Do I Threaten You?

Jesus said his followers are the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Salt changes the taste of food, kills grass, and makes a mess of snails. It preserves meat by killing the bacteria that would spoil it. If you use a small amount of salt in food, you may get no results at all. Use too much and you make the food inedible. Gargle salt water and it helps a sore throat to heal. Drink sea water and you may sicken to the point of death. Salt can accomplish a lot. What it accomplishes depends upon how and where it is used.

Light wins against darkness every time. A small light may only reveal the key hole to unlock your door. A lot of light brings a city to life at midnight. Light shows us what might be sneaking up behind us in the shadows. Light reveals to the world those secrets we thought were hidden. Light can reveal. Bright light can blind. The intense, focused light of a laser can destroy. Light can accomplish a lot. What it accomplishes depends upon how and where it is used.

Salt threatens bacteria. Light threatens those who would keep their actions hidden. Jesus might ask all his followers, “Does your faith threaten anyone?” He warned his disciples as he sent them out to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 10) that they would be persecuted and imprisoned because of their connection to him. They wouldn’t be harassed because they were Galileans in Judea, or because they were fishermen far from the sea, or because they had funny accents. They would run into trouble because they were connected to Jesus.

Their connection to Jesus made them a threat to the authorities and social structure of the day. To the extent they were salt and light according to the definition of Jesus, they would be a threat to the people who had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. That relationship represented change, transformation, a rejection of the old pattern of the world. That connection to Jesus explicitly called for a different set of values and a different foundation for relating to God and his creation. That relationship represented a major threat.

Is my faith a threat to the authorities of my day? Does my relationship to Jesus Christ represent a threat to the values of my society and its foundations for social interaction? Does my faith represent salt that will improve society even while it destroys the bacteria that is seeking to destroy society? Does my faith represent light that shines in the darkness and reveals the Truth that is the nature of God? Does my faith point to a better way of life now and a hope for life beyond this life? Does my faith threaten anyone or anything?

We live in a sinful and fallen world. The news headlines offer us death counts and the depths of betrayal. The “facts” sent to us consist of theories of conspiracies and speculations on the extent of greed and corruption. We hear of rumors of war, the progress of war, and the results of war. These represent the macro conflicts between nations and the micro destruction of families and individual lives. We tally deaths by bombs on the battlefield and by doctors in abortion clinics.

Jesus said his followers are to be as salt and light in this diseased and darkened world. To do so will be to threaten the accepted way of life. To do so will be to act as catalysts for change and transformation. To do so will mean living out the teachings of Jesus without regard to cost or consequences.

My faith ought to be a threat to anything that is counter to the nature of God. It should be, but is it? A congregation of Christ followers should be a threat to the society in which it exists. Its example should be a threat to the values of the surrounding society. Its teachings should be a threat to those of its social context. Its efforts at reformation and transformation should be a threat to the standards of those already in control.

The faith and standards of the Church of Jesus Christ are founded upon the two great commandments (Matthew 22:34ff). Loving God is our highest priority and the dynamic that should shape every decision made whether by a local congregation or by an individual follower of Christ. Loving our neighbors as ourselves becomes a reflection of the love Christ had for us as he died on the cross, an innocent individual for a guilty world.

God's kind of love threatens the powers of this world. Yet we are called to operate out of his kind of love, foremost for God, but also for our neighbor. Only then can we be the salt and light we have been called to be. Only then can we transform our society. Only then will our faith be the threat it should be to our sinful world.

Friendly or Friendship

"They're not looking for people who are friendly. They're looking for people who will be a friend."

The major difference between being friendly and being a friend is the personal investment we are willing to make. This shows up in our neighborhoods, in our businesses, and in our churches. What we decide to be can make the difference between someone wanting to speak to us again and someone we will never see again. How much of you are you willing to share?

Every one of my thirty-three churches will tell you they are a friendly church. Just ask them! At the same time try to become a part of their family circle. That will tell you more about their definition of friendliness. Many of these churches are being very honest when they say they are friendly. Their definition of being friendly just has some qualifications attached.

In a world that is becoming dominated with means of communication that limit the place of body language and touch, people still want to know there is an emotion behind the words that is expressed in ways better than some emoticon. Few individuals want their lives to be dominated by a digital expression of others. There is still the need to be able to say you are part of a group of tangible people.

These groups may be family links. They may be fitness clubs. They may be social activist groups. They may be circles of individuals whose common interest demands that they have face-to-face contact. A digital presence will not be adequate for satisfaction regardless how bright the smile or clear the voice.

