I'm having a lot of trouble honing down my sermon this week. I think so far I've chopped it down to about 220 minutes. The first chapter in Galatians reminds me of Chinese noodles. The more I dig into it the bigger it gets- just when I think I might have made a dent, I look at my plate and more noodles are falling off the side.
It's in this chapter that Paul teaches the Galatians that if someone teaches another gospel other than the one they have been taught, then that person who teaches it should be eternally condemned. Which is a nice way of saying something else that no Bible translator would actually want to say.
Paul wasn't much on mincing words.
One of the things that cracks me up about the structure of the introduction in this letter, is that Paul goes right from a salutation to this:
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel."
No "How ya doin?" or "I am thankful for you Galatians" or "I thank God every time I think of you..." No"Tell brother so and so or sister so and so I said 'Hi'".
None of that. Just, "you guys are killing me!"
In every other letter he wrote in the New Testament, Paul spends time buttering up the recipient before he plunges into the real subject. But not for these Galatians.
He gets right to the point. It is kind of our equivalent of,
Dear Galatians,
I can't believe you are so clueless!
So... what is it that Paul is so upset about? He is upset that they have so quickly been hooked into something that is so obviously NOT the gospel. He is upset that after they have been so clearly and forcefully taught the truth of the gospel- that Christ has come to them and rescued them by His grace according to the will of the Father. He just can't believe that they have so quickly latched on to something that is so obviously a perversion of the gospel. He just can't believe how easy it is for people to buy into something that is so clearly not the gospel at all.
And that is the problem that I am having in honing down this Bible study. The problem is not that we don't have enough application here in American Christianity, the problem is that we have so much.
Let me give you two quick examples (and these were just the first two that came into mind):
Example 1: What if I told you that a very popular and influential celebrity in America today was encouraging people to do a daily devotional with her that includes some of the following teaching:
"There is no sin. . . "
A "slain Christ has no meaning."
"The journey to the cross should be the last 'useless journey."
"Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the old rugged cross."
"The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol. . . . It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."
"God is in everything I see."
"The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
"The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power."
"The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation."
I am sure you would be surprised by this - and would probably think that such a person must be a nut-case and not have much influence. What if I told you that this person calls herself a Christian and has the largest television audience BY FAR in America among women and has endlessly more influence than any pastor- her name is Oprah Winfrey and the book she is promoting is “A Course in Miracles” written by Helen Schucman. She likes it so much she is encouraging people to do the devotions with her each day for 365 lessons in 2008.
Example 2: What if I told you that the pastor of the largest evangelical church in America and one of the most popular television evangelists in the world recently said this about Mormonism to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday:
Chris Wallace: Is a Mormon a true Christian?
Joel Olsteen: Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that's what I believe, so, you know, I'm not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are.
In case you are wondering- Mormonism teaches that God is only one of many gods and that Jesus is NOT God, but a manifestation of God and salvation does not come through the substitutionary sacrificial work of the cross but by following the teaching of the book of Mormon.
These are only two of the most obvious examples.
If the Apostle Paul was astonished by the Galatians- imagine what kind of surprise he might have with American Christianity.
Do you see my problem? I haven't even gotten out of the first half of his first sentence yet- and the plate just keeps getting bigger.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
hope center
A few weeks ago my friend Lars Dunsberg was in town. Many of you will remember that Lars is the head of "Global Action"- an organization that specializes in mobilizing Christian evangelicals internationally to meet the desperate needs of poverty, hunger and AIDs awareness in some of the most marginalized and forgotten parts of the earth.
One of my friends asked him, "Where are your greatest frustrations right now?"
"The American church" Lars said without hesitation.
"Explain", my friend said.
"The church in America has so much and yet it is very difficult to help them to see how desperate the need is around the world." Lars continued, "As an example, for the price of a Starbucks coffee, a person could save a life."
He says it with just a touch of irritation.
