Real, life-changing love
I recently finished reading King’s Cross by Timothy Keller. I’ve commented on the book before on this blog. If you have little knowledge of the life of Jesus or if you need a refresher, I think you will find King’s Cross very helpful. Keller is a wonderfully clear writer and his illustrations make the gospel of Mark come alive. One final thing I want to note from his book that I think needs no extra commentary from me is this passage on love:
“It bears repeating: All love, all real, life-changing love, is substitutionary sacrifice. You have never loved a broken person, you have never loved a guilty person, you have never loved a hurting person except through substitutionary sacrifice.
One more example: I read some years ago in National Geographic that after a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, some forest rangers began a trek up a mountain to survey damage. One ranger found a bird of which nothing was left but the carbonized, petrified shell, covered in ashes, huddled at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by this eerie sight, the ranger knocked the bird over with a stick–and three tiny chicks scurried out from under their dead mother’s wings. When the blaze had arrived, the mother had remained steadfast instead of running. Because she had been willing to die, those uner the cover of her wings lived. And Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often have I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Luke 13:34). He did indeed gather Jerusalem’s children under his wings–and he was consumed. All real, life-changing love is costly, substitutionary sacrifice.”
Back at it
A little over a year ago I started a blog. For a couple months I posted some thoughts on the blog. Then I stopped. Why? I realized I was completely unsure what I wanted to write about. There are so many interesting things on the internet that I felt a little overwhelmed by trying to figure out what I might have to add to anything. Having put some thought into what I’ll write about and having been busy doing other things, I’ve finally decided to get back into updating this blog.
My name for this blog is Testing the Faith, and I plan to continue to write primarily about my faith, Christianity, and what it means to put that faith in Christ into practice. I have realized that I read quite a bit from a variety of sources and I am often struck by certain parts of what I read. I also regularly listen to sermons from some gifted pastors across the United States. I’ve decided to update this blog about every week or so with some thoughts based on my reading and listening. My hope is that maybe you’ll pick up some of the things I’m reading or listening to and check them out yourself. If not, you will hopefully at least benefit from the portions I comment on.
One of the books I’ve been reading lately is “King’s Cross” by Tim Keller. This book is based on a series of sermons working through the gospel of Mark. In writing about Jesus sleeping in a boat during a storm and eventually being woken up by his disciples, Keller notes that after calming the wind and the waves Jesus says to his disciples, “Where is your faith?” Keller directs us to think about this phrase more in terms of the object of our faith and less the quantity or quality of our faith. The question can be translated either way, though Keller argues for the former idea. It’s a compelling thought and one he fleshes out further with this illustration:
“Imagine you’re falling off a cliff, and sticking out of the cliff is a branch that is strong enough to hold you, but you don’t know how strong it is. As you fall, you have just enough time to grab that branch. How much faith do you have to have in the branch for it to save you? Must you be totally sure that it can save you? No, of course not. You only have to have faith enough to grab the branch. That’s because it’s not the quality of your faith that saves you; it’s the object of your faith. It doesn’t matter how you feel about the branch; all that matters is the branch. And Jesus is the branch.”
I find this illustration comforting because even on my best days I realize how relatively weak my faith is. I am at times riddled with doubt. I am too easily scared by the storms in my life. I get nervous, worried, and overwhelmed. Then there is this reminder of the object of my faith, Jesus Christ. He is one who can command the wind AND the waves to be still. Like the peace and assurance that follows that stillness, my own heart is stilled at remembering where I put my faith. Though I am weak, I will cling to the branch with all the strength I have. Maybe you need that reminder too.
Justice and celebration
This morning I saw the news that the United States had killed Osama Bin Laden. Although he’s faded a little from public consciousness, for years he was public enemy number one. Quite soon after the horror that took place on September 11, 2001, the United States made it a goal to bring to justice those responsible for the planning and execution of the attack. Given the animosity toward Bin Laden and the goal put before the American public, I wasn’t surprised that there was a surge of patriotism and some wild celebration at the news of Bin Laden’s death. At the same time though, the news has made me pause. I’ve had a lot of questions about justice and revenge and violence.
As I perused through Twitter this morning I came across an article outlining responses that Christian leaders had posted on the Osama Bin Laden killing via Twitter. Something that Brian McLaren said struck me. He wrote, ”Joyfully celebrating the killing of a killer who joyfully celebrated killing carries an irony that I hope will not be lost on us. Are we learning anything, or simply spinning harder in the cycle of violence?” After I saw it, I posted that quote to my Facebook account. I posted it because I vividly remember images of celebrations in other parts of world on September 11. I also remember being extremely saddened by the events of 9/11 and incredibly angry with those celebrations. How could they celebrate the loss of life and the suffering? At the time I wanted justice! I wanted revenge!