Friendship involves recognition of common goals, common needs, a common path through life. Details are unimportant. Friends answer the phone instead of allowing the machine to take it or the memory bank to record for later consideration. Friends change personal plans to be involved in the lives of others. Friends allow themselves to be inconvenienced because the relationship is worth it. Friends sacrifice for friends because what is maintained or gained is worth far more than what is sacrificed.

Friendliness too often is reduced to a set of negatives. I will not ignore you when you pass by. I will not erase your message immediately when you contact me. I will not forget to acknowledge a kind deed you did for me. Friendliness is more often marked by a response rather than an initiated action.

People need friends. Friends take the initiative. Friends make the first offer. Friends are willing to make sacrifices. Friends are willing to say I will change something about my life if it will make your life more of what it needs to be.

Churches offer friendship beyond friendliness when they offer authenticity. They offer friendship when they offer acceptance while remaining true to their beliefs, inclusion without compromise. They offer friendship anytime they offer a seat at the table of fellowship without first passing judgment.

Jesus said that a man must live out or even die to show his friendship. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13, RSV) People are looking for friends that are willing to put some depth into their relationship, are willing to be honest about their relationship, are willing to put some commitment into their relationship. When our churches start practicing their faith on this level, the world will come asking about who we are.

All Those Special Days

They're lined up like soldiers on review. One after another over the next three months plus they come with their own unique themes and both traditional and contemporary modes of expression. We have packed these late fall and winter months with enough holidays and special commemorations to allow us to survive the rest of the year. This is great for those involved in the celebrations. It is exhausting for those who do most of the planning and work.

Around here my churches are involved not only in revivals, but also homecomings and fall festivals during October. Church members are begging for candy donations and volunteers to handle the games. You have the special meetings and all the preparation meetings for the special meetings. Unchurched people are being invited to hear the gospel, see how much there is to eat on Homecoming Sunday, and hear some preacher from out of the past.

October is over one day and the talk surrounds the coming Veterans Day service where the church belonging to God gets turned over to the government and you're lucky to find a Christian flag anywhere. Even while plans are being made for this event, the leadership is thinking ahead to the Thanksgiving service on the Tuesday or Wednesday evening prior to that day of feasting. A handful of churches have no mid-week service at that time. Rather they have a special dinner on Thanksgiving Day itself to give a destination to those who have no place to go or anyone with whom to share the day. The church says, "We intend to be your family." Others don't go to the church building at all. They go to the local food ministry and serve dinner from mid morning to mid afternoon, delaying their own celebration until the evening.

The smell of turkey is not out of the kitchen before Advent Sunday arrives. Actually in central North Carolina as might be true in your area, Christmas decorations and craft ideas have been on sale since early September. Advent just marks the beginning of the Christian focus upon the season and reflects nothing of the actions in the marketplace. Among Baptists this four week season can include an inaugural Advent service, recognition of each of the four Sundays of Advent, choir presentations, children's plays, small group dinners and times of socializing, candlelight services, celebrations of the Eucharist, a Christmas Eve service, churchwide parties at which the jolly old elf may show up, and an additional emphasis on doing something for the poor and world mission efforts.

The last poinsettia plant heads out the door and the committee gets the church ready for the annual New Year's Eve service to welcome in the coming year with the prayer that it will be better than the last. Some such services last only an hour or so leaving little time to party. Other congregations make a night of it with dinner on the 31st and breakfast on the 1st, my kind of party. God is placed right in the middle of this celebration of new beginnings, a most appropriate recognition of the One who gives and restores all life.

These special days for the most part are recognized by our society with little attention paid to the revelation of the Divine that is possible in each one. The commercialization seems uppermost with some lip service given to the importance of taking time to strengthen ties among family and friends. The Christian must make the intentional effort in our secular society to note the role of God's involvement in history on these significant days.

One last day must be included in this list, a day that receives little recognition in our churches or our society. Yet it represents one of the great freedoms for which our ancestors in the past and our family members today have stood up and defended even if it meant dying. In a society that is becoming increasingly hostile to religion in general and Christianity in particular, we must remember Religious Freedom Day (religiousfreedomday.com).

Established by President Bill Clinton early in his administration, January 16 has been proclaimed Religious Freedom Day every year since by each sitting president. This day was set side not to declare our country free from religion, but rather a country in which every individual would be free to express their personal religious faith or lack thereof without concern for persecution or governmental interference. This day celebrates a right that was recognized in our legal codes as early as the Virginia Resolutions of 1786.

