a website, Facebook page, Tweets, podcasts its worship services and has the latest technology; or has great programs; or has a dynamic preacher; or has a central authority; or who focuses on the right doctrine; or so on and so forth. This is not a problem which can be solved by a quick fix of tweaking something here or changing something just to be changing it. It's not about trying harder and working one's self or one's congregation at a fever pitch. Those will not change society. Those will not change people's hearts.
I am convinced only the change of hearts in people can make a difference. I am convinced that unless the Gospel fundamentally changes people and leads them to be in a church community more often, we will, as congregations struggle mightily with this issue. And the problem with this approach: it takes a lot of time before the Gospel affects this kind of change--a lot of time.
I am 40. I can say that it is only in the past year that I have finally come to begin to truly understand the Gospel--that it isn't about what I do but what God has already done. For so long, I was trying to justify myself and worship false gods. I thought I would get a sense of satisfaction and wholeness through such pursuits. You would have never, ever convinced me of this at the time. I thought I was doing God's work. I thought I was doing the right things. I thought my priorities were in line. I was and am a pastor, for heaven's sake!!
But I was wrong. Dead wrong. And I had to be fundamentally confronted with my sinfulness--my wrongheadedness before the Gospel could begin its transformational work. That's started. I know the Gospel's power. I know it can change things and mightily. But it takes time. A lot of time, and with a huge chunk of people coming to worship only once a month, it will take an abnormal amount of time before change is affected. Do we have patience?
I hope so.
I hope so.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
No, Marcus. Jesus was God.
Because of Facebook, I was exposed to this blog post by Marcus Borg. The content is disturbing on more than one level, not the least of which is the heresy of Arianism which he openly preaches. It is also disturbing because there are many within my denomination who follow Dr. Borg ideologically and embrace his teaching as the doctrine to which the church should preach and teach.
Dr. Borg is an intelligent man. He is well read and well versed in many things, but he is completely and utterly wrong in making many of his assertions in his attempt to make Christianity relevant (dare I say palatable) to a particular group of people.
Let's simply take the following assertion from his blog post:
1. Was Jesus God? No. Not even the New Testament says that. It speaks of him as the Word of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, and so forth, but never simply identifies him with or equates him with God. As John’s gospel puts it, he is the Word become flesh – that is, he reveals what can be seen of God in a finite human life. To say, “I believe Jesus was God” (as some Christians do, or think they are supposed to) goes beyond what the New Testament affirms and is thus more than biblical. He is the Word incarnate – not the disembodied Word.
Dr. Borg is an intelligent man. He is well read and well versed in many things, but he is completely and utterly wrong in making many of his assertions in his attempt to make Christianity relevant (dare I say palatable) to a particular group of people.
Let's simply take the following assertion from his blog post:
1. Was Jesus God? No. Not even the New Testament says that. It speaks of him as the Word of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, and so forth, but never simply identifies him with or equates him with God. As John’s gospel puts it, he is the Word become flesh – that is, he reveals what can be seen of God in a finite human life. To say, “I believe Jesus was God” (as some Christians do, or think they are supposed to) goes beyond what the New Testament affirms and is thus more than biblical. He is the Word incarnate – not the disembodied Word.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Striving for Perfection
As per the church-wide email I sent out this past week, I need your
help this morning as we begin into this sermon. I asked everyone to
consider what a perfect congregation might look like. What are its
character traits? What are the things it does? If you would, please
share some of your thoughts this morning. Those of you who did not get
this email, please, off the tops of your heads, share your thoughts
about what character traits the “perfect” church has and what things
such a church would do.
(Other notables from the first service responses: freedom to express one's view without judgement; people pray for each other [response from a 9 year old], people listen to the contributions of youth; outreach oriented; no quarreling)
O.K. So, these are the character traits and actions that those of us who are gathered here this morning see in a perfect congregation. There might be a few more that we could add, but let’s say that this indeed represents a perfect congregation. Now, let me ask you this: if this represents a perfect congregation, are there such things as perfect congregations around? Has there ever been a congregation which in actuality meets this vision?
Did you say no? I’d be flabbergasted if you said yes. You and I know there is no such thing as a perfect church or a perfect congregation. You and I know that sin pervades every aspect of our lives here on this planet and is inescapable. You and I know perfection is an unattainable reality until we pass the threshold of death. This is something we cognitively know. And so I must ask, if we know that we cannot reach perfection, why do we have a vision of it? Why does such a vision even exist? I mean if we can’t attain it, why even bother to think about it?
