The Moment

Last night my wife and I spent the evening at a high school soccer match. The night had the gentle coolness of early Autumn. This particular high school sports complex was abuzz with the energy of a soccer match, a junior varsity football game, and a tennis match all going on at the same time. We visited with family members among the many conversations and activities going on. It was kind of a perfect, peaceful moment in time for many of us.

I don't savor the moment often enough. Sometimes I'm too prone to rehash the events of the past or to stew over whatever the future will bring. I need to spend more time basking in the grace of God which is the present moment.

Worst of Times or Best of Times?

I've noticed a lot of hand-wringing among church folks lately. You get a bunch of pastors together and you can feel a palpable sense of dread. With the economy tanking and a financially nervous population, some church leaders are assuming that donations to churches will dry up some. Maybe we have some belt tightening days ahead.

On the other hand, you have some folks who assume that God does in fact work all things for good for those who love Him. Rather than seeing the present time as a crisis, some people see this as an episode of great opportunity. This is a chance, they say, for Jesus-followers to assess closely their priorities. When times are tight, how do our dollars indicate what we really believe and where are hearts really are? What will we sacrifice and where will we invest when push comes to shove? These folks note that the vitality of Christianity as a movement always spikes when some kind of pressure is on us, and, conversely, spiritual fervor tends to wane when circumstances are too comfortable?

So what do you think? Are we headed into the best of times or the worst of times in fulfilling our mission of growing disciples for Jesus?

We spent a gloriously beautiful day on the Current River on Friday. Whether in times of plenty or times that are lean, the river is always a testimony to the glory of the Creator.

Postings may be a little hit or miss for the next couple of weeks. My wife and I are going to spend some time with our kids before she has surgery on the 6th and is laid up for 4-6 weeks. At one time or another, I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

The Basis

Years ago a Roman Catholic named Vincent Donovan was sent to do missionary work in Africa. He was to share Jesus Christ with a certain Masai tribe. (His story is recounted in his book, Christianity Rediscovered.) Donovan quickly realized that his task was daunting. He would not only have to learn a new language, he would have to immerse himself in a new way of thinking. The language of this tribe had no past tense or future tense; they spoke and thought only in the present. How would he talk about the "Rock of Ages," or "eternity"? Tribe members never spoke of personal possession, nor did they have any word for the first person, singular. They thought only collectively. How would he talk to such people about personal salvation? Three years passed before Donovan knew his new culture and worldview enough to talk about Jesus in a way that the Masai would understand. In that time, Donovan had to strip his own understanding of a relationship with Jesus back to its core basis, apart from the trappings of his own culture and denomination. Setting aside the Vatican, Roman Catholic structure, prayer books, etc., Vincent Donovan had to discover what of his faith would stand when everything around him changed.

We live in a world that is changing at meteoric speed. What is the core of that which we Jesus followers have and offer? What if some catastrophe (or blessing?) happened, and we no longer had our hymnals or our praise bands, our organs or our keyboards, our pastors or our priests, our fine buildings or our websites, our choirs or our music leaders, our traditions or our innovative programs, our cathedrals or our family life centers? What if it was just us in this rapidly changing world? Would we have something to give? Would we still be the Body of Christ? Would we still have a mission to fulfill?

This is not a rhetorical question. It is the question for Jesus-followers in this present age. Weigh in. Those of you in our church's leadership training group, what are your thoughts?

There's no standing still on a river. The environment which is familiar on one stretch is gone in the next. All that is consistent is the flow itself. I'll see you around the next bend.

Conversations

If you are a follower of Jesus, and if you participated in public worship recently, what kind of conversations did you have before and after worship? Did you talk about Friday night's football game or how your favorite pro team would do that afternoon? Did you comment on the music or the message of the day? Did you tell someone you thought the thermostat was up too high or too low? Did you compliment another person's outfit, in hopes that you'd get a compliment in return?

Or did you end up talking about a changed life?

I just paused tonight on my way to a junior varsity football game to take stock of the conversations I've been fortunate enough to stumble into in the last 48 hours. I talked to a person who has been a church person forever, but who only now thinks there may be something more than just filling pew space. A real relationship with Jesus is about to happen there. Someone stopped me and excitedly told me that God is guiding him powerfully down some path, the destination of which he does not know, but he's certain it's going to be some bold step in ministry. A leader in our community spoke with hope about changes in our town, brought about by a foundation of prayer, in this leader's view. A friend told me about a business decision he made, fueled not by the profit margin, but by his commitment to Jesus and to another person who needs to see the love and presence of Jesus.