All of the special days we celebrate as Christians, not only during these fall and winter months but also throughout the year, are ours to enjoy because we have this freedom. Muslims enjoy the same freedom during the month of Ramadan. Those of the Jewish faith can celebrate Hanukkah with the same freedom from persecution. When groups tell us we cannot, then we must practice our freedom with even greater determination. Only then will all these religious occasions regardless of our chosen faith remain special for our children and generations yet to come.

Prayer: A Benefit to Whom?

Two recent events have led me to put a few thoughts about prayer on digital paper. The first was a blog entry by a retired missionary, Leroy Seat (theviewfromthisseat, Aug. 15, 2012). The second was a local prayer seminar led by Chris Schofield of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Dr. Seat concluded that intercessory prayer had at least as much impact on the one who was praying as it did upon God or the object of the prayer, perhaps more; perhaps always the impact of intercessory prayer was to be seen upon the one praying. Dr. Schofield without trying to explain how prayer works simply said that God uses prayer and doesn't always bother to tell us how or in what fashion.

May I share a few of my questions, generally for which I have no answers satisfactory even for myself? They also represent issues raised in questions for centuries. There is nothing new here. The issues and encouragements offered by both of these scholars should be a part of every believer's struggle "to attain...to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13) We can study prayer, read about prayer, hear testimonies about prayer, but in the final analysis we must practice prayer to learn of its purpose, benefits, and power.

Do I need to pray? Jesus thought it important enough to give a model prayer (Luke 11:2-4) to his disciples. The Fourth Gospel has the entire seventeenth chapter set aside to record a very personal prayer of Jesus. He took time out from his ministry to pray (Luke 6:12) on special occasions.

Do I need to pray for life's necessities? I serve an all-knowing God. Why should I tell him what he already knows especially in the area of my needs (wants?)? Jesus was blunt in his teaching on prayer in this matter (Matthew 6:31-33). Our heavenly Father knows our needs. Focus on righteousness instead.

Do I focus my prayers on praise for God and his revelation in Christ and nature? The Psalms are filled with such prayers (Psalms 63, 65, 66, 92, 95, et al). The Apostle Paul calls for believers to sing songs of praise to God (Colossians 3:16).

Do I pray for that or those who are beyond my personal touch, intercessory prayer? If my prayer exists only to prompt me to write a card, make a phone call, or send a donation, then is my prayer any different from the compassionate decision of the atheist who sends a check to Feed the Children? God as a personal Being becomes irrelevant when the idea is taken to the extreme.

Does persistent prayer make a difference? Jesus offered a parable (Luke 18) that emphasized the importance of persistent prayer. The Apostle Paul told his churches to pray at all times (I Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18-19).

Prayer is communication, with one's self or with someone else. It must impact the one who prays. If it does not have an impact on others, then it is a form of meditation, self-evaluation, and encouragement and nothing else. We should seek to follow, even if we cannot completely understand, the Bible's guidance on prayer. Is prayer viewed as meditation that leads to self-improvement and a more vigorous and righteous involvement in the world? Is prayer presented as a divine tool placed in mortal hands that allows man to be involved in his Creator's work?

These and other questions can fill books and have done so for ages. As I said, I offer nothing new here. These are but the thoughts of a pilgrim who is following the path many others have already travelled.

I choose to see prayer as an opportunity, deserved or otherwise, understood or otherwise, to be a part of the Creator's continuing involvement in his creation. As surely as the Creator-Father left his initial creation unfinished according to the earlier story in Genesis 1, and presented it to man to "have dominion over and subdue", today he still calls his children to join him in finishing creation through the gift of prayer. I can offer no scientific solution or philosophical clarification, only the same path that always involves man's relationship with God. "Without faith it is impossible to please God..." (Hebrews 11:6)

Just the Facts, ma'am (and sir)!

It happened again and no doubt I will see a lot more of it in the upcoming season of Advent. It is one of those little burrs that get under my saddle and leaves me gritting my teeth and and wanting to scream. The Bible has been translated into perfectly good English. Sure, various translations may offer variations on nuances, but you can still pretty much get the facts straight. Read the Book and get the facts straight! Use the Bible with integrity.

