In America we are both very pragmatic and very goal oriented. Often those goals have to do with our personal happiness or peace but we are willing to endure delayed gratification or hardship to see these goals realized. Christians in America while decrying falling moral standards also drink the same Kool Aid, seeing the Christian faith (or Jesus or the Holy Spirit or the wisdom of the Scriptures) as a more righteous means of attaining those same self oriented goals. The value of suffering in the life the Christian is then only understood from the perspective that it must be preparing us for some greater accomplishment in this life. Suffering is simply an obstacle we should overcome in seeing our dreams realized.
I wonder what the Martyr Stephen would have thought of this logic (or Irenaeus, or Justin the Martyr, or the Reformers Latimer and John Huss, or the Sudanese Christians of the 21st Century). Stephen was a powerful servant and preacher of the New Testament Church. He did not go out of his way to antagonize Roman or Jewish authorities. He simply testified to his faith in Jesus Christ. For that, he was publicly debated, then slandered, dragged falsely into court and was stoned in an illegal mob action. His suffering may have resulted in the spread of the Gospel outside of Jerusalem (a persecution broke out as opponents of Christianity felt emboldened by Stephen's stoning, scattering Christians throughout the surrounding Roman provinces), but Stephen didn’t know that was going to happen and he certainly wasn't around to enjoy the growth of the Church. He was dead!
To put it simply, this kind of suffering just doesn't compute with our utilitarian view of suffering (no pain, no gain... therefore, personal pain must lead to personal gain). Suffering is an obstacle... the exact opposite of our pursuit of happiness, or success, or personal peace. There can be no sense made of suffering like Stephen's. At least not if we expect our suffering to result in some temporal good or even personal growth.
The key to "making sense" of is exemplified by Stephen himself. His goal was not Church growth or greater influence in the culture. He was pursuing the Lord that delivered him the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. As he stood before his accusers just before he was put to death, he had a vision of Christ standing at the right hand of God. In the midst of his suffering, stripped of property, friends, family even life itself as he faced execution, he had a clear vision of his savior... and this was reason enough.
How far this is from our gut instincts as Christians. Do we dare pray that the Lord would give us the logic of Stephen?
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
Skywriting for Jesus
I just came back from a vacation in Orlando. Needless to say, I was at one of the massive theme parks down there with my family. While I was walking to a ride with my brother-in-law, we looked up and saw the begining of some skywriting. We couldn't make it out at first, but as the plane continued its work we read the message: TURN TO JESUS.
I had two reactions to this. The first (and I don't mean to offend anyone) was amazement at the silliness of the thing. Skywriting for Jesus. It was an attempt to put up a billboard like advertisement in a way that the most people possible are almost forced to notice. I suppose the logic is just that... to confront people with idea of Jesus in a way that they can't ignore. But even as a Christian I was annoyed that someone was trying to sell me on a life changing decision through the same superficial means used to get people to Joe's Crab Shack. I wasn't confronted with Jesus. I was confronted by a cardboard cut-out that had as much promise of redeeming my life as a hamburger from McDonald's.
But as I was sharing these very thoughts with my sister's husband, I had a second reaction. This cardboard & shallow Jesus had provided me an opportunity to talk about the real Jesus and the depths of redemption with a family member. I was grateful for the opportunity.
Now, do I think churches should spend their money on skywriters? No. I think skywriting is best used for Jon's Surf Shop or the monster truck show. It gets people through the door. Can God use skywriting? Obviously He can. I just believe it's best to use methods that not only get the message 'out there' but are also compatible with the message itself. And the message of the Gospel is so much more profound than getting the general public to buy a product. Faithful communication of this truth needs methods that reflect its depth. But until we as the Church decide to consistently follow that path, I suppose I will remain grateful for whatever opportunities I have to tell people about Jeus.
