Being An Agent of God

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
“How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

John 10:1-10

I am reading the ninth chapter of John this week. This is the first story of Jesus in this chapter and it has so many issues that fill my mind. I will probably be spending a few days working through what God is speaking through this passage to me. 

The first question I must face is the issue of the source of blindness. In the ancient world, people believed that those who were born with a debilitating disease the parents or grandparents had sinned. The disciples knew Jesus would know what caused the man to be blind. Along with the primary question, the larger issue I have about this section is the response of Jesus.

Jesus proclaimed this person was born blind to be a demonstration of God's power. This idea is hard for me. The thought that God would make someone "less" just to be a part of the demonstration of Jesus' power. How can a loving God do this? How can a grace filled God do this? 

I realize focusing on the subject of why born is not central to my faith. It is not important to focus on while discovering the focus of God's desire to teach through Jesus. The central focus is the willingness of the person to be used for God's will. 

Are we able to be the instrument of God's grace? The blind man in this story was willing to be that instrument. He went to the pool to wash off the mud. He allowed Jesus to put the mud made of spit on his eyes. This is the focus for me in the response of the blind man. Not why he is blind, but what he is willing to do with the blindness when confronted by Jesus. 

Discovering the realms of Witness Part 1

Refocusing a Congreation

Recently I was elected to the post of a new church. In the years that I have been serving congregations, Imust admit that all of the congregations were onese needing a refocus on the definitation of who there are today in the world. In ministry talk, this is church redevelopment. I have worked among these groups of faithful people wanting to help bring new directions and light to a path, but they did ot bring me to the congregation for this particular role, that is except when I was asked to be the Interim Pastor of a congregation. In this call, I have been specificly asked to accomplish redevlopment among the group. I am looking forward to the work we can accomplish in God's desire.

Instructions to the Disciples

In the book of Acts, Jesus instructs the remaining disciples to remain in Jerusalem till the coming of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit would empower the disciples to be witnesses of the work of Jesus.

" But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

As I have studied this passage over the years and studing Missional Theology, the realms that Jesus tells His disciples to witness towards is words for us to follow in our work. 

The End of a Matrix

In the time of Christendom (a period in history when the church was the primary authority in society), the church believed that the only focus of witnessing of Jesus' Gospel was to the ends of the earth. Most leaders in he church have come to the realization that the times have changed and the church is not central in society. In this change of times, the position of religion has changed. Most realize that many people have not heard the message of Jesus nor seen a a reliable witness. The focus of the church need ot be redirected towards the first of these focus, Jerusalem. 

The next post will look at what the rediscovery of Jerusalem means to the local congregation.

What Does Christian Mean?

The decry of many in Christian circles in the loss of "Christian America."[i] It was most obvious the other week with the Supreme Court ruling on marriage across the country. I have been asking what does the term Christian mean. I believe the term has had a change in definition and understanding since it was coin long ago.

How the Name Was Given

In truth, people who believe in Jesus Christ cannot take credit for the title of Christian. Biblical tradition reports that the title was given to the followers of Jesus in an ancient city called Antioch.[ii]  The title was given to followers of Jesus by non-Jewish people. It is a composite word from two languages, Greek and Latin. The meaning is “like/belonging to Christ.” The people on the outside saw the people following Jesus as being like Christ.

What Happened

I believe today we understand the title to be less of action and more of persuasion. People identify as a Christian not because of what they accomplish, but what personal convictions they hold on faith. In and individual believes in a god and believes that god sent a person on earth with the name of Jesus, they are a Christian. But that does not seem like enough. It is because of this identification many people are throwing away the title of Christian and identifying in more generic terms.[iii]

What Is Happening

Well, Gabe Lyons believes that this is changing with a new generation of followers.[iv] I believe that all followers can learn from this new generation. It will take us all reclaiming a new title. We cannot keep the Christian title for the near future. It has been tainted by hate, hypocrisy, judgement, and many other misalignments. No, it would be better to take on a different identifier. I do not mean the trendy titles of spiritual, religious, or any other generic religious motif. No, I believe we should relearn a very basic ideal of Jesus’ teaching. We need to live again ,” You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”[v]

Our identifier will not be words or titles as the faith passed down from generations past. In the now, the identifier of followers of Christ must be our actions. Once our actions coincide with the New Testament teaching and words of Jesus, others may one day call the followers of Jesus by the title of Christian. But we must earn that title. It is then that the song, “They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love” will ring true.

