Category Archives: Society

But the economy…

21 Monday May 2018

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Acts 16:16-24 tells the story of Paul and Silas being jailed in Philippi.

One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, ‘These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’ She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.

But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, ‘These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’ The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

In this story we see a radical message – that when the kingdom of God is proclaimed and where it is unfolding, the status quo will be upset.  Often in Scripture we see a linkage between evil and profit-making at the expense of humanity.  Profit itself isn’t evil – profit-making at the expense of humanity is.

And in this story we see it vividly.  The owners of this woman only cared about her as long as they could exploit her and make money off of her.  And when they could not do that, it wasn’t her well-being they were concerned with.  It was the fact that she no longer made money for them.  She became worthless to them.

They saw it as an attack on them and on their profit motive – or really, their abuse, manipulation, and power trip.

Paul and Silas literally affected the economy of Philippi through their proclamation.  This is what happens when God’s kingdom comes near.  The status quo is flipped on its head.  And many weren’t happy about it.  When people’s money is affected, people start to pay attention.  They know that what is happening is real – and they see that they are not in control.

But as long as the economy is humming along – allowing some to benefit at the expense of others – many turn a blind eye.

When money becomes prime in life and society, humanity suffers.  When money is more valuable than people, then everything is out of whack.  People are not valued for who they are, but rather for what they produce.  Humanity ends up with a price tag.

When money takes this type of central role, then it becomes an idol, a god.  No wonder Jesus spoke about money more than any other subject.

But making money into an idol, a god, has deeper ramifications than this – When producing becomes the prime directive, then the Sabbath is broken.  Sabbath doesn’t mean sitting around doing nothing all day.  It’s about resting from work in order to pay full attention to God – to focus on God and listen to what God is calling us to.  If there is no room for Sabbath, then there is no room for God.  Instead of listening to God, we listen to what the almighty dollar instructs us to do.  And people suffer.

We are no longer made in the image of God, but rather, we are just workers whose purpose is to make a profit.  We snuff out the Imago Dei in which God created us.

This is why Paul and Silas were beaten, stripped, and jailed – upsetting the entire belief system that worships money.  It was an act of defiance against the entire empire, its economic system, its message that salvation comes through the empire and Caesar.  Paul and Silas’ proclamation meant that the empire, Caesar, and their economic system of exploitation were empty and valueless.

Another blog I visit often said it best:

Jesus knows that the greatest obstacle to entering into and living in the kingdom of God instead of under the reign and rule of man is our own economic self interest.   When we are dominated by economic self interest it’s like squeezing a camel through the eye of the needle, and it’s hard.

For several decades our politicians have been giving us a message that needs to be weighed against the Gospel.  Sometimes it comes through a question – “Are you better off than you were four years ago.”  And other times it comes in campaign slogans – “It’s the economy, stupid!”

The economy is a powerful pull.  It has the power to determine our elections more often than not.  Candidates, politicians, and presidents of both political parties are often very flawed – caught in controversy, investigations and scandals, sexual philandering, and dehumanizing rhetoric, supporting policies that do not support the general welfare they are sworn to uphold, but rather to support the status quo where some benefit at the expense of others – where people are valued for what they produce, rather than who they are.

But if the economy is humming along, many are willing to overlook these character flaws.  Many are willing to put blinders on to the plight of our neighbors because “the economy.”  Many are willing to rationalize away dehumanizing policies and rhetoric because there is more money in some people’s pockets – maybe even our own.

But Jesus has a different message.  An upsetting message.  A message that conflicts with our own economic self-interest as we turn a blind eye to our neighbors’ plight.  A message that doesn’t always match up with our national narrative and what we value politically.  Ouch.

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

(Matthew 16:24-26)

Jesus is asking us – what’s more important, the economy or humanity?  Money or God? And he is speaking in economic terms – savings, profit, gain, return.  Jesus directly confronts the economic systems that exploit others and those that maintain these systems and benefit from them.  Maybe that doesn’t sound very American.  But then again, Jesus wasn’t worried about wrapping himself in the flag.  He had another kingdom to advance – one that is everlasting.

