I often hear a good bit of “rich bashing” in the converstions I am involved in. I also hear a lot about the rights of the “the working person”. Is it possible to have a “working person” with out a “wealthy person” giving him or her a job? Is it possible to have a society that values both, where the “workers” respect the “owners” and the “owners” respect the “workers"?
Below is a statement by one of the great religious leaders of our time.
I wonder if he is telling it like it is?
“Friend, you cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. And what one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government can’t give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody. And when half of the people get the idea they don’t have to work because the other half’s going to take care of them, and when the other half get the idea it does no good to work because somebody’s going to get what I work for. That, dear friend, is about the end of any nation.”
Adrien Rogers
Do you not think it is about time that both sides of this “working” equation realize how much they need each other? Is there someone who will rise up and say ‘enough’ to the power struggles, the greed and disrespect, which is often found on both sides of the negotiation fence?
Who has the courage to look for new collaborative solutions?
There must be a better way than lock-outs and strikes.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
POVERTY, WEALTH, JESUS and SIMPLICITY
Here is a statement that has challenged my thinking;
Is it possible that there are not enough resources in our world to sustain middle class life as we know it? Are there enough resources in our world for every person in Canada, the USA, China, India and Africa to have a stainless steel sink, a car in the driveway, electric lights, indoor plumbing with its prerequisite use of water, pumps, filtration and waste disposal? What about Large screen TV’s and digital cameras? Where would we put the waste and by products of juice boxes for every child, batteries for every toy, disposable picnic plates and plastic garbage bags?
Could the dream of middle class lifestyle be a fabrication of capitalistic consumerism?
Middle class living may not be achievable.
From a basic supply and demand concept there may not be enough to go around. We know, of course, that if demand increases and supply decreases we have a price increase. That very cycle alone could out price the middle class.
The death of the middle class may be just around the corner in North America.
Jesus, the great prophet, said that we would always have the poor. Maybe Jesus understood supply and demand economics better that we do.
Here is some good news. There is actually enough wealth currently available in the word to alleviate poverty. It is, however, hoarded in the hands of very few people.
As Christians ( defined here as a follower of Christ, not a religion) Jesus calls us to account for our wealth. He challenges us to make certain our wealth is available in caring for the poor. He never defines what wealth is, or how much is too much. He does challenge us to make certain our wealth is available so that we can care for others.
The availability of our wealth in ministering to the poor is at the core of a life of simplicity. Imagine what each of us could do if we simplified our lifestyles. We could each use the left over wealth and follow Jesus into the desert place of poverty, and bring new life and new hope. We might not even miss our afternoon cappuccino at Tim’s.
"in a world of finite resources I am wealthy at someone else’s expense"
Is it possible that there are not enough resources in our world to sustain middle class life as we know it? Are there enough resources in our world for every person in Canada, the USA, China, India and Africa to have a stainless steel sink, a car in the driveway, electric lights, indoor plumbing with its prerequisite use of water, pumps, filtration and waste disposal? What about Large screen TV’s and digital cameras? Where would we put the waste and by products of juice boxes for every child, batteries for every toy, disposable picnic plates and plastic garbage bags?
Could the dream of middle class lifestyle be a fabrication of capitalistic consumerism?
Middle class living may not be achievable.
From a basic supply and demand concept there may not be enough to go around. We know, of course, that if demand increases and supply decreases we have a price increase. That very cycle alone could out price the middle class.
The death of the middle class may be just around the corner in North America.
Jesus, the great prophet, said that we would always have the poor. Maybe Jesus understood supply and demand economics better that we do.
Here is some good news. There is actually enough wealth currently available in the word to alleviate poverty. It is, however, hoarded in the hands of very few people.
As Christians ( defined here as a follower of Christ, not a religion) Jesus calls us to account for our wealth. He challenges us to make certain our wealth is available in caring for the poor. He never defines what wealth is, or how much is too much. He does challenge us to make certain our wealth is available so that we can care for others.
