I know it looks like I am working my way through the alphabet, but no. I am simply lacking the creativity to come up with exciting titles. The T word- is Temptation. Paul says in 1Corinthians 10:13 "No Temptation has seized you except what is common to man." NIV I guess it is healthy to know that everyone pagan and Christian, is tempted and none of the temptations I have are that strange or unique to me.
However, this passage also confirms that not only are we all tempted, but we have one temptation in common: Idolatry. And at least from the examples Paul gives in Corinthians, regardless of how spiritual we are- or how many miraculous signs and wonders we have confirming the presence of God around us,(think Israel in the desert, and the Charismatic nature of the Corinthian Church)we are still tempted to make a god, and to worship the god we make. Not a comforting thought.
Bob Goudzwaard in his book, Idols of our Time, says there are three new idols we all face, Scientism, Economism, and Technicism. He calls them the unholy trinity because they seem to work in concert with one another. It is easy to see how we are tempted to have one or all of these become our savior- to define our life, give us identity and purpose as well as direction.
He says something else- Bob says that "ideology is the conduit of idolatry." Which is an interesting twist. The thought that our ideology works to reinforce our idolatry in very confrontational. How many of us evalutate how our ideology promotes idolatry, for example, the ideology say of the American Dream. How does the idology of the American dream promote the Idol of Economism? Where or how is technology and science used to reinforce the American Dream? How are science, technology or economics used to deal with threats to the American dream. (Think high tech weaponry at the expense of say health care)Without sounding too political here, I do think Goudzwaard is on to something.
It might be helpful to realize that our ideology- what ever it is, is humanly constructed. Ideologies did not fall from heaven, nor were they particularly derived from the Bible, though I am sure there will be those who try to make them so.
I seems to me that our Ideology(whatever it is) might not only be a conduit for Idolatry, it might become an idol itself. If Paul is right-if our ideology isn't an idol yet, we are all tempted to make it one.
To which I concur with Paul,"Therefore , my dear friends, flee from idolatry." 1Corinthians 10:14
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
The E Word
When it comes to evangelism I have that distinct feeling that I have been there, done that, bought the T shirt. From The Four Spiritual Laws, Evangelism Explosion, Lifestyle Evangelism, Servant Evangelism, Evangelism that Works(as opposed to Evangelism that doesn't), to now the latest, Nudge Evangelism from one of my favorite people, Len Sweet I think I've read and implemented all or parts of the latest evangelism materials into my life and ministry.
Why?
Because someone Good Newsed me, and it turned my life around or more importantly turned it towards the right direction. I am doing what I am doing because of someone's love and concern that I needed to follow Jesus. To which I say, "Amen," everyday.
So in an effort to Good News someone else, I've read books, gone to seminars, and actually confronted people, accosted people, sweated in service, said way too much or way too little in an attempt to invite people to turn their life around and follow Jesus. Sometimes those loving invitations to follow Jesus came laced with hidden threats of what would happen if he or she said",No."
Then I re-read about Jesus good newsing people. Not a lot of hidden threats here. unfortunately, flames and hell are mentioned in conjunction with Jesus criticizing religious people and the religious professionals, who are not my primary evangelism mission field.
His good news had to do with the advent of the Kingdom of God, which embraced God's current redeeming and reconciling activity in this world, and of a way of life that goes with it.
When reading Paul, it is easy to read back into him the evangelistic message of an individualize, personalized faith in Jesus as being the goal of goodnewsing. However, Jesus' invitation to come and follow was an invitation to come and be a part of the New Nation of Israel, a reconstituted people of God, whose lifestyle embraced the a way of life vastly different from around at the time (think turn the other cheek). When Paul adopts a strategy to become all things to all men so that he might save some...He is not talking about rescuing some souls from the flames of hell, but actually redirecting someone's life into a new community- to be part of a new family that does live life together differently.