These are the kinds of conversations I need to hear. It's exciting to hear them and to be a part of them both in and out of the Body of Christ.

As Jesus-followers, what kind of conversations do we pursue? I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Urgency and Relationship

At a Wednesday morning Bible study which I attend frequently, I recently saw a video done by Kirk Cameron called, "The Way of the Master." It was pretty engaging and challenging. Basically, Kirk wants Jesus-followers to feel and act on the urgency of saving the lost. He notes that Christians act as if offering Christ an immediate priority or even a priority at all. If a neighbor's house was burning, he observes, we wouldn't hesitate to do everything we could to get our neighbor to safety. We wouldn't be concerned about offending the neighbor, or risking rejection, or any of the other things that cause Jesus-followers to shy away from evangelism.

He's right. Established North American churches tend to act as if we have all the time in the world to share the Gospel. Many people have no time. And I'm not just talking about the folks who may die suddenly before they make a decision about eternity. I'm thinking of the folks who are on the edge of giving up. We need to hang on to a sense of urgency.

But urgency for what? Too often the only motivation is the old, classic "If you died tonight, where would you spend eternity?" Is that it? Is our goal just to move people into a category...those who have a "get-out-of-hell-free" card? Is that what being a Christian is all about? To me, following Christ is about a relationship. I have to admit that my primary motivation for committing my life to Jesus isn't about spending forever in heaven. I'm glad for that, but my primary drive is that the God of the universe seeks a relationship with me strongly enough to leap the barrier of sin and death in and through Jesus. It's being with God that matters to me. In order to share a relationship with Jesus with someone else, I need to seek, build, and nurture a relationship with that person. Bill Hybels urges us to step outside our conversational zones of comfort and to start and grow relationships with people through which others may experience Christ. Hybels has talked of relationships that go one year, five years, ten years or more before a person comes to the point of saying yes to Jesus.

I think it's a "both/and..." It is about taking the time to build and cultivate relationships, and it is about the urgency of sharing Christ. I think it's best expressed in a song by Casting Crowns - "Does Anybody Hear Her?" I commend it to you.

A little bit of a fork in the river here...What do you think? I'll see you when the waters merge again.

Worry

I'm a worrier; I admit it. It's probably my worst sin. Most times I can release worry to the Lord and thus overcome it, but sometimes it gets the best of me. Jesus is pretty adamant about worry. He doesn't just advise against it; He commands us not to do it. (See Matthew 6:25-33.)It's more than just healthy advice for us. It's about idolatry and the compromising of our witness as Jesus-followers.

Evelyn Underhill approached it this way: "Fuss and feverishness, anxiety, intensity, intolerance, instability, pessimism and wobble, and every kind of hurry and worry - these, even on the highest levels, are signs of the self-made and self-acting soul...The saints are never like that. The share the great and noble characteristics of the great family to which they belong." (From The Spiritual Life.) Worry is actually a form of control. We assume that is we expend the energy of fretting over a situation, we will be the ones who control the outcome. In a way, that is to assume that we should sit where God sits. Also, if people living far from God see us consumed with worry, they don't see anything different than what they see in the rest of the world. They will have no motivation to become like us or to connect with the Jesus whom we claim to know.

So how do we avoid worry in this world of rising fuel and food prices, housing crises, increasing gaps between the haves and have-nots, medical costs skyrocketing, etc.? How do we paddle ahead into these dangerous rapids without worry?

Hope When There Is No Hope

He had suffered ridicule, scorn, banishment, beatings, trial, and imprisonment. People from his own faith background wanted him dead, and government officials stood ready to do anything to get him to stop stirring up people. His prospects of living much longer grew weaker by the day. He had given his life to a cause that stood virtually no chance of survival. Supporters of the cause had no political power or influence, little financial resources, and no prestige in society.

No evidence of hope surrounded the tent maker from Tarsus, once known as Saul, now called Paul, as Jesus follower. And yet, with no indicators of hope on the horizon, Paul had the audacity to say the following: "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is about to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18 - New Revised Standard Version.) Paul embraced hope in Jesus Christ so passionately that he saw hope when there was no hope.

Yet we who are comfortable Christians so often let ourselves be derailed by the littlest of things by comparisons...the color of the carpet in the new sanctuary, worship style disputes, budget debates, the amount of money the youth ministry spends, etc. And we wonder why people aren't beating down the doors to get into our buildings.

When survival is on the line, yet people still hold resolutely to Jesus - that has always garnered the attention of human history. And, ironically, that's when the Jesus following movement always thrives.

