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You Brood of Vipers…

04 Friday May 2018

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Politics, Theology

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Here’s your fair warning – this is going to be political – painfully political.  And no, I’m not going to apologize.  I can’t just sit by and be silent.  My focus isn’t even on the politicians.  If you know me at all, you’ll know that I don’t put much faith in politicians, political parties, or ideology.  I find most of them to be worthless and primarily interested in power.  All of them are seriously flawed and frankly, I expect them to worship their idols of power, influence, money, and their other gods that they create in their own image.  I hope this post is extremely uncomfortable.  I hope it is inconvenient.  I hope this because it sucked writing this.  The focus of this post is on the Christians who read this.

Jesus said:

‘Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgement you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.’

(Matthew 12:33-37)

I can think of no better passage of Scripture that applies to the filthy state of partisan politics today than this passage spoken by Jesus.

Yesterday I received an e-mail with a link to an article by Jeff Roe on why Republicans would be mistaken to abandon Trump in the mid-term elections.  Persona and policy can get mixed up.  The GOP should celebrate the policies and not the distraction of the persona – that’s the argument anyway.  The essential argument is this – the ends justify the means.

Yesterday as I was driving around I flipped through radio stations.  Occasionally I flip over to talk radio to hear what the chattering is about.  I can usually handle about five minutes worth before having to turn the station.  Yesterday I heard the host in his usual blind allegiance of the president and the actions to cover up his affair with a porn star.  The ends justified the means apparently.  Don’t you know, it was the porn star in the wrong.

Today I saw Rudy Giuliani’s interview on Sean Hannity’s show.  During this interview, Giuliani contradicts statements Trump made about knowing there was a payoff and where the money for the payoff came from.  When the ends justify the means, who cares what was said before.

Yesterday was the so-called National Day of Prayer.  People gathered and there was an official prayer stated.  The prayer is eloquent and hits on some very good points – turning from sin, unity of the body of Christ, turning from evil, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, etc.  All things that I can get behind, but the problem is that I’m not sure if all Christians agree with the definitions of these terms.

I’m not sure that I have the same definition of unity as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their policies that do more harm than good, that uphold Social Darwinism (where only the strong survive), and where the end justifies the means is the foundation of life.

I’m not sure I have the same definition of turning from evil as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their actions by making excuses for behaviors that are unacceptable for you or I, but seem to be just fine because it was two consenting adults, don’t you know.  Yet these same people threw a hissy fit when another president screwed around with someone in the White House – which was just as terrible. But hey, when you believe that it’s a Christian virtue to lay the foundation of your life at the altar of the ends justify the means, then anything goes, right?

Does turning from evil mean that it’s ok to knowingly lie and defend those lies because the truth is inconvenient and is costly?  Does turning from evil mean that you pay hush money for an affair or that you defend someone who does this?  Does turning from evil mean that you use your Christian label as a pastor to make excuses for a worldly powerful person.  I thought we were called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus if we claimed the label of Christian.

I’m not sure I have the same understanding of the following line of prayer as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their rhetoric:

We pray for all people of all ethnicities and races in America to come together as one, living in peace and unity together.

I’m not sure how anyone can claim to be a Christian and make excuses for a “Christian” politician who offers support to neo-nazis, labels all Mexicans as rapists and murders, who disparages numerous other groups of people.  I’m not twisting words here, go back and see what was actually said.  If you feel the need to defend these words that he said, why?  Why would you defend such vile language from anyone?  Would you defend the same exact words, spoken in the same exact tone if they came from a politician that you didn’t like?  Or do the ends justify the means?

I’m not sure I have the same understanding of the following line of prayer as our “Christian” politicians and those that support their policy actions:

We pray for God’s power to unify families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America. By Your Spirit, lead us to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.

I find it hard to say we are all seeking to unify families and communities when we put up more roadblocks to the homeless and poor.  We have families who are living in their vehicles at truck stops.  And they are working, but don’t make enough to find adequate housing.  Men, women, and children living in their vehicles.  And the typical response is something along these lines – well, they should work harder.  Well, they should have not made so many bad decisions.  Well, they get what they deserve.  Well, if they only did this or that.  Well, the churches can take care of them.

BS.

As a pastor who does ministry with the homeless, I can tell you that churches are not equipped to do this.  We don’t have the resources, the training, or the people to do this.  We can do small things, but we don’t have unlimited resources.  We aren’t trained in how to deal with mental illness.  We aren’t taught what to do when we run out of money trying to help someone and they end up back on the street again because all the shelters are full and they have nowhere to turn.

