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.

Building Up The Body

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..."  Ephesians 4:11-13

In recent months, I have taken a new challenge upon myself.  I have a coach who helps me walk through my thinking when it comes to the work that I do of building up the body, of preparing God's people to continue the spread of God's kingdom into this world, and in the building up of the Body that already is part of God's kingdom.

I have a coach for a few reasons.  I recognize that, while I may have some level of education, I also do not have all the answers when it comes to leading, to teaching, and to preparing God's people.  God gives us others to help us clarify our thoughts, to refine our thinking, and to come up with ideas and plans that are sharpened upon the iron whetstones of others.  None of us is so wise on our own that our thoughts and ideas have no room for improvement, and so I have a coach to help me sharpen my thinking.

I also have a coach to assist in holding me accountable for what I plan to do.  One thing that has been proven time and time again is that, when we humans have someone to whom we have to report, we have a much greater tendency to do what we planned to do.  When we are left to our own devices, we are much more likely to let things slide and leave them undone.  But when we have someone who will ask us about them, or with whom we partner, then we are much more likely to follow through.  So I have a coach to also serve as a means of motivating me to do that which I plan.

But ultimately, I have a coach because God's ministry is not done by one person.  As you read through the verses above, it should become clear that the one who is placed as leader of God's people has the responsibility to build up the members so that they take up the ministry in greater and more direct ways.  In some respects, the one who finds himself in the place I happen to hold has a great responsibility to teach others how to do what God would have the Body of Christ be doing.  It's not merely setting them free to do what they want, but to teach them how to do it, and work with them as they figure it out.

So I have a coach because I cannot do it all on my own.  Even as I prepare others, I also need to be prepared.  Even as I teach others to be disciplined, I also need to be disciplined.  Even as I build up others, I need to be built up.  And those are some of the reasons that I have a coach.

How Well Do You Draw?

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."  Jesus, as recorded in John 12:32.

We've all known that person who just seemed to draw a crowd to themselves.  They had something about them that just seemed to attract others to them.  And, truth be told, we've all probably had those moments where we had a bit of envy toward them.  We wonder why we can't naturally draw people to us the way that they are able.  They seem to naturally converse with others.  They seem to set people at ease.  People actually like to be around them, and look for opportunities to be around them.

It's not a stretch at all to say that Jesus was like this.  When you read through the Gospel accounts, you find that people were coming to hear Jesus, and people were generally saying good things about Him.  And then, in the verse we have above, we also see that Jesus is eventually going to draw all people to Himself.  Everyone in this world will eventually stand before Him, on the day of judgment, and will be drawn to Him, whether they want to or not.

But as we await that day, I want to put a different thought before you.  How well do you draw?  How well do you draw others to yourself?  And right there, some of you might stop reading.  You might not want to draw others to yourself.  You may comfort yourself by saying that you are an introvert or something along those lines, but really, that's no excuse.  You really do want others to notice you and to like you, you just may find that you aren't as comfortable in doing that as other people seem to be.

Here is where this also hits us as Christians.  How well do you draw others to yourself, because, when you bear the name of Jesus, what you do is what also gets associated with Jesus.  If you are a Christian and you avoid others, those others will inevitably think the same of Jesus.  As Christians, we aren't called to live lives of isolation.  Instead, just as Jesus was sent to draw people to Himself, we are also sent to draw people to Jesus.

So how well do you draw?  It might not be the most natural thing, but you know what?  It doesn't have to be dynamic or anything like that.  In fact, I would even suggest that you start off by choosing one person that is newer to you, and taking a genuine interest in their life.  When you get down to it, that's actually the heart of what makes you a drawing person.  You are interested in others.  You ask questions about them.  You want to see them, and to spend time with them.  They are drawn to that.

Who is there that is newer at your local body of believers that you can work to draw to Jesus by drawing them to yourself?  Simply start showing an interest in them that isn't just superficial, but that truly wants to get to know them.  You might even just find that others start to see you as one of those people who seem to draw others as you grow in thise!