Last Sunday, our Gospel lesson began with these words from Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.” Jesus then shows what it means to be more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees. “You have heard it said to those of ancient times, you shall not murder. But I tell you if you are angry with a brother or sister, you are liable to judgment...You have heard it said to those of ancient times you shall not commit adultery. But I tell you if you look at a woman with lust in your heart you have committed adultery with her. You have heard it said you may write a woman a certificate of divorce. But I tell you if you divorce a woman you cause her to commit adultery and if you marry a woman who has been divorced you commit adultery. You have heard it said do not swear falsely, but I say do not swear at all, by heaven, by earth, or by Jerusalem. Let your word be yes, yes or no, no. Anything else comes from the evil one.”
Today, Jesus finishes out His sayings about true righteousness. It doesn’t get any easier. “You have heard it said an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth, but I say if someone strikes you on the right cheek, offer them your left also. Give your shirt as well as your cloak. Go the extra mile. You have heard it said you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say love your enemy and bless those who persecute you so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. Be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
There you have it. This is true righteousness. Perfection. Just as God is perfect, you be perfect as well. This concludes Jesus’ vision of what it means to be truly righteous. As I said last time, true righteousness consists of having one’s heart in complete and total alignment with God’s heart. True righteousness is a heart condition for out of one’s heart comes anger and lust and failure to commit and fear of saying simply yes, yes or no, no. Out of the heart comes the desire for revenge and retribution. Out of the heart comes the desire to hate one’s enemy. Only a changed heart can defeat such things. Only a heart that is completely and totally oriented toward God and toward what is good can accomplish what Jesus says in this Sermon on the Mount.
And as I said last Sunday, so I say again. We cannot do it. We cannot willingly make ourselves good. There is a part of us which seeks our own self-interest. There is a part of us which continually seeks to take care of our own selves and those closest to us at the expense of others. There is a part of us which puts our own ego; our own righteousness over others and sees others as less than us. This part is constantly in rebellion against God and is constantly unleashing all those things Jesus warns us against.
You know this. You see it all the time. You participate in it. We all do. None of us can escape it. So if this is the case... If we know we continue to have these things come out of our hearts despite our best efforts... If indeed our righteousness cannot ever exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees and then therefore we cannot ever enter the Kingdom of heaven...then what’s the point? If we cannot achieve perfection, then why does Jesus set it as the goal?
I think there are at least two very good reasons for this. The first reason is one I have articulated before, and it comes from sports. The record holder for the highest career batting average is held by Ty Cobb. His career batting average was, get this .366. This meant, he got a hit generally 1 out of every three times he came to bat. Mind you, he didn’t hit a home run every time he came to the plate–even though that would be the ideal. He didn’t get on base every time he came to the plate to bat–even that would have been awesome. He didn’t even get on base half the time he came to bat. 36% of the time he came to bat, he got on base. And he’s in the baseball Hall of Fame. Can you imagine giving a child a pat on the back for making a 36 on a test? Yet, that’s what folks did with Ty Cobb. They applauded him for his efforts.
Now, do you think Ty became disgusted with the way he played by batting .366 for his career? Do you think he became disgusted with himself because he couldn’t hit a home run every time he came up to bat? Do you think he thought of quitting baseball because he wasn’t able to get on base every time he went to the plate to face a pitcher? No. Of course he didn’t because there was always the chance to hit the home run. There was always the chance of achieving a little piece of perfection. There was the goal, dangling out there begging to be reached. Generally, we can approach humankind in a couple of fashions. We can set the bar low, and believe me, folks will reach it and then stop. Or, we can set the bar high and just see how close people come to reaching it. One of these ways will unlock greater potential. One of them won’t. I’ll let you decide.
The other reason for setting perfection as a goal is a little different. It isn’t about unleashing potential–it’s about keeping a person humble. You see, if God is the only one who can be perfect, and perfection is the only way to achieve true righteousness–true holiness, then I can never be holy on my own. I can never be righteous on my own. I will never reach the pinnacle of perfection. Every time I try to reach it, I will fail. By my own efforts I can never achieve it. If I realize this, where does this leave me? Where do I end up if I know I cannot achieve what is required of me? Well, I will probably give up. If it is something I want badly enough, I will probably get depressed and angry. I will probably shake my fist and have tears well up in my eyes because I cannot get what I desire so badly. And then I resign myself to my failure. At this point, and only at this point am I willing to acknowledge my need for help. At this point, God usually reveals to us something wonderful:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him.
