A Little Catching Up

Those of you who follow me may have noticed that I have been quiet for about a week.  Last week, I was crossing the plains of Nebraska in search of future workers for God's kingdom.  While it's not as large as my home state of Texas, there are still plenty of miles to travel there, and enough things to keep working on that I just ran out of time.

So, what else has been going on?  Glad you asked.  Just yesterday, we hosted a block party for our street for the second year in a row.  The smaller city we live in provides hot dogs and drinks, and leaves barricades at the ends of the street, so that the residents of the street can get to know each other, eat together, and create a stronger neighborhood.  Last year, we were pleasantly surprised at the turnout, and this year, it was even bigger.

When God tells us to love our neighbor, we understand that there are multiple ways to understand the term "neighbor."  Yes, it means the literal person who lives next door, and we are to strive to live at peace with them, as much as it lies with us.  It also means the people of our general area (city, metro area, county, state, and nation).  On the largest of scales, we also understand it to mean every person that God has created on this earth.

For us, the block party is a great way to bring that love and care to our literal neighbors.  We met some new neighbors, reconnected with some that we hadn't seen too much over the last year, and connected even more deeply with some we see with regularity.  It's also interesting to see their reactions when they learn of my work, though for the most part, they seemed rather accommodating to serving the Lord (especially since we have two sets of nuns that live on our street).  I even had one of the nuns ask me if I knew a certain pastor in the area, who just happens to be my pastor at the church I attend!  It's amazing what you learn when you live life together.

I had to miss an on-campus event that evening in which we hosted a theologian who was speaking on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book, "Life Together."  Though I missed the session, I would hope that Bonhoeffer would agree with the reason for missing it, that I was living life together with the people on my street.  My hope is that we Christians can become more known for such activities as this.

Customer Service and Christian Love

As many of you may know, I do a lot of leadership reading, as well as reading to improve myself.  All of this in addition to the regular educational reading I do.  (Yes, I am admittedly a nerd, and not afraid to be one.)  One thing that I see a lot in leadership reading is the thought of customer service.  I'm sure you have heard the phrase, or one similar to it.  "The customer comes first" or "The customer is always right."  Reading through sales research, it's often highlighted that the best salespeople don't sell you the product they want to sell, but the one you want to buy.  Yes, I know that seems like a fine distinction, but it's also a very important one in the area of sales.

That got me thinking about how this could possibly relate to our life in Christ.  A good salesman looks to see what is of interest to the customer.  The good salesman looks beyond his/her own ego to see things from the customer's eyes, and then attempts to see what he/she can provide that satisfies what the customer is looking for.  To put it succinctly, the best sales people try to discover what the customer is looking for, and then works to find something that fits best with the customer's need or desire.

This echoes Christian love to some small extent.  (Yes, I know a few of you may take exception to me comparing Christian love with sales, but please bear with me on this.) As Christians, we look to put aside our own wants and needs to serve others.  Just read Philippians 2 if you want to see an awesome example of this.  We look not to our own interests (in sales terms, not to sell what we want to sell), but to the interests of others (again, in sales terms, to see what truly matters to the customer, seeing things through their eyes).  We do what is right for the other, not what we wanted to do for ourselves.

Now, every example is going to always fall short, and this one is no exception.  We don't "sell" Christian love to another with the ulterior motive that we want then to become Christian.  Of course, our hope and prayer is that they will see our caring action toward them and then question why we would put their needs over our own, or they will wonder why we were so interested in them and in their life, why we wanted to make sure that they received what they needed.  Yes, we hope that we will have the opportunity to share our hope in Christ Jesus with them and see them come to believe in what He has done for them.  But, and here's the kicker, we aren't caring toward them in order to do that.  We care for them because God created us to care for one another.  If we are kind and caring toward them with the hope of their conversion, we are basically utilizing another (poor, I might add) sales tactic, called bait and switch.

In conclusion, Christian love seeks to find what is of meaning and need with the person with whom we are relating, and then doing it.  We do it without any expectation in return.  Their response is in their hands, and is guided by God and His Spirit.  That is ultimately what grace is.  Giving with no expectation in return, and then pleasantly thankful when there is some response, such as an opportunity to share Christ's forgiveness and hope, or even to say that we did it because God first cared for us in such a way. 