The Art of Training

Proverbs 22:6--Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

It's likely that you have read this verse before.  So many Christians have looked at this verse over the ages and thought it a worthwhile one to pursue.  And so, many programs have developed around the idea.  Teach children about God, about the Bible, about their faith, and it should "stick". 

In a sense, this kind of approach is a very "modern" approach.  Now, when I use the word "modern", I don't mean a current, up to date approach.  I mean an approach that is typical of the period of time that has been called "modern" in recent years.  And the reason I suggest that this is a "modern" approach is because of the presumptions that go into the approach are ones that came to highlight the "modern" era.

So what are those presumptions?  Well, one of them presumes that, if you fill a child's mind with good things, then good things should come out of the child.  If we apply the proper knowledge and information to the child, then the child should come out right.  And yet, every single one of us can likely name a child who went through a program like Sunday School, confirmation, or some other teaching of the Christian faith, and then failed to live up to the second part of the verse above.  They departed from it.  While their heads may have been filled with good things, the good that was hoped for did not emerge.

That's why I really like the first word of the verse.  "Train."  Training is not merely learning.  Training involves far more than knowledge.  Training aims to penetrate into the entire life.  It involves what we know, as well as how we think, how we act, how we discipline ourselves, and how we actually live out what we think and believe.  Training doesn't presume that, if you put good in, good will come out.  Training presumes that you will have to actively work to bring that good to life.

One of the downsides of traditional "modern" education is that it focuses primarily on the knowledge component of learning.  In recent years, the thought of actually getting out and experiencing what we learn has started to gain much traction.  I'm actually very much in favor of such an approach.  As we actively engage our world with the teachings of our Christian faith, we'll start to see how God's wisdom applies and works within the world.  We'll see the obstacles that we have to learn to deal with, such as inherited sin, greed, selfishness, and alternative worldviews.  And as we encounter those, we then come back together to share those experiences, see what God says about them, and learn and grow with one another.

Training.  It means intentional work.  When St. Paul says to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, I have a suspicion that this is something of what he means.  Not that we have to work to be right with God.  God has done that completely through Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection.  But as we see just how deeply that impacts every aspect of our lives, we recognize the need for training to live that faith out daily.

The Listening Ear

"Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips he is deemed intelligent."  Proverbs 17:28

"Better to keep your mouth closed and have people think you a fool than to open your mouth and prove it."  Unknown

Some conversations stand out in the mind more than others.  I remember one that happened in my past.  I was talking with a person over a disagreement we had, and I found myself getting frustrated.  It seemed as though every time I would start to say something, I would get cut off.  The other person wouldn't even let me finish what I was saying much of the time.  It really came across to me as though my words weren't important to them, and that their words carried far more weight. 

Perhaps you've had an experience like this before, too.  I tend to liken it to a lack of proper listening skills (and even perhaps a lack of conversational skills).  The one who is so impatient to say what's on their mind that they can't wait until the other person even finishes what they are saying can be a very frustrating thing. 

Yet, one thing that stands out in God's Word is the encouragement to be a far better listener than speaker.  It's almost as though God would have us use our ears far more frequently than He would have us use our mouths.  The trouble is, listening requires work and effort.  It takes far less effort to say whatever pops into our heads.  And to not merely listen, but to strive to understand what the other person is saying?  Well, that takes even greater effort, an effort which few seem willing to try.

This fall I'll be spending quite a bit of time on here talking about conflict, confrontation, and confession and forgiveness.  It shouldn't come as a surprise that one of the matters that I will continually circle around on will involve being a good listener.  Being a good listener requires work and effort, and yet, few things will endear you to others than being a good listener.

Why not take a conversation you find yourself engaged in today, and practice really trying to understand what the other person is saying, rather than planning out your responses?  See how it changes the conversation.  What does it do to your mind as you attempt to listen, and to keep the mouth closed?

