Deeper Thoughts

Orderly Worship

2011-04-05T07:29:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 14.26-33

In this passage Paul addresses some practical problems that were plaguing the worship services in the congregation at Corinth. The house church attendees were showing up eager to participate and share what God was saying to them. They were, however, getting carried away with enthusiasm, were fond of hearing their own voices, and were creating a chaotic environment where no one could understand what was being said.

So Paul lays down the law under four main headings:

1. Worship must be understandable. You can't speak in a language that nobody understands unless you have an interpreter.

2. Worship must be humble. What happens at worship must strengthen the congregation and not just strengthen the reputation of the speaker. Self-promotion is off limits

3. Worship must be orderly. Paul set limits on how many people could speak and insisted that they take turns and not speak on top of each other.

4. Worship must be accountable and open to feedback. Not every message you share comes from God. The community at large must verify that the things said in worship are accurate and not heretical.

These guidelines were given to address a specific situation that no longer exists today. But the guidelines still have validity in our services.

1. The words of the sermon, prayers, and music must be understandable.

2. The people singing, praying, and preaching need to be humble and not use their gifts in a slef-serving way.

3. The services we create should not degenerate to the extremes of dull, boring, predictability or chaotic spontaneity. Instead we should be shooting for spirited order or ordered spontaneity.

4. Everything we do is open to feedback from the congregation. Neither the pastor nor the worship team is the ultimate authority. Jesus is.

Related passages: Acts 2.3, Acts 10.44-46, Acts 19.6, 1 Corinthians 12.7-11, 2 Corinthians 12.20, James 3.16

Love Chat #3

2011-03-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 13.8-14

It would be wonderful if ethical decisions boiled down to the choice between bad and good. That would make things easy. But I've found that things are a bit more complicated than that. In fact, I think that there are more than two categories involved. There are four:

1. Actions that are bad

2. Actions that are neutral

3. Actions that are better

4. Actions that are best

It's hard to know what items to put in each category, and sometimes the hardest choice is between better and best.

The Bible lifts up love expressed selflessly to God and others as the sole inhabiter of the best category. That's because it is permanent, mature, and clear.

1. Things like spiritual gifts, talents, work, family, etc. may fall into the better category. They are admirable and needed and better, but not the best. That's because these things eventually pass away. Prophecy will cease. Tongues will be silenced. Knowledge will pass away. But love remains.

2. A preoccupation with your talents and gifts is ultimately childish. But love is mature.

3. A focus on one's abilities is to see in a mirror dimly. To love is to see with clear vision.

So we need to make love the ultimate goal of our lives and not be so preoccupied with things that are very good, but not the best. We need to put the big rocks in first, and let the littler rocks fill in around them.

Have you made it a life goal to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Are you joyfully and sacrificially loving others as you love yourself? If so, you are choosing wisely and are involved with the best things.

Related passages: 1 John 3.2, Philippians 3.12-13, 2 John 1.6, 2 Peter 1.5-8.

Love Chat #2

2011-03-21T14:17:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 13.4-7

Popular culture has the wrong idea about love. If you listen to too much pop music you'll start to believe that love is sweeping emotion that overtakes you and leaves you hot blooded. People call that love, but it's really romance or perhaps just lust.

The Bible says that love is an action. It's a behavior. It's a choice. To be a loving person means you do loving things. Love gets it's hands dirty.

1 Corinthians 13. 1-4 is a list of 15 verbs in bullet point form. Verbs are what love is all about.

Here is my version of what love is.... "Love gets up in the middle of the night and feeds the baby. Love doesn’t ask when she has a headache. Love sometimes says yes when you're not in the mood. Love unplugs the toilet. It remembers to pick up milk at the grocery store. It changes diapers. It remembers anniversaries, and birthdays, and Mother’s Day, and Valentines day, and about 15 other days. Love occasionally goes to the chic flick. It occasionally turns off the football game. It wipes noses, cares for a sick child, cares for a elderly parent. Love stops talking and just listens, drives to 700 soccer games; comes home exhausted and still makes conversation; works all day, then prepares a meal for a friend. Love picks up, cleans up, mops up, shines up, and tidies up. Love listens when you don’t make any sense. Love stays connected."

Love is an action. So be a person of loving action!

Related passages: James 2.17, 1 John 3.18, 1 John 4.7-8, John 13.34, Romans 13.8, 1 Peter 1.22.

Love Chat #1

2011-03-14T14:38:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 13.1-3

There are two significant Holy Spirit lists in the New Testament: the list of the Gifts of the Spirit and the list of the Fruit of the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit are character qualities that are developed in Christians over time. They are found in Galatians 5 and include things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. All Christians are supposed to grow all of these things all of the time.

The gifts of the Spirit are special talents and abilities which the Spirit gives to us individually. There are lots of spiritual gifts referenced in the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 12 mentions a dozen: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation, administration, teaching, and apostleship. We don't get all of these gifts; each of us only gets a few.

The problem in Corinth was that people were very gifted, but not very loving. They had great gifts of the Spirit, but were not demonstrating much fruit. They had lots of talent, but not much character.

In the passage today Paul declares that character is more important than talent. You might have amazing ability to preach, sing, teach, pray, give, communicate, discern, or whatever; but if you do not have love you are nothing.

This leads to three implications:

1. Character development trumps talent development

2. Character development will involves spiritual disciplines

3. How we get along is critical to church life

I encourage everyone to fully develop your talents. But more importantly: fully develop your character.

Related passages: 1 John 3.4-20, 1 John 4.19-21, 1 Thessalonians 3.12, Colossians 3.12-14

Clueless and Oblivious

2011-03-08T08:32:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 11. 17-34

Sometimes we do things that impact others in a negative way, not because we are mean or evil, but because we are self-absorbed, clueless and oblivious.

This happened in Corinth. A group of well off Christians with time on their hands would arrive early at the church agape feast (potluck dinner with communion). They would eat and drink and enjoy their friends, oblivious to the fact that they were eating all the food that the poorer church members relied on. When the slaves and working class arrived after a hard day of labor there was nothing left for them and their wealthy brothers were sloshed and gorged.

This accentuated the class differences that the church was trying to bridge, and ruined the whole idea that "in Christ we are all equal and unified."

Paul told the early arrivers to get their eyes off themselves, start being aware of others, and eat at the same time!

In our day, it's easy to be self-absorbed and oblivious, hanging out with people just like ourselves, forming little affinity groups, and ignoring people who need our help or who are not just like us.

So I suggest five things that we can do to stave off this problem.

1. Attend the next mystery dinner. Occasionally we offer nights where 4-5 families gather to have dinner. Nobody knows who will show up to their group. New friendships are formed and barriers are crossed.

2. Commit to meeting new people during our handshaking times in the services. Don't just run to greet your friends. Reach out to a stranger. Empathize with the person who knows nobody, and do something about it.

3. Commit to meeting new people after the service at the coffee hour. Look for the person standing in a corner and include them. Don't be so self-absorbed that you don't even see the isolated person. Don't be clueless and oblivious.

4. While taking communion remind yourself that despite some pretty big differences, we are all one in Christ.

5. When you attend a church potluck dinner look for the family that is sitting alone, and plop down next to them. This is especially important if that family is new or is attending a potluck for the first time.

Most Christians I know are really great people. They are not mean or nasty, but they can be oblivious. Let's reduce our clueless level and reach out to people who are not just like us!

Related passages: Jude 12, Acts 2.42-47, Ephesians 2.19-22, Galatians 3.28.

Clueless and Oblivious

2011-03-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

God, Hats, and Long Hair

2011-02-21T05:35:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 11.2-16

In this chapter Paul lays down the law and declares that all women in the church must cover their heads, that all men must uncover their heads, that women should have long hair, and men should have short hair. Paul was quite insistent upon these things. It was a big deal.

Are we messing up today?

I don't think so.

In the first century women never went out in public with their heads uncovered. It was considered immodest. In fact, it was the mark of a prostitute to go hatless. Paul was concerned with the reputation of Christian women, that they would not appear to be involved in things that were evil. So he ordered all the women to wear hats.

In that culture hat wearing was a sign of respect for God for women, while taking off your hat was a sign of respect for for for men. And long hair for women was considered a kind of head covering, while short hair for men was considered a kind of head uncovering. Respect, again, was the issue, as well as modesty.

We don't worry too much today about what people wear on their heads or how long their hair is. But three principles remain:

1. We are called to respect God

2. We are called to dress modestly

3. We are called to live in a way that does not harm our witness.

Related scriptures: 1 Timothy 2.9-10, 1 Thessalonians 4.11-12, Acts 2.46-47

Dumb Bunnies

2011-02-15T06:58:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 10.1-13

Do you remember the Aesop fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare?" In it the slow but steady turtle upsets the much faster rabbit in a race. Despite huge advantages the rabbit suffers a crushing defeat because he is overconfident and distracted by things like play and sleep.

The Corinthians were losing their race as well. Despite having started strong in the faith and having the blessing of God they were now distracted and overconfident and in danger of losing a reward that never should have been in doubt.

So Paul gives them a bit of a history lesson and warns them not to be like their forefathers. He reminds them that the early Israelites had incredible advantages: the Red Sea parting, manna provided for breakfast, miraculous water, and direction by a cloud. But they, like the dumb bunny of Aesop's fable, eventually became distracted by sin and overconfident in their relationship to God. They grumbled, they tested God, they worshipped idols, and they got involved in sexual immorality. So, God punished them, and many never made it to the Promised Land.

