Secular/Sacred: Necessary Distinctions

As a big time reader, I have seen that there are two significant words that repeatedly arise when talking about faith matters in our current day and age.  These two are secular and sacred.  Now, before we can really jump into the distinctions between them, as well as what is helpful, it's always important to actually know what we are talking about.  So let's start off with working out some definitions for these two.

When I make use of the word secular, it's typically in the sense that it is not something directly related to a faith or belief issue.  Okay, let me explain.  The driving of a car is a secular issue.  The Bible never refers to a car, nor to any rules governing the driving of a car.  From that standpoint, a car is a purely secular thing.  It has no correlation whatsoever in the biblical world.

Sacred, on the other hands, carries an implication of something that is set apart for God.  A chalice that is set aside for use in the celebration of the Lord's Supper is sacred in the sense that it is set apart for a purpose directly related to a faith action.  Because it has been set apart for that, there is a great reluctance to utilize it for something like the church potluck. 

These two examples seem pretty self evident.  The distinction between sacred and secular in these instances seems pretty cut and dried.  But, sadly, things are not always so clear cut.  In many churches, trying to figure out a system for organizing an approach to ministry seems to paint a gray area in the secular/sacred discussion.  Can a church adopt current secular research to create a system of managing the ministry which is set apart for service to God?  Is the use of management theory crossing the line of bringing something secular into something that should be sacred?  These are the questions that many are currently asking, and is being lively debated in many a pastors' circle.

This will not be an easily arrived at conclusion, and in fact, is probably one that differs from person to person, and from church to church.  We'll keep this discussion going, and I'll be bringing several different scenarios to the table for our thought.  As always, we will look at how the discussion can build up the body of Christ, rather than creating unnecessary strife, so if you feel compelled to comment, please be considerate of other readers who may have a differing point of view.

Who is God, and Why is the Question Important?

Who is God?  That might not be the question on the mind of many people, at least not on any kind of regular basis.  Sure, when significant things happen in life, they might wonder about some entity bigger than they are, but in the day to day runnings of life, most probably don't give a great deal of thought to the question. 

That often leads to the question getting relegated, as I mentioned, to those significant moments of life.  The problem is, those moments are most often tragic, or moments of pain and hurt.  A loved family member dies unexpectedly.  A relationship is painfully broken.  Then, the question comes out, why would God let/cause this to happen? 

I would suggest that the question of "Who is God" is most difficult to answer in those cases if one hasn't been asking the question throughout one's life.  If you start off each day asking who God is, and you see the sunshine, or the needed rain, or you hear the birds singing, or you see the fall colors, or new growth in the spring, you start to see God as much more involved in this life and world, than if you only focus on those significant moments.  And then, if you see God's hand working in these kind of ways, then you start to see that the supposed absence of God in those tough moments actually show that God's goodness is far more prevelant than the times of His supposed absence.

That's why this question is important, not just at those significant moments of life, but daily.  God created and designed this world to run in a particular way, a way that is truly fascinating to behold.  I've had the joy of living in places where you can see His hand at work in creation, and it truly is amazing to see.  I've had the joy of seeing God working in the lives of many people, and see how their recognition of His daily presence gives them far greater strength when the tough times inevitably hit.  When we relegate the question only to the big moments of life, we're going to be far more disappointed, because we fail to see how God is concerned with everything that happens each day.  We expect the miraculous, which God only seems to do on occasion, and then we are disappointed that God didn't throw a miracle our way to stop our pain. 

How does that question invade your daily life?  As it does, what do you see about who God is? 

Accountability and Praise

"And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only."  Philippians 4:15

I have to admit it today.  For those of you who would hold me accountable, I admit to having fallen short in my attempts to blog on a daily or even regular basis.  I ask your forgiveness for that, and pray that you haven't missed my muddled thoughts too much.

When we think of the word accountability, we often think of holding someone's feet to the fire when they fail.  Or, we think of being that one who has to harrass them along the way to make sure that they finish what they start.  While there are places for that in accountability, I also believe that there is something that we often find missing.

How do praise and accountability go together?  In some ways, it should be a no brainer.  When someone completes what we were holding them accountable for, we should be quick to praise them.  If we hold off on that, then there is no cause to celebrate, and perhaps means that, the next time, the person may not have as great of motivation to follow through all the way. 

I would even suggest that praise should play a greater role in accountability overall.  As we see one another making progress, or even in simply growing in whatever it may be for which we are accountable, we benefit greatly from praise for that progress.  It is a celebration of movement, from one place to another.  It is a reassurement that there is engagement on your part toward them.  And, it also provides for an opportunity to grow together in relationship.