My achieving righteousness does not depend upon my work but on God’s work. My holiness does not come about because I am superhumanly good, but it comes about because Christ is superhumanly good. My salvation depends not on my righteousness but on Christ’s righteousness. Only in my humility can I recognize this.
When perfection is the goal, when the bar is set high, we reach for it and are challenged by it. When perfection is the goal, we are humbled by it and recognize our need for grace. We may never be perfect people. We may never be a perfect congregation, but we need that vision before us to challenge us, to humble us, and to help us live God’s Word daily. Amen.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Yes, I Still Care
As I reflected about my post last week: Who Cares?, I began to wonder if I didn't overstep my bounds. Some may see this post as an attempt to cover my tail, and in some ways perhaps it is. But I think I need to add these words to further define my role/a pastor's role in caring for members in a congregation.
My entire goal in the previous post was to encourage all members within congregations to care for one another and not view such care as exclusive to the pastor/clergy. Jesus didn't say, "Clergy members are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned." (paraphrasing the end result of Matthew 25) Not at all. Jesus called all of His followers to do such things.
Clergy are not singled out nor exempted.
Which means that I believe clergy are indeed called to model and equip others on how to care for one another in a congregational setting.
I think one can still head a large organization and still have plenty of personal contact with those in need.
I hope no one viewed my post as an attempt to say, "I don't need to care." Far be it from that. In reality, it was a desire to expand the view and show that the responsibility for care falls not on one but upon all.
My entire goal in the previous post was to encourage all members within congregations to care for one another and not view such care as exclusive to the pastor/clergy. Jesus didn't say, "Clergy members are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned." (paraphrasing the end result of Matthew 25) Not at all. Jesus called all of His followers to do such things.
Clergy are not singled out nor exempted.
Which means that I believe clergy are indeed called to model and equip others on how to care for one another in a congregational setting.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to visit the sick.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to counsel people when in need.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to check on people who are undergoing long-term treatments.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to be with families who lose a loved one and endure the grief process.
- This means clergy/I should/will continue to receive and make phone calls when a need arises.
I think one can still head a large organization and still have plenty of personal contact with those in need.
I hope no one viewed my post as an attempt to say, "I don't need to care." Far be it from that. In reality, it was a desire to expand the view and show that the responsibility for care falls not on one but upon all.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Who Cares?
It is a question I think we as clergy and as congregations need to wrestle with more deeply: who cares?
Who cares, indeed?
In many congregations, it is assumed that the primary caregiver for people is the pastor. When people are troubled, they go to the pastor. When people are having surgery or they end up in the hospital, the pastor is supposed to visit. When someone loses a loved one, the pastor is there at the death, at the funeral preparation, calls numerous times afterward, and checks in on important dates: Christmas, Easter, a year after the death. When a member has cancer, the pastor is supposed to call, text, write, email on a regular basis to check in. If someone misses church a couple Sundays in a row, the pastor should call upon that person to see what is going on. And the list goes on.
Mind you, this isn't a bad thing. I am not trying to get into a bad versus good argument over this, but what I would like to suggest is a good versus better approach.
In the above scenario, the pastor basically functions as a congregation's chaplain offering care and concern for his/her members. This works pretty well for smaller congregations, but as congregation's grow, problems occur, mainly: the pastor is simply incapable of caring for so many people. More and more things pile up. More and more people have need. The calendar becomes overwhelmed, and, even worse, the pastor becomes emotionally overwhelmed. With so many people to care for with so many varied issues and difficulties, the pastor eventually hits emotional overload--no matter how good he or she is with caring for him/herself.
And even in smaller congregations, while this works, I am not convinced it is the best model of care and concern. Why?
Generally this: in those congregations, the pastor becomes the "glue" that holds the congregation together. People have a relationship with the pastor, but not necessarily with one another. And that brings me to an important point: what happens to that congregation should the pastor take another call or retire? If he/she is the glue that holds things together, what happens when the glue is gone? The results aren't necessarily pretty. In fact, you will see many congregations experience a drop in worship attendance and giving when the pastor leaves. This is not the healthiest thing in my estimation.
So, what model might be better?