Talking Personally About Faith

Researchers assert that it's a lost art.  In fact, not too long ago, I read an article from a Christian leadership website that made the assertion that most church-going people don't talk about their faith.  Now, anytime I hear statements like that, I wonder what exactly they mean by that.  I think there are levels of faith talk that are important for us to consider, and I can see where researchers may be lead to make assertions like this.

First, there is the level of simply talking about church life.  You go to a church, you like your church, and so you talk with other people about your church.  This is a relatively safe level.  You aren't really getting into anything too personal nor too controversial.  This level of conversation revolves around talk of activities and who attends the activities.  Sure, you may talk about what you learned at one of the activities, but this level still remains fairly generic, in a sense. 

Then, there's the level of talking about why your church does the things that it does.  To use an example, this is where you talk with others about why your church wants to have an active youth group.  You want to help kids out.  You want to provide a safe environment for them.  You want them to grow up and know the faith of their parents.  You're getting a little deeper into reasons, and as you do that, you open yourself up a bit more.  Maybe you don't like the direction, or you think there are other things that could take place that would do a better job.  Maybe the person you are talking to doesn't see it as an important issue.  The deeper you go, the more open you are about yourself.

This previous level is one that we sometimes dive into.  But to take it to the next level is the challenging one, and the one that I would imagine most researchers are actually talking about when they say that people don't talk about their faith.  This is the level at which you explain WHY you believe what you believe.  It's the level where you talk about the specifics of WHAT you believe, and how it impacts your life.  It gets very personal.  It opens you up to the other person.  They can see your motivations.  They see those things that are important to you. 

Now, from one standpoint, it's kind of understandable why church people would be reluctant to go to this last level.  It's very personal, and we tend to only open ourselves up to those that we know, with whom we have developed trust.  But that's also the very thing that is hard to build if we don't open ourselves up to others.  We are afraid that someone might not understand, or that they might see us in a less positive light if we reveal these things about ourselves.  And so, we clam up about talking about what Jesus means to me, and why it's important that I believe He rose from the dead.  We have a hard time talking about the hope that we have in the resurrection.  And as we struggle with that, many look at us and wonder why we have such a tough time speaking about it if it's so important to us.

Maybe we need practice at this.  Maybe we need to take a new approach, that of opening ourselves up to others regardless of what they do with our openness.  And maybe, as we do that, we'll get more comfortable doing it, and our conversations can move from the first level to the last level, and that just might be the means by which God's Spirit works to draw them to Jesus through us.

Learning by Doing

There is a great account of experiential learning in the Old Testament.  It happens really early in the book we call Exodus.  This man by the name of Moses sees this bush on fire, but not burning up.  The LORD God speaks to him, saying that Moses will lead God's people out of Egypt.  And then, Moses asks the really relevant question; Who am I, that I should do this?  God then gives Moses a very interesting answer.

If you look at Exodus 3:12, God responds to Moses' question in a very interesting way.  How will you know that it's you that will do this, Moses?  You'll know when you've brought the people out and ya'll're worshiping on this mountain.  (By the way, that's the southern version there.)  God doesn't give Moses a ten step program to follow on freeing people from slavery.  He doesn't give him a book to read on leadership.  God tells Moses, go do this, and you'll know you're up to it when you have finished.

That's a very stark contrast to how we tend to emphasize learning in our day and age.  We read books about whatever it is that we're learning.  We talk about what it would look like to do it.  We talk about the reasons that we should be doing it, and we talk about the challenges of it.  We talk about the history of it, or what research has said about it.  And maybe, by now, you've gotten the point.  We talk about learning.  But how often do we actually get out there and do what we're learning about in order to learn about it?

The best way to actually learn to do something is by getting out there and trying it.  Sure, sometimes a little background information helps (like knowing what a baseball is, from yesterday's example).  And sure, sometimes reading the guide helps (like programming your TV or other devices).  But really, it's when you get in there and tinker with it that you really learn how things work.  It really does seem like God created us to learn by doing, by experiencing the life He has given us.