Or as Jesus once said in the Sermon on the Mount:

‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

(Matthew 6:24)

So which is it?

 

The appeal of violence

17 Thursday May 2018

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Violence has an appeal to it.

This may sound surprising to you.  But think about it a bit.  Violence makes up a great deal of our entertainment – from movies about war and crime to our professional sports that celebrate the hard hit.

Violence is celebrated when we attack whoever is considered the enemy.  Think back to the celebration that erupted with the news of Osama Bin Laden being killed.

But violence goes beyond just the physical.

We experience violence when we drive – how many times have you or have you wanted to give the finger to another driver on the road?  Or have it happen to you?  Or just witnessed road rage?

We hear stories of violence in relationships with others, even those that people claim to love.  We hear yelling and screaming.  We see violence through social media – people who are distant politically or on other identifications yelling at each other, demeaning and dehumanizing one another.  We may even participate in any number of these things ourselves.

We hear violent rhetoric from world leaders threatening others with weapons of mass destruction.

Violence has a great appeal – it is used often.

The late Walter Wink is quoted as saying “We trust in violence because we are afraid.”

I think there is great wisdom in this.  We are afraid that we won’t be in control, and so we turn to violence to get our way.  And it usually works. But it’s not a permanent solution or a solution that causes others to change internally.  People will comply when threatened with violence, but they will also look for a way to either escape it or return the violence.  Violence doesn’t bring about a positive change long-term.  It doesnt’ produce a thriving life.  It is totally focused on the short-term.  And, like any drug, it requires a greater dosage as time goes on.

How do we conquer the world?  The world answers with two answers – force and might.   The world conquers through violence and fear.  And it always falls and fails in the long run.  Once the person who has been doing violence to another goes away, there are very few who will remember fondly that person.  And they shouldn’t.  Violence leads to death.

Instead, Scripture gives us another option.  In 1 John 5:4, we are told:

for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.

And John 3:16 says:

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Violence doesn’t conquer the world.  It just brings destruction.  Faith and love conquer the world.  Not just for a short time, unlike violence, but for eternity.

Faith and love are both vulnerable.  It’s scary to be vulnerable.  And so when we are afraid, we turn to violence.  We take matters into our own hands.  We enact our own version of justice.  We put ourselves in the place of God.  And we end up suffering the consequences of these decisions.

Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

(Matthew 26:52)

Put your sword down Christ-follower.  We are not called to fear and violence.  We are called to vulnerability – faith and love.

Psalm 10

14 Monday May 2018

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I thought Psalm 10 seemed pretty appropriate for our current time.  I’m sure you can think of recent examples that have made the news.

Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.

For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,
those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, ‘God will not seek it out’;
all their thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’

Their ways prosper at all times;
your judgements are on high, out of their sight;
as for their foes, they scoff at them.
They think in their heart, ‘We shall not be moved;
throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.’

Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
They sit in ambush in the villages;
in hiding-places they murder the innocent.

Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
   they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.

They stoop, they crouch,
and the helpless fall by their might.
They think in their heart, ‘God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.’

Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
do not forget the oppressed.
Why do the wicked renounce God,
and say in their hearts, ‘You will not call us to account’?

But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief,
that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you;
you have been the helper of the orphan.

Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
seek out their wickedness until you find none.
The Lord is king for ever and ever;
the nations shall perish from his land.

O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.

(Psalm 10, NRSV)

Social Proof

09 Wednesday May 2018

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I’m reading Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini.  It’s a great book that talks about influence, how it is used and abused.  Here’s a portion of what I read yesterday:

So massive was the commitment to their beliefs that no other truth was tolerable.

(pg. 128)

This was in relation to a cult and how their prediction of the end of the world was wrong.  They didn’t lose members – in fact they gained some and the people who were in it devoted themselves even more. This in spite of fact that all the evidence pointed to the cult being completely wrong.