Today as I saw images of Americans celebrating the death of the man who was behind September 11 and who has initiated a lot of pain and suffering, it brought me back to ten years ago and the celebrations I witnessed then. It made me wonder if there are other people out there who feel today what I felt ten years ago. Celebration? The world may have lost some evil, but pain and suffering still exist. The justice and revenge I wanted ten years ago is bittersweet now. I’ve walked with enough people through pain, suffering, and the effects of violence that now I’m mainly sad about what’s happened. Today I’ve been asking myself: Is the death of someone we view as evil a cause for celebration?
One of the Bible verses I’ve seen today posted by many people has been Proverbs 24:17. The verse says “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.” That sounds like wise advice. Why? I think it’s especially wise for Christians in the context of the other verses in that chapter. Here’s more of that passage, “lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”
Justice is a weighty matter. It is also often messy. It’s hard to find clear winners and losers. Justice that involves violence leaves scars on those who mete it out. That might be why I find it hard to celebrate today. Justice comes with a cost. The justice that I hope for is eternal, infinite justice. A justice that is handed out by God who can handle the cost of it. I believe he’s already shown he can handle it through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus came on our behalf to bear the justice we all deserve. His justice is not messy, but righteous and also merciful. Now that is cause for celebration!
Good surprises
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. -Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
God continually surprises me. I read stories throughout the Old Testament about His patience with the people of Israel. He allows them to come back to him despite painful rejection. I read about the relationship and think I would have left it long ago. I read about the things God accomplishes through people who in my opinion are just plain messed up. That’s my all-encompassing term for liars, adulterers, murderers, and the like. Then God does this amazingly humble thing in the New Testament where He shows up on earth in the person of Jesus Christ, lives as a human for thirty-something years, and then dies a horrible, torturous death on a cross. Jesus’ followers are greatly disappointed, hope is lost (Luke 24:21), and then on the third day Jesus is resurrected. I’ve heard a pastor say about it, “Bet you didn’t see that coming!” At the time, I don’t think anyone did. God is a God of surprises. Good ones.
I was thinking about this today because I am reminded of God and his surprises when I get too confident for my own good; when I need a check on my pride in having things figured out and a nice system in place to explain God. This is especially needed when I start to think that others don’t have the right system or the right explanations. They might not have it right, but I might not either. Throughout the bible and in my own experience, God is able to to “do far more than we might ask or think” (or imagine, as other translations say). Celebrating Easter has given me pause to think about that.
Today I’m remembering how great God is. I’m remembering how powerful God is. I’m remembering how holy He is. I’m remembering how loving He is. I’m remembering Jesus Christ and celebrating his resurrection. In the midst of all that I’m worshipping with a grateful heart. Grateful for who God is and for what He’s done. To God be the glory in the church and Christ Jesus! Amen.
Muscle confusion
In the frequent infomercials for “P90X – Extreme Home Fitness” the spokesperson for this workout program, Tony Horton, touts the value of “muscle confusion.” The P90X program asserts that repetitive exercise motions eventually have reduced effectiveness. Over time your muscles get used to a motion and as a result you plateau. To counter this, P90X changes things up at regular intervals as your body adapts to an exercise. This is what they call muscle confusion. With changing things up, continued increases in fitness are possible. For those of us who can get caught in a rut in life, the idea of changing things up appeals.
Routines are helpful. The structure and repetition that they provide keep us productive and on-task. Spiritual routines are called spiritual disciplines or practices, and they are incredibly important for spiritual growth. They include things like meditation, prayer, Bible study, fellowship, confession, service, submission, and worship. In the same way though that our muscle adapts and stops growing when we continually repeat the same exercise, getting caught in a spiritual rut can cause you to stop growing. Spiritual practices can become thoughtless and meaningless. When physical exercise becomes repetitive, don’t stop exercising. Change it up. When a spiritual practice becomes an empty ritual, it’s not time to abandon the practice, instead change things up with a fresh approach.
