13 Monday Aug 2018
James 1:22 states:
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
I’m keeping it short today. No need for a lengthy post here.
How are doing in relation to James 1:22? Are you a doer of the word, or merely a hearer only?
According to James if you are only a hearer, then you are deceiving yourself.
Time to get honest.
27 Friday Jul 2018
Tags
Christianity, Church, Discipleship, faith, ministry, mission
I’ve been thinking a good deal about models for church – how church runs, if you want to think about it that way. For many decades here in the US, we’ve been using a pretty standard model. There’s a building, a pastor, limited other staff, programs, committees, and worship is the big thing that we try to get everyone to on Sunday morning each week. There’s other stuff in that model too – education, ministry, budgets, and service projects. I’m sure I’m missing a few things, but that’s not the point. You know what I’m talking about.
But here’s the thing – this hasn’t been the only model for church. In Europe, the model has been different – mostly because of the relationship between church and state is far different from the US traditionally. When the church is an official state religion, you end up with a very different model. The state collects taxes for the church, staff is usually greater, with larger and older buildings, worship happens, but has few attendees, and the church provides some services to the general public – weddings, funerals, baptisms. The churches in these countries are usually more bureaucratic.
There are other models – African churches are different from American and European churches. Some countries have more evangelists than pastors – a role that doesn’t exist in American Christianity. The services are joyful expressions that last hours and are the heart of Sunday, with multiple offerings. The church is more central to the life of the community, and the church hierarchy has more influence on government in many instances.
In all of these examples, the models have worked…until the don’t. There were other models before these. And when they didn’t work anymore, the church changed. There are a variety of reason why a model doesn’t work any longer. The current model for the church in the US is not working any longer. The numbers show this. Attendance has been in decline for decades. Membership has too. Offerings to church has gone down as well over all. Although, the people who remain are actually giving more. There is a focus on seeing results for what is given. The numbers don’t lie.
Recently I made the argument that the church needs to be open to different models. There isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all silver bullet. I do think there is something fundamental though – a shift in focus.
In the current model, there is usually great focus given to getting more people into worship first. There are reasons for this – worship is the center of Christian life. And so churches have spent a great deal of time, energy, and effort at figuring out ways to get people to worship. Some of this makes sense. It is during worship that an offering is made – the revenue for the running of the church. Churches adjust worship, add new things, have the latest technology, go old school with the liturgy, using social media – all with an effort to get people into the pews for worship.
Let me say this – I have nothing against worship. I’m a pastor and worship is a big part of what I do. I enjoy worship very much. But I wonder if there are other models that draw people in outside of worship. That’s not to say that worship should be excluded – it’s still a central part of Christian life. I’m saying there are other models that draw people in that will lead to worship. But worship isn’t the end all, be all either.
If you are like me, maybe you need a visual. Here’s a rough draft of the concept.
Throughout the Gospels Jesus is inviting people into relationship with him. He’s telling them to come and follow him. He’s inviting them into the work of the kingdom. He’s got a mission that he is sending them on.
But he isn’t inviting people to worship, in the sense that we think about it today. He invited people into ministry and mission, and he invited people into discipleship.
As you can see from the drawing, I put those two areas at each end of the church “pipe” as I’m calling it. They are entry points into relationship. And each of those moves towards and through worship and drives us out to do the other end. Think of worship as a pump that moves us through to the other side. In other words, if someone is invited to mission and ministry, they will be drawn towards worship and be sent out towards discipleship. Worship still has a central place in the life of the church – but a different role maybe. Ministry and mission, as well as discipleship are ways that Jesus brought people in and I think Jesus calls on us to begin relationships with people.
People want to be a part of ministry – especially hands-on ministry. People want to take part in mission. They are drawn to it. As a result, they will want to grow deeper in relationship with the people they are doing ministry and mission with. Worship is an opportunity for that. Worship is a communal activity in the church. At least in the Lutheran tradition, it involves gathering people in, hearing the Word, being in meal together, and being sent out.
Sent out where – for more ministry and for discipleship. Discipleship is going deeper in living the way of Jesus. It involves learning, listening, thinking, questioning, relationship, and more. While ministry and mission are hands-on, discipleship is heart and head on.
Some people may be invited into discipleship and be drawn to that as well. In growing deeper in discipleship, there will be a desire for relationship with other disciples where people can gather, hear the Word, be in meal together, and be sent out. Sent out for more discipleship and ministry and mission.