If your response is “well, you should open your own doors then,” or some other snide remark, then you are missing the whole point here.

Jesus never said the ends justify the means.  That’s about as far away from what it means to be a Christian as you can get.  If that is your belief of what it means to be a Christian – then you and I can’t be unified because we don’t have the same foundation.

Is the defense of something and someone who is indefensible worth it?

Or as Jesus said:

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)

You want to get mad at me – go for it.  I’ve got thick skin.  Frankly, I’m not too happy with you either.  And I refuse to shut up because I’m pointing out something uncomfortable and inconvenient.  Your comfort is not my concern.  Especially when we have people who are homeless, people who haven’t had a meal on a plate since August, people who have families that are living in vehicles, people who are being trafficked on our interstates, people who are treated as second class citizens because of their skin color or orientation.  If that’s uncomfortable, then it should be.  Being a Christian is not comfortable or convenient.  It’s not suppose to be.  It’s supposed to smack us in the face and make us so uncomfortable and inconvenienced that we respond to the injustice we see around us.

Frankly, I’m tired of Christians who want the label, but refuse to live out the calling.  I’m tired of Christians who value their loyalty to a politician or party (any politician in either party – yes, this applies to Democrats just as much as Republicans) above Jesus.  I’m tired of Christians making excuses for “bad trees,” as Jesus called them, all because they believe that the ends justify the means when it comes to policies.

We are called to live out what Jesus commands us to do, not to have blind loyalty to some politician who is temporarily in power.

Pick up your cross and follow Jesus.  Jesus didn’t say, pick up your tweet and follow Trump.  Jesus didn’t say, pick up your sign and follow some other candidate.  Jesus didn’t say send in a check and blindly follow your party.

These are difficult times in our nation.  The call for unity is something that is needed.  However, it is not possible to have unity where there is a strongly held belief that not everyone is equal in value and worth.  How can there be unity when there are some who create us vs. them situations, where the poor are seen as an expense, where we have leaders who firmly believe that only the strong should survive, where we value things over people, etc.

But not all is hopeless or lost.  Last night I heard something that hit me.  I don’t remember the exact words, but here’s what I heard – when everything has been exhausted, there is grace.

Even in this situation, there is grace.  It’s the only thing that can carry us forward.  We humans can’t fix this ourselves – we are too devoted to our divisions and separations.  We have blind worship of our leaders and ideologies.  We cling to our sin and brokenness.

Only God can fix this.  And it may require something else – something that is deeply associated with being a follower of Christ.  It will require death.  Death of our egos.  Death of our loyalties.  Death of our certainties and answers.  Death of our attitudes towards one another.  Death of excuses.  Death of our sin and brokenness.

Only then will we experience the fullness of being a Christ follower – resurrection.  New life, renewed life, restored life, transformed life.

This is my hope.  This is my prayer.  It’s time to start acting out what we claim to believe.  It’s time to start actually being Christians, not just taking on the label.  If we don’t, we’re no better than the people who Jesus called out as a brood of vipers.

Can the church really change?

04 Friday May 2018

Posted by in Church, Theology

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Yesterday I wrote about what I called inevitable decline. It’s a belief that some, even within the church, have that goes along the lines that the church has to decline.

As I mentioned, I don’t agree with this line of thinking.

I’m wondering though if I’m using the same definitions of terms as those who carry these beliefs.  Definitions of terms are important.  They can make all the difference.  For me the “church” goes beyond the organization or the building.  The church is the body of Christ.  Jesus promised us that he would be with us until the end of the age, so how could the church, in this sense, ever really decline.

I don’t like the idea of decline, especially in relation to the church.  But this goes beyond not liking something. Yes, the numbers for many church denominations are in decline.  So be it.  We can gaze at those numbers all day long.  The question becomes, so what?  Are we looking at the numbers in order to feel bad for ourselves and have some kind of pity party?  I hope not.

I didn’t change denominations, go to seminary for five years, take on a ton of debt to do that, change career and calling, so that I could go through the motions and watch over a declining church.  If that’s your thing, can we just speed up the death, let me go to the funeral, and then set me loose to do what I was called to do – go and proclaim the Good News.

When are we, church, going to be so fed up with the idea of inevitable decline that it causes us to start acting differently?  When are we going to actually embrace what it is we claim to belief that it causes us to start carrying out the call?  I’m not interested in just going through the motions, or mouthing the words.  If that’s your thing – then get out-of-the-way.  I don’t have time for that.