One of my favorite evangelistic verses is 2Corinthian 5:17 "if anyone is in Christ he is new creature, the old is gone and the new has come." I always tagged this with the born again statement of Jesus in John 3. However in reading Paul I the phrase In Christ, usually means in the community of faith. And yes it is God's intention that the community of faith be a New Creature, a new expression of humanity, that lives its life according to the new rules Jesus lays down as defined by the kingdom of God.
The old is gone and the new has come. What does this have to do with evangelism.
What turned my life around was the offer to live for a new purpose, and to live that way in a community that loved me for me before I decided to follow Jesus, and continued to love me for me after I decided. In reading more and more about evangelism and evangelistic techniques, I realize that it was being loved by a community and the promise of a living in a loving community that was good news, and the reason I said yes when invited to follow Jesus. Hell by the way was not a threat to me, since I was living in my own self constructed hell at the time. Following Jesus was a very welcomed and challenging alternative, and still is.
Why?
Because someone Good Newsed me, and it turned my life around or more importantly turned it towards the right direction. I am doing what I am doing because of someone's love and concern that I needed to follow Jesus. To which I say, "Amen," everyday.
So in an effort to Good News someone else, I've read books, gone to seminars, and actually confronted people, accosted people, sweated in service, said way too much or way too little in an attempt to invite people to turn their life around and follow Jesus. Sometimes those loving invitations to follow Jesus came laced with hidden threats of what would happen if he or she said",No."
Then I re-read about Jesus good newsing people. Not a lot of hidden threats here. unfortunately, flames and hell are mentioned in conjunction with Jesus criticizing religious people and the religious professionals, who are not my primary evangelism mission field.
His good news had to do with the advent of the Kingdom of God, which embraced God's current redeeming and reconciling activity in this world, and of a way of life that goes with it.
When reading Paul, it is easy to read back into him the evangelistic message of an individualize, personalized faith in Jesus as being the goal of goodnewsing. However, Jesus' invitation to come and follow was an invitation to come and be a part of the New Nation of Israel, a reconstituted people of God, whose lifestyle embraced the a way of life vastly different from around at the time (think turn the other cheek). When Paul adopts a strategy to become all things to all men so that he might save some...He is not talking about rescuing some souls from the flames of hell, but actually redirecting someone's life into a new community- to be part of a new family that does live life together differently.
One of my favorite evangelistic verses is 2Corinthian 5:17 "if anyone is in Christ he is new creature, the old is gone and the new has come." I always tagged this with the born again statement of Jesus in John 3. However in reading Paul I the phrase In Christ, usually means in the community of faith. And yes it is God's intention that the community of faith be a New Creature, a new expression of humanity, that lives its life according to the new rules Jesus lays down as defined by the kingdom of God.
The old is gone and the new has come. What does this have to do with evangelism.
What turned my life around was the offer to live for a new purpose, and to live that way in a community that loved me for me before I decided to follow Jesus, and continued to love me for me after I decided. In reading more and more about evangelism and evangelistic techniques, I realize that it was being loved by a community and the promise of a living in a loving community that was good news, and the reason I said yes when invited to follow Jesus. Hell by the way was not a threat to me, since I was living in my own self constructed hell at the time. Following Jesus was a very welcomed and challenging alternative, and still is.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Thinking and Doing
When reading materials about the unchurched, dechurched, never been churched, one of the things they all seem to have in common is the word hypocrisy, not theirs, but the hypocrisy they see in the church. I don't know how many times since I've been a follower of Jesus that I have heard the phrase,"The church is full of hypocrites," as a reason for someone to quit attending a church or or never even going. To be honest hypocrisy does run deep in the church. We don't always practice what we preach. Our words and our actions are often out of sync.
