Asleep at the Wheel

There are many of us who pray every day that there would be a Jesus Revolution in our land. Today I want to focus on one of the primary reasons such a revolution is so slow in coming. It's at least in part because we Christians have a tendency to fall asleep at the wheel...

In Mark 14: 32-40 we read about Jesus going to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. This was right after the "Last Supper" and just prior to his arrest. As was often the case at the most important moments in his ministry, Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. They were his guys- his inner circle. As Jesus goes off to pray, he asks them to wait on him there. Three times he does this. Three times they are asleep when he returns to them. It seems unbelievable that his best friends could fail him like that- but they did. Jesus needed them to be there for him- but they simply fell asleep.

In many ways the followers of Christ have been dealing with the same problem ever since. We know what needs to be done. We have all of the teachings and theology that anyone could ever hope for. We read the words of Jesus that command us to love God, to love other people and to carry the message of His love to the world. We know there are things need to be done. But we're asleep at the wheel. Our lives motor down the highway accomplishing "important" things that make us more significant in the eyes of man, but we are fast asleep as we pass the exit signs that say Jesus Revolution. We tell ourselves that others will take care of that stuff. We fool ourselves into believing that after we become successful and powerful that THEN we will honor God. We go to work, we manage our lives, we manicure our lawns and we amuse ourselves. And then we give Jesus what is left over. But there seldom is anything left over- so like the disciples, we sleep.

The institution of the Church (in USAmerica, anyway) is not much better. We are often so busy with buildings, committees, fundraising and "minding the flock" that ministry to the lost and hurting takes a back seat. Too many of our churches today believe that the best way to take Jesus to the world is for us all to be "nice." Christians are nice. We can do nice in our sleep- and that is exactly the problem! Followers of Jesus should be loving and respectful, but we should also be RADICAL! We prefer taking political stances and preserving our "Holy Huddles" to actually taking the risky, radical, world-changing love of Jesus to our communities. Listen to these words from the late, great Keith Green:

The world is sleeping in the dark, and the church just can't fight

Cause it's asleep in the light, How can you be so dead?

When you've been so well fed

Jesus rose from the grave

And you, you can't even get out of bed

The teachings of Jesus seem wild and sometimes outright ridiculous when compared to the standards of the world we live in. If your faith and your belief-system make you feel comfortable and safe, then you need to go back and take a look at the things Jesus taught. You may well be "asleep in the light." If there is going to be a Jesus Revolution that brings hope, peace and joy to those who are sleeping in the dark, it is going to have to come from those who claim to be disciples of the risen Savior. If we are to live out Matthew 25 and minister to the homeless, the hungry, the naked, the criminal and the rest of the "least of these," then we are going to have to get off our couches to do it. If we are going to change this world in His name, then we need to stop arguing politics and theology and wake up to the challenge of sharing God's love with everyone. 

It's time to realize that for far too long we have been happy to play church and take our naps. Nap time is over. The world needs Jesus, and it is time for some spiritual No-Doze. Who's with me?

Because of Jesus,

There's a Mystery To It

There is an old song by the band Newsboys that has the following lyrics: "I'm not following a God I can lead around, I can't tame this deity. And that's why Jesus is the final answer to who I want my God to be..."  I love that thought. But far too many Christians do want a God they can define, explain and keep in a box. They want to know that they have ARRIVED as Christians, not that there is still more to the journey. Today I want to share a few thoughts on the continuing search for truth on the #NarrowRoad...and for Jesus.

Matthew 3:13-17 (The Message)

Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptized, not you!" But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it. 

The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life." 

I love this scripture for a lot of reasons, but primarily because it gives us such a clear picture of the Holy Trinity. Jesus (the Son) is in the water; the Holy Spirit descends like a a dove and lands on Him; and God the Father speaks to Him. It is a miraculous and beautiful scene.

Theologians have struggled for centuries to explain the essence of the Holy Trinity. Hundreds of books have been written and countless sermons preached on the subject, and yet there is still confusion. You know what? Good! The nature of God, the supreme being and creator of the universe and everything in it, should not be easy to figure out. The #NarrowRoad is a roller coaster ride, not a merry-go-round. I don't really want to put my faith, hope and trust in a deity that I can fully understand. The classic U2 song, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, is often misinterpreted. Bono already knew Jesus was the answer, but just like the Apostle Paul he knew there was more to the journey. The question posed by that song is not,"Is Jesus the answer?" The question is instead, "You mean there's more?" And the answer to that is a resounding YES! Always! More to faith. More to Jesus. More to the God of the universe. The revelations of God did not end when the scriptures were compiled. He reveals truth to us every day in new and exciting ways- if we choose to seek and listen. These new truths will be confirmed by the unchanging truth of the scriptures. There will be mysteries right up until we draw our final breath. I plan to seek the joy in my journey down the #NarrowRoad, through all of the trials and confusion, so that some day I will hear the voice of God the Father say to me,"This is my son, in whom I am well pleased."  Stay blessed.

Because of Jesus,

Church Math

The great singer/songwriter/comedian/MIT Professor Tom Lehrer (Before my time, so WAAAAY before most of yours!) wrote a song around 1965 about a new method of teaching mathematics that was referred to as The New Math. In his introduction to the song on the live album, That Was the Year That Was, he points out his frustration with this new method. He says, "The purpose of the new math is to make sure you understand what you're doing- rather than to get the right answer!"  Sometimes I feel like the Church has adopted the same system. Let's take a look at Church Math...