The church is in the midst of change.  But I don’t think this is any different from any other time in history.  The church is always in the midst of change.  Are we so arrogant as to think that we are somehow more special than those who came before us that we are overseeing the death of the church?  Really?  History didn’t start when we were born, nor will it end when we die.

Will the church change?  Absolutely.  Living things change.  They excrete stuff that is harmful.  The church will do this too.  There are things in the church that need to die.  And the beautiful thing about what we believe is that there is resurrection – new life, renewed life, transformed life.  The church will look different in the future than it does now, just as what it looks like right now is far different from what it looked like in the past.

Inevitable decline?  Where’s the hope in that?  Jesus command was to follow him, not gaze at the numbers and throw a pity party.  So get up and start living out the Gospel, proclaiming it.  The world need to hear it.  The world needs encounters with Jesus.  Get out there and do it.  Or don’t you really believe it?

Inevitable Decline?

03 Thursday May 2018

Posted by in Church, Theology

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This is a short one today.  There are some people who believe that decline of the church is inevitable.  There are even some pastors who believe this.  I’m not one of them.

Often when I hear about inevitable decline of the church I hear people say this with a sense of hopelessness.

I don’t buy it.  At the same time, I do believe that the church is in the midst of change.  For me, this stems from the idea that the church is in the business of resurrection.  We proclaim death and resurrection, so why shouldn’t the church experience this too?  we proclaim transformation, so why shouldn’t the church experience this too?  But inevitable decline?  I don’t recall Jesus ever talking about that.

 

Sports: the new religion?

18 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Church, Family, Health

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Actually, sports have been around for a long time.  There are many elements of sports that are similar to religion.  In some sense, I guess there are some who could claim that a sporting event is a religious experience.

There are people who make pilgrimages to their favorite teams home stadium.  There’s something about gathering a large group of people together – most cheering for the same team.  In many respects, sports can be a positive thing to bring people together.

The same is true for kids sports too.  This isn’t a post bashing sports.  Two of our kids participate in youth sports and I coach on of their teams. Kids learn some valuable lessons that can only found in sports – teamwork, loyalty, hard work, sportsmanship, how to win, how to lose, how to improve.

But there’s also a negative side too – when sports takes the primary position in life.  I see this with families who become absent from church because of sports tournaments, games, and practices during different seasons.  Again, my point here isn’t to sit around and whine about this, but rather just to point it out.

Jesus doesn’t offer scholarships.  And lately, some coaches seem to have more pull than pastors.

The reality is that if churches are going to attract young families, then we need to rethink the relationship they have with church.  We need to rethink time, what worship might look like, how to engage youth and more.

Having said this, I’m also not a big fan of completely changing everything to accommodate everyone else’s schedule.  If something is important, then people will rearrange their schedule and provide the resources necessary to support it.  This is true for religion as well as sports.

The point is that there is an opportunity for church with these families.  The opportunities might not look like more activities – they already have a jam-packed schedule.  Instead, maybe there is an opportunity to do something else – tap into what people are already doing.  An example of this might be dinner church.  Everyone has to eat – why not do a dinner church with a team before a practice, or after practice.  Maybe work with a team on offering a special blessing for the team.  There are opportunities.  We just need to open our minds to the possibilities.

 

Church and Politics

10 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by in Church, Politics

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I had a wonderful conversation yesterday about church and politics.  It was wonderful because it wasn’t a typical discussion about church and politics.  It wasn’t a discussion about politics in terms of partisanship.  Rather it was a discussion about how politics and church are similar.

I contend that religion and politics are very similar.  Both attempt to communicate a compelling vision of an alternate future – a hopeful and hope filled future.  Politics does this in a secular sense.  Religion does this from a spiritual basis, or better stated, from the sense of shalom or wholeness.

Of course there are differences too, but I can’t help but see the commonality of these two things.  Actually, let me clarify.  The core foundations of these two things are similar and related.  There are principles that politics uses that also relate to church as well.  The differences come out in the specifics.  But these aren’t minor differences either.  In church, money is raised in order to be used to expand the kingdom of God, to declare Good News, to serve those less fortunate, to make disciples.  In politics, money is raised in order to secure or obtain a position of power and influence and expand the base of support to keep someone in power or to gain a seat of power.  That’s an oversimplification of course, but I don’t think it is far off.

