Time to Abandon Facebook?

What follows may be unnecessary.  Once again we baby-boomers are chasing younger generations off of a social media outlet.  I'm told Facebook is on the decline and may not have much of a future.  However, right now it remains a communication force for some.  I know it is supposed to be a lightweight means of general communication.  I'm concerned, though, by the amount of negativity, venom, and outright hating that makes its way to daily posts.   I don't know what's underneath all this.  Don't get me wrong; I'm all about free speech.  For those of us who claim Jesus, though, it's not about free speech.  It's about representing the King of Kings.  We play by a different set of rules.  If we can't or won't do so, whether on Facebook or anywhere, then we have to reconsider, seriously, our primary allegiance.

I know I'm far from guiltless.  I have posted negative energy, thinly veiled though I may have offered.  I've thought seriously about just opting out of Facebook.  Many of my colleagues in ministry, clergy and laity, have done so, essentially.  However, at least for now, Facebook continues to be a part of the electronic grid "marketplace."  Maybe I just need to establish and abide by ground rules or guiding questions before I post anything.  See what you think of the following:

1. IS THE POST POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE?  If I'm just wanting to vent my feelings and I'm looking for an easy, wide audience, is this the best use of my Facebook presence?  There's more than enough negativity in our world.  How does it help lift up Jesus if I add to it?  Even if the post makes a fairly good point, if it's delivered in a negative tone, I should not post it.
2. DOES THE POST ADD VALUE OR REDUCE VALUE?  Will the persons who read the post feel more valued in reading it, or will they feel belittled?  Will the post cause them to value other human beings as the children of God that they are, or will it contribute to readers seeing others as "those people."  If what I've written doesn't add value, I should not post it.
3. DOES THE POST ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE?   Simply put, do my words add to a sense of hope or detract from it?  If the latter, I should not post it.
4. DOES THE POST FOCUS ON GOD AND/OR OTHERS OR DOES IT FOCUS ON ME?  The greatest commandment is to love God with my heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love others as God has loved me.  If what I've written doesn't reflect this, I should not post it.
5. DOES THE POST SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE?   Love without truth is indulgence.  Truth without love is legalism.  It's possible to for me to state that which is in fact true, and thus justify that it needs to be posted.  However, I can state truth in a way that is judgmental and caustic.  If I do so, I am not representing Christ, and my words should not be posted.

If I continue on Facebook, these will be my guidelines.  Please hold me accountable to them.  If anyone feels led to try them as well, please do so.  I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

The Poems

Once upon a time a young man fell in love with a young woman.  From the moment he saw her from afar, she captured his heart.  The young man made up his mind to win her heart to his.  He wasn't rich, so he couldn't impress her with lavish gifts.  The young man was a poet, though.  He had a gift of expressing deep emotion and white hot passion using words as his brush and canvass.  So he began pouring his heart into poems.  He worked hard over each theme, prayed over each word, brooded over each line and stanza.  And he sent the poems as gifts to the young woman.  Like great works of art, each poem conveyed his heart and his love for her.  Not just the words themselves, but the artistry of his calligraphy and the ornate nature of the page were things of rare beauty.   And his poetry won her heart, and they were married.

Years passed.  And the young man, now a mature man, continued to give his bride the gift of his poetry.  At every special day of their lives - birthdays, Christmas, their wedding anniversary - she waited with excited longing for the envelope he would hand her that contained his latest poetic expression of his love for her.  To see his carefully and lovingly chosen words, the flow of his pen, the artistry of the pages he created was life itself to the woman.  As the years went by she kept these written treasures in a special place in their home.  Sometimes, when her husband needed to be away for a time, she would open her cherished collection of her husband's poems.  She would reread them, pour over them, linger with them, and look longingly at them.  To see his poetry was to see his love for her.

More years passed.  The man and woman were now older.  She became ill one year, and a horrible thing happened as a result of her illness.  Slowly but steadily, the woman's eyesight faded.  Eventually, she was completely blind.  This devastated them both.  She could no longer see her husband's poetic works of art.  Her eyes could no longer linger over his masterful expressions of his heart and love.  The sight of the sweep of his hand and the artistry of each page became a dim memory.  For the man, the way he had first expressed loved her and the gift he regularly gave her had died.  This made them both very sad.

