I had an interesting conversation after worship this Sunday. A respected gentleman took me aside and said, "Pastor, I've wanted to say something to you because I follow your blog. I don't think you've got burnout. When you've burn out, you've got nothing left. I think you've flamed out. There's still plenty of fuel down there, and you've got a lot left in the tank."
I think the guy is dead on. He knows. He's been doing the same work for over 30 years, and he admitted he finally burned out. There was nothing left. He was in the process of retiring because he had nothing left to give.
I know technically, this is a matter of semantics. Burnout is the common terminology used for someone who has reached a point of physical, mental or spiritual exhaustion due to prolonged stress or frustration in the environment where the person works or spends much of his/her time.
Recently, we clergy have experienced a lot of it. It wasn't always the case. In the past few months, even some highly visible sources of information have begun talking about it:
NPR
The New York Times
The New York Times again
Huffington Post
I think most of my colleagues would agree with me in stating we love doing the Lord's work, but it's awful hard. Nearly all of us have a passion and a desire to follow Jesus' instructions and strive to imitate Him while striving to care for His flock. There is something that burns within us all (the Holy Spirit) which compels us to work in this profession, and we mostly strive to do our absolute best.
Yet, despite this burning, we grow weary. We grow frustrated. Part of it is our own expectations of what we would like to see happen. We want our congregations to grow. We want them to thrive. We want them to become places where God's Word is "living and active and sharper than any two edged sword." Most of us want dynamic places of worship; active youth and Sunday School programs; people who genuinely care for one another and for those who are not members of our churches--who embody the attributes of Jesus; and people who care enough about one another to work through differences with each other. We envision communities of faith which revolve around God's Word and Sacraments; communities which produce people of character and hope. We long for such things. We toil for such things. We sacrifice for such things. We invest our time, talent, and treasure in our congregations hoping some of our passion will rub off and folks will catch the vision of God's Kingdom as we strive to articulate it and put it into practice in our own daily lives.
And we watch, sometimes in horror, as it seems like our words and our actions have very little impact.
Most congregations continue to decline.
Some grow, level off, and then start to decline.
Some simply hold steady.
For the most part, we clergy blame ourselves and we think we aren't working hard enough. So we redouble our efforts, and before we are even aware of it, we crash: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Burnout. Flameout. Whatever. It's all the same.
But the fire within us doesn't die. We're still passionate about God. We're still passionate about His work, but we wonder why it seems like few share that passion. We wonder why people consistently choose other things over worship and Christian education. We wonder why when we offer forgiveness and overlook peoples' faults some members of our flock hold onto grudges and refuse to worship because of something we might of said or some other member of the church said to them. We wonder how and why congregations go from enthusiastic about helping their communities to turning inward and bickering amongst themselves. We wonder how and why congregations reach a certain point and refuse to grow any more. And most of us, because we haven't lost the fire, begin searching for some place else to rekindle those flames. Few try and stay to work it out in their current congregations. It's just easier, especially since one feels like one has nothing left to give.
But is it possible for those flames to be rekindled? Is it possible for pastors and congregations to recognize such things together? Is it possible for pastors and congregations to examine themselves and realize they are both share culpability when it comes to this phenomenon of clergy flaming out? Is it possible for each to change the way they respond and act?
I frankly don't know the answers to those questions. They are bigger than me. What I do know about myself is this:
#1. I'm nowhere near the nasty place I was at several months ago.
#2. Neither am I fully healed.
#3. The fire still burns deeply and passionately within me to do the Lord's work.
#4. I've had to look at myself and define what I believe the Lord needs me to do and how that plays out in my life as a pastor, as a father, and as a husband.
#5. I've had to look at what I am doing and not doing in my congregation, and I've had to redefine my role in light of #4.
#6. I have no idea if the steps I am taking will make any difference what-so-ever.
#7. But doing something different (#6) is better than trying to do the same things over and over and expecting different results.
#8. What those results will be, I have no idea. It's all in the Lord's hands.
#9. If indeed, I have managed to place it all in the Lord's hands, everything will be o.k. and the flame will be rekindled.
#10. I'd prefer not to think of the alternative if #9 isn't true.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday's Sermon: Abundance Over Scarcity
I would like to begin my sermon this morning with an illustration I came across this week during my research. It’s told by Grace Imathiu in her sermon titled, "A Picnic on the Mountainside." She says:
A few years ago I served as pastor of Lavington Church in Nairobi. One day three young men came to my office. Although they were cheerful, they looked tired and wore out. Their tennis shoes were dusty and their clothes needed a wash. The first thing they asked when they came into my office was whether they could sing a verse of "Amazing Grace" in their language. They sang acappella in parts. It was so beautiful. Sounded like angel music, the kind of singing that tugs at the soul and brings tears to your eyes out of the blue. And then they told me their story. They were university students from Rwanda, 23-year olds. Two of them had been medical students. When war broke out in their country, they had escaped with only the clothes on their back and the song in their heart. They had walked for weeks without a change of clothes with no place to sleep. They had often gone hungry, they said, and they had no clue where any of their family members and friends were. They said they had learned to be grateful for their life each day and they had begun singing "Amazing Grace" as a prayer as they walked. They had seen so much violence and death and cruelty that they could not find words to pray so instead they sang "Amazing Grace" as they walked and they said, "God knew and that was enough."
On that afternoon in my office, these three young men had come to church asking for assistance. They said they had found a room to rent for eight U.S. dollars a month. They said they did not need beds; they would gladly sleep on the floor. They were asking our congregation to help them with a month's rent. Eight dollars and some money for food, a total of $12 a month. I asked the three students to come back in a few days so I could meet with the church leaders, and when I met my church leaders, they all agreed it was a great ministry. But someone talked about the budget. Someone said $8 was not a lot, but if you multiplied by 12 months, the next thing you know, it would be impossible. And someone else suggested a very Andrew-like idea. "Let's have a special project," they said. "Let's have a special offering. Let's tell the congregation about the situation, have these young men sing one Sunday morning, and whoever in the congregation is willing to help, could donate outside the usual tithing and offertory." The church leaders talked late into the night. Some were even concerned that so many refugees were in the city that the word would spread our church was involved in paying rent and buying groceries and we would be swamped with needs. Some wanted to keep church and revivals only a spiritual level. No picnics, no food, no dinner.
As I listened to my church leaders, I learned so much about the myth of limited resources. We often think there's just enough for some of us. Some have to go without. We're worried we'll run out, but guess what? God's world has enough for all of us. Someone has put it well, saying, "There is enough for all our needs, but there is not enough for all our greed."
I thought about Grace’s story quite a bit. I thought about it in light of our Gospel lesson this morning about Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 men plus women and children. I thought about it in light of how the disciples reacted to Jesus’ question, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"
Philip responded, "Six months wages wouldn’t buy enough bread for each of them to even get a little bit."
In other words, "Jesus, are you out of your mind? We don’t have that kind of money. We can’t provide for all of these people. Our resources are limited. Be more realistic, Lord. Think about what you are asking."
So often in our churches, we are confronted with the same sorts of deals Grace’s congregation members faced and what the disciples faced. As we look around this world, we see glowing needs. We see poverty. We see destruction. We see people’s lives ruined by natural disasters, by recession, by poor choices, and by illness. The need is overwhelming at times.
And many times, we are asked to help. Many times our congregations are approached by individuals and by groups with their hands out asking, "Please, can you spare anything to help us?"
And how do we respond? How do our congregations, our denominations reply? Usually in one of several of ways. Either we react by saying, "Well, if we help you, then we’ll have to help everybody. And we just don’t have the resources to help everybody." Or, we react by saying, "Well, our congregation supports such and such a ministry. Please go to them to receive assistance." Or, we react by saying, "The job is just too massive for us, we need to let the government step in and handle things because they have all the equipment, resources, or what have you to make a difference." Or, we even respond, "Well, you made some poor choices to lead up to this happening. Perhaps you should learn from your mistakes and make better choices next time." Think about these reactions as you hear Phillip say, "Lord, six months wages wouldn’t buy enough bread for these folks to even have a little bit." And think about them when you hear Andrew also say, "This little boy here has five loaves of bread and two fish, but what are they amongst so many?"
