Defending Your Hope

“Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. 

Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. 

Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ 

may be ashamed when they slander you.” 

1 Peter 3:15, 16 (Common English Bible)

            Notice that last sentence, “Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander you.” Very often in my ministry people express surprise when they are on the receiving end of ridicule and laughter for living a godly life. They somehow have the notion that a godly life results in admiration and respect from others. I wonder what world they grew-up in. It has always been my experience that following Christ with integrity and living a godly life is difficult today. Not because that life is so hard but because it draws so much attention from others – most of it negative. As a child I remember being labeled a “goody two-shoes.” I have never been certain what that expression meant. But I always understood that it wasn’t a complement.

            I am particularly surprised when self-identified good Christians express astonishment when they are “maligned” for their exemplary life and values. Don’t good Christians read the Bible? The Bible has never made it a secret that following Christ is risky business. That wonderful preacher and author, William Willimon once put it brilliantly: “When we follow a man who was ridiculed, hated, spat upon and eventually nailed to a cross we should not think we are going to get off any better.” A Christian lifestyle takes considerable courage. It certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.

            These few sentences offer encouragement. They are honest that ridicule will follow a decision to live a godly life. But they also tell us that if we remain resolute, maintaining humility rather than expressing haughtiness in a Christian walk those who make fun of us will eventually be put to shame. We need only to remain faithful to the high calling of Christ in our lives. God will take care of the bullies who seek to malign us.

            There is something more, of course, here in these few sentences. Some people who notice our decision to live for Christ will not malign us; they will inquire of us what it is that we have. They will be those who have grown weary of the way of the world and are desperate to go in a different direction. The author of these sentences tells us to be ready to give it away. Recently I stepped up to a Starbucks in the Town Center Mall in Boca Raton. The barista looked into my eyes and asked, “What do you have?” Naturally, I thought this was a clumsy request for my beverage order. “A tall latte, please,” I responded. “No, what do you have?  I see it in your eyes. What do you have?” Then I saw tears in her eyes. She took a break and we prayed together.   

Joy

What Love Requires

“Don’t love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them.”
1 John 2:15

     Initially, this sentence of scripture unsettled me. There is much in this world that I love. Professional football is right up there, particularly the Philadelphia Eagles. This love for the Eagles is demonstrated in the time and resources I have given to the Eagles franchise. Hours and hours are given each season to watching the Eagles play. Often I watch the games wearing Eagles apparel that over the years has cost me a small fortune. During the workweek I show my love for the Eagles by wearing one of two neckties emblazoned with the Eagles logo. Taken at face value, it seems God is offering me a choice, the Eagles or God. I can’t love both. 

     Yet, I was suspicious. Why would God have trouble with the Eagles football team? In the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, God creates everything on the earth and everything above the earth. Then God looked at all of it and said it was good. True, there may be a little self-aggrandizement going on here but nonetheless God admits to being pleased with the world – and even the things of the world. Isn’t it fair for me to love football and still love God? Perhaps initial impressions of this sentence of scripture require a little more scrutiny.

     I once had a wise professor say that if I had difficulty understanding a sentence of scripture then I was to read more scripture. Prayer and paying attention to what I knew about the character of God was also helpful.  As I have already demonstrated, there seemed no reason for God not to like the Eagles or for objecting to my love for this NFL team. So I prayed and read more scripture. In the very next sentence of scripture Paul explains what he means. Paul is speaking about cravings and appetites and ambitions that are contrary to God’s purposes for us. In this world there are values and systems that run counter to God’s perfect desire for us. And Paul’s concern is that we are becoming too cozy with those values and systems. These things of the world hate God and seek to disfigure God’s perfect creation. 

     Then what are we to do? There is really only one answer – continue to grow in our knowledge and love for God. That is how we can tell the difference between those things that God calls good and those things that work against God. Consider this. When we fall in love and marry we continue a quest to know and please our spouse. It would be ridiculous to say to our true love that we don’t have the time or interest in learning their favorite activity or food. Our spouse would be speechless if we say that there are other things we would rather be occupied with than paying attention to them and pleasing them. A relationship with God is no different.

Joy,

His Purpose

“His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults – to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ.” 

Ephesians 4:12, 13 (Common English Bible)

     Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life is a passionate spiritual autobiography by Lauren F. Winner. Here is the story of a young woman, the child of a Jewish father and a lapsed Southern Baptist mother, who chooses to become an Orthodox Jew. Yet, following her faith decision, Winner experiences what she describes as an inescapable courtship by “a very determined carpenter from Nazareth.” ¹ She eventually coverts to the Christian faith and begins looking for a church in New York City.

     As so many do, Winner writes that she church-hopped, sometimes visiting as many as three churches on a single Sunday. With each church she manufactured good reasons never to return to any of them. In her book she courageously acknowledges that the real reason for not returning to any of them was that she did not want to do the hard, intimate work of actually becoming part of a church. Anonymity was attractive; skirting any responsibility that may come with membership was more attractive still.