Many Christians are already familiar with how confusing Church Math can be simply because of the Trinity. Clearly God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three different things. And yet they are one. Today I would like to give you a new math problem, also involving the number 3. If you grew up in the mainline or evangelical protestant church in the in the 1970s, 80s or 90s then chances are that you were taught (although you were probably unaware of it) 3 essential truths about Christianity. Here they are:

1. Knowledge is the basis of faith, and the scriptures are the basis of that knowledge.
2. The writings of the Apostle Paul explain what it means to live the Christian life.
3. If you love the Church, and give your time, talents and money to your church, then you love God.

Over my 28 years of working for churches I came across person after person who had been indoctrinated with these teachings and were trying to live them out in their lives. I hear them being promoted (though seldom spelled out) in blogs and on Twitter on a regular basis. The problem is, there are not three essential truths about being a Christ-follower, there is one. Check my math...

1)  Knowledge is not the basis of our faith, a relationship with Jesus is! The scriptures inform us, convict us and guide us as we seek to grow closer to the living Christ, but primarily they are a record of God's attempts at relationship with humans. Jesus was the final attempt and the final answer. Answer this: If all of the bibles and theology books in the world were to suddenly disappear, would the love and grace of God in our world be rendered moot? Of course not, because Jesus would have still died for our sins and left us with the Holy Spirit. Knowledge is a great, wonderful and powerful thing. But when it comes to our faith, a relationship with Jesus is the true essential.
2)  The writings of Paul are extremely important to Christianity. His letters to the churches found in the New Testament encourage us, warn us and give us hope in all things. Paul was certainly one of the most important Christians who ever lived. But we do not worship Paul. He is not part of the Holy Trinity (last time I checked). So why is he quoted more often than Jesus? Why does seemingly every major argument about our faith begin with the words, "Paul wrote..." People will tell you that Paul was simply trying to elaborate on the things Jesus taught. If that's true, then where is his detailed explanation of the Sermon on the Mount- especially the Beatitudes? Where do we read his deeper exegesis of the parables of Christ? He would have been the first one to say, "It's not about me, it's all about Jesus"- and yet we so often make it all about him. Paul was a great missionary and writer, a committed follower of Christ whose letters have much to offer and much to teach us. But he is not the essential example of how to live the Christian life- Jesus is.  
3)  The third teaching is very important as well. We should love the Church, as it is"the bride of Christ." When we give of ourselves to our churches we help to further the Kingdom. But...when our giving becomes more about building new buildings and getting the pastor a book deal, then we may have lost sight of what's essential. Jesus commanded us to love God and to love each other. I think that sometimes loving our church gets pushed to the top of that list. We think, "If I love my church, then my church will love the least of these." The great commandment was not issued as corporate doctrine- it is up to each of us to love as Jesus taught. We should be able to see this quite easily in our world in 2015, where so many are offended (and not in a good way) by the politics and in-fighting of the church, but still long to feel the love of Christ in their lives. Church is a great thing, a fellowship of believers that can and should change the world. But church does not work without Jesus. He is essential.

So there you go. It seems in the new math, 1+1+1 does not equal 3. It equals 1. And that one essential, the one thing that no Christian can be without, is Jesus.  It's simple, but it's not easy. Head knowledge is always easier to acquire than real relationship. It's much easier to argue about gay marriage than it is to "turn the other cheek" and"pray for those who persecute you." And going to church is a breeze when compared to loving your neighbor as you love yourself. But we must understand and we must articulate that there is only one essential of the Christian faith- and that essential is Jesus. This is what the Jesus Revolution is all about. Theology, dogma and doctrine are wonderful things to know about and seek to understand. But they are not more important than getting the right answer! My prayer on this Sunday is that I will remember that Jesus is THE ONE THING, and everything else is secondary. I hope you will join me in that prayer...

Because of Jesus,

"Here You'll Find Rest"

One of the things that always makes me smile is watching families with small children try to get ready to go anywhere. The amount of packing and loading and reloading that goes on is amazing. You all know what I mean. There is just so much stuff to account for and carry. The same kind of thing is one of the reasons I never liked staying in beach houses or motels that are not oceanfront. Lugging all of your "stuff" down to the beach and back a couple of times a day gets old in a hurry. It's also the reason I never liked backpacks. Carrying around things that I may or may not need always felt like unnecessary baggage. Perhaps the one thing all of these have in common is that I am simply lazy. Or maybe is has something to do with burdens.

Way back in my days at Quaker Lake Camp my good friend Martha Ratledge (now Farlow) would often sing a song in worship services that featured words from Matthew 11. "Here you'll find rest, you'll find rest for your weary soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden light, come to me." I always loved the song and the message, and it taught me an important scripture. Too many preachers and teachers present religion as an additional burden in our lives- something none of us needs. Life is complicated enough. Our families, our jobs, our health and our relationships are often daily struggles. The last thing life with Jesus should be is one more thing where we have to pack up all of our stuff, load it on our backs and then be yelled at because we forgot something important. That may be what religion is- but it has nothing to do with walking the #NarrowRoad. 

Check out these words of Jesus from Matthew 11:28-30 from The Message and you'll see what I mean: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Isn't that an amazing text? We so often think of following the Christ and walking the #NarrowRoad as this burden, this insurmountable challenge to be spiritually perfect. Jesus says that just the opposite should be true. Walking with him should be a time of peace and rest in our crazy lives. We don't have to pack up our faults and our failures, or gather up our good deeds and our church perfect attendance pins. We don't have to "get our act together" before hitting the trail. We just need to walk with the Savior, unencumbered and free. "Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." How different would our lives be if we were to truly recognize that Jesus cares NOTHING about religion and EVERYTHING about relationships? There are no backpacks needed on the #NarrowRoad. Jesus carries it all. And quite often, he carries us too.