A Question of Expectations

As many of you know, I happen to have a Facebook account, and so, on those occasions where I sign on, I get to see many of the memes that make their way across such social media accounts.  I can recall one recently which said something along the lines of this: If you find that you have had your trust in your church cause you to consider leaving, you have put your trust in the wrong place.  In many respects, such a sentiment is spot on.  The main point of this gathering of people we call the Church is that we rejoice that we are a people redeemed by Jesus Christ, and thus, made right with God.  Our hope and trust is in God and in His gracious action toward us, in forgiving us, in renewing us, and in giving us a place to strengthen that belief.

Yet, I believe that this sentiment also somewhat misses the point.  The big point I want to raise for us right now is that, when God brings together this thing called the Church, He brings together people who are broken and tainted by sin, and who may strive valiantly against that sin in their lives, but who remain sinful people nevertheless.  That means that it is inevitable that we will hurt each other through our sinfulness. 

Our hope and trust is in the God who creates this Church.  It's not in the people of the Church.  And yet, we also have to admit that the people of the Church will inevitably have an impact upon us and our faith in Jesus.  For example, if we see the leaders of the church engaged in gossip, or slighting a member of the congregation intentionally, that has an impact on the people who see and hear such a thing.  Distrust is created, which truly can harm the faith of some. 

So, that means that we strive to remember that everything we do as Christians does indeed have an impact in our lives together in the Church.  Our hope is that we mature enough to learn how to deal with our fellow sinful believers who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus.  And that leads directly to the question of the day.

What do you expect from your fellow Christians in the Church?  If you are expecting a holy life, you will likely be severly disappointed.  If you are expecting them to give and give, and not need in return, you will probably also be disappointed.  However, if you expect that you are going to see great demonstrations of faith as well as great demonstrations of sin in their lives, you may have a more realistic expectation.  After all, they are there, as are you, because they are a sinful human being, who just happens to have been redeemed by Jesus, and who now is engaged in a lifelong struggle with the sin that still lives within them.

So what do you expect when it comes to your fellow Christians?  How you answer that question could have a great deal of impact on your experience with them when you gather togeher with them.

Belated Post on Freedom

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."  Galatians 5:1

This past Monday, the United States of America celebrated the date on which the original signing of the Declaration of Independence was signed.  That document declared the freedom of the original 13 colonies from the authority of the British, and continues to be celebrated at the date on which a nation was born.

That is an important kind of freedom to celebrate.  While it is easy to say that such an event changed the world, it rings no less true.  Granted, the freedom we have as Americans is something that many in the world wish was also theirs, and at times we take such freedom for granted.  But for a moment, I want to change the foundation of our thoughts on this word FREEDOM.

In the context of our nation, the word freedom essentially has come to mean, "I can do what I want."  Yes, there is a particular kind of freedom in that.  It's one that comes into conflict with the needs of the good of the society quite often, but it is still freedom.  We can choose what we want to do, and there are relatively few restrictions on it. 

That's a worldly kind of freedom, and one that greatly appeals to our sinful nature.  Our sinful nature does not want to be told what to do, whether by governments or by God (and even by those we love the most, too!).  Such freedom, when allowed to become the focus of life, ends up allowing almost every sinful impulse a forum in which it can be practiced.  And rarely is that for the good of others, or even ourselves.

Yet, the freedom that Jesus has purchased for us is a far different freedom.  It's not a freedom to do whatever we want.  It is, instead, a freedom to return to the original design with which God created us.  Rather than a self serving freedom, it is a freedom to rejoice that we are free from God's wrath, which frees us to love our neighbors without restraint.  It's very similar to something that Martin Luther wrote a number of years ago, when he wrote that the Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant to everyone.  We are free to do what is for their good, what will bring them closer to their Savior and their God, and to know that they are loved and valued by God, set free from their flawed sinfulness.

That freedom doesn't look to the good of the individual, but to the good of the neighbor.  And that is a profound difference when it comes to how we live out our freedom.  Instead of asking how the freedom affects my rights, we instead focus on how my freedom affects others in their relationship with Christ Jesus.  I dare say that, were we to really change our thinking in that way, we might find that our support on certain issues of the day would change radically.