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord 

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord 

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored 

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love 

They will know we are Christians by our love 

We will work with each other, we will work side by side 

We will work with each other, we will work side by side 

And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride 

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love 

They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love 

They will know we are Christians by our love 

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand 

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand 

And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land 

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love 

They will know we are Christians by our love

By our love, by our love

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love 

They will know we are Christians by our love[vi]

---

[i] Gabe Lyons states the end was in May, 2007 with the death of Jerry Falwell. (Lyons, Gabe. (2010). The Next Christians: How A New Generation Is Restoring the Faith (p.13). New York: Doubleday Religion.)

[ii] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+11%3A25-26&version=NASB. The term only occurs in two other places in the New Testament (Acts 26:28; 1 Pet 4:16) (Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 273). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

[iii] Lyons, Gabe. (2010). The Next Christians: How A New Generation Is Restoring the Faith (p. 11-12). New York: Doubleday Religion.

[iv] Lyons, Gabe. (2010). The Next Christians: How A New Generation Is Restoring the Faith. New York: Doubleday Religion.

[v] Luke 10:27, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10:27&version=NASB See also Matthew 22:36-40

[vi] Copyright © 2010 ChristianLyricsOnline.com All Rights Reserved. http://www.christianlyricsonline.com/artists/carolyn-arends/theyll-know-we-are-christians.html

We Want . . .

"But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, . . ." 

(1 Sam. 8: 19-20, NIV)

These are the words of the people of Israel to Samuel. He was aging and the children were not following in God's ways. The people were worried about the future and did not want the children of Samuel to lead them. The people wanted a king like all the other nations. They wanted to be just like every other nation. Someone to lead them into battle. Someone to fight battles on their behalf. But they were forgetting something important.

It was not Samuel who was accomplishing this for them already. It was not any of the other leaders in the history of Israel. Moses was not leading them into battle or fighting on their behalf as they travel in the wilderness. It was not Joshua who battled at Jericho or helped them through the concurring of the Promised Land. All of these events and the time of the Judges was not accomplished because of the powers of the people in charge. No. It was all accomplished by the power of God. God lead the people out of Egypt. God gave directions to Moses through the wilderness. God lead the people through the Promised Land. 

The people were not rejecting Samuel at this time. No, God reported to Samuel it was not his leadership the people were rejecting. The people were rejecting God. They were turning their backs on the leadership of God. God had declared to the people when they were at Sinai that God was to be the king. 

This was the prescription through out the history of Israel. As we read through the prophets, the people kept turning their backs on God. And it is the the case of people today. We as followers do not want to follow. We want to make our own ways. We think we know more than God. Our ways are better than God's 

We can act like the Israelis  and reject God. Or we can learn to follow and accept God as our king. Jesus asked the same thing of His followers in the New Testament. Jesus did not want us to just give a portion. No, He asked for us to give and trust completely. Are you willing to fall into place? 

Second Saturday in Lent: Lent 2014

Lenten Devotional
Matthew 25-26

The gospel continues through on teaching of what followers of Jesus should do to prepare for the end times and what it means to be ready for the end time.  Now we enter into a few parables focusing on these the ways to live in the end and how to be ready.

The first is the parable of Ten Virgins.  Again the story focuses on a wedding situation.  This time the maidens of the wedding group have to wait and wait for the party to begin.    Half the group gets everything ready and keeps a full supply of oil for what ever might come.  The other half does not make any preparations.  When the time came, it was midnight and dark.  The oil and wicks of the second group runs out while the first group has enough to be ready.  There was not enough to share and keep all the lamps running.  The half not ready are sent to find more on their own and they are left out of the feast and the celebration.  A teaching that we must always be ready.

