I preached at the Payne Church of Christ three weeks ago. In my visit there two and a half years ago, I preached to about fifty people. In this recent visit, I preached to nine. The shocking thing to me is that the people are so loving and so kind, yet the church is dying. It is a blessing to be around them but for some reason corporate failure has set in.
I left scared and with an urgent burden on my heart to pray more diligently and to approach our church about change. It's only a matter of time before our group of forty-five becomes a group of ten. We have not experienced any numerical or visibly spiritual growth since we arrived there. A church that refuses to change slowly loses (or quickly in a split) each family or individual who wants change. Eventually, all that is left is those individuals who like things the way they have always been done. The end is death to a local body. We need change now before the gangrene sets in.
It was with this overriding conviction that we must change and we must change now that I went into our Sunday meeting. I was nervous. I did not know how it would be taken, but I had prayed for it a lot. After some good discussion, the leadership decided to gather together Tuesday night for a special meeting on change. I was encouraged by their thoughts and action.
Then came Tuesday. I was again nervous, but it was mixed with excitement. I showed up at the church early and prayerfully waited for the others to come. One of the elders began the meeting with some Scripture reading and a serious call to prayer. We prayed for a lengthy time, followed by singing "Be Thou My Vision" together. It was a great experience with the Spirit present at the meeting.
The only official things that were decided at the meeting were little things. The leadership, who has been operating for some time without a paid minister, decided to meet together for a weekly "staff" meeting on Sunday mornings before church. In this meeting we will make sure that all of the people in the church are being adequately ministered to, that we are taking advantage of every opportunity that arises to minister to the community, and, pray together. They also appointed me, at my request so it is really no big thing, to go to the community ministers' meeting as our church's representative so that we can remain in touch with the other churches on a formal level. The last decision was one to create a building maintenance committee so that the leadership meetings do not turn into maintenance meetings, which they have the tendency to devolve into.
I am amazed at how some men can enjoy sitting around talking about pipes, duct work, holes, and wiring, but these guys could spend a day doing that. When they asked me whether I would be a deacon around a year ago, I answered that I would as long as that did not mean being a deacon of building. I want to do ministries and help the community, not focus on the maintenance of the building. If they had room for a different sort of deacon, then I would be willing. Although maintenance is an important thing, the church I was youth pastor at only used the deacons for maintenance. Being a deacon should be so much more than that.
Those decisions seem like little things, but each one represents a huge step. Meeting together for prayer was rejected when I proposed it around three months ago. Now they were willing. Being involved with the other churches is a huge step because there is a tendency in the conservative wing of the church of Christ to think that all other churches are evil, they are going to hell because of false doctrine, and we should not interact with them. Creating a maintenance committee will free the leadership up to tackle the issues that need to be addressed in the future.
The greatest ideas were ones that we left the meeting with the plan to pray over. The discussion over whether to cancel Sunday night was one of the major areas of disagreement during the meeting. One individual was set on it not being canceled despite knowing that it is a cultural creation and not really all that relevant anymore. He just likes it and would like to do it despite the fact that it is grossly ineffective. Due to a transition in our leadership of operating on consensus rather than voting and forcing the sole dissenting voice to come in line, his opinion needed to change or else we could continue to have Sunday service the way it has always been. In the middle of the discussion, someone proposed moving our Sunday evening service to the local nursing home. I thought it was a great idea. The nursing home has the dilemma of ministers not showing up when they said they would for their Sunday afternoon service and this would give them a permanent service with a fixed time for the elderly at the home (and their families along with anyone in the community) to go to. One of our leaders was going to discuss this with them this week. This seemed to make everyone excited about the possibilities. It would mean canceling Sunday evening classes, which might face some resistance, but I have been surprised by things already.
The other issue that we are to pray about is when and how to implement helping those financially burdened in town to replace their sidewalks. Our town council recently began to enforce mandatory replacing of cracked and dangerous sidewalks. For instance, my parents just spent over $3000 to comply. Many people in this community do not have that sort of money. With the deadline for compliance quickly approaching, our church is going to tackle replacing the sidewalks at some of the houses. We need to figure out how to uncover who really cannot afford to fix their sidewalks and what is the best way to go about it. But the very fact that it came up during the meeting and was well received is a great thing. Now we have to iron out the details and get active.
So if you would, please keep our church in your prayers. This is a crucial time in its history. We need to change and not stop changing. We need to start being a place that the Spirit of God is present and that is bringing people from the community into His presence. I am excited at the beginning steps, but it must continue.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Just a President
I really hope that you are paying close attention to this monumental campaign season. We are at a crossroads of history. And it is our vote that will elect the face of America.
He is the image of the invisible God,
We are talking about the President and the first lady of the biggest super-power of the industrialized world.
the firstborn over all creation.
We must not underestimate the importance the Executive Branch plays in the push and pull balance of our checks and balance system of Federal Government.
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
He will probably appoint a judge, approved by the Senate of course. He will veto legislation composed by the House and Senate that could potentially make us less safe or less wealthy.
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
His leadership will be the stabilizing force for our country.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is the leader of the free world.
And he is the head of the body, the church;
He is the Commander In Chief of the most powerful military force on earth.
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
He will speak to the world on our behalf.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him
Our standard of living, the very peace we take for granted is at stake here.
to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
This is simply an attempt to humbly remind us that we are only voting for a President. He will not be, cannot be anything more or less than that. The King Lives! The King reigns! Forever and ever, Amen!
View the alluded Scripture.
He is the image of the invisible God,
We are talking about the President and the first lady of the biggest super-power of the industrialized world.
the firstborn over all creation.
We must not underestimate the importance the Executive Branch plays in the push and pull balance of our checks and balance system of Federal Government.
