The Last Week of 2011

It is that time of year, again, where everyone reflects on the past year.  George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”    A brief moment of self-reflection goes a long way to avoid past mistakes.  So here is my brief reflection:

I was wrong – God was right – everything else just doesn’t matter. 

Not to be flippant, but if I am trusting the Lord, I can be content with what God has given me.  Godly advice is always welcome, but in the end it is the Father’s hand that will guide me.  Job’s friends where loquacious advisors.  Yet, they threw words to the wind just to hear the echoes of their own voices.  Job, on the other hand, was seeking answers to a dilemma that could only be found in the voice of God. 

Difficult situations require difficult answers.  Sometimes those answers never come. The oft-heard question of “why” escapes even the ardent believer facing difficult circumstances.  Why are my coworkers so difficult?  Why can’t I find a job?  Why is my spouse leaving me?  Why did my loved one die?  Why won’t God answer?

How has this past year fit this, so bleak a picture?  Ah, yes, even a pastor, dedicated to the work of God, goes through hard times, difficult moments, and seasons of questions.  Are people listening?  Have I loved enough?  Could I have done something different?  What difference have I made?

However, too much self-reflection can lead to depression, isolation, paralysis, and self-occupation.  Instead of thinking about the past, which I cannot change, looking to the future and focusing on what God has called me (us) to do, will change everything.

 Phil. 3:13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.

Therefore, I want to love more and better, share the gospel clearly, preach with conviction, worship more passionately, care more fully, and trust the Lord more fervidly.   As always, I will struggle, but I will press on.  I will grow weary, but I will not give up.  I will get discouraged, but I will trust God.  I will get depressed, but I will rejoice in the Lord. 

The last week of 2011 is quickly coming to an end, and I have come to learn two inescapable truths;  “with God all things are possible” and “in Christ, I can do all things.”  I’m just saying…  

Five More Depressing Days Until Christmas

The Christmas season, as colorful and joyful as it can be, is often a depressing time for me.  “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  Everywhere you go.  Pushing and shoving all around, even Santa has a frown, boy I just can’t wait, ‘till next year!”  Ok, maybe I am a little cynical.

I know it’s about keeping Christ in Christmas.  I know it’s about the Incarnation of God in the manger.  I know that the end isn’t the manger but the cross.  I know that when focused on its true meaning, Christmas has a fullness of celebration that can rapture the heart toward heaven.  I know all this, but in my heart there is a heaviness that lies just beneath the surface, bringing a deep unsatisfying sigh.

Maybe it’s because in the midst of the celebration there is so much façade and pain.  We drove by a house last evening, where there were more blow up Christmas decorations than could be found at the Macy’s Day Parade.  And last night a friend’s grandfather died without Jesus.  Celebration – hunger, celebration – death, celebration – oppression, celebration – abuse, celebration – anger, unforgiveness, resentment, and…sigh. 

However, the Christmas scene is idyllic.  It is presented as calm, peaceful, unaffected by the chaos in the world, but that isn’t a right and true picture.  That first Christmas was crowded streets, pushing and shoving, no room for a pregnant girl, coarse bedding—puuussshhh.  That’s right breath….puuuusssshhhhh.  The baby’s delivered – crying, tears, joy. Now there are unexpected visitors, crowding in to see a promise.  Smelly sheep and shepherds…exhaustion.  And the world is oblivious that Christ has been put into Christmas. 

Maybe the heaviness is because in the midst of the celebration there is so much suffering, and I can’t do anything to abate it; it marches on before, during, and after Christmas.  Yet, that is the message of Christmas, a hurting world incapable of fixing itself, and God becomes man.  The message of Christmas is God dwelling among men to identify with our suffering and taking on the penalty of our sin with the hope of salvation.

That’s It! The message of Christmas isn’t happiness, parties, and good times! The message of Christmas is HOPE! It’s a message of the hope of redemption, the hope of healing, the hope of freedom, and the hope of eternal life! The exaltation and sigh of my heart, is God’s heart.  Yes, we can celebrate this Christmas, even in the midst of suffering, because there is hope.  I’m just saying… 

What Motivates Me

I use to work for a delivery company in Dallas, Texas, back the late ‘80’s.  It wasn’t a difficult job, but the pressure to deliver packages on time and promptly made the job stressful.  This was especially true when one-hour delivery was guaranteed and dispatch gave you 6 packages, all going in different directions.  After an 8 to 10 hour day heading home is all I could think about.  Inevitably I would get a call on the radio that a package needed picked up and delivered, and I was the only one in the vicinity.  Though stated in the form of a question, there wasn’t really an option.  For some, the idea of overtime money was appealing and they would jump at the chance.  Not for me, money never motivated my compliance.  I would rather be home with my family and playing with my children, then earning a couple of extra bucks.  Of course I would take the assignment, because not to could threaten my employment. 

Whenever we chose to do something, it is done out of some kind of motivation.  It may be our love for God, our wife, our children, or church.  It may be for money, power, or prestige.    It could even be out of obligation, anger, jealousy, or resentment.  Of course the highest form of motivation is love.  The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, that if we do anything from a motivation other than love we are clanging cymbals.  And there isn’t anything more annoying than obnoxious clanging. 

I get up every morning, I go to my office to study the word, write, visit a parishioner, or spend time meditating and praying.  I am often faced with the question of motivation.  Why do I do what I do?  Paul says, “For the love of Christ controls us” 2Cor. 5:14.  The Greek word for control can be translated “devoting completely,” “gripped with,” suffering from,” or “hard-pressed.”  I like “suffering from.”   I am suffering from the love of Christ.  When we are so gripped with, devoted completely to, hard-pressed by, or suffering from the love of Christ we cannot help but reach out, love, and care for other people.  When we are captivated by His love, we see everything from a different perspective; our motivation changes.