A new model for church isn’t a total scrapping of everything the church is about. It’s really more a change of what already exists. Instead of focusing on getting people to worship first, the change is on reaching people through mission, ministry, and discipleship. Those relationships will drive engaged people towards worship and send them out for more ministry, mission, and discipleship.
The practical question becomes, how do you pay for the running of the organization? Good question. Maybe offering in worship is just one aspect. Maybe our idea of offering needs to expand because isn’t ministry, mission, and discipleship exactly what the church is called to? Is that not participating in the unfolding of the kingdom? Are there opportunities to support these efforts directly? I have no idea. But I’m willing to guess that there are.
This also raises other questions – what does the structure of the church look like? What is the role of the pastor? What does church look like as an organization?
These are really big questions, which I don’t have the answer to. But I think it’s important to ask the question, to explore, to test, to try things. It’s important to recognize the reality that what worked in the past isn’t working any more. It’s important to look at the reality of the numbers and face them, rather than kick the can down the road. There is no more road for many churches. And even though many church should have been tackling this challenge years ago, it’s never to late to start. But the longer we wait, the worse the options will be.
But the good news is that this is a great time to be the church. Yes, the numbers look bad. But all that means is that we are given an amazing opportunity to do something that happens once every 500 years or so – rethink church and discern how God is calling the church to carry out the mission. We have an amazing opportunity set before us. We can approach it with fear, clutching onto a model that doesn’t work, saying things like “we’ve never done it this way before,” or we can respond in trust to the faith that God gives us, opening our arms to new models that haven’t been tried, and saying things like “We haven’t tried that before, I wonder what would happen…”
God is giving us an amazing opportunity. How will we respond?
24 Tuesday Jul 2018
Tags
What business is the church in? Maybe you prefer a less business oriented question. How about this – why does the church exist? It’s the same question, just asked a little differently.
Does the church exist to run a church? To maintain an institution? Make disciples? Redemption? Resurrection? Forgiveness? The Great Commission? Serving the Poor? Proclaiming Good News? Something else? What?
The answer to the question posed is really important. And it makes a big difference. But it goes beyond the stated question. The real answer lies in the non-verbals of a church – How the money is used, the culture, the expectations, the attitudes of the people, etc. Those don’t always match up with the stated answer. Sometimes they do.
The non-verbals tell the story of the real answer to the question of why people believe the church exists. These tell the story of how resources are used to support the true answer to the question – resources of time, money, energy. These determine what the staffing looks like, and how the organization is structured. These determine how the building and its land are used. These determine what ministry and mission takes place. These determine what discipleship happens and how.
Take a look at organizations that are dying or have died. You can look at churches if you want. The common thread that runs through those churches is that they don’t know why they exist beyond the fact that they have existed for some time.
Sometimes though, there is ministry that is taking place, where people are being drawn in, where resources are flowing in. Even in dying organizations. Sometimes in spite of the organization. Where this life is taking root, there is passion, impact, hope, and a future. I’ve seen this in organizations and churches. And what usually happens is that the dying host organization tries to grab hold the thriving element in order to get a shot of life. The only problem is that it usually kills off the life and the organization. Remember, it was an organization that didn’t know why it existed. The movement within the organization does though.
I’m stating this broadly, church – to no one in particular. We can’t kick the can down the road any more. There is no more road. The question remains – what is the church about? What is the institutional church about? Why does it exist? What is Jesus calling it to?
I believe this much – the church will exist in some form. Jesus has pretty much stated as such. But there’s a good chance that it won’t continue to look like it has in recent human history. And I don’t think it will be what it was in the early church either – times have changed, so has culture, context, and humanity. But this opens the door to huge opportunities and possibilities. I don’t see this as a bad thing at all. It will be something new, different. Maybe a variation of what exists right now. Maybe a combination of the two. It depends on the context of the people gathered – what is Jesus calling them to in their context?
Are we willing to set aside our attachment to what we’ve always known about church in our lifetimes and how church has been? Or is this attachment too important to our identities?
Regardless, God will persist. New life comes out of ashes and death. There will be resurrection. The question is if we participate in it, or do we try to stop it? The kingdom is unfolding regardless of us.
20 Friday Jul 2018
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I read a blog post from another pastor confessing some things – essentially confessing how not perfect he is. Seems like a good idea, so here’s my version.
