Somebody Else's Family Reunion

Ron is one of the smartest Jesus-followers I know. He is the founding and lead pastor of the largest and fastest growing church in our region. Starting in a movie theater over two decades ago, this church has a stellar record of making new disciples for Jesus. Ron and I facilitate a learning experience for pastors who want to move their congregations farther away from maintenance (just taking care of our own) to mission (reaching people living far from God). He lead the session this month. During his teaching he made two astute observations.

First he noted that most churches are friendly. I remember that from doing evangelism consultations in several churches in years gone by. I would ask people, "What is the one characteristic of your church that would be attractive to new people?" Without exception, folks in every congregation would say, "Well, we're a friendly church." Then Ron pointed out that most churches are friendly among themselves. Warm welcomes and inviting conversations happen among the people who already know each other and who see each other on a weekly basis. Ron notes that people who are seeking a faith connection and a church connection aren't looking for a friendly church. They are looking for a church where they can quickly and easily make friends. They want to be welcomed into relationships through which they can experience God, not just given a flurry of welcome as newcomers, then otherwise dismissed.

Second, he observed that going to most churches as a newcomer is like going to someone else's family reunion. That observation is simply brilliant! By intention I spend a good deal of time as a first time visitor in many congregations. I experience excellent worship services, with solid preaching. I meet good, faithful people, serving God in meaningful ways. But I usually find myself in the middle of relationships that are already in place, stories that are already known by everyone but me, inside jokes and meanings of which I am unaware - all the stuff that family members know, but strangers do not. No one intends to make people feel left out, but it happens.

Any church can be friendly. It takes commitment and work to be a congregation where new people can make friends. Any church can be like an on-going family reunion. It takes passionate intent to be a family whose primary focus is to adopt others. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Unity

As before, keep up all the help you can give to Haiti.

We're in the midst of A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; January 18-25 on the calendar of many mainline denominations. So, do you have your Christian Unity decorations up at your house? Did you get all your Christian Unity presents and cards bought and sent? Probably not. In addition to being placed in the worst possible calendar marketing position (right after the Christmas holiday season!), the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is not high on any one's radar, not even most church folks.

What would it mean for Christians to be unified anyway? Does it mean we all compromise and get along? Does it mean we tolerate each other in the Christian family? Does in mean that everyone should believe one particular way...specifically, the way that I believe?!? Back in the Jurassic Era, when I was in college, a certain song became popular. They lyrics included these lines:
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We Baby-Boomers are hilarious. We still think of this song as being contemporary and cutting edge, forgetting that the song (like us) is over half a century old! We still sing it imagining we're wearing beads, patched jeans, and tie-dyed T-shirts, while our children and grandchildren hear this some as something about two years older than the invention of dirt. Still, the lyrics have managed to capture the source of Christian unity. Christian unity is not about us, whether we're carefully guarding the hymns and traditions of the church, or we're gathered around a guitar having one big old "Kum-ba-yah" group hug. As Jesus prayed for his immediate followers shortly before his death, he prayed not only for them, but for all of us whose lives would be changed forever because of Him and those who witnessed to His love and power. "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word...that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (from John 17:20-23.)

Our purpose is not to be unified just for the warm feelings of being unified. Our purpose is to be unified for the purpose of making disciples and transforming the world. If you are a Jesus-follower, is this unity reflected in the worship, ministry, and outreach of your congregation? If you are not a Jesus-follower, do you see any place where this kind of unity is reflected among Jesus followers?

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

Help Haiti, Period!

Short and to the point today, which is unusual for me, I know. Help Haiti! Do whatever you can, participate wherever you can, give as much as you can. If you are a part of a fellowship of Jesus-followers who have relief funding channels and/or have aid personnel on the ground in Port-au-Prince, find a way to give support immediately. For those of you who are United Methodist Jesus-followers, the United Methodist Committee on Relief number is Advance #418325. Urge your pastors and congregations to take special offerings this weekend!