In 1Corinthians 8, it seems that some people's behavior, was wounding the consciences of the so called weaker brother and sisters, and even destroying the faith of others. However hypocrisy was not the culprit. In fact some people were practicing what they preached. Idols are not real gods so food connected with idol worship doesn't matter. Food is even according to the apostle Paul morally, ethically, and theologically neutral. He writes," food does not brings us near to God-we are not worse if we do not eat, nor better if we do…" So it doesn’t matter theologically, ethically, morally, what we eat, even where that food came from, or even where we eat, food is food is food, and food is made for the body and body for food…
However; Paul also reminds them that though everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial- everything is permissible but not everything is constructive, not everything builds up or strengthens, or encourages growth. Doing some permissible things can wound consciences, destroy faith, and even stunt personal spiritual growth. Eating food offered to idols was right for some of the Christians in Corinth, but evidently not for others.
Knowing that some brothers and sisters in the faith could not handle eating food offered to idols and they still engaged in that activity, even flaunting it as a mark of spiritual maturity, was not hypocrisy. It was thoughtless and selfish.
The faith community is an interdependent community. How we live our lives in front of other Christians can impact their personal spiritual growth. Hypocrisy may still dog the church, but if Christians were a little more thoughtful and less selfish about what they do and how they do it, the faith community may quit shooting some of our own, and we can grow this faith community deeper in terms of interpersonal relationships, and wider in terms including more people under the sphere of influence of the kingdom of God.
In 1Corinthians 8, it seems that some people's behavior, was wounding the consciences of the so called weaker brother and sisters, and even destroying the faith of others. However hypocrisy was not the culprit. In fact some people were practicing what they preached. Idols are not real gods so food connected with idol worship doesn't matter. Food is even according to the apostle Paul morally, ethically, and theologically neutral. He writes," food does not brings us near to God-we are not worse if we do not eat, nor better if we do…" So it doesn’t matter theologically, ethically, morally, what we eat, even where that food came from, or even where we eat, food is food is food, and food is made for the body and body for food…
However; Paul also reminds them that though everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial- everything is permissible but not everything is constructive, not everything builds up or strengthens, or encourages growth. Doing some permissible things can wound consciences, destroy faith, and even stunt personal spiritual growth. Eating food offered to idols was right for some of the Christians in Corinth, but evidently not for others.
Knowing that some brothers and sisters in the faith could not handle eating food offered to idols and they still engaged in that activity, even flaunting it as a mark of spiritual maturity, was not hypocrisy. It was thoughtless and selfish.
The faith community is an interdependent community. How we live our lives in front of other Christians can impact their personal spiritual growth. Hypocrisy may still dog the church, but if Christians were a little more thoughtful and less selfish about what they do and how they do it, the faith community may quit shooting some of our own, and we can grow this faith community deeper in terms of interpersonal relationships, and wider in terms including more people under the sphere of influence of the kingdom of God.
Monday, February 28, 2011
The S - word
They say there are two things that Presbyterians never talk about; evangelism and sex. I have discovered that the Apostle Paul must have been Presbyterian because in 1Corinthians 8:1-8 he uses the phrases: "to touch a woman," and "have his own wife and have her own husband" to mean sexual relations. So even though he is talking about sex, he is not using the S-word. Paul is talking about sex within the confines of marriage.He is pro-sex because he is pro-marriage and a healthy sex life is essential for a healthy marriage. In all three of his descriptions - or prescriptions regarding sex in a marriage, Paul is very particular to make sure that what applies to a husband, equally applies to the wife. A healthy marriage and for that matter a healthy sex life according to Paul is both equitable and mutual. In describing marriage and sex within marriage this way, Paul radically redefined marriage as it was known to the Greek and Roman culture at the time. Marriage to both Greek and Roman culture was hierarchical in nature. The husband had the seat of power and authority. However, at its center, a Christian marriage was a microcosm of the church as a web of complimentary relationships working collaboratively together. Whatever power and authority there was in a marriage, according to Paul, it was to be a shared power and a shared authority. What Paul is talking about is marriage as an equal partnership between a husband and a wife.
