I Need Community Or I'll Die

In the first week Robert probably saved my life. It was a preventative measure, and it was high school, but his impact on my life was enormous. He may not even know. It's amazing how we can change one another's lives so nonchalantly.

It went like this: I'd graduated 8^th grade from St. Paul Lutheran as part of a class of 32 students, which was a record at the time. Most of my classmates went on to small Christian high schools. I went to a public school where I joined an incoming class of over 500. I knew about seven people, and I rarely saw any of them. Being alone was bearable for the six hours out of the day when there was class but lunchtime bad. Lunchtime was terrifying.

Photo by: The U.S. Army

The cafeteria was packed, but somehow it was never crowded enough for me to inconspicuously sit anywhere. The tables were round, so sitting meant approaching a group. I was afraid to sit with a group who might reject me, so I sat alone at an empty table and my table stayed empty all through lunch. It felt pathetic to be so alone in such a crowded room. The same thing happened on the second day. And the third day. I felt so lonely I wanted to cry.

On the last day in that cafeteria I sat down feeling insignificant, awkward and alone. Then Robert walked up to me and changed me life. I'd seen Robert at St. Paul and at church but we hadn't talked much.

“Come on” Said Robert, “We don't eat here.”

I didn't know exactly what he meant but he was talking to me and that felt nice. He said “we” too, which felt even better. I followed Robert and he lead me to a little nook in the science hall where he and the kids from the Christian Club ate. Maybe it's dorky that we had a club, but I really needed those people. I ate with them every day for the next four years. They were there for me when I needed a place to belong. They were my family when I was alone.

Being alone is the worst. We weren't created for it (Genesis 2:18), and God wants better for us. We're meant for families, both real families and adoptive families. I don't meant to say we ought to never take a moment alone. I'm an introvert and I need time alone, but even as an introvert I know I cannot survive without a loving community.

I believe there is no comfort like that of truly belonging. Sadly we often live without the supportive communities we were created to thrive in. We hang back from meeting new people because we imagine we aren't interesting or cool enough. We avoid friendships we think will carry too much work. We don't share our struggles because we tell ourselves we aren't important. We even hold back encouragement and compliments so we don't appear too attached. We keep one another alone when we were created to be in awesome communities. Brothers and Sisters, this is all very dumb and we need to cut it out.

I know that it is hard to offer or to ask for help. It requires vulnerability. We get hurt when we're vulnerable, but it's so totally worth it. Jesus made himself vulnerable so that we could have a relationship with him. He got hurt, but still thought we were valuable enough to do it anyway. Jesus loves us, thinks we're terrific, created us exquisitely, and is excited to walk through life with us. With our confidence grounded in him, we needn't fear rejection. When we reach out, the worst thing that can happen is that someone may decline our awesome friendship. That's sad to be sure, but the way I see it it's their loss.

Root yourself in Jesus and take confidence in knowing he's crazy about you. Then reach out and love somebody. You just may save their life.

This Man Does Not Represent Us

Today a dim and violent individual said some of the worst things a person can say (maybe don't follow the link. It's pretty bad.).  He insisted that he spoke in the name of Jesus, my God, and in the name of Christianity, my religion.  I have written about this before, but since horrible things continue to be said and done, I suppose God's people ought to keep on speaking and acting as well.  Most of what I want to say is this:  This wretched man does not represent me, my God, or my church.  I'm a minister in a Christian church and am personally acquainted with hundreds of Christians who posses widely varying opinions about homosexuality; some believe it is an abhorrent sin and some do not, but I cannot think of one person from either group who would fail to be revolted by this man's disgusting behaviour.  You read that correctly: regardless of whether Christians view homosexuality as a sin, we reject and deplore these hateful threats and violence.

Image by Sister72

I'm sad that this isn't the first incident, or even the worst.  Last year the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported that more fatal hate crimes were committed against homosexuals in 2011 than in any other previous year.  People have been doing awful things.  An infuriating number claim that they do them for God, not just any God, for Jesus, you know, the God who laid his life down for his enemies.  The contradiction here is baffling.  These haters are not representing Jesus Christ, they are representing themselves and their own fear, insecurity, and depravity.  Jesus knows what it's like to be screamed down by a hateful mob, and he didn't seem fond of the experience (Luke 22:42). 

