Walking Together

Yesterday, I posted a little bit about what it could mean to be inclusive as Christians.  Today, I want to follow that thought up a little bit more.  Specifically, as we think about the things that we do as Christians, how do we seek to include those who may not yet know Jesus, as we hope for the Spirit to do His work of changing their hearts to faith.

I'll start off with a quick question.  What would you think if a new person, not yet a Christian, but interested and open to learning more, came into your church and had a wonderful voice?  Would you welcome that person into the church choir prior to their becoming a "member"? (At some point, I'll talk a little bit about membership and what all it means, but for the moment, we'll say that it means they are instructed in the faith and say that they believe what they have learned)  If you say no, what are your objections?  If you say yes, what is your reasoning for including them?

I'm not going to say that there is a cut and dried solution to such a question as this.  I will also say that we are called to proceed in caution when we think of ways to have people not yet Christian walking alongside us.  For example, I would suggest that it would be inappropriate for a non-Christian to teach in the Sunday School class, regardless of how skilled they are as a teacher.  There is an element of sharing what you have learned in teaching, and if they have not yet learned and know Jesus, how can they share about Him?

At the same time, I would also suggest that we should look for more ways to include those not yet in Jesus in walking together with us.  Could they sing in the choir?  Perhaps there the Spirit will work through the words and the music to draw them to faith.  On the other hand, if they only see it as an opportunity to show off their voice, then perhaps it isn't fully appropriate.  How do you discern between these?  Well, as with most things, it gets back to connecting with the person, growing in a relationship with them.

Ultimately, the reason that we include people in our walk together is because we want them to know the hope of Jesus in their lives.  That means that we need to do the necessary work of getting to know them, of relating to them, of loving them as the neighbor that God puts among us.  Only as we get to know them can we understand which roles are appropriate for them to participate in as they walk along with us.  Sure, we may make mistakes about that from time to time, but that is where we rest even more on the forgiveness of God in Jesus.

What's Your Biggest Secret?

Several years back, I was participating in a leadership set of courses.  The leader for one of these courses had a great deal of wisdom to impart to all of us who were attending.  Among the many things he said, though, one thing has stuck in my mind over the years, a very important principle which I strive to remember and work with in my life and ministry.

His saying was something along these lines.  What's your biggest secret?  You need to discover what it is and figure out a way to deal with it, because Satan is simply waiting to use it to destroy your ministry and to bring shame to the name of Jesus.  The big thing that this presenter was going for was transparency, especially upon the part of the minister and ministry leader.

Now, admittedly, that can be a challenging thing to do.  We all have things about ourselves that we hope and pray to God that no one else in the world unearths.  And truly, it's going to prove impossible to deal with every sinful thought and expression that we have in life.  However, generally speaking, transparency with our sin, and openness with the things we struggle with, far often proves to be of greater value than hiding them away.

I think this can be especially challenging for one in a position of some authority in ministry.  How open is too open, and how open is not open enough?  Admittedly, that is a tough balance to discover.  The minister who is to open about his sinful tendencies can lead people to question his ability to lead and minister.  The minister who is too closed off about his sinful tendencies can seem to convey the sense that he has no struggles, or appears to be too squeaky clean, and therefore unapproachable by someone who truly does struggle.

I would suggest, however, that there is a great position to be open about one's sinful struggles, and to ask for forgiveness for them, especially before they put you into a position where it can damage ministry.  That's the wisdom that I believe the instructor was passing on to us as pastoral leaders, and I think it's a great bit of wisdom that also happens to be competely biblical and applicable.  May God guide all of us to that openness, to admitting our sinful struggles, and being willing to asking for forgiveness and seeing it granted for the sake of Jesus.

Transition Times

In my life, I have seen quite a few transition times.  Some of them have involved moving from one place to another, an event that I've done enough that I'd rather not have to do it too many more times in the future.  Some have involved significant life events, such as marriage, or the birth of a child.  And some have been much less significant, such as the time I decided to change my exercise routine from basketball (due to several sprained ankles and the doctor's advice) to running, and chose a half marathon as my first event.  All have impact, though some have greater impact that others.

Congregations also go through transitions.  Sometimes they involve major things, like the changing of pastors, or locations.  Sometimes they involve such things as refining the scope of the ministry of the congregation, seeking to be led by God's Spirit in ministry.  Sometimes they involve changeovers of significant people, such as when a long-time president or elder or teacher steps aside, or new people begin to make their way into leadership roles.

There are also transitions that come as congregations reach certain numbers of worship attendance.  Once a congregation reaches a certain number of people who call that place their worship home, things inevitably have to change.  One of these transitions arises as a congregation passes about the 50 worshiping community mark.  Up until that point, the pastor is pretty able to be a very hands-on shepherd for all of God's people.  In a congregation of that size, one or two influential members can be very important to the life of the congregation, and their support and work together is vital when congregations seek to minister.  Some would call this the family member size congregation.

