The Beast in the Mirror

Pardon me for a few minutes while I rant.

"Intellectual", "worldly", "secular", "seeker-friendly"... These are some of the charismatic world's favorite labels for the Christians it doesn't understand. You know - "ignorant" and "unstable" people. (Not my words. Please refer to 2 Peter.) If many of these label-happy Christians would read their Bibles very carefully, they would find that Jesus is the biggest offender of all. For such (false) religious zealots, might I suggest stepping out from behind your (false) religious goggles and reading the gospels. There IS a reason the gospel has been called scandalous. There was a reason that religious people hated and killed Jesus.

To those of you who know more churches doing it wrong than right:
1. Consider the sermon on the mount: judge things by their fruit. For example, could you convince ANY non-Christian (or me) that there is value in what YOU do every Sunday morning. Seriously, does it make a difference in anyone's life? Tell me why my life is lacking because I wasn't at your church last Sunday. (Feel free to comment.) P.S. Don't judge other people by a standard you don't have a chance of standing up to yourself.

2. Consider the beatitude, "blessed is the superior Christian, more religious than any other." Wait. That's not how it goes... How about this: "You are the body of Christ. Now, take a shot-gun and blow off all the parts you deem inferior to yourself." Phew. We got that one nailed down.

3. Jesus never called us to have church services. If Sunday morning is all you got and the apple of your ministerial/religious eye, Emperor Constantine would be proud, but Jesus might not be.

Let me conclude by saying this:
1. I do not apologize for my harshness.
2. I am particularly sensitive to this special type of "ignorance" because, for a long time, I was the one facing this beast in the mirror.
3. I am a pastor desperately trying to figure things out. What I have said, I say with humility, not arrogance. What the church needs (in my humble opinion) is for more Christians to step out of their fear so that we call all figure some things out and REALLY make a difference in this world.

"Who do you say that I am?"

...As Jesus and the disciples looked around at the plethora of Roman gods memorialized all around them, Jesus posed a question: "Who do the people say that I am?" He followed up with a more pointed version, "Who do YOU say that I am?"

As we approach Christmas day, this confrontation seems apropos once again. We are approaching the day to celebrate the birth of a special baby boy in the midst of a plethora of new gods clamoring for our attention: the seasonal gods of shopping and gift giving, cooking and eating, holiday parties, work bonuses, TV specials, decorations, and travel plans.

In thinking about this question, I must say that I can FEEL it. Somehow, it goes beyond my intellect and resonates deep in my soul. "Who do I say that he is?"

Perhaps you, too, can take a few quiet moments to ponder the question. "Who do you say that I am?" Before offering your answer, keep in mind the context in which Jesus asked it - 1) not to novices, but to his own disciples; 2) in the midst of the gods; 3) just before saying "He who would follow must take up his own cross. If you hang on to your life, you will lose it. If you give up you life for me, you'll find it."

So, who is Jesus? How does your life answer that question? How does soul answer the question?

"Who do you say that I am?" -Jesus Christ

Friends

I have been dreadfully neglectful keeping up with friends the past few months - school, a remodeling project at work (which kicked me out of my office for a while), work itself, the wonderful busyness of family life, etc.

In catching up with some friends, I am reminded how lucky I am to walk through this life in the company of people with whom I can laugh, learn, suffer, and grow. Thanks guys.

Giving and sacrifice

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity, along with several friends, to deliver sleeping bags, hot chocolate and sandwiches to the homeless of St. Louis. It was a wonderful experience. Many of the people in our group were teens and it was a pleasure watching them light up at the opportunity of helping someone in need.

In sitting here pondering my blogging angle on this event, this occurred to me: What a stark contrast there is between the deep satisfaction of feeding the homeless and the shallow, passing enjoyment of getting new stuff (that the commercials promise will bring us life and excitement).

Perhaps it is truly better to give than to receive - even when there is not an angle on giving. (IE: kick-backs from a loved one.) I am saddened to think that I give so little that this truth is mostly forgotten and must be rediscovered from time to time.

Jesus once said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter in to heaven. I believe this. I can feel in my soul that the more things I acquire, the more likely I am to come across something that I will not want to give up - for God or for a fellow man. The idols of "security" and "satisfaction" are monstrous foes to be faced by the rich.

Giving and sacrifice. Happiness is found in them. Perhaps they draw heaven a little closer, too. In giving to others, our greed is crucified once again. Our idols of security and satisfaction are crucified again. Best of all, in giving and sacrifice we are able to bless those around us.

Negligent Faith

Faith. It is the most important thing, right? Here's the thing , though. Most of us would never handle our jobs wit the same degree of negligence that we handle our faith. We would never handle our finances with same hap hazardous approach we use for our faith. Our spouses and children would classify us as "neglectful."

How is it that matters of faith, then, get pushed off onto the back burner. Why doesn't prayer ever really get done? Why are "daily" devotions the relegated to mystical super-Christians?

Maybe what we need a faith-based retirement (or death) planners...

"Yeah, um, when I die, I want to be ______________ prepared. I'm hoping for a crown of glory in heaven that is of __________ quality. What do I need to begin doing now to get there?"

Let's make some plans. Let's become the people we were born to be.