winsome

  

In his book on spiritual discipline, John Ortberg tells the story of "Hank," a cranky fellow who had been attending church for years, with little to no visible growth or maturity. One observation made from this revealed the importance of expectation: "We didn't expect that he would progressively become the way Jesus would be if he were in Hank's place." There was no real prospect of sanctification, even though this fellow was part of the church community for so long. And this story is compelling, not simply because we all can think of a man or woman like Hank in our own experiences of church. Rather, this one example serves as a picture of the larger church. 

We are experiencing the fruits of an entire generation that has been brought up in a church with every conceivable cultural advantage imaginable. The American church culture is "doing church" at a more polished and professional level, on a more widespread scale, than ever before in world history. But what about the fruit that is being produced from this present culture of faith?

Biblical literacy rates continue to be quite low; processing Christian worldview is largely nonexistent; the consumerist culture has overtaken much of congregational dynamics; and socio-political activism has, in many ways, pushed out the unit of the Spirit.

These trends have not made for a more acceptable Christianity, as is constantly promised by those who advocate for such accommodation. In some cases, there has been a joining together of church and culture, although never without a loss of the distinctiveness of the gospel as a result. (The gospel with adjectives is always a distortion of the gospel itself, which is a natural human tendency to be guarded against, not celebrated.) What is the point of the church community? Why would the church want to be like everyone else?

The latter question is simple: the people of God have had a continual problem of wanting to be like everyone else. Just ask Samuel, who walked away frustrated at Israel's desire for a king even though he had just outlined all of the negative effects of having an instituted monarchy; or the author of Revelation, who pushed his seven congregations to stand firm against the shifting tides of cultural accommodation.

The point of a church community is to be, in Hauerwas and Willimon's words, a colony of heaven in a culture of hell. That means we are to be different: set apart: holy. Our present internal struggle as the people of God is revealing some disturbing truths about where we stand. This is not a political statement, except to say that our national politics have been granted too much power to influence the American church. 

And thus, the church is presently being drawn into the ugly rhetoric of politics, even going so far as to force-fit the message of the gospel into the language of political argument. The melody of love, however, cannot be communicated in chords of dissonance. The church is not called to wage war with the weapons of this world, and so must work to stand apart, driven by the Spirit, to be winsome.

What would happen if the church spoke of the gospel with the genuine expectation that it would change those who encountered it? What would happen if we thought that the message of the gospel had this power on its own, without our dressing it up or dumbing it down? (As though we could genuinely improve on the work that has been accomplished in Christ.)

In a world filled with anger and rage and hate and riots and conquest and bitterness and greed (and that is just the first five weeks of 2021), would it not be a radical statement indeed to have a community of faith that embodied an overwhelming love for one another, so genuine that it spilled out into the world around us? I am convinced that this would wreak more havoc on the world than a thousand protests, and would cause more disruption to the status quo than a million executive orders. A community that could speak truth in chords of love would upend the power structures so much that they would almost certainly be declared an enemy of the state, for there would be an undoubted allegiance being given to another kingdom and another king.

While so many Christians today are worried about national and international affairs, or the condition of the economy, or the wars and rumors of wars that swirl around us, it is good for us to remember that our greatest work is right in front of us: the Spirit has called and equipped us to love each other and to do our best to put others before ourselves, and to meet the needs of men and women right next door. This happens, not by winning online arguments or scoring political points. Rather, this comes from loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Being winsome.

Lord, may we have tenacious winsome courage to live the gospel and see your kingdom coming no matter what the stuff of earth may be.

Christ in culture or Christ in culture?

I remember standing by the front doors after Sunday service when a woman walked up to me in a rather stern manner, grabbed hold of my arm and said, "Don't get political when you are preaching. Just don't."

What did I say to her? Well, what could I say to her? I had no idea what she was talking about, to be completely honest about it. After a few moments of a marginally less confrontational discussion I discovered that she was referring to a community issue involving the public school system, and I was completely unaware of what was going on. In the days that followed I asked around and, as it turns out, very few people knew much about the conflict, as it had something to do with mostly closed-door discussions involving the teacher union and upcoming contracts (and who knows what else).

But, this particular woman – a retired teacher – had heard my morning message in the context of the world she had dragged in with her that particular Sunday morning. Truth be told, we all do this, and even the best of us get tripped up in our worship and prayer when we cannot shake off the storms that so often whip around us. My point is the perspective that was revealed in her comment: Don't get political in the work of the church has been something that I have been warned against (mostly in more constructive ways than this instance) my entire ministry career. I understand this concept, though I do not believe there is such a thing as an apolitical Christianity. Yet, I am increasingly disturbed when the flag gets draped over the cross and our allegiance to Christ made subservient to our nation.

At this point comes the "full disclosure" for this issue: I am a Constitutional conservative as well as a biblical conservative (though I am not what would be considered a fundamentalist). I am an evangelical pastor presently working in a socially mixed (and somewhat evangelical) denomination. I work hard to understand the matters of faith and freedom so as to be responsible to both. Yet, I also work diligently to keep my political and social ideology held captive to the kingship of Christ Jesus. My ministry work becomes "political" only in those times when social issues decide to cross into the realm of faith and morality – which is increasingly so. But it must be said that my goal is not to support a party, candidate, legislation, or position. My aim is to be a faithful interpreter of Scripture.

Having said that, I wish to make a brief comment on the present nature of our public discourse, especially that which is coming from the church. Yes, don't be political has been the resounding message, in part as backlash to the Moral Majority and Religious Right movements of years past. This is understandable, but now the pendulum is swinging too far the other way. Many contemporary voices within the church have warned against being political, frowning upon evangelical voices engaging in public policy. But as I struggle to make sense of all that's being said and done around me right now, it has become evident: Don't become political ... unless your politics agrees with me.

There is a movement within American Christianity that is moving along these lines, increasing their level of political rhetoric with the implied tag-along of if you don't agree with these political positions you are probably not seriously following Christ.

Our culture is presently working through the emotional aftermath of a mass murder at a high school. There are many who are (rightfully) disturbed by this event, and the recent string of such violence over the past few years. It is unfortunate that so many rush to advocate their position rather than to grieve and pause and pray before speaking. Far too many politicians and pundits race to be the first one to call for an advancement of their position, and the church doesn't need to contribute to that noise. If the gospel is as emotionally-reactive as the world, then what good is it?

The voices that have clamored Don't get political have reminded us that the answer doesn't come from improved legislation or policy. On this we can find agreement. But in the wake of this tragedy even voices from within the church are jumping on the law-making bandwagon because, "thoughts and prayers are not enough without policy and action," as one on-liner has said. Of course, there are many secular voices who have already seized this opportunity to mock the effectiveness of prayer (their heyday was Sutherland Springs). Does the church need to contribute to this?

When I speak about the atrocity of abortion, with more than 60 million lives violently ripped out of their mother's wombs in this country alone since 1973, I am told that it is not my place to become political (as if this were a political problem and not a moral issue). And many in the church remain silent. When gun deaths reach into the thousands in our society (a number that has decreased in the last number of years), we must take up the cause loudly.

When I speak about the millions of lives that are caught up in human slavery and trafficking, the issue is typically mulled over for a moment and then shrugged off (sometimes, even a joke about prostitution is thrown in). And many in the church remain silent. When the cultural crowd gets loud about DACA then it is a Christian 'duty' to picket prayer breakfasts and label dissenters as hate-filled individuals who lack the love of Jesus in their hearts.

What is missing from all of it is an actual discussion, and actual facts. This is a sad place to be for the church, which is supposed to be the primary place for pursuing truth and life and justice and righteousness in this world. Those who for so long have preached Don't get political have done so on the basis of government not being the forum for such societal change. In a blatant and pathetic irony, those same voices are now unsettled by the thought what needs to change is the human heart. In other words, the gospel is suddenly in need of governmental support if it is to make a difference in our nation. And, what is much worse, it seems to be acceptable from this position to caricature and name-call those with whom one disagrees.