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
He will probably appoint a judge, approved by the Senate of course. He will veto legislation composed by the House and Senate that could potentially make us less safe or less wealthy.
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
His leadership will be the stabilizing force for our country.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is the leader of the free world.
And he is the head of the body, the church;
He is the Commander In Chief of the most powerful military force on earth.
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
He will speak to the world on our behalf.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him
Our standard of living, the very peace we take for granted is at stake here.
to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
This is simply an attempt to humbly remind us that we are only voting for a President. He will not be, cannot be anything more or less than that. The King Lives! The King reigns! Forever and ever, Amen!
View the alluded Scripture.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Putting the "Fun" in Fundamentalist
I am busy working on a few posts about heaven and hell and did not get them completed to my satisfaction yet. So, in the meantime, here is an interesting list by John Piper with 20 reasons why he doesn’t mock fundamentalists. Of course for Piper and the circles in which he moves the term “fundamentalist” is often used derogatorily and refers to close-minded ultra conservatives.
Most interesting and appealing to me are reasons 6, 7, 10, and 20. Let me know which you find intriguing,
1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met).
2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.
Most interesting and appealing to me are reasons 6, 7, 10, and 20. Let me know which you find intriguing,
1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met).
2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
I Pledge Allegiance
Recently, the abstract discussion of whether I would say the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States came into reality in a different way than I had ever thought of when I sent my children to a VBS and my eldest son to church camp. At the VBS, Lindsay informed me that they learned the Pledge of Allegiance and did it at the final show, which I could not attend due to work. At church camp, they always start the day off with the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Bible, and the Pledge to the Christian flag. I regret not training him beforehand to not say the Pledge of Allegiance, but can I really expect my six and four years olds to not participate in the Pledge when the people in charge tell them to?
I don't regret it because of what America is; America is a pretty good nation. I regret it because of my son pledging allegiance to any entity other than God. His loyalty to this nation should only go as far as they do not interfere with his being obedient to Christ and loving others. If his loyalty to the kingdom of God ever collides with a temporal kingdom on earth, I hope that I have trained him to always keep his loyalty to God. One cannot have two allegiances.
So I feel guilty. I allowed my child to say what I hope is a lie. I do not want him to pledge allegiance to any temporal entity. I pray that his only allegiance will be to God, and I pray for wisdom on how to handle such situations in the future.
I don't regret it because of what America is; America is a pretty good nation. I regret it because of my son pledging allegiance to any entity other than God. His loyalty to this nation should only go as far as they do not interfere with his being obedient to Christ and loving others. If his loyalty to the kingdom of God ever collides with a temporal kingdom on earth, I hope that I have trained him to always keep his loyalty to God. One cannot have two allegiances.
So I feel guilty. I allowed my child to say what I hope is a lie. I do not want him to pledge allegiance to any temporal entity. I pray that his only allegiance will be to God, and I pray for wisdom on how to handle such situations in the future.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The modern church versus the gates of Hell
L love the following quote by Bob Russel, because it eloquently expresses sentiments I have long held.
Amen, Bob.
And that's kinda another little disagreement I have with the emergent church. They emphasize that we need to have love, but sometimes they denigrate the church of the past as thought the church of the past didn't have any love.
If you read Donald Miller's book 'Blue Like Jazz', he talks about [how] he found more love in a commune than he found in a church. And I'm sure that exists in some places. That doesn't resonate with the church I know about the past. The church of the past was not perfect, but you know, they did some pretty good things.
And uh... you know, look around. Who started 106 of the first 108 colleges in this country? The church. You look in your community. Who started most the hospitals i the community? The church? Whose responsible for funding the inner-city ministries that minister to the addicted and the homeless? The church. Who started the orphanages and the homes for the elderly? The church. Who consistently visits with and conducts services for people in prison? The church Who teaches the moral values that become the foundation for reliable business? The church. Let me ask you, who taught you to sing, me to sing 50 to 60 years ago, "Red and yellow black and white, they are precious in his site, Jesus loves the little children of the world"? That was before the Civil Rights movement. You know who taught me that? The church. When Hurricane Katrina ripped the gulf coast, who was there first with the most practical help, who sent the most money without scraping anything off the top? And whose still there several years later? The church, that's who.
And I get weary of people just bashing the Bride of Christ as though all we've done is hold services. The church has been pretty loving, not as loving as it could be. but it hasn't been chopped liver.
Bob Russel from a sermon entitled "The Grace of the Lord Jesus Be With You"
Amen, Bob.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Darrell Green and His Hall of Fame Induction Speech
On August 2, Darrell Green was inducted into the football hall of fame. I heard his speech while driving home from work that night. I was utterly disgusted. Here is what he said:
I believe that this day is a part of the continuation of God's sovereign purpose and righteous destiny for my life. And that being knowing Jesus, loving him and making him known. I did that even as a professional football player everywhere I went.
And that was done through the visibility, the influence, the access, all that God gives us, the Lord gives us, while we play a childhood game.
Can I tell you today at the expense of sounding real self righteous, I belong here. I belong here. I belong here.
I belong here because I know what to do with it. I know what to do with God's fame, with God's dollars, with God's visibility, God's influence and relationships. I know what to do with it.
To Jesus be the glory. Thank you. Bless you.
Allelon - Part 3
Based on our personalities, I think we often gravitate towards one major program that a church offers. Then “church” turns into that specific thing and we equate our church experience with the quality of that program. For some it is about education. So if the Sunday School program is not very good, they look for a place that their intellect can be challenged. For others, the focus of church is the preaching. So if the preaching is boring or not inspiring, they may look elsewhere for a better preacher. If the songs and instrumentation are not to your liking you will go to a church that does it your way. On and on we could go with program after program through the different aspects that make up church. But that is not church.