It's a sobering fact: people with great advantages sometimes fail.

This can happen today as well.

1 Scores of famous preachers and Christian artists have gotten distracted and had highly publicized moral failures

2. Many strong Christian teenagers get distracted and overconfident when they go off to college and leave the faith

3. Many church attendees start strong and serve Christ, only to disappear from church when tempting hobbies or activities distract them.

4. Many veteran church members lose their edge over time, begin to auto-pilot their faith, and never really regain their fire and intensity for Christ.

Paul warns those of us who think we stand to be careful lest we fall.

Are you pursuing God with great fire and intensity? Or are you napping and playing and coasting? Paul would urge you: "Be careful! Don't be a dumb bunny!"

Additional scriptures: Exodus 32, Numbers 25.1-2, Numbers 21.4-9

Spiritual Training

2011-02-07T12:59:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 9.24-27

The world came to ancient Corinth every other year for an athletic extravaganza known as the Isthmian games. Athletes from around the globe descended upon the city to compete in sprints, distance races, discus, wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and even music and poetry reading. This was a really big deal. These games were every bit as important in their culture as the Super Bowl is to ours.

Everyone wanted to win. So the runners endured strict training measures with special diets and rigorous physical workouts. Boxers pounded away at each other to toughen themselves up. They practiced. They put in long hours in the gym. They sacrificed the pleasures of life. All to win the race.

The winners received a crown of honor made out of celery leaves. Special songs were written in their honor. Their statues were sculpted and displayed in prominent places. They received big financial stipends. In was exceedingly good to be an Isthmian Games winner!

In the passage today Paul says that life is like a race. And life is a race we want to win. We want to receive the crown of life at the end of our days. When we die we want Jesus to say "Well done good and faithful servant!"

And if we are to win that race we will need to commit ourselves to rigorous training.

How can we train? Let me make some suggestions:

1. Train by committing to worship every Sunday

2. Train by reading your Bible daily

3. Train by praying every day

4. Train by giving generously

5. Train by listening for God's whispers and saying yes

6. Train by helping anyone who comes your way

7. Train by sharing your faith whenever you get the opportunity

8. Train by committing to a small group

Don't be spiritually flabby. Create a training plan that will produce a well muscled spiritual life.

What is your training plan?

Other passages: 1 Timothy 4.7-8, Titus 2.4-5, 2 Timothy 2.5, 2 Timothy 4.8, James 1.12, 1 Peter 5.4, Revelation 2.10

Not Paying the Preacher Enough

2011-01-25T07:33:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 9.1-18

There was a big controversy in Corinth. Preacher Paul's critics were on the prowl. He was getting beaten up on the gossip lines. Powerful people in the church hierarchy were angry with him.

What was the big problem? Well, for the first time in history church leaders were mad at their pastor for not taking a salary! Paul was working for free and they didn't like it.

This would never happen in my church. If I declined taking a salary there would be weeks of feasting and celebration. So, why the big flap?

It was all about image and status. Religious leaders in the ancient world were supported by their congregations and their large salaries and prestigious lifestyles were a source of pride to their memberships. In addition, traveling philosophers charged large fees to hear them speak and Paul appeared to be giving his wisdom away for free. This made him come across as small and insignificant. In the first century world people who worked with their hands were considered second class. Paul was making tents for a living. This was embarrassing to the status minded members at Corinth.

Bottom line: Paul wasn't acting enough like a big shot, and the people of Corinth wanted a big shot for a pastor. To them, his way of operating was a bad reflection on them.

Paul responded by calling this whole line of thinking rubbish. Status and perks meant nothing to him. All he wanted to do is get the gospel out. And he was willing to make any sacrifice and go to any length to insure this would happen.

How important are status and perks to you?

What do you need in order to feel important?

Who are you trying to please and look good for?

How critical is sharing the Gospel with others to you?

How critical should it be?

Related scriptures: Deuteronomy 25.4, 1 Thessalonians 2.6-9, Proverbs 27.18, Acts 18.1-4

Meat Offered to Idols

2011-01-18T07:52:00.003-05:00

1 Corinthians 8

In this chapter Paul addresses a controversy that doesn't exist anymore. Back in the first century people would gather at pagan temples to feast on meat that had been dedicated to one of the many gods that were worshipped. These feasts were very common. They happened in temples all over town. The temples served as a sort of religious restaurant. After these feasts there was always meat left over, so it was sold on the street in the marketplace for a reasonable price.

But a controversy arose around this question: should Christians be buying and eating this meat that had once been offered to idols? Some Christians said no since this would be idolatry. But other Christians said yes because it was only a piece of meat and the false gods were just statues anyways.

The debate got pretty heated so Paul wrote chapter 8 to address this controversy. Here are his basic teachings:

1. Paul wanted them to stop bickering about this. Knowedge puffs up, but love builds up.
2. Paul did not want them to attend the feasts in the temples as this would definitely be idolatry.
3. Paul was open to meat eating in general, feeling that its not a big deal, but he did not want the Christians to flaunt their freedom in such as way that hurt the fledgling faith of other believers.

We don't argue over this issue today. But there are many issues in modern times where Christians disagree. When we disagree, we need to do it agreeably, and keep the good of others in mind. And sometimes we need to adjust our behavior for the good of the community.

Related scriptures: Acts 15.20, Acts 15.29, Acts 21.25, Rev 2.14, 1 Corinthians 10.14-23.

Is God #1?

2011-01-10T10:32:00.003-05:00

1 Corinthians 7

This chapter is filled with answers about marriage, divorce, singleness, and sex. That got yout attention! And this should be riveting reading. But when you wade into this chapter you never get a clear sense of what Paul wants us to do. Paul says its OK to do this, but also good to do that. He recommends one thing, but then lets us off the hook by saying that the other option is acceptable as well. And several times he advises us to simply remain in the situation you are in.

There are two reasons for the vagueness of all this:

1. Paul is giving us answers without supplying the questions
2. His advice can be classified as an interim ethic. It's a way to live in the special situation that time is short and the world we are living in will soon pass away. When time is short our priorities get clarified and things that seemed really important lose their luster.

These factors make this passage murky and hard to understand. It is hard to sort out what advice is valid for the 21st century. But one thing we know for sure: Paul's wanted everyone to make pleasing God the #1 priority of their life. Undivided devotion to Him is job one. Everything else pales in comparison.

Where does God rank in your list of priorities?

I'd suggest that we settle this issue right now at the beginning of a new year. You could decide that in 2011 the focus of your life was to please God and give him your full devotion.

What a year it could be!

Zechariah's Praise

2010-12-13T10:42:00.002-05:00

Luke 1.67-80

An angel tells Zechariah that his white haired wife is going to have a baby. His response was "Yea, right." God responds to his lack of faith by hitting the mute button on his voice. For several months Zechariah could not speak.

Imagine the scenario: His wife gets pregnant and he cannot speak. His wife delivers a baby boy and he still cannot speak. The young infant is circumcized and still no speaking occurs. It's not until he has written the baby's name on a writing tablet that his lips are unzipped.

What would Zechariah say after months of silence?

His first words were a song of praise. Praise be to the God of Israel. And this praise is the result of at least five things he realized were going to happen.

1. God will be paying a visit
2. God will redeem his people
3. God will save his people
4. God will keep his promises
5. God will change darkness into light.

Notice that these five things are going to happen in the future.

We can praise God for what he done in the past, what he's doing in the present, but also for what he will do in the future.

What might God do in your life in the coming years? Praise Him for it!

Mary's Praise

2010-12-06T10:34:00.002-05:00

Luke 1.39-56

Mary had an experience that was unusual. An angel showed up and told her that she would have a baby, the baby would be great, and would be a king whose kingdom would never end. She clearly understood this to be the announcement of the long awaited messiah, and she was blown away by the honor and majesty of it all. Her heart was full of worship.

Her praise to God in response to this is called the Magnificat. In it we can find four hints for making worship what it should be for us:

1. It is important to see God's big size in comparison to our small size. (Our humble state)
2. It is important that we enlarge God (glorify-megalune) and keep Him proper sized in our minds.
3. It is important that we regularly recount who God is. (Lord, Savior, Mighty One, Holy One)
4. It is important to regularly recount what God has done for us.

Additional scriptures: 1 Samuel 2.1-10, Matthew 26.64, Psalm 77.12-13.

Our Big God

2010-11-29T19:23:00.002-05:00

Luke 1.5-38

In 1952 JB Phillips published the classic Christian book, Your God is Too Small. Phillips was a genius. He hit the nail on the head. Most of us greatly underestimate the size and majesty of the God of the universe. And this meager conception impoverishes our worship. After all, it is hard to bow down in awe of a being who is only slightly more glorious than oneself.

Zechariah and Mary didn't have this problem at all. They each had an experience of the Holy that left them with open mouths, awed spirits, and bowed knees.

The first chapter of Luke gives us the story of two worshippers who had an experience of a God who was huge in at least five ways; a God who:

1. Communicates with human beings

2. Performs miracles

3. Has a plan for every human being

4. Has a plan of salvation for the whole world

5. Has a son who is called a King

I hope that your concept of God is not too small. I hope that it greatly expands during this Advent season.