In whom do we really hope, when there is no hope? That will tell the tale. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

9/11

I was in my office on what I believe was a Tuesday morning. I was to have lunch later that day with the chairwoman of our church's Board of Trustees. She called around 9:00 a.m., saying she would not be able to make it for lunch. She worked in a Federal building, she said, and they were under a security lock down because an aircraft of some kind had hit the twin towers in New York, and it was possible that it had been a deliberate attack.

Within an hour I was racing home, listening to the radio, trying to get to a television screen. I lived in the Kansas City area at the time. I watched an airliner from Kansas City International Airport literally turn around in the sky, called back to KCI. On my way home, the second tower was hit. As I watched in horror at home, the Pentagon received its blow. My daughter called. She was student teaching at the time. "What do I say to these kids?" she asked, tearfully. I didn't really know how to respond. "This is your generation's Pearl Harbor," I said, weakly.

We all remember where we were when the world changed forever.

A couple of nights ago my wife and I watched the movie portrayal of the plane that was supposed to hit the capital - "United 93." It's a presumption of what it might have been like aboard that plane, but it was pretty well done. They portrayed the passengers as reluctant heroes, but courageous none the less, trying to retake the plane or at least abort the hijackers' murderous mission. And they portrayed the hijackers as violent and bent on destruction, but themselves victims in a way - driven to some kind of destructive madness by their sense of injustice and a cruel image of their understanding of God; in the end, fearful themselves, and crying out desperately for the ear of God - the same God to whom many of the passengers prayed their last prayer and commended their spirits.

It was a horrible, cruel, destructive day. And for a brief moment people realized how vulnerable we really are, how close hate and death can really be to us, and how we really do not just battle against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities that chew up and spit out human beings like a machine. And for a while, we turned to God because we felt there was nowhere else to turn. But then we gradually went back to business as usual. September 11, 2002 came and went, then 2003, and on to 2008. And the brief surge in worship attendance settled back to its low level.

Do we have to be on a plane plummeting toward a field in Pennsylvania to throw our lives fully and completely into the arms of a merciful, powerful God? Okay, I'm rambling, and no point is really made here. I'm just remembering. And I'm going to fly a flag at half staff tomorrow, and pause for prayer mid-morning. I invite you to do the same. Let's pause on the river for a moment.

Grace and Transformation

I'm so glad the terms "conservative" and "liberal" may finally run their course. Current times tend to render both of them useless and limiting, both in politics and in matters of faith.

I've been talking about grace in previous posts. Some who would define themselves as "liberals" in Jesus-following camps like to emphasize grace. However, that can be a limited or cheap form of grace. They talk about Jesus' love for the unlovable, which is most certainly central to the proclamation of the one called Christ. Thieves, corrupt tax collectors, revolutionaries, prostitutes, and those deemed ritually unclean in Jewish practice all found open arms in the carpenter from Nazareth. All are welcome. This is truly grace. However, for some liberal folks, this is where it stays. There's no transformation that follows the embrace of the crucified and risen one. It's like, "Come just as you are, and stay just as you are." Faith and the community of believers are reduced to some kind of a gooey hand-in-hand, singing "kum-ba-ya", in which no one ever becomes a new creature in Christ. Grace without transformation is not the good news of Christ, any more than acceptance and love without recovery is good news for an alcoholic.

On the other hand, some who would call themselves Christian "conservatives" act as if grace depends on transformation. Coming to the Lord becomes a heavy-handed fierce judgement of just how bad we are. The gospel is presented as a demand for good moral behavior alone. If we clean up our act enough, then God will give us grace. (Often this grace ends up being nothing more than a "get-out-0f-hell-free" card, that has nothing to do with a life-changing, personal relationship with Jesus.) No wonder so many people see churches as filled with "perfect" people, looking askance at those who are imperfect, essentially saying, "As soon as you are as perfect as us, then maybe God will extend you grace." Transformation without grace is not the good news of Christ, any more than a lecture on avoiding gunfights is good news to someone dying of a gunshot wound.

Grace and transformation are one seamless whole. To be sure, grace comes first. But grace without transformation is no help, just as transformation without the acceptance of grace in Christ is useless. That's where I am on the river. How about you? I'll see you around the next bend.

Radical Grace

Let's just stay with this whole grace-thing for a while. Just how radical is God's grace in Jesus the Christ? How foreign is complete, over-the-edge grace in our lives?

You work and study hard to make good grades. That's important, but that's not grace.

You practice and perform to earn a spot on the team. That's not grace.

You do your job well and you get paid and promoted accordingly. That's not grace.

You put your best foot forward to win the heart of someone you love. That's not grace.