My family has a routine where each night before my two children go to bed we all pray together near my son’s bed. We started by teaching the children to pray with gratitude and thanksgiving. Over time we added in asking God protection or healing for others. After a while, our prayer together developed a certain rhythm to it. This was helpful for our 3-year-old who is able to lead us in prayer. Over time though, it seemed formulaic and stale. Our church recently studied the Apostle’s Creed and my children were intrigued. They asked if we could pray the Apostle’s Creed for our nightly prayer and it quickly became known as “The Crazy Prayer.” It is quite different than our usual spontaneous prayer! We’ve since also added the Lord’s Prayer. Quite quickly, my 3-year-old and 5-year-old had both of these new prayers memorized. Along with learning these prayers came the cool part: we talk as a family about what those prayers mean. The children have lots of questions. Changing our routine has refreshed the time of prayer we share together as a family. It’s also made us appreciate more the original non-crazy prayer we started with.
Keep practicing the spiritual disciplines, but find some new ways to approach them. Try out a new translation of the Bible. Start a journal or change the format. Do your practice at at different time of day. Pray in a different location or using a different format. Read a new book. Give up something you enjoy for a time or season. Add something new. Embrace the habits you’ve developed, but also be ready to breathe new life into them by changing it up.
Restaurants and evangelism
My wife and I enjoy spicy Indian food. By the end of my meal, I hope my nose is running and I’m wiping my brow. The taste and texture of the food is wonderful, but I haven’t always felt that way about Indian food. I initially went to an Indian restaurant because my wife enjoys it. I had never tried it before and wasn’t even sure if I was interested. The first time I tried it I didn’t like it. But I went back again to give it another try. The next time, I liked it more. The next time even more. Since then, I’ve been slowly but surely trying to introduce people I know to Indian food. I tell them to just try it and they may like it.
Lately at my church we’ve been talking about evangelism, which I’d broadly define as sharing the good news of the Christian faith. That got me thinking about how we do that on a practical level. While we may all agree that letting others in on the gospel is a good thing, how we actually go about sharing in the most effective way isn’t always as clear. Pushiness or hard selling don’t come across well. I don’t appreciate that myself! On the other hand, it’s possible to interact with someone for years and then be surprised to find they’re a Christian (not by behavior necessarily, but just because it’s never come up).
That’s what got me thinking about Indian food. I tried it because I know and trust my wife. We have a good relationship. She didn’t push me, yet she clearly mentioned her love of Indian food with me. She then invited me to try it out with her. Sharing our faith can work out quite similarly. It’s most effective with those who know and trust you. You don’t need to push it on someone else. You’re just sharing something you love and think they would too.
Now that I’m into Indian food, I regularly talk about it with other people I meet. We all eat, after all. I follow up in more detail with those who are interested, but if the other person isn’t interested, I let it drop. I’ll still mention Indian food to them and how much I enjoy it, but I don’t constantly ask them to try it too. Tastes and seasons of life change and sometimes I find that a while after saying “no,” a person changes his/her mind. Part of being in a relationship with someone is being aware of what’s happening in the other person’s life. In this way, we can have a sense of when the time might be right. I’d suggest the same is true with sharing our faith.
How do you talk with other people about your faith? I hope these thoughts get your own thinking going. By the way, have you tried Indian food?
Practicing simplicity
In December of 2010 I gave a talk to the men of Sycamore Creek Church on the spiritual practice of simplicity. Below are some of the thoughts I presented in the talk. This material is largely based on Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline, and I recommend reading his chapter on simplicity for more information on this spiritual discipline.
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Sometimes the cacophony of choices around us is almost overwhelming. Many of us have tremendous freedom in what we do and at times that freedom becomes daunting. How do we make choices? What things do we choose to pursue? In the practice of simplicity, we are reminded of what we are truly pursuing in life.
Like other spiritual disciplines, simplicity must come from the heart. It has to start internally before it becomes external. There’s a tension there. If you start in on the external first, you’ll find it extremely frustrating and dissatisfying and it becomes another form of legalism. Without a heart for simplicity, the freedom that this discipline offers is lost.
Jesus talks about inner simplicity in Matthew 6:25-34. In verse 33 he summarizes by saying “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. That’s where we start. That’s the internal piece that is vital to this discipline. The practice begins by seeking God first above all else. Simplicity essentially starts with worship.
On the one hand, there is affluence, the love of money. On the other is simplicity, which in and of itself can become an idol. The essential corrective to avoid either of these extremes is to seek first the kingdom of God. That’s our place to stand.
How does this practice of inner simplicity begin to play out on a practical level? Richard Foster writes that “Freedom from anxiety is characterized by three inner attitudes. If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess the freedom from anxiety. This is the inward reality of simplicity.” It takes work and practice to make those inner realities true.