We often think of accountability as being the driver behind the person, the reminder when they need to do something, the kick in the pants, so to speak.  But I would also suggest that a part of accountability means that we announce the praise of achievement.  It's great even when we let the other one know what we will do to celebrate their accomplishment.  That may give them that extra bit of motivation that a kick in the pants wouldn't bring.

Jesus has painted a picture of the great wedding feast that lies ahead for all who put their hope and trust in what He has done.  That praiseworthy picture of our end also encourages us to live as one who is going to be joined to this groom!  We want to be worthy of His attention and devotion, even though He tells us that it's unnecessary on our part.  But we see the end result, and we want to be found in that praise, and so we pattern our lives according to our Groom and Master.

As you hold others accountable, what are some ways that you can incorporate praise into that?  I would even say that, the more you do that, the less you might have to be the kick in the pants!

Guilt or Influence

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom."  1 Corinthians 2:1

How do you go about getting people to do work of ministry?  That is one of the age-old questions.  I would dare say that it will be a question that will continue until our Lord Jesus makes His grand re-appearance at the end of the age.  And until then, we human creatures will continue to work to engage people in ministry in better and in poorer ways.

Up front, I'm going to say that I don't have the best solution, or anything like that.  What I am going to say is that I can see how certain motivations are more powerful than others, and some are called for in one situation, but not in another.  So this topic, like so many others, is more varied and dynamic than we might typically want to approach it.

To start off this discussion, though, I want to focus on one primary area.  Do we communicate that we want people to engage in ministry by making them feel guilty for their current level of engagement, or do we seek to influence them to greater engagement?  I realize that guilt is actually one means of influence, and I will argue that it is one of the weakest ones, especially in our day and age. 

Guilt, I would suggest, is never the ideal means of engaging people in ministry.  At the best, it may promote a time period where they are engaged, but since it starts off from a negative emphasis (i.e., you should be doing more), it simply cannot help but arrive at a relieved end.  Once the level of guilt has been "covered", then it's back to where the person was before.

Influence is a whole other line of thinking.  Influence means that you don't have some way of coercing people into ministry engagement; you have to be persuasive.  You can't just say, "Do this,", but you have to demonstrate what you want them to be engaged with, and how to go about doing it.  Yes, this takes more effort and time, and the working of the Holy Spirit, but in the end, influence would seem to bring about more lasting engagement in ministry, and even more joy.

Guilt, or influence?  I think we would mostly agree that influence is better, but in practice, find it much easier to fall back on guilt.  But maybe today is the day to start making that change in approach. 

Accountability and Trust

This week, I've been posting quite a bit about accountability and our lives of faith as Christians. Reading through the Scriptures, we discover that God is a God who believes in accountability.  We find that all the way back in the beginning.  When Cain murdered Abel, he was confronted by God, who asked him where his brother was.  Cain's response was, "Am I my brothers' keeper?"  The answer that God consistently and continually gives throughout the rest of His Word is, yes, you are your brother's keeper.

That means that we are called to hold one another accountable.  Now, we should do this in a loving, caring fashion, with an intent more on reconciling and building up rather than in proving others wrong or coming across as "holier than thou".  We do it because we see that we are unable to meet God's standard, and as people point out areas of growth, lovingly, to us, we also want to do the same for them.  Again, not because we rejoice in pointing out their deficiencies, but because we want to see them growing in their Christian walk with their neighbors, and with God.

There is one element that is vitally necessary when it comes to accountability.  That is trust.  If you do not trust the person who is holding you accountable, if you think they have it "in" for you, or if you think they are pointing things out to tear you down, then you  are not going to take their accounability of you very well.  You'll more likely be more resistant, and even grow in your resistance, toward the good that they may be guiding you toward.  Lack of trust, especially in a situation calling for accountability, is disastrous.

That's why we have to grow in trust with one another before we can begin to hold one another accountable.  That's why growing in the fellowship is truly vital.  As a gathering of Christians, we simply cannot hold one another accountable if we don't believe that the other is doing this out of love, or out of a concern to build up the body.  If we suspect that they are thinking of themselves as better, or if they intend to build themselves up at your expense, then trust isn't present, which means that you probably also won't choose to be held accountable.

Trust begins by growing in relation with others.  If you want to see another person held accountable for things in their life, a great way to begin that process is to get to know them better.  Become their friend, not with the ulterior motive of changing them, but knowing that the best means of bringing about that godly change is if you have a good, trusting relationship with them. 

Accountability Culture

"In those days, there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes."  Judges 21:25.