Yet one day, something important came to the man's awareness.  He realized that, as much as he loved to write and present artistically presented poetry to her, writing and giving the poems was never his objective.  His aim was to show his love for her.  The written poetry, as much as they both loved it, simply was a way to express that love.  It was like a tool in his toolbox or a brush for his pallate and canvass.  If he returned to his original purpose, he reasoned, he would find a way to continue gifting her with expressions of his love.

So the old man continued to write poems for his bride.  Instead of presenting the written page as a gift to her, he read each poem to her aloud.  Every birthday, every Christmas, every anniversary, he poured out the artistry of his love not with his pen, but with his voice.  And in his voice the man discovered a new artistic instrument.  And the woman discovered a new thing to cherish from her man; not just his words, but the sound of him delivering the words.

And so the poems went on, and the love with which the man first won the woman's heart continued, through the rest of their days together.

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

Do We Offer a Jesus Who Is Too Gentle?

Sometimes I wonder if we who are followers of Jesus offer the unreached world a Jesus who is too gentle.  Not that the soft side of Jesus isn't of supreme value.  People need a Jesus who will comfort them when they are in sorrow, love and forgive them when they fail, encourage them when they are discouraged, and walk with them when they experience pain or confusion.  All of that is important and true.  It's just that, with notable exceptions, mainline Christianity seems to default to this care-giver kind of Jesus alone.

In the testimony of the Holy Spirit at work in the first century, the book of Acts, the author (the physician known a Luke) breaks the narrative periodically to describe what it was like in those first gatherings of Jesus-followers.  Covering a variety of dimensions of life in Christ, two elements are present without little variance in each of these descriptions:  The Lord adding daily to the number of people being saved, and signs and wonders.  (See Acts 2:42-47.)   People unable to walk leaped up and danced.   Sick people were healed.  Prison walls came tumbling down.  Dead people were alive again.  Pagans met Jesus.  Oppressive religious authorities were challenged.  Politcal and economic systems shook.  This is not a gentle Jesus alone.  This is a Jesus of power.  

During this summer I became gripped by a worship song that simply says, "There is POWER in the name of Jesus, to break EVERY chain."  A hurting, damaged, confused, frightening, aimless world certainly needs comfort.  But it also needs power; power to break all the chains that bind us, both now and eternally.  We see evidence all around us of chains that must be broken:  inner chains (Robin Williams), relational chains (Ray Rice, etc.), emotional chains, economic chains, political chains (ISIS, etc.), and on and on.  By all evidence the first century Church was marked by evidences of raise-Jesus-from-the-dead power.

Let's admit that many of us in the so-called "west" are uncomfortable with this.   False, manipulative, and showy "faith healing" efforts have made us gun shy.  Or we are so steeped in an Enlightenment, rationalistic, imperical view of reality that we refuse to acknowledge the presence of signs and wonders; holy acts of power.   Many so-called "third world" Jesus-followers do not function with this restriction.  The number of people added to those being saved in these settings is astounding, while mainline churches in North American continue to decline. Is there a connection?

And, if there is a connection, how do we unleash signs and wonders power in our midst?   The truth is that we don't unleash it.  We don't create it with another seminar, book study, or small group.  We can only humbly, continuously, and centrally invite it.  We have to pray and wait faithfully.  I'm sure not expert, but here are some things to try.

1.  As individuals and churches, we can practice yielding prayer.   We can come before God with the following:  What chains need to be broken in my heart and life?  What are the chains in the world around me that need to be broken?   What does my church need to do to break those chains?  

2.  Designate spoecific times for those who want to be involved in corporate chain-breaking prayer.  Our fellowship has designated 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.

3.  Speaking for me, fasting needs to be a greater part of my prayer life.  I think that does need to involve foregoing meals or other things,  But I think it must also be an Isaiah 58 fast - doing chain-breaking acts of both mercy and justice.

My thoughts are still formulating on all this.  I just know it burns in my heart.

What do you think?  I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

This Is What Friendship Looks Like

On August 18 one of my greatest friends died suddenly of complications that resulted from surgery.  Chris Ricks of Jefferson City, Missouri was and is an uncommon human being.  He was a man of deep faith, seeing and practicing Christianity not as a religion, but as a relationship with a living Savior.  Chris was a passionate and energetic husband, father, and grandfather.  The pastors, leaders, and servants who have been a part of Wesley United Methodist Church in Jefferson can attest to Chris being a churchperson at a sacrificial and impacting level.  United Methodism throughout our state and our region have been impacted by this joy-filled follower of Jesus.  And generations of church camp campers' lives have been blessed by his leadership.  A Missouri State Highway Patrolman for most of his adult life, Chris served the Patrol in many capacities, whether on the road, providing security for Missouri's governors and families, or leading and teaching at MSHP's headquarters and academy.  As a citizen Chris gave selflessly to service clubs, the Jefferson City public schools, and Jeff City Jays' athletics.   Those of us who know and love Chris are struggling now to figure out what the world is like without Chris Ricks in it.