Flee!

2010-11-23T10:59:00.004-05:00

1 Corinthians 6.12-20

The ancient city of Corinth was well known for it's sexual looseness and promiscuity. There was a temple in town that employed 1000 ritual prostitutes. Wine, women, and song were the main objectives of many of the residents. The Corinthian battlecry seemed to be "Get as much sex as you can as quick as you can."

Ancient Corinth and 21st century America seem to be on the same page. Our culture is sexually saturated.

Paul's battle cry was "flee sexual immorality." Don't run towards it. Run away from it. The verb he used means "keep running away from it." This will be a constant battle. This will be a constant temptation. So keep your running shoes on. Flee!

What are we supposed to run away from? The word Paul uses is porneia. It is the ancient word that our modern term pornography is derived from. It means any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage.

How do we flee? Let me make three suggestions:

1. Acknowledge your own proneness to sin
2. Make firm commitments before you get in tempting situations
3. Create some personal guardrails, some lines you will not cross

What would those guardrails be for you?

My hope is that we will be committed to the kind of personal purity that the Bible teaches, and that our sexual ethics will not be "Corinthian."

Related passages: Romans 13.13-14, Ephesians 5.3, Colossians 3.5, 1 Thessalonians 4.3-4, Matthew 15.19

Internal Affairs

2010-11-15T11:13:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 6.1-11

In this passage Paul lists 10 vices that Christians should avoid. Included in that list are greed and swindling. Of the two, greed is the bigger category. It can lead to swindling. But greed can also lead to other things like cheating, stealing, extorting, lying, hoarding, etc. Greed is a big issue in materialistic cultures like ours.

Greed had caused a dispute to break out in the Corinthian church. We're not sure what the dispute was, but it involved property. It might have been a loan that wasn't paid back, or a chariot accident with at-fault issues, or a tree planted on the wrong side of a property line, or something like this. The people involved got angry, let a small thing fester and grow, and ultimately one Corinthians was suing the other Corinthian in a public court.

Paul says this is acting like greedy, swindling pagans, and that they were looking like knuckleheads in front of the whole world.

There are three lessons we can learn from this passage:

1. We should deal with conflict when it is still small.
2. We should be aware that money can make us crazy
3. We should remember that our behavior is being onserved by the world we are trying to reach.

Additional scriptures: Galatians 5.19-21, Colossians 3.5-10, 1 Timothy 1.9-10, 2 Timothy 3.1-9.

Kick Them Out

2010-11-05T12:31:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 5.1-13

1 Corinthians 5 tells the unsavory story of a guy in the Corinthian Church who was having sex with his stepmother. Now you'd think this would cause quite an uproar among church folks, but this overly tolerant congregation was sitting on their hands and doing nothing about it.

When Paul got wind of this he had a cow. It didn't take him long to reach his bottom line: kick the guy out of the church! The implication for today is that sometimes in extreme cases it might be necessary to do the bad job of asking someone to leave.

I have never had occasion to do this. Nor do want to. It's messy... very messy.

Paul's concern was that a little yeast can spread through the whole lump of dough. Translated: Sin can be contagious if not dealt with. The moral character of any group needs to be protected and preserved.

How we act in a group influences the group: both for good and for evil. There is no solitary sin. Sin always influences the social and public sphere. We would be wise to hold each other accountable, to help our church family build character and integrity. We are all connected to each other.

It seems to me that there are two poles in this regard: extreme tolerance on the one hand and witch hunting on the other. We need to avoid both extremes.

How involved in other people's lives are you willing to be?

Additional scriptures: Matthew 7.1-5, James 4.11-12, 1 Timothy 1.20. Matthew 18.15-17, Titus 3.10, 2 Corinthians 2.5-7.

The Big Head

2010-11-02T07:47:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 4

Nobody likes arrogant people. Yet, the world is filled with them. And ancient Corinth was no exception. There were people in the Corinthian church who thought they were smarter, better, and more spiritual than the others. They counted their riches as evidence that they were a cut above. They bragged about their education. They did not acknowledge anyone's help in their success, but attributed their high status to an innate superiority. In short, they had big heads.

Paul had even more reasons to feel superior. He was highly educated, a recognized church leader, traveled the world, and was a Roman citizen. His accomplishments dwarfed those of the Corinthian churchgoers. Yet, he remained humble. He compared himself to a rower in the hull of a ship, to a steward who manages the master's affairs, and a soldier being led away to the lions in the arena.

Paul's overall self-assessment: I'm just doing the job that God assigned me. Fanfare and glory is unnecessary.

How do we become more like Paul? I would make these five suggestions as a place to start this week:

1. Determine to take one day and never talk about yourself.
2. Befriend someone who nobody else befriends
3. Repeat this expression before every meal: I am just a rower in God's boat
4. Repeat this expression before every meal: I am only a manager of God's stuff.
5. Do something kind this week and tell no one.

I hope you will attempt one of these suggestions.

Infantile Behavior

2010-10-22T13:00:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 3.1-23

Nobody likes being called a baby, but that's exactly the description Paul gives to the Corinthians in chapter three. Paul was appalled their quarreling and fighting, and had no patience for the hostile groups that had formed in the church. He laments that he now has to address them as diaper wetting milk drinkers, rather than the mature meat-eaters they should have become.

A person of faith should be making progress toward maturity, growing in character and holiness, and becoming more like Jesus. Does that describe you? Are you becoming an adult in the faith? Or are you still being spoon fed baby food?

Paul recommends two things. First, make a commitment to cooperation in the church. Realize that you have a role to play, and then humbly play it. We are all servants, no more, no less. So, be humble and don't think you are hot stuff.

The second thing he recommends is to realize that it is Jesus who is the hot stuff. He is the foundation we build on. He gets all the glory.

There is no place for arrogance and self-centeredness in the church. To engage in either is to act like a Gerber baby.

Wisdom of this Age

2010-10-09T06:56:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 2.6-16

In the passage today Paul tells us that a large percentage of people go through life blinded to the spiritual world. They cannot understand the things of God. For them the world of the Spirit is a hidden wisdom, a secret wisdom, an unknowable wisdom. God is a big mystery.

The cause of this, according to Paul, is that like a fish swimming in the ocean, we swim in a sea he calls "the wisdom of this age." This wisdom keeps us dulled to all that the spiritual world can offer.

What is this "wisdom of this age?" Well, it involves things like consumerism, self-centeredness, hyper-competitiveness, status seeking, power-mongering, insecurity, etc. But at heart the "wisdom of this age" involves two main tenets.

1. This world is all there is. Some people believe there is no God. We call them atheists. Others are not sure and live as if there is no God. We call them agnostics. Far greater people affirm there is a God, but live each day without prayer, without guidance, without any reference to the God they say they believe in. We call them functional atheists.

If you believe that this world is all there is, then you will not to be open to the world of the Spirit. It will be hidden to you.

2. Therefore, its all about me. We all must worship something, and many worship self. If your world is totally self-focused, then there will be no room for God. God will essentially be crowded out. In our narcissistic culture this attitude runs rampant.

So, what do we do? According to Paul, there is only one way to move away from an orientation that follows the wisdom of this world. And that involves the Spirit of God chipping away at your worldview.

Everything good that happens to us involves the initiative of God towards us. The Methodists call this prevenient grace.

Would you be open to the Spirit of God changing the way you think? He might just open up a whole new world for you.

Uncool

2010-10-04T11:03:00.005-04:00

1 Corinthians 1.18-2.5

Everyone wants to be cool. Cool is normally thought to be good. But cool is bad when it leads to style over substance, compromise of moral principles to be like the group, arrogance, self-centeredness, groupspeak, etc.

Paul started a church in a town called Corinth. They were big into cool. This led to divisions, hostilities, and lots of people thinking they were wiser, better, and cooler than the others.

Sounds like high school. Sounds like work. Sounds like family.

Paul didn't think cool was all that important. In fact, he debunked this whole way of thinking by reminding the Corinthians of three things.

1. They themselves were not cool (1 Corinthians 1.26-31) There were not many rich, powerful, influential people in the Corinthian church. There's not many in your church either.

2. He was not cool (1 Corinthians 2.1-5) Paul was not a world class orator like some of the public speaking superstars of his time. He was a simple preacher who relied on the Spirit's empowerment.

3. The message he was preaching was not cool (1 Corinthinas 1.18-25) The cross was a hard concept for Jewish people to embrace. And the Greek world considered the idea of the cross total foolishness.

The world will never understand a savior who dies a humiliating death. The world is all about self-enhancement and getting to the top. The message of the cross is radically uncool.

It is also the most powerful message the world has ever heard.

Related scriptures: Galatians 6.14, Ephesians 5.15-16, James 3.13-18, 1 Corinthinas 3.18-25

Agreeing

2010-09-27T10:21:00.003-04:00

I Corinthians 1.10-17

I tore a sweatshirt into several pieces on Sunday. Its was fun, but it left the sweatshirt totally useless.

When a church is divided, when it is torn in pieces, it is rendered useless and unable to accomplish the grand plan God has for it.

Back in the first century the church in Corinth had been torn into four rival factions. There was a group that followed Paul, another that followed Peter, another that followed Apollos, and another that claimed to only follow Christ. These groups bickered and argued and fought and were hostile with each other. It was ugly. Paul was not happy.

