Why I Volunteer at Kids Club

I recently received from my family a unique item for my birthday.  If you are familiar with the Staples marketing campaign using the “easy” button, imagine that button says the word “No” in about 10 different levels of intensity.   That was my present.  The not-so-subtle (albeit lighthearted) hint that I need to say “No” to more requests of my time and energy and “Yes” to my family.

So, you can imagine how pleased they must have been when I committed to help out with The Crossing’s Kids Club this coming week.  Another “Yes” to something with the obvious caveat being my family will be there as well.  It is actually extremely easy to say no to a host of demands on our time these days as it seems the summer inevitably brings countless opportunities, with only so many hours in the day to accomplish only a few of them.

The obvious question is whether Kids Club makes the cut in your summer?  I can honestly think of many things I would like to be doing after work next week than activities like getting my face painted.  However, I am truly excited to serve for a few reasons I would like to address in this blog.  These reasons are specifically aimed at men as it was painfully obvious from the training session this past week that you women are already holding up to your end of the bargain.

First and foremost, the church as a whole thrives when men engage in servant leadership. “Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5:2-4.  It is my understanding this verse is likely directed towards pastors, but I think it is reasonable to extend it’s emphasis to leaders in the church body as well.  The obvious goal being that all those engaged in serving the church are doing so with the same attitude from the top down.

Secondly, kids specifically need to observe men other than their fathers who are seeking to live according to the truth of the gospel.  “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11.  This verse speaks to the unique gifts we all have and those that may even be specific to men.  Kids need to see all of the gifts of God fleshed out in His community in full so that they grow understanding all the uniqueness of the body of Christ and how it works together.

My most fond memories of my time growing up in church are those of godly men giving up their time to teach, encourage and disciple me in my faith.  While I cherish the godly influence of my dad, as a kid I almost felt like it was his duty as a father to nurture my faith.  I think I could even appreciate as a young person the reality that those men in my church were giving of themselves by choice.

Lastly, it is certainly true we are more frequently guilty of neglecting serious study of the scriptures, but it is also good to be reminded of the simplicity of the gospel. “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15.  Watching the wonder on a child’s face as they really begin to understand the love of God is probably the most pure emotion we can observe on earth.  This is what people are thinking about when they say that serving at Kids Club gives you more than you give of yourself.

It may be too late for you to serve this year, but I hope you block off the first week of June next year to give it a try.  I am quite sure you will consider it worth the effort.

Book Notes

Here are some of the books that I've been reading lately. If you have any book suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Killing Floor by Lee Child
This is the first book in what has turned into a long series following the exploits of Jack Reacher, a former Military Policeman. Reacher stumbles on the town of Margrave, Ga., where he is wrongly accused of a grisly murder. While he works to clear his name, he uncovers an extensive criminal network, falls in love with a police officer, and is confronted by his family's past secrets.
Verdict: Mildly entertaining.

Escape From Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden
Shin Dong-hyuk was the first person born in a North Korean prison camp to escape. Until he met a Chinese prisoner he had no knowledge there was a world outside his gulag. This book tells his first person account of the incredibly brutal treatment that existed inside the prison camp, his harrowing escape, and the attempt to establish a new life in China, South Korea, and most recently the United States.
Verdict: Inspiring Story

Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything by Tullian Tchividjian
The author shares the life changing lessons that he learned during a very difficult season as the new pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. The most important of those lessons centers on the grace of the gospel that is often assumed and neglected by too many Christians. Often Christians are afraid of grace, thinking that too much of a focus on it takes away the motivation to obey God. It's not uncommon to hear people say that we need to try to strike just the right balance between grace and law. But Tchividjian shows that when a person truly gets grace he never thinks, "Great, now I can sin more!" Grace doesn't just free us from the penalty of our sin but also from the power of sin.
Verdict: Very helpful for the Christian life.

The Autobiography of Malcom X as told to Alex Haley
This is a fascinating book sharing the story of how Malcom Little became Malcom X, an important leader in the Nation of Islam before breaking away in 1961 and being assassinated in 1965. This book made me far more appreciative of what African Americans experienced in the 1950's and 60's and why it led to black nationalism.
Verdict: Exceptionally interesting and well written. It taught me a lot.