It is hard to constantly be motivated by love, because people are not always easy to love.  I know I’m not.  I am sure, as many of you will attest to, I can get on people’s nerves, try their patience, and challenge their capacity to tolerate, and vice versa.  It is in these moments that I must take a deep breathe and rely, not on my capacity to love, but on the love of Christ.  It is the love of Christ that motivates me.  It is His overwhelming grace that captivates my desires.  It is His strength and power that allows me to rise above my situation and love other people.   Any other motivation will be short lived.  Especially for guys like me who are distracted by shiny things…squirrel! 

Today, as I reflect on the Christmas Season, I am cognizant of how much God has loved me.  I don’t deserve it.  So why should I withhold love from others.  I’m just saying….

Undone and Nowhere to Turn

Whoever is humble raise your hand.  You can’t contrive humility, it sneaks up on you, you don’t even notice it, but everyone around you does.  To see humility in yourself is to find it fly away.  So, what do we do with the scriptural admonitions to be humble? There are two aspects to humility.  I can humble myself before others, by subjecting my will to theirs.  However, that is an outward action that may or may not reflect the heart.  Inward humility is much more difficult. 

Humility comes when we are so overwhelmed with the reality of God’s grace that everything in our lives gives sway to His will.  A humble heart sees everything through a redemptive lens.  A life of humility gives way to another, not because they are superior, but because it is an expression of God’s favor.   Humility sees others as more important because its identity is in Christ and not in being right or greater.

This has ramifications in how we live the Christian life.  The consumer heart sees church through the lens of personal interest.  The humble heart sees the church through the lens of God’s mission. The consumer heart looks at the church and asks, “How will you meet my needs?”  The humble heart looks at the church and asks, “How can I express God’s will?”   The consumer heart wants a return for its investment.  The humble heart is owned by God and is available to His will.  The consumer heart searches for something better.  The humble heart sees nothing better than God and rests in His will.

Humility is a discipline and a characteristic.  As a discipline I practice putting others before myself.  As a characteristic I have to allow God to bring me to the place where I am undone and have nowhere to turn. Humility is cultivated through the disciplines of prayer, bible study, and meditation.  We are overwhelmed by God’s grace when we spend time with Him, move in Him, and breathe Him in.  I asked the people at church to meditate on what it really means to “have a closer walk with Thee,” from the old hymn.  The closer we get to God the less we are focused on our self.  The more focused we are on ourselves the further we are away from God.

We are constantly moving between these two points.  At any point in your day reflect on what you are thinking and feeling.  Are you complaining about something…Self.  Are you looking for others to meet your needs…Self.  Are you running away from God’s mission…Self.  Are you seeking the easy way out…Self. 

It is much easier to point out when we are being self-centered than what it looks like to be God focused.  Because doing church stuff doesn’t mean you are God focused, if it is done from a need perspective.  What I do know is this:  Today as I wallowed in discouragement, self-pity, anger and even resentment, I was struck with how far away I was from God, at that moment.  I needed to refocus my attention.

I am learning again and again that I must be undone with nowhere to go, so that all I can see is Jesus. That can be very painful.  I’m just saying….

      

View From The Scope

Turning 50 seems to be the demarcation down the slope to humility.  It begins the quest for physical and spiritual introspection.  My recent experience reminds me of the humility that comes with laying one’s self bare for the cause of health.  That’s right I had my first colonoscopy.  There are many spiritual parallels to the experience.

1.  Cleansing.  Two days before the procedure I was instructed to refrain from eating anything solid.  That was almost an impossibility and torturous situation during the Thanksgiving season.  Only clear liquids were allowed me during this time.  One day before the procedure the instructions were to drink 4 liters of fluid, specially made for cleansing out the digestive system.  Flavored packs were added to make the drink more palatable, which it wasn’t.  The clear diet and horrible drink did its job and by the morning of my colonoscopy I weighed 7 pounds lighter. 

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin”  (Psalm 51:2) Psalm 51 talks about being washed and cleansed thoroughly.  In order to be healthy Christians we need to be cleansed; we need to allow the Holy Spirit to wash over us and remove the stain of sin that hinders our walk with God.  This takes time, meditation, and introspection.  It doesn’t happen in the hectic pace of life, but when we take time to reflect on our lives through the lens of God’s Word.  Five minutes here and there might make us feel good, but it won’t allow the Spirit time to penetrate to our very core.  We need to remove ourselves from the distractions and concentrate on the nature of God and his love for us. 

2.  Searching.  The day of my colonoscopy, the nurse prepped me with an IV, embarrassing gown, and a strong sedative.  I liked the sedative.  The doctor was skilled, and with surgical precision observed the length of my insides to see if there was anything that could be harmful to my health.  If there were, she would be able to take care of it, cut it out, or set in motion a medical regiment that would restore me to health. 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart…” (Psalm 139:23).  God is the only physician who can truly search our hearts.  He knows us better than we know our selves.  When we prepare ourselves and then allow Him to reveal our selfish motivations and sin, then we are able to set about making right the relationships that have been broken, beginning with God. 

3.  Humility.  Every time I got up or moved around I had to hold, precariously, the flimsy gown the hospital provided.  It took mental discipline to move beyond the natural instinct to remain covered and unexposed.  In the end my exposure was necessary for the doctor to do her job.  I am glad that I was sedated. 