The availability of our wealth in ministering to the poor is at the core of a life of simplicity. Imagine what each of us could do if we simplified our lifestyles. We could each use the left over wealth and follow Jesus into the desert place of poverty, and bring new life and new hope. We might not even miss our afternoon cappuccino at Tim’s.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY IS NOT SIMPLE
CHRISTIAN SIMPLICITY IS NOT SIMPLE
A paradox is an apparent contradiction, not a real one. The paradox of freedom states, to be free we have to have laws that restrict our freedom. The paradox of simplicity is that living simply is complex. Finding simplicity, as a spiritual value, in a complex world is not easy.
Our search to live a more simple life can easily lead us into reductionism. Reductionism is the tendency to reduce issues to such a basic level as to not deal with the complexity of the issues at all.
You may be able to argue that prostitution should be legalized and that through that action reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and also reduce the amount of drug use in the sex trade. Legalizing prostitution could protect sex trade workers and clients alike. You could also argue that the legalization of prostitution could be seen as an acceptance of behaviour. So do we legalize prostitution as a method of harm reduction in our society even though the act of prostitution (as fornication) is forbidden in Gods laws? Reductionism could look at this challenge and create a very simple solution. Prostitution is “bad”. People involved in these “bad” acts get to suffer the consequence. Money should not be spent on the care or education of prostitutes in any way.
These same arguments can be used when discussing needle exchanges or safe injection sites. Why should our money be put to use to provide a safe place for people to commit and illegal act? This same argument of reductionism can be used in our attitudes towards poverty and unemployment.
It can be very easy for us to reduce all of society’s behaviors to either “good” or “bad.”
In my view, life is just not that simple. Throughout history, many religious institutions have taken a reductionist view of complex social issues. Real Christianity calls us to learn to distinguish the voice of Christ in a world of competing demands and interests. It rejects easy dogmatic answers to tough intricate question. As Christ followers and believers of the bible, let us not shrink away for seeking answers to the complexity of life’s issues by the tendency to reduce everything to being either good or bad. Some times it’s OK not to be certain, not to be dogmatic. Sometimes it’s OK, not to have an answer and sometimes it’s OK to admit it!
Have a fun and lively discussion in your small group this week. Remember we can disagree and still be friends!
A paradox is an apparent contradiction, not a real one. The paradox of freedom states, to be free we have to have laws that restrict our freedom. The paradox of simplicity is that living simply is complex. Finding simplicity, as a spiritual value, in a complex world is not easy.
Our search to live a more simple life can easily lead us into reductionism. Reductionism is the tendency to reduce issues to such a basic level as to not deal with the complexity of the issues at all.
You may be able to argue that prostitution should be legalized and that through that action reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and also reduce the amount of drug use in the sex trade. Legalizing prostitution could protect sex trade workers and clients alike. You could also argue that the legalization of prostitution could be seen as an acceptance of behaviour. So do we legalize prostitution as a method of harm reduction in our society even though the act of prostitution (as fornication) is forbidden in Gods laws? Reductionism could look at this challenge and create a very simple solution. Prostitution is “bad”. People involved in these “bad” acts get to suffer the consequence. Money should not be spent on the care or education of prostitutes in any way.
These same arguments can be used when discussing needle exchanges or safe injection sites. Why should our money be put to use to provide a safe place for people to commit and illegal act? This same argument of reductionism can be used in our attitudes towards poverty and unemployment.
It can be very easy for us to reduce all of society’s behaviors to either “good” or “bad.”
In my view, life is just not that simple. Throughout history, many religious institutions have taken a reductionist view of complex social issues. Real Christianity calls us to learn to distinguish the voice of Christ in a world of competing demands and interests. It rejects easy dogmatic answers to tough intricate question. As Christ followers and believers of the bible, let us not shrink away for seeking answers to the complexity of life’s issues by the tendency to reduce everything to being either good or bad. Some times it’s OK not to be certain, not to be dogmatic. Sometimes it’s OK, not to have an answer and sometimes it’s OK to admit it!
Have a fun and lively discussion in your small group this week. Remember we can disagree and still be friends!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Surviving Change by Getting Back to Basics
What an amazing year. Some of you have experienced great joy and some of you have experienced great sorrow. Many of you have reached new pinnacles of success and some of you have found yourself deep in failure. One thing is certain, nothing remains the same. Life is always changing..