Who Am I? Identity in Christ by Jerry Bridges
This brief book surveys what the New Testament says about who we are "in Christ." In his simple, biblical style Bridges hopes to help Christians define themselves by the Scriptures instead of their feelings or the culture.
Verdict: Helpful because it is basic biblical truth that would make good devotional reading.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
As the Beijing bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, Demick often wondered what life was like in North Korea. In this book she follows six families as they deal with crushing famine, a malfunctioning electrical grid, mind controlling propaganda, the loss of hope, and much more in the world's most oppressive country.
Verdict: Excellent.

Tiger, Tiger: A Memoir by Margaux Fragoso
Okay, this book is wonderfully written but more than a little disturbing. The subject matter is not something that everyone will want to read about. When Margaux Fragoso was seven years old, she met Peter Curran, age 51, at a swimming pool. The book describes their fifteen-year relationship in which Peter was her friend, father figure, and lover. We watch as Margaux is transformed from energetic young girl to a teenager on the verge of suicide and then tries to reclaim her life after years of manipulation.
Verdict: While not for everyone, I thought this book offered robust characters and perceptive insights into the human condition.

The Tolerance of Intolerance by D. A. Carson
Tolerance used to mean that everyone was free to hold his or her own beliefs. But over the past several decades the word has come to mean that all beliefs are equally valid or true. Carson explains why this shift is especially troublesome for Christians and gives examples of how Christians today find themselves in very delicate and difficult situations.
Verdict: Anything Carson writes is worth reading. This is no exception.

Why Read (and Discuss) Steve Jobs?

Of course there are a lot of reasons a person might want to read a biography one of the greatest innovators of a generation. But why discuss a book about Steve Jobs at a church like The Crossing (which is exactly what we’re doing tonight)?

Is it because most of our staff likes Apple products? Or maybe we just want to associate ourselves with the company’s hip factor? Well, no.   

We do, however, want to engage broader cultural ideas, issues, and events, as well as the people associated with them, from a biblical, gospel-driven perspective. With that in mind, it more than makes sense to consider the life of a man like Steve Jobs, the architect of the world’s most valuable company and a major impetus behind the products that have made a deep cultural impact both here and around the world.

Because the Bible clearly teaches that God liberally dispenses his gifts to the whole of humanity and not just those inside the church, it’s always worth looking for the ways in which his “common grace” appears. This means we’ll want to be alert for what we might learn from and appreciate in those around us, even as we also consider what may need to be questioned or constructively critiqued. 

Yet another value of a book like Steve Jobs and good biographies in general is that they remind us of the foundational truth that everyone is a mixed bag. Famous and historical figures tend to be known primarily for either their positive or negative traits. But a sustained look at their lives makes the picture more complete and tempers our tendency to see people as either goats or heroes, fools or wise men, sinners or saints.

With that general framework in mind, here are at least three of the more specific themes that jumped out at me from reading the book:

1. The Arts and Sciences.

Throughout his life, Jobs was driven by the idea of integrating technology and artistic expression. Not only Apple’s products, but also its stores, headquarters, advertising, and even packaging evidenced an emphasis on design. In this, I think Jobs intuitively understood the reality that human beings are hardwired for beauty and creativity. From a biblical viewpoint, this fact is the result of being made in the image of one who not only creates, but also takes delight in what he has made. 

I won’t be the first to suggest that this emphasis on the aesthetic has been a huge reason for Apple’s success. This, in turn, raises the question of how the artistic dimension of human beings has been undervalued in other facets of life, including the ministry of the church. How might thinking aesthetically positively affect our worship, communication, architecture, evangelism, teaching, etc.?

2. “Good” simplicity is hard, but worth it.   

Jobs also had a high value on making things functionally simple and intuitive. This led to any number of user-friendly products and inventive designs—for example, the wheel on an iPod. But it wasn’t always easy to get there. It took an even greater grasp of a goal and problems associated with it to come up with the final solution. The result: products that people found attractive because they not only worked well, but also were approachable and understandable. One anecdote in the book tells of an illiterate six year old in Bogota easily grasping the basic workings of an iPad.

