Twilight and New Moon films

Here are some thoughtful questions for conversation from one of the good people in Ann Arbor:
http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/parenting/the-twilight-saga-new-moon-important-questions-for-teens-and-tweens/

Two Thumbs Up...

...for the movie Up. It is animated, but isn't for kids. The children at the early showing we attended were constantly asking the adults, "What's happening? Why?" The theme of the movie, the spiritual challenge of growing old, just doesn't connect with the experience of kids. But for anyone over 40 or 50, it's a real thought-provoker as well as being thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

Christianity Today - New Link

I have added a link to Christianity Today. The flagship of evangelical magazines, CT was founded by Billy Graham and provides excellent, thought-provoking coverage of current events, church news and theological and ethical issues. I check this site every day and often find worthwhile material. Check it out!

Freedom

I have a post today at jesuscreed: http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/06/friday-is-for-friends-joey-spi.html#preview . The topic is Christian freedom.

Worship is a model for life

Isaiah 6:1-8 has long been seen by Protestants as a model for worship. Not that it is complete or unchangeable, but the stages of Isaiah's experience in the temple are a helpful starting point:

v. 1-2 - Seeing God
v. 3-4 - Praise
v. 5 - Confession
v. 6-7 - Cleansing
v. 8a - Hearing God's Word
v. 8b - Commitment
v. 9ff. - Commissioning

As in all religions, Christian worship is a model for life. The seven stages of Isaiah's encounter with the living God (John 12:36-41 indicates that it was the Son of God that he saw on the throne) become, then, a suggested itinerary for finding our way through a day and through our lifetime. Let's aim to make this our experience.

(Thanks to Dr. Bruce Leafblad in a D. Min. course at Bethel Seminary for the analysis of Isaiah 6 as a model for worship, and to Dr. Mathias Zahniser of Asbury Seminary for the idea of worship as a model for living.)

Pause

See you in a week or two, after surgery and recovery.

Mark

Book of Revelation

I have found a love for the last book in the Bible such as I have never had. The turning point has been Richard Bauckham's The Theology of the Book of Revelation (Cambridge University Press, 1993). My guess is the Bauckham knows as much about this book as anyone, and this short work is in part a distillation of years of massive and loving study of Revelation.

Here is a taste of how Bauckham brings out the meaning of Revelation for all generations. He shows that the image of the 144,000 (7:2 and 14:1-5) is a symbol of the church, portrayed as the Messiah's army who combats idolatry not with material weapons but by means of moral uprightness, their faithful testimony, and their following the Lamb wherever he goes, including to the death.

Then he suggests that the multitude that no one can number in 7:9-17 is also a symbol of the church, redeemed from all nations and peoples to worship God and the Lamb.

Finally, the two witnesses in 11:1-13 are also a symbol representing the church in its prophetic witness to the pagan nations, in the lineage of Moses and Elijah. They preach repentance to all the nations and peoples, who repent and begin to worship the one true God.

So the 144,000 = the countless multitude for all nations = the two witnesses who bring the nations to repentance and true faith = the church, the people of God in all times and places, including you and me. Far from leading us to speculate about who the 144,000 or the two witnesses might be in some future time with no relation to us, Bauckham's sensitive discernment of the imagery of revelation draws us right into the mission of God here and now.

How we change

I John 3:2 contains this puzzling statement:

[W]e know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

How can just seeing someone, even the risen Christ, change us so completely?

The recent delight in Susan Boyle's unexpected performance on "Britain Has Talent" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY) illustrates what John is saying. When we watch the clip, we and the audience have a certain set of expectations, reactions and attitudes toward her. When she begins to sing, those attitudes undergo a major shift. Why? Because we have "seen her as she is."

Seeing and knowing someone as they really are changes our attitude toward that person.

Since the meaning of "sin" in the Bible is basically the matter of a wrong attitude toward God, seeing him as he really is, in Christ, will dramatically change our attitude toward God - and toward those things which compete within us for our affection and loyalty (I John 2:15-17).

The heart, therefore, in overcoming sin in our lives is not to try to focus on the sins and trying to keep them under control, but to focus on getting to know God better. The more deeply and truly we know God intimately, the more our sins will be both apparent and abhorrent to us.

So let's constantly pray, "Lord, reveal more of yourself to me and us. Show me and us more of what you are really like. Increase omy and our affection for you."