I confess that I am not perfect. In fact, I’m far from it. I make mistakes. I make bad decisions. I can be irritable. I can be cranky. And, get this, even though I wear a collar pretty often, I sin. Even when wearing the collar. Yes, I am a sinner. I am no better than any of the rest of the people in the congregation. The collar doesn’t give me sin protection. It just points out my sin very clearly to me, if I’m paying attention.
I confess that I have my biases. Maybe this is surprising, maybe not, but I have biases when it comes to many things, just like everyone else. I have my beliefs about politics, faith, sports, and everyday life. Am I right all the time? Gosh no. In fact, I’m willing to say that there is a good chance that I’m wrong more than I am right. I come to the conclusions I do on what I think are good reasons. But I could very much be wrong.
I confess that I can get really frustrated. I can get frustrated with church, with people, with objects, with animals. The frustration is really more about me not getting my way if I am honest about it. I’m not in control and sometimes that gets to me.
I confess that I have doubts about God, Jesus, faith, etc. I don’t have all the answers and I don’t think having all the answers is healthy. Where is there room for growth if we have all the answers? Having doubt isn’t a bad thing. The Apostles had doubts and they spent three years walking with Jesus – literally. Who the heck are we to think we have to have all doubt removed?
I confess that there are parts of my calling that I don’t like. I’m willing to bet that everyone has things they don’t like to do, but do it anyway. Life isn’t all about doing only things you like to do.
I confess that I will never meet other people’s expectations. Being a pastor is a very public thing. And people look at the pastor through many different lenses. And everyone has expectations of what the pastor should do, say, and be. Guess what – I’m not going to meet those expectations because I am human, I am broken, and it is literally impossible to meet everyone’s expectation of what a pastor is to be. Why? Because more often than not, those expectations conflict with one another, are an idealized expectation of a pastor, and are unreasonable to the core.
These confessions may shatter your view of me or of pastors in general. I’m not going to apologize for that. My hope is that people will stop putting pastors on such a high pedestal. We are human beings. We have flaws and we fail. We struggle with many things. We are not the Herr Pastors of the past. That was an unreasonable projection that all to often ended in abuse of both pastor and congregation.
My calling is to walk with people in their journey of faith, to raise difficult questions, to share the truth especially when it is uncomfortable and inconvenient, to afflict the comfortable, to comfort the afflicted, to make disciples who go and do ministry, to offer the sacraments, to proclaim Good News. That’s what’s listed as the core of what a pastor does.
Here’s another confession. More often than not, the calling goes way beyond that. To be the administrator of a long-standing organization, to have financial acumen, to be the chief fundraiser, to be the chief spokesperson and marketing person, to have expertise in web and social media, to be a good communicator, writer, speaker, listener. To be good with children, infants, teenagers, middle-aged, seniors, and everyone in between. To visit many people who are alone. To be a calm presence in the midst of anxiety. To cast a vision and direction, and to keep moving the church forward even when it may not want to go forward. To know the perfect words to say for weddings, funerals, and special occasions. To craft perfect prayers on the spot. To be a great teacher. To meet with many different people to hear their problems and challenges, their sins and struggles. To care for strangers who knock on the door seeking help – food, shelter, jobs, housing, etc. To be a peacekeeper or peace maker in the midst of fights and abuse. To listen to criticism and anger and fear and not allow it to hold me or you hostage. To proclaim forgiveness for unspeakable sins. To be an example of discipleship.
Here’s the real confession – no one can ever do all that. I can’t anyway.
And so I ask for your forgiveness. Forgive me with I don’t meet your expectations. Forgive me when I forget your name. Forgive me when I don’t remember something that was said to me in passing or many weeks ago. Forgive me when I can’t make it to a meeting. Forgive me when my sermon falls flat. Forgive me when I’m just not feeling “it.” Forgive me when we try something different and it doesn’t go smoothly. Forgive me when I don’t get around to visiting everyone as often as you’d like. Forgive me when I don’t match up to the idealized image of pastor.
Forgive me please.
19 Thursday Jul 2018
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I think there is a valid argument for saying that the biggest sin that humanity commits is control. It’s a sin that puts the created in the place of the creator – crafting ourselves as a god. The sin of control is the ultimate broken relationship with God. It’s us saying to God: “We don’t like your ways. We’ll do it our way, thank you very much. You go sit over here for when we need you to bail us out.”