The biblical writer of Ecclesiastes perhaps said it best when he wrote,” to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” As humans we are inclined to think in two extremes, either the good times will last for ever or the bad times will last forever. Once we gain a little perspective, however, we come to understand that neither the good times nor the bad times continue forever.
There is another dimension that is often overlooked in the “changing of the seasons of life” and that is the time period called transition. Our world is currently experiencing a time of transition. Transition is an “in between state”. It is a time when we realize that what ever period we were in is not going to continue, or indeed has already moved on. Transition is a time when we can see the past and the future in the same glance. The past is close enough, yet slipping away, and some form of the future is taking its place.
Times of transition can be very unsettling. The benchmarks that we once thought were certain are becoming unclear. In today’s time of transition we hear talk of potential job losses, homes being foreclosed, automobiles and "toys" being reposed and other talk of doom and gloom. It is no wonder we feel unsettled, out of place, anxious or even frightened.
On a daily basis we are bombarded by media reports which often use the sensational to garner headlines. These same media reports are often speculative and some times accurate. Often it is heard to discern the difference. Again our anxiety level rises.
Times of transition can also be used as a time of evaluation. When the things we take for granted are no longer there, we can be bold and begin to ask ourselves and each other questions about what is really important in our lives. We can search our hearts and re-evaluate our priorities. We can get back to basics.
Getting back to basics is at the heart of every sports team success. When a team practices the basics, you can be certain their fundamentals are in line. Accurately working the fundamentals, the basics, is the basis of a solid foundation. Trick plays and fancy plays can come and go, but the basics are the basics, the fundamentals are the fundamentals. The game of life is not won by fancy plays or even trick plays, but by majoring on the fundamentals.
In period of transition in our world’s economic system we would like to invite you to journey with us back to the basics. There are fundamentals to Christianity, which, when mastered and implemented have the ability to drastically reduce stress, anxiety, worry and fear. We would like to invite you to take a journey with all of us here at All nations Church as we explore the ancient, basic biblical concept of simplicity.
Beginning on January 25, 2009 hundreds of us will be gathering together to discover the power of learning to live more simply. Using small group gatherings, DVD’s and workbooks, and supported by Sunday Morning messages we will begin the process of understanding what it means to live a simple life.
The Freedom of Simplicity is a seven week series designed to help you live a fuller, more stress free life. It is designed to teach you the bible and the bibles principals for living well, in a complex world.
You can maximize your learning experience by planning to attend each of the seven Sundays and participating in a weekly Small Group discussion and study.
By participating in The Freedom of Simplicity you will find yourself spiritually prepared for the new season that is fast approaching.
Sign up for this small group series today. This is the best material and personal care we at All Nations can provide for you. Do not let this opportunity slip by. Sign up today at the Small Groups booth in the foyer of Fraser auditorium, Laurentian University any Sunday morning. They can answer any questions you may have. You can get more information and/or sign up for materials by calling 705.673.6110 after January 5Th, 2008. or check the website at www.allnationschurch.ca/smallgroups
To quote song writer Bob Dylan, ‘The times they are a chaingin.” We want you be prepared for what ever changing times may be ahead.
The biblical writer of Ecclesiastes perhaps said it best when he wrote,” to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” As humans we are inclined to think in two extremes, either the good times will last for ever or the bad times will last forever. Once we gain a little perspective, however, we come to understand that neither the good times nor the bad times continue forever.
There is another dimension that is often overlooked in the “changing of the seasons of life” and that is the time period called transition. Our world is currently experiencing a time of transition. Transition is an “in between state”. It is a time when we realize that what ever period we were in is not going to continue, or indeed has already moved on. Transition is a time when we can see the past and the future in the same glance. The past is close enough, yet slipping away, and some form of the future is taking its place.
Times of transition can be very unsettling. The benchmarks that we once thought were certain are becoming unclear. In today’s time of transition we hear talk of potential job losses, homes being foreclosed, automobiles and "toys" being reposed and other talk of doom and gloom. It is no wonder we feel unsettled, out of place, anxious or even frightened.