First of all, I think there are some things that clergy must keep in mind and practice and then things congregations should keep in mind and practice.
First, I think those of us who are clergy need to remember our job is not to bind a congregation together by having people have a relationship with us. Far from it. I believe our job is to help people connect with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sure, it's nice to get strokes when people tell us how much they appreciate us and like us. It's nice to hear, "I am so thankful for all that you have done." To a person who generally cares for others, these things touch a soul very deeply. However, if people are simply enjoying their relationship with you, are they growing in their walks of faith? Are they coming in contact with the God who works through you? That is another question entirely, and it is one I wrestle with constantly. As much as I like to be liked, I have become convinced that people don't need a relationship with me nearly as much as they need a relationship with Christ. He alone brings the peace that passes all understanding. He alone brings healing. He alone brings transformation. If folks are not experiencing such things, perhaps it is because we are in the way.
Second, I think a much better model for congregations to follow is care and concern for each other. When a pastor cares for members, one person essentially is the care giver. When people care for one another, well, that's a whole other ball of wax--a very powerful ball of wax. Suddenly, it's not the pastor alone who is showing compassion, concern, and mercy--to those he or she agrees and doesn't agree with--instead, a whole body of people begin to care about one another--they truly have compassion, concern, and mercy for one another. Suddenly, it's not one person alone trying to model the love of God for others, it's an entire group of people; and while God can certainly make a difference with one person, He can reach more people through the acts of others.
Furthermore, when people genuinely care for each other, the pastor no longer becomes the bonding mechanism for a congregation. People's relationship with God and with each other form that bond. Ideally, when the pastor leaves or retires, not much changes because the compassion and care is not dependent upon the pastor--it's shown with or without him/her.
When people show such care and concern for each other, no one feels left out. No one feels isolated. No one feels demeaned or unimportant. A congregation might hold a belief or policy that people do not agree with, but because of the love that people show towards one another, such things do not take on the utmost importance.
I am convinced that when people care for one another and are not dependent upon the pastor for such care, great things happen in congregations.
Who cares about such things?
I do. For I long to see congregations thriving and showing God's love--sharing the Gospel because they know the difference a relationship with Christ can bring. I long to see congregations thriving in a culture which a times is openly hostile to public faith. I long to see congregations full of joy and hope and people who smile and laugh with one another.
I simply cannot make people do these things.
All I can and will do is preach the Good News and hope that Christ transforms communities into such places of care and compassion.
Who cares, indeed?
In many congregations, it is assumed that the primary caregiver for people is the pastor. When people are troubled, they go to the pastor. When people are having surgery or they end up in the hospital, the pastor is supposed to visit. When someone loses a loved one, the pastor is there at the death, at the funeral preparation, calls numerous times afterward, and checks in on important dates: Christmas, Easter, a year after the death. When a member has cancer, the pastor is supposed to call, text, write, email on a regular basis to check in. If someone misses church a couple Sundays in a row, the pastor should call upon that person to see what is going on. And the list goes on.
Mind you, this isn't a bad thing. I am not trying to get into a bad versus good argument over this, but what I would like to suggest is a good versus better approach.
In the above scenario, the pastor basically functions as a congregation's chaplain offering care and concern for his/her members. This works pretty well for smaller congregations, but as congregation's grow, problems occur, mainly: the pastor is simply incapable of caring for so many people. More and more things pile up. More and more people have need. The calendar becomes overwhelmed, and, even worse, the pastor becomes emotionally overwhelmed. With so many people to care for with so many varied issues and difficulties, the pastor eventually hits emotional overload--no matter how good he or she is with caring for him/herself.
And even in smaller congregations, while this works, I am not convinced it is the best model of care and concern. Why?
Generally this: in those congregations, the pastor becomes the "glue" that holds the congregation together. People have a relationship with the pastor, but not necessarily with one another. And that brings me to an important point: what happens to that congregation should the pastor take another call or retire? If he/she is the glue that holds things together, what happens when the glue is gone? The results aren't necessarily pretty. In fact, you will see many congregations experience a drop in worship attendance and giving when the pastor leaves. This is not the healthiest thing in my estimation.
So, what model might be better?
First of all, I think there are some things that clergy must keep in mind and practice and then things congregations should keep in mind and practice.