Social issues are social issues, and politics is a terrible place to be the church. I disagree with men and women whom I otherwise admire in the faith on a number of such issues. But it has always been my position to hold together in the unity of Christ more than being divided by national discord. Unfortunately, the emotionally-driven nature of many of the current issues has changed the tone of many in the American church (and not all of them leftist or mainstream – there are many 'conservative evangelicals' who have found their way along this path as well).

I spent many years overly engaged in the political rhetoric of our national culture. It made me angry and miserable most of the time, and there were voices telling me to back away from it. They were right, and the same needs to be said to many today who have suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of political right-and-left and whatever else. It is not for us to be disengaged from public discourse, but to remember that we are to be centered on Christ and tenacious for truth, no matter where it might lead us. The challenges will always be in front of us to live as though Christ were King of this world ... because he most certainly is.

Though I wish I could have a conversation about these matters with many of my friends, I so often refrain for the damage it could do to our relationship and the Spirit of Christ that presently binds us together. That, in and of itself, is a sad sign of our present situation. I do not pray against any other believer, nor do I regard any person (in the faith or otherwise) as an enemy. But I do continually and repeatedly ask for God to show all things in the Light so that all may see and know the truth. I hope that this can invade the church before it is too late.

cherishing hearts

If I had cherished sin in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened.

Psalm 66:18

"Everybody wants prayer, but nobody wants to pray." I still remember the old man standing in front of me in that small country church when these words came out of his mouth. From one of my first years in congregational ministry, these words have remained with me ever since. It is a truth that we would rather not think about, although most of us can easily acknowledge its validity.

A life of prayer is hard work, and yet so many in the church will be quick to praise "the power of prayer" even when so few actually spend time alone with God as a part of their daily routine. What is more, most American believers have pushed the practice of prayer to the margins of our discipleship. This is not surprising, for if we do not find value in the practice of prayer, we certainly will not be open to finding the value in learning how to pray. (What might be worse, many contemporary Christians do not think that one can actually learn how to pray – that it must be spontaneous in order to be sincere. What an injustice to many has been done by this perpetuate ignorance.)

Beyond the overall lack of time spent in prayer and meditation on scripture, there is something else that must be addressed. When the psalmist writes his thanksgiving testimony, he states, "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." Perhaps the lack of powerful prayer in the church today is the result of hearts that choose to cherish sin even in their coming before God.

I can admit my own failures in this, for often I find myself under the critique of James, "When you ask, you do no receive, because you ask with wrong motives ..." (Js 4:3). When my prayers seem unanswered, it is easy for me to throw it back on God: You just don't care, do you? or This isn't important enough for you, is it? or He's probably just out to teach me a lesson. All the while, I am missing out on the one thing that my life needs most – to be conformed into the image of Christ, who himself submitted his life to the will of the Father, and who made this his one desire.

So long as we continue to reconcile the ways of the world with the commitment of our faith, we will not understand what it means to be single-minded in our devotion. The more I try to hold on to the things that I regard as of great importance, before I submit myself to my heavenly Father, the more these cherished things in my heart will obstruct my relationship with him. It is the pure in heart that will see God, those who cast aside everything that hinders to run the race with everything they've got.

And yet, "Everybody I know says they need just one thing. But what they really mean is that they need just one thing more."

a thought regarding culpability

Everything is meaningless!

(Ecclesiastes 1:2)

The worldview of the Teacher is framed by the assertion that, "Everything is meaningless." He makes this statement at both the beginning and the end of his thoughts on life. We are challenged in our English translations on the word hebel, which at one time was given as "vanity" but now is here translated "meaningless" (NIV; while NET does well with "futile"). The expression itself is pointing to the absurdity of it all, and it is a statement of frustration with everything that he sees: everything that happens under the sun. We could use modern slang to convey this, ranging from the sanitary to the vulgar.

At the end of the day, this Teacher has observed and engaged life. He has wrestled with it, been knocked down by it, confused by it, and is now over it. He sees that the endless cycles of nature – the movement of sun and moon, wind and rivers – are so constant that the world is void of that which he may regard as novel or unique. It has become rubbish to him. All of this is worthless and empty. And so, he begins his greatest inquiry into life itself with his exasperation: Everything is HEBEL!

Most of us who live in the digital age have quickly discovered this reality itself, without ever having to leave our screens. At first we thought that this was a great novelty and tool for human advancement. And yet, we know that the same cycles of life repeat themselves, leaving us constantly scrolling and clicking and tapping for something that can hold our attention. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun, or perhaps we have learned to appreciate the wonder of nature in the first place.

The world has closed in on most of our imagination, though there are still those who will seek physical, emotional, and spiritual life in a virtual world. The imaginary world we foster in this virtual reality moves us in our physical world as well. This is no simple tirade against virtual content, but rather a consideration of our lives as they interact with increasingly intense experiences "outside of ourselves." But do we ever have a personal experience that can be completely "outside of ourselves" as though we are left unaffected? I am no doctor of psychologist, so I cannot speak to the specifics of the mental or biological nature of this issue. But I am a theologian, and it is undeniable that every experience in our lives affects our spirits.

So, I look at this fascination with a pornographic culture that has exploded to extreme levels since the Western world got online, and the simple connections to immoral behaviors in the physical world, many of which greatly damage others. And I see a large interest in violent, murderous, and grotesque entertainment found in many virtual reality games, movies, and television shows, and the simple connections to violent behavior in the physical world.

There are many voices who still insist that these connections do not exist, either for pointing in other directions or finding blame on a case-by-case basis. And yet, when tragedy and violence happen in our world, there is mass confusion in the society as everyone searches for culpability. The answers are settled on rather quickly, and the solutions come in rapid succession. And yet, as these voices from our culture can point to every jot-and-tittle of what they think ought to change in others, they so easily miss very significant factors right in front of them.

Today, the Hollywood elite mock the faith of those who were in church as a cowardly madman walked in and began shooting. And yet, their own sub-culture is struggling to deal with the sexual violence that apparently has been widespread for many years. Those who have no room for faith and morality in their lives have no basis for making judgments on the prayers of believers. Even before they have emerged from the public release of their debauchery these figures laugh at those whose faith is leading them to a life of more integrity. The Hollywood elite do not understand this, for they have been rolling around in such filth for years, celebrating it in their productions and awarding themselves for their depravity. Hebel!

And so, the discussions of culpability stand at the forefront of our national discussion. Politicians want to blame each other, Twitter celebrities seem to be in a race to see who can be the most vulgar and asinine in their statements, so-called news channels work to advance whatever narrative is most profitable for today, and NFL players are still kneeling for reasons they themselves are yet to understand. The axiom, a conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking comes into play here: when we don't want to deal with it anymore, blame society as a whole whenever bad things happen.

There are two main problems here: first, this would necessarily including the victims of violence, since they are part of society; second, there are many within society who choose not to participate in this so-called culture of violence and pornography, and whose lives are (in one way or another) working to bring an end to it. But let's remember, in the midst of the voices that cry No More! the ones who hold our society's microphones laugh, ridicule, mock, and dismiss our concerns. In fact, any objection to what is vulgar and shocking today will find the boundaries pushed by someone else tomorrow. And, therein lies the culpability.

Admittedly, not every congregation gets it. But, the church is a place of nonviolence, and the gospel is a message of peace and love and hope and reconciliation. Those who walk with Jesus along this path are not participating with the culture of violence that is supposedly producing our tragedies. Then again, there are many who claim for themselves the mantle of 'Christian' who are perfectly happy to indulge themselves in grotesque, violent, pornographic, immoral filth set before them as entertainment. And since I rarely hear of someone binge-reading their Bible, I'm guessing there is more time spent engaging the depravity than in feasting on the Word. And to say that one's spirit is unaffected by this is incredibly foolish. Such a faith is hebel!