Personal reflections on asking

It has been about ten years since I first read Dallas Willard's claim (see the last three posts below) that asking is the way God has given us in his kingdom to help each other meet Christ, grow in him and serve him. Putting it into practice has proven to be a significant challenge.

Here are some less-than-helpful things that I have found myself doing rather than asking someone to do something:

• Expecting people to know what I would like them to do (How dumb is that?)
  
• Complaining to someone else
  
• Worrying about what is going to happen
• Feeling frustrated

In other words, doing nothing constructive. How helpful is that?!

On the other hand, I find that the more I ask in the patient, considerate and respectful way that Willard describes, the more I find myself giving thanks for all that God has already done. I also find myself growing in appreciation for that person. And, of course, worrying less, complaining less, being much less frustrated.

Is your experience similar to this? A bit different?

Asking (Part 3)

Today we finish the passage from Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy. He is discussing the well-known verses in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus invites his followers to Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you. His view of the text is fresh and challenging. (See the previous two posts.)

And as long as we respect them before God, and are thoughtful and gracious, we can keep asking, in appropriate ways, keep seeking and keep knocking on the door of their lives. We should note that the ask-seek-knock teaching first applies to our approach to others, not to prayer to God. We respect and never forget that the latch of the heart is within. We are glad for that fact and would not override it. We can gently but persistently keep our hopeful expectation before them and at the same time before God. Asking is indeed the great law of the spiritual world through which things are accomplished in cooperation with God and yet in harmony with the freedom and worth of every individual.

What do you think? What speaks the most to you in the excerpt we have read these past three days? How is it different from our usual approach? Do you agree with Willard that the ask-seek-knock teaching applies first to our relationships with each other? Why might this be important? How might Willard's insight affect our approach to evangelism? To family and church relationships?

I am interested in your thoughts!

Asking (Part 2)

Dallas Willard describes what happens as we "back off" from trying to fix or improve others and they begin to open up (see yesterday's post):

I may quickly begin to appear to them as a possible ally and resource. Now they begin to sense their problem to be the situation they have created, or possibly themselves. Because I am no longer trying to drive them, genuine communication, real sharing of hearts, becomes an attractive possibility. The healing dynamic of the request comes naturally into play. And this is ... how to really be of help to those near us (Matt. 7:7-11).

When we stand thus in the kingdom, our approach to influencing others, for their good as well as ours, will be simply to ask: to ask to change, and to help them in any way they ask of us. It is a natural extension of this dynamic when we turn to ask God to work in their lives and hearts. to bring about changes. These changes will certainly involve more than any conscious choice they could make or we could desire."

We might want to respond that we also need to ask God to change us. Willard deals with that subject in most of the book. The quotation we are meditating on challenges us to change the way we go about helping each other change.

Isn't it amazing how hard it is for us in the situation to even think of the possibility of asking another person to change something?

More on this next time.

Asking

One of the best books I have read on the Christian life is Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (HarperCollins, 1998). The excerpt that follows sheds a light on how Christian fellowship actually works that few others have expressed. Willard is commenting on Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and you shall receive," saying that it applies not only to prayer but to our relationships with one another.

The Dynamic of the Request

The most important element in the transformation [of personal relationships] is this: As long as I am condemning my friends or relatives, or pushing my 'pearls' on them, I am their problem. They have to respond to me, and that usually leads to their 'judging' me right back, or 'biting' me, as Jesus said.

But once I back away, maintaining a sensitive and nonmanipulative presence, I am no longer their problem. As I listen, they do not have to protect themselves from me, and they begin to open up. (p. 231)

The continuation of this quote from Dallas Willard next time.

"Merry Christmas"?

A friend brought to my attention the following You Tube video by a Christian group, Go Fish, taking a stand for the old tradition of saying "Merry Christmas!" to anyone and everyone. My thoughts on the tone and lyrics follow the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

Well, first off, there is the tone. When I listen to it with the ears of a non-Christian, it comes across as in-my-face, cocky, even aggressive. That is not how Jesus approached people. The songwriter seem to have failed to think through whether the aim is to draw people winsomely to Christ or to score a point.

In addition to the tone, there is the message itself. "I remember when people used to say, 'Merry Christmas!' to each other" (including to "Mr. Lowenstein"). So there is nostalgia for a golden age when "everyone" mouthed the words, "Merry Christmas," even when they didn't believe them, as the song indicates. That mythical golden age was also a time when the descendants of the slaves suffering the indignity of legal segregation and discrimination by some of the very people using the expression in question. 