In working on the inward reality of simplicity, there are also some things Foster suggests we can do to outwardly express simplicity. I find this list helpful, and I hope you do too:
1. Buy things for usefulness, not status.
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7. Look with healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes.
8. Obey Jesus’ instructions about plain, honest speech.
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.
Practicing biblical submission
Below is a talk I recently gave at a men’s event for Sycamore Creek Church. I re-worked it a little into a manuscript so that I could post it on here. This is one of the last spiritual disciplines we discussed, as I think it may be one of the most difficult. I see the need for this practice all around me: in my own life, in my marriage, in my relationships, and in the relationships of others around me. My hope is that others will take this discipline to heart and to begin practicing it.
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Almost all of the spiritual practices that we have been looking at are counter cultural. We have looked at fasting and simplicity. Our culture encourages us to consume and teaches that more and bigger are better. We talked about meditation and silence. The world around us tries to fill our ears and minds with constant distractions. Out of all the spiritual disciplines or practices though, I think that submission is the most counter cultural. If we explain to someone else at work why we fast, or pray, or meditate, or live simply, they will probably think we are weird. And they might be right. If we explain to them that we live a life of submission, on the other hand, they are likely to say that we are wrong!
I’m reluctant to call what I’m talking about “submission” because it’s almost as if submission is a bad word in our society. We make heroes of people who won’t submit to anyone. You’d never hear Bruce Willis or Sylvester Stallone talking about submission. The only submission in their movies is from the bad guys. It’s not surprising that God’s values look upside down from the world’s perspective. We will take a brief look at God’s perspective on submission, and his call on our lives. As with previous studies of spiritual practices, I rely heavily on Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. If you haven’t read his chapter of submission, I think it’s one of the finest chapters in his book. Read it!
A life in Christ is a life of freedom. To practice submission is to embrace freedom. How is that? Richard Foster writes about it this way:
“I said that every Discipline has its corresponding freedom. What freedom corresponds to submission? It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today. People will spend weeks, months, even years in a perpetual stew because some little thing did not go as they wished. They will fuss and fume. They will get mad about it. They will act as if their life hangs on the issue. They may even get an ulcer over it.
In the Discipline of submission we are released to drop the matter, to forget it. Frankly, most things in life are not nearly as important as we think they are. Our lives will not come to an end if this or that does not happen.”
I love that quote! Foster does such a fantastic job of framing submission for us. To summarize: In submission, we have the freedom to not always get our way. We have the freedom to give in to someone else. Let that those statements sink in because they are huge. Submission has incredible potential to impact the way we live. With the freedom of submitting we can begin to see where the genuine issues lie and where our stubborn self-will has gotten in the way. In submission, true humility is allowed to take root.
Along with the freedom of this practice, there’s also a certain fear of it, isn’t there? Like I mentioned before, this is radical counter-cultural stuff. There’s a part of us that wants to say, “That can’t be right.” It seems too hard to think about not getting what we want. The predominant message around us is to go for it. This letting go of always getting our way seems too crazy to even attempt. That’s when this practice becomes dangerous because we may be tempted to fake it.
Biblical teaching on submission focuses on the spirit with which we view other people, the inner attitude that we have. In submission, there is an inner attitude of mutual subordination. Why is this spirit important? Outwardly, we can do what people ask, but inwardly we can be in rebellion against them. When we embrace submission, we are free to value other people, to love unconditionally, to truly serve another person. It’s only in submission that we, with all our junk and desires and flaws, are able to get out of the way and to really connect.
The foundation of biblical submission is Mark 8:34, which reads, “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”” Deny. At the heart of submission is self-denial. Denial? As we step into this, there is a part of us that won’t want to believe it. Our culture doesn’t teach us to say no. We think of denying ourselves as a bad thing. On the contrary, Jesus calls us to self-denial. This is not self-hatred. It’s not harming yourself or thinking less of yourself than you should. It’s not losing your identity. Self-denial is simply a way of coming to understand that we do not have to have our own way. Our happiness is not dependent on getting what we want.
Living a life of submission involves living, as Richard Foster calls it, the cross life. What is the cross-life? The cross life is a life of voluntary submission. The cross-life is a life of freely accepted servanthood. Service flows freely from submission. Jesus calls us to the cross-life in Mark 8:34. He calls us to it again in Mark 9:35 when he says “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” After washing his disciples’ nasty man feet, Jesus added, “I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15)
It’s appropriate that we talk about submission during the season of Lent as we anticipate Easter and the Resurrection. I would suggest during this season of repentance and disruption of rhythm that you practice submission and its companion practice, service. As you do so, remember the cross-life and the submission of Jesus. Paul wrote about Jesus in Philippians 2:8 saying “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
How do we begin to practice submission?