     Apparently that “determined carpenter from Nazareth” remained unsatisfied. Church-hopping eventually wore Winner down and she grew increasingly dissatisfied with not being expected anywhere on Sunday morning. With the smallest nudge by a campus chaplain she commits to one church.

     Winner’s story is not unique. Many people today experience the courtship of that very determined carpenter from Nazareth. Yet they fear making a commitment to a particular church. The reasons are many. Some fear the claim such a commitment may make on their lifestyle – both financially and time. Others are simply exhausted by life and seek only to restore their spirit by beautiful, compelling worship without further demands upon them. Whatever the reason, they pop in and out of worship hoping to preserve anonymity.

     The difficulty with this approach to faith is that it is less than what God’s desires for us, much less. What the Apostle Paul wants to make clear in these few sentences from Ephesians is that God’s desire for us is more than spiritual refreshment. God’s desire is spiritual maturity. And the standard measurement for that maturity is Jesus Christ. Pay attention to what Paul says here. God’s method for making that a reality is for us to settle into a particular church and participate in some ministry. It is by our own engagement in ministry – the work of the church - that God completes our growth in Jesus Christ.

Joy,

Mutual Care

“Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others.” Philippians 2:3,4 (Common English Bible)

     T. J. McConnell, junior point guard for the Arizona Wildcats “makes everyone around him better,” writes Kelli Anderson in Sports Illustrated. Wildcats coach Sean Miller says that T. J. doesn’t really care about scoring. “I think he judges himself by how he plays the game as a true point guard: running the team, passing, playing defense, winning games.” Another team member, 6’3” junior guard Nick Johnson – himself a player of the year candidate – says that you can ask anyone in the Wildcats’ program who their most important player is, and they’ll all point to T. J. “We all like to score, and T. J. gives us that opportunity. He’s willing to make everybody else happy.”¹

     The Apostle Paul would point to T. J. as someone the church is to emulate. Ours is a world of rivalry and conceit. Self-interest seems to be part and parcel of everyday life. Humility is rare, and when noticed, often is regarded as weakness. Most unfortunate is that this is also true in the church of Jesus Christ. Pastors compare themselves with other pastors. Church members jockey for power, position and influence. Rarely is this for leveraging the resources of the church for advancing God’s mission. Often it is to advance personal preferences, opinions and taste. In each of the five churches that I have served as pastor, there is someone who regards his opinion as superior to the common wisdom of the leadership board.

     Perhaps the most egregious example of self-importance is a well-known pastor who approached his alma mater with the promise of a rather large financial gift from the church he served on the condition that his name be placed on a campus building.  The gift would be significant for advancing the mission of the graduate school so the condition was accepted.  Apparently, this pastor missed these words from Paul in his personal devotions.

     It seems to me that a gospel-oriented person would pay closer attention to these words in Philippians. Instead of pursuing their own prestige and position, followers of Jesus are called to make everyone around them better – and to care passionately about winning games rather than achieving personal scores. Naturally, in the church, winning games is all about how effectively the mission of God is advanced. T. J. McConnell and the Apostle Paul can teach us much about that.

Joy,

¹ Kelli Anderson, Catching Fire. Sports Illustrated. January 27, 2014, pages 26-32.

Restoring God's Mission to the Church

“Now I encourage you, brothers and sisters, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups.

Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose.”

 1 Corinthians 1:10

     I have served on the Committee on Ministry at two different times in my ministry. This is the committee of a regional area known as a Presbytery and is responsible for the care and well being of local churches within that particular region. During each period of service, I have worked with a congregation that was experiencing division – either of a theological nature or simply disgruntled members who simply didn’t like how things were being done by the leadership. In each case the church lacked vitality simply due to the consuming energy poured into quarrelling with one another. I imagine that such churches bring a smile to the face of Satan. That is because quarrelling distracts the church from passionately pursuing God’s mission.

     What is unfortunate is that most churches experience some level of disgruntled gossip. One group makes harmful comments about how the pastor spends her time. Another group second-guesses leadership decisions made by the governing board. In every case the result is distraction – distraction from the sole reason God called the church into existence, which is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Usually such quarrelling is nothing more than selfishness. Rather than legitimate concern for advancing God’s work, these people are expressing personal hurt or believe their opinion is superior to that of other leaders. And Satan’s smile broadens.

     This is precisely the trouble the Apostle Paul addresses in the first four chapters of this first of two letters to the church in Corinth. And Paul’s attitude and approach is remarkable. There is nothing subtle or indirect in the way he approaches gossip and division. With considerable courage, Paul “calls-out” this bad behavior and reminds the church of its primary reason for existence; the church is not for championing personal desires and preferences but for advancing God’s work in the world. Frankly, gossips and complainers are diminishing that work.

     It will be helpful for us to examine our own speech and behavior as a member of the faith community called the Church of Jesus Christ. Is God’s Kingdom being held in check by our criticism and disrespect of one another? Satan desires that we remain distracted, disrupted and in constant dispute. Such a church fails to offer anything attractive to the world. So Paul urges us to put away such divisions and remember again what it is that called us together in the first place – to know, love and follow Christ Jesus.