Why?  Because they had sold everything and had nothing left.  All they had was their belief system, so something had to give.  Reality is what gave for them.  Here’s a quote from one of the members:

I can’t afford to doubt. I have to believe.  And there isn’t any other truth.

(Pg. 128)

Here’s another passage from the book that really struck me:

Since the only acceptable form of truth had been undercut by physical proof, there was but one way out of the corner for the group. They had to establish another type of proof for the validity of their beliefs: social proof.

This, then, explains their sudden shift from secretive conspirators to zealous missionaries.  And it explains the curious timing of the shift – precisely when a direct disconfirmation of their beliefs had rendered them least convincing to outsiders.  It was necessary risk the scorn and derision of the nonbelievers because publicity and recruitment efforts provided the only remaining hope.  If they could spread the Word, if they could inform the uninformed, if they could persuade the skeptics, and if, by doing so, they could win new converts, their threatened but treasured beliefs would become truer.  The principle of social proof says so: The greater the number of people who find any idea correct, the more the idea will be correct.  The group’s assignment was clear; since the physical evidence could not be changed. the social evidence had to be.  Convince and ye shall be convinced!

(Pg. 128)

While Cialdini wrote this about a religious cult, it seems that the basic ideas behind it extend beyond cults to more mainstream things.  Politics throughout the world would be a case in point.

Scattering Seeds

02 Wednesday May 2018

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The ministry we do with the homeless is not too complex – at least not right now.  We try to make sure some basic needs are met.  We try to make sure people’s humanity is acknowledged.  We try to create a sense of community.  We try to share Good News with people and let them know that they are not alone.  We try to tell people that they are loved and valued by God and by us.  We try to tell people that they have value and worth.  We try to listen to their stories and walk along side people.  We try to learn from the people we encounter.  The underlying belief is that an encounter with Jesus changes lives – both for the people we encounter and our own lives too.

And the responses vary.  Sometimes people reject us.  Sometimes people are only looking for some material relief.  Some are not open to change in their lives.  Some would rather try to be in control, although being in control is often a part of the problem and a piece of what keeps people where they are.  Some initially come on board and engage with us, only to slip away later on – the tug of their past and their lives is too great.  Some start to see hope for their lives, and then they choose a different path that takes them back into the darkness.  They feel they are lost.

And then there are some who openly embrace it all – they embrace us, even though there is initial confusion on why a group of strangers would go out of their way to care about another stranger – especially a stranger who supposedly can’t offer anything in return.  They embrace a message of Good News, even though their life looks like crap.  They embrace the sense of community.  They embrace their humanity, they acknowledge the pain and suffering they are experiencing rather than trying to dull it.  They let go of control and embrace actual help.

And it’s scary.  It’s scary to completely let go of control of your life.  It’s terrifying.  Yet, this is what Jesus calls on us to do – to let go of our lives, to get out-of-the-way, so that God can come in and transform us.  To let ourselves die, so that we might experience resurrection.  And this is true for those who are being helped as well as the supposed helpers.  With Jesus, the lines blur on who is getting helped and who is helping.

When I think about what is happening, I can’t help but think of the Parable of the Sower.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’

(Matthew 13:1-9, NRSV)

Our job isn’t to save people – only Jesus can do that.  Our job, if you want to call it that, is to spread Good News carelessly – to as many people as possible.  What they do with it is not our problem.

In sales, there is a saying – Some will, some won’t, so what, who’s next.  If Jesus has sales training I think he would have adopted this saying into one of his parables.

Some will take the Good News of Jesus and allow it to do its work.  Some won’t.  So what – it’s not for us to decide.  Who’s next – who will be encounter next to share the Good News?  We don’t know.  But we are ready.

Is the Gospel only about you?