Skywriting for Jesus
I had two reactions to this. The first (and I don't mean to offend anyone) was amazement at the silliness of the thing. Skywriting for Jesus. It was an attempt to put up a billboard like advertisement in a way that the most people possible are almost forced to notice. I suppose the logic is just that... to confront people with idea of Jesus in a way that they can't ignore. But even as a Christian I was annoyed that someone was trying to sell me on a life changing decision through the same superficial means used to get people to Joe's Crab Shack. I wasn't confronted with Jesus. I was confronted by a cardboard cut-out that had as much promise of redeeming my life as a hamburger from McDonald's.
But as I was sharing these very thoughts with my sister's husband, I had a second reaction. This cardboard & shallow Jesus had provided me an opportunity to talk about the real Jesus and the depths of redemption with a family member. I was grateful for the opportunity.
Now, do I think churches should spend their money on skywriters? No. I think skywriting is best used for Jon's Surf Shop or the monster truck show. It gets people through the door. Can God use skywriting? Obviously He can. I just believe it's best to use methods that not only get the message 'out there' but are also compatible with the message itself. And the message of the Gospel is so much more profound than getting the general public to buy a product. Faithful communication of this truth needs methods that reflect its depth. But until we as the Church decide to consistently follow that path, I suppose I will remain grateful for whatever opportunities I have to tell people about Jeus.
Skywriting for Jesus
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Reverence & Transformation
My son Eli (5 1/2 years old) is fascinated with the stars & planets. Over the last year, we have read books on the planets and talked about looking for the them in the sky. Eli was really excited when we bought a mobile of the nine planets and hung it over his bed last summer. That really sparked a lot of bedtime conversation about the Creation and the 'biggishness' of God. It was easy to see that he had a certain sense of curiousity about the planets. “I would really like to see them up close!”
I bought Eli a large telescope this Christmas (or maybe it was for me). After we figured out the whole apparatus, we began hoping for a clear night. It so happens that one of the few clear nights of 2006 was this past weekend... when Saturn was in opposition to Earth (closest approach for the year). I spotted Saturn in the constellation of Cancer, trained the telescope on it and called Eli over. Now, if any of you have small children or work with small children, getting them to do precise operations in the dark is no small feat. I had Eli look through the eye piece but he was either bumping the scope out of position, or not aligning his eye properly to see any image. And when he did get his eye lined up correctly, Saturn had passed out of the line of sight (due to the Earth's rotation). Needless to say, he was getting quite frustrated with me and the whole endeavor... and so was I.
Finally, he mastered the process and caught his first glimpse of Saturn. Even with an 8 inch mirror telescope, Saturn is only the size of a pebble.. but you can see the rings! Eli looked up from the telescope… his eyes like saucers… clear excitement on his face and yet unable to speak for a moment or two. Curiousity was replaced by awe. He was amazed… he had seen Saturn! “Can we look for Mars next!”
When we catch a vision of the majesty of a thing, our foul temper has a way of vanishing. It is replaced with a transforming joy. We forget our complaints and say 'show me more!'
That's what the Lord taught me through my son the other night.
Saturn
I bought Eli a large telescope this Christmas (or maybe it was for me). After we figured out the whole apparatus, we began hoping for a clear night. It so happens that one of the few clear nights of 2006 was this past weekend... when Saturn was in opposition to Earth (closest approach for the year). I spotted Saturn in the constellation of Cancer, trained the telescope on it and called Eli over. Now, if any of you have small children or work with small children, getting them to do precise operations in the dark is no small feat. I had Eli look through the eye piece but he was either bumping the scope out of position, or not aligning his eye properly to see any image. And when he did get his eye lined up correctly, Saturn had passed out of the line of sight (due to the Earth's rotation). Needless to say, he was getting quite frustrated with me and the whole endeavor... and so was I.
Finally, he mastered the process and caught his first glimpse of Saturn. Even with an 8 inch mirror telescope, Saturn is only the size of a pebble.. but you can see the rings! Eli looked up from the telescope… his eyes like saucers… clear excitement on his face and yet unable to speak for a moment or two. Curiousity was replaced by awe. He was amazed… he had seen Saturn! “Can we look for Mars next!”