There's no way I could summarize adequately what it means to me to have enjoyed Chris' friendship for the 31 years we've known each other.  Chris and I were both a part of a Christian growth movement that came out of the Spanish "Cursillo" experience.  Chris and his wife were part of what is known as "The Walk to Emmaus", while Elaine and I participated in "Camino in Christianity" and then "United Methodist Cursillo."  One thing these expressions share in common is a simple slogan:  "Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ."  Chris could have been the originator of this marching order.

Make a friend.   Chris went beyond simply befriending those who happened to be people within the natural spheres of his existence, people who mirrored his personality, or people who shared his likes or dislikes.   He intentionally pushed beyond his comfort zones to make friends.  I am an example of this.  Chris had a very gregarious, out-going personality.  I am a much quieter, more introspective person.  Yet Chris went out of his way to build a relationship with me, without requiring me to be anyone other than who I am.  Beyond this, Chris did not keep his friendships within the circles of church persons.  He knew that we cannot share Christ with those who do not know him unless we befriend those persons.

Be a friend.   Way too many friendships wane over the years.  They diminish and dissolve as time, distances, changing circumstances, differences and other elements vary.  I've certainly been guilty of allowing this to happen.   Chris did not allow it.  His friendship was solid in and out of season.  Chris is one of those people who has stood by me and so many others both when we were at our best and when we were at our worst.  And, again, those for whom Jesus was just a name or a word found in Chris what the relentless, sacrificial love of God looks like.

Bring a friend to Christ.  This is that which fueled Chris' heart; to aim someone toward the welcoming, nail-scarred hands of the Savior.  Never did Chris do this by coercion, argumentation, judgmental Bible-thumping, or callous disregard for the present state of the individual.  He just did it with unconditional, affirming love.

This is what friendship looks like.  If I accomplish a small fraction of what Chris did in my lifetime, it will be a life well lived.

Go rest high upon that mountain, Chris Ricks.  I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Thoughts on Robin Williams' Death

I had planned to stay off of any electronic media until a sabbatical leave ends on September 3.  However, I feel led to weigh in on the death of entertainer Robin Williams.  Just as many people have felt impact from this, his passing seems to hit me like a personal loss.  His quick and uncanny wit and his explosive humor have been a part of my entertainment world all of my adult life.  Williams was a master artist with an incredible range, from side-splitting comedy to poignant and compassionate drama.  All day long I have watched and listened to tributes being given to this entertainment giant.  I have heard little to nothing said about the cause of his death.  Robin Williams, a depression sufferer, apparently took his own life.   While I respect everyone's views about all this, there are just some things I just need to express.

First, for Jesus-followers, I find absolutely nothing in the Bible that identifies suicide as the unforgivable sin.  Is it something that breaks God's heart?  Absolutely.  Is it in God's will?  Never.  Is it something God desires?  Absolutely not.  Yet I do not see it identified as that which automatically separates a person from God eternally.  We need to be thinking less of assigning eternal categorization to a person who makes this decision, and we need to be thinking more about prevention and about the devastation a suicide brings to surviving family members and friends.

Robin Williams suffered from depression.  Contrary to the popular belief of many, depression is not  a character flaw, it is not a weakness, it is not a lack of faith, it is not a moral failing, and it is not something a person should just "snap out of."   It is an illness; a generally treatable disease, but a serious disease.  Some of the most influential leaders of history suffered from it, including Martin Luther, John Wesley, and Abraham Lincoln.  Known causes of depression are diverse, and can include catastophic events, general life circumstances, body chemistry, substance addictions and abuse, reactions to medications, personality type, family history, and any combination of those or other factors.  The vast majority of depressions don't end up with a suicide decision, but some do.  No one is immune.  (The son of an influential Christian leader, Rick Warren, took his own life recently.)   I am familiar with depression by way of loved ones who have suffered from it, by dealing with it myself, and by knowing friends and parishoners who suffered from it.   Diseases sometimes cause unwanted behaviors.  While I must do everything within my power to prevent a person from taking his/her life, I cannot judge what is going on in the mind of a person feeling that much pain, nor can I assess how that pain may have impaired the person's thinking or judgement.