27 Friday Apr 2018

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Get ready, we’re about to dive into some deep conversation about a passage of scripture and the implications of that passage. Specifically, we’re going to dig into Philippians 1:27.  Here’s the Greek:

Μόνον ἀξίως τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τοῦ Χριστοῦ πολιτεύεσθε, ἵνα εἴτε ἐλθὼν καὶ ἰδὼν ὑμᾶς εἴτε ἀπὼν ἀκούω τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν, ὅτι στήκετε ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι, μιᾷ ψυχῇ συναθλοῦντες τῇ πίστει τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
Now before your eyes glaze over, please understand, I’m providing the Greek for a specific reason – I want to show what is actually written by Paul.
Translations of the bible are just that – translations.  There are teams of people who get together and make decisions of what the English version of the Greek should be.  The important thing about that is that the ears of English-speakers prefer to hear a certain way.  Also, translation teams all have their own agenda.  Lastly, depending on where a translation team is from and who their audience is will have an influence on a translation.  An American translation team will likely have some bias towards certain ideas that you wouldn’t find in another part of the world.  Needless to say, translations aren’t a science, but rather are an art.

Here’s a couple of examples of what I’m talking about.

Here is the NRSV translation of Philippians 1:27:

Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel,

And the NET translation:

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that– whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent– I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,

And the NIV translation:

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel

And lastly, the King James version:

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

When you read these, you may not see a whole lot of difference, but the differences are there – especially on this verse.

Here’s my translation of Philippians 1:27:

Only worthily of the Gospel of the Christ to live as a citizen! In order that whether I came and saw you all, whether I am being absent I would be hearing about you, that you all are standing fast in one Spirit, one life force you all are struggling/contending along with for the faith of the Gospel

(I tried to take a more literal translation of the passage, which is why my translation is a bit unpleasant to the ears of an English-speaker.)

The biggest difference between my translation and the others is in the translation of πολιτεύεσθε.

The word is an imperative verb that can be translated as to live one’s live or to live as a citizen.  What’s important to note is the context.  Throughout the first chapter of this letter, Paul is writing in a way that is poking his finger at the Roman authorities and Roman culture.  From the very beginning of the letter Paul is presenting a theology that is counter cultural.  He flips the notion of honor and shame on their head.  He is writing from prison and is talking about how he is free.  He describes himself as a slave of Christ.  He is writing to a church in a city that is loyal to Caesar – it had all the rights and privileges of an Italian city and was home to veterans who were loyal to Rome.

I translate πολιτεύεσθε as citizen because of this context.  Likewise, πολιτεύεσθε is an imperative.  This means it is a command.  Paul isn’t just offering some nice words of personal advice here – it’s a command.  Paul is saying – Philippians, pay attention, you are to live as a citizen of the Gospel of Christ!

The implications of this are huge.  Paul is essentially saying that you, dear Philippians, aren’t to be concerned with being Roman citizens and all the rights and privileges that come with it.  Instead, your allegiance and your loyalty are to Christ – that is who your citizenship is with.

When we see most of the English translations, we don’t get any sense of the idea of citizenship.  However, even the Lutheran Study Bible, which uses an NRSV translation does note the following:

These words refer to life in community and its responsibilities.  Christianity is more than a religion; believing in Christ is a way of life.

When we read these translations, it sounds more like a suggestion (leaving out the imperative) on how to live.  These translations loose the impact of this statement by Paul.  They make it sound more like the personal relationship with Christ, rather than the counter-cultural message that Paul is promoting.

If you think I’m way off on this, go back to the King James version which begins:

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ

This loses the impact of what Paul is writing even more.  Now it’s just about conversation, not even living one’s life.  Could it possibly be that good old King James might not have wanted his subjects to hear Paul saying that their citizenship is in Christ, not the empire?  Considering that the translators for the King James completing miss several Greek words in this translation, there’s a good chance.