Today we are a bit torn as well. We have parts of the church that follow Calvin (Presbyterians), others who follow Luther (Lutherans), others who follow the local leader (Baptists), and others who follow Wesley (Methodists).

Is this bad or wrong or evil?

Not necessarily. We all have preferences of style and culture. We all have different tastes in music. We all have different leadership styles that appeal to us. I may think one leader is cool. You may think another leader is cool.

It's OK to prefer one denomination over another. It's OK to worship in different ways. It's OK to have different heroes and leaders. But it's not OK to bicker and fight and be hostile. And there are many, many things that we all need to work together on: things like local mission, caring for the poor, and community development.

Paul's word to us is to agree as much and as often as possible. So agree!

Here are some addition passages to check out: I Corinthians 12.25-26, Romans 16.17-18, and Philippians 4.2-3.

Building Faith in a Modern Day Corinth

2010-09-20T13:56:00.002-04:00

1 Corinthians 1.1-9

It was around the year 50AD that the Apostle Paul started a new church in the city of Corinth. He preached the good news of Jesus, led a few people to Christ, and organized a congregation. Most of his converts knew very little about living a God-honoring lifestyle. They had grown up immersed in a culture full of materialism, sexual confusion, and self-centeredness. In short, it was a world much like most of us grew up in.

So, when these new converts came into the church, they brought with them some of the questionable lifestyle practices they had always known. This created big problems in the church. Bad stuff began to appear. An incident of incest occurred. A few church members continued to frequent houses of ill repute. Factions formed between rival groups in the congregation. The rich among them did not choose to be very generous. Arguing and bickering broke out, fueled by pride and self-promotion.

It was a huge mess. The people was messing up big time. So Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians to correct the abuses and straighten things out.

But how should one start such a letter? Paul chose to begin very graciously. He affirms the church people and notes the things they were doing well. He references their good beginning in the faith. And he declares his confidence that they will keep the faith till the end. His confidence comes from his belief that God will keep them strong and blameless.

We too are people who mess up. We sin. We fight. We get carried away. We are sexually confused. We're too connected to our stuff. We don't share. We think we're the best. We are mess-ups.

But God believes in us and wants us to have a glorious future. He has plans for us beyond our wildest imagination.

If God believes in the wild and crazy Corinthians, then he surely believes in you.

Check out these supporting scriptures:

Acts 18.1-17
Romans 7.7-25
Matthew 16.17-19

The Holy Spirit

2010-05-03T10:52:00.004-04:00

Joey Chestnut is a world class competitive eater. Last summer he set a new world's record when he ate 68 hot dogs in one sitting.

Thats too much for me to digest.

There are 235 references in the New Testament to the Holy Spirit. That is way too much to digest. So, here is my two hotdog, hit the high spots, summary of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a who, not a what. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity.

The word for Spirit in both the Greek and the Hebrew is the word for wind or breath. Wind is a source of power and is unpredictable. The Holy Spirit is likewise both powerful and unpredictable.

The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, and now all Christians have access to Him. Here are six things we know about him.

1. The Holy Spirit is our advocate. He is the one we call in when we are overwhelmed or powerless.

2. The Holy Spirit is our advocate in residence. He lives with us and in us, all the time.

3. The Holy Spirit is the creator of spiritual fruit in our lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the outworking of the Spirit living in us.

4. The Holy Spirit is the giver of spiritual gifts. We all have talents and abilities that our used by God to build the Kingdom. These talents are given by the Holy Spirit.

5. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. In order to build character the Holy Spirit must shine a light on our character flaws.

6. The Holy Spirit guides us. We can be led by the Spirit if we pray and listen for His promptings.

Jed Clampett was sitting on a treeasure and didn't know it. Perhaps you are sitting on a vast treasure of Holy Spirit blessings. Now you know it. Live and walk in the Spirit.

Sitting at God's Right Hand

2010-04-19T13:04:00.002-04:00

The Apostle's Creed summarizes the most important aspects of Jesus' life. It tells us that he was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and was buried, and that on the 3rd day he rose from the dead. This was his earthly ministry.

Then he ascended to heaven.

One wonders what Jesus is doing now.

The Creed tells us he currently sits at God's right hand. This is royal language harkening back to an era when Kings were absolute rulers and could choose an honored person to sit at the most favorable spot: next to him on his right. Anyone privileged enough to be seated in this special place was highly honored and had the King's ear.

Ephesians 1. 19-23 tells us that Jesus is seated in this honored place and now has authority far above any ruler, dominion, power, etc. Basically Jesus has been enthroned next to the King and given unlimited authority over the lesser authorities of this world.

And Jesus, having the ear of the King, is regularly talking to the King on your behalf.

Any problem we have in this life must be seen in light of the absolute authority of the one we serve, and the active intercession that is going on for us.

This powerful Jesus is chatting with the Father about your challenges. This is truly good news. What might those challenges be?

Ascended into Heaven

2010-04-13T13:56:00.003-04:00

About 50 days after the resurrection Jesus went back to heaven (ascended). People have pictured this in a variety of ways. The renaissance painters had him waving goodbye from a cloud. Others pictured the Ascension as a kind of disappearing act. The book of Acts says that he was taken up into the sky and hidden by a cloud.

In any event, Jesus was gone, leaving the disciples to fend for themselves without their leader. This must have felt like utter desertion, especially when they learned that they had been given the assignment of carrying on their leader's mission in his absense. Now it was their job to preach the good news, give sight to the blind, release the captives, and set the prisoners free.

Tough job: who can possibly do it?

The power came on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came. Now men and women who were previously wimpy for God were now given boldness and fruitful ministry. Great things began to happen: thousands were converted, miracles happened, and the church spread like wildfire. And the ones doing the most for God were common men and women like you and me.

We need to remember that we were put on this earth to carry on the mission of Jesus. We are not here to accumulate trinkets or experience thrills or seek pleasure or have our owies kissed. We are here to do the work of Jesus now that he has ascended into heaven.

What do you feel passionate about that needs to be changed in the world? What part of Jesus' mission lights your fire?

On the Third Day He Rose From the Dead

2010-04-06T08:56:00.004-04:00

There once was a man whose mission in life was to accomplish five things:

1. Make the world a good place for the poor
2. Set prisoners free
3. Make the blind see
4. Release the oppressed
5. Announce that God's Kingdom is now here on earth (Luke 4.18-19)

That man was Jesus. His mission was HUGE. His mission was virtually impossible. His mission was the Biggest Hairiest Most Audacious Goal of all time. And he was pulling it off. Until he got crucified.

His followers were devastated. Their dream was over. Their leader was dead. It was a long depressing Friday; followed by a long, depressing Saturday.

But then came Sunday and he rose from the dead.

Turns out that "Mission Impossible" had became "Mission Accomplished" over the weekend. On the cross Jesus set us free, gave us sight, and paid the price for our release.

Imprisoned by lonliness? Because of Easter, you are set free.
In bondage to bad habits and behaviors? The power is broken. You can be free.
Guilty over past bad choices? You are forgiven and set free.
Involved in sexual and relational ruts that debilitate you? The door is unlocked. You can be free.
Consumed by money and stuff and things that don't satisify? You are empowered to be free.
Spinning your wheels in pursuit of a thrill? Get off the tredmill. You are now free.

Easter is the most glorious of all holidays. It celebrates the power of God to make you new and set you free. The jail door is open. Come out of your cell. Be free!

What are the things in your life that hold you back and keep you in bondage? What things do you need to walk away from?

Suffered, Crucified, Dead, Buried

2010-03-30T09:03:00.002-04:00

This is Holy Week: the climax of the Christian year. During Holy Week we walk with Jesus from the day he entered Jerusalem until the morning he rises from the dead. In the process we experience Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

This seven day journey gets quite a detailed description in the Bible. John spends 45% of his account of Jesus' life on just these seven days. Mark devotes 38% of his Gospel to these final events. Holy Week is very important to the Gospel writers. It is clearly the main event of the Jesus story.

Holy Week begins with Jesus riding into the city on Palm Sunday as a hero. Five days later those same crowds are screaming for his death.

We hamans are fickle. We turn on our heroes. We often behave badly.

The Bible teaches that human beings were created in the image of God, but soon became flawed and sinful. We humans have great capacity for good, but equally great capacity for evil. We sometimes operate at our best, but often lapse into behavior that represents our worst.

David was a great man of God who also committed adultery and murder. Peter was the leader of the Jerusalem Church but also denied Jesus three times. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, but foolishly followed false gods. The people we read about in the Bible were amazingly schizophrenic. They had good days and bad days. They sometimes got it right, and often got it wrong.

And you have the same problem. Your tongue praises God one moment and gossips the next. Your mind thinks inspiring thoughts one day, but is closed and bigoted the next. Your hands may be helpful and generous in some contexts and greedy in others. This is the human condition.

One of the tasks of Holy Week is to ponder these things. So, here are some questions to think about in the days leading up to Easter:

1. In what ways am I hypocritical and deviate from my personal beliefs?
2. In what ways do I betray my God?
3. In what areas of life am I sinning?
4. Where am I wandering from the path?
5. How am I out of control?

Share one area of spiritual inconsistency in your life.

Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary

2010-03-22T18:38:00.002-04:00

On Palm Sunday 2008 a fistfight broke out in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem pitting a group of Armenian Orthodox clergy against a band of Greek Orthodox monks. It got violent quickly, and eventually it required Israeli police to break up the brawl. One group had lingered too long at the tomb of Jesus, the other group got pushy, punches began to fly, and then chaos ensued.

Conflict can break out anywhere, even at the burial site of the Prince of Peace. Conflicts are inevitable in life, even among the godly.

Some conflicts are so bad that they require 3rd party assistance. Sometimes a mediator is brought in when two parties get so far apart that they need help reconciling their differences. Mediators help settle squabbles. The best mediators are people who can relate to the needs and concerns of both parties.

One of the central beliefs of the Christian faith is that Jesus was both human and divine. He was the Son of God, but also the son of Mary. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, but born of a common woman. He is both God and Man. Hebrews Chapter 4 tells us that he was the Son of God, but that on earth he was tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus knows what its like to be God, and also knows what its like to be human. This makes Jesus the ideal mediator between a perfect God and imperfect humans like you and me. (See I Timothy 2.5) Jesus our mediator paid the price for our sins, and can reconcile us to the Father.

At what point in your life did you feel most distanced from God? What were the circumstances when Jesus bridged the gap and brought you back in fellowship with God the Father?

Jesus Christ His only son our Lord

2010-03-15T15:30:00.002-04:00

We believe in Jesus Christ His Only Son our Lord. Every word in this sentence is meaningful.

His name was Jesus. This was a common name in the first century, like Bill or Fred or Jeff today. There were at least ten prominent contemporaries of Jesus who shared his name. We Christians believe in a real person named Jesus who walked the roads of Galilee and Judea, who sailed in ships, and who lived and worked and slept and ate like any other man.

He was the Christ. He was the annointed one, the Messiah. For centuries the Jewish people had waited for a special deliverer to come upon the scene. Jesus was the answer to all their prayers.

He was God's only son. Jesus enjoyed a special relationship with God the Father. And what is remarkable is that God the Father sent his only son Jesus into the world to give his life so that we could be forgiven of sin and experience a life beyond our wildest imagination.

He is our Lord. Back in those days all Roman citizens were required to come before the magistrates annually and declare that "Caesar is Lord." Faithful Christians refused and risked their lives because of their commitment that only "Jesus is Lord."

Is Jesus the ultimate authority in your life? Is he your Lord? What are the competing Lords for you? The Government? Your boss? Popular opinion? The culture? Your friends? The almighty dollar? Your spouse? Oprah? Some teacher or mentor?

What would it look like if Jesus was truly Lord of your life?

Check out Romans 10.9 and John 3.16.

The Apostle's Creed: Maker of Heaven and Earth

2010-03-09T08:01:00.004-05:00

You are a speck on a hair of a pimple of the universe.

So much for healthy self-esteem. But really: you are not very significant in the context of a vast, beautiful, magnificent universe with planets and stars and mountains and seas and creatures that fly and fish that swim.

Here's the memo: You are not the center of the universe. You are not even close. The world does not revolve around you.

So why do you act like it does?

In Psalm 8 God knocks us off our perch of self-centeredness and exaggerated self-esteem. He compares us to the solar system and we are found seriously lacking. This is a needed reality check. But soon God suggests a proper perspective for us to re-envision ourselves. He tells us that we are lower than the angels, but at the top of the created order. Our God-given role is to manage and preserve the awesome creation he has entrusted to our care.

We are to be good stewards of creation: tending to God's garden and honoring the maker by our treatment of his masterpiece. This is a much needed reminder in a culture that consumes and discards and destroys in ways that are unprecedented in human history. It is a slap in the face of a good creator to ruin, pollute, and abuse that which the Master Artist has painted.

How in-tune are you with this concept of creation stewardship? Are you far down the road, or just getting started? What practices have you adopted to care for God's world? What practices do you need to get started on?

The Apostles Creed: God the Father Almighty

2010-03-01T19:49:00.004-05:00

For 1700 years Christians have declared that we believe in God the Father Almighty.

Let's break this down. Christians believe in God. This is nothing to get worked up about. It's really pretty common. 91% of all Americans believe in God, and 97% of people worldwide believe in a supreme deity. Believing in God is nothing special.

What is distinctive is that we believe in a God who is both almighty and fatherly.

Most of us have a sense that God is big, majestic, awesome, powerful, holy, glorious, and eternal. We know that God is way beyond us. God is big and we are little. God is wholly other, infinite, and omni-everything. God is almighty.

But God is also personal. In Romans 8 we are told that we can call God "Abba." Abba is not a disco group from Sweden. It is an Aramaic expression translated "daddy." We are to call God daddy. He is the loving, caring, "run to him when you get home" parent you can learn from, be friends with, lean on, etc. He loves you deeply, like a perfect father would love a child.

So God is both almighty and personal.

If you forget that God is almighty, then your relationship to Him can become overly sentimental and not very challenging. If you forget that God is a father, you can live your life at an arm's length from him.

How do you view God? When your relationship to God gets out of balance which way do you lean?

As you Wish 2

2010-02-24T09:19:00.002-05:00

I've been in Florida for a week, so blog posting didn't get done. I took my laptop with me and convinced myself that I would keep up with it, but that turned out to be a pipe dream. I didn't do church work on vacation. Novel idea, right?

I want to followup on two ideas shared in your comments last week: how busyness effects servanthood, and how we tend to get enslaved to various things in life.

First, I think that its easy to put off being a servant of Jesus until a better, less stressful and hectic time in our life. We say: I'll get serious when the kids are older, when my job gets less demanding, when I reach a certain stage in life or status in my career. My observation is that this moment never comes. Every stage of life is filled with its own preoccupying challenges. Pace of life issues seem to be imbedded in our DNA for the full 80 plus years of our existence. We've drunk the koolaid that "busier is better," and "more activity means a fuller life." We have been striken with a virtually incurable syndrome: CMI. (Cram More In)

Somehow we need to learn to be servants NOW. Somehow we need to find peace and rest and sanity NOW. And as some of you suggested that often means saying NO. You can't have it all.

By trying to not miss out on anything we might miss out on the most important things. Perhaps in the spiritual realm less is more.

Secondly, there are many things in life that enslave us: career ambitions, visions of being the perfect parent, our imagined lifesyle goals, fun on the weekend, thrills and excitement, having a healthy body, the need to appear successful, the winning of someone's approval, etc. Obviously not all these things are completely bad, but slavery to them crowds out other things including God.

Bob Dylan wrote a song, "You've gotta serve someone." God seems a better choice to me.

What is it that you serve that you wish you could break free of?

What would you like to say"no" to in order to gain extra time and space?

As You Wish

2010-02-15T08:39:00.003-05:00

This week I was fascinated by the number of people in the New Testament whose primary self-understanding was that they were servants of Jesus. All the writers of New Testament books called themselves servants, as did several other people like Tychicus, Epaphras, and Phoebe. "Servant" was a very common title for believers in the early church, maybe the most common title.

This seems odd to me. Who would really want to be a servant? In the first century servants were basically slaves. They did the bidding of the master. When the master said "jump," they said "how high?" A servant would dutifully clean the house, cook the meals, and care for the master's property. A servant was not free to do whatever he/she wanted. The servant was owned and controlled by the Master. Sounds pretty horrible to me.

Yet, first century Christians were honored to be considered servants of Jesus. They proudly wore that label, and saw it as a badge of distinction.

This week I'd like you to imagine that you have a new nametag that you will wear all week. The nametag will say "Honored Slave of Jesus."

How would this self-perception change the way you live and operate this week? How would it effect your prayer time and Bible reading? How would it effect the way you relate to your family, co-workers, and neighbors? How differently would you manage your time? What would change?

"As you wish" was Wesley's constant response to every request Buttercup made to him in the Princess Bride. What would change if that was your response to everything God asked of you this week?

Servant Husbands 2

2010-02-11T12:58:00.002-05:00

One of the interesting aspects of the Ephesians 5 passage is the instruction that wives are to respect their husbands, while husbands are to love their wives. It has been suggested that respect (men) and love (women) are the deepest needs of the respective genders, and to receive these from a spouse creates the optimal environment for a relationship to flourish..

The failure to nurture your spouse's deep need can produce a negative spiral. A wife who does not receive love from her husband will often respond back to him in ways that are disrespectful. This hurt will then cause the husband to withdraw even more of his love/nurture, and the death spiral can spin worse and worse.

The solution is for one or both partners to start giving/trying in the husband-love and wife-respect way of operating. Then a positive upward spiral can occur. It all goes back to putting your spouse first, and getting eyes off self.

Does this concept seem valid for your relationship? Have you experienced the downward spiral? What are the conditions that bring it on for you? What helps you break the cycle?

Servant Husbands

2010-02-08T09:11:00.003-05:00

In Ephesians 5 Paul says three things that were radical in the male dominated, hierarchical culture he lived in. He says:

1. Submit to one another
2. Love your wife
3. Love your wife as your own body

This way of honoring your spouse was foreign to most first century marriages, but it reflected a consistent New Testament emphasis that required Christians to "serve one another in love." In marriage this means that husbands are to serve their wives, look after her interests, support her, care for her, spend time with her, listen to her, show her affection, honor her, speak highly of her, sacrifice for her, etc.

And, in the short term, it probably means to not forget Valentine's Day! (Next Sunday!)