The next time someone makes you feel burdened by telling you that you are not doing religion "right," remember the words of the Master. "Get away with me and you'll recover your life." True Christianity is not about doing more or carrying more baggage. It's about walking through life (and being yoked & connected) with the love of God whose name is Jesus. Want that walk? Need to be free of your burdens? He's calling.  "Come to me..."

Because of Jesus,

Roadies Wanted

"Now the seats are all empty, let the roadies take the stage,

They'll set it up and tear it down.

They're the first to come and the last to leave,

workin' for that minimum wage...

They'll set it up in another town.  

- Jackson Browne, The Load Out

There are many issues that make the 21st century Christian church difficult to figure out. Some are corporate issues the entire community must face together. Some are individual challenges. And some are problems with cultural curses that we have adopted from society at large. I'd like to address one of those today. You see, it seems to me that there are far too many leaders in Christianity today who see themselves as- and who want to be- rock stars! They want the microphone and they crave the spotlight. They garner attention for themselves and "their" ministries, putting focus on things other than God. The gutters along the #NarrowRoad are littered with pastors and other church leaders who made themselves famous, only to discover that Jesus isn't looking for for stars. Jesus is looking for Roadies.

For those of you not familiar with the lingo, a roadie is someone who toils behinds the scenes on a concert tour. Roadies do the set-ups, the repairs, the grunt work and the heavy lifting that make the rock stars look good. They get no glory, just the satisfaction of a job well done and the knowledge that because of them the stars get the attention and love they crave. Many roadies take the job because of their love and respect for the artist they get to follow all over the country. They are there to serve. If we compare the #NarrowRoad to a tour, it should be quite clear who the star is. It's not the famous preacher, or the gifted singer or the televangelist with perfect hair. It's Jesus. And the rest of us- ALL of the rest of us- are called to be roadies. Our marching orders are right there in the Gospels. Be servants. Be humble. Be meek. Jesus told the disciples (Mark 9:35) that "anyone wanting to be greatest must be the least- a servant of all!" The path of Christ becomes a treacherous journey for those who think themselves as high and mighty. The ones who understand Jesus are the ones carrying their bags and bringing them water. The roadies are the ones making headway on the #NarrowRoad.

We live in a society built around lifting up those who achieve wealth, power and/or fame. It is only natural that this has bled over into the church- and into the pulpit. We need leaders and people who will take on power and important roles. But as scripture (and various Spiderman movies) teaches us, with that power comes great responsibility. And a part of the responsibility, according to the Master, it letting go of the power and becoming a servant. We pass on the love and the hope when we give up our roles of glory and become roadies to those who follow behind. 

Hardly a day passes without seeing tweets and articles lifting up the qualities of a great leader, giving information on how you can become a rock star in your church. We get things so twisted. Being on the #NarrowRoad has nothing to do with being a leader and everything to do with WHO you FOLLOW! So stack some speakers, set up the mics and get the lights ready. Then get out of the way and let Jesus do his thing. Be a roadie for Christ!

Because of Jesus.

Through the Roof!

Happy Birthday, Church! #Pentecost

Most of you are probably familiar with the story found in Luke 5:18-26 in which 4 friends carry a paralytic to see Jesus. Unable to get to him through any normal route, they cut a hole in the roof of the house and lower their friend down to Jesus. The story had many layers, including the divinity of Christ and the Pharisees complete lack of faith and understanding. But primarily this story is about the faith of a man and his 4 friends- and how that faith led to major moment in the Jesus Revolution. Today, as we pause for a time of worship and reflection, I invite you to spend some time with these two questions:

1. Who brought you into the presence of Christ?  This question is not so much about who preached the sermon or sang the song as it is about who dropped you through the roof to get you there. For me, it was my best friend from 8th grade on, Steve. And just like with the friends in the scripture, there were obstacles to overcome. He had invited me to go to summer camp with him and to attend his youth group, but I kept coming up with excuses. And he kept asking. He finally got through to me when I found out that the right girl would be at a youth group skating party. The mats our friends use to take us to Jesus can take many forms. I didn't know that Steve was changing my life forever- and I'm not sure he did either. But he did. He brought me into the presence of the Christ who would say to me over and over again in my life, "Get up!  Your sins are forgiven." And trust me, there are still plenty of Pharisees who scoff at that today.
2. Who is it in your life that you need to lower through the roof? I was taught a long time ago that it is important to have at least one specific person in your life that you are praying for in the hopes that they will come to know Jesus. In my youth groups we often spoke of praying for the Empty Chair- lifting up our friends who needed to be there and were not. And while the praying is important, I think sometimes we let ourselves off the hook too easily. Sometimes we need to physically bring them to the feet of the Savior. We need to invite them to church, or to a small group, or a concert, or dinner at our home- someplace where they will encounter the living Christ. We may need to put them on a mat, or in a car, or on a boat- whatever means necessary- to get them to Jesus. For the friends in Luke's gospel, it was about having their friend healed. It is no different for us. The healing may not be physical. It may be a relationship that needs help. It may be emotional. It is certainly spiritual. They need to see the Great Physician. They need to experience the Jesus Revolution in their lives. And it is our task as their friend to make sure they have that opportunity.