When we catch a vision of the majesty of a thing, our foul temper has a way of vanishing. It is replaced with a transforming joy. We forget our complaints and say 'show me more!'
That's what the Lord taught me through my son the other night.
Saturn
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The Best Seeker Sensitive Approach... Be Yourself
Our ministry here in St. Louis has just started a new outreach program and the hope is that we will draw in folks that are not likely to attend a church service or a weekly college meeting. We meet once a month in a local pub, have the best music possible, incorporate some video and power point presentations and preach the Gospel from scripture. There was some question whether or not an expository message from the Bible was really seeker sensitive and when I first heard it, I was a bit frustrated (mostly due to pride). After some reflection, I realized that Christians have widely differing understandings on how best to reach the unchurched (or at least those not currently active in a church). How can we not only attract but keep people in the Church?
We could answer this from the perspective of marketing and repeat business, but it seems to me that we must think of it in terms of interpersonal relationships and family. How do you be sensitive to those coming into our spiritual communities? Be honest. In other words, be yourself. We may attract people with lively singing, superb presentations and engaging media. We may even keep them coming if the atmosphere is cool enough. But if that is all we are accomplishing, we have to ask ourselves... is that all we are about? Or are we hiding our real agenda? Our God given mission is to see people conformed to the image of Christ... come to faith and grow as disciples.
The means God has given us for this task are the scriptures, the sacraments, prayer and of course His Spirit. This is who we are... or at least who we should be. We should let people who wander across our threshold know they are welcome, but also let them know to what we are welcoming them. I know no better way to be sensitive than to respect people enough to be honest with them.
We could answer this from the perspective of marketing and repeat business, but it seems to me that we must think of it in terms of interpersonal relationships and family. How do you be sensitive to those coming into our spiritual communities? Be honest. In other words, be yourself. We may attract people with lively singing, superb presentations and engaging media. We may even keep them coming if the atmosphere is cool enough. But if that is all we are accomplishing, we have to ask ourselves... is that all we are about? Or are we hiding our real agenda? Our God given mission is to see people conformed to the image of Christ... come to faith and grow as disciples.
The means God has given us for this task are the scriptures, the sacraments, prayer and of course His Spirit. This is who we are... or at least who we should be. We should let people who wander across our threshold know they are welcome, but also let them know to what we are welcoming them. I know no better way to be sensitive than to respect people enough to be honest with them.
Friday, January 20, 2006
We Need Leaders for Practical Unity
The question of unity within the Church is a thorny one. Unity... or at least the fact that the Spirit of God binds all beleivers in a mystical communion... is a reality. The pratical working out of that communion is less than a reality. This should trouble every Christian since unity and love for the brethren is the first mark of belonging to Christ. Yet the Protestant and Evangelical wing of the Church Universal continues to splinter and work in isolation of the broader Church (even with other evangelicals). The reasons that keep us apart are many: confessional differences, historical tradition, territorality, arrogance and even just inconvenience.* In my own poor attempts to work with brothers and sisters across denominational lines, the answer I simply get is: we just can't do it. Such obstinence has helped spawn non-confessional movements (or if not movements, an ethos) within Protestantism, mostably the Emergent. Some see this evolution as the best means of preserving the Church but a 'generous orthodoxy' may end up giving away faith in the very Spirit which binds us together.
This is an important issues, for the reason I just stated but also because this student generation is so drawn to relational integrity (and repulsed by what they perceive to be petty bickering). In seeking to follow Christ faithfully and reach out to the emerging generation of leaders, what we need is not to abandon our confessions but to abandon our conceit. We should begin working first with people who essentially share our values and missional goals. But before we can talk about proper structures or lines of authority, we need leaders committed first to each other... believing the idea that our unity (both confessional and organizational) is more important than the details. We need such committment to each other that we will be willing to suffer patiently with each other. When I see that quality in a Christian leader, he earns my trust.