On a daily basis we are bombarded by media reports which often use the sensational to garner headlines. These same media reports are often speculative and some times accurate. Often it is heard to discern the difference. Again our anxiety level rises.
Times of transition can also be used as a time of evaluation. When the things we take for granted are no longer there, we can be bold and begin to ask ourselves and each other questions about what is really important in our lives. We can search our hearts and re-evaluate our priorities. We can get back to basics.
Getting back to basics is at the heart of every sports team success. When a team practices the basics, you can be certain their fundamentals are in line. Accurately working the fundamentals, the basics, is the basis of a solid foundation. Trick plays and fancy plays can come and go, but the basics are the basics, the fundamentals are the fundamentals. The game of life is not won by fancy plays or even trick plays, but by majoring on the fundamentals.
In period of transition in our world’s economic system we would like to invite you to journey with us back to the basics. There are fundamentals to Christianity, which, when mastered and implemented have the ability to drastically reduce stress, anxiety, worry and fear. We would like to invite you to take a journey with all of us here at All nations Church as we explore the ancient, basic biblical concept of simplicity.
Beginning on January 25, 2009 hundreds of us will be gathering together to discover the power of learning to live more simply. Using small group gatherings, DVD’s and workbooks, and supported by Sunday Morning messages we will begin the process of understanding what it means to live a simple life.
The Freedom of Simplicity is a seven week series designed to help you live a fuller, more stress free life. It is designed to teach you the bible and the bibles principals for living well, in a complex world.
You can maximize your learning experience by planning to attend each of the seven Sundays and participating in a weekly Small Group discussion and study.
By participating in The Freedom of Simplicity you will find yourself spiritually prepared for the new season that is fast approaching.
Sign up for this small group series today. This is the best material and personal care we at All Nations can provide for you. Do not let this opportunity slip by. Sign up today at the Small Groups booth in the foyer of Fraser auditorium, Laurentian University any Sunday morning. They can answer any questions you may have. You can get more information and/or sign up for materials by calling 705.673.6110 after January 5Th, 2008. or check the website at www.allnationschurch.ca/smallgroups
To quote song writer Bob Dylan, ‘The times they are a chaingin.” We want you be prepared for what ever changing times may be ahead.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
GOD'S WAKE UP CALL TO THE CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA
It is hard to believe the whole world is reeling from financial uncertainty. In just over 90 days the western world went from being smug financially to being financially frightened. It is time for our faith to kick in. It is time for us as the people of God to put our trust in OUR Father’s careful provision for His children.
Just the other night one of the national media outlets lead off their newscasts with the words “500 thousand jobs to be lost”….and then the tag line IF the auto industry collapses. With headlines like that no wonder we feel fear and trepidation.
While the “sky is not falling” it is dangling perilously from some very shoddy defective fasteners. Why are we surprised? We have been warned for thousands of years that the god called materialism is a fake, a sham a house made of cards, a building build on sand. Finally the rain has come the house is falling. The foundations are eroding. It is time to get out! Jesus was very clear when he said “you can not worship God and Money.”
North American believers have not wanted to hear Jesus message. The “prosperity” gospel continues to be propagated in churches and throughout the airwaves of this great continent. The message has been clear…you can worship God and have it all. Worship God and he will give you “the American dream”. I don’t think Jesus ever said that. He called a rich young business executive to account. He said in effect choose me or your stuff. The bible records the sad ending to that event when we read that the young executive “went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Sorrow is certainly the word for this week when it comes to financial matters
Here is my question. What will it take for Christians in North America to stop trusting in financial things for their security? The bible is so clear “do not lay up treasure on earth.” The bible states that the treasure will be eaten by moths (deflation?) it will rust (be valueless…like some stock portfolios?) …thieves will steal it (no comment necessary in the light of this weeks 50 billion dollar scandal). The Word of the Lord admonishes us to “lay up treasure in heaven” and your reward will be great. In other words take care of the things God wants taken care of and he will take care of you and the people you care about. What could be greater than being taken care of by God himself?
God’s world always operates backwards to the natural order. Take care of Gods kingdom and God takes care of your kingdom. Take care of your own kingdom and you are on your own.