But there are at least two additional problems with the song's outlook. First, the Christian faith and the Bible nowhere suggest that mouthing insincere words is pleasing to God or advances his Kingdom on earth. If anything, challenging non-Christians to say, "Merry Christmas" is to invite them to take the Lord's name in vain, to use it out of custom and social conformity instead out of a deep love for Christ.

Second, the song confuses the Church with society as a whole. But Christmas is a Christian celebration. We live in a civilization that has, since the 4th century, been nominally Christian. Those days are gone, and will not return, nor should they. There is no reason why Christians should want everyone in society to use the hallowed expression of the past. I cannot help but wonder why some feel the need to get everyone to say the words. 

The early Baptists left England in 1609 because of religious control by the state church, and advocated religious freedom for all faiths, Christian and non-Christian, as early as 1612. The last thing on their minds was to enforce a shallow external faith the way the Roman Emperor Constantine did in 313 AD. Our aim as Baptists is for men and women to enter into a heart relationship with God and to be transformed by his Word and Spirit.

I like to wish people a Blessed Christmas. "Merry" goes back to when Christmas was largely a season of carousing and drunkenness in England (despite "God rest ye merry, gentlemen...").

So here is wishing you and yours a Blessed Christmas, in all its glorious and weighty meaning!

Gospel

You can read my short post about the Gospel today at http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/. Note that this is a new address for jesuscreed.

On a different subject, you may also find the jesuscreed posts on Church Politics 1 and 2 from Monday and Wednesday to be of interest. 

Reading the Bible with Scot McKnight

Scot McKnight teaches Bible at North Park University in Chicago. His jesuscreed.org blog is a major internet hub for evangelicals and pastors. His book, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible, has just been published by Zondervan. 

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Parakeet-Rethinking-Read-Bible/dp/0310284880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224095251&sr=1-1

Since I've just read chapter 7, I'll start there. The idea is simple - and searching. Listening to the words of the Bible is an act of love toward the God of the Bible. Words are important because they are a personal communication from one person to another. To listen to another's words is to take that person seriously, to love them. True with people, true with God. 

Scot (yes, only one "t" for this loyal Scotsman) points out that listening to another's words means being not only attentive, but also receptive. We absorb the words and their message(s), and we respond to them appropriately. The appropriate response to God is to act on the basis of what his words tell us. How we respond to God's words is how we respond to God. 

Truth and the Presidential Election

I received a forwarded e-mail with a subject line about Barack Obama's "Not Exactly's", claiming to have been penned by Bill Brown, a former Billy Graham associate. Here is my response:

Dear friends -

After some hesitation, I have decided to share my thoughts on this forwarded e-mail. Or perhaps just one principle thought: This e-mail purports to reveal inaccurate and misleading statements by Barack Obama. My expectation for such a serious group of charges is that they be carefully worded and thoroughly documented. In the Bible the standard for accepting an accusation is that there be two credible witnesses. If there are not two credible witnesses, or even one, the accusation does not stand. To this we may add the excellent American principle that a person is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

In light of this, here are my problems with the e-mail:

1. It claims to have been written by a former associate of Billy Graham. But the Bill Brown who was a member of the BGEA, when contacted, expressly denies having written it. See http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/naivete-cynicism-and-wisdom.html
(I googled "Bill Brown BGEA".)

2. I checked the reference to accusation #7 in the e-mail, which was the point that I found most shocking, and found no evidence of any sort supporting the accusation.

3. The tone of the e-mail is thoroughly un-Christian, we who are to "Honor everyone" (I Peter 2:17).

So let us as Christians hold firm to the teaching of Psalm 15 and so be salt and light to the nation during this election process: Who does not slander with his tongue, ... nor take up a reproach against his neighbor.

One of our roles as Christians is to hold the world accountable to the truth. Regardless of what candidate we prefer, a Christian never wants to win at the cost of the truth.

Feel free to share these thoughts with others. And your reactions and comments are welcome.

Mark Farmer

Chrysalis

There is a post today on Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed site that I wrote regarding Alan Jamieson's book, Chrysalis. Here is the link:

http://www.jesuscreed.org/

Hopefully it is understandable enough for folks who haven't read the book.