I had a meeting today with such a leader. He is not the pastor of a large or even influential church. He is not a well known Christian author. I don't even know what he is for others, but for me he is an inspiration. I pray that our conversation today was a practical step in working out that communion the Spirit has established and to which God calls us.
*This list was inspired by a presentation Dr. Dan Doriani gave on working across denominational lines.
This is an important issues, for the reason I just stated but also because this student generation is so drawn to relational integrity (and repulsed by what they perceive to be petty bickering). In seeking to follow Christ faithfully and reach out to the emerging generation of leaders, what we need is not to abandon our confessions but to abandon our conceit. We should begin working first with people who essentially share our values and missional goals. But before we can talk about proper structures or lines of authority, we need leaders committed first to each other... believing the idea that our unity (both confessional and organizational) is more important than the details. We need such committment to each other that we will be willing to suffer patiently with each other. When I see that quality in a Christian leader, he earns my trust.
I had a meeting today with such a leader. He is not the pastor of a large or even influential church. He is not a well known Christian author. I don't even know what he is for others, but for me he is an inspiration. I pray that our conversation today was a practical step in working out that communion the Spirit has established and to which God calls us.
*This list was inspired by a presentation Dr. Dan Doriani gave on working across denominational lines.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Crushing Realities and the Comfort of a Faith That Is So Much More Than Wishful Thinking
About a year ago, I faced some really difficult circumstances in my personal and professional life. From time to time folks have asked me how I weathered those experiences and being put on the spot I found repeatedly that I did not have a good, succinct answer. I was asked again today and I decided that I needed to have a ready response. In the process of preparing one I came across something I wrote at the time of those trials. I wanted to share it here along with some more recent reflections and perhaps the person who spoke with me today will see this and draw some encouragement. It is a little personal for a blog like this, but here goes:
Written January 20th, 2005:
"The past year has impressed upon me the crushing weight of ordinary life. Last January (2004) I gave a talk to college students where I said 'even an ordinary life needs extraordinary hope.' My brother died suddenly that next week and [his death] became the first of a series of events that have not only left me emotionally depleted but disillusioned about my life's work. Being a pastor seems a bit like being a professional schizophrenic. On the one side we acknowledge the utterly corrupt nature of all people (even other pastors and ourselves) but also teach about the hope of God's redemption and even experiencing that redemption in this life. But then watch our own failings as pastors and as people break the very hearts we are seeking to bind up. The things we say seems just like so many words. I was praying with the man who has the awful task of pastoring me this past week. I was feeling fairly abandoned. In his prayer he spoke of God's promises... that I might know that I am a beloved son. In my mind I thought 'just words...and saying it doesn't make it true.' And as if he could hear my dismissive thought he then prayed 'But we need more than words... we need you to act.' I was overwhelmed with emotion as he said it.
"This life gives us crushing realities. The extraordinary hope that we all need is for God to act. I need that to be true and yet live with the doubt that wishing doesn't make it so."
A dark time, admittedly. In that moment, I was focused on the injustices and misfortunes that beset me. And while I welcomed the sympathy my friends expressed for me (and still find it a great comfort), I began to see in the next few months how tightly I held on to the people in my life and the dreams I had for serving God with distinction. When I finally lost the strength to hold on to these things, my first thought was that I was despised by men and God. Then I began to see that these 'things' had obscured my vision of grace and the source of my true comfort in this life... and ultimately in my own death: Christ himself.
How did I weather those times? Poorly, because I kept seeking a way to hold onto my brother and my ministry and seem godly in it all. I thought it was the sin of others that had brought these things into my life. While there may be some truth to that, it was ultimately the love of Christ that brought these trials to me.* "Your love is teaching me how to kneel" as one song goes. And in the kneeling we find again that Christ is indeed real. How do I know this? I could point to all kinds of proof of his own victory over death, but I see his work even in my own life... taking a beleaguered and frightened man and transforming him... not through ease but through pain... into a more humble and confident one. Not the probably outcome... perhaps not even a humanly possible outcome. My advice to those facing trials (and I don't write this lightly): embrace them and trust in the Lord's redemption, not only of your eternal soul, but also of your present pain. In the meantime, know that other brothers and sisters have gone before you and found the Father faithful... including your Savior.