Take some time today to be still and think on these questions. Remember who it was (and it may be many people on more than one occasion) that brought you to see Jesus at a time when you desperately needed Him. And who is it that God is calling you to bring? Even if you need to go through the roof...

Because of Jesus,

Blessed Are the Riffraff

Riff Raff- from the Underdog cartoons. Yeah...I'm old!

Matthew 9:11-13 - Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?"  Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders."   (The Message)

If you've ever been in leadership with a student ministry then you have no doubt heard comments like these, usually from parents of other teenagers:

• "Why are you letting that girl go on the mission trip? She has all of those tattoos and piercings, and everything she owns is black. She's scary..."
• "I heard that the boy with the blue hair smokes dope. He shouldn't be here. His parents don't even go to this church!"
• "Why is that pregnant girl singing a solo with the youth choir when my good little girl Angela- who's never done a thing wrong in her life- has never had a solo?"
• "You need to quit paying so much attention to all of the scum that are coming to youth group and concentrate on the kids of church members. It's church members that pay your salary, not these rejects you seem to like so much."

I didn't have to make up those examples- they are very close to direct quotes of things said to me over the years (there was no Angela- the name was changed to protect the guilty!). You've probably heard similar things about adults in your church as well. As the scripture from Matthew 9 tells us, the Church has struggled since the very beginning to know how to respond to "notorious sinners." I have read several articles lately that attribute this problem to the fact that the business of the church is to reach the lost, while our churches are full of folks who are "saved." According to these authors it is this phenomenon that creates a tension in our congregations. Our churches are full of good people, and it is difficult for them to open their fellowship to the riffraff of the world. That's what they say. Really.

HORSECRAP!!!!!

If our churches were really full of people who understand the teachings of Christ, those people would be bending over backwards to serve the lost and the hurting. Here's what I think. I think that our churches are full of people who have a knowledge of Jesus, but not a relationship with Him. We know how to act like a Christian, and so we do- forgetting that "all sin and fall short of the glory of God." We spend so much time pretending to have it all together- denying the sin in our lives by pointing out the sin in the lives of others. And when we come face to face with others who are openly struggling with sin and temptation, with others who are lost and seeking the answer, it scares us. We are afraid because they are different, and because their lives are real and ours are not. We are afraid that someone might discover our sin and blow our cover as "Super Christian!"  Think back to the examples I gave from youth ministry. Have we truly given our hearts and minds to Jesus if we have attitudes like that? Of course not. There is no love or grace in that kind of language. There is only judgement and condemnation. It reduces Christianity to a performance based love, and here's how it works- if you look, sound, dress and behave like I think a Christian should, THEN you are welcome in my church. Max Lucado wrote that God doesn't say: "Change your life and I will accept you." He says "I accept you- now let's change your life."  We want people to have it all together before they ever show up. Jesus told the Pharisees he didn't want them to have religion at all. He wanted them to have mercy. He wanted them to welcome the tax collectors and the lepers and the outcasts of society. He wants us to do the same- but not with an attitude of superiority or by acting holier-than -thou. It's a slippery slope to travel, because if you spend too much time thinking, "Thank God I am not like the Pharisees," then guess what? You are becoming one. Jesus saved us all with an amazing unconditional love that has nothing to with our performance. It has everything to do with surrendering our hearts to Him and sharing His love and grace with our world.

I have been a Christian for a very long time, seeking to follow Jesus in every aspect of my life. I have failed in more ways than I can recount here. But that's not the worst part- we all fail. The worst part is that I became convinced that as a pastor I was to never let anyone know I had struggles. There is no glory in being a pretend saint. When my sin exploded into public view, I suddenly became one of the outcasts. There were many brothers and sister in Christ who never quit loving me, and that grace carried me through a couple of very hard years. But a couple of pastors and a large part of the institution of the church just saw me as damaged goods. They felt it sent the wrong message to have a sinner involved in church (think about that line for a moment...). One church told me and my family to stay away. I had become the riffraff. We keep getting the story wrong. The Good News is not that because of Jesus I no longer sin and therefore am better than you. The Good News is that Jesus came for you, and me, and the girl with the tattoos, and the guy with blue hair and the pregnant girl. Jesus even came for the Kardashians. He came for the riffraff. And to paraphrase the great Pogo, "we have seen the riffraff- and it is us!" We all "need a doctor." Until we learn to love people not because they are like us, but because Jesus loves them, we are missing the boat. And the Church is missing its calling.

So today I offer you my own Beatitude. Blessed are the riffraff, for they will be called friends of Jesus. Welcome to the club...

Because of Jesus,

What Is Your Image of God?

Inspired by the work of Curt Cloninger...

It has long been clear to me that how we picture God has a tremendous impact on our faith. Whether it be through bad teaching, bad theology or simple misunderstanding, many of us see God as having attributes that simply do not exist. We talk about the "God of the Old Testament" as if God has a split personality, failing to realize that Jesus is the New Covenant who changed everything. This is crucial, because the way we view God influences the way we think God views us. Take a look at the list below and see if any of these "personas" of God have ever found their way into your thinking...