Instead of presuming to assign eternal location to a suicide victim, my job as a follower of Jesus is to get busy on the front end of that which would lead to such a horrific end.   Churches and Christians must create space where broken people can come, (including people broken enough to consider ending their lives), and be embraced by people who will walk with them in the dark valley, while working and sacrificing to get them out of it.  We must be Jesus with skin on for a broken world, and that means we must face the reality of deep soul darkness that exists.  We need to deal with the fact that people will come to us who don't feel "that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart!" just because the choir or praise band is singing it, who feel guilt and sadness through the "greet your neighbor!" exercise, and who are just asking, "Does anyone here know my pain or care?!?"   I don't know about it you, but it seems that I hear about or know of more suicides than ever.   We are the Church, the Body of Christ, the hope of the world.  We need to answer the bell.  The less famous but no less depleted Robin Williamses are all around us.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.  And if your soul is as bleak as Robin Williams' was, climb on in the canoe with me, and let's paddle these rapids together.

I Want To Be Like Robert

From July 4 through September 3rd I'll be taking what's called a sabbatical leave.  Officially, it's for rest and renewal as well as learning and retooling.  Most of July will be downtime: relaxed time with God, Elaine (my wife) and family, as well as lots of fishing.  In August I'll visit 4-5 churches that effective in making disciples for Jesus the Christ and which are somewhat larger than ours.  Our church is blessed with being at another growing-point, and I need to learn what leadership and ministry looks like at the next level.  I'm grateful to the leadership of our congregation for allowing me this opportunity!   I'm blessed to serve an awesome, dynamic congregation, and I will miss them.

In fact, though, there's simpler, deeper reason for this time apart. It can best be explained in a story.  A couple of Sundays ago, prior to worship, I spent some walking around the south part of our property in a little time of prayer, thought, and preparation.  This is my normal routine when the weather is good.  That morning, though, a storm was moving in fast from the west.  Just as I thought it might be better for me to head indoors, I noticed someone walking northbound toward our church facility.  Though he was about a quarter of a mile off, I knew who it was by his distinctive walk.  It was my friend Robert.

Robert came to our church a couple of years ago thanks to the ministry of another friend - Danny.   I'm not sure what the currently "acceptable" term is that describes someone like Robert.  At one time it was "special needs persons," but that's probably old school now.  Robert has some challenges with speech and cognition.  His thinking process is careful, but slow.  His gait is a little different.  Some might see Robert as socially awkward, but he's always genuine and accepting.

As Robert came on to the church property and walked over to me, he was beaming; carrying most of what is his in a Walmart sack, as he usually does.  "I got here before the rain!" he proudly announced.   I commended him on walking the distance to church on such a threatening morning.  He said, "It's church.  They told me not to come because it was going to rain.  I told them, 'It's church.  I'm going to go!'"

That's Robert.  He doesn't drive, but he finds a way to get to worship.  He's there all morning, arriving with the musicians and hospitality folks for the first service, and there until everything is put up from the second service.  He's always looking for ways he can help.  He joins in our prayer circles before worship; he's actually led them a couple of times.  He stacks chairs, makes coffee, greets people, prays; whatever he can do to contribute to lifting up Jesus and drawing people to them.  He takes my sermon notes home after the last service to study them more.  On the Sunday on which he beat the rain he asked me if I could get him a book on prayer.  During our last service he usually sits up front with me.  To watch him worship during a song of praise or prayer is to watch the simple, unbridled joy of being in the arms of Jesus - unhindered by any baggage.

I think about how I approach worship sometimes.  I think about how fickle my motivation to worship can be, depending on the state of my attitude or the circumstances of my life.  I note how easily I can be distracted by something I'm happy or by something I'm unhappy about.  I realize how my mind can swirl with my self-imposed complexities of life and ministry - what program needs to start or stop, what's working in worship and what isn't, who's pleased and who isn't, how much money do we have or not have, or should the thermostat in the worship center be at 68 or 72 degrees.  Then I look at Robert, who just loves Jesus and looks for every opportunity to serve, with minimal distraction. The world might look at me and then look at Robert and say that I am surely the one more "blessed" or "successful."  I look at Robert and say that he is the one who is rich beyond measure, and I have much to learn from him.  I'm grateful that God has graced me with knowing him.