Lars is one of those guys who commands your attention. For one thing- he stands about 6 foot 6 inches- for another, he has a deep thick Swedish accent that gives him an added air of importance when he speaks. As the former head of the International Bible Society, he is on a first name basis with some of the most recognized leaders in American Christianity. Years of sneaking Bibles under the iron curtain have hammered away any sense of apprehensive fear. "I don't have any more time to be nice" he told me one time. Lars has put literally hundreds of thousands of Bibles in the hands of people around the world. He could have retired to the comfort of his native Sweden many years ago- and yet he is a man on a mission.
This is one of the reasons I like Lars so much. He is a guy who knows how to get things done- and for all the right reasons. He's the guy who talked me into going to India last October. I remember praying the day before Michael Butler and I left on that trip, "God, I don't know why on earth I'm doing this. I have no business in India. I can think of at least a hundred reasons I should stay home."
The results are well documented in my October blogs- so I won't go into it. Suffice it to say it changed things for me. India has gotten under my skin. I can't get the orphaned children of India out of my head- or heart.
On the way home from the trip I told Michael, "I know why we came here. It was because of the orphanage- the Hope Center in Motipur. I think God wants our church to help build it."
I don't know how it will happen. I am not sure what God has in mind, but I believe God will use us there. I believe God wants to use a group of Christians from Oklahoma City to build an orphanage on the edge of the Napal rain forest so that children can be taken off the streets of Delhi and Lucknow and Calcutta and given a new life.
I think about it now every time I drive by a Starbucks.
One of my friends asked him, "Where are your greatest frustrations right now?"
"The American church" Lars said without hesitation.
"Explain", my friend said.
"The church in America has so much and yet it is very difficult to help them to see how desperate the need is around the world." Lars continued, "As an example, for the price of a Starbucks coffee, a person could save a life."
He says it with just a touch of irritation.
Lars is one of those guys who commands your attention. For one thing- he stands about 6 foot 6 inches- for another, he has a deep thick Swedish accent that gives him an added air of importance when he speaks. As the former head of the International Bible Society, he is on a first name basis with some of the most recognized leaders in American Christianity. Years of sneaking Bibles under the iron curtain have hammered away any sense of apprehensive fear. "I don't have any more time to be nice" he told me one time. Lars has put literally hundreds of thousands of Bibles in the hands of people around the world. He could have retired to the comfort of his native Sweden many years ago- and yet he is a man on a mission.
This is one of the reasons I like Lars so much. He is a guy who knows how to get things done- and for all the right reasons. He's the guy who talked me into going to India last October. I remember praying the day before Michael Butler and I left on that trip, "God, I don't know why on earth I'm doing this. I have no business in India. I can think of at least a hundred reasons I should stay home."
The results are well documented in my October blogs- so I won't go into it. Suffice it to say it changed things for me. India has gotten under my skin. I can't get the orphaned children of India out of my head- or heart.
On the way home from the trip I told Michael, "I know why we came here. It was because of the orphanage- the Hope Center in Motipur. I think God wants our church to help build it."
I don't know how it will happen. I am not sure what God has in mind, but I believe God will use us there. I believe God wants to use a group of Christians from Oklahoma City to build an orphanage on the edge of the Napal rain forest so that children can be taken off the streets of Delhi and Lucknow and Calcutta and given a new life.
I think about it now every time I drive by a Starbucks.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
a book a month
The new year is always a good time to start some new habits and make some new (or renewed) commitments. At the bare minimum, I think it is a good resolution to continue to broaden the world you live in this year.
I agree with G.K. Chesterton who said "the lunatics mind moves in a perfect but narrow circle. A small circle is quite as infinite as a large circle, but though it is quite as infinite, it is not so large".
The smaller and tighter the circle we live in, the less healthy we are. A believer who has a global perspective and lives in a big world has more compassion and is more energized for the gospel. I know I don't have to tell you that the next few years will bring about rapid change that will alter all of our lives at a staggering pace. We honor God by the way we move into that expanding world.