Don’t get me wrong – we should strive for excellence in programming. We should do things as well as we can because we are doing it for the Lord. But when programming takes precedence over people we are not doing church. Because the church is not about education, preaching, singing, tithing or the Lord's supper. It is about "one another". So when you get offended at something and decide to change churches or even worse, mount a subversive vendetta against that person or program, understand that is not a program or a building that you are hurting. It is a human being. It is a person. Because after all, the church is made up of one another.
And if we choose to isolate ourselves, this action doesn’t just hurt the church, it hurts you too. Why do we perpetuate a feeling of solitude by stopping the very thing that could provide a feeling of belonging? We get frustrated or feel slighted which breaks that unity and decide we will show them by not coming anymore. Then we miss out on the encouragement of the church and the church misses out on the encouragement we offer. To rephrase the quote from the Lost clip, “If the church is not one another, then we are all alone.”
God is calling the Church to so much more.
As more and more of us find it easy to become isolated;
As more and more of us seek to receive without any commitment;
As more and more of us view the church as focused on programming just for us;
God is calling the church to be focused on one another. To be a place of acceptance for all who walk through the doors. To be a place of encouragement in a world that tries so hard to beat us down. To be a place full of people who put one another’s needs first and our own needs second.
If the church is not about one another, then we will be all alone.
Don’t get me wrong – we should strive for excellence in programming. We should do things as well as we can because we are doing it for the Lord. But when programming takes precedence over people we are not doing church. Because the church is not about education, preaching, singing, tithing or the Lord's supper. It is about "one another". So when you get offended at something and decide to change churches or even worse, mount a subversive vendetta against that person or program, understand that is not a program or a building that you are hurting. It is a human being. It is a person. Because after all, the church is made up of one another.
And if we choose to isolate ourselves, this action doesn’t just hurt the church, it hurts you too. Why do we perpetuate a feeling of solitude by stopping the very thing that could provide a feeling of belonging? We get frustrated or feel slighted which breaks that unity and decide we will show them by not coming anymore. Then we miss out on the encouragement of the church and the church misses out on the encouragement we offer. To rephrase the quote from the Lost clip, “If the church is not one another, then we are all alone.”
God is calling the Church to so much more.
As more and more of us find it easy to become isolated;
As more and more of us seek to receive without any commitment;
As more and more of us view the church as focused on programming just for us;
God is calling the church to be focused on one another. To be a place of acceptance for all who walk through the doors. To be a place of encouragement in a world that tries so hard to beat us down. To be a place full of people who put one another’s needs first and our own needs second.
If the church is not about one another, then we will be all alone.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Our Zeal for Christ and Loving Those who Disagree
In the Protestant world (or Reformed if you prefer), each viewpoint eventually becomes an issue worth dividing over. Time and time again, churches splinter and people leave churches over the silliest of issues. Each denomination and religious group has a heritage of splintering because each Protestant group divided from another group at their origin. This fragmentation is exacerbated by our desire to be right on the truth and stand up for what we believe in. During the whole process, we have the tendency to demonize the people sharing another viewpoint. Forget sharing the "truth in love;" we share the truth and leave no room for dissenters.
We turn every stance into a reason for separation. Even on the essentials, we need to make sure that they are always expressed in love. Not having a clearly defined statement on what the essentials are, we find ourselves in a world of confusion. What issues are worth standing up for? The trinity, the structure of the church, the role of women, spiritual gift, the Lord's Supper, loving our neighbor. We are left to every point, including the minutest points that we understand differently from everyone else, becoming an essential because it is essential for us to live out the truth, even to the minutest details, as we understand it.
I was recently stuck with looking in the mirror when I read through Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution. Encountering someone that follows Christ in a way somewhat different from myself, I realized how I must sound to those that follow Christ differently than me. Being so excited and zealous for the way I am called to live out the gospel, I confuse my calling for a universal calling. I have the tendency to try and shoehorn everyone into my way of following Christ.
The blessing, and frustration at times, of the Bible is that it is vague on the specifics of how we are to live out the life of Christ here and now. We are given broad principles - love your neighbor, glorify God, make disciples - but are left without many specifics on the lesser details. I should always view that as a blessing. Being a Christian is not about some legalistic checklist that we can complete and be done with; it is about knowing God and bringing about his will in our specific circumstances. Every person living has a different situation that they find themselves in, yet there is a best course for that situation. We need to be close enough to God that we can discern his leading and the path we are supposed to go down. Being a Christian is not about knowing a book but about living the life God would have us live here and now. The Book should be a tool to help us do that.
We need to find a way to let our passion be kindled while at the same time always exemplifying love to those we disagree with.
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
We turn every stance into a reason for separation. Even on the essentials, we need to make sure that they are always expressed in love. Not having a clearly defined statement on what the essentials are, we find ourselves in a world of confusion. What issues are worth standing up for? The trinity, the structure of the church, the role of women, spiritual gift, the Lord's Supper, loving our neighbor. We are left to every point, including the minutest points that we understand differently from everyone else, becoming an essential because it is essential for us to live out the truth, even to the minutest details, as we understand it.
I was recently stuck with looking in the mirror when I read through Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution. Encountering someone that follows Christ in a way somewhat different from myself, I realized how I must sound to those that follow Christ differently than me. Being so excited and zealous for the way I am called to live out the gospel, I confuse my calling for a universal calling. I have the tendency to try and shoehorn everyone into my way of following Christ.
The blessing, and frustration at times, of the Bible is that it is vague on the specifics of how we are to live out the life of Christ here and now. We are given broad principles - love your neighbor, glorify God, make disciples - but are left without many specifics on the lesser details. I should always view that as a blessing. Being a Christian is not about some legalistic checklist that we can complete and be done with; it is about knowing God and bringing about his will in our specific circumstances. Every person living has a different situation that they find themselves in, yet there is a best course for that situation. We need to be close enough to God that we can discern his leading and the path we are supposed to go down. Being a Christian is not about knowing a book but about living the life God would have us live here and now. The Book should be a tool to help us do that.