I have been exploring the link between church/religion and politics for many years now.  Actually it’s the link between church and campaign politics.  I look forward to seeing where this goes in the future.  I also welcome your thoughts on the matter.  Do you see a link between these two things?  How so?  How not?  Do you have experience working in these two areas?  If so, how have you seen the two interrelated?

Church is like a Hostel

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Church, Theology, Travel

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I’ve mentioned previously that I am part of a group of pastors who gather each week to learn and practice discipleship.  We gather into what is called a “huddle.”  It’s been a great experience.  Yesterday was no different.  During our time together, the one who has been leading us talked about the church being like a youth hostel.  A hostel is a simple place where travelers can stop for a time on their journeys.

Often church is much like a hostel rather than a mighty fortress, even though most would prefer it to be that fortress – where people come in and never leave.  A hostel has people come for a time and then leave – being sent out to plant more seeds for the kingdom where God calls them.  That can be true for people who are a part of the congregation for a time, for pastors, for others who have interactions with the church, and more.

Two days ago, our church was a hostel.  A family stopped by seeking a place to stay for the evening.  It was windy and cold – too cold to sleep in their van.  They were from Maine and had traveled to West Virginia for work.  The short version is that the work didn’t pan out for them, so they left.  They loaded up all of their belongings into their van and started to head back to Maine.  Carlisle happened to be a stopping point for one night on their journey back “home.”  They got off the expressway and we were the first church they came across.

I spoke with them, got their names, heard their story, and helped them find a location for their family for the night.  During the course of our time together, I heard the great faith that God had given them.  I could feel it and see it in their mannerisms and expressions.  I sensed the blessing in them in their gratitude.  Who was helping who here?  I felt just as blessed by their expression of faith, as they were in receiving a small amount of help for the night.  It felt as though I were in a re-enactment of Joseph, Mary, and child in their journey from Bethlehem to Egypt.  I can only imagine the encounters that the holy family had with those they came across in their journey – if only for a night.

Church is like a hostel in many ways.  Sometimes we encounter people for many years – we walk with them in their journey of faith from birth until death.  And other times we come across people for a short period of time, saying goodbye before we are ready for them to go.  Either way, none of us are permanently here.  At some point, it will be time for us to go – either through travel or job, or by sickness, age, and even death.

The beauty of a hostel is that everyone recognizes they are on a journey and they stay temporarily.  They look forward to the relationships they develop, and for what they will see and experience during their stay in a location.  Yes, church is like a hostel – a holy hostel.

The mission of the church

22 Thursday Mar 2018

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What is the mission of the church?

A common answer is that the mission of the church is to save souls.  Another answer is that the mission of the church is to make disciples.

These two answers are far different from each other and have practical implications.

If the mission of the church is to save souls, then it would make sense for people to be concerned with making sure people believe the right things, that they are following the rules, that there is a clear interpretation of the bible, and that there is a focus on what people do and how they live their life.  If saving souls is of utmost importance, then it makes sense that people would stop at nothing to ensure that people are saved from damnation.  The focus seems to be on how many people are lost.

If on the other hand the mission of the church is to make disciples, then it would make sense for people to focus on following the teachings of Jesus and inviting people into discovering Jesus, focusing on creating an environment where encounters with Jesus happen on a regular basis, where there is a sharing of the Good News of Jesus, where people are invited to participate in service for those that are outcast, poor, homeless, widowed, imprisoned, and more.  If making disciples is of utmost importance, then it makes sense that the invitation into relationship takes a high priority while recognizing that not all will embrace this.  Some will fall aside.  And you’ll let them go hoping that they will encounter Jesus some other way.  The focus seems to be on how many people start to follow and realizing that it’s a miracle – a pleasant one that is life-giving.

These two world views for the church matter.  The first world view is more confrontational than the other by nature of what is deemed important.  The second is more a live and let live approach.  Those are generalizations, of course, but pretty close to the reality of how they are lived out.