Jesus was someone who actually stood between a lynch mob and an notorious sinner (John 8:2-11), which is precisely the role Christians need to take up.  So called “Christian” bigots have been getting a lot of press, and we could  complain and call it “liberal bias in the media” or we could agree that such awful behaviour should be  denounced from as many venues as possible until it ceases.  We don't have to be embarrassed, these people don't represent us, but since they are acting so boldly we really must step up to act on Christ's behalf in our churches and communities.  We can't tolerate senseless hatred and pretend to serve the God of love.  If a Christian friend of yours abuses someone verbally because of their sexual orientation, call them out on it (Proverbs 27:17); that's not acceptable (Colossians 3:8).  If they won't correct their behaviour, and they insist on calling themselves Christian, part ways (1 Corinthians 5:11), you don't need that noise in your life.  Jesus was pretty clear about whether or not to remain on speaking terms with those who claim to follow God but who refuse correction (Matthew 18:15-17). 

Challenge:

Pray that God would change the hearts our enemies, silence false preachers, and embolden us speak the Gospel.

Haters Gonna Infiltrate: Four Recent Events That Likely Embarassed Jesus

One Of Those Christians

I am, as I may have previously mentioned, a Christian. I have occasionally been asked, “are you one of those Christians?” The question, delivered with a cringe, is a valid, if inarticulate, one. There are many sorts of people using the word “Christian” to define themselves, but wearing the name “Christian” doesn't make a person a follower of Christ any more than wearing a white coat makes a person a doctor. Sadly, some of these people are not serving as ambassadors of the Gospel, but as mongers of hate, war, and prejudice. Haters, as they say, are gonna hate, but I adamantly wish they would leave Christianity out of it.

In the past month four huge embarrassing stories have surfaces in the media. Oddly I didn't hear about them from Christian watchdog groups but from Princess Free Zone and George Takei. At the urging of my own conscience, and an article by Michelangelo Signorile, I'm weighing in here to add a Christian voice to their chorus of denouncement.  Their behaviour is not the behaviour of Christ.  I am not one of these Christians, my church is not one of these churches, and my pastor is not one of these pastors:

Photo By Eric Chan

Embarrassment The First: Pastor Sean Harris Tells Parents To Punch Their Effeminate Children

On May first the Huffington Post reported the violent and hateful remarks of Sean Harris, who actually told his congregation to punch their sons for acting effeminate, and to rebuff their daughters for acting “butch.” In the interest of fairness this Pastor did eventually apologise, but I'm afraid a lot of people aren't taking his apology seriously. As a Christian, although his hate-filled words break my heart, I am obliged to forgive him. Non-Christians are under no such obligation, and the injury this man has done to Christ's reputation cannot be overstated.

Embarrassment The Second: Pastor Charles Worthy Call For Homosexuals To Be Put In Camps

On May twenty-second U.S. News reported on the outrage that followed the bigoted remarks of another senior pastor. Charles Worthy called for homosexuals to rounded up and put behind gender specific fences so they could eventually die out. If the notion was not so horrible and disgusting it would be hilarious. The idea that homosexuality would cease to exist if homosexuals would just stop breeding seems to misunderstand the very nature of homosexuality. To the credit of this pastor's community, The Catawaba Valley Citizens Against Hate organised a massive peaceful protest, the sort of thing I wish Christians were more prone to do in these situations.

Embarrassment The Third: Church Gives Standing Ovations For Toddler's Hate Anthem

On May 30^th NYDailyNews.com reported a disturbing viral video. The video features a toddler singing the words, “Ain't no ain't no homo gonna make it to heaven” which would be sad, but not newsworthy if not for the enthusiastic standing ovation he received from Apostolic Truth Tabernacle Church of Greensburg, Indiana. The church and pastor have since received death threats and hate mail, which is shameful, though unsurprising. The fact that a church community is actively teaching it's children bigotry with such incredible enthusiasm turns the stomach.  To those who would join in threatening these people, please remember that violence perpetuates such hatred, and that the Christian faith does not allow for revenge (Romans 12:19).  These persons will be held accountable by God, “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck” (Mark 9:42)

Embarrassment The Fourth: Pastor Curtis Knapp Defends Remark: “Gay's Should Be Put To Death”

On May thirty-first Kansas Pastor Curtis Knapp went on CNN to defend previous remarks that the US government should execute homosexuals. You may have heard the phrase, “You may be the only Jesus someone ever meets.” This man brings that phrase home for me. I've no doubt that there are people who believe this man represents Christianity, and worse, there are people who believe this man represents Jesus Christ. He does not. Jesus spoke about men who masquerade as his servants when said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15)

Judgemental Reactions Don't Heal Judgement Inflicted Wounds

I want to be crystal clear that neither I nor anyone else except God alone knows the state of these person's souls. They may be authentic faith-filled Christians. They may have serious mental or emotional disorders. They may have been indoctrinated from childhood. I cannot know that I would grow into a temperate and loving individual if I'd been given their life circumstance and mental faculties. 