When concerns are raised regarding the morality of a particular television program or film or virtual reality game of some sort, the larger culture typically laughs it off. This is true even within the American church today, where Christian behavior is nearly indistinguishable from worldly behavior. And then the scenarios that once existed on screen become a horrific reality that splatters across our headlines, and the head-scratching cycle begins again. Hebel!

Our situation is simply the front-end message of the gospel: we have a moral problem. Before we rush to blame guns, games, movies, drugs, education, laws, or anything else, it must be acknowledged that humanity's brokenness is the cause for the evils we perpetuate to one another. This is a simple answer, but it is the core of what we need to recognize. The solution is just as simple, though not particularly easy, especially for those so entwined in the world's behavior. The key phrase here is repentance, which will make many roll their eyes at the word's very sound. The key behavior associated with this word is to turn from one course of action or direction, in favor of another. In this case, it would be turning from the immorality and violence in order to walk towards Christ.

For those who are already part of the church this is of paramount importance: It is time to stop trying to reconcile the depravity of our human nature with the gospel. Jesus did not come to make peace with sin and death, but to conquer it. It makes no sense for us to stand in the place of his victory while continuing to engage with the darkness. It is time to stop allowing the grotesque to defile our God-given homes; it is time to stop soiling the wedding clothes of the Lamb's Bride with the disgusting muck of immorality. For that is Hebel while the fullness of life still awaits us in our Creator's world – indeed, he himself has shown us the way to a life more abundant.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

to the one who has an ear

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble and suffering, but take courage — I have conquered the world." (Jesus, recorded in John 16:33)

Tragedy once again dominates our headlines. Such news is becoming too common for us, as the cultural hysteria seems to confirm. There are those who, in a rush to push their political agendas, trample over the victims in their anger-driven vitriol. And then there are those who will be "shocked" by the news, but will quickly move about their day as though nothing was really going on.

One Christian writer recently connected the divisions and animosity towards one another to the Twitter habits of President Trump. A secular commentator referred to America's "culture of violence" as the reason for mass shootings. And a hundred more voices are already buzzing about the lack of gun control as the primary cause for violence in our country.

I am looking for the reassuring voices that echo the words of Christ: take courage – I have conquered the world. My present post is not directed to those who stand outside of the kingdom of God, who do not consider themselves serious disciples of Jesus. This one is for the church, and for one very good reason: there are matters of faith that those who are not receptive to the Spirit will not understand. When Jesus said, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13), he was speaking about the ability to hear and understand his message. And coming to understand and accept the gospel — every part of it — is difficult and demanding. Living in the gospel is impossible without the presence of the Spirit, and so is having a mind to understand it.

My concern for the church in this hour is that we are looking at tragedies, especially acts of terrorism against the gathered assemblies of believers in our country, and we are too quick to follow worldly cues in searching for answers. At this point, I should make it clear that we will now have to further limit our discussion to the church in America, as we are so unaccustomed to having our churches come under such attack. Our dialogue must be limited here, because there are believers throughout the world who suffer tremendous tragedy and horrific evil as an ongoing reality of their commitment to Christ. In such places, the church is doing a tremendous work and the work of the Spirit is active and vibrant, and they never get stuck on the question of Why us?

These suffering believers throughout the world already know the problem and the answer: Jesus.

For many years I have heard pastors and church leaders talk about the potential for backlash and violence that can come upon their congregations with a smug, "Well, if we are attacked then we must be doing something right." That overconfidence is quickly reduced to rubble at the slightest sign of trouble, and it is utter theological chaos when a bona fide tragedy arrives. It seems to me, in the words of our songwriting friend, Rich, that "we are not as strong as we think we are."

We say that a person's faith commitment will be evident in the things that they say and do (see Matthew 15:11). We believe that if a person is devoted to the gospel that this will have an effect on their thoughts, their words, their behavior. We say that prayer is essential to the life of the Christian, and that it will form us into the believers Christ has called us to be, and that this will give us the words of Spirit when they are needed most. These are central convictions of spiritual growth and maturity in the faith, and yet so many things are said that do not sound like the gospel.

Perhaps it is true that we are not called to judge anyone for their words or behavior. This is reserved for Almighty God. But perhaps there is enough in scripture to show us that we are indeed called to be fruit inspectors, those who can hear and evaluate one another and speak in ways that sharpen the sword of truth in our lives. Perhaps this means that we can read and hear responses to evil that comes against the Church and know whether the Spirit is present or not.

My current concern is that there are many churchgoers who do not study the Word of truth, do not pray and listen to the Spirit, and are thus sharing a belief that is shaped more by the world than by Christ, and that such messages are readily accepted by others who cannot evaluate from the Word or Spirit.

How can I know these things?

If you believe that hatred is a byproduct of the election of a particular president, then you have not understood the gospel.

If you think that abolishing firearms will put an end to violence (or take a dramatic step in that direction), then you have misunderstood the gospel.

If you consider a church community to be inherently at fault for an act of terrorism against them, then you most likely have not comprehended the gospel.

Specifically to that last point: let me quickly say that I understand that certain religious groups and organizations can say or do things that cause difficulty for themselves. But at no point does this provide justification for shootings and acts of hatred to this degree. To those who suffer as a result of their faith, for the work they are doing to live out the gospel in environments hostile to the message of Christ, again I submit that this is not justification for the work of evil to come upon them. When we consider the "culture of violence" that so many wish to cite, it is important to note that the gospel — by its very nature — works to strip all violence of its power, through the sacrificial service of the Lamb, to be followed by each of his followers. For these reasons, I submit that my last point stands, for there is no justification, even within the gospel, for such evil to come upon the church. What we have instead, is a reason for those who follow Jesus to know that such things will occur.

The promise that Christ gives to his disciples is that he has conquered the world, and evil's fury will not have the final word. In the past number of years those who have modeled this as believers — the demonstration of faith to degrees more shocking than the violence they faced — were those in the Amish community near Nickel Mines in 2006. For so many churchgoers who would consider the Amish faith to be no more than a humorous novelty, when life became deadly serious it was them who showed us the power of the gospel in acts of love and forgiveness. And they showed us courage to walk forward in their faith, with the eyes of the world upon them, unhindered in their devotion.

Such a contrast to the blaming and shaming and shouting that dominates our mainstream culture so much that it dictates the way in which most churchgoers will even begin to process such tragic events. And therein lies the greater tragedy of all, perhaps the very reason why our nation rages in this hour: we have ignored the Spirit's leading, and have now lost our ability to hear.

I mean, just listen to everything that is being said from within the church today ...

keys and the kingdom: discipleship and a buddhist teenager

I remember once when I was in graduate school at Denver Seminary, taking a course on religious pluralism, one of our assignments was to attend and observe a religious service of a non-Christian practice and make our evaluation and assessment of the experience. We were given a good amount of freedom in the parameters of this project, so our small class of about fifteen people scattered ourselves across the metro to a variety of religious contexts. I found myself at a Buddhist "temple" for a weekly meditation gathering, sitting with a handful of other curious men and women in a row of chairs set up on the parameter of the gathered Buddhist faithful. It was an interesting experience, and I experienced more spiritual light and darkness conflict than I anticipated.

One particular piece that remains with me in regular thought was a special ceremony that took place toward the end of gathering. The temple was welcoming a new member into their official ranks. On this particular day it was a teenage young man who had shown himself committed to the life of that community. I do not remember most of what was said to him by the elder gentleman who was leading the gathering, but what I have not forgotten is the key. As part of his formal welcoming into the group he was handed a key to the main doors of the center (they were meeting in a former church building). As he was given his key he was told: This building is for you; it is for your use in meditation and growth. Come here whenever you need to. Bring your friends and your family to this place, and show them the way that you have learned.

Having been a part of the Christian church since birth, I can say that this sort of mentality is incredibly rare in American evangelicalism. I have seen that most churches guard their keys, many with great fervor, and restrict access to the physical space for a whole host of reasons. Even in churches where every adult member has a key to the building, it is still rare that this should be given over to a teenager (or that a teenager might be considered a full-fledged member in the first place).