That's because freedom looks to the good of the neighbor, even when it comes at the expense of our own selves.  That's the freedom we have in Jesus, who looked to our good, even at the expense of His own self.  For that, we are immensely thankful to our God in our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Devoted...to the teaching...and the fellowship

Upon the heels of Peter delivering his great Pentecost day sermon, the people who listened and were touched by God's Spirit responded.  Luke tells us that about 3k people were added to their number that day, as they heard of God's care and forgiveness to them through Jesus.  And then, even as those were added, we see something else happening, as well.

These people become devoted to this new calling in their lives.  That's the word that the ESV uses in verse 42.  They devoted themselves.  And before we move much further, think about what it means to be devoted to something.  I would say that we often water down this word among ourselves.  We think about daily devotions, something that is a good thing to start the day or end the day, or fall somewhere in between.  Yet, these are often a few moments, and then we are on to the next thing.  Again, a good thing for us to be including in our lives, and a sign of our faith.  But in many ways, that seems to be how we come to consider our new life in Jesus.

They were devoted.  This was something that filled them and their days.  God's Spirit filled them, and they devoted themselves to this new endeavor.  So, we should look at what they then devoted themselves to.  The apostles' teaching.  When Jesus told those original apostles to go and make disciples, He also told them to teach everything that He had commanded to them.  So, as God's Spirit brought people into belief, they were devoted to learning more about what Jesus taught, and what that meant for their newly created lives in Jesus.

That's not the only thing to which they were devoted, either.  They also devoted themselves to the fellowship.  They were devoted to the others who believed as they did, who had received the same Spirit and same gifts as they had.  They weren't devoted simply to a church, or a particular place of gathering, but to all the people whom God had called in Jesus through His Spirit, as we see in the verses that follow.

Being devoted to the teachings and to the fellowship.  In our day and age of church hopping, and of looking for a church that fills "my needs", this kind of thought is rather provoking.  That God might call us into a fellowship, and then have us show such devotion, no matter what may happen, even to the point of selling our things to support our brothers and sisters in Jesus, is truly a radical thought for many.

And yet, isn't that the devotion of our God toward us?  He who would give all good things for His people, who is so devoted that He not only sent His Son, but who gives them their daily bread, who daily renews them in their baptism, and who promises them a new, renewed life with Him that will never end.  Why wouldn't He look to see that same kind of devotion from His people, especially toward one another? 

So, how would that look in your life?  Are there ways in which this kind of devotion could be played out in your life even more?  Perhaps it's the first time you have considered this kind of devotion.  Perhaps it seems kind of intimidating, and even impossible.  And yet, it's all created by the one who sent a messenger to a young virgin about to have a child through the Holy Spirit, with that simple message being, with God, nothing is impossible.

Life as Community, or as Individual?

Years ago, I watched a fairly forgettable movie entitled "Bend it like Beckham".  As a young man playing soccer at the time, it held some appeal to me.  The movie wasn't quite what I was expecting, but there is a subplot that occurs during the movie that has stuck with me for some time.

In the movie, a young British girl is playing soccer, and on her team, there also comes to be a young lady whose family is from India (I believe).  The family of the girl from India is very adamant that she not play soccer, and she is willing to lay aside what she personally wants for what her family sees as good for her.  Of course, to a Western society focused on the individual over the community, this makes little sense, and so, of course, we cheer in the end when the family relents and the young lady is free to do what she wants, which is, of course, to play futbol.

In recent years, I've come to see this dynamic in a different light.  Our western focus on the individual has its strengths, no doubt, but it also comes with its great weaknesses.  A focus on community (or on family) means that a person always has a place where they are welcome (which makes the parable of the Prodigal son much more understandable in that light.).  However, a focus on the individual means that we often only welcome others as long as they "do" something for us.  If we encounter conflict, we run away to another place where others, hopefully, won't be in conflict with us.  When hard times come along, it's easier to leave when you don't have a community to be answerable to, and so we fail to grow and mature in our lives as we fail to stick it out with our community.

Sadly, this reality has greatly infiltrated God's Church.  How many people look around for a church that fits their needs, rather than asking how they can work themselves into the church?  How often do we look for what we want in the church, rather than asking what would be best for the family overall?  How often do we treat each other as family (yes, even with the quarrels and the good times)?  How often do we sacrifice what we want for what is good for the family overall?