Their words and actions are certainly abhorrent, but such persons, like all sinners ought to be loved patiently and forgiven readily. I ask that if you share my Christian faith, that you make every effort to actively distinguish yourself from such misrepresentations of Christ. Yet even as you dissent from them, please pray for these misguided perpetrators of evil. God speed your endeavours.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
-1 John 4:16-21

RE: Psalm 26

I don’t want to upset anybody, but I think this psalm sounds self righteous.  The psalmist sounds an awful lot like the pompous Pharisee in Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14).  Arrogant or not it’s in the Bible; at times like this it is essential to remember that the Bible is what we call, Divinely Inspired.  The speaker in this psalm is not a religious windbag, but the very Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God has every right to brag.  The Spirit of God cries out on our behalf, here in this psalm and in every moment.  This poem even takes on new meaning when we read it from a New Testament perspective.  Consider the words, “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells” (26:8).  The temple mentioned is us (1 Cor 6:19).  You and I are the house where God lives and the place where his glory dwells.  He loves it here; he loves you.  Read this psalm joyfully, knowing that God finds pleasure in you and his Spirit intercedes for us. (Rom 8:26)

Jesus' Mother & Brothers

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” -Mark 3:31-35

Your parents have probably told you that, “family comes first” at some point. I'd be very surprised if they never have. Families care for one another, influence one another, and shape children into adults. It was, and still is, and incredibly counter cultural idea that God's family is closer than blood ties. To Jesus your position in society doesn't matter. A role of authority doesn't get you anywhere with Jesus. Jesus is interested in your heart.

Challenge: Imagine a church where everyone treated one another as true brothers and sisters. Write about it if that helps you think. Now pray for it. Ask God to use you to strengthen and expand his family.

Are You A Man Or A Muppet?

I freaking love the Muppets.  Seriously, Walter, from the new movie, reminded me instantly of myself.  I love Gonzo, Mr. Teeth, Kermit, Piggy, even Samuel Eagle and Fozzy Bear.  I love that they’re all uniquely weird characters.  They are each annoying, talented, loving, petty, funny, bold, and insecure.  They’re everyone.  The Muppets have characters of every type.  There is no one who could truly be out of place among these weirdos.  They don’t seem like they should work together, but they’re incredible.

The Muppets make me feel homesick, which should probably frighten me more than it does.  I understand that they’re puppets, but the idea of such diverse and zany characters all coming together for one common purpose makes my heart ache for my true home.  I don’t mean Muppet Studios, I talking about the kingdom of God.

Christians are weird.  Christians are annoying, talented, loving, petty, bold, and insecure.  We are Muppets.  Often we don’t work together or love one another like we should.  The sad reality is that we live in a harsher world than the Muppets do, and I’m thankful that we get more than a thirty minute interval to pull our act together.

One last thing I’ll say I love about the Muppets is that every freaky one of them comes as they are, with all their passions, flaws, and fears out on their sleeves.  When they each do what they love doing they put on a tolerable show.  I want to see that in the church.  So this leads me to ask:  Which Muppet are you?  What is your greatest passion?  What is your biggest flaw?  These things can’t define you; only Christ can, but God made you this way in all of your weird and beautiful glory.  He did it on purpose, and I for one would be thrilled to see an absurd family of Christians loving and laughing and possessing a zest for life comparable to that of Gonzo the Great.

RE: A Call To Conscience Chapter Two

The Birth Of A New Nation introduced me to the story of Kwame Nkrumah (KWAH-me en-KROO-muh), a native of the colony that would become Ghana and a child of two illiterate parents. Nkrumah worked his way to the US; put himself through college working as a dishwasher and a bellhop. He then returned home to lead nonviolent protests which resulted first in his imprisonment and ultimately in the freeing of his nation from British colonialism. I have a new hero.