The first commandment states “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) This applies to how we make ourselves into a god as well – not just idols that are created and worshiped.
We do this when we try to control things by keeping them the way they are or try to re-create the past. Except we can’t. Change will happen, does happen, and there is no way to stop it. We can certainly adapt to it. We can resist it to some degree, especially if the change is not healthy and good. We might even be able to redirect the change. But that isn’t the same as trying to stop change and keep everything the same – forever.
Look at the effort we give to trying to stop change from happening.
The most obvious way this happens is with ourselves. We try to stop the aging process instead of embracing it as a part of life and adapting to it. Our bodies change – that is a fact. Look at yourself in the mirror. Is this what you looked like 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago? Of course not. Your body changed, regardless of how you wanted to stop it. You couldn’t. Even if we cover it up, have surgeries, exercise, and have procedures, the fact remains that your body is still changing. Yet, we are told a lie that we can stop aging, that we can hold onto our youthful look, that we can make our bodies youthful again. And many buy the lie that we can stop change in ourselves. There’s a lot of money to be made with selling a nostalgic self-image.
We try to stop change in our institutions as well. Church is a good example. Many want it the way it was, the way we see it through an idealized lens in which the pews were full, the pastor did all the ministry, everyone in town came to worship, everyone dressed up, and the culture assisted the church with laws and mores that gave the church a privileged position in society. We want church to be a steady rock that never changes, all the while we will voice a desire for change, mostly because it seems like the right thing to say. That is until we actually consider how that change will impact us, not just other people. We want change in church, but change that doesn’t require us to change, only other people. Often the change that is voiced isn’t so much a change with progress forward, with adaptions, and new ministries to serve new peoples in our ever-changing communities. Rather it is a change by looking backward to nostalgia. We want the world and the church to go back to the way it was – ignoring the challenges and sins that existed in the church and in the world. We want to make church a steady and stable rock again. We want a sense of control over life.
Yet, when Jesus calls people to follow him, he is asking for a huge change – a personal change. He’s saying drop everything – all the nostalgia and the desire to control and stop change – and follow me. Die daily so that new life can take hold. Don’t just voice it, actually do it. Jesus said:
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do no do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of the house.”
(Luke 6:46-49)
We try to stop change politically and as a nation. We hear it in the slogan “Make America Great Again.” Many desire a change to some romanticized time in which all was well, that we were great, and everyone thrived. Except this time never actually existed. It’s a change backward, a reverse of time. And it’s a lie. There has never been a time in this country when all was well and where everyone thrived. Never. Certain groups of people certainly have, but not everyone. And often there have been and still are groups of people who not only aren’t thriving, but are struggling to survive – pushed down by those in more privileged positions in life. This is what the desire to control does. There is a cost.
Things that are alive change and adapt. Any science book will tell you that. Things that are dead don’t move on their own and don’t adapt. They wear away and decompose. In that respect, even things that are dead change. And eventually, they become unrecognizable and become dirt. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.
And in the end the question remains – what is the point of trying to stop change completely? Or of turning back the clock? Change is coming. It is already here. It walks with us. Why not spend our energy adapting to it, maybe even steering it in a positive direction towards something that actually can allow for more people to thrive? What if we took some of the good things of the past and adapted them for our present circumstances as opposed to trying to recreate the past?
What is the point of trying to change things in a backward fashion – to a time that never actually existed and certainly can’t be recreated. Everything else has changed around us. The environment in which we find ourselves has changed. We can’t go back. We can’t be any of those things again.
Change means there is newness. There is no “again.” No matter how much we desire it, we can’t go back in time and have those beautiful memories become reality again. There is change. There is life and there is death. And out of death comes new life. We allow the past to die so that there is new life in the present and the future. Shackling the present and the future with the past doesn’t bring us back to the past and the way it was. It just holds us hostage. And in the mean time, the world continues to change, without our consent. Because we are not in charge. And we fall further behind. This makes adapting to changes more difficult and costly.
This is what it means to follow Jesus. We aren’t called to go backward in time with the church. We aren’t called to go backward in time with our nation. We aren’t called to go backward in time with our bodies. We are called to go forward and to let past things die, so that new life can take root.