God has created this wonderful gathering of His people called the Church, a place where God's people are renewed in the image of the sacrificing God who sacrificed for His people.  Should we be surprised that our lives, as we are renewed in Christ each day through our baptism, should actually look the same?

Asking the Questions

I recently read a very interesting book, entitled "Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling", by Edgar H. Schein.  No, this isn't a theology book.  If we classified it, it might be more of a business management style book at heart.  However, the author does indeed raise some very intriguing points that I believe we are wise to think about as Christians.

Basically, Dr. Schein writes about how we live in a "tell" society.  Think about your conversations.  Don't we spend more time telling others what we think, what we have seen, what our thoughts are, and the like, rather than asking what others think, or how others percieve things?  Truth be told, I have even seen this in myself, where I am part of a conversation, and as someone else is talking, I'm already thinking about the next thing I want to say rather than listening to what they are saying.  I really do believe this is one of the signs of being raised in a "tell" culture.

Instead, what Dr. Schein proposes is to be more inquiring when it comes to conversations in any and all situations.  Instead of a "tell" culture, he calls for developing an "ask" culture.  Okay, so what does that look like.  Imagine having a conversation where the other person genuinely is interested in what you are saying, is asking questions that show that they are truly paying attention, and aren't interested in telling you what they think or what their experiences are.  That would be something like what Dr. Schein would propose.

Sounds good, right?  Who doesn't want others to have a genuine interest in what they say or think?  And here is where I think this connects with our Christian faith.  Instead of "telling" others what we have that they are missing, or "telling" them where they are straying from God's will and design, what if we asked questions with a genuine interest in discovering what led them to the place in life that they happen to be in?  We might discover a lot of connection points with our God and our Christian faith.  We might discover that they aren't as far "out there" as we might think.  We may even discover that, since we have shown a genuine interest in them, they may also return the favor and show interest in us.  What possibilities might that hold for us to speak of our Savior, our God, and our faith?

As I read through the Gospels, I find Jesus asking a lot of questions and listening intently to the people He conversed with.  In this instance, I would suggest that scientific study and research has done nothing more than uncovered what God has shown us all along.  Listening and building the relationship will go much further than pretty much any form of us "telling" them what they are missing.  And who knows?  That just might create a new relationship between that person and their Savior, Jesus, as we open our ears and show genuine interest in others more.

Creating Connections

Okay, time to debunk a myth before I really get into my point today, though debunking the myth helps set the stage.  There is this thought out there that people want a friendly church.  Now, to some degree, this is an understandable thing.  Very few people want to go somewhere where the people are unfriendly.  If a person goes to a church and is basically ignored or made to feel a stranger or an inconvenience, then there is a problem.  As God's people, we do want to be friendly toward others.

However, the myth says that people want a friendly church.  Why is this a myth?  Simply being friendly is not enough.  I've encountered people that are friendly at various places such as the DMV, the dentist's office, and a variety of other places.  That doesn't mean that I want to regularly go there and hang out.  Sure, they may be very friendly, but I'm not going to come back just because the people are friendly.

So if it's a myth that people want a friendly church, what is the reality, then?  It's more along these lines.  People don't want a friendly church, they want a church where they can find friends.  Yes, there is a significant difference in that statement.  Friendly means you greet them with a smile, but you don't lose anything if they don't come back.  Being friends means that it matters to you that they are made comfortable, that they know what to expect, and that you want to see them again, repeatedly.  Being friends means you care about them, that you want to get to know them better, and want to spend time with them.

Okay, so we've debunked the myth.  But the thing is, what I've just typed could easily be said about the country club, the fitness center, or any other place that you go to regularly.  The reason we connect with those who make their way into our places of worship and fellowship is not merely to become friends, but to become connected together in Jesus.  We connect as friends, but we connect in the one who has connected us to Himself.  We connect in worship because we are refreshed in the one who is the vine for all of us varied branches.  We connect in fellowship because Jesus sharpens us and strengthens us for His work as we come together, and as we are then sent back out into the community.

Think about that the next time you see someone outside of those 30 that I had you name yesterday.  How can you connect with them as a friend, and as you do that, how do you also see God working to connect them even deeper to the one who is the vine for their branch?  Tomorrow, we'll think a bit about what this might look like.