What are they amongst so many, indeed? Andrew believes in scarcity. Andrew believes there is only so much to go around. Andrew believes we can’t make a dent in the enormity of the hunger that exists around us. And most of the time, we’re just like Andrew. We believe there’s only so much we can do, so much we can give, or so much we can say.
Of course, we know the rest of the story, and we know things work out much differently than we tend to think. We know how Jesus isn’t affected by scarcity. We know Jesus brings the power of God into the equation. "Make the people sit down," He commands. And they do. He takes the loaves. He takes the fish. He blesses them and begins distributing them. And all are satisfied. All eat their fill. And when the clean up ensues, 12 baskets full of bread are collected. From such a small start, there is an abundance in the end! The cup, or in this case, the baskets, truly runneth over! With Jesus, there is no such thing as scarcity. There is an abundance.
I am reminded about a Lutheran congregation in Houston. Yes, it’s an ELCA congregation. It was a struggling church in a changing neighborhood. It had been on the decline for numerous years with no prospects of increasing membership. The congregation’s average age was climbing and greying. So, the pastor who was there did something radical. He said, "Looks like you’ve chosen to die. Let’s die well."
He convinced the remaining members they should work to give away the church’s assets. They should invest in the community. Reaching out, they started finding out community needs and spending money in copious amounts to help their neighbors. And guess what happened?
As they began doing God’s work and giving away, the church became revitalized! Instead of a continuing decline in membership, folks from the community began attending. They began getting involved in the process of giving what they had away. And the congregation found out something quite interesting–they couldn’t out give God. It simply wasn’t possible. Each time they tried, more came in to make the Lord’s work happen. The congregation found out what Phillip and Andrew found out in our Gospel lesson–what Jesus knew as He asked the question–when it comes to doing God’s work, there is no scarcity. There is always abundance. And now we must ask ourselves, do we live our lives as if this were the case? Amen.
A few years ago I served as pastor of Lavington Church in Nairobi. One day three young men came to my office. Although they were cheerful, they looked tired and wore out. Their tennis shoes were dusty and their clothes needed a wash. The first thing they asked when they came into my office was whether they could sing a verse of "Amazing Grace" in their language. They sang acappella in parts. It was so beautiful. Sounded like angel music, the kind of singing that tugs at the soul and brings tears to your eyes out of the blue. And then they told me their story. They were university students from Rwanda, 23-year olds. Two of them had been medical students. When war broke out in their country, they had escaped with only the clothes on their back and the song in their heart. They had walked for weeks without a change of clothes with no place to sleep. They had often gone hungry, they said, and they had no clue where any of their family members and friends were. They said they had learned to be grateful for their life each day and they had begun singing "Amazing Grace" as a prayer as they walked. They had seen so much violence and death and cruelty that they could not find words to pray so instead they sang "Amazing Grace" as they walked and they said, "God knew and that was enough."
On that afternoon in my office, these three young men had come to church asking for assistance. They said they had found a room to rent for eight U.S. dollars a month. They said they did not need beds; they would gladly sleep on the floor. They were asking our congregation to help them with a month's rent. Eight dollars and some money for food, a total of $12 a month. I asked the three students to come back in a few days so I could meet with the church leaders, and when I met my church leaders, they all agreed it was a great ministry. But someone talked about the budget. Someone said $8 was not a lot, but if you multiplied by 12 months, the next thing you know, it would be impossible. And someone else suggested a very Andrew-like idea. "Let's have a special project," they said. "Let's have a special offering. Let's tell the congregation about the situation, have these young men sing one Sunday morning, and whoever in the congregation is willing to help, could donate outside the usual tithing and offertory." The church leaders talked late into the night. Some were even concerned that so many refugees were in the city that the word would spread our church was involved in paying rent and buying groceries and we would be swamped with needs. Some wanted to keep church and revivals only a spiritual level. No picnics, no food, no dinner.
As I listened to my church leaders, I learned so much about the myth of limited resources. We often think there's just enough for some of us. Some have to go without. We're worried we'll run out, but guess what? God's world has enough for all of us. Someone has put it well, saying, "There is enough for all our needs, but there is not enough for all our greed."
I thought about Grace’s story quite a bit. I thought about it in light of our Gospel lesson this morning about Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 men plus women and children. I thought about it in light of how the disciples reacted to Jesus’ question, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"
Philip responded, "Six months wages wouldn’t buy enough bread for each of them to even get a little bit."
In other words, "Jesus, are you out of your mind? We don’t have that kind of money. We can’t provide for all of these people. Our resources are limited. Be more realistic, Lord. Think about what you are asking."
So often in our churches, we are confronted with the same sorts of deals Grace’s congregation members faced and what the disciples faced. As we look around this world, we see glowing needs. We see poverty. We see destruction. We see people’s lives ruined by natural disasters, by recession, by poor choices, and by illness. The need is overwhelming at times.
And many times, we are asked to help. Many times our congregations are approached by individuals and by groups with their hands out asking, "Please, can you spare anything to help us?"
And how do we respond? How do our congregations, our denominations reply? Usually in one of several of ways. Either we react by saying, "Well, if we help you, then we’ll have to help everybody. And we just don’t have the resources to help everybody." Or, we react by saying, "Well, our congregation supports such and such a ministry. Please go to them to receive assistance." Or, we react by saying, "The job is just too massive for us, we need to let the government step in and handle things because they have all the equipment, resources, or what have you to make a difference." Or, we even respond, "Well, you made some poor choices to lead up to this happening. Perhaps you should learn from your mistakes and make better choices next time." Think about these reactions as you hear Phillip say, "Lord, six months wages wouldn’t buy enough bread for these folks to even have a little bit." And think about them when you hear Andrew also say, "This little boy here has five loaves of bread and two fish, but what are they amongst so many?"
What are they amongst so many, indeed? Andrew believes in scarcity. Andrew believes there is only so much to go around. Andrew believes we can’t make a dent in the enormity of the hunger that exists around us. And most of the time, we’re just like Andrew. We believe there’s only so much we can do, so much we can give, or so much we can say.
Of course, we know the rest of the story, and we know things work out much differently than we tend to think. We know how Jesus isn’t affected by scarcity. We know Jesus brings the power of God into the equation. "Make the people sit down," He commands. And they do. He takes the loaves. He takes the fish. He blesses them and begins distributing them. And all are satisfied. All eat their fill. And when the clean up ensues, 12 baskets full of bread are collected. From such a small start, there is an abundance in the end! The cup, or in this case, the baskets, truly runneth over! With Jesus, there is no such thing as scarcity. There is an abundance.
I am reminded about a Lutheran congregation in Houston. Yes, it’s an ELCA congregation. It was a struggling church in a changing neighborhood. It had been on the decline for numerous years with no prospects of increasing membership. The congregation’s average age was climbing and greying. So, the pastor who was there did something radical. He said, "Looks like you’ve chosen to die. Let’s die well."
He convinced the remaining members they should work to give away the church’s assets. They should invest in the community. Reaching out, they started finding out community needs and spending money in copious amounts to help their neighbors. And guess what happened?
As they began doing God’s work and giving away, the church became revitalized! Instead of a continuing decline in membership, folks from the community began attending. They began getting involved in the process of giving what they had away. And the congregation found out something quite interesting–they couldn’t out give God. It simply wasn’t possible. Each time they tried, more came in to make the Lord’s work happen. The congregation found out what Phillip and Andrew found out in our Gospel lesson–what Jesus knew as He asked the question–when it comes to doing God’s work, there is no scarcity. There is always abundance. And now we must ask ourselves, do we live our lives as if this were the case? Amen.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
God Versus Baseball: Why God Wins
Yesterday, I wrote a bit about baseball versus the Church and how many folks are choosing athletics over congregational worship these days. It is my firm belief that worship should come first regardless of aspirations toward playing professional baseball or football or volleyball or what have you. It is my firm belief that even though the Church is a flawed institution and oftentimes leaves folks disenchanted, upset, hopeless, etc., the One the Church worships is none of those things. Unfortunately, we have oftentimes allow the flawed institution to get in our way of worshiping the One the institution is supposed to point toward, and it is He whom we come to meet and hear and revere--not the pastor, people sitting in the pews, the building and property, or the politics of how a congregation is run. It's important to focus on God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and what they expect. When we do so, I believe we see they trump baseball or what have you in a major way.