Income in North American churches is dropping. Isn’t that a reveling statistic? Are people really thinking that “I’ got cut back so I will just cut back on God”?. Should this not be the time when giving to the Kingdom of God should be increasing? Are we as a nation failing to get the message? God is letting the god of this world, materialism, run its course with out His restraint. If you trust in money this is what you get…greed, scandal, deflation, and uncertainty.
North American Christianity is now in the process of being exposed for what it is…a self centered grab for God and the money! Show me God and show me the money, appears to be the heart cry of Christians in this western world. North American Christianity has been based on a “what’s in it for me” gospel. It has not been based on a sacrificial commitment to what God wants but has been based on the concept of a slot machine god who pays out what I want, every time.
Christians are hording in a time they should be giving. Christians are panicking when they should be praising. Christians are worried when they should be worshiping. The plain truth is that far too many of us do not trust completely in God for our provision. Our actions speak louder than our words. Our panicked response to the demise of this worlds system exposes our real belief system.
I believe God is calling His people to a higher level of trust and dependency on Him. It is never too late to begin putting our whole hand in His hand. In the book of Chronicles God speaks to His people and urges them to trust Him when he says “if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.
This economic crisis is a wake up call from the Lord to those of us who call ourselves Christians. It is now time for Christians in the Western world to put God first; period, no excuses, no delays. Your choice, go through it alone, or go through it with God.
Just the other night one of the national media outlets lead off their newscasts with the words “500 thousand jobs to be lost”….and then the tag line IF the auto industry collapses. With headlines like that no wonder we feel fear and trepidation.
While the “sky is not falling” it is dangling perilously from some very shoddy defective fasteners. Why are we surprised? We have been warned for thousands of years that the god called materialism is a fake, a sham a house made of cards, a building build on sand. Finally the rain has come the house is falling. The foundations are eroding. It is time to get out! Jesus was very clear when he said “you can not worship God and Money.”
North American believers have not wanted to hear Jesus message. The “prosperity” gospel continues to be propagated in churches and throughout the airwaves of this great continent. The message has been clear…you can worship God and have it all. Worship God and he will give you “the American dream”. I don’t think Jesus ever said that. He called a rich young business executive to account. He said in effect choose me or your stuff. The bible records the sad ending to that event when we read that the young executive “went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Sorrow is certainly the word for this week when it comes to financial matters
Here is my question. What will it take for Christians in North America to stop trusting in financial things for their security? The bible is so clear “do not lay up treasure on earth.” The bible states that the treasure will be eaten by moths (deflation?) it will rust (be valueless…like some stock portfolios?) …thieves will steal it (no comment necessary in the light of this weeks 50 billion dollar scandal). The Word of the Lord admonishes us to “lay up treasure in heaven” and your reward will be great. In other words take care of the things God wants taken care of and he will take care of you and the people you care about. What could be greater than being taken care of by God himself?
God’s world always operates backwards to the natural order. Take care of Gods kingdom and God takes care of your kingdom. Take care of your own kingdom and you are on your own.
Income in North American churches is dropping. Isn’t that a reveling statistic? Are people really thinking that “I’ got cut back so I will just cut back on God”?. Should this not be the time when giving to the Kingdom of God should be increasing? Are we as a nation failing to get the message? God is letting the god of this world, materialism, run its course with out His restraint. If you trust in money this is what you get…greed, scandal, deflation, and uncertainty.
North American Christianity is now in the process of being exposed for what it is…a self centered grab for God and the money! Show me God and show me the money, appears to be the heart cry of Christians in this western world. North American Christianity has been based on a “what’s in it for me” gospel. It has not been based on a sacrificial commitment to what God wants but has been based on the concept of a slot machine god who pays out what I want, every time.
Christians are hording in a time they should be giving. Christians are panicking when they should be praising. Christians are worried when they should be worshiping. The plain truth is that far too many of us do not trust completely in God for our provision. Our actions speak louder than our words. Our panicked response to the demise of this worlds system exposes our real belief system.
I believe God is calling His people to a higher level of trust and dependency on Him. It is never too late to begin putting our whole hand in His hand. In the book of Chronicles God speaks to His people and urges them to trust Him when he says “if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.