So what’s the point of all of this?  It’s that often we lose some things in our translations.  Too often, our English translations make Christianity to be just a personal relationship thing with Jesus.  In an American context, that fits nicely with our ideas about individualism and freedom.  The problem with that is that individualism and personal freedom are relatively new ideas – ideas that Paul would have no idea about.  I argue that Paul is intending the idea of citizenship here to emphasize that impact and responsibility of following Christ – it’s not just a personal relationship.  It goes far beyond that.  Christ is who we swear allegiance to.  Because we follow Christ, there are responsibilities that we carry out.  Being a citizen is more than just a suggestion on how we live our life.  It’s much deeper than that.

 

Love in truth and action

23 Monday Apr 2018

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How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

(1 John 3:17-18)

This reading was part of the lectionary for this past Sunday.  It’s the portion of Scripture that I preached on.  The interesting thing about this is the my sermon significantly changed between the two services.  I realized that what I was preaching was not connecting with people.  So I scrapped the middle part of the sermon and made other changes for the second service. That’s the benefit of being someone who preaches with no notes or a manuscript.  The end result was that the second sermon was far superior to the first sermon.

As I prepared for worship this past week, this passage of Scripture caught my attention and would not let go.  When this happens, I have learned to wait and see what God has in mind.

God didn’t disappoint.  This past week I wrote about the ministry we do at Flying J.  We make sure people get showers that need them, we do laundry with people, and we make sure people are fed. Most importantly, we get to know names and start to learn people’s stories and just sit with people – remind them of their humanity and how God loves them.

This past Thursday was no different.  We had 15 people who came seeking a variety of things.  We meet all sorts of people during out time there. This past Thursday, we met someone who needed some help.  Today there was a follow-up.  This person had pretty much nothing – except their dogs.  Just a few bags with them and that’s all.  No money.  No place to go.  No food.  No nothing.

And I was drawn back to 1 John 3:17-18.  This was someone in need – how could I refuse to help?  We got the person set up in a hotel for the night, got them some gift cards for food that they could get for themselves and their dogs, gave contact information for longer term housing and other services, and offered a prayer with the person.  Also, I told this person that we, the church, weren’t interested in just throwing some material things at them and wishing them luck.  This was the start of a longer term relationship.  But for right now, let’s take this one day at a time.  It was time to stop the bleeding – get some food, get into stable housing, and then start to get their life in order.

The person was grateful for the help and saw this as an opportunity for a fresh start.  And in many ways, it is a fresh start.  In some ways, this is no different from receiving forgiveness of our sins – we get a fresh start, even when we haven’t done anything on our own to deserve it.

Last night, this person rested peacefully, in shelter, with food for both them and their dogs.  Today would be a fresh start with new challenges.  But they would not be walking alone.

Love is more than just a bunch of words meant to comfort and console.  Sometimes, comfort and consoling are exactly what is needed. Other times, like in this case, words and speech would be empty and meaningless.  In this case truth and action were needed.

At the beginning of the week I didn’t know why I was drawn to 1 John 3:17-18.  By yesterday, I knew.

Blessing upon Blessing

20 Friday Apr 2018

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Luke 14:13 – [Jesus said:] “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,“

Last night was the normally scheduled evening for a faithful handful of disciples of St. Stephen Lutheran Church to head over to Flying J truck stop for a couple of hours to provide showers, do laundry with people, and eat with people at Denny’s.  We go over to the truck stop because we know there are people who are living in the parking lot in their vehicles and there are transient people passing through.  And we start with a belief that everyone deserves to feel human, to be clean, to have food in their stomach, and most importantly, to be community where people aren’t looking at you and judging you.

Last night was our normal time to do this, but it was anything but normal.  When we started this ministry, I knew there were people living in the parking lot, but I didn’t know how many.  I knew there were people who needed some basic necessities.  I knew there were people who needed to be reminded of their humanity.  I knew there were people who were doing what they could with that they had and it wasn’t enough.  I knew.

And I shared this with others who took it to heart and followed my lead – as crazy as it sounded.  And we went over to the truck stop.  The first night I wasn’t even there – I was sick, but our people went anyway.  And they encountered a man, did laundry with him, and got him food.  One person.  That’s what it started with.  One person. We continued, trying different times and days, just to see when we could encounter more people.  There was a time when no one showed up.  It was disheartening to say the least.  Then we had two who came regularly, but they weren’t living in the parking lot, but they came.

