culture, Family, life
We decided to visit my parents for Thanksgiving this year. Something we haven’t done for years. It’s fun to have everyone pile into the folks house, raid the cupboards, lay around, and laugh about whatever. For some reason, it’s actually easy to forget about all stress and responsibility of ministry, bills, and business while I’m here.
This morning I woke up to the smell of a very large turkey in the oven and the mere smell of that bird cooking made me feel grateful. We’ve had a tradition of sharing what we’re thankful for around the table for so long that all it takes is the aroma to stir up a sense of gratitude in me. Take that Pavlov!
The thing about thankfulness is that it’s so good for you! When we’re really grateful, it’s hard to stay proud because it acknowledges that someone else has met your need. It’s hard to be bitter when we’re thanking Christ for His forgiveness. Thanksgiving really does refocus our perspective! It helps us to think positively and there are a lot of families out there that could benefit from less negativity in their homes! The more I think about it, the more I just love this holiday!
2nd Corinthians 4:15 tells us that thanksgiving brings glory to God. What more motivation do we need? My prayer for you and me is for a thankful heart EVERY DAY.
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” – 2nd Corinthians 9:15
Christ Following, culture, life, Love, Missions, social justice, The Church
I was listening to a sermon my friend posted to his blog the other day. The preacher mentioned the firefighters and rescue workers who risked their lives running into the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks. I’m sure some of them knew they were going to die in there, but went willingly because a sense of duty drove them.
It was the words “sense of duty” that caught my attention. I realized that we as believers are sorely lacking a sense of duty. We seem to want to pick and choose spiritual disciplines, convictions, standards, and amounts we give and serve based on how we feel or claim to be “led”. I know some who won’t even pray at all unless they “feel led“.
I know what some of you are thinking, “Uh oh, he’s gone all legalistic on us. We should be motivated by our love for Christ, not a sense of duty!” You have a great point, however love is not, never has been, and never will be a warm fuzzy feeling that leads us to good deeds to put a smile on Jesus’ face.
I’ll give you an example. I’ve been married for seventeen years now. It comes as no surprise that we’re not always walking on cloud nine together. Sure we share some great moments and those romantic feelings are wonderful when they’re present. But when they’re not present, I still provide, protect, and care for my wife out of a sense of duty. I do what any good husband should do because I made a commitment to do it when I fell in love with her. Get it? We possess a sense of duty BECAUSE we love.
In Genesis chapter 4 God says that refusing to do what’s right (not what we’re “led” to do) is just a baby step away from sin gaining control over us. Jesus said in Mathew 25 that when we turn our backs on those in need, we turn our backs on Him. The absolute apathy of so many believers is downright frightening! To quote Keith Green, “Jesus came to your door, but you left Him out on the street.”
So my question is this: are you the type of person who would run into a burning building to save the lives of others, or would you rather enjoy the fresh air and safety while those inside burn? We’re guilty as hell if we do nothing. Think about that the next time you think sharing Jesus, helping the oppressed, and feeding the poor are for those who feel called.
It’s as if so many of us have succumbed to the Bystander Effect. The case of Kitty Genovese is the most well known example of this effect. Kitty was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. According to newspaper accounts, the killing took place for at least a half an hour. The murderer attacked and stabbed her, but then fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. The killer then returned ten minutes later and finished the assault. Newspaper reports after Genovese’s death claimed that 38 witnesses watched the stabbings and failed to intervene. I’m sure all 38 of those people thought, “Someone will help her.” They were wrong.
Like the rescue workers of 9/11, we have got to develop a sense of duty, an URGENCY to fulfill the great commission and help the downtrodden. When I stand before God, I want to hear “well done”. I want to be the kind of person who runs toward danger to rescue the lost and oppressed. It takes commitment, it’s a sign of love (John 15:13), and it requires a sense of duty.
culture, Family
I overheard a conversation the other day between two people who grew up in Christian homes. Neither of these people are serving God today. In fact, both of them have made choices that would be deemed very un-christian. Teen pregnancy, heavy drinking, and a very obnoxious unbiblical world view were all part of life for them. I understand that not everyone who grows up in a believing family decides to walk the walk. However, it was what was said by one of these people that got me thinking.