A great way to broaden the circle in your world is to become a prolific reader. It is an increasingly important discipline especially in a media driven world to take your eyes and mind off of a computer or television screen and put them on to the pages of a book.
So, as a kind of encouragement to all of us to read at least one book a month this next year, I want to share with you 12 books I have read recently that I particularly enjoyed:
1. What's So Great About Christianity by Dnish Dsouza. Dsouza is a brilliant philosopher and apologist who writes and thinks with great clarity. I'm glad he's on our side.
2. The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. There are more honor students in China than there are students in the United States. Imagine what will happen when they all get internet access. Friedman has an effective way of helping us understand how the world is changing.
3. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. This is one of the classics that every Christian should read. His criticism of the materialist is especially current.
4. The Rise of Christianity by Robert Stark. One of the best books I have read on the reason Christianity took over the Roman Empire. Written from the perspective of a non-Christian socioligist -it is objective, concise and inspiring.
5. From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman. Although this book was written about 25 years ago, this is a very good explanation of the political issues at play in the Middle East.
6. Putting Amazing Back into Grace by Michael Horton. This is an important book for a better understanding of the theology of salvation and grace.
7. Presidential Courage by Michael R. Beschloss. An inspiring look into the inner workings of the White house throughout history and how many of our presidents made unpopular decisions at crucial times in order to bring about positive change.
8. The River of Doubt by Candice Miller. The incredible story of how a retired and aging Theodore Roosevelt came to terms with his mortality in the Amazon.
9. The Bible and the Future by Anthony A. Hoekema. By far the best book I have read on the subject of eschatology. Whenever someone asks me what I think about future times, I just want to hand them this book. I don't see how anyone can say it better.
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A powerful insight into one families tragic journey from Afghanistan to the United States. The movie is also very good.
11. Aristotles Children by Richard E. Rubenstein. The fascinating story of how Greek philosophy was rediscovered after the crusades.
12. God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis. A list like this wouldn't be complete without at least one book by Uncle Clive.
I agree with G.K. Chesterton who said "the lunatics mind moves in a perfect but narrow circle. A small circle is quite as infinite as a large circle, but though it is quite as infinite, it is not so large".
The smaller and tighter the circle we live in, the less healthy we are. A believer who has a global perspective and lives in a big world has more compassion and is more energized for the gospel. I know I don't have to tell you that the next few years will bring about rapid change that will alter all of our lives at a staggering pace. We honor God by the way we move into that expanding world.
A great way to broaden the circle in your world is to become a prolific reader. It is an increasingly important discipline especially in a media driven world to take your eyes and mind off of a computer or television screen and put them on to the pages of a book.
So, as a kind of encouragement to all of us to read at least one book a month this next year, I want to share with you 12 books I have read recently that I particularly enjoyed:
1. What's So Great About Christianity by Dnish Dsouza. Dsouza is a brilliant philosopher and apologist who writes and thinks with great clarity. I'm glad he's on our side.
2. The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. There are more honor students in China than there are students in the United States. Imagine what will happen when they all get internet access. Friedman has an effective way of helping us understand how the world is changing.
3. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. This is one of the classics that every Christian should read. His criticism of the materialist is especially current.
4. The Rise of Christianity by Robert Stark. One of the best books I have read on the reason Christianity took over the Roman Empire. Written from the perspective of a non-Christian socioligist -it is objective, concise and inspiring.
5. From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman. Although this book was written about 25 years ago, this is a very good explanation of the political issues at play in the Middle East.
6. Putting Amazing Back into Grace by Michael Horton. This is an important book for a better understanding of the theology of salvation and grace.
7. Presidential Courage by Michael R. Beschloss. An inspiring look into the inner workings of the White house throughout history and how many of our presidents made unpopular decisions at crucial times in order to bring about positive change.
8. The River of Doubt by Candice Miller. The incredible story of how a retired and aging Theodore Roosevelt came to terms with his mortality in the Amazon.