I suppose this comes down to being an issue of discipleship: What is the goal of Christian growth, anyway? In this Buddhist temple it was part of the spiritual culture that this young man, regardless of his age, understood the responsibilities of participating in this community. And with those responsibilities came a charge of evangelism and discipleship – bring others and show them. This was clearly an expectation of the journey of meditation and enlightenment, and here was someone coming into his own along the journey. Why would we in the church be so terrified of what might happen if we entrusted our teenagers in the same regard?

In his fantastic book, The Juvenilization of American Christianity, Thomas Bergler says: "Adolescent Christians don't expect to be adults for a long time, so they don't particularly care if their Christianity prepares them for adulthood. They tend to be much more aware of their religious 'rights' than their religious responsibilities" (14–15). I think that sums it up quite nicely, and sheds a particularly bright light on the lack of genuine discipleship within the average American church today.

Many times, when I have relayed my experience of watching this young man receive his key to the temple – in a serious and ceremonial way – I am met with some form of admiration: Wow, they are serious about this. Indeed, they are. Or, perhaps we are not. While it might be a stretch to give out keys to the teenagers, why are we still battling over who among the adults receives keys to the building? (Or, what about every nook and cranny in the building: how many locks does your church kitchen have?)

Rick Bundschuh, teaching pastor at Kauai Christian Fellowship in Hawaii, once wrote of when their church community had built a new campus and decided to give everyone a new key that would open every door in the building (!!!). Yes, this was difficult for some of the congregation to swallow, and I have shared this with a number of pastors and church leaders over the past few years, none of whom have thought it was a good or appropriate idea for their own churches (to be fair, about half have indicated that it would be great if they felt as though their group was ready for this.) But there again we see the problem: are we discipling men and women (and children) into maturing believers who are ready for the responsibilities of faithfulness?

Bundschuh says of their experience: "And while we have had a few bumps along the way (just how did those high school kids get a copy of the key anyhow?), the place is a beehive of activity day and night with people doing the very things that we had hoped they would do. I think people in the real estate business call it 'pride of ownership'" (Don't Rock the Boat, Capsize It, 80).

So, there it is – a short little lesson on discipleship that I found at a Buddhist temple. And I think it has important implications for the American church today. It's amazing what can be discovered by handing one little key to another.

just a little bit more

I'm up later than I probably ought to be, but finding some entertainment in watching reruns of a once-popular sitcom. It's not edgy or provocative, which makes it a somewhat pleasant choice for late night hours of relaxation. But what I've noticed throughout the night is that I keep muting the sound whenever a round of commercials comes along. The reason is because this particular station has decided to advertise some of its other programming, which does not really "match" the level of entertainment of the show I'm watching. So, the network has brought me to its channel by broadcasting a program that appeals to a certain level of entertainment value, and then pushes me to watch programming that is edgier in its content.

Now, one could insert a rant about how television (and every other form of media) isn't what it used to be, and one would be right. But I'm already aware of this and navigate it every day without too much difficulty. This is probably true for many people who are mindful of such standards, aside from those who have simply given in to the assumption that accepting the vulgarity of our cultural trends is the only way to engage in modern artistic and entertainment options.

This is the beckoning call of the world around me: to take one step closer each day. Our culture did not change overnight, and what is now considered provocative was once thought of as offensive and will soon be regarded as commonplace. This is the erosion of our selves, what C. S. Lewis called the abolition of man, and it happens just the like geological world around us – one grain of sand at a time. Scientists say that the formation of the Grand Canyon began about 14 million years ago, through the constant flowing and cutting of the Colorado River through the rock. Give me just a little bit more, the river speaks to the earth as it cuts ever deeper into the ground.

Modern resistance to cultural erosion seems to be little in our world today, perhaps indicating a complete surrender. When I first started sketching these thoughts, the live-action Beauty and the Beast was preparing for its release. As it comes to theaters around the country there is a dust up of concern regarding a blatant reference to homosexuality in the film, which would be a first for a Disney production. All-too-quickly these concerns were cast as narrow-minded, over-reactive, extremist positions. And even many within the church were content with admitting that it wasn't much of a focus in the movie, and it could easily be overlooked. Give me just a little bit more...

Another day, another step. And even those who think that such concession will bring about appeasement from those who push progressive agenda cannot look at our most recent social history and admit this has ever been the case. Erosion does not stop with this layer, but rather digs down to the next one. Just a little bit more if you want to be a part of our world.

This is not a new problem for the church, but one that is as old as the church itself. There has always been a tension between believers and their surrounding culture. Our scripture speaks quite directly to this very thing: to those who are seeking to accommodate their faith to the voices of culture who ask for just a little bit more, the voice from heaven cries, "Come out of her, my people" (Revelation 18:4; Jeremiah 54:45).

One voice calls me to conformity, another voice calls me to separation. The two cannot be reconciled. Why, then, do we think that we can live in such a way as to harmonize the ethics of the kingdom with the ethics of the world? Why do we believe that giving just a little bit here and there will not affect our commitment to faith? Why are we so sure of these things when our very Creator tells us that this is not true?

And yet, the erosion continues. We will say that it is the "cost of doing business" in our world today, that we must learn to live with things that don't share our values. I wonder if this cost of cultural inclusion has replaced the cost of the Cross. Our modern Christianity is so quick to surrender to just one more step toward the world, but so resistant to take one more step towards Christlikeness. And that is all that we need to see to understand the state of the church in America today.

"You know, it's not that much ..." is part of the modern creed that undermines kingdom faithfulness in our world.

soft hearts and thick skin

For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

1 John 3:11


I remember once being told that the work of pastoring is simple: preach the word and love the people. Some might say this is an oversimplification, but there is merit in understanding these two basic tenets of the vocation. Of course, as St Francis would like to remind us, preaching the word is much more than that which we do on Sunday mornings. In the role of church ministry the ways and means of gospel proclamation are everywhere and in everything. Still, I continue to be startled by the amount of pastors who shirk their responsibility to be proclaimers of the gospel, in both word and deed.

And then there is the other half of our simple statement: love the people. It should be no surprise that this contains numerous challenges as well. People can often present themselves as unloveable, and the irritations and frustrations that accompany close relationships – especially ones defined by spiritual endeavor – quickly disrupt our ability to act and respond in ways of love. This is the essence of people trying to work out their salvation, and the place of the pastor is heavily affected by such relationship dynamics.

Now, before I get too far on this, let me say that I have no interest in speaking of the pastoral vocation in grandiose terms, whereby you are supposed to think of the minister as a super saint who is able to do such an amazing work in spite of the overwhelming burdens of the task. There are plenty of sources that speak in this manner, and they are almost unequivocally wrong. The role of pastor is a unique endeavor that requires a certain temperament and skill set, but so is every other vocation in the world. The aim here is to present an observation of the relationship dynamics of the church from someone who spends their time in constant evaluation of the community of saints. For that matter, I might be wrong in how I understand the church. However, there might be merit from my reflected experiences.

Those who lead in the church, pastorally or otherwise, know well that that there is no shortage of hurt and/or angry people who make the work of ministry challenging and difficult. Speaking from the role of a pastor, these realities have a tendency to make one callous to the task – to treat this vocation with little sentiment or enthusiasm, moving from one appointment to the next and one Sunday to the next. But this is never in the work that Christ has given to the church, and it should not give shape to the way leadership works in a congregation. I think that the primary reason for this callousing is the amount of times that impassioned effort yields apathy in the pew. And there is no place where this has a more profound effect than in the realm of loving people.

There seems to be a difficult balance in the Christian life between having soft hearts and thick skin. If you hang around people for long enough, especially in the church community, you will discover that those to whom you have opened your heart will say or do something that makes you wish you had instead only shown them your thick skin. There are people who take advantage of you, either consciously or unconsciously, and the human tendency is to allow the hurting heart to become callous in order to avoid such pain in the future. But in this hardening of our hearts we lose the mandate to love our neighbor as ourselves, and thus we become our own hindrance to the gospel's work in and through us.