Powerfully, King praised the righteousness of nonviolent protest, and how it wins hearts instead of battles, though he promised that no oppressor ever voluntarily gives freedom to the oppressed. King promised that any nonviolent protest must expect some violent opposition. Referencing the story of Israel’s Exodus he observed that when you leave Egypt, you have to face a wilderness. The whole time he kept reminding me of Jesus telling his disciples that following him would mean facing persecution.

King also spoke very critically of the Church of England, and though he pulled no punches he quickly moved past criticism to praise God that inaction on the part of a church can never mean inactivity on God’s part. The following excerpt is long for a quote, but I copied it by hand into my notebook because of how deeply empowering I found it. I hope it empowers you.

“I thought of many things. I thought of the fact that the British Empire exploited India. Think about it! A nation with four hundred million people and the British exploited them so much that out of a population of four hundred million, three hundred and fifty million made an annual income of less than fifty dollars a year. Twenty-five of that had to be used for taxes and the other things of life. I thought about dark Africa, and how the people there, if they can make a hundred dollars a year they are living very well, they think. Two shillings a day—one shilling is fourteen cents, two shillings, twenty-eight cents—that’s a good wage. That’s because of the domination of the British Empire. All of these things came to my mind, and when I stood there in Westminster Abbey with all of its beauty, and I thought about all of the beautiful hymns and anthems that the people would go in there to sing. And yet the Church of England never took a stand against this system. The Church of England sanctioned it The Church of England gave it moral stature. All of the exploitation perpetuated by the British Empire was sanctioned by the Church of England. But something else came to my mind: God comes in the picture even when the Church won’t take a stand. God has injected a principle in this universe. God has said that all men must respect the dignity and worth of all human personality, ‘And if you don’t do that, I will take charge.’ It seems this morning that I can hear God speaking. I can hear him speaking throughout the universe, saying, ‘Be still and know that I am God. And if you don’t stop, if you don’t straighten up, if you don’t stop exploiting people, I’m going to rise up and break the backbone of your power. And your power will be no more!’ . . . . And I say to you this morning, my friends, rise up and know that, as you struggle for justice, you do not struggle alone, but God struggles with you. And He is working every day.” – King, The Birth Of A New Nation 1957

We never labor alone. We can do everything through Christ, who gives us strength (Phil 4:23)

RE: A Call To Conscience Chapter One

My friend Billy of The Orant recently asked his readers to join him in a personal effort to give up racism for lent. Knowing that prejudice is a malady of perception and that it is difficult to identify racism in oneself, Billy has posted a book list and asked his readers to each pick a book to reflect on and to let him know how it has challenged their perspectives. I picked, A Call to Conscience which is a collection of Martin Luther King Junior’s pivotal speeches. I’ve only read two of the eleven speeches, but I can see I won’t be able to fit my thoughts on the book into a single reflection, so I’ll be updating as I read through the book.

The first speech in the book was given at the inception of the Civil Right’s Movement. It is the address that King delivered to the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) at the start of the famous bus boycotts initiated by the arrest of Rosa Parks. Throughout the talk King encouraged his audience to stand united, he condemned violence and rumors of violence, and gave thanks to God that he lived in a nation that protected the freedoms of speech and assembly.

I was surprised to find that it was not just inspiring but also fun to read. The emotional interjections of those present at the historic meeting are recorded in the text, which makes it easy to imagine hearing King’s words delivered in a crowded meeting hall that simmered with emotion and energy. If I took one thing away from the MIA speech it is the following exhortation to keep God at the forefront and to be Christian in all our actions:

“May I say to you, my friends, as I come to a close, and just giving some idea of why we are assembled here, that we must keep--and I want to stress this, in all of our doings, in all of our deliberations here this evening and all of the week and while, --whatever we do--, we must keep God in the forefront. (Yeah) Let us be Christian in all of our actions. (That's right) But I want to tell you this evening that it is not enough for us to talk about love, love is one of the pivotal points of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice. And justice is really love in calculation. (All right) Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love. (Well)” –King 1955

Pray that we may we ever keep God at the forefront as we seek to correct that which revolts against love.

A Phoenix for Ash Wednesday

Today's devotion is from my magnificent wife, Beth.