We need to find a way to let our passion be kindled while at the same time always exemplifying love to those we disagree with.
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Already Here
2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Already Here
Aaron Niequist
we don’t have to say:
“come and fill this place.”
we don’t have to pray:
“will You show Your face?”
we don’t have to move
into a Holy space.
we don’t have to say:
“come into this place.”
because You’re already here, You’re already here, You’re already here.
open up our eyes
the Truth is all around
Your fingerprinted skies
Your holy muddy ground
we want to walk beside
Your ever-present care
we cannot be alone
You’re always everywhere
because You’re already here, You’re already here, You’re already here.
ever-present love
ever-reaching grace
ever-patient hope
reflecting in each face
help us find the good
in our every day
though ugliness abounds
You haven’t gone away
because You’re already here, You’re already here, You’re already here.
holy
glory
holy, almighty
You are already here
Monday, August 11, 2008
Allelon - Part 2
Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.” In other words, if we say that God is love, and we believe that we are to love, then let’s hold on to that hope that the world can become a better place. Let’s not get sidetracked and derailed by our selfishness and self-absorption. The next verse explains how this is accomplished: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
Often we do things without thinking through the repercussions. But the Hebrew writer tells us, “Think carefully; think it through.” The Message version says, “Let’s see how inventive we can be.” It takes a lot of thought to create and invent something. And when it comes to spurring people on to love and good deeds, it will take a lot of thought and consideration. After all, we are fighting against our selfish natures and it is difficult to get one another to do things that are unnatural.
It takes creativity to get some people involved. It takes inventiveness to show to some people how much they are loved and how special they are in God’s eyes and in our eyes. Some have retreated so far into themselves that they have difficulty opening up. But we need to make the effort to find out how to get in their world, understanding that we may never penetrate it completely.
It is a difficult process, but when we accomplish it, when we connect with them, this amazing thing occurs – the New Living Translation calls it an “outburst of love and good deeds.” As a teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the lights go on in the students’ heads, and they sit up and can’t wait to blurt out the answer. They are gushing and the joy is shared between both the student and the teacher. Well that is the picture that is painted here. As we spur one another on and motivate one another into love and good deeds we all reap the benefit. We all share in the joy of the outburst.
But in order for all of this to happen, we have to be committed to one another. We have to have the mentality that no matter what the cost, we will see to the betterment of one another. And it begins by meeting together. That is why verse 25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Just coming to church doesn’t automatically result in unity and togetherness – but it sure seems like a good start. Unfortunately, we live a consumers’ world. There is always something being touted as better and cheaper. Did you have a bad experience at a restaurant, well guess what – there are 4 different restaurants within a half mile that you can try. Did you get snubbed by the Circuit City salesperson? Well Best Buy is ready to have your business. One of the biggest buzz words in marketing is “Product Loyalty.” Companies spend inordinate amounts of money to make you loyal to their product. That way, even if you have a bad experience, or you find a comparable product that is cheaper, you will still come back to them.
Fewer and fewer have that loyalty to the church anymore. Our loyalty is to ourselves. And so we are not really committed to the church and to one another. I can hear the TV add right now:
“Did you have a bad experience at church? Did you hear a bad sermon? Did you not like the songs? Did you feel snubbed? Did someone offend you? Well good news – there’s another church around the corner that that might suit you better.”
This is not the attitude of allelon. This is not the commitment needed for a church to grow.
Often we do things without thinking through the repercussions. But the Hebrew writer tells us, “Think carefully; think it through.” The Message version says, “Let’s see how inventive we can be.” It takes a lot of thought to create and invent something. And when it comes to spurring people on to love and good deeds, it will take a lot of thought and consideration. After all, we are fighting against our selfish natures and it is difficult to get one another to do things that are unnatural.
It takes creativity to get some people involved. It takes inventiveness to show to some people how much they are loved and how special they are in God’s eyes and in our eyes. Some have retreated so far into themselves that they have difficulty opening up. But we need to make the effort to find out how to get in their world, understanding that we may never penetrate it completely.
It is a difficult process, but when we accomplish it, when we connect with them, this amazing thing occurs – the New Living Translation calls it an “outburst of love and good deeds.” As a teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the lights go on in the students’ heads, and they sit up and can’t wait to blurt out the answer. They are gushing and the joy is shared between both the student and the teacher. Well that is the picture that is painted here. As we spur one another on and motivate one another into love and good deeds we all reap the benefit. We all share in the joy of the outburst.
But in order for all of this to happen, we have to be committed to one another. We have to have the mentality that no matter what the cost, we will see to the betterment of one another. And it begins by meeting together. That is why verse 25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Just coming to church doesn’t automatically result in unity and togetherness – but it sure seems like a good start. Unfortunately, we live a consumers’ world. There is always something being touted as better and cheaper. Did you have a bad experience at a restaurant, well guess what – there are 4 different restaurants within a half mile that you can try. Did you get snubbed by the Circuit City salesperson? Well Best Buy is ready to have your business. One of the biggest buzz words in marketing is “Product Loyalty.” Companies spend inordinate amounts of money to make you loyal to their product. That way, even if you have a bad experience, or you find a comparable product that is cheaper, you will still come back to them.
Fewer and fewer have that loyalty to the church anymore. Our loyalty is to ourselves. And so we are not really committed to the church and to one another. I can hear the TV add right now:
“Did you have a bad experience at church? Did you hear a bad sermon? Did you not like the songs? Did you feel snubbed? Did someone offend you? Well good news – there’s another church around the corner that that might suit you better.”