This economic crisis is a wake up call from the Lord to those of us who call ourselves Christians. It is now time for Christians in the Western world to put God first; period, no excuses, no delays. Your choice, go through it alone, or go through it with God.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Advent of Christmas
Found this in my Christmas file...no author listed...but worth a read!
For most churches, Advent will began this year on November 30th, the first of the four Sundays before Christmas.
But, like it or not, for most of us, Advent began on or just before Halloween. The Big Box stores began to display an aisle or two of Christmas decorations next to the Halloween masks and the bags of candy. Smaller stores followed suit shortly thereafter. This is the first year I've noticed that Christmas lights are twinkling on the houses in many subdivisions in late November.
Of course, the rest of this article could be given to a rant about how the church needs to take a stand against the commercialization of Christmas and it's time for the church to go on the offensive to put Christ back in Christmas.
But what's the point? As the end of the year looms just ahead, there are no indications that the church has done any better this year over than the last several years. We're likely to have lost yet another million members from our churches by the end of the year. Fighting the Christmas rush isn't going to change that.
As you get your church ready for the holiday season, here are some things to keep in mind that could make a real difference in your community.
Die on the Right Battlefield
I think it's on page 1 of the Momma's Manual: "Child, make sure you choose your battles wisely." The church has been good at picking fights, but it hasn't been very effective at choosing its battles. We keep picking fights we can't win instead of choosing battles that really, really matter. Christmas commercialization is demoralizing, but the church doesn't exist to fight Wal-Mart. The church doesn't exist to end poverty, feed the hungry, house the homeless, end the war, or even to lobby for equal rights for anybody. All these are good causes, but Jesus wasn't born in a manger and didn't die on a cross for a good cause.
The only battle the church has been called to fight is the battle for the souls of the MIAs. Charles Wesley, a great evangelist, changed the culture of England by doing just that. He didn't lobby against anything. He didn't institute soup kitchens for the poor or advocate for the rights of the exploited workers. Instead, he took the gospel to the down-and-outs. The battle he fought was for souls. Period. The results were amazing, but he didn't shift his focus when the tides began to turn. For the church, there's only one battlefield worth dying on.
Be Relevant
In many churches I've worked with, relevancy means projecting worship choruses on a big screen while the worship band thumps the newest beat and the pastor wears a sport's jacket over a t-shirt to preach.
But the fact is, relevancy does not equal adopting culture. Relevancy means responding in ways that are meaningful to those in the culture. Remember the first paragraphs and the launch of Christmas at Halloween? Well, relevancy doesn't mean ignoring the trends. It doesn't mean adopting the trends. And it doesn't mean ranting against the trends.
Being relevant means you first have to note the trends and then respond in a way that is meaningful to those living the trends. The fact that some people are already decorating their homes may mean that the trend of a longer Christmas season is being widely accepted. In some ways this shouldn't be surprising. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the World Series was conflicting with the basketball season and the opening of football season all at the same time. These "extended seasons" are simply a reality that we ignore at our peril. Finding out how they're impacting your community and responding in ways they can hear (and see and feel), is what makes a church relevant.
Offer Respite
"Life is difficult." Scott Peck's famous words state the obvious, but sometimes it seems that the church hasn't quite "got it." Promises of health and wealth seem far removed from reality, and yet it seems you can't find a televised or radio-ized evangelist with a different message. And though you may not advocate such doctrines, never forget that this is one of the prevailing images of Christianity…a people out-of-touch with reality.
The church can't cure all the ills of society. It can't even cure all the ills of its own members. But the church can offer real respite from the travails that cloud people's lives by advocating, teaching, and modeling real spiritual disciplines. Virtually everyone in North America claims to be a spiritual being, and yet there is a great hunger for spiritual practices that make a difference in life. The church is poised as the potential leader in satisfying this hunger by getting serious and offering a respite of the spirit.
During this holiday season, consider offering classes out in the public eye that connect spiritual practices with real people. Consider teaching beginning and advanced meditation practices, labyrinth prayer walking, prayer-bead making (and related prayer practices), journaling, and so on. Market these classes as opportunities to change the holiday season into a holy-day season.