So my spiritual hope for these two months is to be more like Robert; to let all the scaffolding collapse, and to just stand before Jesus in wonder, awe, and praise.

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.  Have a blessed remainder of the summer.

 , "It's church

The REAL "Common Core"

It seems to me that we live in very divided times.   In many ways, people are as polarized as I've ever seen them.  Divisions happen over everything conceivable: politics, faith, economics, morality, sexual orientation, ethnicity...You name it, human beings can fight over it.  And this goes way beyond difference of opinion.  It spills too easily over into personal assault.  We often think nothing of degrading an opponent's value, staining his/her character, and judging his/her worth.

I live in a great community that is currently experiencing a high level of division, unfortunately.  We are one of many American communities torn apart over what is known as "Common Core."  Common Core refers to federally mandated educational standards for primary and secondary students in public schools.  (Google it...I don't have time or space to describe it in detail here.)   Some defend Common Core as a good and necessary measure of a student's learning and capabilities.  Others benignly accept Common Core simply as the latest in a long line of standardized expectations that accompany federal funding.  There are those who don't see Common Core as the end of the world, but do have significant questions, concerns,or even worries about it.  And still others are gravely frightened by it, and sincerely believe that everything possible must be done to dismantle, at least in our community, and preferably throughout our state.

As an aside, I am in the third group listed above.  Common Core is the latest standardized measure handed down from Washington, joining the other such standards that essentially date back to the "No Child Left Behind" effort years ago.  On the one hand, much of what people might perceive to be a change in content of learning is actually a change in method.  (For example, when I was an elementary school student back in the Jurassic Era, I was taught to memorize multiplication tables.  I was drilled that 8 x 8 = 64 until I could recall that like I can recall the Pledge of Allegiance.  Our seven year old granddaughter is being taught not only THAT 8 x 8 = 64 but WHY 8 x 8 = 64.  It's a different method than rote memorization.  Both ways, 8 x 8 = 64.)   And I'm told that all along our particular school district has been ahead on prepping for standardized testing.  On the other hand, I've always thought it shady that compliance to federal standards is tied to federal standard compliance.  I don't like the fact that teacher evaluations are tied so heavily to test scores; testing only measures so much, and teachers are under enough impossible pressure as it is.  Data retrieval via Common Core does leave open the possibility of "data mining," it seems to me.  And, while I understand basically where the Common Core standards are headed in math and science, the social studies arena seems strangely vague to me, and I could see where questions could possibly be formulated that promote particular ideologies or political views.  Finally, it bothers me that Common Core was basically developed by a political and business group, and not specifically by educators.  So, I have some concerns about Common Core, but probably don't think of the situation as being as dire as some do.

Frankly, I'm concerned less by Common Core than I am concerned by the painful divisions it is creating in communities.  So I want to offer some thoughts to all of us, regardless of where we stand on this or any issues that divide people:

1. My late father once told me that the quickest way to distract people and to galvanize them to follow ill-advised leadership is to give them something or someone to hate.  And that, my father said, is universally wrong, no matter what the cause is.  The Roman Empire citizens of the first century were given the Christians to hate.  The Germans of the mid-twentieth century were given Jews to hate.  From North American lynchings to African and Eastern European ethnic genocide, this dynamic is a toxin that poisons even the most positive political position.  All of this may seem a far cry from our local situation, but I get fearful when I see and hear people skirting the borders of this dangerous territory.  This warning applies to EVERYONE on ANY side of any fence, beginning with the one typing.
2. With this specific local issue, regardless of what happens or does not happen with Common Core, I trust our teachers.  Our public schools are loaded with Jesus-following teachers who have willingly accepted the call to one of the most challenging and important mission fields of our era - public schools.  Regardless of the standards, they will find a way to build thinking, caring, value-driven students.  These teachers did not have anything to do with bringing Common Core to our state, no matter how each individual teacher feels about Common Core.  And no matter where I stand on it, I refuse to make their already hard job that much harder by holding them accountable for its existence.
3. I am a person of faith in Jesus, the crucified and risen.  Following Him, I know that division between people that is fueled by enmity is not of God; it is of the Devil.  Anyone in any of the four Common Core-related groups I identified above can fall victim to this.  I can be on the side of a disagreement that is absolutely right in the eyes of God.  But if in so doing my heart is governed by enmity toward the one with whom I disagree, and if I vilify and demean my opponent, then I am a servant of Satan, even if the stand I have taken is right.  The Enemy loves to have us distracted by fighting among ourselves.  It keeps us from pouring energy into the central task of loving each other and leading each other into the arms of Jesus.
4. For followers of Jesus, we are still under the governance of love above all.  We are to love each other as Jesus loved us, even when we disagree.  He did not demonize or attack those who opposed Him; He died for them.  I Corinthians 13 has not been repealed.  Love is our REAL "Common Core."