*I in no way mean to communicate that we should rejoice that we suffer, but we can find comfort and joy in the fact that through suffering God works out His loving purposes for us.
Written January 20th, 2005:
"The past year has impressed upon me the crushing weight of ordinary life. Last January (2004) I gave a talk to college students where I said 'even an ordinary life needs extraordinary hope.' My brother died suddenly that next week and [his death] became the first of a series of events that have not only left me emotionally depleted but disillusioned about my life's work. Being a pastor seems a bit like being a professional schizophrenic. On the one side we acknowledge the utterly corrupt nature of all people (even other pastors and ourselves) but also teach about the hope of God's redemption and even experiencing that redemption in this life. But then watch our own failings as pastors and as people break the very hearts we are seeking to bind up. The things we say seems just like so many words. I was praying with the man who has the awful task of pastoring me this past week. I was feeling fairly abandoned. In his prayer he spoke of God's promises... that I might know that I am a beloved son. In my mind I thought 'just words...and saying it doesn't make it true.' And as if he could hear my dismissive thought he then prayed 'But we need more than words... we need you to act.' I was overwhelmed with emotion as he said it.
"This life gives us crushing realities. The extraordinary hope that we all need is for God to act. I need that to be true and yet live with the doubt that wishing doesn't make it so."
A dark time, admittedly. In that moment, I was focused on the injustices and misfortunes that beset me. And while I welcomed the sympathy my friends expressed for me (and still find it a great comfort), I began to see in the next few months how tightly I held on to the people in my life and the dreams I had for serving God with distinction. When I finally lost the strength to hold on to these things, my first thought was that I was despised by men and God. Then I began to see that these 'things' had obscured my vision of grace and the source of my true comfort in this life... and ultimately in my own death: Christ himself.
How did I weather those times? Poorly, because I kept seeking a way to hold onto my brother and my ministry and seem godly in it all. I thought it was the sin of others that had brought these things into my life. While there may be some truth to that, it was ultimately the love of Christ that brought these trials to me.* "Your love is teaching me how to kneel" as one song goes. And in the kneeling we find again that Christ is indeed real. How do I know this? I could point to all kinds of proof of his own victory over death, but I see his work even in my own life... taking a beleaguered and frightened man and transforming him... not through ease but through pain... into a more humble and confident one. Not the probably outcome... perhaps not even a humanly possible outcome. My advice to those facing trials (and I don't write this lightly): embrace them and trust in the Lord's redemption, not only of your eternal soul, but also of your present pain. In the meantime, know that other brothers and sisters have gone before you and found the Father faithful... including your Savior.
*I in no way mean to communicate that we should rejoice that we suffer, but we can find comfort and joy in the fact that through suffering God works out His loving purposes for us.
Monday, January 16, 2006
The Logic of Self Vindication
I finally broke down and bought the new Nickel Creek CD this week. (I have listened to it in its entirety some time ago and thought it wonderful immediately but was debating on whether to buy and actual CD or just download it from iTunes.)I am struck by the depth of this album. I would not call it dark, but it is sobering in its honest portrayal of relationships and longing. One song stands out to me as a powerful study in infidelity and self-justification: Helena (words posted at the end of this post).
The song doesn't describe the descent into infidelity... the infidelity is a given at the song's outset. Instead it describes wordly regret (v. salvific repentance) and the progression from pleading the mistress to just forget the adulterer, onto promises to leave the spouse and finally curses both spouse and mistress, proclaiming his self-sufficiency when the mistress will not remain silent.