Once again, this raises an interesting question for the church. In what ways do we need to pursue this hard won simplicity? If memory serves, no less a theologian than John Calvin once said that he studied to be simple. This of course isn’t to be confused with being simplistic. But some situations demand even greater understanding and insight in order to communicate simply, clearly, and deeply—as anyone who has attempted to explain important theological concepts to preschoolers already knows. Or think about communicating the gospel to people with no church background or general understanding of Christian beliefs. And how might this idea have a positive effect on the experience of new people attending a church? A “studied simplicity” is often a way we can love and serve our neighbor. 

3. Reality wins in the end.

Jobs was well known for what colleagues called his “reality distortion field.” Among other things, this trait made him virtually refuse to acknowledge whatever might serve as a challenge or impediment—time constraints, design problems, or even people, etc.—to the things he wanted to take place. As a result, he often propelled others to great results, results they might have initially thought impossible. Jobs and Apple continually produced the spectacular. 

Such accomplishment, it must be said, could engender hubris in anyone. It would be easy to begin thinking that one didn’t have to play by the normal rules or meet the expectations of others. This certainly seems to have been the case with Jobs at times. But reality—God’s reality, that is—has a way of winning in the end, of reminding us of our smallness and inadequacy, and, when all is said and done, that we’re not the ultimate masters of our fate. In regard to Jobs’ life, a few of these things come through the narrative of the book, the most obvious of which was his experience with cancer. 

………

There are certainly other worthy topics and principles to be found in the book, whether they touch on business, technology, creativity, family life, or even Job’s religious views. And if nothing else, Steve Job’s life and work illustrates the fact that our world is constantly changing, offering new opportunities and new challenges to people who have placed their hope in an a beautifully unchanging gospel. 

'Shedding the Blood of Creation' as Sacrament or Sacrilege

"There is absolutely no reason a piece of furniture should not last hundreds of years. Literally, hundreds of years." So says Harrison Higgins, a maker of custom furniture based in Richmond, Virginia. According to his website, Higgins began making furniture over 30 years ago as an apprentice to a German furniture maker.

In a short film produced by Christianity Today - "Furniture Fit for the Kingdom" - Higgins "describes the theology behind his furniture-making - and the beauty revealed when we treat the creation as more than a resource or even a social cause, but as a sacrament." As this four-minute film unfolds, Higgins calls our attention to the overflowing love of God as evidenced by the good things that He has placed into His creation, just one of those things being the raw material - in this case, wood - that Higgins uses to build customized furniture to the glory of God, to endeavor to make something that is worthy of the tree from which it was cut. According to Higgins, when we look at all of creation with an eye toward sacrament, we "handle it differently."

Personally, I find it very encouraging that there are people left in this world who enjoy building furniture consistent with the 18th-century level of craftsmanship, the "high-water mark" of furniture building, according to Higgins. The net effect of being introduced to someone who loves what they do and seeks to live out their vocation in a manner intended to give glory to God is to consider how the work we do provides value to God's creation...or not.

For the last year or so, I have been studying the topics of faith, vocation and culture with a group of D.Min. candidates at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. While I am not enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program at Covenant, my master's program has been uniquely designed to allow me to earn credit while hitching a ride with roughly a dozen other folks who are seeking to make a lasting contribution to this intersection of Who we worship on Sunday mornings and how we spill that sense of awestruck wonder over into our Monday mornings (and the rest of our work week). Just over a year into a three-year stint, I can say with confidence that much of my thinking about "my job" has been seriously messed with...but in a really good way.

For someone like Harrison Higgins, we can see at once how his chosen profession allows him the "spiritual room" to praise God as he harvests trees, shapes them down into smaller pieces, smooths them by hand and carves intricate detail into the designs he has been commissioned to build. Someone like me, however, might come away from this video with very natural questions such as, "OK, but how do I create and maintain websites to the glory of God?" or "Is there anything at all sacramental associated with working the drive-thru window at the local McDonald's?"