1. As I said yesterday, athletics demands something out of people. Money, time, dedication, etc. Once you buy into athletics, you find yourself committed, and one is loathe to turn away after the investment.
However, God's demands actually far outweigh athletics's demands. Don't believe me? Well, just because most congregations don't place any demands upon members doesn't mean Christ doesn't place demands upon His followers. Here's just a few of them:
#1. Perfection. (Matthew 5:48)
#2. Mercy. (Luke 6:36)
#3. Loving one's enemies. (Matthew 6:44)
#4. Turning the other cheek when struck. (Matthew 6:39)
Oh, let's just stop all this stuff and get down to the brass taxes of what Jesus demands. He wants your entire life--not just morality--not just justice--not just an hour of worship on Sunday morning and a few moments of prayer time during the week. He wants you. All of you. Remember the story of the rich man who came to see Jesus:
17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 18Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ 20He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money* to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Mark 10: 17-22)
God demands your life--far more than athletics could ever think of demanding. Now, God doesn't punish us directly for not giving Him our entire lives. If He did, none of us would be walking around; however, there are definitely consequences for not putting God first. Things tend to fall apart and quickly. Yet, when folks' lives are spinning out of control they start wondering, "Why?" Well, how well are you putting God first?
2. Athletics offers the hope of the next game; the next season; and the chance for the underdog to win.
But there are still losers. And when your body doesn't work anymore, athletics drops you off at the corner. Sure, you can coach or follow your favorite team, but when all is said and done, athletics offers a false hope. Games end. Teams disappoint. Coaches become involved in scandal. Players abuse their bodies and sometimes abuse the relationships they enter into. Brokenness rears its ugly head time and again. Sometimes the pursuit of money causes dedicated fans to become sick of the sport. (Raise your hand if college football's pursuit of money has turned your stomach more than once.)
With God, hope reigns eternal. That's the main promise of the resurrection. Everything looked really, really bad on Good Friday, but Easter revealed the promised ending. No matter what evil may befall us. No matter how many shootings go on in theaters or schools or in parking lots. No matter the disparity between rich and poor. No matter how many die of starvation. The final word and say will belong to God. The final word and say will be good. The final promise is a renewed and restored creation to the way it was meant to be. There is not a hope in next season or the next game which may or may not turn out well. There is a sure and certain hope.
3. The final one is a bit more difficult and even troublesome. In athletics, one can measure progress. One can see one's self getting stronger, getting faster, throwing harder and with more accuracy. Some of this is due to the body's naturally getting stronger as it grows. Sometimes people don't have to work very hard to see the results, and since matter tends to want to stay at it's lowest energy state, many folks are very happy seeing progress without much investment.
Yet, there are two things of note here. First, the best athletes go through a lot of pain to get better. In order to get stronger, they have to lift weights and tear their muscles so that they can rebuild. They have to push themselves to exhaustion so that their bodies can grow in stamina. Some are not willing to push themselves in this manner, but the best of the best train and have pain to attain greatness. Secondly, even pushing themselves to the limit, eventually, everyone hits a ceiling. Age creeps in and strength wanes. Drugs can push this off until further in life, but there are limits to how far one can progress.
There is good news and bad news here for those of faith. The bad news will be offered first: in order to grow in faith, one must experience pain as well. Spare me the televangelists and others who believe Christianity is a painless way of life. Spare me those who say Christianity leads one to be pain free, evil free, and full of unceasing happiness. It doesn't happen that way. For to grow in faith, one must undergo pain. It's not pleasant. The saints in their works express this. Why is it so painful?
In Christianity, we are at war with our very nature--our very identities as homo sapiens. We are born with the capability to do great good and also great evil. For most of us, we keep the extremes in check. Rarely does one do great good things. Mostly we do small good things. Conversely, most of us do not do great evil. We do small evil things. As we seek to grow in faith, we go through pain as God cleanses the bad from us. He changes our identity. He changes our very nature, and that is painful. Some can't handle the pain. Again, most athletes don't push themselves to really and truly become great--neither do most Christians. It's a sad fact, but a true one. But if you are a "glutton for punishment", or in the case of Christianity, a glutton for transformation....
There is no limit to growth in faith. As we age, our cellular processes break down. We age. Our muscles no longer respond as quickly. Our strength fades. But those of faith who pursue growth find there is no ceiling. How could there when the ideal is to become like Jesus? In fact, some of the most mature Christians I have known are those who are facing end of life issues. They are people wracked with the pain of cancer or some other disease. They are people who have lost loved ones and buried children. They are people who have walked through hell on earth and have a peace that passes all understanding. They would never look down on you. They would never be conceited in their spiritual growth. They are immensely humble because of what they have endured and gone through, and they radiate God's light and love. They themselves would tell you they are still growing, still learning, and still striving to love like Jesus, and they know they will accomplish this goal only after crossing the threshold of death.
While athletics offers the opportunity to progress, there are limits. In Christ, there are none to one's spiritual growth.
In all ways, God triumphs over baseball. Not likely it will change the dynamics of those who choose to pursue athletics in this day and age. But I can hope, can't I?
1. As I said yesterday, athletics demands something out of people. Money, time, dedication, etc. Once you buy into athletics, you find yourself committed, and one is loathe to turn away after the investment.
However, God's demands actually far outweigh athletics's demands. Don't believe me? Well, just because most congregations don't place any demands upon members doesn't mean Christ doesn't place demands upon His followers. Here's just a few of them:
#1. Perfection. (Matthew 5:48)
#2. Mercy. (Luke 6:36)
#3. Loving one's enemies. (Matthew 6:44)
#4. Turning the other cheek when struck. (Matthew 6:39)
Oh, let's just stop all this stuff and get down to the brass taxes of what Jesus demands. He wants your entire life--not just morality--not just justice--not just an hour of worship on Sunday morning and a few moments of prayer time during the week. He wants you. All of you. Remember the story of the rich man who came to see Jesus:
17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 18Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ 20He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money* to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Mark 10: 17-22)
God demands your life--far more than athletics could ever think of demanding. Now, God doesn't punish us directly for not giving Him our entire lives. If He did, none of us would be walking around; however, there are definitely consequences for not putting God first. Things tend to fall apart and quickly. Yet, when folks' lives are spinning out of control they start wondering, "Why?" Well, how well are you putting God first?
2. Athletics offers the hope of the next game; the next season; and the chance for the underdog to win.
But there are still losers. And when your body doesn't work anymore, athletics drops you off at the corner. Sure, you can coach or follow your favorite team, but when all is said and done, athletics offers a false hope. Games end. Teams disappoint. Coaches become involved in scandal. Players abuse their bodies and sometimes abuse the relationships they enter into. Brokenness rears its ugly head time and again. Sometimes the pursuit of money causes dedicated fans to become sick of the sport. (Raise your hand if college football's pursuit of money has turned your stomach more than once.)
With God, hope reigns eternal. That's the main promise of the resurrection. Everything looked really, really bad on Good Friday, but Easter revealed the promised ending. No matter what evil may befall us. No matter how many shootings go on in theaters or schools or in parking lots. No matter the disparity between rich and poor. No matter how many die of starvation. The final word and say will belong to God. The final word and say will be good. The final promise is a renewed and restored creation to the way it was meant to be. There is not a hope in next season or the next game which may or may not turn out well. There is a sure and certain hope.
3. The final one is a bit more difficult and even troublesome. In athletics, one can measure progress. One can see one's self getting stronger, getting faster, throwing harder and with more accuracy. Some of this is due to the body's naturally getting stronger as it grows. Sometimes people don't have to work very hard to see the results, and since matter tends to want to stay at it's lowest energy state, many folks are very happy seeing progress without much investment.
Yet, there are two things of note here. First, the best athletes go through a lot of pain to get better. In order to get stronger, they have to lift weights and tear their muscles so that they can rebuild. They have to push themselves to exhaustion so that their bodies can grow in stamina. Some are not willing to push themselves in this manner, but the best of the best train and have pain to attain greatness. Secondly, even pushing themselves to the limit, eventually, everyone hits a ceiling. Age creeps in and strength wanes. Drugs can push this off until further in life, but there are limits to how far one can progress.
There is good news and bad news here for those of faith. The bad news will be offered first: in order to grow in faith, one must experience pain as well. Spare me the televangelists and others who believe Christianity is a painless way of life. Spare me those who say Christianity leads one to be pain free, evil free, and full of unceasing happiness. It doesn't happen that way. For to grow in faith, one must undergo pain. It's not pleasant. The saints in their works express this. Why is it so painful?