To another [Jesus] said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
(Luke 9:59-62)
These would-be disciples wanted to go back, to hold onto the nostalgia – to bury their dead and to say farewell. To look back. But Jesus knows that a look back will only hold us back. You can’t plow looking backwards. You can’t drive a car looking in the rear view mirror. You can’t walk forward while you keep your eye behind you. It doesn’t work. You can’t be the church, or you, or a nation by having a tight grip on the past, holding the present and the future hostage, with an old model that doesn’t meet current conditions and challenges and cultures.
Jesus calls us forward, not to a time of nostalgia. The kingdom isn’t in the past. The best days of the kingdom of God are unfolding now and are to come. They aren’t in the past. It’s unfolding right now. It’s causing a change. Will we be embraced by it, or will we resist it? In the end, resisting it and trying to stop it will never win out. It can’t. Because change is always taking place. The kingdom is always unfolding in new ways, in ways that are different from the past.
12 Thursday Jul 2018
What does the faith that God gives each one of us cause us to do? How do we respond to it?
How has faith changed your life?
Is church just something that you’ve always done, so you’ll just keep on doing it? Or does it impact your life, cause a change?
Is church just a social club where you get together with people who you like and look forward to seeing them each week or however often you go? Or is church a training ground and refueling station from which you are sent back out into the world to participate in the unfolding of the kingdom of God?
Is it your faith, or is it the faith that God gives you?
Does this faith ever make you uncomfortable or inconvenienced? If not, why not? Do you believe that faith should never make you uncomfortable? What about those that are afflicted or suffer injustice? Does that affect you at all? Or are they just a bunch of whiners?
Does it ever afflict you in your comfortableness? Does it comfort you in your affliction? Does this faith demand that you take steps without knowing where you are going, what you will be doing, where things will be coming from, and will not have all the information that you desire?
Does this faith cause you to seek out people who Jesus spent time with? Does this faith make your hands dirty?
Does this faith question and poke you in ways you would rather not? Does it question your loyalty and allegiances? Is this faith costly? Does this faith guide you in the midst of trial and trouble? Can this faith be there when it is most needed? Or does it only work when times are good?
Does this faith cause you conflict with the ways of the world? Ways of anger, fear, violence, blaming, scapegoating, desiring safety above all else, having enemies, coveting other people’s stuff, believing that buying more stuff will give you meaning, and more.
Does this faith cause you to weep when you see the world – does it break your heart? Over and over again? Does it grab hold of you and not let go? Does it present a way forward and show you that there really isn’t another option – everything else doesn’t make any sense? That the ways of the world fail us over and over again and yet we have this sick addiction to keep trying them? How many wars do we need to go through, how many times do we need to use violence, how many foreigners do we need to blame and dehumanize, how many enemies do we need to create and blame, how many people do we need to curse and damn, how many people do we need to take pleasure in their suffering? How many until we see that these ways don’t work? That’s why we have to keep doing them over and over and over again. They don’t work. When will be see the stupidity and insanity of the ways of the world instead of embracing these ways? When will be follow the way of Jesus instead?
Does this faith make you understand the prophets and their desire to run far away from God – yet you follow anyway because where else are you going to go? There is no hope outside of God and God’s way.
Does this faith wrestle with you and leave you with so many uncertainties, yet you know the most important thing there is – that God will not abandon you and God keeps God’s promises?
Does this faith give you life, especially when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death?
Does this faith demand you die daily so that the real you can be released and flourish?
Does this faith remain unsatisfied with just surviving, but pushes you forward, cajoles you into thriving life?
Does this faith see beyond you as an individual and show you how you are connected to so many others and their well-being? That to turn a blind eye on those suffering around us isn’t just ignoring them and keeping you safe, but keeps us trapped in a cage with a thick wall around us. We become prisoners of our own desire for safety that can never be fulfilled.
Does this faith that you have been given have impact on your life? Does it call to your deepest self and invite you to participate in the unfolding of the Kingdom of God?
Is this faith worth devoting your life to and ultimately dying for? If not, then why not? What are you afraid of?
How do you respond to that?
By sitting and waiting? By being scared? By delaying? By running? Or do you take a risk and take a step in faith? A risk that could lead to utter desolation. Or a risk that leads to unbelievable life. I know this much, the alternative – the way forward without faith – without responding to this gift that has been given to us – leads to certain death. Always. No exceptions. It’s just a matter of time. And when we consider that, which is really riskier – not responding to faith or taking a step in faith knowing that God walks with us?