This parable is followed by two more showing that the work of Christ must continue.  The parable of talents where a servant is given different amounts and the one given the least and did nothing was removed.  The last of the parable in chapter 25 is similar.  to the parable of the talents.  This one looks at separating the sheep from the goats.  The ones who come into the kingdom are those that have continue the work and given onto the least.  These teachings all lead to the final times in the gospels.  The next section is the betrayal and anointing of Jesus. 

All of this reminds me of yesterday.   We must remain vigilant in the work of our Lord not matter the length or conditions.  Both of the parables remind us that we are given something from God.  What have you been given that is available to be used?  Some are as simple as a listening ear or a comforting voice to the people hurting.  All of these do not seem important in the scheme of the world.  These are some of the greatest gifts we can have and use with others.  What are you hiding from the world?  Or, what are you afraid to use for the risk?  

Radical Discipleship

I am reading another book. Big shock on that reality. I seem unable to really wrestle and finish one before another book takes its place. Oh well, the radical mind of one crazy pastor. This time I am reading a book by Allen and Debra Hirsch call Untamed: Reactiving a Missional Form of Dicipleship. I will admit that I did not chose the book by the cover this time. I chose it because of the author and previous experiences I have had with his writing and speaking. This book has asked me to re-examin some of my own notions of following Jesus. In the desire to follow Him more closely, I was asked ot re-read the gospels. Not just for information and knowledge, but for an encounter with the living Word of God, Jesus Christ. Allen and Debra call people to a life that is challenged by the radical person of Jesus Christ who lived a radical lifestyle of accepting and offering grace to people. But in His acceptance, He called them to a life not in sin, but to a new way of living. As we want to follow Christ, the authors want us to examine again the gospels.

So, I wanted to re-examine and grow a stronger relationship with Jesus and in turn with God. I started with the Gospel according to Luke. This gospel always has been the harder one for me. I like the works of Matthew (no bias on that one) and Mark. They seem much simpler. I like John because of the great stories and messages we hear from Jesus. Luke just seems to be harder to grasp. Jesus is tougher in this gospel. Maybe that is why I was drawn back to this account of Jesus. Yet I was struck from a great point in the first chapter. I was given to radically different approaches to God's call in our lives.

The first is Zechariah. He was a priest at the turn of the centuries and was the one appointed to serve in the Temple. While in the temple, he was greated by the Angel of the Lord (Gabriel as we learn very quickly). He is told by this messenger of God that Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth will soon have a child. Zecharia's response is smiler to what many older people with no children would be, how, why? All of these and more are the questions in his mind. Given this response, the angel declares that due to Zechariah's lack of faith, he will not be able to speak till the child is born.

The second response is from Mary. She is greeted by the same angel and is given an even stranger proposition. She will have a baby boy. She again asks how. But here question is a real question. She is young unwed. This was a desperate request of God on a person of her age. The answer was given that he child would be from God. Her response was acceptance and willingness.

These two response are very similar to people today. We either accept God's call and go or we start the list of questions and reasons why we cannot. I believe these two are to teach us something profound about the work of God. If we say no like Zechariah, we will be shut up. There will be no words or actions to come from our work. We will become like a silent stone. But if we accept and follow, the great Word of God will come forward. We will be like Mary and be able to exclaim our joy in what God is doing and about to accomplish. We will more importantly share the word of God, Jesus Christ, to the world. I think I would like to be like Mary right now and accept the desire of God. Who are you going to follow?

What was in the Sneeze?

I have continued to reflect on the Presbyterian Global Fellowship Conference, Inside Out that I attend in Long Beach the other week. Another item that caught me off guard at the conference and from reading Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways was the idea of the sneeze factor. Alan presents and idea that the Gospel of the early church was easily reproduced and sent on, like the germs in a sneeze. This is a strange concept, but I like the idea of a simple gospel message. Since then, I have been thinking about the content of the sneeze.

I got a little idea this past Sunday. I spoke on Matthew 16:13-20. This was the great question of Jesus to the disciples about what other people thought about Him and what the disciples thought about Him. It was in this section that we have the great confession of Peter as to the reality of Jesus, “you are the Christ”(Mathew 16:16). This confession I believe is the sneeze. For Jesus told Peter that on that information the whole church would be built.