“What do you expect when you have religion crammed down your throat growing up?” So is passing your faith on to your children “cramming religion down their throats”? It’s a question I posed on the web site SoulPancake and got varied responses. So your parents made you go to church. They made you go to school too. Does that mean they “crammed education down your throat”? They probably bought you Christmas presents every year. Does that mean cool gifts were “forced upon you”? Please pardon your parents for caring enough about you that they don’t want you to spend eternity in hell. I suppose if they were better people they would have just left you to burn you self-absorbed turd! (Sorry about that. Allow me to regain my composure.)
The point is this: we are all responsible for the choices we make. We’ll all stand before God to give account for the way we lived our lives. Using the excuse “my parents crammed religion down my throat” is just a horrible cop-out. Take responsibility for your own idiotic decisions. We all make them so grow up and stop blaming your parents. As parents, we have a mandate from God to raise our children by the Book (Proverbs 22:6) and we will be held accountable for it. Knowing this, I’d rather have my kids unhappy with all that “God stuff” than have to answer to The Almighty for not sharing The Truth with my children. I fear God more than my three younglings!
As the Body of Christ, we have to think generationally. The church will not end when we pass away. Lovingly nurturing our children to a passionate relationship with Jesus is an awesome ministry and should be a high priority above careers, hobbies, or other fading pursuits. We brought them into this world and we need to show them how to make it safely out! Psalm 127:4 compares our children to arrows in a warrior’s hands. We can prepare them to do serious damage to the kingdom of darkness. This doesn’t happen by itself. Invest in your children’s eternity, even at the risk of them gagging… a little…
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Christ Following, culture, life, Media, The Church
America is obsessed. We’ve become so enamored with celebrities that an entire industry has been built around providing cosmetics, weight-loss products, and clothing lines to help the common person “look like a star”. We pay film actors the GNP of a small country, and like that’s not enough we hold awards ceremonies that take great effort to sit through without aging several years. Meanwhile, the names of the award winners are reported with the urgency of a presidential election. Why do we worship these people and why do we care so much about how they decorate their homes, take their vacations, or behave while having a night out?
The really troubling thing to me is not that the entertainment industry keeps churning out the “next big star” while incessantly celebrating itself. After all, it’s a business built on vanity. There’s no hidden agenda there. It’s to entertain us while making obscene amounts of money doing it. The thing that troubles me is the spilling over of the celebrity culture into christian ministry. We put on conferences and think hard about which “big name” to bring in, otherwise people might not come. We put up with demanding riders and pay large sums so that “the word can go out”. Young people line up for autographs after their favorite christian band has played and we even attaboy our favorite singers with their own awards show. Something doesn’t feel right about handing someone a trophy for a song they supposedly wrote for an Audience of One.
The disturbing thing about this trend is that it distorts the expectations of those called to christian service. Success in ministry stops being equated with obedience and fruit bearing and begins to mean getting your picture on a conference flier or landing a record contract. In other countries, stepping into ministry rarely means a paycheck and can often lead to losing your family or even your life. What have we done to the next generation of preachers, pastors, and minstrels by choosing to show favoritism, special recognition, and “star treatment” to this generation of celebri-ministers? I think we’ve unintentionally communicated that, unless your ministry is broadcasted, recorded, or performed in front of a large audience, it’s insignificant.
Occasionally I receive an invitation to step back into the “green room” at a conference or concert. The atmosphere is generally the same in each one. Friends and hangers-on of the various musicians and speakers all camped out, laptops open, cell phones texting. The band members and guest preachers are usually friendly and upbeat, but the aforementioned “support players” generally carry an air of self-importance that can’t be ignored. It’s a tangible arrogance that should be foreign among believers. I’m not alone in this perception either. A good friend of mine spent some time traveling with a well known Christian band and could hardly tolerate being in the green room.