This is not the attitude of allelon. This is not the commitment needed for a church to grow.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Are We Really Loving People?, Part Two
While a college student in the 90s, Shane Claiborne sought to find a modern-day living example of a totally-committed Christian to model his life after. This pursuit led him to attaining an internship under the tutelage of Mother Teresa at her mission in Calcutta. He shared the following story of a conversation he had while serving the poor in Calcutta.
Combine this story with a few Bible verses, and I see that I have a lot of room to grow.
I John 4:16-20
James 2:14-17
One struggle that I have in reading these passages is the much smaller world we live in now. I can watch the news in the evening or find updates throughout the day on the internet of people struggling around the world. No longer do humans just see the needs of those they encounter throughout the day. The world is smaller. The needs of the people in Darfur are known to us, maybe even moreso, than the needs of our neighbor down the street. We are at an amazing point in history where we can use the resources that God has given us to make this world better, or we can just continue claiming to be Christians while consuming material goods like everyone around us while we ignore the plight of humanity in our neighborhoods, in the inner cities, and around the world.
Our love of God is shown by our love to others. Our faith in God is shown by our love to others. And the reverse is true. If we do not love others, we do not have faith in God. If we do not love others, we do not love God.
Some will try to avoid having to love a person in need by arguing that these verses apply to only loving brothers or sisters in Christ. That sounds an awful like like the lawyer who was trying to get away from having to love their neighbor.
Jesus also had to interact with a lawyer, and in this case it was one who was trying to figure out the letter of the law that Jesus was teaching, but the lawyer was going to be disappointed because Jesus did not give a law that could be followed like the laws of the land. When Jesus gave the difficult teaching that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, he did not just limit it to brothers and sisters in Him, to people who love God or are part of our church, or the friends we like. The world loves people who they like, who are in organizations that they participate in. Jesus used the broad term "neighbor." Like any good lawyer, the lawyer wanted Jesus to define that word. There is this human tendency, I find it in myself, where we like to have a list of exactly what we have to do to get saved rather than focusing on total surrender of our life to Christ. The lawyer, apparently having the same struggle, asked, “And who is my neighbor?” That is when Jesus shared the story that we have heard many times of the Good Samaritan. A story that teaches that the neighbor is the one who shows mercy when he sees a need. Instead of giving an easy checklist for the lawyer to complete, Jesus told him that he needs to love anyone that he sees who has a need.
In the passage we read earlier, John took this one step further and said that we do not even love God if we do not love others. James said that if we do not love others, then we do not have faith. If we claim that we are followers of Christ, then our lives better be an example of loving actions or we do a disservice to the image of God. If we limit our faith to confessing Christ as Lord, being baptized, abstaining from obvious sins, attending church every time the doors are open, diligently doing morning devotions, and understanding the great and mysterious theological teachings of the Bible, we have missed the life Jesus has called us to live. We cannot be Christians if we are not committing acts of love to those we see in need.
We like easy Christian checklists that we can complete and be satisfied with. Take tithing for instance. Tithing is an Old Testament practice that we like to carry over and make into a New Testament law, but that should not be. We cannot just give a percent of our money to the Lord and think that we have done his will. The New Testament teaches that much more is expected out of us. It is our responsibility to use God's resources as he would have them be used.
1 Peter 4:8-11
We see in Scripture that it is those who give cheerfully and sacrificially that are held up as examples. The church in Macedonia is exalted in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 because of their sacrificial giving. Paul wrote, "They voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints."
Luke 21:1-4 shares the familiar story of the poor widow who gave sacrificially while the wealthy man gave his much larger gift. Giving out of our abundance is not as blessed as giving sacrificially.
Peter said that we are to serve with whatever gift we have received. Paul and Luke pointed out that making sacrifices is a key part of Christian love.
We must ask ourselves, “If Peter, Paul and Luke were right, how are we doing?” If giving has changed from no longer being just a tithe and we are to live in the understanding that all of our resources are God's resources, then that makes a great demand on how we use our money. We need to ask ourselves questions like, "Would God like me to use the money he has put in my care to buy myself another shirt, or would he like me to feed the person who hasn't had a meal for days? Would God like me to buy a better car just for appearances because the car I am currently driving runs just fine, or would he want to provide someone with a way to get a better job and feed their family? Would God like me to use my extra income to buy a vacation home, or would he want me to give a home to a homeless family?
The answer, in light of the sacrificial teachings of Scripture, seems pretty obvious but the biblical answer is very hard to swallow. It goes against everything our culture has tried to teach us since birth, or at least World War II if you were born before then. We are to use our money, not for selfish pleasure, but to be a blessing for others. That is the primary purpose of God blessing us. God has not blessed us so that we can indulge in our prosperity. It is just the opposite; he has blessed us because he has chosen us to be his hands and feet bringing about his will here on earth.
"Mother Teresa was one of those people who sacrificed great privilege because she encountered such great need. People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Sometimes it's like they wonder if she glowed in the dark or had a halo. She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a little ornery, like a beautiful wise old granny. But there is one thing I will never forget -- her feet. Her feet were deformed. Each morning in Mass, I would stare at them. I wondered if she had contracted leprosy. But I wasn't going to ask, of course. 'Hey Mother, what's wrong with your feet?' One day a sister said to us, 'Have you noticed her feet?' We nodded, curious. She said, 'Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone to get stuck with the worst pair, so she digs through and finds them. And years of doing that have deformed her feet.' Years of loving her neighbor as herself deformed her feet."
Combine this story with a few Bible verses, and I see that I have a lot of room to grow.