“To this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit”  (Isaiah 66:2). When we fight God by trying keeping ourselves covered, hiding our sin, and not being exposed, He is unable to do His healing work in our lives.  God is more interested in a humble heart then working hands or running feet.  Humility is laying bear before God all our sin, inadequacies, fears, failures, hopes and dreams.  Humility realizes that apart from God I can never accomplish the kind of life for which I have been created.  

Colonoscopies are not fun, but they serve the purpose of keeping me healthy.  The discipline of meeting with God isn’t easy, but is necessary if we are going to move beyond superficial Christianity into a life deep with meaning, purpose, and health.  I’m just saying…..

Anatomy of Offense: I Feel Offended

This is the final installment of an Anatomy of Offense.  For most of us, we respond positively when a person is justified in their offense.  If we are sensitive to the Spirit we want reconciliation, express a repented heart, and seek forgiveness.  However, there are times (and they seem to be the majority of the time) when people "feel" offense when no offense was intended or expressed.  Feelings of offense are often triggered by a word or deed that leads to an emotional response.  If I walk down the hall and say, “ hi”, and you don't respond, it triggers an emotional response of offense.  "I was offended because you didn't acknowledge me."  Was the offense justified?  Was the person who 'ignored' you truly slighting you, or was there something else going on? 

Asking questions of clarification can clear up most feelings of offense.  "I said hi to you in the hall way.  I was wondering if you didn't see me or were preoccupied?"  This is a question that owns your feeling and allows the person to clarify the situation.   Emails are notorious for miscommunication and feelings of offense.  I am a great proponent of emails.  I think the quick distribution and lines of communications facilitate workflow.  However, anything written can lead to misunderstanding.  When conversation isn't localized and face-to-face, nuance is missing and people can respond to emotional triggers that lead to feelings of offense. 

There are two negative responses that can occur when a feeling of offense takes place.  One is to do nothing, let the feeling fester, and/or gossip about the insensitivity of the person who triggered the feeling.  This response is destructive and leads to sin.  The second response happens when the offended genuinely wants to reconcile the situation, and approaches the person who has triggered their feelings.  Generally they make a statement like, "Can I talk to you a moment.  I just want you to know that when you _________, I was offended,” or "You offended me when you __________."  There is a problem with these statements.

In this situation the offended person isn't seeking clarification.  They place an expectation on the supposed offender to acknowledge the offense and seek forgiveness.  The problem is that there may not have been anything offensive that has occurred.  The person may have only triggered an emotional feeling.  If the "offender" doesn't apologize the "offended" will walk away, still feeling hurt and disenfranchised.  On the other hand if the "offender" apologizes they have perpetuated a victim mentality that leads people who have triggered emotions to expect contrition by others.

This is a difficult position.  If the "offender" says, "Oh, I am sorry that you feel offended, I didn't mean to hurt you,” the "offended" might feel better but no repentance has taken place.  The "offender" has only apologized for the "offended's" feelings, not any action done on his/her part.  The only thing that happens is that the "offender" becomes paranoid when ever he/she is around the "offended" 

So, how should the "offended" respond, and how should the "offender" respond? 

When feelings of offense arise the first step is to identify the feeling.  Why has the action or statement offended me?  Was the action or statement meant to be offensive?  Has the person done or said something that truly degrades or harms me in any way?  If the action or statement triggers an emotion, but wasn't truly offensive or unintentional then the "offense" is an emotionally triggered event and not a justified offense.  The second step is to take it to the Lord and lay the feeling before the throne of God's grace and chose not to hold it against the person who has triggered the emotion.  Chose to love them in the way that Christ has loved you.   But, what if the feeling doesn't go away?

The third step is to own your feeling, go to the person, and ask clarifying questions.  "You said ______, and it made me feel _______, and I was wondering if that is what you meant."  "You did ______, and it made me feel __________, and I was wondering if the that was your intention.”  Clarifying questions, like the ones above, acknowledge the feeling as yours and allows the person to give more information that could shed light and ease your feelings.  What if there is not intent of offense but the answer doesn't alleviate your feelings?

If no sin has taken place, and the confronted person feels no need to apologize, then we follow the Apostle Paul’s admonition, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom. 12:18).  I think it is unreasonable and presumptuous to expect an apology when a sin hasn’t occurred.  The accused “offender” should be gracious, clarifying when necessary, apologize where appropriate, but not every “feeling of offense” should be coddled.           We live in a culture that has perpetuated a victim mentality, where ‘victims’ are always right, and truth is subject to feelings. 

Whether I have offended or felt offended the overriding principle is love.   I’m just saying….                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Anatomy of Offense: You Did What?

In a previous blog I pointed out that all offenses fall into two categories, justified and feeling justified.  How should we respond when a person has truly offended us?  There are two passages that are often used to guide us in our response, Matthew 5:23 and 18:15.

The context of Matthew 5:23 is set in a court of law.  In other words, if your brother has something against you that is so egregious that needs to be taken to a court of law, go to him and be reconciled.  The emphasis is not on the one offended but on the offender.  In the course of contemplation and prayer, God reveals to his heart that he has unjustly done harm to a brother and needs to seek reconciliation before he can truly grow in his relationship with God.

In this passage there is no talk about the person who has been offended.  The inference is that he may take them to court, but that isn’t the motivation on the part of the offender.  His motivation is because he has been convicted of his sin while worshipping.  He obviously knew about the offense, but had not felt it important enough for a response.  It is in the presence of God he is moved to seek reconciliation.  There is no indication that his efforts will be successful.  Rather it is the changed heart of the offender and his desire to seek forgiveness and reconciliation that is at the core of Jesus’ teaching.