In Christianity, we are at war with our very nature--our very identities as homo sapiens. We are born with the capability to do great good and also great evil. For most of us, we keep the extremes in check. Rarely does one do great good things. Mostly we do small good things. Conversely, most of us do not do great evil. We do small evil things. As we seek to grow in faith, we go through pain as God cleanses the bad from us. He changes our identity. He changes our very nature, and that is painful. Some can't handle the pain. Again, most athletes don't push themselves to really and truly become great--neither do most Christians. It's a sad fact, but a true one. But if you are a "glutton for punishment", or in the case of Christianity, a glutton for transformation....
There is no limit to growth in faith. As we age, our cellular processes break down. We age. Our muscles no longer respond as quickly. Our strength fades. But those of faith who pursue growth find there is no ceiling. How could there when the ideal is to become like Jesus? In fact, some of the most mature Christians I have known are those who are facing end of life issues. They are people wracked with the pain of cancer or some other disease. They are people who have lost loved ones and buried children. They are people who have walked through hell on earth and have a peace that passes all understanding. They would never look down on you. They would never be conceited in their spiritual growth. They are immensely humble because of what they have endured and gone through, and they radiate God's light and love. They themselves would tell you they are still growing, still learning, and still striving to love like Jesus, and they know they will accomplish this goal only after crossing the threshold of death.
While athletics offers the opportunity to progress, there are limits. In Christ, there are none to one's spiritual growth.
In all ways, God triumphs over baseball. Not likely it will change the dynamics of those who choose to pursue athletics in this day and age. But I can hope, can't I?
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Aurora Colorado: I'm Not Surprised
Why write about this days after it happened?
Why not sooner?
I wanted to process a few things.
I wanted to watch the reaction to the events that unfolded at that midnight showing of Dark Knight Rises. They were typical. Predictable.
- An outcry of support for the victims from all corners and all places. I know many in the Church were lifting up victims and their families in prayer. Lutheran Youth at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans offered special prayers and tweets. My Facebook feed had several postings of thoughts and prayers heading to Colorado. Such things always come when tragedy strikes. They show what is good and noble about the human family.
- Blame and spin. Calls for tighter gun control hit the press followed by counter calls that if more people in the theater were armed, fewer people would have been killed/wounded. Political theater. Nastiness. Using tragedy to promote agendas.
- Asking why. A lot of times this plays out in the blame and spin section. Is it a societal problem (guns, glorification of violence, absence of clear cut morality)? Is it an individual's problem (the shooter went nuts, was a loner, a sociopath)? Is it a combination of both (crazed individual enamored with violence who had access to guns)? Oh, we could spend a lot of time analyzing this one and get absolutely nowhere.
Christianity offers an answer to such events: sin. Yep. That unpopular three letter word. S-I-N.
Face it folks, our world is broken. It was created good. It was created to function properly, but it got warped. There are still plenty of good things to see, to experience, to do and be a part of. Yet, there is also the dark side of reality--the place where greed, jealousy, anger, frustration, sadness, hopelessness, disease, and other such things congregate and make life miserable and instill fear and trembling into many.
We would like to think we can control this darkness. We would like to think we can push it back and conquer it. We impose all sorts of laws believing they will make things better. But have they gotten better? Really?
It is true we are living in a time of relative peace and prosperity. Violent crime has actually been on the decrease. Conflict on a global scale is non-existent. This is good. Yet, despite these things, most folks don't feel safer. They don't feel relaxed. In fact, many believe the exact opposite is the case. Why?
S-I-N.
You see, not only is the world broken. We are too. We live in fear, in worry. Fearful and worrying about what?
That what WE have and what WE like will somehow be taken away from us by X.
(X= what ever boogyman you would like to put in its place: robbery, cancer, the government, you name it.)
When we become totally focused on ourselves and lose sight of a larger reality--bad things happen.
S-I-N.
The Judeo-Christian scriptures have multiple stories attesting to such things. The earliest was the story of Cain and Able. Cain becoming jealous of Able's relationship with God commits the first murder. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. Well, no. You are not your brother's keeper, but you have a responsibility not to purposely harm him or take what is his. "Uh oh."
Some may argue that God should have simply diffused the situation by giving Cain the same amount of attention He gave to Able, but this misses the point. The point being, some of our actions are pleasing to God, and some are not. In Cain and Able's case, God judged their very attitude's and found Cain's lacking. Is it right and good and just to reward an evil heart?
No. Of course not. God could not reward Cain for his attitude because his attitude wasn't godly. And Cain continued down the path of ungodly behavior. From the darkness of his heart, he struck out in anger against his brother. He thought he could pacify that anger by getting rid of the perceived source of it. But in reality, killing Able brought about no change. Cain had to be changed from within.
This is where we begin having a difficult time as a society. We don't like the notion that something is wrong deep within us. We don't like the notion we are broken. We don't like the notion that something within us must change and that despite our best efforts we are unable to make those changes ourselves. Deep within us anger, fear, jealousy, hatred and other such things dwell. Perhaps we can keep a lid on them for a time, but as pressure mounts, they will erupt. And when they erupt, people get hurt: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
As we look at the recent shootings in our nation from Columbine to Aurora, we see young men who snapped. Research shows how they were withdrawn, recluse, loners--sometimes picked on and bullied. They were perfect candidates to turn inward--incurvatus in se.
Martin Luther expounded on this in his Lectures on Romans and described this state as: "Our nature, by the corruption of the first sin, [being] so deeply curved in on itself that it not only bends the best gifts of God towards itself and enjoys them (as is plain in the works-righteous and hypocrites), or rather even uses God himself in order to attain these gifts, but it also fails to realize that it so wickedly, curvedly, and viciously seeks all things, even God, for its own sake." (source Wikipedia)
When all revolves around us and our desires and our wishes, several things can happen. We either go to extreme lengths to get what we want regardless of the consequences to others, or upon failing to obtain what we want, we snap. Bad things happen. S-I-N.
Such is the history of humanity. Any history book will attest to this although they will avoid the term sin.
And what is the cure? Can we overcome sin?
Not this side of eternity. Events like Aurora will continue to happen. This is why I am not surprised by them.
But are we left without hope? Are we left to just accept such acts?
No. But we must be willing to acknowledge a few things. We must willingly acknowledge there is something fundamentally flawed with our nature as human beings. We cannot sugar coat ourselves with placates like "I'm O.K., You're O.K." We must be willing to seek one who is not broken to teach us how to look outside our selves and give us healing. Of course, as a Christian, I believe I know the One who can do such things, but you already knew that.
Why not sooner?
I wanted to process a few things.
I wanted to watch the reaction to the events that unfolded at that midnight showing of Dark Knight Rises. They were typical. Predictable.
- An outcry of support for the victims from all corners and all places. I know many in the Church were lifting up victims and their families in prayer. Lutheran Youth at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans offered special prayers and tweets. My Facebook feed had several postings of thoughts and prayers heading to Colorado. Such things always come when tragedy strikes. They show what is good and noble about the human family.
- Blame and spin. Calls for tighter gun control hit the press followed by counter calls that if more people in the theater were armed, fewer people would have been killed/wounded. Political theater. Nastiness. Using tragedy to promote agendas.
- Asking why. A lot of times this plays out in the blame and spin section. Is it a societal problem (guns, glorification of violence, absence of clear cut morality)? Is it an individual's problem (the shooter went nuts, was a loner, a sociopath)? Is it a combination of both (crazed individual enamored with violence who had access to guns)? Oh, we could spend a lot of time analyzing this one and get absolutely nowhere.
Christianity offers an answer to such events: sin. Yep. That unpopular three letter word. S-I-N.
Face it folks, our world is broken. It was created good. It was created to function properly, but it got warped. There are still plenty of good things to see, to experience, to do and be a part of. Yet, there is also the dark side of reality--the place where greed, jealousy, anger, frustration, sadness, hopelessness, disease, and other such things congregate and make life miserable and instill fear and trembling into many.
We would like to think we can control this darkness. We would like to think we can push it back and conquer it. We impose all sorts of laws believing they will make things better. But have they gotten better? Really?