Do Hard Things

That's the title and theme of a book just out written by two 19-year-olds, Alex and Brett Harris. (Yes, they are twins.) The subtitle is, "A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations." Pretty strong stuff, eh?

I'm a third of the way through the book, and plenty of it is for whatever age we happen to be. This, for example:

Alyssa Chua, a seventeen-year-old ... from the Philippines, explained her pattern this way: 'My comfort zone was the place where everything was just the way I wanted it to be; a situation where I never had to make extra effort or do something difficult; a place I could sit back, relax and enjoy myself.'

The problem, she told us, was that she stayed inside her comfort zone, she was essentially refusing to surrender her life fully to God; she was avoiding the hard things He was calling her to do.

The authors go on to put their finger on the real issue:

What we're really saying is that we don't want to do things that come easily or naturally. We don't want to break through our fears. And by our actions, we're also saying that God isn't good and powerful enough to help us do what we can't comfortably do on our own.

Alex and Brett describe another young man who, unlike Alyssa, spent his life avoiding taking that first step out of his comfort zone. "The result? He's basically the same person he's always been."

Seeking the truth about God

Thanks to Laurel for this excellent interview with the son of a Hamas leader who has decided to follow Jesus. Mosab Hassan Yousef is refreshingly - and painfully - honest in his remarks, which have much to teach us.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402483,00.html

Near the end of the interview is the puzzling phrase "a 100-person peace when Jesus returns." This is no doubt a misprint for "a 100 percent peace...."

Teaching a person to think and explore for themselves instead of blindly following what they have been taught is one key to world evangelization. The French writer Jean-Claude Guillebaud, in Re-founding the World, writes that Jesus himself emphasized the individual's responsibility to search out the truth and follow it (him). Luke 9:59-60 is one example of this. And this indivudual responsibility is one of the founding pillars of the Baptist movement.

This applies as well to the children of Christians. In his book Chrysalis, Alan Jamieson raises the question in the final chapter of how churches can be safe places for people who have grown up in the church to ask their questions about matters in the Bible and in Christianity that trouble them.

Gospel Presentation

For years I have been experimenting with different ways of presenting the gospel in a way that is both simple and complete enough to be satisfying. James Choung, whose book True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In, is published by InterVarsity Press, offers this three-minute presentation. I think I have found what I was looking for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCVcSiUUMhY

More on how to not complain

I find that complaining begins in my head. Why do I think complaining thoughts? The truth is, it is because of what the apostle Paul calls "the sin that dwells in my members". In other words, this is a habit that I have developed and tolerated. But because Christ has made me a new person, I don't have to yield to critical or complaining thoughts about others, or myself, or God.

The article cited in our previous post suggested looking for solutions to problems instead of complaining and blaming. In addition to that, the disciple of Jesus can also replace complaining thoughts with thankfulness. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." So Paul in Philippians 4:8. The work of taking every thought captive to obey Christ (II Cor. 10:5) begins with myself. It's such a better way to live.

Complaining

I googled "Why do people complain", and this is by far the most enlightening response I found.People have had to deal with complaining ever since Moses (Exodus 14:21; Numbers 11:1, etc.). "Complaining mode" seems to be the default setting for media coverage of elections and candidates as well as of junior high lunch rooms. And I admit that I complain, too - sometimes about complainers! And I don't like myself so well when I complain. So if you catch me not practicing the wisdom below, call me on it!

From http://supersonicsuccess.com/blog/why-do-you-complain

Why Do You Complain?
March 23rd, 2008

Did you know that complaining is severely damaging to your health, financial success and your entire life?
Studies have shown people who complain frequently tend to have poor health, less satisfying and enduring relationships, and don’t tend to do as well in their jobs or make as much money.

The key to getting what you want in life is focusing your energy and attention on what you do want, rather than what you don’t want. By complaining, the focus is always on what’s wrong, what’s going badly.

So why do people continue to do it?

Well first of all, it’s a habit. Most people have been doing it their entire lives. In fact, the majority don’t even realize they’re doing it half the time. Most people complain much more frequently than they think they do.

Don’t believe me? For the next 24 hours, pay attention to how many people begin a conversation with you by whining about something that didn’t go the way they wanted it to.