Joy,

His Talent is His Call

“Each man has his own vocation; his talent is his call.

There is one direction in which all space is open to him.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

     This month and next, I am engaged with twenty-two persons on Wednesday evenings exploring together the question: “What is God’s call in my life?” Some have gathered simply because the subject material presented an interesting curiosity. Others are present because they authentically desire to understand with greater clarity how they might be useful to God. What I have made clear each time we gather is that we are all invited to a purpose that is bigger than ourselves. Naturally, the purpose I speak of is the Missio Dei, the mission of God.

     Each Wednesday night, I remind those gathered of four critical principals – critical because God has so stressed them in the scriptures, particularly in I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. The first principal is that each person has been included in God’s distribution of spiritual gifts. No one has been overlooked, no one excluded. What the Bible makes abundantly clear is that some have received a greater distribution of gifts than others. There is no explanation for this apparent inequity. Yet, what is additionally clear is that everyone has received some distribution, some spiritual gift. It is the responsibility of each person to correctly identify their gift. The Wednesday night group is one of the most helpful ways of doing this.

     The second principal is that every gift has been distributed for the common good of the church, God’s community of faith. Whatever our spiritual gift may be it has been given by God for the purpose of placing it into the service of the local church. This is how the church not only survives but thrives. Uncommon power is released through the local church into the community as increasing numbers of members put into service their unique spiritual gifts.

     The third principal is that the local church is God’s primary tool for advancing God’s purposes in the world. As each baptized person steps forward, identifies their God-given spiritual gift and deploy that gift in service, the church is strengthen for God’s use. The strength of any local church is directly proportionate to the percentage of its membership who faithful answers God’s call to provide ministry according to their gifts.

     The fourth and last critical principal is that God has purposed our spiritual maturity through the process of discovery, development and deployment of our spiritual gifts. Ephesians 4:11-13 could not be clearer that God’s plan for spiritual growth and ultimate maturity in the faith is through the exercise of spiritual gifts. There are simply no shortcuts to spiritual growth. God intends that each of us continually be contributors to the work of the church. Each person is to be doing something.

     It is certainly true that someone can be a good person without belonging to a church. There is simply too much evidence to dispute that. What is not true – but frequently claimed – is that someone can be a good Christian without belonging, and participating in a local church. That is because God has clearly defined what makes a good Christian: someone who identifies how God has gifted them and places into the service of the church that spiritual gift. It is not an overstatement that God simply frowns upon spectators – everyone is called to contribute in such a way that the power of the church in the local community is unmistakable. That is the church I long for.

Joy,

Till Jesus Christ's Ghost Has Been Laid

“…till Jesus Christ’s ghost has been laid.”

     Shortly before I moved to Florida from Pennsylvania I worked with a personal trainer. One morning when I arrived for my thirty minutes of torture I found him disgruntled. Naturally I feared that this wouldn’t bode well for me. Summoning my best pastoral skills to restore some degree of calm before I went under the weights, I asked him what was bothering him. Apparently he heard our President of the United States say something along the lines of, “We are not a Christian nation anymore.” This simply did not sit well with him. I decided on a course of distraction – a fancy way of saying that I was trying to change the subject. I asked him, “Mike, where do you go to church?” His answer absolutely surprised me: “I don’t go to church.” Quickly I looked for a reason to turn around and go back to my car.

    Amazingly people become angry at the suggestion that our nation may be slipping as a Christian nation. Why is this? Why would someone like my trainer care so much when he doesn’t even bother to attend church? A more important question is why do so many church members care when one sees so little transformation in their own lives? Transformation is the natural result of intentional, purposeful activity to grow in Christian maturity. It flows from such activities of regularly reading the Bible, a vibrant prayer life and a commitment to gathering regularly with a small group for support, encouragement and accountability in our walk with Christ. Friends, there is a difference between being a member of a church and being an authentic follower of Jesus Christ.

     Actually, I am surprised that anyone would complain about this supposed remark from our President. I say supposed only because I didn’t hear it. The reason for my surprise is that I “checked-in” with a half dozen people later that week who are spiritual heroes to me – people who just simply radiate the love and joy of Christ. They are purposeful in growing daily in their faith and there is no mistaking it when you are near them. I asked them what they thought about this comment from our nation’s President. Every one one of them dismissed the remark; whether we are, as a nation, Christian or not is irrelevant. What matters is whether those who claim to be Christian are actually changing their lives to honor Christ.

     Many years ago Samuel Butler wrote these words: “There will be no comfortable and safe development of our social arrangements – I mean to say that there will be no permission of suicide, nor cheap and easy divorce – till Jesus Christ’s ghost has been laid.” It seems to me that my friends are right. It is irrelevant what is said about the faith of our nation. What does matter is whether persons who claim to be Christian are placing to rest the ghost of Jesus Christ simply because they are too busy to be intentional about personal growth. 

 Joy,