It is true we are living in a time of relative peace and prosperity. Violent crime has actually been on the decrease. Conflict on a global scale is non-existent. This is good. Yet, despite these things, most folks don't feel safer. They don't feel relaxed. In fact, many believe the exact opposite is the case. Why?
S-I-N.
You see, not only is the world broken. We are too. We live in fear, in worry. Fearful and worrying about what?
That what WE have and what WE like will somehow be taken away from us by X.
(X= what ever boogyman you would like to put in its place: robbery, cancer, the government, you name it.)
When we become totally focused on ourselves and lose sight of a larger reality--bad things happen.
S-I-N.
The Judeo-Christian scriptures have multiple stories attesting to such things. The earliest was the story of Cain and Able. Cain becoming jealous of Able's relationship with God commits the first murder. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain asks. Well, no. You are not your brother's keeper, but you have a responsibility not to purposely harm him or take what is his. "Uh oh."
Some may argue that God should have simply diffused the situation by giving Cain the same amount of attention He gave to Able, but this misses the point. The point being, some of our actions are pleasing to God, and some are not. In Cain and Able's case, God judged their very attitude's and found Cain's lacking. Is it right and good and just to reward an evil heart?
No. Of course not. God could not reward Cain for his attitude because his attitude wasn't godly. And Cain continued down the path of ungodly behavior. From the darkness of his heart, he struck out in anger against his brother. He thought he could pacify that anger by getting rid of the perceived source of it. But in reality, killing Able brought about no change. Cain had to be changed from within.
This is where we begin having a difficult time as a society. We don't like the notion that something is wrong deep within us. We don't like the notion we are broken. We don't like the notion that something within us must change and that despite our best efforts we are unable to make those changes ourselves. Deep within us anger, fear, jealousy, hatred and other such things dwell. Perhaps we can keep a lid on them for a time, but as pressure mounts, they will erupt. And when they erupt, people get hurt: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
As we look at the recent shootings in our nation from Columbine to Aurora, we see young men who snapped. Research shows how they were withdrawn, recluse, loners--sometimes picked on and bullied. They were perfect candidates to turn inward--incurvatus in se.
Martin Luther expounded on this in his Lectures on Romans and described this state as: "Our nature, by the corruption of the first sin, [being] so deeply curved in on itself that it not only bends the best gifts of God towards itself and enjoys them (as is plain in the works-righteous and hypocrites), or rather even uses God himself in order to attain these gifts, but it also fails to realize that it so wickedly, curvedly, and viciously seeks all things, even God, for its own sake." (source Wikipedia)
When all revolves around us and our desires and our wishes, several things can happen. We either go to extreme lengths to get what we want regardless of the consequences to others, or upon failing to obtain what we want, we snap. Bad things happen. S-I-N.
Such is the history of humanity. Any history book will attest to this although they will avoid the term sin.
And what is the cure? Can we overcome sin?
Not this side of eternity. Events like Aurora will continue to happen. This is why I am not surprised by them.
But are we left without hope? Are we left to just accept such acts?
No. But we must be willing to acknowledge a few things. We must willingly acknowledge there is something fundamentally flawed with our nature as human beings. We cannot sugar coat ourselves with placates like "I'm O.K., You're O.K." We must be willing to seek one who is not broken to teach us how to look outside our selves and give us healing. Of course, as a Christian, I believe I know the One who can do such things, but you already knew that.
Baseball Versus the Church
At times, I consider year round baseball (especially here in Texas) to be the bane of Sunday morning worship. More and more I seem to see parents of children choose softball, baseball, or some other athletic venture over worship on Sunday mornings. In some ways, I understand. Consider the following:
1. Athletics demand investment by parents and their children. Parents shell out a lot of money for their kids to play sports. There are usually fees to be paid to the association. Some have to buy uniforms. Parents have to pay for equipment. Once you start investing money into something, it's hard to walk away from something you paid for. But it's not only money. Athletics demands investment of your time. If you don't practice, you don't play. Doesn't make any difference what other commitments you might have in your life--the sport comes first, and if you want your shot, you've got to pay the price.
Contrast that with the Church. What demands do most congregations make on their members? Usually, we make it as easy as possible to be a part of a congregation. Mostly, it's because of our theology of grace. We believe a Christian's response to the good news of Jesus Christ should flow naturally without compulsion. Worship is such a response. Monetary giving is such a response. Continued learning and growing is such a response. It's not mandatory. God's not going to stop loving you because you cease doing these things. And, honestly, there's not much reprisal in congregations either. My own congregation's constitution states that the requirement for keeping one's membership is to worship at least once per year and give a single contribution to the church of time, talent, or treasure in that year. Technically, one could worship one time and give one dollar and be a member in good standing. And some folks don't even fulfill that! Yet, has my congregation ever dropped anyone? You guessed it. Nope. Essentially, most congregations demand nothing out of their members. They ask them to pay no price. They leave it up to the responsibility and generosity of their people. And when the rubber starts hitting the road, the one place that makes no demands gets left behind.
2. Athletics elicits an emotional investment and offers hope without major disappointment. No baseball team heads into a game thinking, "We're gonna get beat, and get beat badly." Sports is chalk full of stories about the underdogs taking out the heavily favored. There is always an Appalachian State ready to defeat a Michigan. It happens over and over again. Hope is never lost. And, even in defeat, there is always the next game or the next season. And even if one is at the end of one's tenure, everyone knows someone has to win and someone has to lose. If you end up on the short end of the stick, that doesn't mean you have to give up your love of the game. Because there is only one winner, you expect to come out on the short end at times, so there is no overall disappointment. It's part of the game. Furthermore, when it comes to team playing, players, coaches, and (some) parents realize they have to cooperate and make sacrifices for the good of the team. They know and understand it's not about me. There is no I in team. In order for a team to function in athletics, not everyone can be the superstar. Someone has to sing harmony. Someone has to do the less glamorous dirty work. Someone has to bunt and move the runners on even if thrown out. Sacrifices and giving up of expectations are part of the overall process to ensure a good team--and ensure victory.
Contrast this with our congregations--especially here in the U.S. How many folks are willing to emotionally invest in their congregations? How many folks are willing to care deeply about the fortunes of their home church and work diligently to make it thrive? How may people care more about what they can do for the church instead of what the church can do for them? How many people realize disappointment is a part of congregational life as well?
The politics and divisiveness of the culture has invaded the sphere of the church, and many congregations and denominations have divisions within along cultural lines. Unfortunately, these divisions get played out as issues arise in congregations and denominations. Votes are cast. Some people win. Some people lose. As this happens over and over again, people become more and more emotionally distant from their congregations. Two things eventually happen: either they just quit or go and join a different congregation whose ideas align much more closely with their own. It's much, much easier to quit the team and find another when it comes to church--especially if I don't invest emotionally in it. And, if I don't emotionally invest in it, I have no reason to search for hope. I have no reason to look forward to another year or another "season." I can allow disappointment to govern how I feel about a congregation because I can either quit (seemingly without consequences) or join another team (who usually is all to happy to see me).
3. Athletics stresses the importance of practice and working hard to get better. All kinds of contraptions exist to make a person a better thrower, catcher, batter, kicker, or what have you. And a whole lot of people take athletics seriously enough to devote hours of their spare time to do these things. (See reason #1 and #2 above.) They have a drive to get better so the team can be better. They are willing to put the time and effort into their sport. It's rewarding to see one's pitching speed increase; one's accuracy get better; and one's 40 time decrease. There is something satisfying in being able to say, "I'm doing better."
Contrast this with life in the church. Are we ever told we're doing better? As I think about my life as a pastor, I wonder how many times I've told someone, "You know, I've really seen you grow in your faith walk." (I'm wracking my brain on that one. I'm not sure I've ever said it. This is not good. Of course, no one's ever said they've seen me grow either. That's not good as well.) Yet, how many of those of us who are church goers invest the time in being better Christians?* How many folks use the tools of discipline to grow in their discipleship: prayer, fasting, Bible study, worship, service, confession, solitude, etc? How often do we reflect upon our days and say, "Yes, I've seen my ability to care and be compassionate increase! I've seen my ability to be generous increase! I've seen my trust in God grow!" How many of us put in hours of work to strive to be better Christians and church members?