The most common reasons why people complain (and why it can be so difficult to stop) are:

- It’s a good conversation starter.
It’s much easier to begin a conversation with someone and find a common ground by complaining. (Can you believe it’s going to rain AGAIN today?…).
To get over this particular hurdle, rather than use a complaint to start talking to someone - complement them. It’s a much more positive way to start a conversation.

- Complaining keeps people from taking action.
This is the #1 reason most people complain. That way they can procrastinate and have plenty of excuses why they aren’t reaching their goals. There’s always a reason why it’s not possible to do what needs to be done. It’s much easier to complain about it than it is to find a solution.
Not only that, but for some crazy reason, we’ve been taught that it’s okay to talk negatively about yourself, but it’s not okay to “brag” about what’s going well!

- Preexcuses failure
Another very common reason people complain is to pre excuse failure. For instance, walking to a meeting late while complaining about how bad the traffic was, how there was a huge line at the dry cleaner, etc.
It takes all the responsibility off of that person, they no longer have to own up to the fact that they should have left earlier or been more prepared.

The first step to stop complaining is to become aware of it, then replace that complaint about what you don’t like, with what you do want.

The goal is not to act like everything is great and pretend you are no longer bothered by anything, but instead to seek out solutions.

Instead of playing the victim and simply stating that the situation is not what you want - figure out what you DO want, and seek to create that.

What can you do about the situation? Don’t look for problems, look for solutions.

The times they are a-changin'

A small group of pastors was talking the other day about how many significant and stressful trends and events are in the news now that affect us more or less directly. Here are some of the things we discussed, plus a few more:

- very high gas prices, and still rising
- home foreclosures
- high and increasing costs for health care and insurance, and shrinking coverage
- the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan along with the needs of returning GIs
- food shortages around the world and in U.S. food banks
- repeated attempts to legalize gay marriage
- the quiet but persistent infiltration of Islam in Western societies
- the growing role played by China and India in the world economy
- earthquakes in China and Japan, floods in Iowa (and this is just in the last couple of weeks)

Other items could be added to this list of things that are reshaping the world in which we live.

One person observed that these are all conditions which we sense we cannot control to any great degree. The accumulation of all these pressures might have a paralyzing effect.

How are we as the community of Christians to understand the times in which we live? Let's converse (civilly!) about it in the days to come. The challenge will be to not repeat stock answers we have heard others express, but to think carefully while seeking the mind of Christ...

Dads

At our weekly men's conversation over Saturday breakfast this morning, we talked about our fathers.  We talked about the impact they had on who we have become.  Yes, for better or for worse.  

I miss my dad.  He passed away when I was 26.  Many have been the times when I have wished he was there to bounce an idea off of, or to ask for advice.  I love the memories of walking with him in the woods, and of going to work with him on Saturday mornings on the Ohio State campus. I love the books he gave me - over my head at the time, but now a delight.

And I wish he and I had known how to talk with each other.  It's as if we both wanted to connect but didn't know how. And I wish he had told me more about his father than the few tidbits I received.  And I wish he had known how to teach me to assemble my short wave radio kit instead of just doing it for me.  

But thank you, heavenly Father, for Dean Farmer.  Thank you for all you gave me through him. And teach us how to talk about our dads and, if possible, with them. 

Cardboard testimonies

One of the best things in life is to hear the story of how Christ has turned a person's life around. In this 8-minute video, a creative approach to testimonies enables a large number of people to testify in a short time. They left me moved and grateful to our Lord.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper was the grandson of an American Baptist church planter and pastor in Nyack, New York. As a young man he spent several years (1906-1910) in Paris and elsewhere in Europe. When in Paris, he lived on the fourth floor of the building adjoining the Baptist Church at 48 rue de Lille, just above where Jean and I lived in 2004-2005. The top image above is a painting done by Hopper from his apartment at the church; the one below is a photo taken from ours. Notice the details in the windows, the chimneys, the iron grill.

This geographical coincidence led to my fascination with Hopper and his work. As I look at the print of a Hopper painting of a lighthouse (on of his favorite subjects) on my study wall, I see an empty sky. No clouds, no sun. It might be uniformly overcast, or it could be untouched canvas. And the lighthouse thrusts up into these empty heavens in hope of seeing what might be over the sharp (and empty) horizon.

Hopper's works very often lead the eyes away from the painting itself, as if what was most interesting was there, unseen...

I would be interested in a conversation about artists readers of this blog especially appreciate. Any takers?