The context of Matthew 18:15 is about restoration as well, but from the other direction.  If someone has sinned, then you go to the person in private, so that they will have an opportunity to repent and be restored to both you and God.  If they persist in their sin then you bring someone with you.  If there is still is no movement toward reconciliation then you bring it before the church.   The passage isn’t talking about offense against a person specifically, but rather someone in sin generally.  Yet, it can apply to the person who has been sinned against.

The question boils down to the offense; is it sinful?  A justified offense is one where the intent is to do harm.  If I lie about you, gossip, treat you disrespectfully, physically hurt or oppress you, and so forth.  When a person has attacked you personally to do harm their sin needs to be addressed.  The motivation should always be reconciliation.

Steps to dealing with a justified offense:

1.  Don’t talk about it to other people (unless you are in danger of physical harm, a law is broken, or death is imminent).  Most justified offenses don’t fall into these categories and people often talk to everyone other than the one who has been offensive.

2.  Go to the person who has offended you and talk to them.  If they continue in their offense…

3.  Take one or two godly people with you and confront them with their behavior or attitude.  If they are persistent in their sin (and make sure it is sin)….

4.  Take it to the church, so that the person will be held accountable to the body for their behavior. 

All this is to be done for one reason only – the restoration of a brother from a broken relationship to one that is healthy and whole.  If the offended one is seeking condemnation, revenge, and retribution, then the process will break down and God will not be glorified.  Justified offenses should never be tolerated in the church.  However, my experience is that most people who are “offended,” are so because of feelings.  Are my feelings of offense valid, and if so, what do I do with them.  Next week….I’m just saying.

Anatomy of Offense: Don't feel that way.

Ever felt sad and someone said, "Don't feel sad, be happy." Or maybe you were really happy and someone said, "Why do you have to be so happy?"  No matter how you feel, there will be someone who will tell you to feel differently.  Emotions, however, are uncontrollable.  Some might say they are not emotional, but generally they mean they do not express them outwardly.  We are emotional creatures, God has created us this way, and our emotions, often, come like a flood.

Jesus had emotions.  He celebrated, cried, was sad, and even displayed anger.  Emotions are not sinful.  Sin occurs when we respond to emotions inappropriately.  When a person is offended he/she is feeling something.  There is an underlining feeling that has responded to an event or conversation.  We often believe that a person or event causes the emotion, but that really isn't true.  The person or event may be the trigger or be a catalyst, but it isn't the cause.  If I say that I don't like purple hair, you might be offended.  Have I said anything offensive, or caused you to feel offended?  I merely made a preferential statement.  However, if you had purple hair as a child, and were constantly told you were stupid, you grew up thinking that people with purple hair are stupid.  So, when I said, "I don't like purple hair," you think I have called you stupid and thus feel offended. 

Now, if I say, "all purple hair people I have met are stupid," then I am saying something that personally attacks a group of people, and if you have purple hair and I have just met you then you might feel offended.  Everyone that I have met who have purple hair could feel that way.  If I say, "all purple haired people are stupid," then everyone with purple hair, met or unmet, can rise up against me.  The feelings of offense are triggered, not by truth, but the implications that are being laid.  If you have purple hair and are not stupid, is there a reason for you to be upset?  And if you have purple hair and are stupid, you wouldn’t get it anyway. 

The feelings either come or they don't, and the way we feel isn't as important as why we feel it.  Usually if someone's words offend us it is because the person either holds power over us or we hold them in high esteem.  In other words I care about what that person has to say.  If a racist, intolerant, bigot stands up waving a sigh and shouting, "Purple haired people are dumb, purple haired people are dumb, purple haired people are dumb," I might walk by in disgust but I won't feel hurt or betrayed.  If my father, mother, teacher, pastor, leader, friend says it I am hurt because either:  1) I think maybe it is true, 2)  I feel that they think less of me and I care what they think.

For the offended the question are the feelings.  What do I do with the feelings that are triggered?  First, we need to acknowledge the legitimacy of our feelings.  They are barometers of something going on.  To deny that I get angry, sad, frustrated, hurt, disgusted, or jealous is to ignore what is going on inside and hinders a proper response. 

Secondly, we need to identify the feeling.  What feeling was triggered by the event?  Am I angry because I have purple hair and my parents always told me purple haired people were stupid, or am I angry because I was actually called stupid by the offender? 

Thirdly, we need to own our emotion.  In most cases emotions are triggered and not caused.  I know that seems picky.  I can hit you and cause pain, but I can't cause anger, contempt, fear, or even laughter.  The emotion is based on other factors.  If I hit you and it stings, you may laugh because I am a wimpy hitter.  You may be angry because you think I was trying to harm you.  You might feel fear because you think I am going to hit you again.  You might feel contempt because you feel I have little regard for your happiness.  All the while I was trying to kill the mosquito that was going to bite you.  I caused pain, but the emotions were triggered based on your experience and knowledge. 

Once we realize that our emotions of offense are not caused and are ours; then we can formulate an appropriate response.  Remember, I am not saying that the emotional response of offense is justified or not, but rather the feeling belongs to us, and therefore the response and outcome are in our control.  I'm just say......

Anatomy of Offense: What's In A Word

Rebecca and I were discussing the issue of offense the other night.  She was helping me to better understand the subject.  For me, the word offense or offended is too broad.  The word encompasses more than a single emotion.  Rebecca said that I should replace the word offended with the word hurt.  That helped a little, but the word hurt is too broad as well.  Think of it like this, a man comes into the emergency room screaming, “I am hurting, I am hurting.”  The doctors put him on a gurney and rush him to the operating room and proceed to remove his kidney.  The patent finally wakes and is flabbergasted!  “What have you done,” he cries, “I had a splinter in my big toe!”