While there is definitely some sense in which we have all been alienated from the goodness of God's creation by the modern, industrial era - moving from family-based enterprises such as a farm or general store to increasingly-narrowed fields with very specific job descriptions - as Christians we worship a Creator God Who owns, as Abraham Kuyper said, absolutely "every square inch" of His creation. This is very good news! While the fall of mankind (Genesis 3) has very clearly left its stain on everything we think, speak and do, God so loves His good creation (Genesis 1:31) that He is faithful to answer our prayers for redemption...even in today's fast-paced, technological age.

Many of us - though certainly not all - have been given the great gift of time off from work on this Memorial Day. Perhaps we have already filled up our "day off" with so many activities and events that we will fall exhausted into our beds tonight, only to wake up on Tuesday and dive right back into the increasingly-frenetic pace of our normal work life, self-deprived of the very "spiritual room" that we desperately need to consider how what we do to earn our living is making its impact - good or otherwise - on the good, beautiful and sacramental creation that we "drive-thru" each and every day.

As I get older, the tremendous value of God-glorifying simplicity takes up more and more space in my heart. Yes, the world is increasing in complexity every day, but listening to someone like Harrison Higgins is a much-needed reminder that we enter into a complex world by choice. There are simple choices that everyone can make - sacrament or sacrilege? - and we need not be world-class furniture makers or powerful culture makers to participate in what God has already completed (John 19:30) and inaugurated with the resurrection of His Son from the dead.

In that spirit of simplicity, then, maybe we could all try to get a little more rest today, punch a couple of holes into our schedule this week for an aimless walk or a prolonged session of staring out the window, and ask God to open our eyes a bit: "Lord, show me how I can cooperate with Your plan of redemption when I show up at work tomorrow morning. Help me to find opportunities to experience Your glory in the mundane details of my work life." When I remember that God owns everything and is able to reveal Himself in the everyday, I find the confidence to allow Him to reshape my work life such that others will find cause to ask me for the hope that resides within (1 Peter 3:15).

Related Links:

• Christianity Today: This is Our City
• Harrison Higgins Custom Furniture
• Wendell Berry, The Gift of Good Land

Songs and Scenes from Sunday, May 27, 2012

This week's music set review features photos by Scott Myers. You'll find links in the song titles that will allow you to purchase recorded versions of the songs where available.

The Prayer of St. Francis - Words: St. Francis of Assisi (translation c. 1912), Music: David A. Cover and Christine Cover

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

I Sing the Mighty Power of God - Words: Isaac Watts (1715), Music and Additional Chorus: Scott Johnson, Keith Scherer, Andrew Camp

There’s not a plant or flower below,
but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow,
by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee
is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be,
Thou, God art present there.

His Loving-Kindness - Words: Samuel Medley (1782), Additional Words: David A. Cover, Music: Christine Cover and David A. Cover

Often I feel my sinful heart
prone from my Savior to depart;
but though I have him oft' forgot,
His loving kindness changes not!
How precious is your steadfast love,
eternal Lord of all.
In you is life, is true delight;
I choose to rest in love.

David read Philippians 2:6-11 and lead us into a time of silent prayer where we confessed the pride that leads us away from Christ.

Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death —
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

He Holds All Things by David A. Cover and Patrick Miller

From kingdom dark to kingdom's light,
Your blood has made a way.
The death of sin and hope of life,
Your mighty cross proclaims.
From Him, to Him, salvation is sustained.
Through Him, for Him, all things remade.

All Hail the Power of Jesus Name - Words by Edward Perronet (1780), Contemporary chorus by Judah Groveman

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.

(Sr. High students meet in The Crossing's temporary trailers as construction starts on new classroom space.)

How Long to Save by Patrick K. Miller and David A. Cover

Beneath the sea, deliver me;
the current's wake You take!
My sinful ways are drowning me,
cut the deep, set me free!