In sharp contrast to the green rooms of christian conferences and concerts, I’ve had the privilege of being on the set of a couple of major Hollywood motion pictures. I stood next to some of the most well known actors and directors in the world. The difference? Everyone was so nice! With the exception of a few grumpy assistant directors, there was a general sense of comradeship. I vividly remember some great conversations and a genuine sense of caring as we swapped stories, sunscreen, and shared umbrellas. We were all working together to invest in something bigger than ourselves.
I think that’s where we in christian ministry fall short and succumb to a celebrity mentality. We’re building our ministry aren’t we? Fame means a bigger paycheck so we can keep doing our ministry so we can get another paycheck and keep doing our ministry and… you get the picture. Instead of humbly coming together and uniting under the greatest vision of all, we’re comparing units sold and venues played. Instead of seeing ourselves as blessed to receive the love and favor of God, we classify and rank ourselves by public recognition. It’s funny how we can borrow from the Hollywood way but not even get it right.
John chapter 13 tells a story about Jesus, the most famous and influential man who ever lived (not to mention almighty savior of the world). In this story He tied a towel around his waste and, one by one, he washed his disciples feet. It was a chore reserved for the lowliest of servants. When he was done he said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” I think maybe, just maybe, if we took His example and served instead of seperated, humbled ourselves instead of expected special treatment, we might just produce an epic together that’s greater than any story ever told through a Hollywood film camera.
Christ Following, culture, life
“He Drove a Corvette”. I don’t recall ever seeing those words on someone’s headstone. I’ve also never seen “He Wore Abercrombe”, “She Always Looked Nice”, or “HALO Champion”. While I’m at it, I’ve never seen “Rotary Club Member”, “Rock Star”, or “Pastor’s Favorite” either. In fact I’ve seldom, if ever, heard about a person’s possessions or positions when their life is being remembered.
I got to thinking about the people I know who have had the greatest impact on my life. I mean people who helped to shape who I am today. For the life of me I can’t remember what kind of car they own. I couldn’t tell you whether they use a Blackberry or an iPhone. I have no idea where they shop for their clothes or what kind of cologne they wear. I honestly don’t know how popular they were in college or if they were any good in sports.
The thing I do know about them is their character. They’re caring people, compassionate people. They have a way of making you feel important even though many people would like their attention. They have great attitudes and seem to see the positive in just about every circumstance. They have integrity and follow through with their commitments. What you see s what you get with them and there’s no room for doubt about their love for God and people. It’s their character that leaves a legacy, not their ability to preach, run a program, make money, or look good.
So why do we spend so much time and resources on things that fade? I don’t know, but I do know that, when it’s all said and done, no one’s going to care if I owned a Mac or a PC. At my funeral the kind of car I drove probably won’t be discussed. The only one who will remember where I got my hair cut will be the woman who cuts my hair. The memories I leave will be of my character, my attitude, how I treated others.
The Invisible Church member knows this and is aware of how their character and attitude speak to those around them. To quote St. Francis of Assisi, “It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.“
culture, Family
Last week I had the opportunity to take a walk though Carlsbad Caverns with my family. This underground group of caves is truly amazing. You have to take an elevator 750 feet below the earth’s surface. The walking path takes you through 8.2 acres of caverns and tunnels. There are bottomless pits, natural “draperies” that look like liquid poured from the ceiling and frozen instantly, stalagmites, stalactites, and massive pillars formed naturally over thousands of years.
Among all this natural splendor I couldn’t help but notice the pace of the large crowd of visitors that day. People were in such a hurry that I often found myself in the way as they moved to pass me. Some tourists weren’t even looking at the formations or reading the information signs. They walked briskly by, chatting about hitting the gift shop before going out to dinner. So much beauty to take in but it was treated like a cheap roadside attraction.
One person who wasn’t in a hurry was my six-year-old son Hudson. His eyes were as big as can be. At one point, he looked up at his mother and said, “This must be God’s majesty”. Someone got it! Amidst our addiction to consume, take, and move on to the next thing, a little boy recognized the awesome picture God painted for him to enjoy. How often, in our haste, do we miss out on God’s majesty, on hearing His voice, or on being used to touch a life?
So what? So slow down, appreciate creation, take less, give more, and ask God to let you experience wonder like a six-year-old.
“Then he said, I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” – Matthew 18:3, 4