Many religious folk who have not (yet) found themselves to have made some significant moral error in their lives (one that has consequences for long standing relationships) often think that others commit terrible sins, break up families and cheat each other out of money, because they have no conscience. While that might be true in some cases, the real reason people commit sins with such repercussions is that they are human... we are all fallen. The more interesting story is what we do with our failings. Can we handle the weight of guilt and face the consequences? It's here where things really go off the rails in human relationships.
'Helena' describes how we often concede our failing internally but desperately try to contain the collateral damage and avoid full responsibility. The failure to own our sins can only end with proclaiming the deficiency of all else around us... leaving us very alone. Self-vindication has its price: misery.
Helena by Nickel Creek
Helena, don't walk away
Before you give me back my heart
If it were mine, it would be yours to take
I'm sorry I've let down my guard, oh Helena
You looked so sweet
I should have seen
While I was playing for fun
You were playing for keeps
You win, I lose, is there some way
You can leave me in your debt
So my girl and I can live to die another day
On that day I won't forget you, Helena
You look so sweet waiting for me
While I wait for her to give me any reason to leave
Don't waste your pretty sympathy
She's gonna be just fine
And Helena, so will we
So will everything in time, mmm
Helena, don't walk away
Did you hear one word I said
Oh well, I never really liked her anyway
And I forgot her, I'll forget you, Helena
You're not that sweet
And neither is she
Go ahead and tell her anything
You walk, Helena
Cause guys like me never sleep alone at night
I don't need your sympathy
Cause I'll always be just fine
Yeah, I'll always be just fine
Yeah, I'll always be just fine
La la la, la la la, la la la
The song doesn't describe the descent into infidelity... the infidelity is a given at the song's outset. Instead it describes wordly regret (v. salvific repentance) and the progression from pleading the mistress to just forget the adulterer, onto promises to leave the spouse and finally curses both spouse and mistress, proclaiming his self-sufficiency when the mistress will not remain silent.
Many religious folk who have not (yet) found themselves to have made some significant moral error in their lives (one that has consequences for long standing relationships) often think that others commit terrible sins, break up families and cheat each other out of money, because they have no conscience. While that might be true in some cases, the real reason people commit sins with such repercussions is that they are human... we are all fallen. The more interesting story is what we do with our failings. Can we handle the weight of guilt and face the consequences? It's here where things really go off the rails in human relationships.
'Helena' describes how we often concede our failing internally but desperately try to contain the collateral damage and avoid full responsibility. The failure to own our sins can only end with proclaiming the deficiency of all else around us... leaving us very alone. Self-vindication has its price: misery.
Helena by Nickel Creek
Helena, don't walk away
Before you give me back my heart
If it were mine, it would be yours to take
I'm sorry I've let down my guard, oh Helena
You looked so sweet
I should have seen
While I was playing for fun
You were playing for keeps
You win, I lose, is there some way
You can leave me in your debt
So my girl and I can live to die another day
On that day I won't forget you, Helena
You look so sweet waiting for me
While I wait for her to give me any reason to leave
Don't waste your pretty sympathy
She's gonna be just fine
And Helena, so will we
So will everything in time, mmm
Helena, don't walk away
Did you hear one word I said
Oh well, I never really liked her anyway
And I forgot her, I'll forget you, Helena
You're not that sweet
And neither is she
Go ahead and tell her anything
You walk, Helena
Cause guys like me never sleep alone at night
I don't need your sympathy
Cause I'll always be just fine
Yeah, I'll always be just fine
Yeah, I'll always be just fine
La la la, la la la, la la la
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Details Matter... Thank God for Grace
I was having a conversation the other day on a subject which seems to come up quite a bit in Christian circles: does God care if we obey the speed limit? The normal outline of the conversation goes like this: (1) what God is really concerned about is reckless driving, (2) what the government really wants is safe driving, (3) I can drive safely at X miles per hours therefore... I am not sinning when I do not obey the speed limit. Alternatively, when I have disagreed with this argument people have wondered if I am a 'legalist.' Getting wound in the details can only mean that you are taking obedience way too seriously and obscuring grace.