9. The Bible and the Future by Anthony A. Hoekema. By far the best book I have read on the subject of eschatology. Whenever someone asks me what I think about future times, I just want to hand them this book. I don't see how anyone can say it better.
10. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A powerful insight into one families tragic journey from Afghanistan to the United States. The movie is also very good.
11. Aristotles Children by Richard E. Rubenstein. The fascinating story of how Greek philosophy was rediscovered after the crusades.
12. God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis. A list like this wouldn't be complete without at least one book by Uncle Clive.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
incarnation
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature[ God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” (Philippians 2:5-6)
The only proper response to the gospel of Christ is service. The trajectory of Christianity is incarnational- “God came down…” In Christ we see that God has become a humble servant as He emptied Himself of His glorious splendor in order to lay down His life for many. This is a reality that changes the direction of our passions from self to sacrifice, from selfishness to compassion. It was His glory to serve us and therefore we find His glory as we empty ourselves, as He has given His life for us.
Consider the story from the book of John in which Jesus, shortly before His execution, gathered the disciples around Him in order to teach them how to live and to serve others:
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. (John 13:3-5)
At first glance this passage looks like a non-sequitur attaching two disconnected thoughts into the same sentence. Jesus knew He was from God, so what was His response? He washed the Disciples’ feet. One of the mysteries of the spiritual life is that the more you give your life away, the more you gain.
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matt. 16:25)
Every follower of Christ will be drawn naturally into service as his or her life reflects the nature of Christ and is drawn by His Spirit. If you are not giving your life away, you are losing it. The more we give, the more we receive, and the more health and life we have. The most unhappy people in the world are those who are living only for themselves. The dichotomous effect of the gospel is that the more I drain my life of self, the more energized I become with life. The more I grasp at life, the less of life I will receive, but the more I give my life away, the more life I attain.
In his book “The Jesus I Never Knew”, Phillip Yancey contrasts the worlds “stars” with the world’s “servants”. He reflects on his life as a journalist in which he has interviewed and met some of the world’s biggest celebrities - the idols of American popular culture:
I have also spent time with people I call “servants”. Doctors and nurses who work among the ultimate outcast, leprosy patients in rural India. A Princeton graduate who runs a hotel for the homeless in Chicago. Health workers who have left high paying jobs to work in backwater towns in rural Mississippi. Relief workers in Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and other repositories of human suffering. The PHDs I met in Arizona, who are now scattered throughout the jungles in South America translating Bibles into native languages. I was prepared to honor and admire these servants. I was not prepared to envy them. Yet as I now reflect on the two groups side by side, the servants clearly emerge as the favored ones, the graced ones. Without question I would rather spend time among the servants than among the stars: they possess qualities of depth and richness and even joy that I have not found elsewhere. Servants works for low pay, long hours and no applause, “wasting” their talents and skills among the worlds poor and uneducated. Somehow, though, in the process of losing their lives, they find them.
Thus the essence of Christianity is the incarnation event- and the essence of who we are in Christ is in the same direction. To find life, we must be willing to give it away.
The only proper response to the gospel of Christ is service. The trajectory of Christianity is incarnational- “God came down…” In Christ we see that God has become a humble servant as He emptied Himself of His glorious splendor in order to lay down His life for many. This is a reality that changes the direction of our passions from self to sacrifice, from selfishness to compassion. It was His glory to serve us and therefore we find His glory as we empty ourselves, as He has given His life for us.
Consider the story from the book of John in which Jesus, shortly before His execution, gathered the disciples around Him in order to teach them how to live and to serve others:
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. (John 13:3-5)
At first glance this passage looks like a non-sequitur attaching two disconnected thoughts into the same sentence. Jesus knew He was from God, so what was His response? He washed the Disciples’ feet. One of the mysteries of the spiritual life is that the more you give your life away, the more you gain.