How Connected Are You, Really?

For a moment, think about your typical time going to worship.  As you get out of the car and walk into the church, who are the people that you notice?  Who are the people that you expect you will spend some time talking with?  Now, let's look at a few other questions, and I encourage you to think about these and really be brutally honest with yourself.  Are there those that you sort of slink around to avoid?  Are there those that you would feel awkward talking with?  Are there those that you hope you don't run into?  (If we are honest with ourselves, we are going to have some of each of those.)

Now, another vein of thinking.  Approximately how many people do you anticipate that, on any given gathering time, you will spend time talking with?  Or, perhaps you can think of it another way.  Who are the individuals that you will spend 75% of your time talking with?  If you are like most people (and chances are, you are!), you will spend a majority of your time conversing with a much smaller group than you might think.  Outside of that group, you aren't really sure what to talk about, or you feel some level of discomfort in talking with them or listening to them.

How connected are you, really?  If you are like the typical person, you have room in your life for about 8-10 really good, close, deep friendships.  You have room in your life for about another 15-20 acquantainces with whom you regularly interact.  If we go with the bigger of those numbers, that means that you may have a group of about 30 people with whom you would regularly interact with when you go to worship.  Yes, there are others outside of that with whom you will interact, but you will likely spend the majority of your time within that group of 30.

So now think back to the answers you had as you read through the first paragraph.  Are they mostly within that group of 30?  Or maybe I could ask it this way.  If you had to list out 45 people that you know within your gathering of the saints, could you readily list them out and say that you know them pretty well?  Chances are, as you get toward the end of that list, you may know the person, but you may not know them well.

How connected are you, really?  We sometimes have an overinflated sense of our influence and role within the body.  The reality may very well be that we aren't as influential as we think we are.  If our gathering is of any appreciable size, we actually may not know more people than we actually do know. 

So what do we do about this?  Well, that's an answer for another blog post.  So tune in tomorrow and we'll start to unpack some of what we can do to be a bit more connected.

Getting to Know You

Quick introductory question: How well do you know your next door neighbors?  And once you think about that, how well do you know the people up and down your street, or on the same floor of your apartment?  If you think about those questions and realize that you don't know the people there very well, then I would throw in a follow-up question.  What is preventing you from getting to know them?

I suppose we could ask the same thing about the people that we worship with.  How well do you know the people who sit in front of you, behind you, or at the other end of the row?  How well do you know the people that sit across the aisle from you?  And, as you consider those, I'd toss in the same follow-up question.  What is preventing you from getting to know them?

I recently heard an interesting thought that came out of some research on churches and how they interact with newer people in their midst.  The common thought out there is that people want a friendly church.  But the researchers found that this statement isn't exactly accurate.  What they discovered is something that I think we all sort of know in our minds and hearts.  People don't want others to merely be friendly with them.  They want to develop friendships with the people they worship with.  They don't want merely a smile and a handshake; they want to get to know God's people as they worship.  They want friends, not merely friendliness.

The problem that many new people discover is that the people already there seem to have their fill of friends already.  It's pretty true that God's people spend time with the friends that they already have, and I absolutely do not want to discourage that.  However, I would also suggest that it is necessary to get to know those who make their way among us.  We need to reach to them with the hope that God is sending us a new friend, one with whom we can share our faith and hope, as well as our lives.  While this isn't the saving Gospel message, it is often a key factor that keeps people coming so that they can hear the Gospel message, in worship, but also from God's people.

Getting to know you.  That's what we are about as we gather together.  Yes, there are many reasons we come together as Christians, but one that we shouldn't overlook is how we get to know those who are new among us.

So, this coming Sunday, to whom will you reach out a welcoming hand and say, "I'd like to get to know you"?

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 it Means to be Inclusive

When we think about God's message of grace and forgiveness through Jesus, we see that God intends for this gift to be inclusive.  God wants all people to have access to their forgiveness in Jesus and to eternal life.  God wants all people to be included in offering their prayers and praise, as they receive His grace and goodness.  God is inclusive in this sense.  He wants all people to be part of His eternal, enduring kingdom.