First, I think those of us who are clergy need to remember our job is not to bind a congregation together by having people have a relationship with us. Far from it. I believe our job is to help people connect with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Sure, it's nice to get strokes when people tell us how much they appreciate us and like us. It's nice to hear, "I am so thankful for all that you have done." To a person who generally cares for others, these things touch a soul very deeply. However, if people are simply enjoying their relationship with you, are they growing in their walks of faith? Are they coming in contact with the God who works through you? That is another question entirely, and it is one I wrestle with constantly. As much as I like to be liked, I have become convinced that people don't need a relationship with me nearly as much as they need a relationship with Christ. He alone brings the peace that passes all understanding. He alone brings healing. He alone brings transformation. If folks are not experiencing such things, perhaps it is because we are in the way.
Second, I think a much better model for congregations to follow is care and concern for each other. When a pastor cares for members, one person essentially is the care giver. When people care for one another, well, that's a whole other ball of wax--a very powerful ball of wax. Suddenly, it's not the pastor alone who is showing compassion, concern, and mercy--to those he or she agrees and doesn't agree with--instead, a whole body of people begin to care about one another--they truly have compassion, concern, and mercy for one another. Suddenly, it's not one person alone trying to model the love of God for others, it's an entire group of people; and while God can certainly make a difference with one person, He can reach more people through the acts of others.
Furthermore, when people genuinely care for each other, the pastor no longer becomes the bonding mechanism for a congregation. People's relationship with God and with each other form that bond. Ideally, when the pastor leaves or retires, not much changes because the compassion and care is not dependent upon the pastor--it's shown with or without him/her.
When people show such care and concern for each other, no one feels left out. No one feels isolated. No one feels demeaned or unimportant. A congregation might hold a belief or policy that people do not agree with, but because of the love that people show towards one another, such things do not take on the utmost importance.
I am convinced that when people care for one another and are not dependent upon the pastor for such care, great things happen in congregations.
Who cares about such things?
I do. For I long to see congregations thriving and showing God's love--sharing the Gospel because they know the difference a relationship with Christ can bring. I long to see congregations thriving in a culture which a times is openly hostile to public faith. I long to see congregations full of joy and hope and people who smile and laugh with one another.
I simply cannot make people do these things.
All I can and will do is preach the Good News and hope that Christ transforms communities into such places of care and compassion.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Connect the Dots: Football and Church
(This post was inspired by a friend's post on Facebook. The original post follows the story.)
Tom was worried about his friend Jim. The two of them had been great supporters of the high school varsity football team. For years, they attended games and cheered their team, but it was four weeks into the season, and Jim hadn't been to a game yet. This was disturbing. Tom decided to pay his friend a visit.
Tom: Jim, ol' buddy. How you doing?
Jim: I'm fine, Tom. Just fine.
Tom: Are you sure. I haven't seen you at any of the games on Friday evenings. Is something wrong?
Jim: Tom, I'm through with football games. I just am not going to go anymore.
Tom: Can I ask why? I mean, you used to go to every game. You used to sit in the same spot and cheer long and loud. Everyone counted on you being there.
Jim: I've got more than a few reasons, ol' buddy. And it starts with the fans. I love the team, but I can't stand the fans. They've become rude and obnoxious. If the referee makes a correct call against our team, they boo and hiss. But if they see a ref overlook a call on the other team, they go ballistic! They think the rules don't apply to them. They are a bunch of hypocrites. Not only are they hypocrites, the last time I went to a game, they weren't exactly nice to me. Instead of saying, "Excuse me." when they walked past me, they simply trampled over my stuff. A man told me to quit cheering when he was talking on his cell phone. Excuse me! We're at a football game for heaven's sake! Put down your dadgum cell phone and support your team!
Tom: Slow down there a minute, Jim. People are people, you know?
Jim: Don't give me that, Tom. People should know better. They should have better manners than that. They are representing the school when they do that. I don't want to be associated with a bunch of uncouth, rude, and obnoxious hypocrites. Neither do I want to be associated with any sort of fair-weather fans. This bunch now a days--they have no loyalty or commitment. Why, at one game I attended, more than half the fans got up and left when we were behind by three touchdowns. What happened to sticking with your team win or lose? And if the weather is too hot or too cold? Gimme a break. Only the parents come to see their kids, but don't inconvenience anyone with the weather, by God. They'd rather sit at home instead of toughing things out.
Tom: I know, Jim. I know. Not everyone is that committed, but you aren't there for the fans. You are there to support the team. The team is most important. You can't just support them from home.