Finding the source of the hurt, or the offense, is the only way to truly deal with the issue.  So what does the word offend mean?  There are at least 19 words or variations of words in the Greek and Hebrew that are translated “offend,” "offensive,” or “offended” in the NASB translation.  In the Old Testament the word can be applied to three different situations.  The first is in regard to religious law.  In Jer. 23:13 and Dan. 3:29 the word piggul means offensive smell, putrid and is related to offerings that have violated God’s proscribed practice.  They were sacrifices that were offensive to God.   Secondly, an offense was seen from a legal perspective.  Ashem meant one was guilty, and applied to both the offender and the offended in respect to the law. And the third area of offense was between fellow Israelites.  It was personal, as in Proverbs 18:19.  The brother of the offender has done something egregious, rebellious against the friendship.  This can be as extreme as Exodus 2:13 where one Israelite kills another Israelite, or as simples as having offense (loathsome) breath, Job 19:17.

In the New Testament “offended” is bait, a stumbling block, sin, transgression, one who stands beside, or an act of wickedness.  Jesus didn’t want people to take offense in regard to him (Matt. 11:6; Luke 7:23), yet they did (Matt 13:57; Mark 6:3).  In fact Paul in Romans says that Jesus was a fulfillment of prophesy, and that he would become a cause of offense to the Jews (Romans 9:32; 1 Peter 2:8).  People were offended on several occasions, not just with his person, but also with his message and action (Luke 15:12; Matt 17:27).  Understanding the nuance of an offense helps both the offender and the offended come to reconciliation.  When a person approaches an an individual and says, “I am offended,” What does he mean?  What is the feeling behind the offense? Was the offender offensive, speaking truth, or unconsciously being careless?  Does a kidney need taken out or a splinter.

Offense can be categorized in the following:

1. A transgression of the moral or divine Law.

2. To cause difficulties, discomfort, or injury.

3.  To cause dislike, anger, or vexation.

4. To violate or transgress – to cause pain or hurt.

5.  A stumbling block – to cause someone to sin or fall.

6.  To cause a feeling of resentment, usually by violation of what is proper or fitting.

In most instances in the scripture offense has to do with a direct desire to do harm to another person.

 John Bevere, in his book “The Bait of Satan,” makes this observation, “No matter what the scenario is, we can divide all offended people into two major categories: (1) those who have been treated unjustly or (2) those who believe they have been treated unjustly.  People in the second category believe with all their hearts that they have been wronged.  Often their conclusions are drawn from inaccurate information. Or their information is accurate, but their conclusion is distorted.  Either way, they hurt, and their understanding is darkened.  They judge by assumption, appearance, and hearsay.”

Once we understand that being offended is broad and complex, we can move on to another important question.  Are the feelings of offense legitimate? I am just saying….

I Am Offended: The Anatomy of Offense

During the last two presidential debates I was amazed when candidates started throwing out the phrase, “I am offended.” Governor Perry said, “If you’re saying that I can be bought for $5,000, I’m offended.” To which Mrs. Bachmann replied, “I’m offended for the all the little girls.”  She was referring to a mandated vaccine in Texas.  A prominent socialist said of Mr. Cain, “I am offended on behalf of all the veterans of the Vietnam War who joined, Mr. Cain.”  This was reaction to Mr. Cain’s offense at taking his book out of context.  Richard Dawkins, a prominent atheist, is offended by the notion of god and how religious people ignore “real” science. Christians are offended by Richard Dawkins.

It seems to me that we are the most offended people in the history of the world.  If you Google the phrase “I am offended” you will get 38,100,000 hits.  One hit was a blog entitled “I am offended because…” The blogger describes herself as “a frequently offended girl.”  I have heard the phrase “That offended me,” or “I am offended by” more this year than I can ever recall in the history of my ministry.  I am sure that I have offended someone just by saying so.

All this offense has gotten me a thinkin.  What does it mean to be offended?  Is offended and offensive the same thing?  If I am offended is there a responsibility of the offender to respond in a certain way?  Should I always make known my offended feelings?  How should I as the offender respond to an offense?  How should I as the offended respond?  Are there different levels or intensity of offense?  Are all offended feelings legitimate?  And the most important question, what does the bible have to say about offense, offenders, and our respective responses and responsibilities?

I have decided to take it upon myself to do some reading, research, and reflection on the issue of offense.  Over the next few blogs I am going to engage myself in a discussion on the biblical perspective of offense and the believer’s proper response.  So be forewarned.  If for some reason you approach me and say, “I am offended…” my mind will start to process a response, and I might get a glazed look on my face as I try and sort out the complexities of that simple statement.  I’m just saying…

I can do without Church

As much as I hate to admidt it, but my feelings are affected by the number of people who attend church on Sunday. I am eliated when it is full, and heavy hearted when it isn't. Neither is rooted in the spiritual welfare of those present or absent, it is merely how I feel. So, this is not a condemantion on anyone who wasn't there this past Sunday, because I am sure that each has a good reason.

However, it has made me wonder about myself. What if I weren't the pastor and didn't have to be in attendence on Sunday? Would I be gone as much as some? Would I find it easy to sleep in or be late? Would someone be concerned about me, and would my absence mean anything if the sanctuary is full? Rebecca reminds me that if I were employed outside the church that we might be traveling to visit children (really grandchildren). The question boils down to this, "Am I lost without it, or can I do without it?'