Seven Areas of Submission (From Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)
God: We yield ourselves, our mind, body, and spirit for God’s purposes.
Scripture: We open ourselves to hear, receive, and obey the Word of God.
Family: Philippians 2:4 says “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Look out for the interests of your family members.
Neighbors: If others are in need, we help them. No task is too small or too unimportant.
Church: We give of our time, our talents, and our money to the body of Christ, the church.
Broken & Despised: Our first responsibility is to be among them. We identify with the rejected and hurt.
The World: We cannot live in isolation. Poverty, hunger, lack of clean water, and lack of medicine affect us. We need to live as responsible members of an increasingly irresponsible world.
We’ve defined biblical submission, begun to establish the basis for it (there is much more to be said about it), and what remains is to go and practice it. Start practicing the words of Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Caution
I’m a cautious guy. Usually pretty slow to form opinions. I like to gather the data. I like to think about it. Eventually, I make up my mind. This is probably part nature and part nurture. My caution also causes me to weigh my words. And all of this is usually a good thing. I think the approach of trying to make sense of something and trying to understand something is a wise and helpful approach for all areas of life. It’s especially helpful whenever there is disagreement or misunderstanding.
A book by Rob Bell was recently published called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. This book has caused quite an uproar in the Christian world. I’m reading the book right now, but my intent is not to review it (at least not yet). Instead, I’ve been reflecting on how to approach the book and the discussion swirling around it. If you are not aware, this book has stirred controversy and condemnation and ignited rigorous theological debate. The internet filling with comments and articles started with the promotional materials before the book even came out.
I don’t know if what Rob Bell writes in his book is “right.” I do know that before formulating an opinion, I’m going to read the book. I also know that I’ll take a little time to digest it and to figure out what I agree and don’t agree with in the book. I realize that there are a lot of people out there like me. I also realize there are many prominent leaders in the Christian community who haven’t taken this approach. They’ve been in a rush to get their thoughts out there and to “correct bad doctrine.” It would seem that their speaking out has only fueled the publicity and interest.
I’m reminded of what James writes in his letter, that we are to ”be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (v19, NIV). It seems that this approach would work well for everyone and would be counter-cultural in an age of now. Our culture encourages us to tweet, to blog, and to give a quote immediately. Part of my mindset is to sift through our culture and to follow Jesus over our culture. This seems like an instance where being slow to speak or slow to write is worth considering.
Maybe we’d all come across a little better if we tested, probed, and understood a little before opening our mouths.
Tools of the faith
Electric tools, hand tools, gas powered tools, whatever they are and whatever they’re used for, I’m a huge fan of tools. I love shovels, hammers, power drills, saws, levels, wrenches, screwdrivers . . . I could go on and on. One of my favorite parts of watching a craftsman at work is how skillfully they use a tool. It’s beautiful to see the effectiveness of their work and the economy of motion in using the tool. It causes me to admire the training they’ve undergone to use the tools that accomplish their work.
As Christians we have tools that help us grow the depth of our relationship with God. These tools are called spiritual disciplines or practices. The men of Sycamore Creek Church studied these practices during our last men’s retreat and have been following up on them over the past several months. The practices are things we do as individuals or with others. Like any tool, you don’t just pick it up and immediately know how to skillfully use it. These tools require practice.
The danger with any tool is that we’d glorify the tool itself and lose sight of the purpose of the tool, the work it accomplishes. The spiritual practice itself is not the goal or the purpose, but it is a tool that puts us in God’s presence. He then does the work of transforming us!
A tool is worth having if it is used. An old tool sitting in your toolbox that never gets used isn’t helping your projects at all. In the same way, just learning about spiritual practices doesn’t do a person much good. They need to be used. The spiritual practices are like tools for growing and maintaining our faith. In order for them to be helpful, we need to begin to learn how to use them. Look at the spiritually maturing people around you and they are likely skilled craftspersons with these spiritual tools. They are a natural part of their life. To get to that point it takes time, repetition, and well, discipline.
Below is a list of some of the spiritual practices that the men of SCC have been working on adding to our spiritual toolbox and using regularly. These are taken from Richard Foster’s book Celebration of Discipline. With practice we hope to become skilled in using these tools. Not because the tool itself is important, but because of what God accomplishes through it.
Spiritual Disciplines: Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Solitude, Confession, Service, Celebration, Simplicity, Fellowship, Study, Submission
maupperlee