The most recent incident took place with a preacher who described the fall of man into sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). The passage is often used to show that the first man was not guilty of sinning first but rather the first woman. How this excuses the man I am not sure. In the current case the preacher said that the man was not there and the woman made the decision without him implying that if he had been present, he would have been strong enough to stop the whole terrible event. Problem was, he was there, standing beside her. Read the Book!

Another misuse that I hear all too often is that from creation to Noah's flood it never rained. Sorry, that doesn't show up in my KJV, NASV, ESV, or any other translation. It is not even in the old Hebrew. The verse quoted says that, "And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and not a man to till the ground" (Genesis 2:5, KJV). The rather obvious implication here is that there were no plants because there was no rain. When it rained, we got plants. Noah had lots of plants and so did everyone before him all the way back to Adam. Read the Book!

Genesis is not the only part of the Bible that can get misused. In II Kings 2 we find the story of the final hours of the prophet Elijah. All my life I have seen paintings of the prophet's departure from earth into heaven. Consistently the pictures have him riding a chariot of fire into the clouds. Only the scriptures describe Elijah ascending in a whirlwind and the chariot remains behind to keep Elisha the servant away. Have some integrity and read the Book!

With only a little more than three months to go until Christmas, we are already seeing store displays going up touting the season. We will get a good view of all the iconic emblems including trees, lights, reindeer, fat guys in red suits, angels, shepherds, and mangers in stables. We will also get to see on a regular basis three tall, stately men dressed in fine robes. The problem is, even if you accept the traditional date of the birth of Jesus in mid-winter (it was probably in the spring), the magi did not arrive for another eighteen months or so and they found Jesus with his parents living in a house (Matthew 2). Have some integrity and read the Book!

These may all be innocent oversights or perhaps embellishments to create more interest in the story. Even so, we must be careful in our use of the biblical texts lest we start influencing our theology and daily life decisions because of a loss of integrity. A retired pastor, Ray Hodge, twenty years ago compiled a list of statements of dubious veracity (Familiar Quotations, True and False). A couple of them reveal how we misquote the Bible.

The most obvious one comes from I Timothy 6. We often hear, "Money is the root of all evil." The actual wording in the Bible includes more explanation, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money has no moral nature. Our tendencies toward greed and fear of being without drive us to crave money and the power and security we believe it can provide.

One biblical misquote Hodge does not include is from a Greek fable and is often placed in the Bible. "God helps those who help themselves." The reality is that God wants to be generous to all and particularly to those who CANNOT help themselves, the poorest, the widows, the orphans, and the homeless stranger. We make and accept these misquotes when we refuse to approach the Bible with integrity.

Like the good detective on the television program Dragnet was prone to say, "Just the facts, ma'am".

Building Mirrors or Bridges

Each day I try to spend time praying for the churches I serve. Each prayer also acts as a point of evaluation. Sometimes it is a prayer for myself, "What can I do to help this church, Lord?" Other times it is more of an assessment, "Oh God, help them!" The image I often get is a church that is either focused on building mirrors or one that is building bridges.

We do it as churches. We do it as individuals. We build structures that reflect our priorities. We invest in these structures to the extent of the value we place on them. Some mirrors are beautiful in their frames and clarity. Some bridges stand as monuments to their architects. Both are utilitarian in that they serve a real purpose. Is that purpose what God designed us to have as our focus?

When we build mirrors, we may be looking out, but all we see are ourselves. Using water as a mirror got old Narcissus in big trouble. Mirrors can be beautiful in clarity and design. They still have one purpose, to reflect the image in front of them. That mirror may be the judgment we use as we look at ourselves and condemn others by our self-admiring standards. (Luke 7:36-50) For people more often than not, it is a shallow opportunity to focus upon themselves or prioritize their personal needs.

For churches mirrors exist as well. When the pronoun most used is "we", the church has built a mirror. The church is investing in the image that it finds most pleasing to itself. When the church builds a mirror, it has cut off its view of the world and limited itself to its own perceived needs. When a church builds a mirror big enough, the real world disappears. All that exists for the members is their self-perception.

Harry Potter fans will remember a segment in which Harry discovers a special mirror that allows the viewer to see his deepest desires. Harry saw his parents. Ron saw himself as a sports champion. I have wondered at times what I would have seen. How much of my sinful nature would have interfered with my desire for Christlikeness?

As much for churches as for individuals we can build mirrors that are distorted and give us a twisted image in the reflection. When the mirror is twisted and deformed by false priorities and self-centered goals, the church will develop misguided plans and an unrealistic future. God's will and the guidance of the Holy Spirit are pushed out of the picture.