This verse is the last one in the sad account of the judges of Israel.  Remember that they were 12 tribes, each doing their own thing, and even within each tribe, there were clans, families, and so forth.  There was not much unity.  There was definitely little accountability to one another.  And so, we have this sad ending to the period of the judges that was about to lead to Saul, and then to David.  Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

Flash to our current day and age.  We have stressed to us that we are the one that is important.  Marketers direct everything to make it about us choosing.  We want it our way.  Even when it comes to our worship life, we often choose a church based on what we get out of it, rather than what we can put into it.  And when the "I", or the "self" becomes what is most important, then accountability flies out the window.

It's interesting how this creeps into our life together as Christians.  Let me present just one example.  Think about the reasons you attend worship where you do.  Do you go there to "get something out of it?"  Do you go there to connect with friends and like-minded people?  Do you go there because you were raised that way and it's the right thing to do?  While these are important considerations, I would throw one other thought out there for our consideration.

Do you go where you go for the benefit of others?  True, you will always get something out of worship, and there are those who are better at conveying that than others.  God's Spirit will work, and you will receive God's forgiveness and grace, no matter what.  But are you there to build up others?  Are you there to hold others accountable, and to be held accountable to the body, as well?  Your absence there takes away from the fellowship and the body.  So, how willing are you to being held accountable for your presence or lack thereof in worship life together?

When we do what we do for our own benefit, then we probably should expect a revolving door in and out of the church.  After all, if the people coming in are only looking for their own good, if they don't find it, we should wish them well in finding a place that does that.  But if we do what we do for the benefit of others, we begin to teach accountability, which serves to build up the body all together. 

Scriptural Accountability

There is a thought and directive that comes straight from the pages of God's Word to us that, to be quite frank, scares me to death.  Take a moment to open up your Bible (or click over the link here to do so) and read Ezekiel 33:1-9.  In there, God tells Ezekiel that he is a watchman for God.  If Ezekiel warns the people of God's wrath, but they don't turn away, at least Ezekiel has done his duty.  The people are then responsible for their own sin in God's eyes.  However, if Ezekiel fails to warn them, they will still be responsible for their sin in God's eyes, but God will also hold Ezekiel accountable, for his failure to warn them about the coming wrath of God.

That is, honestly, a terrifying thought.  To think that there may be people around me who stand in danger of bearing God's wrath, and I have the responsibility to warn them of that wrath, well, that's a tough one in the first place.  But to think that I am also held responsible for their condemnation if I failed to warn them of that coming wrath of God, well, that is downright terrifying.  How many missed opportunities have been there?  How often have I failed to speak when necessary?

It might seem that this would be easier when it is God's own people that I should have to talk with about this matter.  After all, we share faith, we share similar morals and ethics, so warning them should be easier, right?  And yet, how many times have I failed to speak up when I saw a brother or sister engaged in some sin that is blatantly contrary to God's Word?  How many times have I failed in that simply because I wanted to avoid the confrontation, or because I didn't want to come across as judgmental or damning? 

Speaking truth with love, especially concerning God's wrath, isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, mostly because we know that our sinful nature doesn't like to hear such a thing, and neither will theirs.  Yet, what could be more loving than to speak that word that hurts, yet brings the ultimate healing of God's forgiveness?

I read an article this morning about the famous comedian pair, Pen and Teller.  To be blunt, neither one is a Christian, and yet, the article made reference to them saying this.  If you truly believe that there is a heaven and a hell, and you know what would cause people to be sent to hell, how much must you hate them to fail to say anything to warn them about it?  Tough words for someone like me to hear, especially from an atheist, telling me that I am hateful if I don't speak that word.  Now, granted, they may have an axe to grind (undoutedly), but the point is well taken. 

Not only that, to think that, as was pointed out to Ezekiel, we actually are held accountable for others.  This week, I'll be focusing on accountability, since that word seems somewhat forgotten in our day and age.  Biblically speaking, it's there, and it's a tough teaching to take.  However, with the light of the Gospel shining on us, God prepares us to be held accountable, and to hold others accountable, according to His Word and design. 

Building a Lasting Foundation

In our day and age, we often marvel at marriages that reach 50 years.  When we hear about one that lasts longer than that, we are often astounded.  This is especially true in the day and age and place in the world we live in.  Some daunting statistics (and remember, statistics aren't the end all, but a helpful tool to discover what's going on) indicate that seven out of eight marriages either end in divorce or are places where love is not flowing abundantly, where two people stay together simply because it's easier to do than going their separate ways.

The reasons for this are way too many for me to spell out here.  However, there are several primary areas of concern that simply are not being given to people getting married to help their marriage be a lasting vocation.  Some of these are the areas of communication, how to deal with conflict, and how to manage the money situation.  And I have now been a pastor long enough to know that there is not nearly enough emphasis placed on these when two young people prepare to lock their lives together.