Then the last time we came, we started to encounter a couple of other people.  I’m not sure who was blessed more by the encounter – the couple we spent time with, or us.  Most likely, both.  The blessings just take place in different ways for different people.

And then there was last night.  It was our normal time to be there.  But it wasn’t normal at all.  15 people came.  Not volunteers from the church.  People who needed help.  People seeking supplies. But really people seeing much more than these simple things.

People seeking humanity.  People seeking normalcy.  People seeking community, conversation, interaction with others.  People seeking out those who care that they exist at all. Isn’t that what we all seek – regardless of our economic status, the possessions we have, and the work we do?   Aren’t we truly seeking to be acknowledged as existing – to know that someone cares that we are here?

We met all sorts of people last night.  The first thing we try to do is learn a person’s name.  A person’s name is vital.  It is a recognition of the humanity of a person.  This isn’t just someone who needs something.  This is Owen.  This is Adam.  This is Rob.  This is Jennifer.  They are people, just like you and I.

They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, genders, skin color, and challenges.  Some of them have full-time jobs, but they don’t pay enough to allow these folks to find decent housing.  They are not slackers, lazy, or dumb.

Last night we showed up with our shapes, sizes, genders, skin color, and challenges of our own.  And we got to know new people in our lives.  We go to share what we had with people.  And they shared what they had with us – their time, their laughter, their stories, their insights, their wisdom, and even some chocolate.

The part of the evening that has the most impact on me is when we go to Denny’s.  Because there were so many people, we were actually divided into two separate groups, sitting next to each other at a bunch of tables shoved together.

This was a feast in many ways.  There was laughter, joking, sharing of stories, lots of food, and more.  There was humanity on display.  There was joy.  And Jesus was there too.  Sitting in our midst.  Reclining at the table with us, blessing this meal, sharing the love of God with all present.

While this was our normal evening to go to Flying J, it was anything but normal.  It was a blessing.  A blessing upon blessing.  For both the people being served and those who were serving.  The question is this though – what happens where there is blurry line between the served and the serving.  Which is which?  Yes, we provide some material things, but it’s so much more than that.  It’s koinonia at its core.  It is proclaiming boldly the Good News of God’s loving and saving presence in the world – only this time at the Denny’s in a truck stop.  We don’t always know where or what the blessing will be, but we know that when Jesus shows up and encounters us, lives are changed – both those served and those serving.  In this sense, there is no difference between serving and being served.  We are all serving and being served at the same time – serving Christ and being served by him.

Blessing upon blessing.  That’s the new normal.  That’s the miracle that is happening on the Miracle Mile.

 

Jesus doesn’t know what he’s talking about

17 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Society, Theology

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Last week, which seems like a lifetime ago, the US responded with a missile attack on Syria for the controlling regime’s apparent chemical weapons strike on their own people.

This is not an easy topic.  Like most international geopolitical situations, there isn’t a nice easy black and white answer to an extremely difficult and complex situations that have been going on longer than anyone can remember.

Allegedly the regime in charge of Syria used chemical weapons against their own people.  The American president stated that a line had been crossed and would be responding with or without the support of the international community.  And he followed through on that.

It’s easy to get caught up in the arguments that exist regarding this.  Unfortunately, our nation is so polarized with blinders on our eyes that people who support the president were willing to support anything he said or did while those who oppose him would oppose anything he did.  I imagine that had he not done a missile strike then his supporters would have supported that and those opposed would offered their reasons for why they opposed the inaction.  It’s not the actions that people are upset about anymore – but rather who makes them.

Which gets me to Jesus.  And why I titled this post the way I did.

When the culture is polarized as it is, then certain things happen.  We shift how we make decisions.  We shift our center point – the foundation of our lives to things that aren’t God.