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matt. 16:25)
Every follower of Christ will be drawn naturally into service as his or her life reflects the nature of Christ and is drawn by His Spirit. If you are not giving your life away, you are losing it. The more we give, the more we receive, and the more health and life we have. The most unhappy people in the world are those who are living only for themselves. The dichotomous effect of the gospel is that the more I drain my life of self, the more energized I become with life. The more I grasp at life, the less of life I will receive, but the more I give my life away, the more life I attain.
In his book “The Jesus I Never Knew”, Phillip Yancey contrasts the worlds “stars” with the world’s “servants”. He reflects on his life as a journalist in which he has interviewed and met some of the world’s biggest celebrities - the idols of American popular culture:
I have also spent time with people I call “servants”. Doctors and nurses who work among the ultimate outcast, leprosy patients in rural India. A Princeton graduate who runs a hotel for the homeless in Chicago. Health workers who have left high paying jobs to work in backwater towns in rural Mississippi. Relief workers in Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and other repositories of human suffering. The PHDs I met in Arizona, who are now scattered throughout the jungles in South America translating Bibles into native languages. I was prepared to honor and admire these servants. I was not prepared to envy them. Yet as I now reflect on the two groups side by side, the servants clearly emerge as the favored ones, the graced ones. Without question I would rather spend time among the servants than among the stars: they possess qualities of depth and richness and even joy that I have not found elsewhere. Servants works for low pay, long hours and no applause, “wasting” their talents and skills among the worlds poor and uneducated. Somehow, though, in the process of losing their lives, they find them.
Thus the essence of Christianity is the incarnation event- and the essence of who we are in Christ is in the same direction. To find life, we must be willing to give it away.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
the first joseph
I normally don't do this, but this Sunday's sermon is totally last minute. We plan our teaching out about a year in advance around here- so it's somewhat unusual for me to do something different from the prescribed plan.
But that is what happened this week.
The old plan has been thrown out and a new one has emerged. Stop the presses and don't tell Norman- we're changin the plan.
And it happened as a result of a conversation I had with one of our church members last Sunday.
She said, "Pastor, I have enjoyed our study of Jacob- but I'm a little disappointed that we aren't getting to Joseph. I really like Joseph."
I was a little dumbfounded by that statement. It struck me as odd because I didn't remember saying that I wasn't covering Joseph. She must have deduced it because I have said that I was planning to talk about Jacob to the end of the book of Genesis. But certainly, Joseph is tied very closely to Jacob. I had in fact planned on dealing with Joseph for at least one lesson before finishing Genesis. But not this next Sunday.
This next Sunday I had put just one word in the slot for our teaching calendar- "Christmas".
My plan was to cover the Christmas story in the way I have every other year- from the angle of the gospel text covering the doctrine of incarnation. It's pretty cut and dry. Most pastors can cover the Christmas story with their Bible's tied behind their backs.
It's a no brainer.
So on Monday as I began to pray about and meditate on the text I would use for my usual Christmas sermon- will it be Matthew or Luke this year? Or maybe John 1?- I just couldn't get Barbara's words to me out of my head. "I really like Joseph," she said.
"I'm disappointed that we aren't covering Joseph".
I kinda smiled to myself- how on earth do you get through Christmas without covering Joseph? I mean, the story of Christmas has a Joseph too.
Hmmmm- I thought, a connection maybe?
Well, as it turns out- yes.
As my mind began to move in the direction of the Genesis account of the first Joseph, it all started pouring out of the text like a flood. I sat up straight and leaned into the Bible as the realization hit me. Of course! How on earth could I have missed it.
Joseph...
the man born of a barren woman under miraculous circumstances,
the favored son,
the coat of splendor bestowed upon him,
the jealous older brothers
cast into a pit
struck down
sold for pieces of silver
losing his status as favored son
his coat removed
becomes a slave
falsely accused
betrayed
rejected
forgotten
by a miracle brought out
responsible for the salvation of many from famine and death
forgiving his brothers and bringing them in
redeems God's chosen
restored to his father.
THAT Joseph. The one who, you know, points to incarnation!