I'm sure his intentions are sincere, but Pat Robertson of the 700 Club has not helped this effort at all. While he has asked that relief money for Haiti to be sent to the 700 Club, (I advise against this; dollars given through other Christian sources are more efficient), he has claimed to be privy to the reason Haiti has suffered not only the earthquake, but other hardships in their history. Robertson stated as fact that in the early 1800's Haitian rebels make a pact with the devil in order to throw off the yoke of the French colonialists. In the first place, how does he know this? I could just as easily make a public statement claiming that the Pittsburg Steelers made a pact with the devil in order to win the Superbowl. Second, what difference does it make why people are suffering? There's no evidence that Jesus made the cause of a person's suffering a condition on which He might or might not extend love and grace. If a person was possessed of demons, Jesus liberated him. If a person was sick for whatever reason, Jesus healed her. If a woman was guilty of adultery, Jesus forgave her. God is a transforming God in addition to being a saving God, to be sure. However, the order is clear - help, heal, rescue, save first; transform later. The grace-filled compassion of God comes first; no evaluating, just forgiving and saving.

I don't believe Haitian freedom fighters made a pact with Satan, but what if they did? Am I supposed to believe God isn't more powerful than that? Do I really think there haven't been Haitians since who have given their lives to Jesus the Christ and lived as real followers? Would that pact 200 or so years ago be any less a since that Jesus-followers in North American who buy products every day made by virtual slave labor in foreign countries so the profit margin will be higher? Paul said all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...

Never believe a preacher when he/she says it's going to be short and sweet. Just help Haiti, period. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Get Over It!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. My wife faced a health situation that started on Christmas Day, resulting in two hospitalizations and a surgery. She's home now and recuperating well. My thanks to many of you for your thoughts, prayers, and demonstrations of love and support.

Much is being made of Fox News analyst Brit Hume's comments concerning Tiger Woods. I didn't see or hear the discussion, but apparently Hume suggested that Tiger might deal with his current life dilemmas by connecting with Jesus. It has created the usual storm of protest from the left and the resultant normal indignant reaction from those on the right. And, as usual, it serves to widen the chasm between genuine followers of Jesus and those whom Jesus has called us to love and reach. Lord have mercy, this dance gets tiring.

So, I here do publicly proclaim myself officially off this ridiculous dance floor. And here are my parting words to both camps, not that either party particularly cares...

TO BRIT HUME'S CRITICS: Get over it. Believe it or not, there are followers of Jesus who simply want other human beings to have access to the relationship through which we have found purpose and healing. It's not because we think we're better than anyone; far from it. We know that in God's eyes we are no different than Tiger or anyone else. We've simply discovered that God doesn't seek to judge or condemn us, but instead God seeks to reach us, love us, heal us, and send us into the world to offer the same to others. Like it or not, we're the only faith focused on someone who is fully God and fully human in one person, who died a literal human death, and who was raised in victory. It makes no logical sense, and we know that. We didn't seek Him; He sought us, and His seeking is open to everyone. We're not shutting up about it, we're not going away, and we're not watering it down for the sake of tolerance. Deal with it.

TO BRIT HUME'S CRITICS CRITICS: Get over it. Every time our faith faces public criticism, too many of us act out in righteous indignation. And, because of that, we're known to many people living far from God as a holier-than-thou bunch of whiners. Where in the world did we get the idea that governments, schools, and cultures owe support of Christian proclamation, teaching, and values?!? Is Mark 13:9-13 not in your Bibles? Study history. The first followers of Jesus had no governmental or societal support. They didn't whine about it. They went about the business of fulfilling the great commission of Matthew 28:19, against unbelievable odds. And, "day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47) Historically, fervor of spirit and evangelizing blazes when the movement is under pressure or attack, and sags when the movement has official support. If we put half as much energy into offering Jesus to the lost and hurting as we do into reacting every time the faith is attacked publicly, our churches would be bursting at the seems, and Jesus followers would be too busy doing hands on ministry to whine about anything. It's a "first century" world now. Deal with it.

Okay, I'm done. Dance away if you want to. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.