Creatures

Last week at a local Barnes and Noble, a large Cecropia moth that had only a sort time before emerged from its cocoon was clinging to a pillar as its larva-body fluids finished fanning out into its wings.  It was just beautiful - and so was the spirit of the cluster of people gathered around it and peering through the glass store-front.  There was a sort of protective attitude toward this newcomer, and curiosity about what it was and its life-cycle. 

Google "cecropia moth" for photos - be sure to check out its amazing caterpillar!

Jean and I also have a nest with three tiny rabbits a few days old by our back door.  The neighbor's cat carried one of them away last evening and took it to her unharmed. One shaken tiny bunny was safely deposited back in the nest!

(When I figure out how to paste links and photos, entries like this will be more interesting!)

Prince Caspian

Jean and I liked this film of C.S. Lewis's story very much.  It has a maturity and an impact that the first film in the series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, did not, though it was certainly worth seeing.  

The cinematography in Prince Caspian draws in the viewer with striking scenery and intriguing close-ups of the story's characters.   The viewer follows the story line without difficulty. Several scenes are tense in a good way. The special Narnian characters are delightful (Trufflehunter the Badger), dignified and imposing (the Centaurs), and the Minotaurs are scary and courageous. There are surprises even for those who have read the books. A special hat tip to Trumpkin the dwarf!

But the deepest satisfaction comes from the playing out of the hard, real-life issues that the main characters have to deal with that are the heart of Lewis's work. The sense of Aslan's absence and indifference is one of these, and the pain of coming back to a Narnia that has changed since their first visit is another among several.

So yes, by all means go see it on the big screen and take everyone with you! I came away saying, "I would like to see that one again."

Your comments welcome

The Comments have now been activated.  Click on the link under a post to add your comments.  Brief, constructive comments are appreciated by all!

"Sexy" enough?

"Sexy" is now sometimes used to describe political policies and other decidedly non-sexual entities. It basically means sufficiently attractive to sell to enough people. Is Jesus' teaching that obedience the one thing necessary in the Christian life sufficiently "sexy" to convince Christians and church-goers to actually do it?

I think so, although he would perhaps prefer to keep "sexy" in its usual place. Here's why:

Do I want my doctor to obey the Hippocratic Oath?

Do I want my spouse to obey his or her vows?

Do I want my pastor to obey everything Christ taught?

Do I want my children and grandchildren to obey Christ in everything?

Do I want my fellow Christians to obey Christ in everything?

If not, who would I want them to obey?

To obey Christ in all is the best thing I can do for myself, my family, my church, and the world.

Back to the Basics

This past Sunday I began a sermon series called "Back to the Basics."  It has long impressed me that the one thing that Jesus said to teach new Christians was to obey everything that he has commanded (Matthew 28:20).  George Patterson is right that spiritual growth and maturity are best measured not by knowledge but by obedience.  

Paul used the image of warfare to describe his apostolic ministry (II Corinthians 10:3-5).  His goal was to take as many captives as possible. "Submission to Christ is the new land into which they are carried," wrote Alfred Plummer in his commentary on this passage.    

Sound oppressive? Not when you remember that the old land was called Obedience to the Law of Sin the Dwells in My Members, which previously had taken them captive (Romans 7:23). We always obey someone (Romans 6:16-18). "Who will I obey now?" is a question that can help us when we are tried or tempted. 

Paul's means of taking people captive were not violent, but gentle, spiritual ones. He loved people as his own children and shared himself as well as the Gospel with them. 

So there is really only one "Basic" in the Christian life: to obey the Lord Jesus Christ.  His yoke is easy, and his burden is light.  

Achan and the wrath of God

Yesterday on www.jesuscreed.org (probably my favorite web site), a home-schooling mom asked a searching question about the passage in Joshua 7 where Achan and his family are stoned because of his sin.  The comments posted by readers come at the question in very different ways, and the mom herself takes part in the discussion after a while.  Go to www.jesuscreed.org and scroll down to the entry : "God's Wrath: A Question."  

Bible translations

In  just over a year at ABCW, I have moved from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) to Today's New International Version (TNIV), and now to the English Standard Version (ESV) for the end of the short series on Romans 8.    Here are a few of their strengths and weaknesses for the use I make of translations: 

The NRSV and TNIV are gender inclusive, using "brothers and sisters" instead of "brethren" and "person" instead of man when this is the intent of the biblical authors.  The ESV unfortunately relegates many of these inclusive terms to the footnotes, but at least they are there.