So, anyway, when I use Genesis 37 as my text for this Sunday's Christmas sermon- just pretend that I planned it that way all along.
But that is what happened this week.
The old plan has been thrown out and a new one has emerged. Stop the presses and don't tell Norman- we're changin the plan.
And it happened as a result of a conversation I had with one of our church members last Sunday.
She said, "Pastor, I have enjoyed our study of Jacob- but I'm a little disappointed that we aren't getting to Joseph. I really like Joseph."
I was a little dumbfounded by that statement. It struck me as odd because I didn't remember saying that I wasn't covering Joseph. She must have deduced it because I have said that I was planning to talk about Jacob to the end of the book of Genesis. But certainly, Joseph is tied very closely to Jacob. I had in fact planned on dealing with Joseph for at least one lesson before finishing Genesis. But not this next Sunday.
This next Sunday I had put just one word in the slot for our teaching calendar- "Christmas".
My plan was to cover the Christmas story in the way I have every other year- from the angle of the gospel text covering the doctrine of incarnation. It's pretty cut and dry. Most pastors can cover the Christmas story with their Bible's tied behind their backs.
It's a no brainer.
So on Monday as I began to pray about and meditate on the text I would use for my usual Christmas sermon- will it be Matthew or Luke this year? Or maybe John 1?- I just couldn't get Barbara's words to me out of my head. "I really like Joseph," she said.
"I'm disappointed that we aren't covering Joseph".
I kinda smiled to myself- how on earth do you get through Christmas without covering Joseph? I mean, the story of Christmas has a Joseph too.
Hmmmm- I thought, a connection maybe?
Well, as it turns out- yes.
As my mind began to move in the direction of the Genesis account of the first Joseph, it all started pouring out of the text like a flood. I sat up straight and leaned into the Bible as the realization hit me. Of course! How on earth could I have missed it.
Joseph...
the man born of a barren woman under miraculous circumstances,
the favored son,
the coat of splendor bestowed upon him,
the jealous older brothers
cast into a pit
struck down
sold for pieces of silver
losing his status as favored son
his coat removed
becomes a slave
falsely accused
betrayed
rejected
forgotten
by a miracle brought out
responsible for the salvation of many from famine and death
forgiving his brothers and bringing them in
redeems God's chosen
restored to his father.
THAT Joseph. The one who, you know, points to incarnation!
So, anyway, when I use Genesis 37 as my text for this Sunday's Christmas sermon- just pretend that I planned it that way all along.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
choice
For a reminder of how impactful our choices can be, read the following story that recently came out in a Florida newspaper about one of our former Southern Baptist IMB missionaries to the Philippines:
Just before her pregnancy, Pam fell into a coma after contracting amoebic dysentery, a bacteria transmitted through contaminated drinking water. During her recovery, she received a series of strong medications. And even though she discontinued the regimen when she discovered the pregnancy, doctors told Pam the fetus had been damaged. Doctors later told Pam that her placenta had detached from the uterine wall, a condition known as placental abruption, which can deprive the fetus of oxygen and nutrients. Doctors expected a stillbirth, Pam said, and they encouraged her to terminate the pregnancy "They thought I should have an abortion to save my life from the beginning all the way through the seventh month," she recalled. Pam said her decision to sustain the pregnancy was a simple one - because of her faith. "We were grieved," she said. "And so my husband just prayed that if the Lord would give us a son, that he would let us raise him." In her seventh month of pregnancy, Pam traveled to the country´s capital, Manila, where she received around-the-clock care from an American-trained physician. For the next two months, Pam - steadfastly praying for a healthy child - remained on bed rest. And on her due date - Aug. 14, 1987 - Pam gave birth to a son , who she described as "skinny, but rather long." "We were concerned at first because he was so malnourished, but he definitely made up for it," she said, between laughs. Today her son, now 20, stands at a solid 6´3" and 235 pounds....
His name is Timothy Richard Tebow, the new Heisman trophy winner who Lee Corso from ESPN has described as the best spread offense quarterback who has ever played the game.