The invitation remains to all. The gift has been given. Will you unwrap it and respond, or will you put it on the shelf for a more convenient time?
I am grateful that God doesn’t consider the same question for each one of us – will I encounter you or just put you on the shelf for a more convenient time? God invites us to participate in the most amazing thing ever. What are we waiting for? Now is the time. You aren’t alone. Let’s take a risk together. Jesus is with us and risks it all for us.
11 Wednesday Jul 2018
In Luke 6, Jesus is quoted as saying:
‘Why do you call me “Lord, Lord”, and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.’
(Luke 6:46-49)
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I tell you?”
Good question Jesus. Why do we do that? Makes no sense does it?
We call Jesus “Lord,” and then turn around and ignore what he has to say. Why?
We call Jesus “Lord” and then go to politics and pretend that Jesus isn’t Lord over politics and how politics is done and what policies are implemented. Why?
We call Jesus “Lord” and then come across people who are different from us and ignore what Jesus says about them. We instead listen to another set of “lords” – anger and fear – and follow what they tell us to do and say. Why?
We call Jesus “Lord” and then ignore what Jesus says about money. Why?
We call Jesus “Lord” and then ignore what Jesus said and did with the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the outcast, etc. Why?
Are we embarrassed by Jesus? Do we think he’s a nice guy, but really doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about? Do we think Jesus’ way is fine when everything is going well, otherwise we need to use the wisdom of the world in tough situations? What kind of followers are we?
We call Jesus “Lord,” but what does that really mean? The title means that Jesus is in charge – completely. Yet is he? Is he in charge of your life? I mean really in charge. Is he really in charge when it comes to how we interact with others? Is he in charge over your politics and ideology? Is he in charge over your money? Is he in charge over your communications? Is he in charge over how you interact with your enemies? Is he in charge when it comes to how we care for the poor?
Or are we just like the people Jesus was talking to when he asked “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I tell you?”
09 Monday Jul 2018
For as long as anyone can remember, the model the church has used is to have a building, a pastor, a musician, and to make worship the primary function. There has been other support involved – education, fellowship, and special gatherings like funerals and weddings, celebrations, etc. The church grew because people in the denomination moved and found similar churches, or had babies to help replace members who had died. The culture assisted the churches too – ensuring that “blue laws” existed, telling the story of Christianity, etc. In other words, the church held a privileged position in American culture. It was expected that this would continue.
Except that’s not happening.
“The model we have used — a church, a pastor and a commitment by people to support the enterprise — is getting harder and harder to maintain.”
(Source – click here)
That’s a quote from an article about churches closed in Minnesota. But it’s not only about churches in Minnesota. It’s nationwide.
The church needs to face the reality that the times have changed. The church no longer has a privileged place in society. But the church still acts like it does in many cases. The church no longer can count on members of the denomination moving into the area to fill the pews. There are more and more “nones,” people who don’t believe. The church can’t use the same model it did before because the circumstances have changed. But that’s exactly what many churches are doing – holding onto a model that doesn’t meet the current challenges.
Fashion changes, sports teams change, businesses change, politics changes – but somehow many in the church don’t think that change applies to the church. The problem with this is that there are fatal consequences for this. If the church doesn’t change its model, it will die.
What would a new model for the church be? I don’t think there is just one model that will work. I think it depends on the people gathered together in community. One church may thrive by turning to ministry in the community, another by a focus on worship, another by selling it’s building and the expenses that go with it. The point is, we’re in a new era where a new model is needed – or rather, new models are needed.
A good set of questions might be, if we were gathering together as believers in Jesus for the first time, what would this look like? What would we be doing? Where do we see the Spirit at work? What is drawing in people? What allows us to best carry out the mission God has for us?
Numbers don’t lie – even in the age of fake news. Trends tell us important information. We can either ignore the trends or learn from them. This much I know – continuing with an old model, because it’s what we know, will lead to many more churches closing their doors. Adopting a new model is a risk – a big risk. It could be a complete and utter failure. Or it could mean new life. The first option isn’t a good option. The second option is a risk. This is where the church has to ask itself this question – are we all in? Do we trust Jesus and where he is sending us? If so, there really is only one option.
06 Friday Jul 2018
You claim to be a follower of Jesus. And life is complicated. You’re tired of the pastor saying things you disagree with about what it means to follow Jesus. What does he/she know anyway? He/she lives in a bubble, not in the real world.