In other words, we really aren't building a lasting foundation for marriages, and therefore, by extension, for families.  When two people think the only way to communicate in conflict is to yell at each other, we realize that so many people have let them down by not teaching them a better way to communicate in conflict and come to a resolution.

As Christians, who believe what God teaches about marriage being as long as we live, we really should be highlighting and emphasizing how a couple goes about building a lasting foundation for their marriage.  Yet, too often, we wait to play "fire control", dealing with issues when things are falling apart, rather than fighting to prevent those issues from becoming too large in the first place.  Far too few churches have rigorous marriage counseling as part of their requirement for the wedding ceremony.  Far too few focus on building up and strengthening marriages to help families deal with those things that threaten to separate what God has joined together. 

Even though it may not be convenient to those who just want to get married, having them go through a period of learning how to deal with each other in good and in bad would go a long way to creating a lasting foundation.  Checking in throughout the marriage to offer help and assistance would help check for the cracks and damages that may take place, and then bring a measure of healing.  That's the kind of thing we mean by family ministry.  Building a lasting foundation for the things God created to last.

Saying What I Haven't Said Yet About Family Ministry

Over the past few weeks at Oak Road, I've been laying out for the saints there a picture of where we will be heading as a congregation.  One of the facets of that has been in the area of Family Ministry.  Now, I recognize that anytime you throw the word "family" into the conversation, there are certain pictures that pop into the mind.  Quite often, we think about your typical family, that of a mother, father, and some number of children.  While that is certainly a part of family ministry, it isn't the whole picture by any means.

Family ministry involves people in any and all stages of life.  There are families that consist of a single person.  There are families that consist of a married couple who have not yet had children.  There is the "typical" family of mother, father, and children.  There is the family of one parent plus children.  Then, there is the family of grown children who have moved out.  There is the family of retired persons having to learn to live with much more frequent contact with one another.  There is the family of the grieving widow or widower.   And there are many, many more family stages that we could add.

The point here is, family ministry is intended to cover all ages and stages.  Sure, there may be some particular ages and stages that get more attention, or more resources, but as family ministry develops, we will indeed be looking at all ages and stages.  Family ministry cannot help but do that.  That means that, as we look to develop this important area of ministry, we will have many different lenses that we will be looking through.

To aid in this, I will be talking to several people in the congregation about helping in the creation of what all this will look like.  What will we offer?  What kinds of programs might be helpful?  Who all will be part of it?  These are the questions that this group will help me to figure out, as we look to build up the family of all ages and stages as God would have us do.

Back to the Basics

I'm not a tremendously musical person, but there are a few elements of music that I do know.  I know that you need to start playing something like the piano or some other instrument by not only learning how to make it make the appropriate sound, but by teaching your fingers where to go.  And the way that you do that is to practice.  You teach your fingers to go where they need to go so that they do so without you having to consciously think about it. 

I do know this about music, too.  Even master musicians will occasionally reflect back on the basic chords so that they continue to keep sharp.  The basics form the foundation of everything.  When you start to find something difficult, it's probably a good idea to go back and remember how the basics of it went, so that then, when you try something more challenging, you have that foundation as a second nature.

I would hold the same thing holds true for our Christian faith.  We live in a day and age where our eye often gets caught by that which is flashy, that which is popular, that which is dynamic.  We love to see the shiny end result.  The thing that I have observed, which I find rather sad, is that there are many who want the shiny, flashy end, but who don't want to go through the process of getting there.  We live in an era of shortcuts, soundbites, and don't want to think that there may be a rather significant foundation that needs to be in place for it to be a lasting thing.

Our faith lives can be somewhat similar to that.  So many in our day and age want the popular thing that has people (young ones especially, it seems) flocking to the doors.  They want the shiny show, the flashy performance, the instant conversions.  And yet, as I read through the Bible, I discover that the life of faith actually builds a lot of some very basic things, things that continually arise before us.

I should say up front that I am a big fan of building something that will endure.  I'm not big into the flashy, quickly popular thing.  I want something that gets built, and then lasts for a long, long time.  The thing is, such things rarely come easily.  They require time.  They require knowing the basics, so that the foundation is there for a lifetime of faith, enduring on to eternal life.

With that, I'm introducing a fall theme for the people of Oak Road Lutheran Church.  Basic Training: the Basics of the Christian Faith.  We'll be venturing through some of the very basic elements of our faith that you may think you know, but that you may be surprised are much deeper than you ever considered before.  The hope is to build a lasting foundation as we reflect upon the very basics of our life together in Christ Jesus.  More on this in future entries.