That's it.  Just had to get this off my chest.  Thanks for reading, regardless of where you stand on this or any issue that divides us.  We're all still worth the life, death, resurrection, and promised return of the one who has loved us with a greater love than we could ever know.

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

A Negativity Fast

This Wednesday begins a season of the year which some Jesus-followers recognize.  It's called LENT.  Lent is a period of time of about 40 days (excluding Sundays) leading up to the observance of the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.  During this time, many who follow Jesus engage in prayer and meditation, focusing on the enormity of Jesus' sacrifice, and his limitless passion for us.  Many Christians engage in acts of sacrifice and service in recognition of this, and in an effort to manifest the image of Jesus.  Some of those sacrifices are called "fasts" - giving up something for Lent.  People have been known to go without certain foods, meals altogether, specific activities, luxuries, etc. or to sacrifice money, time, or whatever.

People in the church of which I am a part have sacrificed all kinds of things during Lent.  I was thinking about what we should sacrifice this Lent, when I heard this idea from a friend of mine - Matt Branum of Charleston, Missouri.  He suggested we need to fast NEGATIVITY.  Wow, I thought, if there's one thing we need to give up for Lent 2014 and for always, it's negativity.  We're awash in it; so much so that I'm afraid we're  becoming immune to it.  Politicians completely abandon statesmanship and make negative onslaughts into business as usual in our national politics.  Cyberspace gives hurtful, caustic, negative thoughts a world-wide forum.   Both the news media and consumers of the media feed on negativity for than positive and hopeful dimensions of life.  Road rage is at an all time high.  We'd rather sue each other than work it out with each other.  Irritated theater patrons shoot other patrons.  Churches all over the land spend more time battling over worship styles, music preferences, and the color of the new carpet than they battle to seek and save the lost.  I'm ashamed of how many times I had the choice to think positive thoughts and use positive words, and defaulted to the other direction.

Great spiritual lead, Matt Branum!  Let's just give it up for Lent.  Fast negativity.  The world we're called to reach has no shortage of negative energy.  Let's do something different.  Consciously capture every negative thought, word, and/or action; confess it and release it to The Lord.  Replace it with humility and joy.  (See Philippians 2:1-10.)   Get an accountability partner who will ask you how you're doing with releasing negativity.  Keep a journal and take a fearless spiritual inventory at the end of each day - where did you consciously release negativity and where did you give in to it?

And when the world around you gets toxic, and it's just too easy to let a negative spirit take hold in your life and heart, think about this motivation.  God has every reason to give in to a negative spirit.  We, the creatures God created in God's own image, turn our backs on God and break God's heart with reckless abandon and self-centered delight.   Yet God CHOOSES to give up a more than justified negativity.  Jesus, crucified and risen, is the living proof of that.  More than anything, that's what the Lent journey is about.

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

Is the Church the only army that shoots its own wounded?

I remember the tragic day that the son of Saddleback Church lead pastor Rick Warren committed suicide.  Alongside the outpouring of support I noted voices from the Christian community who said that the event negated Rick Warren's credibility as a church leader.  If he could not manage his own son's life then he could not manage a church.  People speculated on the actual causes of the young man's actions.  I've known of other occasions throughout the Christian world where pastors, church staff persons, and church leaders faced tragic circumstances, personal or family crises, the consequences of bad decisions, breakdown due to stress, or any kind of turmoil in life. Over and over I've heard them become the conversation topic, with folks speculating on facts, assessing how a situation should have been addressed or should be addressed, and casting judgment on the persons involved.   The associate pastor who became addicted to pain medication after a surgery.  The deacon whose son announced that he was gay.  The choir director whose wife had an affair with someone in the church.  The pastor whose adult daughter was an alcoholic.  The youth minister who had to be hospitalized for depression.  Somehow some people have the presumption that leaders in the Body of Christ should be immune to such life-surprises, crises, hardships, or temptations.  If they're not,then their capability to lead the Body of Christ is in question.   Sadly, I know there have been times when I have been a part of such conversations.