Yes, we want to be protected from pain, but this is simply impossible in genuine and meaningful relationships. Callous hearts close others out and prohibits love from having its effect. The only defense against this is having a heart that has been born of God. A heart such as this will continue to break – perhaps even more than before – but it will break in the same rhythm as the Creator, who alone can give healing comfort. It is from this assurance that we can have the kind of thick skin that enables us to experience incredibly hurtful things in this life and continue forward. For our worth is not found in what others think about us, or what value our world stamps upon us, but in the assurance of our heavenly Father, who fills us with an indescribable peace.

To be a part of this work, in official and unofficial roles alike, requires that we have soft hearts and thick skin. Otherwise we will be trampled and needled into a life that ceases to be connected to our Father's heart, and we will fail in our attempts to love, which is the very essence of who we are and what we have been created to be. For to love God and others is the highest calling and the greatest fulfillment we can find.

according to the Spirit

"... who do not live according to the flesh buy according to the Spirit ..."

(Romans 8:4)


In his recent book, Destroyer of the Gods, Larry Hurtado explores the uniquess of early Christianity, specifically the oddities of this new movement in the context of the Roman Empire. In this post I wish to focus on one distinction in particular: a new way of life.

Among the 'cafeteria' of belief systems that made up the Roman world, one of the pieces that made the early church stand out is the emphasis on a collective commitment and a standard approach to living. There was an intentional focus on shaping social behavior that often went straight against accepted practices of the day – often in radical departures of typical society. This community was committed to a lifestyle that demonstrated the truth of the gospel in every dimension of life. This wasn't always a simple or easy discussion – often matters could quickly become complex, as can easily be seen in the New Testament and early Christian documents.

The Christian life was a demanding endeavor, at many times becoming dangerous for those who chose such a radical departure from their traditional culture (not simply martyrdom, but the harassment and social pressures that surrounded this emerging alternative culture of the church – see Hurtado, 184–186).

"Furthermore, I repeat that believers were to take on the demands of Christian behavior immediately upon their initiation as Christians, with the promise given that they could be enabled for this behavioral effort by divine gift" (171).

The message of the church is that discipleship is a challenging path, but also that each believer is given power by the Holy Spirit to take on the journey. There is no apology for the standards that are upheld by this church community, no timidity in the face of believers who fail to achieve them, and no accommodation considered when the pagan culture scoffed, threw stones, or walked away. Why not? Because the church based their moral standard on the Lordship of Christ Jesus over and against any philosphy, public opinion, or power that claimed an alternate truth.

This is what is entailed for the community of faith to live according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. This is one of the major distinctives of the early church, that they would hold out behavior requirements to their members, but to then also provide the basis of power to observe such requirements. It is the one decision that seems to underscore every choice that is given to humanity: to choose this day whom to serve. It is a choice of blessing and curse, obedience and disobedience, holiness and sinfulness, life and death, Christ or the world.

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of human moral behavior is our own sexuality. This is an oft-discussed topic in scripture, and the world always seems to be filled with all sorts of conflict around this issue. Our nation continues to debate human sexuality and moral behavior, though often in twisted and politically-charged dialogue. And this has moved into the church, were increasingly believers are accepting worldly attitudes over biblical argument. In fact, much of the biblical message and its proper context is ignored for the simple mantra of "just love everyone no matter what" as the best the church can offer.

Of course, this can hardly be identified as radical behavior, and nobody in our world is going to think such a position is that odd – namely, becuase this is all that that progressive cultural voices tell us we should do in the first place. Oddly enough, those who shout JUST LOVE! to anyone who advocates moral standards frequently do not exhibit the love and acceptance and supposed-tolerance that they themselves demand. Those who have been paying attention for the last thirty–sixty years have noticed that the progressive agenda has marched right along, and the demands for JUST LOVE! are simply a means of disengaging the moral voices from legitimate reason and argument in order to give way to push forward their way of life without interference.

The present state of the church is showing that such an approach has indeed had its intended effects. Increasingly, believers are taking their cues for standards of moral belief from the standpoint of worldly acceptance rather than from the Holy Spirit and the written Word of God. It is no longer about discerning the Spirit's voice through prayer and study. Rather, it is about feeling as though we love everyone and have our society's approval for the message we proclaim. We do not need the Holy Spirit to empower us as believers, because we do not accept a standard of moral behavior that is demanding and radically subversive to our culture. To say it another way: we do not experience the Spirit because we do not walk in ways that require the Spirit's empowerment. It is a rather small faith that we exhibit in the midst of our culture – and we do not have because we do not ask.

Historically, the church has not always been a radical counter-cultural force determined to live gospel-centered lives in a radical manner. Of course, these are the times when the church also does not exhibit a dynamic presence of the Spirit working in and through the community of faith. We might tend to overlook this, though in our modern world there are many believers across the globe who are presently caught up in the Spirit's empowerment, giving them an effective witness through their counter-cultural lives, their distinct moral behaviors, and even at the great costs of harassment, imprisonment, disownment, and martyrdom. Yet, these are the believers who demonstrate what it means to participate in a kingdom not of this world, and to the rightful king who sits on the throne of the universe, presently enacting his reign.

Does the American church any longer have a new way to live, or are we simply looking to rubber-stamp the way we want to live anyway? Recent events have clearly demonstrated culture's influence on the American church culture, leading certain voices to declare 'holy' what scripture affirms as 'unholy,' for no other reason than we need to JUST LOVE! as though we've nothing else to offer the world. And yet we have in our midst the words of eternal life, and there still remains no where else to find them than in this gospel. Such is a transformative message that challenges the voices of the world and exposes their narrative as idolic mythology, shining the light of truth into the darkness.

Do we as the American church need the Holy Spirit to do what we are doing?

Is there more beyond the horizons of this world?

peace and war

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:9

Jesus once spoke a blessing upon those who would work to bring about peace in this world. This was no starry-eyed platitude, expressing the niceties of a beauty pageant or second-rate political campaign. It was rather a declaration set within the context of God's kingdom making its way into our present experience. The notion of peace was central to the Jewish concept(s) of the messianic kingdom that was to be established on the earth (Isaiah 9:5–6; Zechariah 9:9–10). And so, Jesus is commending those whose lives will demonstrate the reality of God's rule by working to bring about peace.

We should remember that Jesus also commends those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Mt. 5:5), and so would envision the peace of God's reign to come in the context of justice in our world. So, again, this peace cannot be taken on the level of throwing pennies in a wishing-well, but rather the demonstrable outworking of the ethics of God's kingdom in a way that establishes peace and righteousness as a reality for the poor and oppressed among us.

It is interesting that Jesus would give to his followers the task of establishing a righteous peace in the world, for he lived in a world that was saturated with systems and images of worldwide peace. The empire that ruled the day would idealize a Pax Romana (Roman peace), an achievement that was believed to validate the Roman's right to rule, so given by the gods who had blessed their expansion and influence. In many ways Pax Romana was indeed a great accomplishment, especially in a world that had never been without constant tribal wars and conflict among regional leaders. And to bring about such peace not only gave demonstration to the superiority of Roman culture, it also demonstrated the legitimacy of Roman power.

The Romans believed that peace was established when their empire was able to conquer a region and put down any rebellion that opposed their rule. Perhaps this was the first example of the peace-through-strength model of governance (though that phrase has taken some variation throughout history). The idea of Pax Romana was not pursued as some utopian desire for worldwide friendship, but rather for the unashamed benefit of Rome itself, especially those in positions of power and leadership within the empire.

When Jesus calls his disciples to be peacemakers, he is making a summons to do so in contrast with the powers that be in the world – those who would so narrowly-define peace as 'we win, you lose' and use their might to get their own way. And Jesus does not teach us this in the context of running empires or influencing the masses. Instead, his words are spoken to the few that will follow the demands of discipleship and will work in their interpersonal relationships to transform individuals with the presence of his kingdom of righteous peace. He knows that this will not bring an immediate change to the culture – empires are not toppled overnight – but he also knows that politically-enacted change will not endure.

