October 1, 2013. All non-essential parts of the U.S. Government are currently shut down because of an inability on the part of Republicans and Democrats to put together a bill for funding.
Let's put the blame game aside for a little while. I am sure more than a few people will have a lot of fun jumping into it and deciding the political fallout from it. I am not much interested in such matters. Seems to me no matter what party holds power, nothing much really, truly changes. The rich keep getting richer. The poor keep getting poorer. The cyclical narrative which has occurred throughout history keeps repeating itself as it will probably keep repeating itself until Kingdom come.
But I ask the question today: what would happen if the government shut down permanently? More specifically: what would the Church do if the U.S. Government shut down permanently?
Now, I am going to look at my own particular denomination: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. How would such a thing affect the mission and ministry we strive to accomplish?
On one level, it wouldn't change much. I mean, I know most congregations would still have worship services. Most congregations would still seek to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, care for the poor, sick, widowed, and imprisoned. The Gospel would still need to be preached. Of this, there is no doubt.
On another level, however, I think there would be substantial changes. There are more than a few within my denomination who believe the government should take on the responsibility for feeding the hungry and caring for the poor and needy. They base such thought in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament and seek to be modern prophets who criticize our government for "buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals." Of these modern prophets, many seek to influence the political system to bring about their own particular visions of justice--economic equality and redistribution of wealth. This is not unlike the so-called "Religious Right" which seeks to use the political system to impose a particular set of sexual and familial morals on the U.S.
So, what happens if the government goes away? What becomes of such efforts? What happens if there is no political/legal system to appeal to? What role does the church (ELCA) play?
I have argued in this blog on several occasions that the church's role in society is to stay away from the political process and act much like the first century Church acted. In that time and place, the Church had no legal or favored status. It did not seek to influence governmental policy or procedures. Instead, it sought to proclaim the Good News of Jesus even in the face of governmental persecution. It steadfastly held to its teaching, preaching, and practice of care and concern for the poor, widowed and orphan, regardless of what particular stance the government held. It risked life and limb to follow Jesus Christ and His teachings.
It wasn't until the Church received a most favored status in the Roman Empire that the Church had the ability to influence policy and procedure. And, I would argue, it went down hill from there. As the Church gained power and influence, it also produced corruption. In the name of Jesus, people were persecuted, crusades were conducted, Protestants and Catholics fought for 30 years. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The power Christians are called to wield is the power of the Gospel, and that power is wielded regardless of whether or not a government is or is not functioning.
Now, I know that there are those who argue that the need of those around is tremendous. There are those who argue that the numbers of people who are in need and the cost of providing for those folks is too much for the Church to handle. I say, "Where is your faith?" Do we not believe in the One who turned five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed 5000 men plus women and children? Do we not believe the One who said, "Do not worry, if God provides enough for the sparrows, won't He provide enough for you."?
I believe one of the greatest reasons the Church in the United States has declined in the past 30 years or so has less to do with the rise of secularism and more to do with the Church's desire to exert power in the political process. That's not our job. Just let the government stay shut down for a lengthy amount of time. Then, it will become much more evident.
Showing posts with label Early Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Early Church. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
"They Glorified God Because of Me"
Paul was no friend of the early church. He freely admits this. In fact, Paul admits that he violently persecuted the church. We have further witness of this from Luke’s account in the book of Acts when Luke tells us about the first martyr of the church, Stephen.
Stephen proclaimed the gospel, and he upset quite a few folks. Rather than backtrack on what he proclaimed, he pushed the envelope, and he was stoned. There was a young man who looked after the cloaks of those who were stoning Stephen, and that young man was named Saul, who would later become Paul. This same Saul had obtained permission to head to Damascus and arrest Christians there when an extraordinary event took place that changed his life, but more about that later.
Paul grew up as a Pharisee, and by his own account, he was a very good one. He was the modern day equivalent of the churchman who went to church every Sunday rain or shine; who gave 10% of his offering to the church; who went to Bible study on Sunday and Wednesday night; who contributed to every fund-raiser and who served on the church council. But I think perhaps it went even further than that because Paul calls himself blameless according to the law. This means, Paul ate the right foods, washed his hands at the right times, wore the right clothing, prayed at the right times and associated with the right people. The Jewish faith was not something Paul simply talked about and practiced when it suited him; no. The Jewish faith was something he lived to the nth degree.
Paul was so absorbed into the Jewish faith that it literally was his life. And he was not happy about anything that would threaten his beloved faith. When word started being spread that a group of people dared to say that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah who was raised from the dead, Paul knew this posed a threat. It was obvious to him this was a lie. The Jewish people were not free from their enemies. Rome still occupied Israel. God had not reestablished the Jewish monarchy as no descendant of David sat on the throne. And indeed, no one could be raised from the dead. Once a person was dead, that person was dead–no return from that state. Despite all the evidence, this movement was attracting followers. His fellow Jews were converting and becoming Christian, and this was troubling. How could people follow this lie? How could people desert the truth of the Jewish faith and say Jesus is the resurrected Lord and Messiah? It did not make sense to him. It was obviously false...and a threat. The movement had to be countered.