Now before you answer that question too quickly, mere attendance isn't the issue. It runs much deeper. You may attend church every Sunday but for all the wrong reasons. Your mom may have created such guilt in you as a child that not being in church weighs you down. You might not miss church because it is what you are "suppose" to do, and your habit is well established. You might even be at church every Sunday because you haven't anything better to do that makes you feel as good. The bottom line question is, "are you lost with out it?"

That is the question I am contemplating today, am I lost when I am not in the presence of God and in the company of His people? Can I take church or leave it, and if I can leave it why is that so? Though I do not desire to live in a country that is opressive to the Christian faith, the reality is that during persecution the metal of our faith is tested. The value of our time together is determined when the cost of losing it rises.

Being at church or in a small group is optional because there is always next week. Being with other believers isn't as important because I am surrounded by the people I love and that is sufficient to make me feel safe, secure, and fulfilled. We give a wink and nod to oneanother when we do attend, but don't really want to engage in our failures, or rather my failures. I am alway interested in listneing, but not sharing. And though we rejoice in visitors who fill up the church, but heaven forbid that we ask them to come home with us for lunch and ruin our routine. I mean the Packers are playing at noon. Am I lost without it?

I gues it depends on what "it" is. If "it" is the church, what value is there in church attendance that creates loss if I am not there? Can I not worship God, be a good Christian and not be bogged down with superficial religiousity? I can find more love, acceptance and grace at the local Pub. That's what many unchurched Christians will say.

When the early church swept across the Roman Empire it was a message of life to the opressed, hope for the down trodden, and freedom to those caught in sin. People gathered as a result of their common failings and the freedom they found in Christ. They didn't embrace sin, but didn't destroy the sinner. They confessed their failing to oneanother and rejoiced in the grace and mercy of God. They couldn't wait to be together because it was the only safe place to be, the only place of hope, the only place where God's expression of love was so gloriously expressed through their love for one another. They couldn't do with out it. I'm just saying.....

The Cult of Cultishness: Is Christianity a Cult?

The big question for the Republican Candidates this past week was, “is Mormonism a cult?”  The reactions are varied from, “OH! Yes!” to “I’m not running for Theologian and Chief,” my favorite.  Pastor Jefferies, First Baptist Church of Dallas, is taking a lot of heat for his words.  And then there is the President of Fuller Seminary saying, “No, Mormonism isn’t a cult like Jehovah Witnesses and Hare Krishna.”  What? How does that Make Jehovah Witnesses feel?

I think it is important to get some perspective and definition.  The term cult can have at least three applications.  First, it can relate to a religious system of a particular people.  The cult of Judaism, the cult of Islam, the cult of Isis would all refer to a religious system with its respective customs, priests, and scripture.  Sociologist often uses the term cult when they talk about ancient people and their respective religious systems. 

The second use is directed toward those belief systems that break away from a larger religious group, having similar beliefs, yet, with major shifts on important doctrines.  In this sense Christianity is a cult of Judaism.  Jehovah Witnesses and Mormonism would be considered cults of Christianity.  Some would even consider Islam a cult of either Judaism or Christianity or both.  A case could be made that it is a completely different religion, but their roots with Abraham, their acceptance of certain facts of Christianity have strong connections.

The third use of the term cult is directed toward groups of people who use isolation and mind control to manipulate their followers.  Groups connected with people like Jim Jones or David Koresh would be an example.  Some eastern mystic groups like the Moonies and Hare Krishna would fall into this category.   

Is Mormonism a cult?  The answer is yes.  They are a cult in the sense that they broke away from mainstream Christianity and changed important doctrines that are central to orthodox Christian faith.  There I have said it.   

The problem with the political media is that they are less concerned about the accuracy of their terminology then they are in stirring an emotional pot.  It seems more interesting to talk about the candidates’ religious differences then it is to talk about policies.  This doesn’t discount the question as to how a candidates faith effects their policies, but it puts to rest the childish questions asked of other politicians as to what they think is valid or invalid about another candidates faith.

One objection to what I have said above revolves around revelation.  Christians will say we are not a cult of Judaism because Jesus has given us further revelation, and so will the Muslims, Mormons, Witnesses, and so forth.  I have addressed the issue from a definitions perspective and will address the matters of revelation and validity at another time.  I’m just saying…..

Steve Jobs Who?

I have been an Apple fan from the beginning.  I have enjoyed almost every version of Apple commuter and technology that has presented itself.  Yet, until the last couple of years I haven't ever heard the name Steve Jobs.  Now, in his death, his name is strewn throughout the media.  His glories, in the area of Technology, are proclaimed, and questions of his philosophy and beliefs are questioned. 

There is no doubt about his technological brilliance.  But, in the end, his own words ring true, "death is the greatest invention of life, it takes out the old and allows room for the new."  Or as the bible says, "For it is appointed unto man to die once, and then the judgment."

It is the second part of the bible passage where Steve Jobs finds himself today.  Whatever we want to say about his accomplishments and beliefs, this one thing is true, he stand before a Holy, Just, Loving, and Merciful God, who will judge him not on his efforts in this life, but on the object of his faith.  Steve Jobs had said that we must believe in something, and in a sense that is true.  We have been created for faith and it is natural for us to believe in and place our trust in something.  That does not mean, however, that every object of faith is of equal value.

When we stand before God he judges us, not on our faith, but on the object of our faith.  He will not judge us on our sincerity, but on our commitment to Christ.  There is only one name, the bible says, by which a man may be saved from the wrath of God, and that name is Jesus.  It is only through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ that God's punishment for sin can be satisfied. 