In the current political climate of American evangelicalism, the notion of being a peacemaker has taken a back seat to a gospel driven by influence and cultural significance. We have been convinced that we are in the throws of a crisis, and that the only way forward is to get as much control as we can as quickly as possible. Obtaining this sort of power is how we can save ourselves, keep the world from disaster, and establish our peace.

When we examine the current state of our presidential political campaign, there are many within the church who are choosing to find the one person who will secure this sort of strength within our government to establish the nation we think is best for ourselves. Never mind the moral failures, disregard the dishonesty, and look past the plans that isolate us from one another, our behavior appears to say that there are more pressing matters today than whether or not we will live for the gospel. Perhaps once we have secured our own liberty and peace, then we can consider Jesus' teachings of love for one another. It is much easier to join movements that fight for power and control of a nation than to be a people who carry the transformative change of the gospel to individuals who are hurting, poor and oppressed.

It seems that everyone wants to speak about where we go from here, and how we are going to make this work (or which of these is the lesser-of-two-evils). But nobody is interested in examining how we arrived at this point in the first place – our willing dismissal of the gospel is not a recent development, but rather a pattern of disregard that has been building to this moment of national moral crisis. This is why a church can be looking for conquering leaders and militant solutions, despite the fact that our Lord told us to speak and act in a radically different way.

The church needs to lay down the world's weapons of war, and become people who work for God's rule to take its place, one life at a time. Peace and life are found in this kingdom, not in the poor copies we have tried to make for ourselves. The Romans did not have a monopoly on running empires of military might, and we still must make the choice of which kingdom we will choose to be a part of, even if we self-identify as Christians. Our nation will not return from this brink until the people of God can return to the message of the gospel.

1989

A few years ago I sat listening to Charles Colson as he spoke about the challenge of Christian living in our world. The most memorable moment in the talk was when he spoke about the fall of the Berlin Wall: "In the summer of 1989 nobody expected that the Berlin Wall would be coming down, and by November it was being dismantled."

His main point in saying this was to encourage the faithful work of the church in the world, even when it appears that such work is not making a difference.

This is quite an important lesson for American evangelicals, who often become desperate for certain victory that they are willing to do all sorts of things in order to win the short battle. This behavior arises out of the frustration of making no apparent headway into the cultural wars that confront the church. When we feel as though our efforts to live our faith are not changing the world, so often we decide to change our course of action and consider alternative means. This ought to raise the question: To whom is the church listening?

If we come to think that our faithfulness to the gospel is in vain, then we are being influenced by voices that do not align with God's Word. Within scripture the single evaluation of the church's effectiveness is faithfulness to Christ Jesus. It is when the church begins to listen to the world that we forget to focus on what really matters. It is no secret that the vast majority of media is engaged in a full-on assault on traditional Christian values. Yet, somewhat surprisingly, many in the church still give credence to the reports of the church's diminishing that are published by this overly-biased media.

But even if we were to take a look at the many negative trends in our modern culture, regardless of the media's biases, it is clear that the church's voice in our nation suffers a lack of influence. There are so many struggles within our culture that it can be discouraging to think about all that must be confronted. And, once again, this is when believers can be most susceptible to winning the world by speaking and acting as a moralized version of the world's ideals. We must resist this desire and remember that our calling is to be faithful to the gospel in all things, regardless of whether we win or lose in the public square.

At any given point leading up to November 1989 the leadership of our nation, who were strongly opposed to the Soviet regime and the Berlin Wall, could have used military might to break down the wall by force. However, this would have caused much more damage and destruction, and such conflict never broke out. Instead, the pinging of the rock-hammer against that wall continued until it cracked and crumbled.

The work of the church so often feels as though trying to break through a seemingly indestructible wall with nothing more than a rock-hammer – too small of an impact to make the difference. And yet, we do not know what lies just beyond the horizon of our present gaze — that which God is going to accomplish in his time, by his power, through the faithfulness of Christ Jesus at work among his people. And this understanding, seen throughout the course of history, ought to quiet the worldly desires among the believers that we might place our confidence in Almighty God alone.

If we are focused on our faithfulness to the gospel, then we will not be overcome by the victories and defeats that we will experience in our work. For God will give us enough for today, whether that be in the provision of daily bread or in the coming of his kingdom to the earth.

When Moses stood before the people of Israel, who were preparing to enter into the promised land, he encouraged them to be faithful to the covenant, and promised them the presence of God that would go before them: Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed (Deuteronomy 7:21–23).

God's kingdom will be established in his time, not according to our political schedules. The work of the kingdom does not operate on four-year cycles, nor does the gospel's effectiveness depend upon legislative action, executive order, or judicial decree. And it is beyond time that the American evangelical movement be reminded of this, lest we surrender the demands of discipleship to the temporary fame and power of immoral men and women who seek to take advantage of the church's frustration and impatience. Whether or not the church wins politically is no longer relevant when we have lost the heart of the gospel in seeking such victory.

And we too will not win this nation in one sweeping movement, but little by little — through the work of transformed lives, in which a more lasting and significant change will occur. This is known as making disciples, which can have a powerful effect when taken seriously. (In the last twenty years the abortion rate has consistently fallen, not because of judicial reform, but through the efforts to strengthen the message of life in our country, though much work still lies before us.) The work of the Holy Spirit does not need government intervention to enact change, but it does call for the faithful partnership of the church to reach into the world.

Rather than giving in to the fastest paths to power — those things that are touted by our culture as significant, but which scripture so often holds in contempt — it is time for the church to return its focus on the transforming work of discipleship, that we may see changed hearts and renewed minds. Though it may appear to some as an insignificant step, in the eyes of faith it will be the pinging hammer that will, one day not far from now, be that which God uses to reduce the mighty walls of this world to a rubble.

that hideous strength

As he sat alone on the island, exiled from the mainland of the empire, John had a vision of what must soon take place. He composed his work apocalyptically – a manner given to those who will have eyes to see and ears to hear a revelation through the Spirit of God. It is not so much that John had a series of dreams that would predict the final days before the end of the world, but rather that John saw a depiction of the increasing conflict between the kingdom of God and the peoples of the world, and all of the evils that challenge divine sovereignty and peace. He does not give us timeless messages, but rather timely truths – a worldview from God's perspective – intended to inspire faithful diligence and evoke terror at the prospect of God removing his presence from Creation.

At a certain point in the vision an evil trinity arrives on the stage: a dragon, a beast from the sea, and a beast from the land (Revelation 12–13). There is no doubt to the identity of the first, for John readily identifies the head of this wicked threesome as Satan himself, and leaves the remaining two to their descriptive traits as they mimic the divine Son and Holy Spirit. The description of the Sea Beast has brought about much discussion, the vast majority of which seems to focus on the wrong parts. Often there are attempted equivalents to some sort of antichrist figure, even though the Apocalypse never once uses that word. But in making this into a particularly sinister figure we are quick to think of the worst of the worst, most typically a figure such as Hitler. And once the figure did not bring about the end-of-the-world scenarios that are woven into these narratives, it is commonplace to think that someone much worse will fulfill the biblical text. In looking for these narrowly-defined super-villains, we are misreading the text and missing out on what is happening right in front of our eyes.

Embedded in this evil trinity is a way of life that has caused all sorts of people to be deceived by that which appears to be divine and good and gospel, but which is, in reality, a grotesque and hideous force that wages war against the Creator and brings destruction upon the earth. There are many who come and worship this Beast, and the one who has given it authority (13:4), and it rose to power and prominence for a season, convincing those many that they were in the right because of that initial success and its appearance of invincibility. All the while, this Apocalypse is working to warn us that something very wrong is taking place.