* One must be careful here. There is often a tendency among many Christians to believe that because we excel in some areas of good works--in morality, in giving, in justice, etc. that we have a right to hold our heads high. One must always remember two very important things: 1. A Christian never fully overcomes sin in this lifetime, and this should keep us humble. 2. Jesus himself showed that a sinless life did not lead to conceit or lording status over another, but it led to self-sacrifice, love, and forgiveness for those who were sinful. If being a better Christian means being more like Jesus, then no Christian should ever hold another in contempt.
I see and understand why athletics oftentimes takes precedence over congregational life. Yet, will I change the way I operate in my congregation? Will I suddenly start demanding that people give and worship and attend Bible study, etc.? Will I harp on people for skipping church? No. Adults make choices. I have to give them freedom to make those choices even if I don't agree with them. I cannot control others; I can only control myself.
At one time, athletics was very important to me as well. I would have chosen them over congregational worship at a heartbeat. But I had parents who put their feet down and said, "Church comes first." For better or worse, I will follow in their footsteps with my children. I'm sure I'll endure their wrath at some point, but I want my children to understand what is most important in life. God is first. Even when it seems like athletics offers more.
(Tomorrow, God Versus Baseball--Why God Wins)
1. Athletics demand investment by parents and their children. Parents shell out a lot of money for their kids to play sports. There are usually fees to be paid to the association. Some have to buy uniforms. Parents have to pay for equipment. Once you start investing money into something, it's hard to walk away from something you paid for. But it's not only money. Athletics demands investment of your time. If you don't practice, you don't play. Doesn't make any difference what other commitments you might have in your life--the sport comes first, and if you want your shot, you've got to pay the price.
Contrast that with the Church. What demands do most congregations make on their members? Usually, we make it as easy as possible to be a part of a congregation. Mostly, it's because of our theology of grace. We believe a Christian's response to the good news of Jesus Christ should flow naturally without compulsion. Worship is such a response. Monetary giving is such a response. Continued learning and growing is such a response. It's not mandatory. God's not going to stop loving you because you cease doing these things. And, honestly, there's not much reprisal in congregations either. My own congregation's constitution states that the requirement for keeping one's membership is to worship at least once per year and give a single contribution to the church of time, talent, or treasure in that year. Technically, one could worship one time and give one dollar and be a member in good standing. And some folks don't even fulfill that! Yet, has my congregation ever dropped anyone? You guessed it. Nope. Essentially, most congregations demand nothing out of their members. They ask them to pay no price. They leave it up to the responsibility and generosity of their people. And when the rubber starts hitting the road, the one place that makes no demands gets left behind.
2. Athletics elicits an emotional investment and offers hope without major disappointment. No baseball team heads into a game thinking, "We're gonna get beat, and get beat badly." Sports is chalk full of stories about the underdogs taking out the heavily favored. There is always an Appalachian State ready to defeat a Michigan. It happens over and over again. Hope is never lost. And, even in defeat, there is always the next game or the next season. And even if one is at the end of one's tenure, everyone knows someone has to win and someone has to lose. If you end up on the short end of the stick, that doesn't mean you have to give up your love of the game. Because there is only one winner, you expect to come out on the short end at times, so there is no overall disappointment. It's part of the game. Furthermore, when it comes to team playing, players, coaches, and (some) parents realize they have to cooperate and make sacrifices for the good of the team. They know and understand it's not about me. There is no I in team. In order for a team to function in athletics, not everyone can be the superstar. Someone has to sing harmony. Someone has to do the less glamorous dirty work. Someone has to bunt and move the runners on even if thrown out. Sacrifices and giving up of expectations are part of the overall process to ensure a good team--and ensure victory.
Contrast this with our congregations--especially here in the U.S. How many folks are willing to emotionally invest in their congregations? How many folks are willing to care deeply about the fortunes of their home church and work diligently to make it thrive? How may people care more about what they can do for the church instead of what the church can do for them? How many people realize disappointment is a part of congregational life as well?
The politics and divisiveness of the culture has invaded the sphere of the church, and many congregations and denominations have divisions within along cultural lines. Unfortunately, these divisions get played out as issues arise in congregations and denominations. Votes are cast. Some people win. Some people lose. As this happens over and over again, people become more and more emotionally distant from their congregations. Two things eventually happen: either they just quit or go and join a different congregation whose ideas align much more closely with their own. It's much, much easier to quit the team and find another when it comes to church--especially if I don't invest emotionally in it. And, if I don't emotionally invest in it, I have no reason to search for hope. I have no reason to look forward to another year or another "season." I can allow disappointment to govern how I feel about a congregation because I can either quit (seemingly without consequences) or join another team (who usually is all to happy to see me).
3. Athletics stresses the importance of practice and working hard to get better. All kinds of contraptions exist to make a person a better thrower, catcher, batter, kicker, or what have you. And a whole lot of people take athletics seriously enough to devote hours of their spare time to do these things. (See reason #1 and #2 above.) They have a drive to get better so the team can be better. They are willing to put the time and effort into their sport. It's rewarding to see one's pitching speed increase; one's accuracy get better; and one's 40 time decrease. There is something satisfying in being able to say, "I'm doing better."
Contrast this with life in the church. Are we ever told we're doing better? As I think about my life as a pastor, I wonder how many times I've told someone, "You know, I've really seen you grow in your faith walk." (I'm wracking my brain on that one. I'm not sure I've ever said it. This is not good. Of course, no one's ever said they've seen me grow either. That's not good as well.) Yet, how many of those of us who are church goers invest the time in being better Christians?* How many folks use the tools of discipline to grow in their discipleship: prayer, fasting, Bible study, worship, service, confession, solitude, etc? How often do we reflect upon our days and say, "Yes, I've seen my ability to care and be compassionate increase! I've seen my ability to be generous increase! I've seen my trust in God grow!" How many of us put in hours of work to strive to be better Christians and church members?
* One must be careful here. There is often a tendency among many Christians to believe that because we excel in some areas of good works--in morality, in giving, in justice, etc. that we have a right to hold our heads high. One must always remember two very important things: 1. A Christian never fully overcomes sin in this lifetime, and this should keep us humble. 2. Jesus himself showed that a sinless life did not lead to conceit or lording status over another, but it led to self-sacrifice, love, and forgiveness for those who were sinful. If being a better Christian means being more like Jesus, then no Christian should ever hold another in contempt.
I see and understand why athletics oftentimes takes precedence over congregational life. Yet, will I change the way I operate in my congregation? Will I suddenly start demanding that people give and worship and attend Bible study, etc.? Will I harp on people for skipping church? No. Adults make choices. I have to give them freedom to make those choices even if I don't agree with them. I cannot control others; I can only control myself.
At one time, athletics was very important to me as well. I would have chosen them over congregational worship at a heartbeat. But I had parents who put their feet down and said, "Church comes first." For better or worse, I will follow in their footsteps with my children. I'm sure I'll endure their wrath at some point, but I want my children to understand what is most important in life. God is first. Even when it seems like athletics offers more.
(Tomorrow, God Versus Baseball--Why God Wins)
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday's Sermon
As I read over our Gospel lesson from this morning, I was struck by the crowds of people traveling to meet Jesus. I mean, think about the significance of what they are doing in this snippet from the book of Mark.
First, remember, these folks have left their jobs to be with Jesus. Why is this so significant? Well, because most of these folks are the working poor. They have almost nothing, and in order to simply eat, they must work. Every day was needed to scrape together even a modest amount of income so that they could pay off their taxes to Rome and, if they were lucky afford staples so that they could feed themselves and their families. Taking even one day off was a luxury most of them could not afford. And despite this, they traveled to meet Jesus.
Second, remember a lot of these folks were considered to be sinners. When Jesus arrived on the scene, people believed you could measure how much God loved you. You could measure it by how much wealth you had, how much health you had, and how much status you had with the movers and shakers of the day. If you were poor, it meant God hadn’t blessed you because you were a sinner. If you were sick or maimed or had leprosy, it meant God gave you the illnesses because you or your family member had sinned. If you didn’t have status with the movers and shakers it meant God had destined you to a life of servitude because you were not worthy. The majority of the people who came to see Jesus fit just these categories: the poor and social outcasts. They had been taught that God had rejected them. But they also knew Jesus was from God–they hoped He would speak to them, to heal them even though they had been told God didn’t love them. Even with these seeds of misgiving sowed in their lives, they traveled to meet Jesus.