“For dust you are, and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:19b

If you’re from a traditional church, you’re probably used to the Ash Wednesday traditions—ashes on the forehead, this verse from Genesis. Death. It’s how we start Lent every year: a reminder of dying. Cheery, no? If you’re not from a traditional church, you’ve probably still watched the switch: Mardi Gras beads and fried foods to a lot of really bummed out Christians giving things up.
I’m weird. I’ve always loved Ash Wednesday. The ceremony of getting ashes, and being reminded that I’m only here temporarily is comforting to me. It helps me to let go of those small things that I think are so big. But God has more for us than that. Genesis 3:19 is part of the curse: when humanity separated itself from God by sin, death was the consequence, and we see it all around us. But that wasn’t the end of the story. At the perfect time, God sent a Savior to break sin’s curse, complete the story, and bring a new one to Life.
We’re starting a journey, walking with Jesus and remembering what it took for him to break the curse of sin. When I see the ashes of Ash Wednesday, and the power of Jesus, I see a phoenix. A phoenix is a beautiful firebird born from the ashes of its death. It bursts forth bright with new life, not holding on to old death, but soaring in new life. Christ died and gave life. Die to live.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they’re a new creation: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Challenge:
Try to discover something God is making new in you. What is dead that He wants to bring to life?

We Wrestle Not With Flesh, But Sometimes With Our Flesh

I am bugged by analogies that compare the Christian church to an army. When I hear talk of spiritual war I flinch and try to steer the conversation in a new direction. It's not that the church-as-an-army is actually a wrong idea, but too often I see this idea being used to turn Christians against their neighbors instead of against the Enemy who lies and divides (Eph 6:12). Sadly idea of a holy army always makes me think of well dressed church-folks shouting at poor people.

It's not that I don't believe that Christianity stands uniquely opposed to the habits and systems of the world. It is precisely because I believe that Christ and Christianity are so opposed to the world that military analogies bother me. The trouble with overextending these analogies, is that they turns people towards the wrong sorts of battles. My revulsion most often comes up when I hear the phrase “Defending the faith” and at the heart of that annoyance is, in actuality, a loathing for the ass I can be when I'm at my worst.

I spent my freshman year of high school engaged in what I believed to be the holiest of wars for the kingdom of God. At every opportunity, and with any excuse I could find, I wrote and spoke about God's word and my faith in Jesus Christ. That sounds fine if not excellent, but unfortunately what I was often doing was trying to set myself apart from people at the school whom I thought were evil. I was trying to show them that if they had faith they could just stop being evil and be like me. That was a pretentious mission with a rather faulty premise. A Christian who is under the impression that their faith makes them superior to others has missed the point of faith. Faith is a gift (Eph 2:8), and not the mark of some holier tier of society.

If people become Christians solely because they find that the Christian way of thinking is morally or philosophically superior to all others, they are not the sorts of people I really want to call brothers and sisters. Race, gender, religion, and every other conceivable distinction between individuals has been used since the beginning of time as an excuse for one group to call themselves superior to another. Christ's religion does not have room for that nonsense. Christ came to serve, love, and bless anyone who wanted him. Christianity even thwarts those who would earn God's favor. The Bible tells Christians that we are “the worst of sinners” (1 Tim 1:15) who are justified freely by the action of God. (Eph2: 8-9)

Here's what I think about truly “Defending the faith”:

Arguing does not defend Christianity. Arguing, as I understand is a competition in which two people stroke their own egos while belittling the beliefs of others. This closes down opportunities to minister while isolating and dividing peoples. Arguments honor a winning intellect, but Christianity exalts humility (Lk 22:27). When the faith is defended, it is by Christians of humble spirit who do not conform to the petty and adversarial patterns of this world (Rom 12:2). A smart Christian defends the faith when they value loving their neighbor above proving their neighbor wrong.

I know of no one who was intellectually persuaded into faith in Jesus Christ. Bringing people into God's kingdom is rarely done in debate (though God may make use of any means he likes). People are brought into the kingdom of God by generous Love. More practically, people are brought in by Christians who politely listening to people they disagree with, who show authentic friendship, and who act with generosity and kindness (Romans 2:4). These things are much more attractive than arguments, however clever the arguments are.

“Christian” is not a badge to pin to one's chest nor is it a set of rhetoric that explains why one is better or smarter than anyone else. Christianity is a loosing of the cords that bind and blind the rest of civilization. Christianity is freedom. It is freedom from pride, violence, bigotry, judgment, and fear which sap our energy, kill our joy, and repulse our neighbors. Christ sets us free indeed (John 8:36).

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8&9)