I also remember the day that an unchurched person with whom I was visiting made a statement that shook me to the core:  The Church is the only army that shoots its own wounded.  It is when I hear of circumstances like the above that I wonder if there are times when this is true.   For whatever reason, I feel compelled to remember how followers of Jesus act when our own are wounded or when they wound themselves.  And since you're here and reading this, you get to endure my reminder to myself.

When someone in the Body of Christ is broken...

-We don't participate in rumor spreading.  (Romans 1:29)  Only God knows every detail of a wounded situation.  We have no right to speculate.  When we speculate, we make the situation worse.  Too much gossip passes under the pious banner of "just sharing our joys and concerns."  Whenever I start a statement about a church person with, "Well, someone told me that..." we have exited the will and the heart of God.  When rumor data makes its way to us, it should die there.  We should replace it with a challenge to the rumor spreader of, "I'm just going to pray for ________.  Won't you join me?"

-We don't judge.  (Matthew 7:1)  This is basic.  We've all been judged and have been found wanting.  The grace of Jesus covers that.  How can claim the name of Jesus and not afford that to one another?
To presume what should and should not happen to a person because of a difficulty in life that has come upon him/her or that he/she brought on herself is to presume to take God's place.

-We pray.  And we don't pray by prescribing to God how we think a situation should play out.  We lift the broken person before the throne of grace, trusting in the love of the One who made each one of us, loves us, and has a great vision for each of our lives.

-We forgive.  For those of us who use the Lord's Prayer, every time we pray it we ask to be forgiven in proportion to how we forgive others.  If any one of us were actually doled out forgiveness according to that formula, how much would we receive?  And this does not presume cheap grace.  For those who have brought life-brokenness on themselves there are consequences in this life.  But that does not negate the forgiveness of Jesus, nor does it repeal the demand upon us to forgive others.

-We encourage.  (I Thessalonians 5:11)  Our job is to build each other up, not to break each other down.

-We protect while healing and/or restoration take place.  The very first image of God is that of a mother bird protecting her young.  (Genesis 1:2)  The nature of this God is love.  This love is made known concretely in Jesus the Christ.  We are the body of Christ.  Therefore, our job is protecting the wounded and broken with this God-love.

-Above all, we love as Jesus loves.  (John 13:34-35) This is not just for the healing and restoration of church folks, including pastors, staff leaders, and people in lay leadership.  This is necessary because an unreached world is watching us.  In the world around us things like rumor-spreading, speculation of facts, and judgment are normal.  If they see us acting the same way, why should they take us seriously and why should we have any impact on them?

If you and I have signed on with Jesus, then we have forfeited our right to deal with anyone, including church leaders, in a gossip-like, judgmental way.  And if we do so, we have publicly denied our allegiance to Jesus.  Period.

We are the body of Christ.  We do not shoot our own wounded.

I'm going to stop now and hit my knees for a bit, asking God to forgive me for every time I failed to live up to the call on me that is detailed above. Maybe you need to do the same.

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

No Stonings or Riots - What A Pity!

During my devotional reading today I ran across the following.  It was written by Norman Shawchuck, co-editor with Reuben Job of several guidebooks for prayer.  I'll just let it land however it lands with you, without comment.  Especially see what kind of impact the last two sentences have:

"When Paul 'argued' in Thessalonica (see Acts 17 in the Bible), some believed and joined sides with him.  Others cast the city in an uproar and set out to do harm to Jason (Paul's host) when they could not find Paul.  

Wherever Paul and the others went people were divided - some accepted, some opposed Paul's preaching.  Is this not better than what we see today?  Virtually no preacher or teacher* can cause a riot by virtue of his or her preaching or teaching today; our words and our certainties are too banal and too bland.

When I consider my own teaching, I know I am safe.  No one comes into my classroom without already being convinced.  My students are 'on my side' from the beginning.  My only problem is to keep them awake and motivated to learn.

There are no stonings or riots in my classroom.  What a pity!"

        (A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God, Upper Room Books, 2006.  pp. 72-73.)

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

* - Preachers or teachers in Western culture.  My note; not the author's.