Jim: Support. Yeah, that's another thing. I'm tired of getting nickled and dimed every time I go to the game. I spend money on tickets. I spend money on concessions. Then they are always trying to get me to buy other stuff and paraphernalia--t shirts, jackets, stadium seats, coolers, koozies, you name it, they got it for sale. Money, money, money. All they want is my money. You say support, but all I've started seeing is dollar signs. It ain't right.
Tom: It's not like you can't afford it.
Jim: That's beside the point. I'm tired of them trying to get it out of me. And it isn't just the football. The band wants money. The PTO wants money. The booster club wants money. Hell, they even let student groups in to do fundraisers. The proverb is that a fool and his money are soon parted, but I won't be played for a fool. I can use that money to support other causes.
Tom: But all that money does good. It helps teach these kids character and responsibility and dedication to a cause greater than themselves.
Jim: Irrelevant. What do I get out of it? Not a darn thing. Last year, the band started playing that new hip hop garbage that you hear on the radio. No more good music. Can't stand that stuff. They changed the words to the alma matter, and that ticked me off.
Tom: They just made the language more inclusive for all students.
Jim: They gave in to that political correctness B.S. That's all they did. There was nothing wrong with things. People understood what those words meant. They were just getting rid of tradition. Throw out all the old stuff for this new fangaled garbage. I won't stand for it anymore.
Tom: But the coach is trying to uphold many of the traditions of the program.
Jim: I liked the old coach better.
Tom: Yes, the old coach was good, but it was time for him to move on. He did a great job, but this coach is taking the team to a new level.
Jim: By doing what? He doesn't even teach the basic fundamentals anymore. He's bringing in all that fancy garbage and stuff. He isn't strict and demand discipline. You can tell it in how the kids play. He needs to be tougher and lay down the law. We don't need any wusses up there.
Tom: Why can't you give him a chance and see what happens?
Jim: There's a right way of doing things and a wrong way of doing things. He's wrong, and that's that.
Tom: But this is your team. You really need to come and support your team. How can you support your team by simply sitting at home?
Jim: Well, I can still show my support. I can go hunting and fishing and think about my team. I can read about them in the paper and what they did. I can watch other teams on t.v. and learn more about how the game is played and think about my own team. It's not hard to support them that way.
Tom: That makes no sense, none at all.
None at all.
12 Reasons Why a Pastor Quit Attending Sports Events
1. The coach never came to visit me.
2. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
3. The people sitting in my row didn’t seem very friendly.
4. The seats were very hard.
5. The referees made a decision I didn’t agree with.
6. I was sitting with hypocrites—they only came to see what others were wearing!
7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled on my only day to sleep in and run errands.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches, anyway.
12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
Tom was worried about his friend Jim. The two of them had been great supporters of the high school varsity football team. For years, they attended games and cheered their team, but it was four weeks into the season, and Jim hadn't been to a game yet. This was disturbing. Tom decided to pay his friend a visit.
Tom: Jim, ol' buddy. How you doing?
Jim: I'm fine, Tom. Just fine.
Tom: Are you sure. I haven't seen you at any of the games on Friday evenings. Is something wrong?
Jim: Tom, I'm through with football games. I just am not going to go anymore.
Tom: Can I ask why? I mean, you used to go to every game. You used to sit in the same spot and cheer long and loud. Everyone counted on you being there.
Jim: I've got more than a few reasons, ol' buddy. And it starts with the fans. I love the team, but I can't stand the fans. They've become rude and obnoxious. If the referee makes a correct call against our team, they boo and hiss. But if they see a ref overlook a call on the other team, they go ballistic! They think the rules don't apply to them. They are a bunch of hypocrites. Not only are they hypocrites, the last time I went to a game, they weren't exactly nice to me. Instead of saying, "Excuse me." when they walked past me, they simply trampled over my stuff. A man told me to quit cheering when he was talking on his cell phone. Excuse me! We're at a football game for heaven's sake! Put down your dadgum cell phone and support your team!
Tom: Slow down there a minute, Jim. People are people, you know?
Jim: Don't give me that, Tom. People should know better. They should have better manners than that. They are representing the school when they do that. I don't want to be associated with a bunch of uncouth, rude, and obnoxious hypocrites. Neither do I want to be associated with any sort of fair-weather fans. This bunch now a days--they have no loyalty or commitment. Why, at one game I attended, more than half the fans got up and left when we were behind by three touchdowns. What happened to sticking with your team win or lose? And if the weather is too hot or too cold? Gimme a break. Only the parents come to see their kids, but don't inconvenience anyone with the weather, by God. They'd rather sit at home instead of toughing things out.