Yet, we find that which may, in some ways, seem contradictory.  God tells us that those who make up His kingdom are indeed an exclusive group.  They are those who believe in what Jesus has accomplished for them, and who make that the center and anchor of what they believe and how they live.  God is exclusive in that, not all roads lead to God.  Only the road that goes through the cross and resurrection of Jesus leads to God.

That impacts how we go about our lives together as God's people.  In a way, we strive to be like God in this.  We want all people to hear the message.  We want to be an inclusive group, reaching out with that message to let all people groups know that God has redeemed them and made them His own.  And sometimes, that means that we also bring them alongside with us to learn about this one named Jesus, and what He has done, and how that impacts our lives lived together in faith.

That's what it means to be inclusive.  It means that we tell all people that this message is for them, and we walk along with them as they explore this message, as they ask questions about this message, and as they work with what that means for how they live their lives.  Sometimes it means that we ask them to work alongside us, learning how our God would have us live as forgiven people with an enduring message for the people of the world, sharing God's compassion with others. 

In one sense, that means that we should probably look more at ways, as Christians and as congregations, in which we can include people rather than exclude them.  Yes, there are elements of our faith in which God calls for some level of exclusivity, and we honor those, even as we explain them to those who do not yet know of them, seeking to bring them to a point where they are welcomed with us in those.  Yet, when it comes to such matters as feeding the poor, working on compassionate ministries, and the like, including them to work with us will likely provide more avenues for God's Spirit to work in their hearts than if we were to exclude them.

As I would explain it, inclusive means that we invite them to walk along with us as we all learn more about this God who has seen fit to forgive us in Jesus, and who wants all people to know of this forgiveness for them.

When Not To Tell The Truth

In the Gospels, Jesus says that He is the way, the truth, and the life.  We have a commandment from God that tells us that we are not to bear false witness (i.e. lie) about our neighbor.  God delights in truth in the inward parts, and even calls us to be such an honorable people that our word is good, so that our yes actually means yes, and our no actually means no.

So we are to tell the truth.  But I put a question before you.  Is it always appropriate to share the whole truth?  For most of us, the quick answer is to say, of course.  We should always share the truth, and not tell lies.  And I agree with that.  However, I want to have us think about this a little deeper.

Let's say that you are over at some friends' house.  In the midst of your time there, the husband and wife have a sharp disagreement, which leaves one stalking out of the room in anger.  With the uncomfortable situation, you decide that it's best if you give them some space to work things out.  As you leave, you call another friend, whom you had been planning to chat with a bit later.  This person is surprised that you are calling early.  After all, weren't you at so and so's house? 

How much of what you witnessed do you share?  Sure, you could tell the whole truth, that they got into a fight and one of them left angrily, but does that do any good for anyone?  Do you want to introduce that into their reputation, as though they are angry people at each other in the eyes of others?  Or, do you say something like, my time got done there early, so I wanted to see if you were available? 

I believe that this is where Martin Luther's explanation to the eighth commandment (You shall not bear false testimony) comes in helpful.  He says that are not to betray our neighbor (as in, spill the beans on everything we know of them), slander them (as in, tell outright lies about them), or hurt their reputation.  Instead, we are to speak well of them and explain everything in the kindest way.

Sometimes that charge is more difficult to do than at other times.  Sometimes, we have to make major decisions without being able to tell others the full extent of what we know.  That can be difficult, and yet, as we seek to build up each others' reputation, can we do less in the eyes of God?

Taking Care of the Present, or the Future?

A common thought present in many Christian congregations is that we need to "raise up the next generation".  In many congregations, you will hear of the need to reach the "younger generation".  Ministers and pastors are often called to help reach "young families", and given that task.  And yes, these are good and noble intentions.  We want to reach out with the saving message of forgiveness and renewal in Jesus to the next generation, to families with children and the like.

At the same time, this mindset or approach can carry some unintended consequences.  Imagine that you are a senior adult at a congregation who wants to reach "young families."  Where does that put you?  Are you not worth ministering to?  And at the same time, we also have to ask the question, are there older people in our communities who need that saving message of forgiveness and renewal in Jesus delivered to them as well?