This was not easy confession for Peter to make. This was a loaded word for Jesus’ time. In this confession, Peter would betray all the leaders of the Synagogue and Temple. Peter was making the most profound statement, Jesus is God. Based on this profound statement, the church would grow into a world wide force.

I do believe this is the sneeze. This was the little piece of information that could be reproduced into the people and spread like wildfire. Also, as Jesus told Peter, this was the piece that no one could just make up. It was information that could only come from the Spirit of God. Again, I am learning that it is all about Him and not me. I hope I can carry this simple message and pass it and the power it holds to others.

Sorry I have not posted anything for a few days. I was at the Presbyterian Global Fellowship last week and had a terrific time learning and gathering with other Presbyterians on the issues of serving Christ. I will admit that I did learn a lot even through the temptation to leave and just take in the sights of Southern California. But, I resisted the temptation and went to all the gatherings. I also never really adjusted to Pacific time. It was nice when I got home, but while there I saw times of the day I did not know existed.

What did I take away from the conference? This is the question I have been asking myself since the last moments on Saturday. Right now I can commit fully to 2 things that I feel God wanted me to learn at this years conference. The first is probably the most important. It is not about me, but about God. I have been hit square in the face with a reality of my own failing. I have kept asking what do I need to do, what do I need to accomplish? I have not asked, what is God doing? What is God accomplishing? This is the most important part of all the Christian life. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ in me (see Galatians 2:20). I am working to change all my questions from me to Him.

The second lesson that hit me very hard is to slow down. I have had reasons in the recent past to tell me to slow down, but I do not seem to be listening to them very well. I was remind again through out the conference to slow down and listen to God. This may very well be part of the first lesson, but I have continued to be shown Christ's need to slow down and connect with the Father. I guess if it is important for the Savior, it should be important to me. So, I will seek God's help and direction as I serve him.

These are some of the initial thoughts on a terrific conference. I will write a little more on what has impacted me most in the next few days.

Giving Birth

I am attempting to work my way through a few books as I get ready for a trip to Long Beach California. I am heading to Long Beach for a conference hosted by the Presbyterian Global Fellowship. This year's main speaker is Alan Hirsch author of the The Forgotten Way. This is the book I am working my way and hope to finish before I take off on Tuesday.

At this moment I am at chapter five, and I should finish the book in time. But this chapter caught me off guard. He spoke about the fact that church's must give birth. Alan quotes Neil Cole of the Southern Baptists Churches in America about the percentage of churches who will have a daughter church. Neil states that only 4% will "give birth" and 96% will not. Then this was put in terms of our human lives. If 96% of women were found infertile, this would be considered a disaster. But we just say that there already is enough churches and no need for more.

This has lead me to some questions about giving birth. First, does giving birth relay mean a church must start a new congregation? Can giving birth be accomplished in a dwindling congregation? Can this be a spiritual or just physical birth? Of course some of these questions sound like Nicodemus when Jesus told him you have to be born again (John 3:1-21) So I guess somethings never really do change.

I do believe that a daughter group is not so much a new church as it is a new way of doing church for a segment of the population. This for me means that an aging congregation can be transformed by giving birth to new ways of serving Christ. An old institutional church can become a missional church. All of this sounds great in my mind, but what would it look like in the world we all must work and live in.

First, I believe the church leadership must accept the fact that what is being done right now is not working. This should be obvious, but it is sometimes hard to admit the problem (This is how most twelve step programs work, maybe we can start a 12 step program for churches). As this is accomplished the leaders start to focus on central issues of faith, Jesus, God the Father, the Holy Spirit and the Bible. This means learning from the Master and re-vowing to be His disciples.

After this, the people in the people in the church are empowered by the leaders and the Holy Spirit to be the ministers of the church. This is where the "birthing" process begins. For the Holy Spirit will plant seeds in the hearts and minds of many. Those people being empowered will stretch out into there places of influence and start new ministries. So, there may be small groups all around, there may be new styles of worship at different times, and many other ministries. All can still be part of the original church with the daughters being the different parts.

This picture will not be easy for an institutional church with boards and "rules", and budgets. I do believe it is possible. Only by God's grace and with the power of the Holy Spirit. With God all things are possible (Matthew19:26)