Husbands, in what ways have you successfully served your wife in the past? What are your successes in this area?

Wives, what are the things that your husband does that make you feel special and served?

Links in the Chain 2

2010-02-04T13:56:00.002-05:00

We have finished the sermon series on Faith Everyday. We have said that we would be wise to build a home environment that makes Jesus central and actively teaches the faith and spiritual values. Some of us have done this in a big way, and others may have arrived late in the game and therefore not really made much of an emphasis on this. So, I'm going to ask you...

1. What faith practices in your home have proved effective in teaching spiritual values to your kids? Have you done anything different or unique?

2. Were there faith practices that you tried, but didn't work out with your family?

3. What faith practice would you like to try, or wish you had tried in your parenting?

Links in the chain

2010-02-01T10:35:00.005-05:00

Timothy and Esther Edwards were a common colonial couple living in Massachusetts in the early 1700s. They were ordinary in many ways. But one thing about them was unique: they were passionate about raising their eleven children for Christ. So, just like Deuteronomy 6 challenges us to do, they "impressed the faith upon their children," and talked about it "when they were sitting at home and walking along the road, when they laid down and when they got up."

With this kind of spiritual nurture, the Edwards family left an amazing legacy. Their son, Jonathan Edwards, grew up to become the most notable preacher of his generation. And then over the next five generations descendants of Timothy and Esther Edwards included 14 college presidents, 100 college professors, several judges, dozens of preachers, 60 physicians, 60 authors, and over 100 lawyers.

Timothy and Esther were the initial link in a chain that extended a massive spiritual influence far into the future.

A similar thing could happen to you.

Psalm 78 tells us that we are to tell our children the stories of the saints who have come before us. We are to tell our children about Abraham, Moses, David, Esther, the prophets, Jesus, Paul, Wesley, ML King, Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, etc. These are the spiritual giants who have gone before us. We are to pass on their stories of faith, and become a link in a historical chain of faith. And we are to live in such a way that our children's children will be telling our story of faith someday as well.

Who are the spiritual heroes in your past? Perhaps a devoted Christian grandparent or parent or an aunt or uncle?

Who in the Bible has been a hero to you?

Who in church history has inspired you?

And finally, what about your life will your children be telling their children? What spiritual influence do you hope to have?

Bending Down

2010-01-26T10:51:00.003-05:00

It takes a village to raise a child. Thats not Hillary Clinton. That's an old African proverb.

Said less creatively: children are influenced by multiple adults models. That was my experience growing up. I was influenced by my parents, my grandparents, a Sunday School teacher, a football coach, an employer, and a few other scattered adult role models. Some of these people influenced me generally for good, and some of them influenced me for Christ. I am a product of their influences.

It takes a village (a church) to raise a child for Christ. It takes parents, and youth leaders, and pastors, and cookie table ladies, and other assorted people who are living out their faith in ways that our children see and absorb. Our collective witness can be powerful.

This whole process requires at least two things: a genuine faith and points of contact. Having a genuine faith means you have something spiritual and exemplory to pass on. Having points of contact means that you interact with the kids, and they get the message that you care about them.

Most of us adults interact with other adults in a zone that is 5-6 feet off the ground. I call this the adult zone. Meanwhile, the kids live and move in a zone that is significantly lower, about 2-4 feet off the ground. (Teens are somewhat higher!)

After our kids leave the home, most of us forget that the kid zone even exists. We are vaguely aware that alot of noise and activity is happening down there somewhere, but we are too busy talking in the adult zone to even see it.

In order to influence the younger generation you must bend down and talk to the kids.

If you do so, and you have a genuine faith, you can change the world of a child.

Bend down!

Here are some practical considerations:

1. Pray for the kids you see in church
2. Model reading the Bible for them
3. Share your faith story with them
4. Encourage them when they sing, serve, and use their talents for God
5. Be a passionate advocate of faith, and be fun and warm at the same time.

Challenges

2010-01-18T13:05:00.002-05:00

We would all like to establish a spiritual home for our family. But doing so is not easy. Many things work against us. Our schools don't reinforce many of our spiritual values. TV, the internet, the movies, and the media often communicate the wrong things. The pace of life we live does not help with spiritual practices like prayer, reflection, quietness, community, or service. Our culture is too often at odds with what we are trying to impress upon our children. Its a huge challenge.

Sometimes it feels like we are paddling upstream.

In addition to all these common challenges, your family may also have unique circumstances that make establishing a Christian home even more difficult. For example:

Some of you did not grow up in a Christian home and don't know what one looks like.
Some of you came to faith late to the game, getting serious about God when your kids were older and less adaptable
Some of you are single parents, are juggling lots of balls and are worn out
Some of you have an unbelieving spouse, and therefore no united front
Some of you have kids who are particularly challenging
Some of you can't have kids at all
Some of you have kids who are already grown, and you have regrets about things you wished you had done

Despite these challenges I'm convinced that everyone who desires to build a good spiritual environment for their kids can do so. And it could all start today.

Here are two things everyone can do no matter what their circumstances:

You can pray for your kids.
You can set a good spiritual example for your kids.

Continue to read and memorize Deuteronomy 6.4-9. This brief passage of scripture, called the Shema by the Jewish community, can truly change the way you lead your family.

Shema

2010-01-12T13:28:00.002-05:00

If you want your children to grow up with strong spiritual values and a personal relationship with Christ, then a good place to start is in Deuteronomy 6.4-9.

This passage of scripture is known in the Jewish community as the Shema. Orthodox Jews recite these six verses twice a day every day of their lives.

So, today read this important passage slowly and thoughtfully:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Ponder these questions:

Do your children see a deeply imbedded faith in your life? Is the faith "on your heart?"
Is "impressing the faith on them" a top level priority for your parenting?
Do you talk about the faith throughout the day with your kids? Sitting at home? On the road?
Are there reminders everywhere that your home is a place of faith?

If not, today is a good day to start.

We have asked our church people to recite these verses twice a day and memorize them. It will be a life changing experience for us. Join us!

Home Makeover

2010-01-04T09:04:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was so much fun. I got to demolish a house made out of graham crackers during my message. It was great. I used a big hammer and whacked away at it, resulting in hundreds of random bits of cracker flying everywhere. What a rush! I wish I could do it every Sunday! Now I know how Gallagher felt when he wailed on watermelons with the sledge-o-matic.

The house I destroyed represents a way of doing family life that is woefully inadequate and deserves to be demolished. In these poorly constructed homes Christ is not central. Prayers are not said and the bible is not read. The kids look at mom and dad and do not see a passionate love of Jesus. Academics and sports and moving up the corporate ladder are the big issues in the family, and spiritual values are not talked about, modeled, or seen as crucial. Parents rely on the church to teach spiritual values. They drop off the kids at church and hope the spiritual experts can Christianize their kids.

This does not work. Homes built like this need an extreme makeover.

Studies show that parents are 2-3 times more important in their children's spiritual development than anything the church tries to do. And the Bible places the responsibility of spiritual nurture squarely on the shoulders of parents. Parents are given the responsibility to teach, train, model, and impress the things of God upon their children.

It can be done And you can do it.

Joshua said "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Will you?

Take a look at Deuteronomy 6.4-9 this week.

The Good Samaritan

2009-12-28T11:11:00.002-05:00

Yesterday at church we watched a video that featured several short interviews of church "experts" who commented on the parable of the Good Samaritan. If your memory is a little foggy, this is the story Jesus told about a guy who was beaten up and robbed and left for dead. A couple of religious people passed by without helping. A very unlikely person stopped and helped. This last guy is the one we are supposed to be like.

Here are some of my favorite moments from yesterday's video interviews:

Jon Ortberg reminded us that we need to get off our comfortable benches and out into the world of helping people. He told an illustration of some seminary students who would not stop and help a hurting person as they rushed off to preach sermons on the Good Samaritan.

Tony Campolo hold a story of hungry children in Haiti who peered through the window at the restaurant where he was eating. The waiter closed the blinds and told him not to let them bother him.

Lynn Hybels encouraged us that in the midst of all the possible needs in the world we need to listen to hear what God is specifically calling us to do. One way to discern that is to ask, "What makes me cry?"

Philip Yancey shared about a church in South Africa that has a much larger staff and budget for its AIDs outreach than they have for the church itself. He told the story of a little girl who was named "No Hope" who had her name changed to "God is My Hope."

The final segment featured a rescue mission worker who was moved to pick up a homeless man and carry him to the shelter.

These are just a few of the stories we heard yesterday. If you were there, what was your favorite?

And, what makes you cry?

Christmas Pageant

2009-12-21T08:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I didn't preach. Instead we had our Children's Christmas Pageant. It was fabulous, and it delivered an experience and a message that mere preaching cannot compete with. One church veteran told me today that it was the finest children's program he had ever seen. I would agree. Here are some of my reflections on Sunday's experience.

1. The energy created by a completely jammed packed sanctuary was electric.

2. I was mesmerized by a solo sung by a little girl named Madison who communicated a sincerity and love for Jesus that just stunned me. It took my breath away. If Madison can retain this kind of faith and love for Jesus she will change the world.

3. If the rest of the kids can retain their passion and excitement for telling others about Jesus, they will also change the world.