I don't think Paul invented this radical notion of marriage as an equal partnership. I think he went back to Genesis chapter one where God creates humanity- male and female and charges humanity to rule over the garden and all of creation.It was a shared throne, with men and women to function as king and queen ultimately accountable to God. Of course we remember that God says a husband would rule over his wife in Genesis 3:16b. Unfortunately over the years we have taken this to mean that God established patriarchy as the preferred norm. I think the writer of Genesis was describing patriarchy as a consequence of the fall. What Paul is describing in Corinthians, is equality in marriage as the redeemed reality. For Christians to support patriarchy in any form is to reinforce the curse as opposed to the original blessing restored by the work of Christ.
I don't think Paul invented this radical notion of marriage as an equal partnership. I think he went back to Genesis chapter one where God creates humanity- male and female and charges humanity to rule over the garden and all of creation.It was a shared throne, with men and women to function as king and queen ultimately accountable to God. Of course we remember that God says a husband would rule over his wife in Genesis 3:16b. Unfortunately over the years we have taken this to mean that God established patriarchy as the preferred norm. I think the writer of Genesis was describing patriarchy as a consequence of the fall. What Paul is describing in Corinthians, is equality in marriage as the redeemed reality. For Christians to support patriarchy in any form is to reinforce the curse as opposed to the original blessing restored by the work of Christ.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Glorifying God with our Bodies
Our bodies matter to God.
It is a rather simple statement but one Paul in Corinthians 6 wants to hammer home particularly since a number of people in Corinth were raised with the understanding that our bodies did not matter and what we did with them didn't matter in terms of our spirituality. Paul in typical Jewish fashion saw humanity holistically.You could not with the sharpest knife divide body and soul/spirit. Paul says we are honor God with our bodies or another person said, "Turn your body into a living robust rousing round of doxology."
If the Corinthians did not think enough about their bodies, we other other hand might think too much about our bodies. Diet and exercise programs are touted from every side. I cannot tell you how many infomercials I have watched on late night Television; from a plethora of Ab machines to total gyms. Whether we pay attention to our diet and exercise is a different matter but we all agree we do need to pay attention. Some of us a obsessed with our bodies. We have become gym rats or over exercise buffs. Would anyone in their right mind want to run a double marathon? We eat only organic, high fiber, low carb; foods.
There is a difference between worshiping your body and worshiping God with your body. Our culture sees the body as an end in and of itself. Paul sees God and God's kingdom as the end for the body. It is not our body that is ultimately important to God, but what we do with our body... how we use it for the kingdom's sake, that counts.
We take care of our bodies for a purpose- the whole reason we take vitamins, and try to eat right and get plenty of exercise- the whole reason we try to stay fit and trim, is so that we can physically and mentally do what God wants done- If we do not take care of our bodies we will not have the strength and the stamina to be about the work of God’s kingdom. To build the church deep and wide involves using our bodies for what God designed them for;service to God and to others. When we do that,God is glorified,and doxology breaks out.
It is a rather simple statement but one Paul in Corinthians 6 wants to hammer home particularly since a number of people in Corinth were raised with the understanding that our bodies did not matter and what we did with them didn't matter in terms of our spirituality. Paul in typical Jewish fashion saw humanity holistically.You could not with the sharpest knife divide body and soul/spirit. Paul says we are honor God with our bodies or another person said, "Turn your body into a living robust rousing round of doxology."
If the Corinthians did not think enough about their bodies, we other other hand might think too much about our bodies. Diet and exercise programs are touted from every side. I cannot tell you how many infomercials I have watched on late night Television; from a plethora of Ab machines to total gyms. Whether we pay attention to our diet and exercise is a different matter but we all agree we do need to pay attention. Some of us a obsessed with our bodies. We have become gym rats or over exercise buffs. Would anyone in their right mind want to run a double marathon? We eat only organic, high fiber, low carb; foods.