Death does make way for the new.  As we die to self and live for Christ, the old way of sin and death pass, and the new way of life and love takes form.  We no longer see things from the eyes of the world, but through the lens of our Savior.  In Christ the slave is free.  In Christ the oppressed find release.  In Christ the poor find hope.  In Christ life finds meaning.  In Christ all the glories and riches of heaven are ours.  In Christ men and women, young and old, rich and poor, American and Arab, Russian and European, African, Asian and Hispanic are equal and brothers. 

We can be thankful, that in the common grace of God, people like Steve Jobs have brought technologies that make our lives easier and connect us in new ways.  But as the bumper sticker says, "The man who dies with the most toys, still dies."  What lasts is our relationship with Christ, for in him is life, and that life is eternal.  For this who knew and loved Steve Jobs, my prayer is that you find peace, comfort, and compassion in the good news that God, through Christ, has a bright future for you, and all who believe in, and confess the name of Jesus.  I'm just saying....

Solid Rock

When we first moved to Houston, in 2005, we were greeted with a hurricane.  With 3 million other people we fled the city.   The storm downgraded and the destruction was less then expected.  It created a resolve, however, that if another hurricane came, they would stick it out.  We were one of those people.  If the next hurricane was less then a level four, we were staying put.

Another hurricane came and strengthened only to a level three, and we bunkered in for what turned out to be a very long night.  Rebecca had us all safely barricaded in the downstairs hallway.  We were away from most windows, under multiple supports, and huddled together.  As the winds picked up we could see debris begin to fly.  The sky was an eerie color and the electoral boxes on the outside poles were buzzing, popping, and sparking, all together creating and ominous atmosphere. 

Mysti, my poor dog, paced and panted making it hard for everyone to sleep.  So, I sacrificed myself and took here upstairs, where I slept in the bed while she paced the floor.  The rest of the family restlessly slept downstairs.

The wind beat against the house, the trees beat against the roof, and occasionally lawn furniture would fly by.  Then it all stopped.  It was the eye of the storm.  It was ghostly and unnerving.  You knew the storm wasn’t over by you felt relief.  But then it picked up and again the wind assailed against the house, but from a different direction.  The wind had shifted.  It was as if it were trying a new tactic to get into the house.

Eventually morning came, and though electricity was out, there was little damage to our house.  We had weathered the storm, I thought, as I drowsily walked down the stairs. 

Jesus said that when the winds come, if we have not built our lives on a rock, a sure foundation, the house would fall.  First, Jesus doesn’t diminish the fact that the winds will come.  Conflicts between people, marriages with difficulties, rebellious children, wars, murders, greed, hatred, and immorality will beat against the house of God.  Then, when we least expect it, the wind will shift, come from a different direction, try to find our weakness and bring us to our knees.  Secondly, Jesus expects hope for people.  If our foundations are good the storms are temporary problems.  The damage will be different for each of us, but in the end the house will not fall. 

The only strong foundation is Christ.  Jesus said that if we bring our anxieties to him, cast them at his feet, that he will give us peace, hope, and a future.  The winds will still come, but the house will remain.  I’m just saying…..

Fighting The Battle Together

I have been preparing for my sermon on spiritual warfare, and I have been meditating on the nature of the battle. Popular books have given us demon skulking, fear provoking, aboritions that hide behind every nook and cranny of lives. The spiritual nature of the conflict is difficult for me to wrap my head around. Paul speaks about powers and authorities but he doesn't paint a picture of what it looks like. We are left to our imaginations. What he does is refer to his schemes, as if those schemes are obvious, and they are obvious. In Ephesians, he has spent the whole book talking about the importance of who we are in Christ and how we should live in community. The Schemes of the Devil is to thwart and destroy the community of believers. His tactics are many, and our defense is specific.

The spiritual armor, that Paul describes, is an illustration from the military uniform of the Roman soldier. Often, believers take the admonition to donn the armor seriously in order to stand firm and resist. However, the soldier in the Roman army never went into battle alone. He was a part of a unit, a division, a cohort, and a legion. They marched and fought as a well oiled machine. Their ability to fight as a whole caused fear in the heart of their enemies. They could fight individually, but they were at their best when they were fighting in unison. They literally had each others back.

The modern, American Christian, lives in isolation from other believers. I know we go to church together, we learn in Sunday School good things, and we even get involved in serving others by giving our time and money. But there seems to be something missing. We wrestle with the deep hurts and temptations of our lives in secret. We are too proud to confess our sin before each other, and we fight genuine accountability. Celebrating blessings is often difficult because we are afraid of being thought too proud. A transformed life is a meditative life lived in concert with other believers. We fight best the Spiritual Battle when we do it together, when have intimate prayer together, when cry together, when strive together, when we seek God together, and when we proclaim His goodness together. This doesn't happen in isolation. This takes effort and defining life changing priorities.

Not everyone will find intimate, authentic, community of value. Our lives are so defined by the neccisity of work and family that we neglect the importance of biblical community. We give our individual time to God, when God would have us find joy in the working of His body in community, and its not just about going to Sunday services. I want to know my brothers and sisters have my back. That doesn't happen accidentally. It happens through living the disciplines of the Christian life in such a way that we stand shoulder to shoulder. It happens when we have God's vision for the world and strive together through prayer and sweat to see God work. It happens when we fight against the evil one's attempts at disunity. It happens as we lift each other in life giving prayer. I am so glad I don't have to resist the Devil by myself. I'm just saying....