Tom: I know, Jim. I know. Not everyone is that committed, but you aren't there for the fans. You are there to support the team. The team is most important. You can't just support them from home.
Jim: Support. Yeah, that's another thing. I'm tired of getting nickled and dimed every time I go to the game. I spend money on tickets. I spend money on concessions. Then they are always trying to get me to buy other stuff and paraphernalia--t shirts, jackets, stadium seats, coolers, koozies, you name it, they got it for sale. Money, money, money. All they want is my money. You say support, but all I've started seeing is dollar signs. It ain't right.
Tom: It's not like you can't afford it.
Jim: That's beside the point. I'm tired of them trying to get it out of me. And it isn't just the football. The band wants money. The PTO wants money. The booster club wants money. Hell, they even let student groups in to do fundraisers. The proverb is that a fool and his money are soon parted, but I won't be played for a fool. I can use that money to support other causes.
Tom: But all that money does good. It helps teach these kids character and responsibility and dedication to a cause greater than themselves.
Jim: Irrelevant. What do I get out of it? Not a darn thing. Last year, the band started playing that new hip hop garbage that you hear on the radio. No more good music. Can't stand that stuff. They changed the words to the alma matter, and that ticked me off.
Tom: They just made the language more inclusive for all students.
Jim: They gave in to that political correctness B.S. That's all they did. There was nothing wrong with things. People understood what those words meant. They were just getting rid of tradition. Throw out all the old stuff for this new fangaled garbage. I won't stand for it anymore.
Tom: But the coach is trying to uphold many of the traditions of the program.
Jim: I liked the old coach better.
Tom: Yes, the old coach was good, but it was time for him to move on. He did a great job, but this coach is taking the team to a new level.
Jim: By doing what? He doesn't even teach the basic fundamentals anymore. He's bringing in all that fancy garbage and stuff. He isn't strict and demand discipline. You can tell it in how the kids play. He needs to be tougher and lay down the law. We don't need any wusses up there.
Tom: Why can't you give him a chance and see what happens?
Jim: There's a right way of doing things and a wrong way of doing things. He's wrong, and that's that.
Tom: But this is your team. You really need to come and support your team. How can you support your team by simply sitting at home?
Jim: Well, I can still show my support. I can go hunting and fishing and think about my team. I can read about them in the paper and what they did. I can watch other teams on t.v. and learn more about how the game is played and think about my own team. It's not hard to support them that way.
Tom: That makes no sense, none at all.
None at all.
12 Reasons Why a Pastor Quit Attending Sports Events
1. The coach never came to visit me.
2. Every time I went, they asked me for money.
3. The people sitting in my row didn’t seem very friendly.
4. The seats were very hard.
5. The referees made a decision I didn’t agree with.
6. I was sitting with hypocrites—they only came to see what others were wearing!
7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled on my only day to sleep in and run errands.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches, anyway.
12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Rendering Judgement
I would like to revisit a portion of my blog from yesterday, particularly the topic of judgement. Rereading St. Paul's admonition from the book of 1 Corinthians, I think is pretty informative and extremely important in how the church relates to society these days. Please look at it again:
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons— 10not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. 11But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? 13God will judge those outside. ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’ --1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Paul makes a very definite distinction when it comes to rendering judgement upon others.
"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons--not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world."
Paul here makes it clear that Christians are not to remove themselves from the world. They are not supposed to keep themselves ritually or ethically pure by refusing to interact with those who are immoral. Indeed, we as Christians are actually called to go into the world and seek out those who are living immoral lives and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to them. But there is a method we are called to use in engaging such folks, and please forgive me while I snip some of Paul's comments and reconstruct them. I do not think I am changing their meaning, but I am striving to flesh out Paul's argument.
Paul is very clear that while associating with such folks, we are not in a position to render judgement upon them. "For what have I to do with judging those outside? ...God will judge those outside." For those who are not a part of the church, we cannot render judgement upon them. Of course, we can render the judgement that we see their machinations as contrary to our own belief and value system. We can call them immoral according to the commands and Laws of God/Christ. We can refuse to participate in such behavior ourselves, and in some cases, we can and should protest certain behaviors when they are abusive, violent, and demeaning. But, aside from those circumstances, Christians are called to keep their judgements to themselves. It is not kosher to speak the following to a non-believer, "If you don't stop behaving in that manner, you will go to hell."
