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.