Being Occupied With God

Recently I spent a few days alone with the Lord meditating and seeking His presence and direction.  One of the themes of my time alone was “being occupied with God.”  What does it mean, what does it look like, how does it happen?  Being occupied with God isn’t something that comes naturally.  The Spirit of God indwells us, but most of the time we are very good at pushing His presence to the background.   We are occupied by so much, and so many things are vying for our attention, and they are not all bad.

However, good things that take the place of God are idolatrous.  So what does it mean to be occupied with God?  One day I was riding my motorcycle home and it began to rain.  Rain and motorcycles can be a dangerous combination.  The wind from trucks pushed me from side to side.  Standing water threatened to cause my tires to hydroplane.  Spray from cars splashed my helmet visor obscuring my vision.  These treacherous conditions were like perfidious predators, crouching to pounce at any moment.  The key was concentration.  I had to occupy myself with nothing but the task of riding my motorcycle.   There was no any room for watching the passing scenery.  I could not allow errant thoughts to distract me from this one task.  The stakes were too high.  One slip and the bike would slide out from under me and the results would be disastrous.  Every muscle, every skill, every thought was dedicated into one action – riding the motorcycle. 

Being occupied with God is similar.   Peter says that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he might devour.  Even in our best moments he desires to bring destruction to our lives.  When we let our guard down, when we become occupied with anything but God, we are open to his schemes.   All our spiritual skills, disciplines, and thoughts must be occupied with the one task of knowing God and being occupied with Him. 

Whenever I have imagined a total, God occupied person pictures of monks praying in continuous silence come to mind.  We need not cloister ourselves away to be occupied by God.  In fact the disciplines of occupation are a mixture of isolation and presence in the community of believers.   In a fast paced culture there is a need to be isolated from its distractions so that we can be totally focused and occupied with God.  Silence and meditation is a lost discipline in the Christian life.  We rush, rush, rush and think that we can find God in the seconds we offer Him each day.  We have bought into the lie that 5-minute devotions are sufficient to hear the voice of God.   We need to spend extended time thinking deeply on His Word and listening to His voice.  For most of us this can’t happen everyday.  But regular times of silence and meditation are essential to truly hear what God has to say.

Silence and mediation, however, are not enough to keep us from the devils schemes.  To truly be occupied with God we are called to live in authentic, healthy community.  Most Christians don’t live in healthy community.  We pick and choose what we want from a smorgasbord of activities and walk away losing out on true community.  The New Testament letters were either written to churches or to leaders who were leading communities.  American Christianity reads the New Testament as a letter to them personally and they tend to apply it in isolation to the community.  The reality is that these letters were written to communities of people, and though individuals will apply the principles, it should be done within the context of community.  We are occupied with God when we are occupied with His body.  Jesus said that when we minister to the least of these we are ministering to Him. 

This does not exclude our involvement with work, family, and leisure.  Never the less, if our focus is not on the disciplines and practices of being occupied with God, we have elevated good things to the status of idols.  So how do the two worlds collide?  That is for another blog.  I’m just saying….

Why I Am A Christian: It Just Makes Sense

I stared a long time at the mathematical equation.  I don’t care how long I poured over the symbols I was never going to understand what they meant and how the outcome was achieved.  It’s not that I am ignorant or unintelligent; it’s just that I don’t have basic information; a grasp of simpler formulas; a foundation that will lead me to the truth.

Understanding is a difficult concept to grasp.  Different people can look at the same set of facts and come to greatly different conclusions.  And people who have great intellect can still miss understand simple truths.  So, I am not under any delusion that just because something makes sense to me that everyone will come to the same conclusions.

It just makes sense to me that when you look at the universe, both meta and micro, that its complexity, diversity, creativity, and order points to an intelligence that designed and set it into motion.

It just makes sense to me that a creator with such infinite capabilities would want those who he has created to get to know him.

It just makes sense to me that a creator who loves his creation would give them the freedom to follow or not to follow.

I just makes sense to me that at some point there would be those who would chose not to follow.

It just makes sense to me that there are consequences for those decisions.

It just makes sense to me that as he made himself known to his creation that what he had said would be muddled, perverted, confused, and misused by generations of people who had not sought after him.

It just makes sense to me that a creator how loves his creation would want them to have a correct view of him and provide a way for that to occur.

It just makes sense to me that a creator who loves his creation would provide a way for those who have turned their back on Him to return and not suffer the consequences of their choices.

It just makes sense to me that this plan would have a singular path.

It just makes sense that out of all the options in the world that the path is through Jesus. For in Jesus man is set free from the bonds of sin and death.  In Jesus man no longer has to strive for God’s acceptance because in Christ he is accepted. In Jesus man is able to see the creator who has become man in order to relate to His creation.  In Jesus there is life, hope, and a future.  In Jesus the fullness of meaning and creation come together.

So why, if this makes sense to me (and to other Christians) do not all people come to faith?  I was visiting my mother-in-law the other who is beginning to suffer the advance stages of dementia.  On the end table next to her chair was a word puzzle book.  She had done these many times and for many years.  She sat there staring at the words and said, “What am I suppose to do with this, it doesn’t make sense.” Like the advancing dementia of my mother-in-law, sin has darkened the minds of sinful man.  Even the most intellectual among us cannot escape its debilitating effects.  The darkness blinds the eyes of the world so that when they look at creation they say, “Who am I, why am I here, it doesn’t make any sense.” 

Unlike my mother-in-law who will not regain her capacity to understand, the world is not left without hope.  By stepping out in faith, believing in Jesus, and accepting the reality of God’s presence, love, and forgiveness their eyes will see the light and their minds will understand.  It will all make sense.  I’m just saying…..