God as Darth Vader - Do what God tells you to do and everything will be cool. Lose one rebel ship because it jumped to light speed and feel the cold hand of doom on your shoulder. God does not like failures...
God as Genie - Your wish is God's command! Some people call this prayer, but we all know it's all about telling God what you need want and waiting for Him to deliver. Plus, there is none of that silly 3 wish limit stuff!
God as Judge Judy - Break a law and you will pay. There will no mercy for law breakers, especially if it happens to be one of the Top 10. If God catches you coveting your neighbor's key lime pie, you might as well pack your bags for hell...
God as Grumpy Old Man - God is not actually in control of things anymore. He just sits in the recliner and complains about the state of things on earth and how no one listens to Him anymore. Occasionally yells at the young folks to "Get off my lawn!"  
God as Bartender - God is always there to listen, to ease your pain, and to give you a little something to take the edge off. But He's not really gonna' do anything about it.
God as Cosmic Killjoy - Does something look like fun? Then God doesn't like it. He wants you to be solemn and miserable. Everything that sounds like a good time must be against His rules. That's why soccer, rap & disco succeeded- absolutely nothing fun about those things.  :)
God as Financial Advisor - We should give freely to our churches and TV evangelists, not because we want to give back to God but because if we do He will make us wealthy beyond our wildest dreams!  So you don't forget, order your autographed Last Supper Menu before midnight tonight and you will be blessed!
God as Life of the Party - You hang with God, and life will be all sunshine and parties. No sadness, no struggles and no worrying about people who might need your help. God will keep you smiling and smelling good!

Do any of those sound familiar to you? Or do you have your very own view of God? Before you answer, here's one more I left out...

God as Loving Parent - Need to be held accountable? God can do that. Need someone to lean on when the world has got you down? God is always there. Need to be convicted of your sins? He's the One for the job. Need to be loved unconditionally? God is the ONLY one who will do that.  In John 15:14-15  Jesus says, "You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends..." The great worship band Delirious expressed it like this: "What a friend I've found, closer than a brother. It would break our hearts to ever lose each other...Jesus, friend forever." God came to us in human form so that we would know how much he loves us- and that's what the Jesus Revolution is all about. You want to know how much he cares about you? Read Luke 12:6-7. He knows everything about you and loves you more than you can imagine. The almighty creator of the universe (YAHWEH) loves us like a daddy (ABBA). How amazing is that...

So let me ask you again- How do you view God?

Because of Jesus,

Do We Even WANT to be Like Jesus?

About 10 days ago I shared a post called Haven't We Been Here Before? that served as the kick-off to a random new series called Things I Believe (and you probably don't)! This is post #2 in the series, and again, it is a serious one. The next one will be on why gravy is its own food group. Like I said, random! So here we go with yet another attempt at rattling the cages of the institutional church...and my own life...

Steve Taylor wrote many years ago that Christians want to be clones. That could be a good thing. We should desire to be clones of Jesus- after all, Christian means "Christ-like." But Steve's point was that too many in the church want to be clones of the person sitting next to them in the pew far more than they want to be like Jesus. It's safer. It's easier. And it's far more popular in our country today. I agree. I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ in these United States has no desire or intent to really be like Jesus. I know we can't BE Jesus- he was God- but we can strive to be like him. We are called to be like him. Don't get me wrong- I know there are millions who believe in God, who worship on Sundays, who read scripture and who claim Jesus as their savior. But being like him, really following him...well that's just too much for far too many of us. Just let me go to church and leave me alone! If we were like Jesus would we spend so much time and effort arguing about whether same sex couples should be allowed to have committed legal relationships, or would our efforts be spent feeding the hungry and housing the homeless? If we were as radical as the Christ would we embrace "turning the other cheek" over pulling out our handguns to "defend" ourselves? If we were like Jesus would we be less concerned with patriotism and more concerned with the family of God- all of humanity? If we were like Jesus the church would know no racial segregation and we would treat every sin, creed and nationality with equal love. We can never be perfect as he was perfect, but we could be so much better. If we wanted to.

And then there's the issue of money. Jesus said to the rich young ruler that to enter the Kingdom he had to "sell what he had and give it to the poor." Are any of us lining up to do that? Quite the opposite, many of our church leaders are gathering great wealth even as you read this. We have churches that teach classes on accumulating wealth, and others who see material gain as a sign that we are in God's good graces. These leaders also tend to portray under-resourced people as lazy, stupid and beneath them. That is not WWJD! God will be their judge, but if it really is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God then people like Dave Ramsey and Franklin Graham have shrinking needles. And the humps on those camels are growing larger every day. In this country we tend to pay homage to our God and to worship our nation and our wealth. We treasure riches- you know, the stuff moths will eat, rust will destroy and thieves will break in and steal (Matthew 6:19) according to Jesus. We also love power. We love being in control, feeling like we are somehow above those around us. That's the antithesis of being like Christ. It has been said that the ONLY way to follow Jesus is on our knees. It's about surrender- and we are not fans of surrender. It's for the weak. Well guess what- so is Jesus. And anyone- ANYONE- who chooses hate over love, power over humility, aggression over peace and the flag over the cross is not going to "be like Jesus." We fool ourselves because we can be like the people in the pews and still make those choices. But that is not like the Christ. Jesus was inclusive, forgiving and sacrificial. So that's the bottom line for us all. Do we fit that definition? Or are we happy with the Jacob's Ladder description of faith? "Sing along, send some money and join the chosen few..."

So how do we become more like the One we claim to follow? He already told us. Be humble. Don't judge. Be a peacemaker. Be a servant. Take care of the sick, the downtrodden, the prisoners and those who don't think like us. Give up what we think is important and recognize that whatever the question, love is the answer. For too many years the church has buried itself in political issues, power and judgement, wanting people to be like US more than we want them to be like Jesus. It's time to quit playing church and BE the church. And the only way to do that- the ONLY way- is to be like Jesus. Do we want it? I remain unconvinced...