Finally, there were those in society who tried to paint Jesus as the bad guy. They worked diligently among the people spreading rumors and falsehoods. They tried to tell everyone Jesus was actually demon possessed and crazy. They tried to tell everyone Jesus was a servant of the devil. They tried to tell everyone that Jesus was not a prophet of God because He didn’t follow the Mosaic Law. Rumor after rumor was started about Jesus to discredit Him and make Him look bad. But many more people ignored the rumors than heeded them. Many more people traveled to meet Jesus.
Why? Despite all these things which built walls intended to keep people away, crowds and crowds of people traveled to see Jesus. They ran around lakes to beat boats to the opposite shore. When He arrived in a particular area, word spread like wildfire so that Jesus and His disciples didn’t have time to eat. When they were in need of rest, the crowd still sought them out. Entering a town or village meant immediate bombardment with people bringing the sick and ill and paralyzed. Tons of people flocked to see Jesus breaking down psychological, emotional, physical, and religious barriers to do so. Why?
As I read these texts, one thing jumps out at me. And it might not be what you expect. Of course, we know Jesus brought God’s Word to the people. Jesus told them of God’s great love for them despite the fact the rest of society considered them sinners. Jesus told those who were sick and ill, "This illness isn’t caused by sin. God isn’t punishing you. God loves you." Jesus told those who were poor and widowed and orphaned, "God hasn’t turned His back on you. In your poverty, God is with you, and you will be blessed with riches." These things, I am sure won over some converts, but there was something that solidified Jesus’ place in the peoples’ hearts. Not only did Jesus tell them that God loved them, He showed them. He healed them. Jesus touched them, and their illness left them. They grabbed the hem of His garments, and they were healed. Illness, disease, and demon was rebuked by Jesus, and people were restored. Healing made the difference.
As I contemplated this, I began to wonder about the church today. I began to wonder about how people act toward congregations and worship services and activities a the church. I began to look around and see if people travel from all over to see Jesus. I began to wonder if people stop all the other things demanding for their attention and travel to be with Jesus on Sunday mornings or any other time Christians gather. I began to wonder if people cast aside rumors about pastors and other people of faith and head to worship services. I began to wonder if people break through psychological, emotional, physical, and religious barriers to enter the doors of our congregations to meet Jesus. And I wasn’t convinced they were doing so. I wasn’t convinced people make the same effort to get to church that those people made to see Jesus.
And before I asked the question of why, I asked myself this, "When is the last time you thought about going to church to experience healing?" Think about that for a moment.
Now, I’m not trying to come across as one of those Benny Hinn types. Not by a long shot. I personally don’t put too much faith in that sort of healing. In fact, I’m actually right there with Larry the Cable Guy when he talks about such things in The Blue Collar Comedy Tour. He says, "You show me in the Bible where the Lord comes up to somebody and smacks them in the head. That ain’t nowhere in there, not even in the red words. And them’s the important ones." No. I’m not talking about those kind of faith healings. If God chooses to heal that way, I’m sure He can. But what I would like to talk about is healing in the since of being made whole.
It’s really important to understand Jesus’ healings in this manner. Not only did Jesus heal a person’s physical ailment, but He healed that person’s relationship with God and with the community. Whenever Jesus healed a leper, He showed the leper and society that God loved this person. Jesus showed the leper was forgiven and was in a right relationship with God. By curing the disease, the leper could return to society, to work, and to his family. Healing meant restoration in mind, body, and spirit. All worked together to make a person whole–to really bring about healing.
And if we think of healing in this fashion, again, I ask the question, "When is the last time you thought about going to church to experience healing?" And here’s the question that started to bother me a little more, "Are our congregations places where people actually experience the healing touch of Jesus? When people walk through the doors of our congregations: broken, hurting, humiliated, angry, estranged, questioning and hopeless, do they find the compassion of Jesus? Do they find the hope Jesus gives? Do they find a peace that passes all understanding? Do they find a ray of light in their darkness? Do they find someone, anyone who will tell them, "Jesus loves you. Jesus cares deeply for what you are going through in your life right now. Jesus wants to show you He cares, and He wants to reach out and touch you to bring you healing. Jesus wants to make you whole and give you strength to face what you must face."? Do hurting people find healing in our congregations?
And what if our congregations became such places? What if our congregations became places where people could walk in with their pain; with their frustration; with their stress and anxiety and find healing? What if they knew they could encounter a group of people willing to pray for them and touch them and have compassion upon them no matter what they had or hadn’t done? What if they knew they could encounter Jesus just by simply walking through those doors back there and into this worship space? Would people travel from miles and miles around to see Jesus? Amen.
First, remember, these folks have left their jobs to be with Jesus. Why is this so significant? Well, because most of these folks are the working poor. They have almost nothing, and in order to simply eat, they must work. Every day was needed to scrape together even a modest amount of income so that they could pay off their taxes to Rome and, if they were lucky afford staples so that they could feed themselves and their families. Taking even one day off was a luxury most of them could not afford. And despite this, they traveled to meet Jesus.
Second, remember a lot of these folks were considered to be sinners. When Jesus arrived on the scene, people believed you could measure how much God loved you. You could measure it by how much wealth you had, how much health you had, and how much status you had with the movers and shakers of the day. If you were poor, it meant God hadn’t blessed you because you were a sinner. If you were sick or maimed or had leprosy, it meant God gave you the illnesses because you or your family member had sinned. If you didn’t have status with the movers and shakers it meant God had destined you to a life of servitude because you were not worthy. The majority of the people who came to see Jesus fit just these categories: the poor and social outcasts. They had been taught that God had rejected them. But they also knew Jesus was from God–they hoped He would speak to them, to heal them even though they had been told God didn’t love them. Even with these seeds of misgiving sowed in their lives, they traveled to meet Jesus.
Finally, there were those in society who tried to paint Jesus as the bad guy. They worked diligently among the people spreading rumors and falsehoods. They tried to tell everyone Jesus was actually demon possessed and crazy. They tried to tell everyone Jesus was a servant of the devil. They tried to tell everyone that Jesus was not a prophet of God because He didn’t follow the Mosaic Law. Rumor after rumor was started about Jesus to discredit Him and make Him look bad. But many more people ignored the rumors than heeded them. Many more people traveled to meet Jesus.
Why? Despite all these things which built walls intended to keep people away, crowds and crowds of people traveled to see Jesus. They ran around lakes to beat boats to the opposite shore. When He arrived in a particular area, word spread like wildfire so that Jesus and His disciples didn’t have time to eat. When they were in need of rest, the crowd still sought them out. Entering a town or village meant immediate bombardment with people bringing the sick and ill and paralyzed. Tons of people flocked to see Jesus breaking down psychological, emotional, physical, and religious barriers to do so. Why?
As I read these texts, one thing jumps out at me. And it might not be what you expect. Of course, we know Jesus brought God’s Word to the people. Jesus told them of God’s great love for them despite the fact the rest of society considered them sinners. Jesus told those who were sick and ill, "This illness isn’t caused by sin. God isn’t punishing you. God loves you." Jesus told those who were poor and widowed and orphaned, "God hasn’t turned His back on you. In your poverty, God is with you, and you will be blessed with riches." These things, I am sure won over some converts, but there was something that solidified Jesus’ place in the peoples’ hearts. Not only did Jesus tell them that God loved them, He showed them. He healed them. Jesus touched them, and their illness left them. They grabbed the hem of His garments, and they were healed. Illness, disease, and demon was rebuked by Jesus, and people were restored. Healing made the difference.
As I contemplated this, I began to wonder about the church today. I began to wonder about how people act toward congregations and worship services and activities a the church. I began to look around and see if people travel from all over to see Jesus. I began to wonder if people stop all the other things demanding for their attention and travel to be with Jesus on Sunday mornings or any other time Christians gather. I began to wonder if people cast aside rumors about pastors and other people of faith and head to worship services. I began to wonder if people break through psychological, emotional, physical, and religious barriers to enter the doors of our congregations to meet Jesus. And I wasn’t convinced they were doing so. I wasn’t convinced people make the same effort to get to church that those people made to see Jesus.
And before I asked the question of why, I asked myself this, "When is the last time you thought about going to church to experience healing?" Think about that for a moment.