Do we take care of the present, or of the future?  Actually, I would venture a different question.  Why can't we do both?  Why can't we show that God's grace is present for current believing and unbelieving seniors, and is also there for the younger people who both believe and do not yet believe?  Sure, the approach to such varied groups may be far different, but I would suggest that, to do one at the expense of the other is actually a harmful thing.

Think about the wisdom that a more mature Christian can pass along to someone of the younger generation.  Or, think of the smile that a young Christian can bring to even the most hardened of seniors, even if they simply tell that senior that Jesus loves them as they give them a hug.  Sometimes we need the seniors to pass along wisdom and teach maturity to the younger generation, and at times we need the younger generation to remind the seniors that Jesus spoke of receiving the kingdom of God as a child, with a child-like faith. 

Sure, nurturing those within a congregation who fit this whole span can be a balancing act at times, and working to reach out to those who do not yet know Jesus can be even more challenging.  Yet, isn't that a challenge worth taking up?  The kingdom of heaven will not be populated only by senior adults, or only by young people.  It will be made up of all people who express their faith in what Jesus accomplished for them.  A common message, even as it is one that is expressed and conveyed in a variety of ways to a variety of people.

Significant at Every Moment

Each of us can look back and recall times where others have been highly influential in our lives.  They are the kind of moments that stand out to us.  The pat on the back that a father gave to us, which boosted us on to bigger and better things in life.  That professor who used something of ours as an example to the class, which made us strive for more.  That person who spoke well of something we did, and we happened to overhear or hear secondhand the good that they praised in us.  These moments are highly influential.

As we think about our lives as Christians, we recognize that Jesus has touched us with many significant moments.  Though I was baptized as an infant a mere month old, I still look upon that great gift from God as a highly influential event.  A simple word from my mother, who, upon me saying that I was thinking of entering the ministry, told me that a lot of people that I had grown up with wouldn't be surprised at that.  A college student who mentioned that our time together in God's Word was really causing him to think about his life, right and wrong, and who he was as a child of God.  All of these have impacted me in such a way that I wanted to continue growing, so that others would benefit.

The thing is, as Christians, every interaction with others is an opportunity to bring something significant to that moment.  We carry God's eternal Word, His saving truth, and His light and forgiveness with us.  Just think what kind of influence that means that we can bring to every moment of our lives.  Sure, we could be a bit overbearing if we tried too hard to bring that significance in, but if we approached each encounter with another with the humility in recognizing that God could use us to influence that person right then, we might be surprised just how influential we really can be.

Sadly, like you, I have missed a great number of those opportunities in my life.  That is why I am also so thankful that I have forgiveness from a Savior who not only saves me from the bad/evil that I do, but also from the good that I leave undone.  And my prayer is that the Spirit opens my eyes to those opportunities, so that I can be influential for our Lord in those moments.

"Real Life" and Faith

There are times in life where "real life" gets in the way of what we hope to accomplish or achieve.  In recent months, the birth of a baby has truly impacted what I would like to accomplish in my professional and occupational life.  Transitions involving naps, tantrums, and adjustments to the regular routine cause that part of my life to be impacted as I deal with "real life" at home.

Believe, this isn't something I am complaining about.  The fact that I have an occupation and situation where I can spend that extra time with my family is something that is truly a blessing.  Even when my shoulder is wet with spitup (yet again), I find very little to complain about.  Okay, lack of sleep can be something to complain about, but thankfully, inroads are being made to resolve that issue!

Okay, rambling man, so what's the point?  "Real Life" often has an impact on our lives outside our home.  The thing is, it also has an impact on faith.  What do you do with the tempermental teen who doesn't want to go worship on Sunday morning?  How do you have a discussion with your child about God's commandment against stealing when their "real life" friends are involved in breaking the commandment?  What do you do when "real life" leaves you tired, depressed, and struggling, and your faith may seem to have relatively few immediate answers?

One thing I would suggest when "real life" happens and faith gets impacted.  Don't stop talking about it.  In fact, far too often, real life situations arise because we haven't talked about faith matters and what they have to do with real life.  Why is God so adamant about stealing?  That discussion could lead to a greater appreciation for how God distributes His gifts, and what that means in terms of ownership.  Talking about what coveting is may actually lead to discussion about contentment, and may actually have an impact on spending habits and envy toward friends and their possessions.