Of course, we think of ourselves as too sophisticated for mythical dragons and evil cosmic forces (even though our entertainment industry would tell a different story). But our society's saturation with mythological tales, along with our increasing desensitization to vulgarity and graphic violence, has brought the worship of this evil trinity into the center of our culture. We casually dismiss ancient tales of beasts and think they have no relevance for us today. And we who read the Apocalypse may think it absurd that any modern people would be lured into the worship of such monstrous figure as is described in this text.

And that's when the trap springs.

Let us remember that the vision of John's Apocalypse is God's vantage point, not ours – unless we are open to the Spirit to see through the eyes of faith. That is to say, nobody in their right mind would willingly give their worship and allegiance to such a hideous beast, let alone to a figure readily identified as Satan (or even some antichrist figure, if we were to find a description of one). But do we not move our commitment away from the gospel whenever we adopt worldly definitions of victory, success, and achievement? Do we not abandon our faith each time we pursue power and authority through the destructive and self-indulgent means? Have we not each become anti-christ in our lives when we choose to speak and act in ways that betray the sacrifice of the Lamb of God? Indeed, there appear to be many anti-christs among us (1 John 2:18).

And when you look around it appears that indeed the whole world is falling prey to the promises of success through militant power over-and-above the call to character in all things. Men and women are quickly showing their lack of integrity at the prospect of being on the winning side of some political-cultural struggle that, in reality, will lead us further down the path of destruction. Astonishingly, there have been many who self-identified with the kingdom of God grab hold of worldly ideals and methods, driven out of fear and anger rather than love, sacrifice, and compassion. Very few are choosing to stand this day on the characteristics of the kingdom, and are giving the living sacrifices of their lives over to a hideous and horrific evil.

This has become who we are because we did not open our hearts and minds to the Spirit of God, bur rather to the many voices that call us to a way contrary to the gospel. It is the third figure, the Land Beast, that goes out across the world to inspire worship and allegiance to the Sea Beast, that is echoed all over our nation today. We hear this summons from every corner, announced in our news, lauded by our politicians, glorified in our entertainment, and enacted in the brutality of politicized violence. This call to follow invites us each to make a choice; we must decide if we are going to overcome evil by finding ourselves a bigger thug, or if we will have the courage to act on the moral conviction and sacrifice of the Lamb.

Today, this battle is raging with great fury, and it has become difficult not to be swept away from the center of the gospel. The call of the world is loud and persuasive, a temptation not unlike Jesus' when Satan offered him victory without sacrifice (Matthew 4:8–10). Perhaps we believe that, even though we have temporarily suspended our commitment to the gospel (because the times are perilous), we will be able to reenact our faithful lifestyle once we have arrived. This is yet another lie that is woven into the narrative of those who seek to justify the world's means of power. Whenever we willingly align with that which is contrary to the gospel we do damage to ourselves and to others – often in ways that are irreversible – and we show that our trust does not rest in Almighty God alone.

There is a reason why the gospel demands sacrifice to self: surrender to a cruciform life is the only way to be conformed to the image of Christ, which will bring about a greater transformation to the world than every political promise could ever hope to achieve. We must learn the message of the Apocalypse that there is a victory much greater than that of politics – namely, the singular call to faithfulness that Christ gives to his church. He cares not that we are successful in the world's estimation, that we are ridiculed and narrow-minded and outdated by our culture, or that the outworking of our commitment is threatened by the laws of our land.

"This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people" (13:10). The only evaluation of the people of God found in the Apocalypse (or anywhere else in scripture, for that matter) is whether faithfulness to the gospel alone is their defining characteristic.

As the people of God, let us no longer lay our living sacrifices upon the altar of this evil trinity, adopting the methods and messages that prey on fear and inspire hate, clinging to a vicious cycle of power that unleashes destruction upon the earth. Perhaps we can quiet the noise of a thousand political voices screaming to be heard, enter into the silence of Word and Spirit, and once again hear his still small voice. For the Word spoken in that voice holds the power of Creation itself, bringing the universe into existence, and holding the power to restore all things in peace and love.

And so, John tells us, "This calls for wisdom" (13:18). Will we choose our path because of a thousand worldly voices calling to us, or will we follow along the narrow way that leads to life, to which the Spirit beckons each of us to come? In the vision that John had it was the Spirit and the Bride (church) that work together in saying, "Come" (22:17). It is very much a decision of life and death, and each person must now choose for themselves if it will be the wide road or the narrow path. It is with considerable anguish that I look around and see so many of God's people speaking and acting in ways that betray the gospel of Christ Jesus, all for the sake of winning an ill-fated cultural war – a shortsighted and temporary triumph of evil that will give way to the ultimate redemption of this world by its Creator.

"Whoever has ears, let them hear."

competing for allegiance

the stuff of earth 

competes for the allegiance

I owe only to the

Giver of all good things

rich mullins

In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul is discussing the church and spiritual gifts. He more or less interrupts himself in this discussion to talk about that which is greater than everything else – love. He does not disparage spiritual gifts, or say that they no longer have relevance in the church. But he recognizes that he is speaking to a community of believers that have perhaps put too much emphasis on spiritual gifts, especially those gifts that have an outward appeal.

What happens in the church when the community becomes overly focused on the gifts of the Spirit is the emergence of a self-serving and individualistic Christianity. When we are more interested with the gift than we are with the Giver, then our faith has certainly taken a wrong turn. This, I believe, is why the apostle Paul takes the opportunity to emphasize love as the most excellent way. He will say, in 1 Corinthians 13, that spiritual gifts and service without genuine love is nothing more than the reverberations of a hallow vessel.

So much for spiritual gifts, and it might be easy for me to think that I do not overemphasize them in my own life. Is this because I have truly achieved a certain amount of spiritual success, or because I am too willing to allow this discussion to be left at the doorstep of somebody else's problem rather than opening my own heart to the Spirit's conviction? Am I satisfied with my compliance with scripture because I see more of the speck in my brother's eye, ignoring the plank in my own?

If I were to widen out this discussion, I might wonder how many times in my own life I have focused on the gift more than the Giver. Maybe I think I am safe because I do not think about speaking in tongues, nor do I boast in my placement as a teacher and preacher. But what about the other areas in my life where I do not adequately recognize God's provision? I seem to be prone to live in such a way as to see only the gifts around me, and critique them as though I am in a position of authority over the goodness in my life. And so I see that I become focused on the goodness he has placed around me, discovering that this is the reason why I can be so devoid of love.

This is the reality to which the poet was pointing: the stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the giver of all good things. I have been summoned to a wholehearted commitment on this path of faith, what Eugene Peterson has called a long obedience in the same direction. But if the most excellent way for my journey is to love, then I must be connected to the source of love, because my life is not able to love in the manner to which I have been called. I cannot embody what passages like 1 Corinthians 13 describe, unless I make room in my heart for the Spirit to convict, inspire, and lead me forward.

If I am to do this, then I must recognize that the stuff of earth must be cleared out of my life, and I often feel as though my Creator is more-than-eager to help me with the purging. The Giver knows that his stuff, no matter how good and blessed, is no comparison to himself – and that is what I truly need. And he also knows that for me to embrace this sort of love is too hard a thing to ask of me, for I am too broken and preoccupied and weak. So, he asks me to do the only thing that I can do – he bids me come and die. It is only then that a new life can begin within me, and I can embark on this way of love.

This is a struggle in my own heart, and it leads to further heartbreak when I look around and see a world that is so consumed with the stuff of earth. I live in a politicized world, where stuff is thrust into the middle of the conversation, as though it were the most important thing. It is why I see so many in the church lowering their eyes to the powers that be today, instead of lifting their eyes to the hills. And the drive for stuff, especially among the people of God (who should know better), has succeeded in pushing out the divine presence from our midst, for we have given our allegiance to the gift over the Giver of all good things.

The Sickness unto Death – a brief reflection

"Sin is – after being taught by a revelation from God what sin is – before God in despair not to will to be oneself or in despair to will to be oneself" (Kierkegaard, The Sickness unto Death).