Now, I’m not trying to come across as one of those Benny Hinn types. Not by a long shot. I personally don’t put too much faith in that sort of healing. In fact, I’m actually right there with Larry the Cable Guy when he talks about such things in The Blue Collar Comedy Tour. He says, "You show me in the Bible where the Lord comes up to somebody and smacks them in the head. That ain’t nowhere in there, not even in the red words. And them’s the important ones." No. I’m not talking about those kind of faith healings. If God chooses to heal that way, I’m sure He can. But what I would like to talk about is healing in the since of being made whole.
It’s really important to understand Jesus’ healings in this manner. Not only did Jesus heal a person’s physical ailment, but He healed that person’s relationship with God and with the community. Whenever Jesus healed a leper, He showed the leper and society that God loved this person. Jesus showed the leper was forgiven and was in a right relationship with God. By curing the disease, the leper could return to society, to work, and to his family. Healing meant restoration in mind, body, and spirit. All worked together to make a person whole–to really bring about healing.
And if we think of healing in this fashion, again, I ask the question, "When is the last time you thought about going to church to experience healing?" And here’s the question that started to bother me a little more, "Are our congregations places where people actually experience the healing touch of Jesus? When people walk through the doors of our congregations: broken, hurting, humiliated, angry, estranged, questioning and hopeless, do they find the compassion of Jesus? Do they find the hope Jesus gives? Do they find a peace that passes all understanding? Do they find a ray of light in their darkness? Do they find someone, anyone who will tell them, "Jesus loves you. Jesus cares deeply for what you are going through in your life right now. Jesus wants to show you He cares, and He wants to reach out and touch you to bring you healing. Jesus wants to make you whole and give you strength to face what you must face."? Do hurting people find healing in our congregations?
And what if our congregations became such places? What if our congregations became places where people could walk in with their pain; with their frustration; with their stress and anxiety and find healing? What if they knew they could encounter a group of people willing to pray for them and touch them and have compassion upon them no matter what they had or hadn’t done? What if they knew they could encounter Jesus just by simply walking through those doors back there and into this worship space? Would people travel from miles and miles around to see Jesus? Amen.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Why I Consider Myself Orthodox: Part 2
Orthodox Christianity does not apologize for its beliefs. It stands firm in its convictions.
When Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14) Orthodox Christians believe it.
When Jesus says, "So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions." (Luke 14) Orthodox Christians believe it.
When Jesus says, "Go and sin no more." (John 8) Orthodox Christians believe it.
When we profess in the creeds:
God exists and created the universe. We believe it.
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. We believe it.
He was crucified, died and was buried. We believe it.
He was resurrected on the third day. We believe it.
The Holy Spirit is a part of God worthy of worship. We believe it.
Orthodox Christianity does not seek to water down its beliefs or tenets because a world caught up in relativism wants it to. Orthodox Christianity does not seek to get rid of classic doctrine because it somehow seems unpalatable or unrealistic according to science and reason. Orthodox Christianity stands firm on its convictions because those convictions give them an identity. Orthodox Christians realize they get their identity from Christ alone, and to say anything else or water it down is anathema.
To some, this is reprehensible. It comes across as inflexible--fundamentalist according to some. It comes across as arrogant. It comes across as exclusive.
It can be all of those things.
It can also be argued that when Christianity becomes inflexible, fundamentalist, and arrogant, it becomes intolerant toward people of other faiths, demands they convert to Christianity, and failing conversion, allows (or even supports!) violence, suppression, and hatred.
These things have certainly happened in the past and present. The Spanish Inquisition was a case in this centuries ago, and more than a few homosexuals have endured the wrath (emotionally, physically, and spiritually) of Christians who go down that path. Religious fundamentalism and fanaticism can certainly lead us toward darkness, deceit, and sin.
However, there is always a tendency to point out the extreme cases and forget about the opposite side of the story. Few would argue the Quaker people are not fundamentalists in their beliefs; yet when is the last time you saw an Quaker physically attack someone who didn't believe as they did? Did you say, "Never."? Why? Well, a big fundamental of the Quaker way of life is non-violence. Fundamentalism does not by necessity lead to violence.
IT ALL DEPENDS UPON WHAT YOUR FUNDAMENTALS ARE!
Orthodox Christianity recognizes something very important, and again, I quote Tim Keller in The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism:
At the very heart of their (Christians') view of reality was a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this could only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them. It means they could not act in violence and oppression toward their opponents. p. 20
Orthodox Christianity recognizes this about Jesus. It also recognizes that all human beings are made in the image of God. It also recognizes Jesus' call for humility in acting toward others:
"All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." (Matthew 23)
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6)
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6)
Orthodox Christians who take these teachings seriously will hold tenaciously and unapologetically to doctrine, but will exert kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and humility just as their Savior did. They can't help but do so because of their relationship with Jesus.
I am Orthodox because I believe without doctrine--without core belief and understanding, we have no identity. The Church just becomes one more organization in the world which says, "Belief doesn't matter as long as you do good things and be nice to each other." Such an organization will go the way of the dinosaur.
But an organization that knows itself, knows its beliefs and then practices them with humility and conviction. Well, that type of organization changed the world once. Is changing it now, and will change it for years to come.
Can that happen again in the U.S.?
If it's Orthodox, I believe it can.
When Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14) Orthodox Christians believe it.
When Jesus says, "So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions." (Luke 14) Orthodox Christians believe it.
When Jesus says, "Go and sin no more." (John 8) Orthodox Christians believe it.
When we profess in the creeds:
God exists and created the universe. We believe it.
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary. We believe it.
He was crucified, died and was buried. We believe it.
He was resurrected on the third day. We believe it.
The Holy Spirit is a part of God worthy of worship. We believe it.
Orthodox Christianity does not seek to water down its beliefs or tenets because a world caught up in relativism wants it to. Orthodox Christianity does not seek to get rid of classic doctrine because it somehow seems unpalatable or unrealistic according to science and reason. Orthodox Christianity stands firm on its convictions because those convictions give them an identity. Orthodox Christians realize they get their identity from Christ alone, and to say anything else or water it down is anathema.
To some, this is reprehensible. It comes across as inflexible--fundamentalist according to some. It comes across as arrogant. It comes across as exclusive.
It can be all of those things.
It can also be argued that when Christianity becomes inflexible, fundamentalist, and arrogant, it becomes intolerant toward people of other faiths, demands they convert to Christianity, and failing conversion, allows (or even supports!) violence, suppression, and hatred.
These things have certainly happened in the past and present. The Spanish Inquisition was a case in this centuries ago, and more than a few homosexuals have endured the wrath (emotionally, physically, and spiritually) of Christians who go down that path. Religious fundamentalism and fanaticism can certainly lead us toward darkness, deceit, and sin.
However, there is always a tendency to point out the extreme cases and forget about the opposite side of the story. Few would argue the Quaker people are not fundamentalists in their beliefs; yet when is the last time you saw an Quaker physically attack someone who didn't believe as they did? Did you say, "Never."? Why? Well, a big fundamental of the Quaker way of life is non-violence. Fundamentalism does not by necessity lead to violence.
IT ALL DEPENDS UPON WHAT YOUR FUNDAMENTALS ARE!
Orthodox Christianity recognizes something very important, and again, I quote Tim Keller in The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism:
At the very heart of their (Christians') view of reality was a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this could only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them. It means they could not act in violence and oppression toward their opponents. p. 20
Orthodox Christianity recognizes this about Jesus. It also recognizes that all human beings are made in the image of God. It also recognizes Jesus' call for humility in acting toward others:
"All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." (Matthew 23)
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." (Luke 6)
"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6)
Orthodox Christians who take these teachings seriously will hold tenaciously and unapologetically to doctrine, but will exert kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and humility just as their Savior did. They can't help but do so because of their relationship with Jesus.
I am Orthodox because I believe without doctrine--without core belief and understanding, we have no identity. The Church just becomes one more organization in the world which says, "Belief doesn't matter as long as you do good things and be nice to each other." Such an organization will go the way of the dinosaur.
But an organization that knows itself, knows its beliefs and then practices them with humility and conviction. Well, that type of organization changed the world once. Is changing it now, and will change it for years to come.
Can that happen again in the U.S.?
If it's Orthodox, I believe it can.
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