Back in the day, you attend Sunday School regularly and you get a Sunday School attendance pin. That's not grace.

I'm not saying that any of these efforts are bad; quite the opposite. They're just not experiences of grace - receiving something that is completely unearned, undeserved, and unanticipated. So much of our existence is bathed in some kind of reciprocity that is not radical grace. How many people in churches have really embraced grace in Christ? Have we reduced Christian faith to a behavioral code because we don't really buy into the fact that we have no hope at all apart from the intervention of a grace-filled God? Looking throughout human history, it seems to be that the people who throw themselves into a relationship with Jesus with the most joy, commitment, and passion are those who realize that only God's grace can rescue them from the pit.

What do you think? Do we who are Jesus-following congregations really offer the grace of Jesus? I mean the forgive-the-thief-on-the-cross and save-Saul-even-though-he-kills-Christians grace...do we really buy into this, much less draw people to it?

Test it. If you're worshipping somewhere tomorrow, take a simple gift with you - maybe some bottled water or something. Walk up to someone you don't know or haven't seen in a while, give the gift, and walk away. Don't wait for praise, and don't offer any explanation other than, "I just wanted to give you this gift." How do we do in giving and receiving grace?

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Grace-gifting

Some folks in our congregation have started a ministry that's new to us. Apparently it's being done in a growing number of Jesus-following fellowships. It's called "Bags of Grace." People assemble freezer bags filled with bottled water, some small food items, some over-the-counter first aid items, other things that offer short-term help, and information about area assistance and shelter. Jesus-followers are encouraged to keep a supply of "Bags of Grace" in their vehicles to give to struggling persons who position themselves at intersections, seeking help.

It reminded me of my first contact with the practice of "grace-gifting." I learned it from the minister of discipleship at the church I previously served. She was teaching a class on Christian leadership development. On a hot summer's evening she took us to a park and recreation area where people had gathered for little league baseball games, park activities, etc. We were each given a supply of cold bottled water and we were told to fan out into the crowd and just give the bottles away; no strings attached.

I'll never forget this first experience of grace-gifting. Many people were stunned that we offered the water free. Some insisted that we be paid. Some were suspicious, assuming that we were working some manipulative angle. A few asked who were were, and if they had to come to our church because they took our water. Many were amazed and surprised to receive a gift freely given, not because they earned it or deserved it, but just because. Think how seldom people receive grace of any kind. Whatever we get costs us something. So many of our human contacts beyond our immediate family (and sometimes there as well) are merely business-like exchanges. You do this for me, and I'll do this for you. You give that to me, and I'll give that to you. Nothing is freely given.

All you have to do is give a gift away; even something as simple as a bottle of water. Then you'll see how starved people are to be graced...just because. We who are Jesus-followers say that the thing we offer is called grace. How do we not just talk about that within our own circles, but actually demonstrate that to a world that needs to see Jesus, rather than just to hear about Him?

Weather pending, I'll actually be on a river tomorrow. Rain or shine, I'll see you around the next bend.

Status vs. The Top Of Our Game

Sometimes we treat being a follower of Jesus as if it were some sort of certification. Like holding a master's degree or carrying a AAA Gold Card in our wallets, being a Christian is a classification we can carry that guarantees us certain perks. Once we have it, we have it. We then simply enjoy the benefits of it indefinitely with no real changes. I guess on some level this is true. God gives saving grace freely in Jesus the Christ. We see our need for grace, and we receive...done deal.



Yet, as I've said in many posts before, Jesus-following is really about a relationship, not a status. Relationships are not static. They grow or they wither. In some senses, being a Jesus-follower is like being an athlete. You have to work day to stay in shape. If you're in a team sport, you have to stay on top of your game, constantly improving in order to make your contribution to the team. Being a Jesus follower is like being a skilled dramatist. You don't just carry a certifying card in your wallet that says, "I'm an actor." You learn lines, studying blocking, practice, support the other cast members, and stretch yourself into new roles. In the same way, Jesus-followers must grow and stretch themselves all the time to keep the relationship vital.



Growing as a Christian has morphed way beyond the standard of attending worship and Sunday School. We could help each other by finding out what other Jesus-followers are doing to grow daily in their walk with Christ. So what are you doing? How are you deepening your relationship to the Lord and your connection with the Word? What are you doing to give and receive encouragement and accountability to others on the Jesus journey? How are you stretching your service and your sacrifice? Weigh in by responding to this post. Your response may be the very thing that encourages someone else to see following Jesus as more than just an impersonal label.



I'll see you around the next bend in the river.