This argument can be (and is) used to blunt the edge of many friendly challenges and rebukes. And therein lies the real danger.* The human heart is very resistant to the idea that we have real need of the grace of God. We are okay just the way we are. Even Christians... who ostensible confess their need of and belief in the grace of God... don't like to be shown how they specifically need that grace. To divert the blow, we accuse our 'accusers' of being 'too concerned about the details,' 'not focusing on grace,' 'legalistic.' A seminary professor of mine once pointed out to our class that legalism is not about trying to obey God in the details, but by attempting to earn heaven through obedience whether the rules are complex or simple.
The Lord is a god of details... in fact He gives us great details of case law to ensure that we cannot become self justified. Anyone serious about trying to obey the law in its details as a means of securing God's favor will be crushed by that law. The alternative path to self justification is antinomianism (anti: against... nomos: law). "The law doesn't really matter." Without the law, we would not know what righteousness looks like. We would not know the depths of our need before God. We would never know the profound nature of God's mercy. So, in this way the argument that the details don't matter.. that details obscure grace... is actually the very thing that obscures grace. Details do matter. God still holds us to a standard of perfection. That is why the grace of God in the life, death and resurrection of Christ is so sweet.
*I could make a well reasoned argument about God instituting government and 'obeying Caesar' even when some rules seem arbitrary but this is actually not as important as the danger of obscuring our need for grace by pitting grace against law.
This argument can be (and is) used to blunt the edge of many friendly challenges and rebukes. And therein lies the real danger.* The human heart is very resistant to the idea that we have real need of the grace of God. We are okay just the way we are. Even Christians... who ostensible confess their need of and belief in the grace of God... don't like to be shown how they specifically need that grace. To divert the blow, we accuse our 'accusers' of being 'too concerned about the details,' 'not focusing on grace,' 'legalistic.' A seminary professor of mine once pointed out to our class that legalism is not about trying to obey God in the details, but by attempting to earn heaven through obedience whether the rules are complex or simple.
The Lord is a god of details... in fact He gives us great details of case law to ensure that we cannot become self justified. Anyone serious about trying to obey the law in its details as a means of securing God's favor will be crushed by that law. The alternative path to self justification is antinomianism (anti: against... nomos: law). "The law doesn't really matter." Without the law, we would not know what righteousness looks like. We would not know the depths of our need before God. We would never know the profound nature of God's mercy. So, in this way the argument that the details don't matter.. that details obscure grace... is actually the very thing that obscures grace. Details do matter. God still holds us to a standard of perfection. That is why the grace of God in the life, death and resurrection of Christ is so sweet.
*I could make a well reasoned argument about God instituting government and 'obeying Caesar' even when some rules seem arbitrary but this is actually not as important as the danger of obscuring our need for grace by pitting grace against law.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Extending Hospitality... and Affection
Two things converged to inspire this blog... and powerful things they are to overcome my aversion to something as pretentious as a personal blog. First, many colleagues and friends have encouraged me to start this blog as a way of sharing my thoughts about ministry and life. Second, my desire to minister to college students has been complicated by a lack of accessibility. Students are quite busy these days not only with classes but extracurricular activities and work. Getting time to sit down with students, talk with them about their lives and how the Gospel might bring transformation is challenging. How can we extend the hospitality of Christ when students only seem to have enough time to grab a sandwich at Subway, wolf it down and then dash off to their next meeting? We need a place... a small corner in some space... to get together for good conversation. This blog is part of an attempt to find that space (even if it has to be in cyberspace) where we can meet and have some semblance of communication. I will start the conversation and then if you want, answer back with your thoughts. For those in St. Louis, there will be opportunities for more traditional expressions of hospitality but I want to make some accommodation for those who want greater pastoring, mentoring or just interaction but just have difficulty finding the time for that.Hopefully you find this small corner in cyberspace encouraging to your walk with Christ or (if your don't call yourself of Christian) your attempts to experience God. Regardless, you are always welcome at Mercy Corner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