I prefer the second course of action and I believe that this is what Jesus calls us to be as a church.  I don’t believe that the mission of the church is to save souls.  That may sound heretical on the surface, but I don’t see the evidence to support that as the primary mission of the church for a few reasons.  1. We aren’t capable of saving ourselves, how are we supposed to save someone else?  Only God can save someone.  God’s salvation is a gift, we can’t earn it.  We can’t earn it for ourselves or for someone else.  2. Jesus commands us to go and make disciples and baptize people and teach them to follow all that he commanded (Matthew 28:19-20).  3. In each case in which Jesus calls someone, it is with a simple command – “Follow me.” There is no theological exposition on right belief.  Jesus doesn’t say, “follow me, but only when you have the right beliefs about me,” or “follow me when you have your act together,” or “follow me when you have changed your life and stopped sinning.”  It’s just “Follow me.”  Jesus calls people to follow him as they are.  Jesus is inviting people to be followers of him, to establish a relationship with them, to learn from him, to follow his example, to spend time with him.  And in the process of following him, their lives change.  They have to.  Encounters with Jesus always change people’s lives.  But it doesn’t come because they study their way to right beliefs.  It comes because of what Jesus is doing in a person’s life.

 

 

Leadership

15 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by in Church

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What is leadership?  More specifically, what is leadership within the church?

Leadership is driving an organization, a movement, a group of people towards something – ideally a vision or mission, maybe even a calling.

What is leadership in the church?  It’s leadership in conjunction with creating an environment where the others are empowered and equipped to carry out the Spirit’s calling in their lives and congregations.

Leadership often means making difficult decisions – very difficult decisions.  And often those decisions aren’t easy and have no easy solutions.  Leaders end up doubting their decisions.  Leaders have to weigh the needs of an individual vs. the needs of the whole group or institution.

Poor leadership is avoiding difficult decisions or sweeping difficult topics under the rug for someone else to deal with.  But all that does is enable bad behavior to continue – all because the leader is too stressed to make a decision.

The church is in desperate need for leaders who are willing to make difficult decisions.

 

Food stamps vs. food boxes – it’s more than about food

15 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by in Church, Humanity, Theology

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I read an article in Fortune magazine about the Trump Administration that started like this:

The Trump administration wants to overhaul the longstanding food stamp program, replacing it with a box of canned goods that it has likened to Blue Apron—a high-end meal kit service.

Source: http://fortune.com/2018/02/13/food-stamps-blue-apron-americas-harvest-box/

On the surface this doesn’t sound like a big deal.  If you’ve never had to be on Food Stamps, then you probably buy into the idea that people on Food Stamps abuse the benefit by buying beer and lobster, etc.  You’ve probably heard horror stories about this.

Here’s the main stated reason why this is being done:

Mulvaney claimed that the change would allow the government to save nearly $130 billion over 10 years, as it would lower government costs because it could buy the products at wholesale prices.

It’s about the money.

I would argue that it won’t save money in the long run.  The biggest reason is something I can’t quantify or point to direct evidence.

This gets into bigger issues than just feeding people.  If that’s all it were about, then great, let’s do it more efficiently and save money and get people food. The only problem with this line of thought is that nothing is in a vacuum.  Feeding people isn’t just about making sure they get food.  We have to look deeper.  Why is someone in such a situation that they need assistance in feeding themselves?  It’s not a nice, simple solution to this problem. But we Americans are really good at just throwing money at a problem and thinking that if we solve the material want or lack, then all will be well.

Except that is not the case.  The reason why government will never be able to solve hunger is because it refuses to see a person or family holistically.  It refuses to acknowledge the non-material parts of a person.  You can’t solve hunger or poverty or violence and focus solely on the material.

There is more to a person than the food they eat, the house they live in, and the job they get paid to do.

There are things that are not tangible too.  Things that we can’t measure or control – but we can influence or create an environment where the non-material is allowed to grow and flourish.

The biggest flaw with changing the food stamp program to a boxed meal isn’t the fact that the food will be less healthy – that’s a material issue.  That’s measurable and there is truth to that.  There won’t be fresh fruit, veggies, or meat.  It’s the fact that families in poverty are in poverty because, for one thing, they have limited choices.  When we take away a family’s or a person’s choice in what they will eat, we are not empowering them to make choices for themselves.  We are making them more dependent on others to make choices for them.  Meanwhile we feel good about providing the material things they supposedly need – regardless of what they want or really need.  We are dictating to them how they are to run their lives.  The effects of this are not good.  When someone’s choices are limited or they lose all their choices, it doesn’t turn out well for that person or family.   That is not how someone moves out of poverty.  That’s how they stay trapped in poverty longer.

This isn’t an argument to say that the food stamp program is great and works perfectly.  It doesn’t.  It doesn’t work effectively because it also is solely focused on the material need and ignores anything outside of that.