But even more important that his football prowess, though substantial, is his walk with Christ. Read below from Tim's own words:
…learning humility: “When I was very young and in T-ball, my parents would never let me tell anyone how many home runs I’d hit. At that age, I wanted to be like, ‘I just hit three home runs!’ But I wasn’t allowed to say that until the other person asked me. Then, when I was older, I learned that God blessed me with athletic ability and that He can take it away in an instant. I’m thankful for it. Just because I play football doesn’t make me more special than anyone else.”
…football as a ministry: “I think anything can be a ministry, especially football when you have a platform. You have 100 guys in the locker room with you every day. But more importantly than that, you have 1,000 kids looking up to you and even more people all across the country. You have the opportunity and the platform, and to not take advantage of that would be a big mistake.”
…what he wants others to take away from watching you on the field: “First, that I am not out there playing for myself. I love the game but I am playing for the Lord Jesus Christ. I am going out there, loving the game and giving everything I’ve got, and hopefully they can see through me the love of Christ.”
…how Christ’s example plays a role in how he leads his team: “Christ was the best leader; so you can learn everything about leadership from Him, seeing how He died on the cross and applying it to your life in every aspect. Also, not just in leadership, but how you interact with people. Teammates don’t just see you as someone who is getting on them, but as someone who loves and cares about them on and off the field.”
Monday, December 3, 2007
loving the church, warts and all
I really enjoyed our Sunday night worship.
I thought it was great on a number of levels- I especially enjoyed the testimonies and baptisms- the clusters of people gathered in prayer before the Lord's Supper- I thought the videos and preparation were all great. I enjoyed our children's singing. I particularly enjoyed not hearing me preach. How great to see one of our key leaders, Benny Becht0l, baptize a couple he has known for years. It doesn't get much better than that.
I enjoyed the visual demonstrations of Christ at work in our fellowship.
One of my favorite moments was when Ray Sanders asked everyone who had been on a mission trip to come on to the stage and stand in front of the particular station that represented their mission partnership.
It was very meaningful to see so many standing on the stage.
The whole night was a great visual picture of how effectively our missional strategy is taking hold in people's hearts. But as great as the picture was for us, the reality of what the pictures demonstrated is so much greater than what we could possibly visualize.
One cannot walk away from an experience like last night without a sense that God's work in the local church is dynamic and effective. Despite the diagnosis of some that the church is on life support, barely breathing and close to it's last breath, what we experienced together yesterday says to us that the local church still works, and that younger generations are embracing it.
I'm not saying that we are not flawed. At times the church (not ours of course, wink wink, but the church in general- all those other churches) is ugly- short-sighted, self-infatuated and sinfully inflicted. Scripture is replete with examples of how God uses flawed people. Over and over again, we learn about soiled saints and pitiful prophets and patriarchs whose irredeemable qualities make us blush. They don't ask for His grace, look for it, deserve it of seem appreciative when they receive it. For the person who is looking for the Bible to be a book of virtues with heroes to emulate-it will fall way short and only be disappointing.
The Bride of Christ is not always Rachel, sometimes she is homely Leah.
Some will correctly point to the mistakes of the church. Some will see that the church has been an embarrassment- judgmental and narrow, listless and petty.
To all of those complaints we say "guilty as charged."
But we must also remember the important point that God uses the ugly and unattractive. He uses the poor and foolish to confound the wealthy and wise. He chose the unimpressive Able instead of Cain., Isaac and not first born Ishmael. He used the lying stealing, cheating mamma's boy Jacob and not the man's man Esau. The outcast cripple Mephibosheth was brought in and blessed, the other more impressive sons of Saul were torn to pieces.
Don't forget that it was through Leah and not radiant Rachel that the Lord brought the tribe of Judah. He used the spoiled Joseph and not Rueban- the younger and weaker are often used effectively and not the strong and well-connected. Isaiah tells us that there was nothing attractive about the crucified Christ. All of this simply to drive home the important point that it is because of His grace that we stand. It is not about how great or beautiful or attractive the church is, but how incredible His grace. The church is not the hero. Jesus is the hero.