There is a difference between worshiping your body and worshiping God with your body. Our culture sees the body as an end in and of itself. Paul sees God and God's kingdom as the end for the body. It is not our body that is ultimately important to God, but what we do with our body... how we use it for the kingdom's sake, that counts.
We take care of our bodies for a purpose- the whole reason we take vitamins, and try to eat right and get plenty of exercise- the whole reason we try to stay fit and trim, is so that we can physically and mentally do what God wants done- If we do not take care of our bodies we will not have the strength and the stamina to be about the work of God’s kingdom. To build the church deep and wide involves using our bodies for what God designed them for;service to God and to others. When we do that,God is glorified,and doxology breaks out.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Why Is Forgiveness So Hard?
For some reason we think it is easier for God to forgive than it is for us. God can forgive so easily because after all God is God and we are not. We don't forgive because we don't think we have the power to forgive, after all we're not God. To watch your son dragged through a kangaroo court, beaten, whipped, and finally nailed to a cross, wasn't easy for anyone let alone a Father known as Abba to Jesus. After all of this, for God to grant forgiveness when requested by Jesus, is mind blowing. I know too many earthly fathers who would override their son's request and take out all the perpetrators. However, since no fire from heaven reigned down upon them, you have to assume that God did forgive and the executioner's Ax was stayed mid swing.
But what about Jesus? Was it really easier for him to forgive those who had nailed him to the cross, than it is for either you or me to forgive something not quite as brutal as the cross. Yet Jesus did forgive them and they didn't even ask for it.
Part of the reason I think forgiveness is so hard is that we are mistaken about what it means to forgive. We need to know what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not pretending that the painful event didn't happened. When Jesus forgave those who had crucified them from the cross, it doesn't mean that Jesus was pretending that he wasn't on the cross. He is fully aware of the nails and the crown of thorns, with the warm drops of blood tracking down his face. Pretending would take one ounce of pain away. Part of the point of forgiveness is that we commit to working to behave towards this person as if it hadn't happened. It is a conscious choice we make not to let their actions against us control our response to them or towards anyone else.
Forgiveness presupposes that what happened to us- happened- to us. It was evil and cannot be set aside as if it didn't matter. It did matter. It did hurt. But in choosing to forgive we are choosing to act as if it did not happen as we consciously try to rebuild a severed relationship.In forgiving, we are always full aware of what we are trying to forgive, and yet living in relationship with them as if it didn't take place, not only for our good but also for theirs.
But what about Jesus? Was it really easier for him to forgive those who had nailed him to the cross, than it is for either you or me to forgive something not quite as brutal as the cross. Yet Jesus did forgive them and they didn't even ask for it.
Part of the reason I think forgiveness is so hard is that we are mistaken about what it means to forgive. We need to know what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not pretending that the painful event didn't happened. When Jesus forgave those who had crucified them from the cross, it doesn't mean that Jesus was pretending that he wasn't on the cross. He is fully aware of the nails and the crown of thorns, with the warm drops of blood tracking down his face. Pretending would take one ounce of pain away. Part of the point of forgiveness is that we commit to working to behave towards this person as if it hadn't happened. It is a conscious choice we make not to let their actions against us control our response to them or towards anyone else.
Forgiveness presupposes that what happened to us- happened- to us. It was evil and cannot be set aside as if it didn't matter. It did matter. It did hurt. But in choosing to forgive we are choosing to act as if it did not happen as we consciously try to rebuild a severed relationship.In forgiving, we are always full aware of what we are trying to forgive, and yet living in relationship with them as if it didn't take place, not only for our good but also for theirs.
Monday, October 12, 2009
To Forgive or not to Forgive?
Which is harder to forgive ourselves or to forgive others?