One of my all time favorite books is called “When Helping Hurts,” by Scott Corbett and Brian Fikkert.  Here’s how they describe poverty:

Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work, that are not just, that are not for life, that are not harmonious or enjoyable.  Poverty is the absence of shalom in all its meanings.

pg. 62, “When Helping Hurts”

And their answer to what to do about it:

Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation.

pg. 78, “When Helping Hurts”

If our only goal is to make sure that people have enough material things, we will never relieve poverty or hunger or any other challenge we face because they problems don’t exist in a vacuum and go beyond the material.

There is more to people than just the material.  And as long as we ignore this fact, we will not really be helping people.  And we will all suffer the consequences as a result.

This is the opportunity for the church.  We aren’t government agencies, and we aren’t like other non-profits.  We should certainly work with these organizations – they can provide things that churches can’t.  But churches can do things that government and non-profits can’t or won’t do – touch on the non-material side of life.  We can touch a person’s spirit, their reason for living, their broken relationships, and offer resurrection – transformed life.  That is what makes churches unique.  We have the best news in the history of the world – a message of resurrection and transformation.

I’m willing to bet when we share this message, when we live out the message, when the message is communicated through the material help that we provide, then people will want more.  They will want to hear more.  They will want to be a part of community that lives our resurrection.  They will want to experience resurrection.

Why I’m doing ashes on the go

09 Friday Feb 2018

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To do ashes on the go or not, that is the question many Lutheran pastors face.  There is actually a significant amount of debate about this – is it appropriate, in appropriate, or adiaphora?  I lean towards adiaphora, a good Lutheran term that means it ultimately doesn’t matter and has no bearing on our salvation so do what works in your context.  And in my context, ashes on the go works.

Think of ashes on the go as similar to a drive through window for your order of food.  Many pastors think this demeans the practice.  Many think it cheapens the message.  Many argue that people should come to a full service to remember that they are dust and to dust they shall return.  People should make the time to attend a service when it is offered this coming Wednesday.  Or that pastors ought to offer a service at different times so those that don’t normally come will have an opportunity to go either early in the morning or late at night.

I understand these arguments and I’m willing to say that there is plenty of truth in many of these statements.  Yet…Yet, I’m still offering ashes on the go.  While people “ought” to go to a church service, we both know that many won’t.  In our culture where more and more people have not had an interaction with a church and where church is not the primary mover of culture and society anymore, there are many things that people “ought” to do when it comes to church that just aren’t going to happen.  We could offer a service at 6am for the folks who go to work early – guess what, if they aren’t part of a church, those folks aren’t going to magically show up.  They don’t go to church now, why would they go any other day?

So why am I offering ashes on the go this coming Wednesday?  Because I can for one thing.  Because Jesus didn’t say wait inside your church buildings for people to come to you.  Because Jesus said to go and tell.  I’m doing ashes on the go because it is an opportunity for people to hear the counter cultural message of the Gospel – that you are going to die, but that is not the end of the story.

Do you realize how radical it is to tell people they are going to die?  That’s what “you are dust and to dust you shall return” means.  It means you are going to die, your body is going to decompose.  But that is not the end.  Far from it.  God has more in store for all of creation.

I’m doing ashes on the go because there is a better chance that someone who receives ashes will seek baptism than if we make them jump through hoops to get ashes or receive communion – especially when they are spiritually hungry.  I am doing ashes on the go because I believe God shows up in the craziest of places and does miracles, even in a short interaction.  I am doing ashes to go because it’s not about me putting ashes on a person’s forehead.  It’s about God’s word being spoken to someone – the Word that has the power to transform a person in an instant.

If you think ashes on the go is cheapening the whole thing, then here is my suggestion – don’t do it and don’t receive it.  But don’t wail and moan about it and expect me to sit by with a smile on my face as you rip it apart.

I’m doing ashes on the go because there are many people out there who have never encountered Jesus, or had a terrible experience with church.  I’m doing ashes on the go because there are plenty of people out there who are just waiting to encounter Jesus and don’t know it yet – and they would never step foot in a church.  So I’m going where they are, in their context – in the midst of the hustle and bustle of their busy lives.  I’m going to say the words “You are dust and to dust you shall return.” And for a moment, the reality of life and death will be right there, in and on people’s faces.  No hiding.  And I believe that God will do amazing things as a result – things that I may not ever know about.

Yes, I’m going ashes on the go.  If you find yourself on the Miracles mile between Carlisle and Mechanicsburg, PA on Wednesday morning from 7am on, stop by.  I’ll be in the parking lot of Flying J and Dunkin Donuts.  I’d love to talk and give ashes.