For Christians, this means that there is a shift from Jesus.  Jesus preached “Blessed are the peacemakers,” (Matthew 5:9) in the section of the Sermon on the Mount called the Beatitudes.  But is that what we really believe?  Is this what we practice – regardless of who is calling the shots?

In the arguments around the chemical attack and missile strike response, I haven’t heard people argue from a standpoint of following their faith – just political talking points.  The military action was short and quick.  And the responses were just as quick and destructive – showing our shallow allegiances.

Jesus’ preaching in the Sermon on the Mount is uncomfortable and inconvenient.  Read Matthew 5-7 for yourself if you haven’t done so lately.  You come away pretty clear where Jesus stands.  Yet, for those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus, we have to ask this question – was Jesus full of it?  Do we really believe the person we claim to follow?  Or do we make excuses because Jesus wouldn’t understand the context?

Do we claim the label of Christ-follower, but really believe that Jesus doesn’t know what he’s talking about?

The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) are as especially large challenge to our way of life and thinking here in the US.  We are a nation that values being the strongest, the biggest, the most fierce, the most independent, the most special, the victors, etc.  Yet, Jesus doesn’t say blessed are the strongest.  He doesn’t say blessed is the one with the best military.  He doesn’t say blessed are those who pick themselves up by their bootstraps.  He speaks of the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful, and the peacemakers, among other attributes.

Did Jesus really know what he was talking about?  Or are these sayings just a nice set of sentiments that we can put off to the side when life gets complicated and uncomfortable?  Do we take Jesus seriously?  Or is Jesus just full of it?

Are we a Christian nation?

16 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in Society, Theology

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There are many who like to claim that America is a Christian nation.  What that means though is up for debate.  What does a nation have to do/say/believe/etc in order to qualify as a “Christian” nation?  There isn’t an official list anywhere.

I’m going to take a stab at this.  I welcome your thoughts on this too because I certainly don’t have the answers.

Are we a Christian nation because we elect people who campaigned and let everyone know they were a Christian?  Is that all it takes?  If so, then we’ve got that one down.  Does making the claim about being a Christian make it so?

Are we a Christian nation because we follow Jesus command in the Great Commission?  Well, we don’t endorse any religion in this country, so I’m not sure how we would meet this requirement.

Are we a Christian nation because we have political leaders who say “God bless the USA?”  We’ve got that covered pretty well.

Are we a Christian nation because we follow Jesus example in the Sermon on the Mount as laid out in Matthew 5-7? I’d say we are pretty far off on that one.

Are we a Christian nation because of some ambiguous set of laws or policies that supposedly carry out Christianity – but only certain varieties of Christianity?  If Christianity is just another weapon in the ongoing left-right political war in our nation, then we have that covered pretty well.

Are we a Christian nation because Christmas is a national holiday even though it’s more about Santa and consumerism and nostalgia rather than the Birth of Christ?  Check, covered.

Are we a Christian nation because there are televangelists hawking really bad theology like the prosperity gospel and the Rapture?  Definitely got that covered.

What is a Christian nation?  Probably one that doesn’t get wrapped up in worrying about being labeled as a Christian nation for one thing.  The focus wouldn’t be on national identity, but rather caring for the least and the lost.  It would be a nation that would do what it could to get women and youth out of sexual slavery in our own nation.  It would be a nation that would promote good stewardship of creation.  It would be a nation that welcomed refugees fleeing war.  It would be a nation that did what it could for the homeless and the poor.  It would be a nation that valued human life from the very beginning to the very end.  It would be a nation that focused more on seeing change in people, rather than locking them up.  It would be a nation that actually faced its own sin of racism.  It would be a nation that practiced the Sermon on the Mount as the highest virtue of the land.

Do we live in a Christian nation?  Depends on how you define it.  If you are looking at a superficial definition, then you don’t need to look very far or deep.  But if you start to dig, you are going to be disappointed.  Or maybe not.  If we dropped the lie that we are a Christian nation, then maybe we could actually start living out what it means to be Christians.