Looking for a list of situations of when it’s ok to put Jesus aside? When it’s ok to not follow Jesus? Look no further. I have spent hours and hours of time compiling a list for you. All from the best sources – words from Christians, people who claim to follow Jesus on when it’s ok to not follow Jesus. Without any further ado, here goes:
I’m sure I’ve missed a few exceptions – times when it’s ok to not follow Jesus as a self-proclaimed follower of Jesus. The above lists are actual arguments, with actual language that has been used (and a few exaggerations, but based on truth) I’ve heard related to these topics – so Christ-like, isn’t it? Christ radiates out of all of these sentiments, doesn’t he? Maybe we can redo the words of the old hymn – “They will know we are Christians by how we ignore Jesus, how we ignore Jesus. Yes, they will know we Christians by how we ignore Jesus!” Needs a little work, I admit, but you get the sentiment.
When you compile this list, you’ll see that in reality being a follower of Jesus is pretty easy. There really aren’t a whole lot of times or situations when you need to actually follow Jesus and his way. It’s not like Jesus is asking you to drop everything and follow him with your whole life. Geesh! Actually when you look at what’s left, I think the only time you need to follow Jesus is when you are by yourself, feeling happy, have no worries and aren’t bothered by anyone else. So about 1% of your time. Unless you want to follow Jesus in your sleep too. That jumps the time right up to 25-33% of your day right there.
Of course, if we claim to follow Jesus, then are there exceptions? No. The above arguments are as empty as they sound. They are statements of faith though – faith in something else besides Jesus. Sorry to burst your bubble on this – actually, I’m not sorry to state this obvious fact at all. I guess I’m one of those pesky pastors people complain about. If we claim to be a follower of Jesus, then that means we follow Jesus. Always. Especially in difficult situations. There aren’t exceptions. Exceptions mean that we think Jesus is full of it, when it comes down to it. Why would you follow a way of someone you either don’t trust or don’t really believe? That’s what we are saying when we make excuses for ignoring what Jesus says about difficult situations, enemies, money, and more.
Here are some other’s who had the same belief.
Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’
(Matthew 8:21-22)
Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’
(Luke 9:61-62)
If your faith is only a guide for you in easy, simple, and peaceful times, then what good is it? If it doesn’t guide you in difficult times, then why bother? If following Jesus doesn’t make a demand on your life and isn’t costly, then why bother? If it doesn’t change your life, then what is worth? If following Jesus isn’t worth following in difficult situations and times, then do you believe that Jesus knows best? Do you believe that Jesus is your salvation? Do you believe that Jesus will be with you? Or do you think that Jesus will abandon you in times of trial, so you have to go another way?
We’re moving into difficult times. Now is the time for faith – faith that will guide our steps. Faith that will guide our lives. Faith that will sustain us. Faith that will save us – not from trials, but will walk with us in these trails. Faith that doesn’t need exceptions. Following Jesus way does that. Especially in difficult times. Everything else is lacking.
03 Tuesday Jul 2018
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Caesar became the emperor of the Roman empire – possibly one of the most successful empires the world has ever known. It was strong militarily and economically. It lasted for centuries. It had major technological impacts on civilization. It brought about order and governmental practices and ideas that the world still holds onto today. When it fell, many other kingdoms wanted to be the torch bearers of Rome. Yet the idea of Caesar as a type of god persisted – someone to be emulated in deed and thought.
Caesar had many titles – Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Savior of the world. Sound familiar?
They should. These are titles that Christians have claimed for Jesus since Jesus roamed around Palestine. Throughout time though, humanity and even the church itself have wavered on this – gone back and forth as to who really is Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and Savior of the world. This wavering showed up in terms of ideas like divine right kings, the Crusades, Just War theory, and more.
Caesar is alive and well and has been over the centuries. He just shows up in different places and as different leaders through time. Caesar is a generic title for me, but has real life implications. Caesar thrives in times of anxiety, violence, anger, and fear. Caesar’s favorite pastime is war. Caesar’s way is the way the world embraces.
To follow Caesar means that the enemy must be crushed, that the enemy is not human and so it can be killed without mercy, that ruthlessness is a virtue, that violence is the way to victory, that the ends justify the means, that we are to pick up the sword, or gun, or any other weapon and follow Caesar, that might makes right, that the strong survive, that nature must be made to submit, that mercy is a sign of weakness, that Caesar is all-powerful.