Or we can build bridges. Bridges show us the future even if we dare not move into it. Bridges show us what we could be. Bridges show us opportunities to be a part of something new and different. People build bridges when they develop and deepen relationships with other people. Churches build bridges when they open the door for their members to become salt and light in the world. (Matthew 5:13-16) Churches build bridges when they open their doors to all people with the encouraging word that everyone is a sinner and must walk the same path to living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

We build bridges when we tell another person that they are important enough to us to invest our time and emotional energy in their lives. We build bridges when we decide that helping enrich the life of another is worth what it may take out of our own life. We build bridges when we live out the command to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The Church is the Body of Christ. The Church must carry on the ministry of Christ. Jesus turned no one away. They each decided for themselves if they were willing to pay the price of following Christ. (e.g. Matthew 4:18-25; 19:16-22; Luke 9:23) The Church must likewise build a bridge that says all are welcome to come and go with us. The keeper of the bridge, Jesus Christ will reveal the price of the toll.

Each person, each church, must decide if they are building a mirror or a bridge. I have never found mirrors very helpful except to show where I have been, and self admiration is no temptation at all! A bridge, however, leads to a whole new world, new people, new opportunities to show God's love. That is worth my time and effort.

Size Doesn't Matter

Last Sunday, September 2, I had the pleasure of attending a church about which I have read and heard but seen only from a distance. My older son attends Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. We went together to the 9:00 AM service.

Southeast Christian is a megachurch, hosting around 20,000 worshipers each weekend on three campuses. The sanctuary seats about 9,000 on the main campus. The facilities scatter over forty acres and the church uses big yellow buses to bring attenders in from the far reaches of the parking lots. The entry hall is larger than several churches in my association and contains multiple information sites allowing guests and members to learn what Southeast Christian is doing and how to become involved.

My son and I did not participate in the worship service while seated in the main sanctuary. We sat in the cafe that was located off one side of the Atrium. About sixty people joined us sitting in cushioned armchairs or around small tables. The service was brought into the cafe by flat screen televisions and a single large projection screen.

Though a cafe setting, there was less noise than at a standard Starbuck's. Fewer kids got up to find a restroom than I see in many of our churches. People had their Bibles and their Kindles to use in following the pastor's sermon. Song lyrics were projected on the screens and everyone was encouraged to sing along regardless of where they were seated. We joined together in communion while a praise chorus was being sung. We watched three church members each baptize one of their family members who had recently made a profession of faith.

The pastor, Dave Stone, in his sermon related the story of Nehemiah striving to rebuild the walls of destroyed Jerusalem and then brought out the relevant points for daily living. He ended his message with a direct appeal for listeners to realize the only way to put their lives back together is through Jesus Christ. It was a strong evangelistic appeal.

Did I say that I found myself deeply in worship through all this? In case I skipped that, yes, I did. I worshiped with a small group in an informal setting that was taken very seriously by everyone around me. They may have been sipping on their espresso, punching keys on their Kindles, or in quiet conversation with their neighbor at the table they shared. They weren't there to get lost in a crowd or avoid feelings of guilt. I envisioned what it would have been like to be siting on the mountainside and listening to Jesus discuss the Beatitudes with the thousands around him (that's comparing the settings, not Dave Stone to Jesus!).

Two characteristics stood out. This place represented sincerity of worship and quality of preparation and involvement. You don't have to be a megachurch to have sincerity and quality as high priorities for worship. You just have to take God and his demands on our lives seriously. It is sad that too many of our churches are dying and blaming the society, sports, the next generation, or some foreign country for their demise. The truth lies too often in a church's lack of sincerity in following the demands of the Kingdom of God and their unwillingness to give their best in serving their Lord.

When people give their best effort, which comes by sacrificing something else, and keep their motivation grounded in the desire to glorify God, then a worship service will lead people to worship even if they are seated in a cafe. The worship service at Southeast Christian flowed with smoothness and without hesitation. People knew what they were supposed to do and when they were supposed to do it. The only apology for an interruption came when the music leader apologized for having to get a drink of water due to allergies.

My son has moved to a community about an hour from the church. He intends to keep attending and deepen his involvement in Southeast Christian. He already attends a Sunday morning Bible study group and has taken on the role of a mission project leader for them. Mega did not dampen his interest in the church. I look at the churches in my association and wonder how many would have drawn my son back after he moved an hour's drive away. How does your church service rate?