I John 4:16-20
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
One struggle that I have in reading these passages is the much smaller world we live in now. I can watch the news in the evening or find updates throughout the day on the internet of people struggling around the world. No longer do humans just see the needs of those they encounter throughout the day. The world is smaller. The needs of the people in Darfur are known to us, maybe even moreso, than the needs of our neighbor down the street. We are at an amazing point in history where we can use the resources that God has given us to make this world better, or we can just continue claiming to be Christians while consuming material goods like everyone around us while we ignore the plight of humanity in our neighborhoods, in the inner cities, and around the world.
Our love of God is shown by our love to others. Our faith in God is shown by our love to others. And the reverse is true. If we do not love others, we do not have faith in God. If we do not love others, we do not love God.
Some will try to avoid having to love a person in need by arguing that these verses apply to only loving brothers or sisters in Christ. That sounds an awful like like the lawyer who was trying to get away from having to love their neighbor.
You might have heard the story about the man who felt that he was overcharged by their lawyer. The client who felt his legal bill was too high asked his lawyer to itemize costs. When he was handed the statement it included this item: "Was walking down the street and saw you on the other side. Walked to the corner to cross at the light, crossed the street and walked quickly to catch up with you. Got close and saw it wasn't you. -$50.00.
Jesus also had to interact with a lawyer, and in this case it was one who was trying to figure out the letter of the law that Jesus was teaching, but the lawyer was going to be disappointed because Jesus did not give a law that could be followed like the laws of the land. When Jesus gave the difficult teaching that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, he did not just limit it to brothers and sisters in Him, to people who love God or are part of our church, or the friends we like. The world loves people who they like, who are in organizations that they participate in. Jesus used the broad term "neighbor." Like any good lawyer, the lawyer wanted Jesus to define that word. There is this human tendency, I find it in myself, where we like to have a list of exactly what we have to do to get saved rather than focusing on total surrender of our life to Christ. The lawyer, apparently having the same struggle, asked, “And who is my neighbor?” That is when Jesus shared the story that we have heard many times of the Good Samaritan. A story that teaches that the neighbor is the one who shows mercy when he sees a need. Instead of giving an easy checklist for the lawyer to complete, Jesus told him that he needs to love anyone that he sees who has a need.
In the passage we read earlier, John took this one step further and said that we do not even love God if we do not love others. James said that if we do not love others, then we do not have faith. If we claim that we are followers of Christ, then our lives better be an example of loving actions or we do a disservice to the image of God. If we limit our faith to confessing Christ as Lord, being baptized, abstaining from obvious sins, attending church every time the doors are open, diligently doing morning devotions, and understanding the great and mysterious theological teachings of the Bible, we have missed the life Jesus has called us to live. We cannot be Christians if we are not committing acts of love to those we see in need.
We like easy Christian checklists that we can complete and be satisfied with. Take tithing for instance. Tithing is an Old Testament practice that we like to carry over and make into a New Testament law, but that should not be. We cannot just give a percent of our money to the Lord and think that we have done his will. The New Testament teaches that much more is expected out of us. It is our responsibility to use God's resources as he would have them be used.
1 Peter 4:8-11
"Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."
We see in Scripture that it is those who give cheerfully and sacrificially that are held up as examples. The church in Macedonia is exalted in 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 because of their sacrificial giving. Paul wrote, "They voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints."
Luke 21:1-4 shares the familiar story of the poor widow who gave sacrificially while the wealthy man gave his much larger gift. Giving out of our abundance is not as blessed as giving sacrificially.
Peter said that we are to serve with whatever gift we have received. Paul and Luke pointed out that making sacrifices is a key part of Christian love.
We must ask ourselves, “If Peter, Paul and Luke were right, how are we doing?” If giving has changed from no longer being just a tithe and we are to live in the understanding that all of our resources are God's resources, then that makes a great demand on how we use our money. We need to ask ourselves questions like, "Would God like me to use the money he has put in my care to buy myself another shirt, or would he like me to feed the person who hasn't had a meal for days? Would God like me to buy a better car just for appearances because the car I am currently driving runs just fine, or would he want to provide someone with a way to get a better job and feed their family? Would God like me to use my extra income to buy a vacation home, or would he want me to give a home to a homeless family?
The answer, in light of the sacrificial teachings of Scripture, seems pretty obvious but the biblical answer is very hard to swallow. It goes against everything our culture has tried to teach us since birth, or at least World War II if you were born before then. We are to use our money, not for selfish pleasure, but to be a blessing for others. That is the primary purpose of God blessing us. God has not blessed us so that we can indulge in our prosperity. It is just the opposite; he has blessed us because he has chosen us to be his hands and feet bringing about his will here on earth.
Steven Curtis Chapman on Larry King
Honestly, I was never a huge fan of his music. But a little over a year ago, I became forever indebted to Steven Curtis Chapman when he and his organization, Shaohannah's Hope, helped us bring my daughter home.
In May when tragedy struck his family, I felt physically ill for him. My heart broke. Tears fueled my prayers for him and his family. But I was confident that after some time in silence that Steven Curtis Chapman would emerge to publicly glorify the God who both gives and takes away.
Expect just that as he speaks with Larry King tonight at 9 ET.
Lord, grant him the spirit to speak humbly and fearlessly. Grant him the heart to worship you. Grant him a platform to speak for orphan care. For your glory only and forever. Let it be.
I don't have cable, so you'll have to let me know how this goes.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Allelon - Part 1
Have you ever felt alone? Have you ever felt all alone?
Sometimes we feel alone, even when surrounded by people. We may pass by people and get a smile or a wave. Maybe even a “How are you?” But there is no connection. There is just more isolation. And perhaps just when you make the attempt to reach out, it doesn’t go very well and so you retreat back into the loneliness. Depression is one of the biggest problems in our nation. I think it is because people feel cut off and disconnected from the rest of the world. Though we are surrounded by people, we are not surrounded by genuine, authentic relationships. We feel all alone.