But if we claim that Jesus is Lord, them Caesar is not. And Caesar’s ways are wrong, evil. They lead to death and destruction. Jesus’ ways are far different and the world doesn’t like Jesus way.
In the Gospel reading assigned for this coming Sunday, we hear this:
He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.
(Mark 6:1-6, NRSV)
The key phrase in this passage is in verse 3 – “And they took offense at him.” The people who knew him best rejected Jesus as Lord and his way. Why would anyone reject God’s way? No wonder “He was amazed at their unbelief.”
If Jesus is Lord, then Caesar is not. If Jesus is King of Kings, then Caesar is not. If Jesus is Savior, then Caesar is not. If this is what we claim about Jesus, then we are called to follow his way, not Caesar’s way – ever. We are to be theologians of the cross and call the thing what it is – evil. Caesar’s ways are evil and wrong.
If we claim to be followers of Jesus, we are claiming something that the world rejects and takes offense to. And Caesar and his followers will lash out at those who claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. Caesar and his followers will attempt to crush anyone who will not take a knee in front of Caesar. Caesar and his followers will use violence against anyone who dares to claim that Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not. These aren’t exaggerations – Caesar has been doing this over the centuries. Why would Caesar change now?
If we claim to be followers of Jesus, then we ask the follow questions: pertaining to government – Is this policy assisting in the unfolding of the Kingdom of God, or the expansion of Caesar’s empire? Is this policy Christ-like – Christ the King, ruler of the universe, or would Caesar be proud? Pertaining to us individually – Is what I am doing or saying Christ-like or Caesar-like? Which banner am I hoisting high in my speech and action – Jesus or Caesar?
If we claim Jesus as Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and Savior of the World, then we are to love our enemies, not kill them and crush them. Love is the only way. Peace is a way of living, not a destination that comes after you have eliminated your enemies.
If we claim that Jesus is Lord of Lords, then the means and the way of living matter more than the ends.
If we claim to be followers of Jesus, then we answer the call to pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow him. We will turn the other cheek when we are struck, not retaliate, seek revenge, and strike back.
If we claim Jesus is Savior of the World, then we recognize that God loves the poor, the weak, the outcast, the other and calls on us to love them also and to act when there is injustice, not sit idly by and watch people suffer.
If we claim to be a part of Jesus’s Kingdom, then we will welcome the stranger in our midst, not fear them and turn away to what for many will be sure death.
If we claim Jesus as Lord, then we are stewards of creation, not those that ravage the earth in a lustful manner.
If we claim Jesus as King of Kings, then we believe that God is merciful, offers forgiveness, and that love is the only way. These aren’t signs of weakness. They are banners of God.
Claiming Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not is not passive. It comes with an active faith that cajoles us out of our comfort zone and inconveniences us in ways we do not expect. All of this doesn’t mean that sit around passively and let the world go to hell – in order to maintain a false sense of civility, which is really just comfort for the oppressor – for Caesar and his followers. It means we are called to live in a way that is far different from the world of Caesar. Caesar was threatened by Jesus and his way – that is why Jesus was killed by Caesar and the empire.
We speak out about injustices because God cares for those who experiences injustice and likewise we act, and we are to be with them – because their loss is our loss.
We speak out when people are dehumanized and devalued, equated with animals and bugs, because it goes against the imago dei – the image of God. It is an assault on God’s family.
We speak out and act when there is violence – not responding with violence, but something far different. Something that the world doesn’t understand. We put an end to violence and the means to carry out violence. Violence is not even an attractive option and makes no sense in the way of Jesus.
We proclaim Good News. The world needs to hear Good News. But many will reject this news, reject Jesus as Lord and Savior, because they are dedicated to Caesar and his ways.
Some will hear the Good News and their lives will change. Some will reject it, preferring the path of Caesar. So what? We aren’t called to convince everyone or make everyone comply – those ways are the ways of Caesar. We proclaim and invite people into a new way of living. We can’t control how people will respond. We rejoice with those that respond and take on a new life, we weep for those that reject Jesus and his way. And we wipe the dust from our feet from those who will not receive the Good News. Who’s next? There are more who need to hear the Good News, to experience Jesus transformation, and to be invited into the Kingdom of God where Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not.
Some will, some won’t, so what, who’s next.
Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not. Not by a long shot. It’s not even close.
“God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes.” ~Apostle Paul
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