After that 50 worshiping community number arrives, a transition takes place.  Now the pastor simply cannot be as hands-on with each person there as he and they might hope.  It becomes simply a logistical matter.  Also, as that worshiping community increases on to 100 and beyond, each individual voice becomes a bit less influential.  God's people begin to look to the pastor, rather than significant influential people for leadership and guidance.  Some would call this the pastor led congregation.

However, another transition takes place when the worshiping community begins to rise between 150-200 (several different authors place the transition at different places, but typically, they arrive between these two numbers in the worshiping community).  No longer can the pastor continue to effectively be the most influential servant among God's people.  He has to now rely upon other trusted leaders, since he simply cannot be everywhere, and attend to all the things that need attention and oversight.  The transition becomes more about the staff that work in close coordination with the pastor.  If that staff (which includes both paid and volunteer positions) are not on the same page and going in the same direction, many difficulties will occur.

This transition places a great deal of importance upon the individuals who walk alongside the pastor in guiding the congregation.  This isn't to say that they all have to agree with everything that the pastor leads (as though that were possible in the first place), but they all have to be able to work together, and then, when decisions are made, be able to support the decision, even if it isn't one they personally were hoping for (and, by the way, that also goes for the pastor, who cannot assert his authority unless it is something mandated by the Bible as right or wrong.  He also has to be able to go where the Spirit may lead through God's people, rather than in his own personal preference). 

Transitions are very important times for congregations.  They have to be handled with wisdom, with sensitivity, and with a great deal of care.  When they are handled well, the congregation remains equipped to share the Gospel message in their community.  When handled poorly, they often set back the congregation and cause an internal examination, rather than a striving to reach out to the community.  As congregations arrive at these transition places, the hope and prayer is always for a smooth, Spirit-led transition.

Demons in the Bible

Last night, I was part of an interesting conversation.  We had been studying Luke 11, starting at verse 14, and on through the rest of the chapter.  A couple of stories from Jesus' life are found there, starting with the healing of a man with a mute demon.  It then moves on to talk about what happens to an individual who may have a demon exorcised, but not subsequently filled with God's Spirit.

In the course of our conversation, a couple of things came out.  First, we talked about the apparent lack of demons and possessions in the Old Testament, which also led us to think about how often we encounter demon stories following the ascension of Jesus.  To our recollection, there weren't really all that many, either before the time of Christ, nor afterward.  And that got my mind to thinking.  Why would that be?

The one thing that jumped into my mind was that Jesus, being the one true God in human flesh and blood, can see that which we sinful humans simply cannot discern, spiritual realities that are beyond our vision in the form of demons.  That could be part of why demons are such an integral part of the Gospels, but not really all that common in the rest of the Bible.  Since we don't have the ability to see or discern demons with any sense of regularity, it fits that Jesus, being God, would not only be able to see them, but talk about them with His disciples.  But then, once Jesus ascended, we sinful humans still are unable to discern demons with regularity, and so things go back to the way they were before Christ's "arrival".

The other thought that came up was that Satan and his followers were extra busy while Jesus was walking the earth.  They would be unable to resist Jesus as a mere human being, since God would seem to be limiting Himself by becoming a human being.  Thus, if they could show their strength, perhaps they had a good possibility of foiling God's plans.

I'll state right out front that I don't expect any answers to this question on this side of God's eternal kingdom.  But it is something interesting to think about, especially in a day and age that either completely denies demons and spiritual forces of evil, or is overly fascinated by them.  But above all, it really reminds us that we aren't the ones who have power over demons and evil spirits.  That's God's job, and we're probably wise to let God handle those rather than taking on things that are beyond us anyway.

When busy is good

One of the addictions that I believe we tend to have as Americans is an addiction to being busy.  Not necessarily to being productive, but to being busy.  I dare you to look at your schedule for the week right now.  How many things on your activities list are things that build you up as a person, or as a family?  How many things on that schedule simply seem to be a time consumer, not really being of any overall benefit, but just calling for your time?

I have long believed that we Americans tend to have a hard time developing our priorities.  Or maybe I should say that we tend to let others determine what has priority for us.  We just hate to say no, or to let someone down, and so we agree, even if we don't have the time, or even if we end up giving a half-hearted effort simply because we are being pulled in so many ways.  We find that the things we are involved in don't bring us joy, but we start to look at them as though "I have to do this" rather than, "I get to do this."  And that makes a great deal of difference in how we participate, and in the effort we give.

I've read countless books that talk about listing out our priorities, and then saying no to the things that detract from what should be our highest priorities.  There's a book out there called "Good to Great," in which the author suggests that the hardest thing to do is to say no to something good that simply won't lead us to greatness.  I would suggest that this extends into our personal lives.  We find so many good things to do that we don't have the time or effort to make one or two things great in our lives.