Basically, the more we can talk about faith (not just church, but faith, a distinction I intend to make in a coming post), the more we open up to talking about the role our faith plays in our real life.  That's when we start to see how faith can impact "real life" rather than having "real life" impact our faith.

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.

When it's manly to cry

It's the kind of news that no one ever wants to hear, but over the past 12 months, give or take a few, I've heard it now four times.  12 years ago, I graduated from Concordia Seminary with a class of about 75 men, who headed out to become pastors all over the country and world.  As with quite a few classes, there were a good number of young guys, as well as some who were heeding God's call as they began their second "career" as pastors.

With the communication of this world being what it is, you can learn about things pretty quickly.  As I entered my office and checked into the online world, I had an email from a classmate.  Yet another one of my classmates from the class of 2001 had gone forth to receive his eternal inheritance.  I had been keeping up with this friend on Facebook, and had known that he was having some heart issues.  Needless to say, I didn't expect to check my email early this afternoon and hear such news.

During the time of classroom work and learning, you truly do forge a bond with those who are your classmates.  You learn together, argue together, struggle with the classwork together, and have a beer or two together.  You get to know their families, and in the day and age we now live in, you can even keep up with their lives, to some small degree.  You stand with them, and you know of some of the common struggles that they face, as they face all of us.  And so, when one of your brothers falls along the way, it hits hard.

Even as I type these words, I cannot keep the tears from welling up in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks.  But you know what?  I would dare say, in cases such as this, it truly is manly to cry.  In fact, I would even go so far as to suggest that it's practically inhuman NOT to cry.  And yes, over the years, I have truly become unashamed of those times when I am moved to tears.  If Jesus, the most manly of men ever to walk this earth, saw fit to shed tears when a dear friend had left this life, then there is no way that I will ever be ashamed to let my tears fall in similar circumstances.

Even as those tears fall, however, they are merely tears that miss the camaraderie that I enjoyed with my friend.  That's because I know that it's only a temporary situation.  Jesus has promised that He will re-appear, calling everyone from their graves, and bringing all who trust in Him to eternal life that never ends.  In that kingdom, death will never enter in, and no separation will ever come between God and His people.  That's why I have full and complete assurance that I will see these friends again, standing with them in a place where joy will be all in all, and where nothing will ever separate us again.  Praise be to God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.  AMEN!

Appreciation

Someone gives you a gift.  It's a gift that you really enjoy.  It's something you wanted, and you've been thinking about it for a while.  Then, out of the blue, someone just gives it to you.  You are full of appreciation.  They have proven to be a thoughtful friend.  They gave you this gift simply because they knew that it would bring you joy.  There are no strings attached, no thought of you needing to do something to "pay them back" or anything like that.

The nature of a gift is that it is given with no thought or expectation of anything in return.  I would even go so far as to suggest that, if you give a gift, you do so even without expecting a "Thank You" in reply.  However, one thing that really speaks to us as humans is when others demonstrate their appreciation for kindness shown to us.  When we do something kind for another, or when we give a gift, we may not expect anything in return, but a demonstration of appreciation is always welcome.

Appreciation for a gift is an "extra", if you think about it.  The nature of a gift should be that it is given without any thought of return.  Appreciation, in and of itself, is also a gift of grace.  It isn't shown in order to make the other person more likely to give a gift again in return, nor is it given in anticipation of further favor.  Appreciation is a gift that shows the meaningfulness of what was given.  It is a reflection of your joy at receiving the gift in the first place, and demonstrates some degree of value that you place on the gift.

Is appreciation necessary?  Well, no, in terms that a gift is supposed to be given with no thought to return.  But yes, appreciation is necessary because it demonstrates the value that you place on the gift.  Appreciation builds up the person who receives it.  Appreciation demonstrates the connectedness that we have in Christ Jesus.  Appreciation encourages further expressions of grace to flow among God's people, and even out from us to the rest of the world.

It is good and right to show appreciation.  We don't show it because it merits something for us, or because we "have" to do it, but because it truly demonstrates care and love for one another.  It took me a long time to realize this, and I'm very thankful to my wife for her repeated demonstration of the importance of it.  So I encourage you today, show your appreciation whenever you receive from another, not because you expect something, but to show the meaning it has for you, and to build up one another in Christ Jesus.

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.