Such "evangelistic" methods will not bring anyone to Christ in this day and age. In fact, it will usually have quite the opposite effect. It will make you, and Christianity, seem harsh, uncaring, and self-righteous. Ixnay on the judgements of those outside the church and who are not actively in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Ah, but what about judging from within the Church?
Again, St. Paul is quite clear. "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one... ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’"
There is a clear line of demarcation here. If you are outside the bounds of the church, we shall not render judgement upon you, but if you are a part of the body of Christ...and you do not act accordingly...and you are being immoral...then judgement is necessary.
Paul lifts up the difference here between cheap grace and costly grace. Cheap grace has no impact on me and the way I live my life. Costly grace means I am changed and transformed (sanctification), and the way I live seeks to glorify God by following God's commands. If I step out of those commands and live my life in a way that does not bring God glory, then there is a community of faith commissioned with bringing me back into line and calling me to repent. They/We are justified in doing so, and it is quite necessary.
Of course, whenever this is done, there are those who readily say, "Take the log out of your own eye before trying to remove the speck in mine."
Granted. Jesus was very clear in his instruction regarding such matters; however, He also commissioned a process of judgement which is not based solely at the discretion of any one individual. It is intimately tied to a local community of faith--the church (Matthew 18). Therefore, witch hunts driven by the ego of one individual aren't allowed. Rendering judgement is necessary and is to be carried out by and on those within the Christian faith--not on those who are outside it.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons— 10not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. 11But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? 13God will judge those outside. ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’ --1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Paul makes a very definite distinction when it comes to rendering judgement upon others.
"I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons--not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world."
Paul here makes it clear that Christians are not to remove themselves from the world. They are not supposed to keep themselves ritually or ethically pure by refusing to interact with those who are immoral. Indeed, we as Christians are actually called to go into the world and seek out those who are living immoral lives and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to them. But there is a method we are called to use in engaging such folks, and please forgive me while I snip some of Paul's comments and reconstruct them. I do not think I am changing their meaning, but I am striving to flesh out Paul's argument.
Paul is very clear that while associating with such folks, we are not in a position to render judgement upon them. "For what have I to do with judging those outside? ...God will judge those outside." For those who are not a part of the church, we cannot render judgement upon them. Of course, we can render the judgement that we see their machinations as contrary to our own belief and value system. We can call them immoral according to the commands and Laws of God/Christ. We can refuse to participate in such behavior ourselves, and in some cases, we can and should protest certain behaviors when they are abusive, violent, and demeaning. But, aside from those circumstances, Christians are called to keep their judgements to themselves. It is not kosher to speak the following to a non-believer, "If you don't stop behaving in that manner, you will go to hell."
Such "evangelistic" methods will not bring anyone to Christ in this day and age. In fact, it will usually have quite the opposite effect. It will make you, and Christianity, seem harsh, uncaring, and self-righteous. Ixnay on the judgements of those outside the church and who are not actively in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Ah, but what about judging from within the Church?
Again, St. Paul is quite clear. "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one... ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’"
There is a clear line of demarcation here. If you are outside the bounds of the church, we shall not render judgement upon you, but if you are a part of the body of Christ...and you do not act accordingly...and you are being immoral...then judgement is necessary.
Paul lifts up the difference here between cheap grace and costly grace. Cheap grace has no impact on me and the way I live my life. Costly grace means I am changed and transformed (sanctification), and the way I live seeks to glorify God by following God's commands. If I step out of those commands and live my life in a way that does not bring God glory, then there is a community of faith commissioned with bringing me back into line and calling me to repent. They/We are justified in doing so, and it is quite necessary.
Of course, whenever this is done, there are those who readily say, "Take the log out of your own eye before trying to remove the speck in mine."
Granted. Jesus was very clear in his instruction regarding such matters; however, He also commissioned a process of judgement which is not based solely at the discretion of any one individual. It is intimately tied to a local community of faith--the church (Matthew 18). Therefore, witch hunts driven by the ego of one individual aren't allowed. Rendering judgement is necessary and is to be carried out by and on those within the Christian faith--not on those who are outside it.
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