It's not about how great and wonderful and attractive we are. It is about how deep His grace is.
"Nothing in my hands I bring...
"Simply to the cross I cling."
If scripture teaches us anything, it teaches us that God uses the broken vessels, the dispossessed and second born. I love the story by Brennan Manning about the valley girl who reads the New Testament for the first time:
"Wow, Jesus is like really into ragamuffins!"
Some say they don't like church. Others have just walked away, given up. "The church is ugly and irrelevant," they say.
Yes- but that's the whole point.
This way we can't get the glory.
I thought it was great on a number of levels- I especially enjoyed the testimonies and baptisms- the clusters of people gathered in prayer before the Lord's Supper- I thought the videos and preparation were all great. I enjoyed our children's singing. I particularly enjoyed not hearing me preach. How great to see one of our key leaders, Benny Becht0l, baptize a couple he has known for years. It doesn't get much better than that.
I enjoyed the visual demonstrations of Christ at work in our fellowship.
One of my favorite moments was when Ray Sanders asked everyone who had been on a mission trip to come on to the stage and stand in front of the particular station that represented their mission partnership.
It was very meaningful to see so many standing on the stage.
The whole night was a great visual picture of how effectively our missional strategy is taking hold in people's hearts. But as great as the picture was for us, the reality of what the pictures demonstrated is so much greater than what we could possibly visualize.
One cannot walk away from an experience like last night without a sense that God's work in the local church is dynamic and effective. Despite the diagnosis of some that the church is on life support, barely breathing and close to it's last breath, what we experienced together yesterday says to us that the local church still works, and that younger generations are embracing it.
I'm not saying that we are not flawed. At times the church (not ours of course, wink wink, but the church in general- all those other churches) is ugly- short-sighted, self-infatuated and sinfully inflicted. Scripture is replete with examples of how God uses flawed people. Over and over again, we learn about soiled saints and pitiful prophets and patriarchs whose irredeemable qualities make us blush. They don't ask for His grace, look for it, deserve it of seem appreciative when they receive it. For the person who is looking for the Bible to be a book of virtues with heroes to emulate-it will fall way short and only be disappointing.
The Bride of Christ is not always Rachel, sometimes she is homely Leah.
Some will correctly point to the mistakes of the church. Some will see that the church has been an embarrassment- judgmental and narrow, listless and petty.
To all of those complaints we say "guilty as charged."
But we must also remember the important point that God uses the ugly and unattractive. He uses the poor and foolish to confound the wealthy and wise. He chose the unimpressive Able instead of Cain., Isaac and not first born Ishmael. He used the lying stealing, cheating mamma's boy Jacob and not the man's man Esau. The outcast cripple Mephibosheth was brought in and blessed, the other more impressive sons of Saul were torn to pieces.
Don't forget that it was through Leah and not radiant Rachel that the Lord brought the tribe of Judah. He used the spoiled Joseph and not Rueban- the younger and weaker are often used effectively and not the strong and well-connected. Isaiah tells us that there was nothing attractive about the crucified Christ. All of this simply to drive home the important point that it is because of His grace that we stand. It is not about how great or beautiful or attractive the church is, but how incredible His grace. The church is not the hero. Jesus is the hero.
It's not about how great and wonderful and attractive we are. It is about how deep His grace is.
"Nothing in my hands I bring...
"Simply to the cross I cling."
If scripture teaches us anything, it teaches us that God uses the broken vessels, the dispossessed and second born. I love the story by Brennan Manning about the valley girl who reads the New Testament for the first time:
"Wow, Jesus is like really into ragamuffins!"
Some say they don't like church. Others have just walked away, given up. "The church is ugly and irrelevant," they say.
Yes- but that's the whole point.
This way we can't get the glory.
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