Because of Jesus,

Haven't We Been Here Before?

This is the first in a series of random posts you will see over the next few months that I am calling Things I Believe (and you probably don't)! Some will be goofy. This one is not. So be warned...

This world is a mess. We have known that for a while. But lately it is this nation that concerns me more. Laws have been passed, presidential campaigns begun, verdicts handed down, history rewritten, leaders quoted and social media exploding all with the same message- unless you are like me, I don't want you here. And it doesn't matter where here is, you aren't welcome. This would be disconcerting under any circumstances, but to hear so much of it coming from people who call themselves Christians is especially painful. My heart hurts. My brain hurts. And as a student of history I find myself asking the same question at my prayer time each day- Haven't we been here before?

It seems that many of my brothers and sisters (although some of these folks could care less what my sisters think) in Christ have taken a stance that anyone who does not agree with them is not only wrong, but somehow less a child of God than those who do agree. They come from two primary angles. You must be Christian- their version of Christian- and exclude and fear anyone who is not. In this version of the faith, judgement is a key element, and you worry less about your own soul and more about how to make others more like you. You must also hold to the theory of American Exceptionalism. It is no longer enough to love your country. Now to prove our patriotism we must adhere to the thought that the United States is and always has been superior to the rest of the world. If that means throwing out the facts to make history agree with the point, so be it. This country was not founded on exceptionalism, it was founded on and by the "wretched refuse." Our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world! These two ideologies are being used by the "elite" to exclude anyone who doesn't agree with them. People of color, our LGBT friends, immigrants and people of differing religions are more and more being targeted by people who claim to have a relationship with Jesus and being told that they do not belong. They are not Christian enough and they are not American enough. How is "religious freedom" enhanced by laws that encourage discrimination? 

History has taught us that there are few things more dangerous that religious extremism and radical nationalism. We live in a world where terrorists who fly an Islamic flag have made us afraid of all Muslims. ISIS is a band of extremists (who, by the way, walked into a leadership void WE helped create when we invaded Iraq in 2002) who in no way represent the entire religion. A few weeks back President Obama compared the extremism of ISIS to the Christian Crusades and was taken to task for it by many (As a side note, I read someone attack Obama by saying George W. Bush would have never said anything like that, and I cannot agree more. I have little doubt that W. has no idea what happened in the Crusades...). The truth is, he was right. There have been numerous atrocities committed in the name of Jesus, from the Crusades to standing in support of slavery to blowing up abortion clinics. Extremism is ugly no matter who is carrying the flag. Nazi Germany was all about lifting one nation, one race and one religion above all others and seeking to wipe out anyone who didn't "fit in." It almost worked. And yet even with all of this history to learn from, we find ourselves again posting new versions of "Whites Only" signs, fearing religions we don't understand and hating people we don't know. And doing it in the name of Jesus. We have been here before.

My big issue is this- these Christians who claim religious and cultural superiority often do it by choosing to ignore the teachings of Jesus. They see his teachings about peace, love, justice, mercy, grace and forgiveness as a part of the biblical narrative that can be debated and diluted through filtering and watering down. Then they can use their religion to exclude people, when Jesus clearly preached inclusiveness. His call to love our neighbors means loving our gay neighbors, our black neighbors our Muslim neighbors and our really hard-to-love neighbors. Some would respond with Old Testament scriptures (which Jesus gave a new spin) or twist the teachings of Paul, saying Jesus is only part of the story. Well friends, listen up, because I am about to drop some serious theology on you. Jesus is not a part of the story- Jesus is the POINT of the story! If we are willing to ignore his teachings, then everything else falls apart. Yes, there is a theology of salvation and a standard of morality that Christ-followers seek to embrace. But as Paul wrote in that passage they read at all the weddings, without love none of that other stuff means skubala (Carl translation). When we use our arms to push away rather than embrace, we are ignoring his teachings.

I confess there are days when this all seems hopeless, when it feels like the church is failing badly and there is nothing we can do about it. We are too often part of the problem in this country. But we must not- we CANNOT- give up. We serve an awesome God, a God of light and love, and we must take back our faith from those who seek to pervert it. Back in the early 1980s the band Styx recorded a rock opera called Kilroy Was Here about a morally superior bad guy named Dr. Righteous. He knew all the rules but understood nothing about love, mercy and individual freedoms. The story followed a band of rebels who worked under dangerous conditions to get the truth out- a truth that Dr. Righteous controlled. My favorite song on the album (yes, even better than Mr. Roboto) shares its name with this blog post. The lyrics are below:

Haven't we been here before
Footsteps lead down to the note on the door
That says I can't stay here anymore

And haven't we felt this same way
Sure in our hearts, but afraid just the same
To say I can't stay one minute more

You might think that it's hopeless
Beyond our control
But that's not necessarily so
Can't you see there's a chance
For the daring young soul
Who's finally learned to say no

No, I won't be misused
Ignored or refused
And I won't just give up and let go

So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing can stand in our way

And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Dark would turn into light
We'd be strong
We'd be right

So tonight hold me close to you
And don't give up what's important to you
And as time rolls on
Nothing will stand in our way

And I believe if we learn from the past
We'd say haven't we been here before
Oh, and I believe if we open our hearts
We'd find keys to unlock every door
Hearts could change overnight
We'd be strong...We'd be right
So stay with me now
The future is ours
And we'll be the ones who go on

The time is now for a Jesus Revolution. It is time for us to be the daring souls who say no to this blatant misuse of Christianity. Politics can corrupt the church; they cannot corrupt Jesus. Exclusivity may be championed by our politicians, but it will never be championed by Jesus. It's time to take a stand and Take Back Our Church- #TBOC (It should really be take back HIS church, but TBOC is a much better hashtag). Christianity was never intended to be a religious organization, it was intended to be a movement founded on the life and teachings of a radical Rabbi who was also the Son of God. It's not about moral superiority, or cultural warfare or national exceptionalism. It's all about love. Think of those final words of the song as being a direct order from the Christ. "Stay with me now, the future is ours, and we'll be the ones who go on." More than ever, it has GOTS to be all about Jesus! And that's all I have to say about that...