But don't stop with offering these classes to the masses. Until the church gets serious about its own practices, she will continue to flounder. Take the time this season to coach your people beyond the typical Advent Devotional from the Bible Book Store (or your computer). Coach them into fasting, prayer walking, journaling, and into accountability groups. Mentor them until these have become spiritual habits.
The world might notice,if the Church got serious about being the Church.
For most churches, Advent will began this year on November 30th, the first of the four Sundays before Christmas.
But, like it or not, for most of us, Advent began on or just before Halloween. The Big Box stores began to display an aisle or two of Christmas decorations next to the Halloween masks and the bags of candy. Smaller stores followed suit shortly thereafter. This is the first year I've noticed that Christmas lights are twinkling on the houses in many subdivisions in late November.
Of course, the rest of this article could be given to a rant about how the church needs to take a stand against the commercialization of Christmas and it's time for the church to go on the offensive to put Christ back in Christmas.
But what's the point? As the end of the year looms just ahead, there are no indications that the church has done any better this year over than the last several years. We're likely to have lost yet another million members from our churches by the end of the year. Fighting the Christmas rush isn't going to change that.
As you get your church ready for the holiday season, here are some things to keep in mind that could make a real difference in your community.
Die on the Right Battlefield
I think it's on page 1 of the Momma's Manual: "Child, make sure you choose your battles wisely." The church has been good at picking fights, but it hasn't been very effective at choosing its battles. We keep picking fights we can't win instead of choosing battles that really, really matter. Christmas commercialization is demoralizing, but the church doesn't exist to fight Wal-Mart. The church doesn't exist to end poverty, feed the hungry, house the homeless, end the war, or even to lobby for equal rights for anybody. All these are good causes, but Jesus wasn't born in a manger and didn't die on a cross for a good cause.
The only battle the church has been called to fight is the battle for the souls of the MIAs. Charles Wesley, a great evangelist, changed the culture of England by doing just that. He didn't lobby against anything. He didn't institute soup kitchens for the poor or advocate for the rights of the exploited workers. Instead, he took the gospel to the down-and-outs. The battle he fought was for souls. Period. The results were amazing, but he didn't shift his focus when the tides began to turn. For the church, there's only one battlefield worth dying on.
Be Relevant
In many churches I've worked with, relevancy means projecting worship choruses on a big screen while the worship band thumps the newest beat and the pastor wears a sport's jacket over a t-shirt to preach.
But the fact is, relevancy does not equal adopting culture. Relevancy means responding in ways that are meaningful to those in the culture. Remember the first paragraphs and the launch of Christmas at Halloween? Well, relevancy doesn't mean ignoring the trends. It doesn't mean adopting the trends. And it doesn't mean ranting against the trends.
Being relevant means you first have to note the trends and then respond in a way that is meaningful to those living the trends. The fact that some people are already decorating their homes may mean that the trend of a longer Christmas season is being widely accepted. In some ways this shouldn't be surprising. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the World Series was conflicting with the basketball season and the opening of football season all at the same time. These "extended seasons" are simply a reality that we ignore at our peril. Finding out how they're impacting your community and responding in ways they can hear (and see and feel), is what makes a church relevant.
Offer Respite
"Life is difficult." Scott Peck's famous words state the obvious, but sometimes it seems that the church hasn't quite "got it." Promises of health and wealth seem far removed from reality, and yet it seems you can't find a televised or radio-ized evangelist with a different message. And though you may not advocate such doctrines, never forget that this is one of the prevailing images of Christianity…a people out-of-touch with reality.
The church can't cure all the ills of society. It can't even cure all the ills of its own members. But the church can offer real respite from the travails that cloud people's lives by advocating, teaching, and modeling real spiritual disciplines. Virtually everyone in North America claims to be a spiritual being, and yet there is a great hunger for spiritual practices that make a difference in life. The church is poised as the potential leader in satisfying this hunger by getting serious and offering a respite of the spirit.
During this holiday season, consider offering classes out in the public eye that connect spiritual practices with real people. Consider teaching beginning and advanced meditation practices, labyrinth prayer walking, prayer-bead making (and related prayer practices), journaling, and so on. Market these classes as opportunities to change the holiday season into a holy-day season.