Jesus really seems to have an idea on how to focus on the great, and not get distracted by the good.  We read stories about Him healing a few people, but I would dare to suggest that not everyone in the world got healed.  It even says that Jesus didn't do some miracles in places such as His hometown, in part, at least, because of their lack of faith. 

The thing is, Jesus could have made it His goal to do the good work of healing.  But that would have then consumed His time and focus on doing the great, journeying to the cross to offer His life as the sacrifice for sin, and to rise to life again as our hope for new life.  Jesus focused on the great, not to the exclusion of the good, but rather, giving the good it's proper priority in what He set out to accomplish.

As I take up my tasks at a new church, I know I'm going to be pulled in many different directions.  There are always so many good things that we can do as God's people, and that we should be doing.  One of my goals is to discover what the great things are that we can do as a congregation, and then give guidance toward them as our priority.  Not that we intend to exclude the good, but that we keep the great in focus.  And I pray that the LORD will give us His Spirit abundantly to discern what those "great" things are.

When the voice hides THE VOICE

This past weekend was an interesting one.  Over the past week or more, there have been quite a few wildfires out here in the west, and the smoke has invaded our mountain valley.  In addition, we had a large quantity of hay bales catch on fire, adding even more smoke and trapping it all inside our sheltered little valley.

This has had a dramatic effect on me.  It started with my sinuses, and then slowly worked its way down to my throat, inevitably landing in my voicebox.  Thus, over the weekend, I could hardly be heard when I spoke.  I wasn't sick or anything like that, I simply couldn't talk. 

Now, for most people, this might not be that big of an issue, but when you are in the profession I'm in, if Sunday rolls around and you can't talk, you have some issues.  After all, public speaking is part of the job description.  But as I stood before everyone and attempted my best efforts to speak, I also was reminded that it's not my voice that everyone gathers to hear.  It's God's voice that they need to hear.

I think that's one of the things that I need the occasional reminder of.  I know it sounds very simple, and yet, I have come to see that it's also a pretty challenging thing to do.  I am to be God's voice to His people.  That means that I speak what God says to His people.  When I find myself wanting to spend more time talking about things that I have a few thoughts on, I need the reminder that the people don't need to hear my thoughts.  They need to hear what God says about it.

I think most people in my profession understand this, but also find it challenging to consistently practice.  We all have our issues or topics that we enjoy spending more time on, or our personal favorite sins to rail against.  Keeping the focus off of our voice, and instead, letting God's voice be the one that shines through may seem fairly cut and dried, but my experience is such that it actually takes a lot of work to do.

In the end, this weekend served as a great reminder that it's not my voice that needs to be heard.  God's voice is the one that needs to resound.  It's His voice that needs to declare what is right and wrong, how we stand before Him as sinful and yet forgiven.  It's God's voice that needs to speak when it addresses our lives and what we do with them.  Yes, I may speak what He has to day, but when I start finding that I'm a bit too interested in the subject, or in crafting clever words to say, I need the reminder that I need to step aside and make sure that it's God's voice that rings through loud and clear, not mine.

When God seems absent

As I prepared to write out this post today, I took a moment to think about how I typically go about my day.  Granted, I have a somewhat unique position, but I still came to realize something that I think is probably shared among most people.  As I go about my day, I'll give thought to a few things about God, but I don't often look carefully for things that God may be doing, or regularly approach Him about particular situations, or even really give a lot of thought to what God might desire in whatever situations spring up.

To some degree, I think this is natural (in a sad way) for us as humans.  When Adam and Eve first disobeyed God, they seemed to suddenly be cut off from knowing what God's will would be in any given situation.  That left them on their own to figure things out.  So when we find ourselves in a situation where we wonder what would be the best thing to do, we don't have that intimate connection with God which would shine the light on it, and which we would joyfully follow.  Instead, we're left in the dark to try to figure out what might make sense, or what might work, or what we want most from the situation.

What does this mean for us in our day to day living?  It means that every decision and choice we make is one that we don't have God's direct influence and bearing on.  If we were perfect, and if we perfectly knew God's will, none of us would ever do anything that would bring harm to another.  But since we are sinful and imperfect, and since our connection with God is frayed and flawed because of sin, we can honestly say that we do not know what God may be doing in any given situation or circumstance.  That, then, causes us to feel as though God is absent, when the reality seems to be that He isn't absent, but that our connection to Him is broken.

While I know that many would say that the cure to this is to be constant in prayer and in the study of God's Word, I have started to think that it may actually mean that we fall back onto God's grace even more.  If we are uncertain about what God is doing or may intend in any given situation, we proceed based upon what we know and believe about God, knowing that we will not do it perfectly, but that our imperfection and sin is covered by the blood of Jesus and smothered by God's grace.  That means that, no matter what I may end up doing, I'm still in God's grace.  It may be the "right" or "wrong" thing to do, but it doesn't take me from the grace of God which is mine in Christ Jesus.