When questioned about how many times we are to forgive someone, seven times? Jesus answered not seven times but seventy times seven. In other words there are not limits to the amount of forgiveness we are to offer. Which is all well and good unless you're the one being asked to forgive, then rubber really hits the road. What's that saying about getting burned... So Jesus challenges us to forgive all things all the time... no limitations on what or who receives our forgiveness. Since Jesus pulled it off at the cross we have at least one example, and don't give me the of course he could do it because he is Jesus stuff. If the writer to Hebrews talks about Jesus being tempted in every just as we are yet was without sin, Heb.4:15 Jesus' saying no to temptation was not due to his divine nature, but within his human ability. His forgiveness is powered by his humanity and not his divinity.
Jesus expects us to follow his example when it comes to forgiveness.
We are to forgive others and forgive ourselves... which means that we are also to forgive ourselves seventy times seven times.If there are no limits regarding the number of times we are to forgive others, then there are no limits as to the number of times we are to give ourselves. However, if we were to forgive others the way we forgive ourselves, there is a strong possibility that others may never be forgiven.
We just seem to be able to forgive others more readily than we forgive ourselves. Some how it seems easier to let the other guy off the hook while keeping ourselves firmly impaled. I am not quite sure why. Lack of self forgiveness clearly leads to self loathing, and self incrimination, not mention sabotaging our self worth. Why someone likes to point at a personal failure, whether it is faith related or moral, and beat themselves up with it repeatedly makes no sense. Yet from the people I talk to, lack of self forgiveness is the norm not the exception. From their perspective it is easier to forgive others than it is to forgive ourselves.
Could it be that we hang on to these past failures as a fall back position in case things take a turn for the worse. We become our own scapegoat, and who wouldn't expect otherwise... It validates the worst we think of ourselves, and cancels out whatever goodness might have crept in.
Perhaps the inability to forgive ourselves is one more outworking of the story in Genesis when we chose to know for ourselves what is right and what is wrong, of who to forgive and who not to forgive- including ourselves.
Lest we be without hope- Jesus has an app for this too.
When questioned about how many times we are to forgive someone, seven times? Jesus answered not seven times but seventy times seven. In other words there are not limits to the amount of forgiveness we are to offer. Which is all well and good unless you're the one being asked to forgive, then rubber really hits the road. What's that saying about getting burned... So Jesus challenges us to forgive all things all the time... no limitations on what or who receives our forgiveness. Since Jesus pulled it off at the cross we have at least one example, and don't give me the of course he could do it because he is Jesus stuff. If the writer to Hebrews talks about Jesus being tempted in every just as we are yet was without sin, Heb.4:15 Jesus' saying no to temptation was not due to his divine nature, but within his human ability. His forgiveness is powered by his humanity and not his divinity.
Jesus expects us to follow his example when it comes to forgiveness.
We are to forgive others and forgive ourselves... which means that we are also to forgive ourselves seventy times seven times.If there are no limits regarding the number of times we are to forgive others, then there are no limits as to the number of times we are to give ourselves. However, if we were to forgive others the way we forgive ourselves, there is a strong possibility that others may never be forgiven.
We just seem to be able to forgive others more readily than we forgive ourselves. Some how it seems easier to let the other guy off the hook while keeping ourselves firmly impaled. I am not quite sure why. Lack of self forgiveness clearly leads to self loathing, and self incrimination, not mention sabotaging our self worth. Why someone likes to point at a personal failure, whether it is faith related or moral, and beat themselves up with it repeatedly makes no sense. Yet from the people I talk to, lack of self forgiveness is the norm not the exception. From their perspective it is easier to forgive others than it is to forgive ourselves.
Could it be that we hang on to these past failures as a fall back position in case things take a turn for the worse. We become our own scapegoat, and who wouldn't expect otherwise... It validates the worst we think of ourselves, and cancels out whatever goodness might have crept in.
Perhaps the inability to forgive ourselves is one more outworking of the story in Genesis when we chose to know for ourselves what is right and what is wrong, of who to forgive and who not to forgive- including ourselves.
Lest we be without hope- Jesus has an app for this too.
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