And Paul was all to happy to oblige. The same drive that made him work to perfection drove him to persecute the early church. He strove to find followers of Jesus and have them arrested. His zealous pursuit and defense of the Jewish faith won admirers in high places, so when Paul heard about the church taking root in Damascus, he asked for and received permission to persecute the church there. Armed with arrest warrants, he headed out.
And that is when his life was changed. In an instant. In the blink of an eye. A light appeared, and a voice spoke, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you?” Saul responded.
“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
Paul had encountered the Living Lord, and it was a life-changing event. I spoke not to long ago how this event completely shattered his worldview and forced him to rethink everything he thought he knew. It turned Paul’s world upside down, and after all was said and done, he went from zealous persecutor of the Church to ardent missionary and proclaimer of the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Most agreed, the transformation was amazing. The one who persecuted the Church with zeal now became one of its strongest supporters and one of the most obsessed evangelists that ever existed. Paul says as much in our second lesson this morning as he recounts all of these episodes in his life.
He says, “20In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23they only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’”
And then we come to a very fascinating statement in verse 24, “And they glorified God because of me.”
Think about that statement for just a minute. “They glorified God because of me.”
I began to wonder if I had heard such a statement in the entire time I’ve been serving as a pastor. I began thinking about all the thank you notes I have received. I began thinking about all the thank you notes I have seen published in church newsletters. I began thinking about all the correspondence I’ve received from other religious institutions and such. I began to think about all the comments I’ve received on my sermons and the comments I have given to others who have preached. And to the best of my recollection, I cannot ever think of hearing anything similar.
Usually, the things churches and pastors get say this or something similar:
Thank you for your words of comfort at the funeral.
Thank you for sending a donation to help us in our mission and ministry.
Thank you for officiating at our wedding and helping us enjoy our special day.
Thank you for helping our family out during this financial crisis.
Now, these words aren’t bad. There is nothing wrong with them, so if you are in the process of writing a thank you letter or what have you, please do not think that I am somehow slamming you. I’m not. But contrast these words with what Paul says:
They glorified God because of me.
While many people thank us, the early Christians were glorifying God because of Paul. This leads me to ask why are people focusing on us instead of giving God the glory?
I have to ask that question because I think it gets to the heart and soul of the purpose of the Church in society. I think it gets to the heart and soul of what our mission and our purpose as Christians is in this world in which we live.
Let me try to be as clear as possible without being too offensive: it is not the church’s job to call attention to itself. It is not the church’s job to simply do good things and get recognized for that. It is not the church’s job to get as many people to join as possible so that we can keep the lights on, the building air conditioned, run a few programs that keep kids entertained, hold a few fund raisers and benefits for those in need, and other such things. It is not a pastor’s job to work hard to get compliments on what he or she preaches or teaches or does at a funeral or wedding. Now, we certainly do all of those things, but this is not our primary purpose. It is not our primary job.
Please listen closely: our primary job is to introduce people to and point the way to the God who makes all of these things possible. Our primary job is to lift up the awesomeness of our God and what He did in taking on flesh, dwelling among us, and reconciling the world unto himself. It is our primary job to keep God as the focus, as the center, as that which our lives revolve around. We do not want people to see us! I know that may be hard to get your head around, but I assure you, I think it is absolutely true. We do not want people to see us; we want them to see God.
And so, we must ask ourselves: are people seeing us or are they seeing God? Are they thanking us or are they thanking God? Are others glorifying us or are they glorifying God? And if they are focusing on us instead of God, why is that the case?
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the early church glorified you because of your work. Sometimes we get things backward today and strive to lift up ourselves instead of you. Give us the strength, courage, and desire to set ourselves aside so that others may see you and give glory to you because of us. Amen.
Stephen proclaimed the gospel, and he upset quite a few folks. Rather than backtrack on what he proclaimed, he pushed the envelope, and he was stoned. There was a young man who looked after the cloaks of those who were stoning Stephen, and that young man was named Saul, who would later become Paul. This same Saul had obtained permission to head to Damascus and arrest Christians there when an extraordinary event took place that changed his life, but more about that later.
Paul grew up as a Pharisee, and by his own account, he was a very good one. He was the modern day equivalent of the churchman who went to church every Sunday rain or shine; who gave 10% of his offering to the church; who went to Bible study on Sunday and Wednesday night; who contributed to every fund-raiser and who served on the church council. But I think perhaps it went even further than that because Paul calls himself blameless according to the law. This means, Paul ate the right foods, washed his hands at the right times, wore the right clothing, prayed at the right times and associated with the right people. The Jewish faith was not something Paul simply talked about and practiced when it suited him; no. The Jewish faith was something he lived to the nth degree.