4. The pageant set up as a contrast between the ho hum lack of faith of a TV announcer (played by Rick Shannon) and the celebrative, alive faith of the kids who were excited about Jesus. I came away wondering how much of the announcer's attitude was in me, and asking God to make me more like the kids.

5. The message of the pageant was inviting people to the birthday party. One of the secrets of the full house was that the kids were given invitations to give to people they wanted to attend. From these invitations, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and others poured into the church. One child's teacher from public school came. I wonder what would happen if we adults started doing this on a regular basis. Maybe we could have "electric" every week.

6. It would not be a Christmas Pageant without some on-stage shenanigans: mostly from the boys. I did not notice any nose picking or outright fighting, but we did experience some bare belly showing, some yawning, some arms out of T Shirts, and a short verbal rumbling between a couple of nativity participants. These things always remind me that we human beings are not angelic, and that part of the Christmas story was that Jesus entered a very messy and human world and invested in people like you and me who miss being perfect by about 1000 miles.

7. We were all blown away by the shooting confetti at the end of the service. And the birthday cake for Jesus was awesome!

For those of you who were there yesterday, what did you think was the best part? Post a comment and I will make sure that the kids hear your encouragement!

The Stain Master

2009-12-14T10:33:00.003-05:00

Frank Passamonte is a carpet cleaner who attends our church. I call him the stain master. He has a bag full of tricks that he uses when knuckleheads like me smear mustard on the couch or spill grapejuice on the carpet. Frank is the guy who comes to the rescue before my wife gets home. Frank is an expert. No stain intimidates him. When he works his magic he can get most stains out completely and all stains at least 95%.

Frank tells me that the toughest stain is mustard. He has a long, involved process for getting that pesky condiment out.

Back in Bible times the toughest stain came from a crimson dye that was used on clothing. When that dye was used the color was set and it was impossible to make white. That stain was deeply imbedded.

All of us have sins that are deeply imbedded and ingrained in our souls: addictions, bad attitudes, habitual ways of living. Some of us are gossip-a-holics or negativity-a-holics, or stuff-a-holics. These sins are set in. We have lived with them along time. We might delude ourselves into thinking that these sinful practices are part of our personality, just the way we are.

It's not the way we are. We were created to live better than that. In Isaiah 1.18 God says that no stain is impossible for Him to cleanse; no sin is too deep to purify. The grand truth is that "though our sins may be as scarlet, God can cleanse us whiter than snow."

God is a better stain master than Frank Passamonte. And he can cleanse even you.

Check out http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Oj_meOoDpY to see a video of how our local stain master gets mustard out of carpet.

What deep sins do you struggle with?

Soul Cleanup

2009-12-07T14:00:00.003-05:00

We told my son Bryan not to touch mommy's pretty thing. But he couldn't resist. He touched it. He accidentally broke it. He knew he was in big trouble. So he hid the broken pretty thing, and managed to stay under the radar for several days. We did not notice. But the guilty conscience was eating him alive. So he did what every 2nd grader would do. He stopped in to see the elementary school counselor. He told Mrs Patrick that he had done a terrible thing and that "if mom ever finds out she will kill me."

She found out. And 15 years later he is still alive.

A guilty conscience is a terrible thing. Secret sins tend to gnaw away at us. When we sin we feel horrible, rotten, sometimes even wretched. We feel unclean, dirty, like one of those guys in the mud pit at the renaissance festival. We need a fresh start and a good cleanup.

David felt dirty. He had sex with a married woman. He got her pregant. He attempted to cover it up. Eventually he had her husband murdered. He had used his kingly power in an abusive way. He had demonstrated scumball behavior.

In Psalm 51 a repentant David begs God to "cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." God did.

Here's a spiritual truth you can bank on: God wants to take your dirty soul and restore it to purity. He can make you clean again: spotlessly white. He delights in forgiving and showing mercy. And all that is required is a broken and contrite heart.

This is the good news that is central to the Christian message. This is Amazing Grace.

This week take a fresh look at Psalm 51. And for good measure check out II Samuel 11-12. See what you and David have in common. Talk to God about your sins. And be cleansed.

God's Wardrobe

2009-11-30T11:06:00.003-05:00

Painters, doctors, and ice cream truck drivers wear white. Brides wear white. Many nurses wear white. Even I wear white occaisionally in the summer.

So does God.

God doesn't really wear clothes, but when this metaphor is used in the Bible the color for His clothing is always said to be brilliant white, white as snow, white as the light, or dazzling white. In one passage Jesus' clothes are described as "whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them."

That's pretty white... better than my mom with her box of Tide could do!

Now the idea of whiteness here is that God's character is pure, spotless, and unblemished. God never messes up. God does not err or sin. God does not have any stains or blotches on his character. God is perfect.

We need to ponder this, especially as a contrast to our own spotted and blemished lives. We mess up every day. We say and do things we regret later. We sin. We stumble. When it comes to moral character God is Lance Armstrong and we are a bunch of knuckleheads on cheap bikes.

We are called to grow and become more like God. We are supposed to be wearing cleaner and cleaner clothes as we progress in the faith. In what ways do you need to be more pure and more like God this week?

Scripture references to look up: Daniel 7.9, Matthew 17.2, Mark 9, John 20.12, Acts 1.10, Acts 22.

Book Keeping

2009-11-23T07:54:00.004-05:00

In Matthew 18 Jesus tells a fascinating little story about a guy who owes the king a rediculous sum of money that would take 4000 lifetimes to repay. In danger of being sent to debtor's prison and having his family sold into the slavery the man decides to grovel before the king and beg for mercy. And amazingly this longshot stategy pays off. The king decides to be "big hearted," forgives the debt, covers the cost himself, and lets the man go free.

This is amazing grace... undeserved and unmerited forgiveness.

But then that same man goes out and finds a poor soul who owes him a much smaller amount of money: about three month's wages. Determined to get what is his and feeling entitled to operate "by the book," he shakes down the debtor and nearly strangles him. When this second man grovels and begs for mercy he receives none, and is sent to prison in the most "small hearted" fashion.

The King is pretty ticked off by this whole scenario, hauls the original man back in, dresses him down, revokes his pardon, and send him to prison to be tortured.

Now here's the point. All of us have an account to settle with God. We have managed to sin enough in our lives to fill up a pretty big book. And, if God chose to operate "by the book," and punish us for our sins we would all be toast. But God grants us mercy and forgiveness and we are set free.

How ironic that we, like the man in the story, then go out and keep a close account of all the people who hurt, offend, or wrong us. We are surprizingly lacking in mercy ourselves. We want to maintain our hurt feelings and want all our offenders punished in strict fashion for the things they have done. Some of us keep a pretty detailed book of offenses committed against us. We hold on, refer back to them often, and never forget.

Jesus says that if you live by the book, you will die by the book. The way we treat others is the way God will treat us.

Give up your book keeping. Settle accounts. Be merciful. Quit torturing yourself by an attitude of unforgiveness.

I'd be interested in situations in your life where you have forgiven someone and erased an entry in your book of wrongs.

For more Bible reading on this subject check out the following passages: Matthew 6.14-15, Mark 11.24-26, Luke 6.37, and Colossians 3,13.

2009-11-16T08:34:00.002-05:00

One of the hardest things to do in life is to forgive someone who intentionally hurts you, especially if that person is a family member or a close friend or a church person or someone who should be loving and protecting you. Forgiveness is really hard in these cases.

It was hard for Joseph. Joseph had 11 crummy brothers who sold him into slavery and ruined the early years of his life. (Genesis 37-50)

It was also hard for Wess Stafford. Wess is the president of Compassion International. He spent five years of his childhood in a boarding school in Africa where the staff members abused him physically, emotionally, and sexually. These people traumatized and terrorized him from the age of 6-10.

Forgiveness is hard. Yet both of these men eventually forgave the evil people who had victimized them. They did not want to be defined by the hurt or victimized by a long standing bitter spirit. They wanted to move and and be free. So they forgave.

The best part is that God used the hurt in both cases for greater good. Joseph landed in Egypt and eventually became the food baron of the world: a role that enabled him to save the lives of many people. Wes Stafford's experiences as a child stirred a passion in his heart for defending vulnerable children. He now leads an organization that champions children living in poverty and oppression.

Creating good out of evil is one of God's specialties. In the words of Joseph: the evil people meant it for harm, but God used it for good. (Genesis 50.20)

It helps to know that God can transform any hurt in our lives for something good.

How might God use your pain?

PS... check out Wes Stafford's account of how he forgave his abusers at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbGnex_HJuk

2009-11-09T09:09:00.002-05:00

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Drew Hill is a follower of Jesus. He is a friend from a church I used to serve. Recently his home was ransacked and bulglarized. I was inspired by these words he wrote on his Facebook page:

"The night we were robbed our whole family spontaneously came together to pray. We forgave the thieves and agreed in faith that Betsy's engagement ring would come back to her. Today, 14 days later, that ring is back on her finger."

Forgiveness and prayer are rooted deeply in the DNA of the Hill family. Their default reaction to a major life tragedy was to forgive and to pray, just as Jesus calls us to do.

This wasn't the case in the Sampson family. Judges 15 tells a bizarre story of hurt, revenge, and retaliation. Here is a brief summary of a strange story.