I felt as though this post should begin with this statement, not because I think that Kierkegaard is right without challenge or nuance in what he said, but that it is a definition of sin that speaks to the gaps in our modern understanding. It is good for us to place a definition of sin in front of us, since it appears that ours is a culture that is quickly losing its ability to tell its right hand from its left.

In his book, Kierkegaard works through an understanding of despair, but I am not interested in reviewing that here. The piece I wish to point to is his emphasis that sin happens before God. Interestingly, his words contrast the "older dogmatics" with the newer trends of a spiritual life. The same contrast remains true for us today, though with slightly different nuance. But sin is what happens as a result of our actions before God. Our inability to recognize sinful thoughts or behavior is thus connected to our recognition of life before our Creator.

It is easy to escape the dark clouds – the guilt – of sin by ignoring the presence of the Almighty. If we do not wish to make the demands of the gospel too much for our neighbors, then we simply do not speak about those things that are bothersome. And this is how humanity can be free from despair, and uninhibited by the weight of an external conscience. After all, we can all make decisions for ourselves, and there is no point in us living an unhappy and frustrated life.

This problem is not confined to the world, we now see the fruits of a generation of believers who have been told that sin is outdated and outmoded. Even among those who can give lip service to the theoretical presence of sin, there is a diminishing number in the church who would dare advocate for a universal standard of truth. In short, we no longer speak about sin – to ourselves or anybody else – because we no longer understand sin. This is where Kierkegaard's definition needs to be inserted: a reminder that our lives, every piece, are lived before the Almighty.

As a result of the Fall heaven and earth have been pulled apart. This isn't a geographic statement, as many people think of today, but rather a spiritual reality as consequence of sin. Of course, we need simply to remind ourselves that the sin in the garden was a willing rejection of God that took place before God. The fusion of heaven and earth that was intended by the Creator was now severed, and humanity is now cut-off from the divine presence. We no longer see God on our own, and we thus fail in our memory that we are still before God in our lives.

There are various concepts and definitions of sin that float around our world. Some of these are helpful, and some of them are stupid; some help us catch God's revelation of himself, while others are simply ways of escaping the burden of despair. Those who do not have God in their lives are not bothered by the notion of sin. Perhaps the church, somewhere along the way, became jealous of this perceived freedom, and decided that we too would be unbothered (with the additional benefit of putting away the unpopular suggestions that the church was too overbearing).

Thus, we have become a people who, by and large, have given up one freedom for another – forsaking liberty from our sin in exchange for a happy relief that we simply don't have to think about sin anymore. In this way sin may be likened to a cancer: ignoring the sickness does not make it disappear from the body, one must embark on the long and difficult road of treatment to eradicate the problem. The church in our culture is trying to ignore the presence of sin because we want to avoid the trouble (and embarrassment) of dealing with it. And as we do so we move further away from the presence of God, before whom we live and move and have our being.

Our way back is found in our coming before God once again, acknowledging the truth that he is the Creator of all things, and that we exist for his pleasure. Our despair at life is the means by which we can know that he has called us, and that we were made for a purpose that transcends the shallowness of an unspiritual life. Our despair leads us to his presence, and we must make a choice of whether we will seek self-gratifying pleasures that will cover up the longing, or if we will embrace the hurting, confess the sin that we carry out before God, and receive his new life.

The final piece to this that must be acknowledged is best taken in Kierkegaard's own words: "Very often, however, it is overlooked that the opposite of sin is by no means virtue. In part, this is a pagan view, which is satisfied with a merely human criterion and simply does not know what sin is, that all sin is before God. No, the opposite of sin is faith, as it says in Romans 14:23: 'whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.' And this is one of the most decisive definitions for all Christianity – that the opposite of sin is not virtue but faith."

Our warring culture is the result of trying to advance our own vices and virtues. The stark truth of life is that nothing we bring is good enough, for we are a broken humanity living in a broken world. Our world needs the external character of holiness to break in and give to us a way forward. Indeed, that holiness has come, but we are failing to surrender ourselves to the truth of the gospel, which bids us come and die. Even the best of our virtue falls short of the glory of God, causing us to lose sight of our Creator, and leading us down the path of self-destruction. Indeed, ours looks like a world that can no longer see God at the center, and is thereby blind to the wreckage of individualism.

the splendor of holiness

Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:9

I was moved by these words not long ago, for I believe it to be both a sentiment that lifts our eyes to heaven, and also a challenge that will shake even the most sincere and faithful worshiper. The psalmist knew this also, which is why the elegant opening line is quickly followed by the admonition for the earth to tremble before the presence of the Almighty. In Hebrew poetry couplets interpret one another, and that is what is intended with this verse. To worship is to come into the presence, and to come into the presence is to be found quivering before a great intensity.

Together these two lines form an imperative verse: it is a command to come and worship, but not to make the mistake of Cain and offer whatever is most convenient and self-satisfying. In worship we come before the divine presence, and we enter into holiness – something we might wish for, but that we can never truly achieve for ourselves. Images of holiness are quite unsettling, for they make us aware of the chasm that lies between humanity and its Creator. From our vantage point holiness, among other things, is otherness.

Whenever humanity catches a glimpse of divinity, in dramatic outpourings or whispered prayers, we are left trembling, for this is the natural state of the world. Angels must always quiet the composure of those they greet, offering assurances that all is well. Those who worship are summoned to this reality on their own, to join all of creation in finding their proper posture before the throne. This is a challenge that, if we truly understood what was being asked of us, will leave us, at first, trembling.

It has become commonplace for the church to gather in worship, though centered around style and genre and performance and convenience. And these are equally applied across the whole of our gatherings, with unsophisticated and uncouth critique of all things, masked with the thin veil of self-centered spiritual speak. We think little of our coming together as an assembly of the saints, for that sounds overly pious, and we'd rather not have to change our lifestyles to accommodate a few moments with others.

And so, I am afraid, we have lost the sense of beauty in our worship, in spite of how masterful the music, how elegant the space, or how mystifying the message. We have lost the sense of beauty when we decided that our lives would be acceptable as they are, because we think that's all that God ever wanted from us in the first place. Yet, sanctification is not a burden but a delight, for although we might rejoice in knowing that our Creator meets us where we are, there is no hint given to us that he would not take us on a transformative journey.

When we find ourselves attending an elegant affair, we make every effort to dress for it. We collectively frown on those who show up at a wedding in poor attire, for we believe that it takes away from the beauty of the moment, and that everyone ought to respect the sacredness of this event. At the same time, for us to worship is to enter into a splendrous moment, and we should all approach with the best of ourselves – and who we are working to become in him – not a casual and callous whatever-I've-thrown-together offering. (And do not mistake this to be a discussion about dress codes.)

The psalmist has called us to offer our worship in a beautiful place – namely, from the holiness that exists in the presence of the Almighty. We are to come in his holiness, and not our own. We have no holiness – the word itself connotes an otherness that we do not have, nor can we muster for ourselves. This is why he does not delight in sacrifice, but in a contrite heart that will approach him humbly and dependent, shaking like a leaf floating on the winds of eternity.

Those that enter from this place will find the grace, peace, strength, and love that they need to walk forward. It is when we brazenly walk into the sanctuary of his presence that our lives declare that we are good enough on our own. And we offer a half-hearted worship that reflects our self-righteous ugliness, instead of a worship that has been transformed by his holiness. There is no beauty when we turn aside from his truth; there is no splendor in playing games with his Spirit.

All the earth is challenged to tremble before the holiness of the Creator, and this invokes a terrifying image to those who consider the weight of this image. And yet, all the earth is summoned to come and worship – to approach the Almighty, humbly and awestruck, but expectant and trusting that those who come with pure hearts will be welcome into this place of splendor. This is what he wants from us, after we have put away our own righteousness, piety, and achievement. To be people who come with clean hands and innocent hearts, whose worship cannot be defined or contained by a few moments on a Sunday morning, and yet who are very glad when they hear: let us go to the house of the Lord and let us worship in the splendor of his holiness.