Paul was so absorbed into the Jewish faith that it literally was his life. And he was not happy about anything that would threaten his beloved faith. When word started being spread that a group of people dared to say that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah who was raised from the dead, Paul knew this posed a threat. It was obvious to him this was a lie. The Jewish people were not free from their enemies. Rome still occupied Israel. God had not reestablished the Jewish monarchy as no descendant of David sat on the throne. And indeed, no one could be raised from the dead. Once a person was dead, that person was dead–no return from that state. Despite all the evidence, this movement was attracting followers. His fellow Jews were converting and becoming Christian, and this was troubling. How could people follow this lie? How could people desert the truth of the Jewish faith and say Jesus is the resurrected Lord and Messiah? It did not make sense to him. It was obviously false...and a threat. The movement had to be countered.
And Paul was all to happy to oblige. The same drive that made him work to perfection drove him to persecute the early church. He strove to find followers of Jesus and have them arrested. His zealous pursuit and defense of the Jewish faith won admirers in high places, so when Paul heard about the church taking root in Damascus, he asked for and received permission to persecute the church there. Armed with arrest warrants, he headed out.
And that is when his life was changed. In an instant. In the blink of an eye. A light appeared, and a voice spoke, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you?” Saul responded.
“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
Paul had encountered the Living Lord, and it was a life-changing event. I spoke not to long ago how this event completely shattered his worldview and forced him to rethink everything he thought he knew. It turned Paul’s world upside down, and after all was said and done, he went from zealous persecutor of the Church to ardent missionary and proclaimer of the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Most agreed, the transformation was amazing. The one who persecuted the Church with zeal now became one of its strongest supporters and one of the most obsessed evangelists that ever existed. Paul says as much in our second lesson this morning as he recounts all of these episodes in his life.
He says, “20In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23they only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’”
And then we come to a very fascinating statement in verse 24, “And they glorified God because of me.”
Think about that statement for just a minute. “They glorified God because of me.”
I began to wonder if I had heard such a statement in the entire time I’ve been serving as a pastor. I began thinking about all the thank you notes I have received. I began thinking about all the thank you notes I have seen published in church newsletters. I began thinking about all the correspondence I’ve received from other religious institutions and such. I began to think about all the comments I’ve received on my sermons and the comments I have given to others who have preached. And to the best of my recollection, I cannot ever think of hearing anything similar.
Usually, the things churches and pastors get say this or something similar:
Thank you for your words of comfort at the funeral.
Thank you for sending a donation to help us in our mission and ministry.
Thank you for officiating at our wedding and helping us enjoy our special day.
Thank you for helping our family out during this financial crisis.
Now, these words aren’t bad. There is nothing wrong with them, so if you are in the process of writing a thank you letter or what have you, please do not think that I am somehow slamming you. I’m not. But contrast these words with what Paul says:
They glorified God because of me.
While many people thank us, the early Christians were glorifying God because of Paul. This leads me to ask why are people focusing on us instead of giving God the glory?
I have to ask that question because I think it gets to the heart and soul of the purpose of the Church in society. I think it gets to the heart and soul of what our mission and our purpose as Christians is in this world in which we live.
Let me try to be as clear as possible without being too offensive: it is not the church’s job to call attention to itself. It is not the church’s job to simply do good things and get recognized for that. It is not the church’s job to get as many people to join as possible so that we can keep the lights on, the building air conditioned, run a few programs that keep kids entertained, hold a few fund raisers and benefits for those in need, and other such things. It is not a pastor’s job to work hard to get compliments on what he or she preaches or teaches or does at a funeral or wedding. Now, we certainly do all of those things, but this is not our primary purpose. It is not our primary job.
Please listen closely: our primary job is to introduce people to and point the way to the God who makes all of these things possible. Our primary job is to lift up the awesomeness of our God and what He did in taking on flesh, dwelling among us, and reconciling the world unto himself. It is our primary job to keep God as the focus, as the center, as that which our lives revolve around. We do not want people to see us! I know that may be hard to get your head around, but I assure you, I think it is absolutely true. We do not want people to see us; we want them to see God.
And so, we must ask ourselves: are people seeing us or are they seeing God? Are they thanking us or are they thanking God? Are others glorifying us or are they glorifying God? And if they are focusing on us instead of God, why is that the case?
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the early church glorified you because of your work. Sometimes we get things backward today and strive to lift up ourselves instead of you. Give us the strength, courage, and desire to set ourselves aside so that others may see you and give glory to you because of us. Amen.
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