But that is not the way God created us to be. God did not create us to merely survive on our own. God created us to thrive with one another. One of my favorite TV shows, “Lost” portrays this quite clearly. Complete strangers have been thrown together when their plane crashes on a deserted island and they are left to survive. In the episode “White Rabbit” from Season 1 Episode 5, the whole thing falls apart. There is infighting, squabbling over resources, and a complete breakdown in the order of things. At the end, Jack comes and saves the day. He ends with his famous quote: “If we can't live together--We're gonna die alone.”
I can think of little worse than dying alone. No one there to hold your hand. No one there to comfort you. All alone. No, we take great pains to keep this from happening. The fact is, we need each other. Even the most self-sufficient person in the room at some time needs something from someone. We think that following Christ is a thing we do on our own. We talk about a personal relationship with Christ. We talk about our personal faith. We’ve so individualized our Christianity we’ve missed out on the fact that being a Christian means being in a relationship not just with God but with one another.
And so we come to the title of the post. It is one word – “allelon.” One word, but it is packed full of meaning. It is a Greek word that literally means “one another.” But inherent in this word is the idea of mutuality. The idea of reciprocating. This is the opposite of a parasite. A parasite just leeches off the host, never giving anything back. But in a mutualistic relationship the organisms give and take as each seeks to make the other better. Think of the Bee and the Flower. The flower needs pollination and the bee needs food for honey. Both provide a resource and a service to help the other.
That is the picture of what the church should be – allelon – giving and sharing, but also receiving as we have the need. This word is used 100 times in the New Testament, most often as part of an instruction about how this thing we call the church should work. Things like loving and serving one another seem obvious. But how about being devoted to one another and accepting one another and teaching one another. These are the sorts of things that are imperative if we want to live together. If we want to flourish. If we want to be the kind of people God created us to be. If we want this to be the kind of church that grows.
But being these kind of people and this kind of church is much easier said than done. We have what Paul calls “the selfish nature.” It is that thing inside of us that thinks of ourselves first and then maybe looks out for others. We are self-absorbed, inwardly focused people. Don’t believe me? Next time you have a chance make a conscious effort not to talk about yourself. How long can you go without saying “I” or “me”? How long can you go with out complaining about something? How long can you go without talking down about someone else? If we didn’t have ourselves to talk about and we didn’t have whining and we didn’t have others’ messes to gossip about, what would fill our conversations? Maybe the sorts of things that could truly help each other to grow.
Sometimes we feel alone, even when surrounded by people. We may pass by people and get a smile or a wave. Maybe even a “How are you?” But there is no connection. There is just more isolation. And perhaps just when you make the attempt to reach out, it doesn’t go very well and so you retreat back into the loneliness. Depression is one of the biggest problems in our nation. I think it is because people feel cut off and disconnected from the rest of the world. Though we are surrounded by people, we are not surrounded by genuine, authentic relationships. We feel all alone.
But that is not the way God created us to be. God did not create us to merely survive on our own. God created us to thrive with one another. One of my favorite TV shows, “Lost” portrays this quite clearly. Complete strangers have been thrown together when their plane crashes on a deserted island and they are left to survive. In the episode “White Rabbit” from Season 1 Episode 5, the whole thing falls apart. There is infighting, squabbling over resources, and a complete breakdown in the order of things. At the end, Jack comes and saves the day. He ends with his famous quote: “If we can't live together--We're gonna die alone.”
I can think of little worse than dying alone. No one there to hold your hand. No one there to comfort you. All alone. No, we take great pains to keep this from happening. The fact is, we need each other. Even the most self-sufficient person in the room at some time needs something from someone. We think that following Christ is a thing we do on our own. We talk about a personal relationship with Christ. We talk about our personal faith. We’ve so individualized our Christianity we’ve missed out on the fact that being a Christian means being in a relationship not just with God but with one another.
And so we come to the title of the post. It is one word – “allelon.” One word, but it is packed full of meaning. It is a Greek word that literally means “one another.” But inherent in this word is the idea of mutuality. The idea of reciprocating. This is the opposite of a parasite. A parasite just leeches off the host, never giving anything back. But in a mutualistic relationship the organisms give and take as each seeks to make the other better. Think of the Bee and the Flower. The flower needs pollination and the bee needs food for honey. Both provide a resource and a service to help the other.
That is the picture of what the church should be – allelon – giving and sharing, but also receiving as we have the need. This word is used 100 times in the New Testament, most often as part of an instruction about how this thing we call the church should work. Things like loving and serving one another seem obvious. But how about being devoted to one another and accepting one another and teaching one another. These are the sorts of things that are imperative if we want to live together. If we want to flourish. If we want to be the kind of people God created us to be. If we want this to be the kind of church that grows.
But being these kind of people and this kind of church is much easier said than done. We have what Paul calls “the selfish nature.” It is that thing inside of us that thinks of ourselves first and then maybe looks out for others. We are self-absorbed, inwardly focused people. Don’t believe me? Next time you have a chance make a conscious effort not to talk about yourself. How long can you go without saying “I” or “me”? How long can you go with out complaining about something? How long can you go without talking down about someone else? If we didn’t have ourselves to talk about and we didn’t have whining and we didn’t have others’ messes to gossip about, what would fill our conversations? Maybe the sorts of things that could truly help each other to grow.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Are We Really Loving People?, Part One
"He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy" (Proverbs 14:21).
We can commit all kinds of loving acts while not truly loving those we do those acts for. For instance, I could be a politician loving someone for the purely selfish reason of getting their vote, a doctor helping someone because of the money, a family member helping someone out of obligation, or a rich person giving to the poor to clear their conscience. In cases like these, love becomes a legalistic action to either earn our salvation, make us feel good about ourselves, or give us some personal gain.