The NRSV annoyingly translates "son of man" in Ezekiel and many other places as "mortal", which then loses its obvious connection to Jesus calling himself the "Son of Man."  TNIV and ESV stay with the word for word translation.  

The TNIV translates "flesh" in Romans 8 as "sin nature" to avoid the mistake of thinking the term refers to the body as such.  But this is too narrow a limitation on the rich term "flesh"; an explanatory footnote or glossary would have been better.  At least it indicates the term "flesh" in the notes.  NRSV and ESV keep the literal meaning in all its complex ambiguity.

The language of the TNIV is quite contemporary, that of the NRSV and ESV a little less so in places.  

Christ's intercession for us (Part 2)

A second help to getting our mind around Christ's intercession for us (Romans 8:34) is to look at how he prayed for people during his earthly ministry.  His cry from the Cross jumps immediately to mind: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" (Luke 23:34)  If he prayed for his enemies to be forgiven because of their weakness and ignorance, how much more must he pray for his brethren in our unfaithful failings?

A wonderful example of this is found in Luke 22:31-32.  In the discussion after the Lord's Supper, Jesus says to Peter that Satan had demanded to have the disciples, "that he might sift you [plural] like wheat."  They were going to be severely shaken out.  Then Jesus adds, "But I have prayed for you [singular, referring to Peter] that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."  

Jesus apparently sees no contradiction between Peter's faith not failing on the one hand, and Peter's needing to "turn again" on the other.  In other words, Peter's threefold denial of Jesus, which Jesus foretells in v. 34, does not mean that his faith has ceased to exist or completely deserted him.  (That is the meaning of the Greek word translated "fail".)

So the risen and reigning Christ prays for us that when Satan throws his worst at us, our faith will continue to exist, even if it appears to go underground for awhile.  And when that faith rises again to the surface and we come to ourselves, so to speak (as in Luke 15:17), we will strengthen our neighbors and friends whose faith has been shaken.   

Christ interceding for us

In this morning's sermon on Romans 8:31-39 we tried to get a better feel for what Paul means in v. 34 when he speaks of Christ's interceding for us at the right hand of the Father.

We began by looking at how Moses interceded for Israel in their battle against the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-13.  Unlike Moses, Jesus Christ doesn't need anyone to prop up his hands as he intercedes.  But we may rightly think that just as Israel prevailed against their attackers when Moses' hands were raised in prayer, we shall prevail against whatever Satan throws at us.  Satan's aim is to separate us from the love of Christ (v. 35, 39).   We prevail because of Christ's intercession.  

"Prevail" is another way of saying "conquer" (see v. 37).  But to "conquer" suggests a final, decisive victory that ends the battle.  As we wait for the new heavens and new earth, it is more accurate to speak of our constant prevailing over Satan's unending, persistent pressure on us to drive us to despair, defeat and destruction.  He seeks to get us focused on our failings and those of others (Revelation 12:10).  The Son, on the other hand, works constantly to keep us free from guilt, from shame, and from the fear of death or anything else that might happen to us (Rev. 12:11).   

Since Christ's intercession for us never stops, we will prevail if we just keep on fighting, refusing to yield to the voice of the Accuser and commanding it in Jesus' name to be silent.

Interaction

A second "Bible vitamin" that George Patterson (see previous post) encourages for congregations is "dialogue to develop".  Instead of the "devastating myth" that "pulpit monologue is the most powerful teaching tool," churches which practice dialogue, teaching one another, encouraging and exhorting one another, and other kinds of edifying interaction "consistently see amazing results." 

Of course, good preaching and teaching is not a monologue, even though only one person is speaking.  Good teaching is done in a spirit of dialogue, which is in large part what makes it interesting.  The speaker has prepared by dialoguing with both God and the biblical authors, so that his or her hearers are listening in on a dialogue that has been going on for some time. (Perhaps eavesdropping is the expression of a desire for good preaching!) 

A good speaker also anticipates the questions and possible objections of the hearers.  Without saying a word, the hearers feel that they are part of the interaction.  

Dialogue is a remarkable and consistent characteristic of the God of the Bible, and hence of the Bible itself.  From Genesis to Revelation, God is listening and people are talking to him - praising,  complaining, pleading, lying, inquiring, confessing - and God is responding.  