Because of Jesus,

A Chat with Jesus

Want to really understand the Jesus Revolution? Take time today and have a heart to heart chat with Jesus. Sometimes we wonder if God hears us, or if Jesus has time for us. In fact, it's just the opposite. God is waiting to hear from YOU. Jesus is ready to be your friend. You just need to give him your time. Pray to be closer to him. Pray for wisdom and strength to let him be in control in a world that demands that you take the power. Understand that your relationship with Jesus is not based in anything you do, but in his grace and forgiveness. Be WIDE OPEN to not only talking to Jesus, but to listening for "the still, small voice of God" in the silence. Prayer is a conversation. It requires taking time to listen, which in this case means taking time to be quiet. Don't let your prayer time become something you do only at meals or bedtime. I'm guessing you set aside time for exercise, or reading, watching TV or shopping. Shouldn't we be setting aside time for prayer? If we want to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to spend time in prayer. If we want to be part of the Jesus Revolution, we must be connected to Jesus. Not just in an "I go to church" way, but in a "Jesus is my best friend" way. Don't fall into the trap  I was in for a few years. I worked for a church, tried to lead people to Christ, tried to be a spiritual leader- but I lost touch with the Savior. Just like with any other relationship, growing closer with Jesus means spending time together. Go to him. Have a chat with Jesus. He's waiting for you. And be sure to praise God for the blessings you see in your life everyday!

Because of Jesus,

It's Time to Bother Jesus

Jesus & Zacchaeus

Stop me if you have heard this one-"Christians are nice." For many people in the 21st century, "nice" has become the defining characteristic of the followers of Jesus. People who are wild, different, rude or aggressive can't possibly be Christians. Christians are polite and that is what sets them apart in this rude world we live in. Christians may not love the people around them and they may condemn them under their breath, but we are always nice to people so they will think we love like Jesus loved. We would never want them to feel inconvenienced, and we certainly don't want to trouble God with our worries. When did this happen? When did followers of Jesus quit being wild-eyed, radically counter-cultural world changing & dangerous disciples and start being "nice?" And more importantly, how do we fix it? How do we get back to being Jesus Freaks?

In Luke 8:40-56 you can read the story of the Jewish leader Jairus and his daughter who is on the verge of death. He goes to see Jesus, to ask him to come to his home and heal his daughter. Jairus has great faith that Jesus will make her whole again. As Jesus begins to follow Jairus home they are interrupted by a bleeding woman who also seeks healing from the teacher. After the delay, as they are about to continue their journey, word comes that the daughter is dead. The messenger ends his statement with these words (Luke 8:49):"There is no need now to bother the teacher." It is a message that we modern believers have taken to heart.

I believe that we have quit being world changers in great part because we have decided not to bother the Master. We concentrate on doing things we might be able to do without him- like being nice. After all, the Creator of the universe doesn't really have time for our petty needs and prayers, does he? In fact, not only does Jesus not mind being bothered, he LOVES it! Think about some of the people in scripture who went out of their way to bother Christ. Blind Bart. The leper at the gate. Zacchaeus.The friends who lowered their paralyzed friend through the roof. Mary and Martha when Lazarus was dying. Nicodemus.The bleeding woman who grabbed hold of Jesus' robe. Jairus and his daughter (she lived!). None of these folks were polite. None of them waited their turn. All of them practically screamed at Jesus for help. And he did miraculous things in every case. Each of them decided that bothering the teacher was the only option they had left, that Jesus and ONLY Jesus could help them. And help them he did...

I don't know about you, but I think it is time to bother Jesus. It's time to pray big prayers and dream big dreams. It is time to return to the faith of those first followers of Christ who knew that in order to change the world they had to be radical believers. If we want to be like the church found in the book of Acts and turn this world upside down then we need to quit being so polite. I want to treat people with love and respect, but I don't want to be known for being nice. Nice is not a fruit of the Spirit. We cannot change the world on our own. It is time to bother Jesus.

Because of Jesus,

A Ridiculous Way To Start a Revolution

Each year at Christmas one of the grand traditions of the Church is to read the birth story of Jesus from Luke 2. I have read it so often (and heard Linus recite it so many times on A Charlie Brown Christmas) that I pretty much have it memorized. Some of it almost seems normal now, when in fact there is not a single normal thing about the story. And the part that always gets me is when the angels appear to the shepherds. The big announcement that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was coming to earth was delivered in a field outside of a no-name village to a bunch of stinkin' sheep-herders. Absolutely ridiculous.