But don't stop with offering these classes to the masses. Until the church gets serious about its own practices, she will continue to flounder. Take the time this season to coach your people beyond the typical Advent Devotional from the Bible Book Store (or your computer). Coach them into fasting, prayer walking, journaling, and into accountability groups. Mentor them until these have become spiritual habits.
The world might notice,if the Church got serious about being the Church.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Purpose of Pain in the Human Personality
The pain of our human condition is all around us. It is next to impossible to turn on a television and not see someone, some culture, some country struggling under severe oppression or pain. In all of this suffering you may be asking the question where is God? You may even be asking God, “Where are you in my suffering?”
I think we long for a world where justice and fairness prevail; a world where children are spared the horrors of war, starvation, death, divorce, dissertation and illness. We long for peace and harmony. Unfortunately, we live under a worlds system whose primary concern is its’ own preservation. Preserving the system is paramount to preserving people. The Bible calls this system of selfish preservation “sin”. Sin does not care about fairness or justice. Sin has no interest in the highest standards, the moral path, and sacrifice for the common good. Self only has one goal, to preserve itself at all costs.
The pain that is part of the human condition is a direct result of this driving desire for self preservation. Our world gives token assent to the issues of justice, human rights, and ecology, all of which can be sacrificed in a moments notice if they were to interfere with our personal peace and affluence, and if we thought we could get away with it.
Into this world of deteriorating values came Jesus the Christ. The Christian account of his life says he was sinless. That means he never thought or behaved from a position of self interest. He only acted from a position of love and obedience to His father. Jesus came into this world to redeem humanity from its self. He came to bring order to the chaos. He came to be with us in our pain, to transform our pain for his good. He did this by accepting our sin, our selfishness and the pain we experience living in a narcissistic world, as his own. He then accepted our pain and crucified it (killed it,made it of no consequence) in his body when he died on the cross.
Then, three days later he raised himself from the dead and boldly proclaimed to the world that death is not the end, and pain is not the final condition of humanity.
And now he invites you to join him in this great mission of restoring our earth and the inhabitants in it. He asks to be invited in to our pain so he can transform it. He asks to be invited in to our death so he can defeat it. He asks to be invited into our selfishness so he can impregnate it with his love and there by redeem all of humanity.
He asks…and continues to ask each generation, if we will be the ones to let HIM make a difference in the world, through them.
I think we long for a world where justice and fairness prevail; a world where children are spared the horrors of war, starvation, death, divorce, dissertation and illness. We long for peace and harmony. Unfortunately, we live under a worlds system whose primary concern is its’ own preservation. Preserving the system is paramount to preserving people. The Bible calls this system of selfish preservation “sin”. Sin does not care about fairness or justice. Sin has no interest in the highest standards, the moral path, and sacrifice for the common good. Self only has one goal, to preserve itself at all costs.
The pain that is part of the human condition is a direct result of this driving desire for self preservation. Our world gives token assent to the issues of justice, human rights, and ecology, all of which can be sacrificed in a moments notice if they were to interfere with our personal peace and affluence, and if we thought we could get away with it.
Into this world of deteriorating values came Jesus the Christ. The Christian account of his life says he was sinless. That means he never thought or behaved from a position of self interest. He only acted from a position of love and obedience to His father. Jesus came into this world to redeem humanity from its self. He came to bring order to the chaos. He came to be with us in our pain, to transform our pain for his good. He did this by accepting our sin, our selfishness and the pain we experience living in a narcissistic world, as his own. He then accepted our pain and crucified it (killed it,made it of no consequence) in his body when he died on the cross.
Then, three days later he raised himself from the dead and boldly proclaimed to the world that death is not the end, and pain is not the final condition of humanity.
And now he invites you to join him in this great mission of restoring our earth and the inhabitants in it. He asks to be invited in to our pain so he can transform it. He asks to be invited in to our death so he can defeat it. He asks to be invited into our selfishness so he can impregnate it with his love and there by redeem all of humanity.
He asks…and continues to ask each generation, if we will be the ones to let HIM make a difference in the world, through them.
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