So yes, I agree with Patterson.  The Church is called to be a demonstration community of the reign of God in the world.  Since God is a God of dialogue, we his people express his image when we listen carefully and respond thoughtfully and with humility to each other and to the world.

Small congregations can pack a punch!

George Patterson was an early and healthy influence on my church planting ministry.  I am happy to acknowledge him as the inspiration behind our upcoming sermon series on The Basics.  

On his web site at www.acquirewisdom.com, Patterson writes that "Scripture, history and recent research all agree that small congregations are more effective in mobilizing believers to win friends to Christ and do vital ministries."  He adds that "big is always better" is a "debilitating myth."  

Of course, such effectiveness is not automatic.  A church of any size can fossilize and fail to effectively bring people to Christ and Christ to people.  

Patterson suggests that the starting point for fruitfulness is Christians obeying Jesus. Everything flows from that.  

The Kite Runner

A rich, sensitive and heart-warming film about two childhood friends in Kabul and how they respond in different ways to evil.  Their choices and their consequences follow them into adulthood and don't go away.  The excellent story is complemented by rich views of Afghan life before and during the Taliban takeover, and of the life of Afghan immigrants to the U.S.  

Highly recommended; newly released on DVD.  

Toynbee on growth

Toynbee (see previous post) says that a society grows in response to challenges through the action of a creative individual or small minority.  This creative individual or group discovers a fresh way to move forward and influences others to go with them.  

But creativity has its nemesis: the idolatry of a previously successful identity, institution or technique.  

Creativity has to come from outside that which already exists.  Toynbee's argument is that ultimately such creativity comes from participation in the Kingdom of God, which alone is eternal.  

This leads to the thought that followers of Jesus Christ have as part of our mission to be so in touch with God's reign that we receive from him fresh insights as to how our own lives, our families, churches and nations can reject the idolizing of past achievements and serve God in our generation.  This doesn't mean devaluing or rejecting what God has done in the past, but building on and learning from it without being limited by it.  

And as we building our generation, we will do so in the full awareness that our work, too, shall pass as we will.  For we await the time when the new creation will bring in a world without evil or decay.  Our work is of value as it moves toward that Day.

Challenges

Historian Arnold Toynbee, in his A Study of History, saw the growth and decline of civilizations as depending on how they responded to the challenges that were theirs.  He wrote that history is an succession of: challenge → response → new challenge arising from that response → response to the new challenge, etc.  A successful response leads to growth and to a new challenge, whereas an unsuccessful one brings the society around to a repeat of the previous challenge, and to decline if there are repeated failures to respond creatively.  

This sounds to me like a useful model for the growth and decline of churches and individuals. 

Toynbee lists five kinds of challenges for a people.  Referring to "the virtues of adversity," he treats each challenge as a stimulus to the growth of a people if they respond creatively to it:

1.  The stimulus of a difficult terrain to work in.

2.  The stimulus of new ground to explore, occupy and develop.

3.  The stimulus of a blow or setback that is inflicted.

4.  The stimulus of some kind of constant pressure.

5.  The stimulus of one's own handicaps and weaknesses.  

Gearing Up

This blog will get into gear during the first full week in May.  

One of its features will be answers to questions sent in by readers.  Please send yours to pastormark@abcwesterville.com.  

Any question relating to the Christian faith and living it out in the realities of today's world is welcome.  I don't pretend, of course, to have all the answers, but I will share what wisdom I have received in the hope that it will be helpful.  The best questions are honest ones, and I will seek to give honest answers.  

Please include your name when sending a question.  It will not be shown on the blog.

See you soon!

Pastor Mark

Thoughts for Today

Day after tomorrow I'll be presiding at the funeral service for the fourth member of our congregation to pass away in the past our months. One person a month beginning last November. Florence, Pat, Betty, and Jim. All had surpassed the "three score and ten" years marker - a frequent achievement in our church.

While one natural focus for Christians on such occasions is the hope of the resurrection, there is another, life before death. It is for this that we have stories at hand. I notice that when a loved one goes to be with Christ to await the resurrection, we tell stores of what they gave to us of themselves in the life before death. "He taught me to drive." "He encouraged me in my struggle." "She always had a smile for me." And so on.

Today we are writing the stores that will be told of us when our time comes.