Genuine love starts in the heart. If we do not have a heart that wants to love our neighbor, then any discussion that we might have on how to use our possessions and love others will just be an exercise in legalism. It is tough to find authentic love in a world of selfishness, but let's look at the way we love ourselves. That seems pretty authentic.
If we are hungry, we get ourselves a meal to eat. Most often, we feed ourselves something that we really love. If we are cold, we buy a nice coat, gloves, a hat, and a scarf to keep ourselves warm. If we are adventurous, we take a nice vacation to a place that we have never been before. If we like routine, we take a nice vacation to a place we have been many times before. Whatever the case, we spend a lot of money to spend a week or two away from our normal life. If we are bored, we buy new video games, books, music, or whatever our entertainment of pleasure is. If we need a place to sleep, we usually spend as much money as we can possibly spare on the nicest house available for our budget. Sometimes we even go over our budget and get ourselves in trouble. The same goes for if we need to get from one place to another; we usually do it in the most expensive car that we can possibly afford. If we want a fun evening, we buy tickets for a concert, a play, a movie, a nice restaurant, and an overpriced coffee as we sit and talk about helping the world. If we have kids, we decorate a room in expectation of their arrival, buy them plenty of clothes, toys and other sorts of unnecessities. We really pamper ourselves.
Jesus taught, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
It would take a lot of time, energy, and resources to love others as much as we love ourselves because we really do love ourselves. We spend most of our time focused on how to love ourselves better. How can we get that new car, that new house, that next trip, or even smaller things like my next meal, more stylish clothes, or the coolest gadget. We describe our selfishness as personality and style. Our selfishness becomes who we are. Sometimes it broadens from just being selfish about ourselves to being selfish about our family, but it is still focused on how do we make ourselves feel good. I have failed to mentioned the most twisted form of selfishness, which is wallowing on how unhappy we are.
All of this selfishness hardly leaves us with any time or resources to actually be loving to those in need, whether they are next door, across town, or around the world. To reach the point where we are willing to sacrificially to do that, we have to start with a transformed heart where we surrender our life to God. Once we give our will over to God, we will have to do it over and over again, every day. Selfishness is like a snake that will keep creeping up and slowly take our life away until we are wrapped up in meaningless busyness.
I find Jesus to be a great example of what it means to be selfless. He was focused on getting humanity out of the predicament they were in rather than to find another moment of pleasure for himself. He did not answer our situation by saying, "They got themselves in that situation; they should get themselves out of it." He saw our need, loved us like he would love himself, and brought us out of our need. We need to do the same for others. Shane Claiborne, in his book Irresistible Revolution, wrote, "Redistribution is what happens when people fall in love with each other across class lines." Let us be like Christ and fall in love with the rest of humanity.
***
"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20).
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:14-17).
We can commit all kinds of loving acts while not truly loving those we do those acts for. For instance, I could be a politician loving someone for the purely selfish reason of getting their vote, a doctor helping someone because of the money, a family member helping someone out of obligation, or a rich person giving to the poor to clear their conscience. In cases like these, love becomes a legalistic action to either earn our salvation, make us feel good about ourselves, or give us some personal gain.
Genuine love starts in the heart. If we do not have a heart that wants to love our neighbor, then any discussion that we might have on how to use our possessions and love others will just be an exercise in legalism. It is tough to find authentic love in a world of selfishness, but let's look at the way we love ourselves. That seems pretty authentic.
If we are hungry, we get ourselves a meal to eat. Most often, we feed ourselves something that we really love. If we are cold, we buy a nice coat, gloves, a hat, and a scarf to keep ourselves warm. If we are adventurous, we take a nice vacation to a place that we have never been before. If we like routine, we take a nice vacation to a place we have been many times before. Whatever the case, we spend a lot of money to spend a week or two away from our normal life. If we are bored, we buy new video games, books, music, or whatever our entertainment of pleasure is. If we need a place to sleep, we usually spend as much money as we can possibly spare on the nicest house available for our budget. Sometimes we even go over our budget and get ourselves in trouble. The same goes for if we need to get from one place to another; we usually do it in the most expensive car that we can possibly afford. If we want a fun evening, we buy tickets for a concert, a play, a movie, a nice restaurant, and an overpriced coffee as we sit and talk about helping the world. If we have kids, we decorate a room in expectation of their arrival, buy them plenty of clothes, toys and other sorts of unnecessities. We really pamper ourselves.
Jesus taught, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
It would take a lot of time, energy, and resources to love others as much as we love ourselves because we really do love ourselves. We spend most of our time focused on how to love ourselves better. How can we get that new car, that new house, that next trip, or even smaller things like my next meal, more stylish clothes, or the coolest gadget. We describe our selfishness as personality and style. Our selfishness becomes who we are. Sometimes it broadens from just being selfish about ourselves to being selfish about our family, but it is still focused on how do we make ourselves feel good. I have failed to mentioned the most twisted form of selfishness, which is wallowing on how unhappy we are.
All of this selfishness hardly leaves us with any time or resources to actually be loving to those in need, whether they are next door, across town, or around the world. To reach the point where we are willing to sacrificially to do that, we have to start with a transformed heart where we surrender our life to God. Once we give our will over to God, we will have to do it over and over again, every day. Selfishness is like a snake that will keep creeping up and slowly take our life away until we are wrapped up in meaningless busyness.
I find Jesus to be a great example of what it means to be selfless. He was focused on getting humanity out of the predicament they were in rather than to find another moment of pleasure for himself. He did not answer our situation by saying, "They got themselves in that situation; they should get themselves out of it." He saw our need, loved us like he would love himself, and brought us out of our need. We need to do the same for others. Shane Claiborne, in his book Irresistible Revolution, wrote, "Redistribution is what happens when people fall in love with each other across class lines." Let us be like Christ and fall in love with the rest of humanity.
***
"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20).
"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:14-17).
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