Sampson suffers the loss of the girl he has his eye on. This makes him mad, so he sets fire to the local crops. The crop owners respond by burning alive the girl and her father. Sampson is now incensed, so he ups the ante by visciously killing a number of the local population. This results in Sampson being hunted down by a huge posse, and in the end Sampson gets the final word by slaughtering 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey.

As it turns out, revenge did not work so well for Sampson. Once the testosterone wore off, what remained were vast acres of charred land, a ruined economy, massive bloodshed, fields of dead bodies, and hundreds of widows attending funerals. Getting even turned out to be pretty messy.

And it all started with a girl and a broken heart.

Here are four truths that arise from this story:

1. Revenge is so intoxicating and so human
2. Revenge never works. It always escalates.
3. Revenge will ruin your soul
4. When revenge starts to cycle in destructive ways, someone must choose to end the cycle.

You may not be involved in Sampson's kind of arson and murder. But you might be involved in a downward cycle of "you hurt me, so I'll hurt you." This can happen in a marriage, in a family, at work, or in any arena of life.

If that's the case, you need to stop right now.

Where have you seen revenge cycling out of control? Where have you seen someone stop the insanity? I'd be interested in your stories.

Forgiving Like Jesus

2009-10-26T08:48:00.002-04:00

One of the hardest tasks in life is to forgive someone who has hurt us. This is especially hard when the hurt is something big: betrayal, abandonment, abuse, rejection, and the like. When we've been cheated or mistreated our natural reaction is to lash back, get resentful, grow bitter, or get even.

Jesus tells us to forgive. It's good for the soul and good for the world.

When it comes to forgiving I am impressed with the example of the Amish community in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. In 2006 a milk deliveryman named Charles Roberts burst into an Amish school, tied up the girls, prepared to sexually abuse them, and then when police arrived shot ten of the girls, killing five. This was a truly horrific crime that made national news. But amazingly the Amish community of that small town showed a forgiving spirit: attending Robert's funeral, hugging his wife, and taking up a collection for his family.

Forgiveness is possible, even when it is hard.

An even better example of forgiveness was demonstrated by Jesus. Hanging on a cross, suffering a horribly painful and humiliating death at the hands of people who had lied and unfairly turned on him, Jesus cried out to God to forgive his persecutors. His reason: they know not what they do. Rather than considering these people evil, Jesus chose to look at his enemies as clueless, confused, and in over their heads.

Perhaps the people who are hurting you are clueless as well.

Its easier to forgive a clueless person, than an evil one.

Assignment: ponder Luke 23.32-34. In what ways were the people involved in Jesus' crucifixion "not knowing what they were doing?" And how might that be similar to the people causing you pain?

2009-10-20T09:37:00.000-04:00

Raving Fans of Jesus

The early church was very verbal about their faith. Christians in the first century constantly shared about Jesus in the public arena. They were raving fans of the Galilean carpenter. They told everyone who would listen about who Jesus was and what he did. They spoke up loudly and often.

This is remarkable given the fact that they were given a gag order by the religious authorities of the day. Three times in Acts 1-8 they are ordered by very powerful people to keep quiet, to not speak of Jesus in public. The message was clear: Back off and keep your mouths shut!

This was more than a suggestion. There were punishments attached to sharing a verbal witness. Christians were thrown in prision, stoned, flogged, dragged from their homes, and generally persecuted for speaking out about Jesus.

Yet these heroic Christians would not be silenced. Day after day, in the temple courts and house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 5.42)

Constrast this with our situation in the 21st century. Today, with hardly any consequences, save a little risk of embarassment, we hardly ever share a verbal witness for Jesus. Most Christians can be motivated to use their hands and feet for Jesus, but very few are willing to use their mouth for Jesus. Boldness in speech is in short supply. Most Christians are self-silenced.

Are you?

What is it that holds you back from sharing with your friends what you have found in Jesus? What are you afraid of that keeps you from speaking up? And what did the early Christians have that we don't have? How can we recover the boldness that characterized the early days of the church when the Gospel spread like wildfire?

2009-10-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday Beth Long was the speaker in our worship service. She shared about her mission trip to Malawi Africa this past summer.

Her main question: Where did I see Jesus in Africa? Her answer:

I saw Jesus in tiny, emaciated babies dying of AIDS
I saw Jesus in children who were thrilled to see thier own faces in a photo for the first time.
I saw Jesus in childcare workers who put in 24 hour shifts caring for limp, dying infants
I saw Jesus in students who wear backpacks made of discarded popcorn bags
I saw Jesus in widows trying to learn a skill to avoid prostitution
I saw Jesus in children with no toys, no school supplies, and no hope
I saw Jesus in women at wells carrying polluted water long distances all day long
I saw Jesus in the eyes of a desperate mother who could not find health treatment for her child
I saw Jesus in endless lines of children waiting to recieve deworming pills
I saw Jesus in destitute families who chose to share their food with strangers like me
I saw Jesus in a church elder who prayed for years to have the small, inexpensive Bible I gave him.
I saw Jesus in 13 year old girls who reluctanty sell their bodies to pay expenses to go to high school.

Beth saw Jesus everywhere in Africa. Check out Matthew 25.34-40:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Where have you seen Jesus this week? What can you do to give Jesus food, drink, or clothing?

2009-10-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

Rev George Nicholas was the preacher yesterday at our church. He came to talk about the ministry of Grace United Methodist Church, an inner city congregation in Rochester located in an area called the crescent: an area that experiences the highest crime rate, violence, and poverty in the city.

He told the story of Camry McNight, a 12 year old Rochester girl who died three weeks ago after being shot in the face during an altercation on the streets.

Some of the questions George asked were:

1. What is the church doing in all this?
2. Why does it seem like the church is focused on the suburbs and abandoning the city?
3. Even in a tough, violent world do we still believe that God is able to do all things?

George also shared some of his vision to find a location to renovate and create a ministry center that would house ministries for job training, health care, food distribution, and other urgently needed services. George's vision is a BHAG vision. (Big, Hairy, Audacious) It is the kind of vision that God inspires.

Our church needs to help Grace UMC in every way possible. I believe that God has linked our churches together in a partnership for this very purpose. If you have a burden for the city, and if you have skills that would be helpful as Grace UMC moves forward, please let me know.

I'd also be interested in your ideas: what responsibility does a suburban church like ours have for the people who live in the city? What should we be doing? What ideas do you have?

2009-09-29T10:20:00.000-04:00

The First Mega church (Acts 5.12-16)

The early church was a mega church. It was mega-admired, mega-respected, and mega-esteemed by its community. The early church enjoyed the favor of all the people. It was lauded as amazing and essential by its neighbors. The church had fantastic PR. It enjoyed a 100% approval rating.

How did the church get this universal admiration? It was mostly by being an awesome healing force for good in the community. When the church was around people got healed and lives got touched. The church created a place where there were no needy people. The church was a powerful force for community improvement.

So here’s the question: Are we seen as a dynamic force for good in Farmington? Are we mega-admired? Mega-respected? Are we seen as a awesome force for good?

Yes, to some extent. And, in fact, our church is working hard at becoming more outwardly focused. Our community garden, WOW ministry, Dollars for Scholars Scholarship, exercise class, racetrack ministry, and food cupboard are all ways we are trying to bring healing and wholeness to our local community.

These are great first steps, but to become truly mega-admired this is what we need to do:

1. We need to identify more community needs.
2. We need to get more of our people working outside the walls of the church.
3. We need to be rubbing shoulders with people who don’t know Jesus yet.

Here are a couple things to ponder:

1. What would your non-churched friends say about our church? What is our reputation?
2. What needs are there in the community we could address?
3. What would you need to adjust in your life to really get involved in the community?

Note: Mega-luno was the Greek word that described the amazing admiration the community had for the church in Acts 5. 13.

2009-09-22T11:36:00.000-04:00

The Good News Community (Acts 2.42-47, 4.32-35)

If you were a part of the first century church you experienced a level of community unimagined in our 21st century world. These early believers spent every day together. They shared meals in each others homes. They experienced the kind of care that comes when friends sell their stuff to make sure you have everything you need. They worshiped together. They studied the scriptures together. They prayed together. They did all of life together.

Contrast this with what happens today. The average church member today will attend worship services about 30 Sundays a year. (2.5 Sundays a month) After those worship services they will chit chat with other believers in the foyer, but once they leave the building there will be little or no contact with their fellow believers. Many will never attend a small group, will never attend Adult Sunday School, and will never develop any close Christian friendships. They will spend years in church without ever learning the faith stories of other believers or learning their best Christian practices, or experiencing accountable relationships, and becoming aware of other's struggles or victories. The average church member today tries to grow his/her soul by investing about 30 hours of worship a year, doing it all alone out in the world with little help from anyone else.

Is it working? Are you becoming a thriving servant of Christ entirely on your own? I doubt it.

This modern ethic of rugged individualism is killing our faith. Isolated and alone, without encouragement or support, immersed daily in a culture antithetical to our spiritual vitality, we soon discover that we are not getting where we want to go. On our own our Bible ends up unread, our prayers go unsaid, and our soul goes unfed. And the Kingdom does not advance. Isolated Christians more often than not... fail.

It may be unrealistic to think we can recreate the intense community experienced in the early church in our frantic paced 21st century. But for our own spiritual health we need to head in that direction. To opt for anything else is to opt for spiritual failure.

What do you think?

What first step would you take to build a more Biblical community in the church?