I mean, if God really wanted to make a splash with this birth you would have thought the angels would have appeared to the Roman rulers or the Jewish high priests. God might have tried a huge fireworks display and sky-writing event over downtown Jerusalem. That would have gotten the word out big-time. That could have made the rich and the powerful head for the stable that night, bringing honor and glory to the newborn King. Heck, they probably could have even gotten Joseph and Mary a room! But shepherds? Scripture tells us that they were "abiding in the fields" when the Heavenly Host (Is it just me or does that sound like a jazz band to anyone else?  Gabriel on trumpet, of course...) showed up. Of course they were! You know why? Because they smelled so bad no one wanted to be anywhere near them. Shepherds weren't even allowed in the temple in those days, because they were too nasty to go through the ritualistic purification required to worship there. They spent all of their days and nights in the field with sheep because no one else would have them! But when it came time to announce to the world that God was sending the Son to save us, God turned to this smelly bunch of uneducated Hebrew rednecks. And they obeyed. They went to find the baby in a smelly barn, surrounded by smelly animals and laying in a disgusting manger- no doubt with animal slobber all over it (as a side note, I hope moms everywhere will note that Jesus and millions of other kids lived very healthy lives BEFORE the invention of the disinfectant wipe.  I'm just sayin...). And in the midst of all of this smelliness, hope was born. The world was saved, though no one knew it yet. When those stinkin' sheep-herders bowed to worship that baby, they represented us all. We are all totally unworthy of being in the presence of God, and yet because of the man that baby became we are all invited. How ridiculous!

The Jesus Revolution was going on right from the very beginning. God used a no-name girl from the least respected town of a pitiful little province to bring his only Son into our world. God had him born in the most humble of circumstances, and sent the angels to the least likely witnesses anyone could think of- shepherds. Before ever speaking a word, Jesus told the world that everything was about to change. Power, wealth and prestige were going to give way to the weak, the poor and the smelly. And yet so many of us have still not heeded that message. I encourage you today to be willing to get a little smelly for Jesus. Find ways to connect with those who are "abiding in the fields" and are being ignored by our society. They have much to teach us. For the Jesus Revolution to take hold in this world, we all need to be more like the shepherds. My friends, it is time to get out there and stink, because the Creator has shown over and over again that God uses the smelly to change the world. How totally ridiculous. Just as ridiculous as sacrificing your only Son to save a bunch of sinful humans...                                   Amen and Amen.

My Deliverer is Coming,

Brevity: Preaching Like Jesus

This past Sunday was one of those times when I had trouble focusing on worship while attending a worship service. There were several reasons, most all of which were my own fault. I was distracted by the fact that every song we sang was written between 2012 and the present day, and I didn't know know 2 of them. The fact that there was a Veteran's Day celebration in worship (I respect and love those who serve and served, and wish them a Happy Veteran's Day today! But as you may know it makes me crazy to see the flag take center stage in worship instead of the cross) distracted me even more. And finally, not only was the sermon (despite a new title and and slightly new angle) a rerun, it was all about finances and tithing. And as with most tithing sermons, in my opinion there was a whole lotta' proof-texting going on! So my mind began to wander...

What would my sermon topic be if my life were ever find me in the pulpit once again? On this Sunday, with my head in a very snarky place, I was struck by the word Brevity. One of my mentors in ministry once told me that "you can never go wrong by finishing a sermon early, as long as you say all you need to say." And as the thought twisted it's way through my mind, it occurred to me that Jesus was quite often very brief with his teachings. Jesus always fed his audience well, but he seldom gave them the entire buffet all at once. He also often left them with questions and things they needed to figure out on their own. It was quite a revelation, coming as it did in the middle of someone else's sermon, but I realized I was on to something good. There could be a series of very short sermons that would simply quote Jesus each week and then close with another saying from the master teacher- either "Now go thou and do likewise" or "Let those with ears to hear, hear." The rest of sermon would come from the congregation by means of questions or comments. It would be a message series that would truly be all about Jesus!

The sermons would look something like...no, EXACTLY  like...these:

John 14:6-  "I am the way , the truth and life. No one comes to the Father by by me." Let those with ears to hear, hear. You could then ask the basic question the disciples were constantly asking- "But what does it mean?"
Luke 11:9 - "Ask it it shall be given. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door shall be opened." Now go thou and do likewise. Does this mean God is a cosmic genie who will give us everything we ask for if we are faithful? Discuss...
Matthew 5:42-44 - "You have it heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven." Now go thou and do likewise. We all want to be loved, but what is Jesus saying about who we need to love? Love our enemies- all of them? Are you kidding me?

It could be done with everything Jesus taught, with every command and every parable. It could be done verse by verse with The Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's Prayer. We could give the pulpit back to the greatest preacher who ever lived! Preachers (including myself in the days when I filled pulpits) tend to think their explanations of what Jesus said are more important to the congregation's spiritual growth than what he actually said. NO! His words and stories changed the world. His words did not need commentary when he spoke them, and they don't need it today. We need to be like the first followers, soaking in those words, discussing them, being blown away by the power with which he spoke them. There could be periods of quiet meditation to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit or to seek new revelations from these ancient teachings. Worshippers could learn from each other, hearing insights and life experiences that are not usually shared in the modern church.  Just think about it- what would happen if we turned our worship services over to Jesus? 

Sharing this with you today probably wipes out any small chance I still had of ever being invited to preach again. It's just too radical, too far away from the comfortable patterns of the established church. But you know what? So was Jesus. And that's really the point. The older I get the more I want to see what could happen if we quit giving people church and started giving them Jesus. And that, my friends, will PREACH!!!

Because of Jesus,