You are my Rock, my firm foundation;
apart from You I will fall.
You are my strength. my sure salvation!
I love You, Lord

Music and Tech Team for May 27, 2012:

Andrew Camp - vocals, electric and acoustic guitar
Christine Cover - vocals,
David Cover - vocals, electric guitar
Nick Havens - bass
Rhett Johnson - electric guitar
Scott Johnson - piano, organ, vocals
Andrew Luley - drums
Bill Page - acoustic guitar

Ken Kroll - lights
Amy Lamm - production manager
Darren Nichols - music media
Gerik Parmele - camera operator
Tim Worstell - sound

Collision, Part 2: God's Storyline vs. Our Expectations

Years ago, I was joking with a family member that I needed to pray for more patience, because I was seriously lacking in that fruit of the spirit at the moment. My family member responded, sounding alarmed, "Don't pray for patience! God will send you things to test your patience!"

This past Monday, my husband posted a blog about our heart's common response to God's use of difficulty in our lives as a means of bringing out His good work, and as I was thinking about how hard it is to embrace those hard things that come into our lives as "God's perfect plan" for us, I was reminded of that brief exchange.

There was a time very, very early in my relationship with Christ, when I was praying what was probably the first genuine prayer I'd ever prayed. I was in a fairly unhappy life situation at the time; I was divorced, a single working mother of three young children living far from family and with few, if any, real friends. I longed to move back home to Missouri, where I had family. However, divorce being the animal it is, it did not appear that moving home was anywhere in my near future.

Having recently begun regularly attending a new church, one that God used to ignite my heart for Christ, I'd begun to ask God that, if He wasn't going to change my situation, would He please show me how to be at peace with where He had me. Shortly thereafter, He gave me my heart's desire. Things fell into place such that I was able to move "back home" to Kansas City.

It was just as I'd really hoped it would be. I wanted to stop feeling so isolated, lonely and unhappy, and I wanted God to change those circumstances. Though I was ready, at that point, to see what else He might do to provide that peace I longed for, I still hoped He might just solve my problem the way I wanted Him to. In other words, I still wanted Him to make a way for me to come back to northwest Missouri, where I had a support system and people who loved me. And I was delighted when He revealed Himself to me by giving me my heart's desire. It's so easy to love God when prayers work out like that!

If we're honest, isn't that what we all want...all the time? We want God to provide us with what we want (and preferably on our timeline as well). Maybe we even pray around it, but we know God knows our hearts, and so we not-at-all-secretly hope that He will just give us what we want, even while we try to mouth the words, "Your will be done."

His particular answer to that prayer, early in my faith, is still a treasured gift, a part of my "testimony" and not one that I take lightly. Much more often, though, my prayers get answered in a different way.

It didn't take long after coming to Christ and entering into marriage again, this time as a fairly new believer, that my relationship with Warren began to reveal that I was much more prideful, independent and confident in my own abilities than I thought I was or knew I "ought to be." So, knowing only Christ could help me change, I began asking Him to teach me how to be humble.

Well, He is indeed faithful. He has been answering that prayer ever since, and I don't like it.

While He has answered that prayer in many ways over the years, as far as I can tell He has done His best work in teaching me humility by bringing difficult relationships into my life - the kind you can't just walk away from. (No, not my husband. Well, OK - sometimes my husband - but that's another blog.)

There have been many, many times when I have cried desperate, angry tears, railing against the reality that this is how God chose to work in my life to remove pride and arrogance. I was rather hoping - maybe even expecting - that when I asked for humility, He would simply begin to change my heart the way He did when He first called me to Himself, in a slow, lovely dawning of truth as He opened my eyes. I hadn't asked for or planned on being rubbed up against a cheese grater for years. And here's the key: had I known by what means He might answer my cry for help, I can't believe I ever would have uttered that prayer. Had He given me foresight to see the path I'd have to walk, I don't imagine I would have ever chosen it.

And yet, with hindsight, I can see what He has and is continuing to do in me, and I love Him for caring enough to shred me the way He has. That's not to say I don't still struggle to appreciate how He chooses to do it, but I have come to a place where I am grateful to see any progress, even while I can easily see I still have so far to go.

Isn't this the struggle for all of us? We ask God to do mighty things in our lives...and then we hate the way He does it. We ask God to strengthen our faith...and He allows circumstances to come into our lives that will test our faith. We ask God to reveal Himself to us...and He breaks into our comfortable lives and makes changes that are painful, changes we don't want Him to make! But it's those changes that make it obvious that He is at work; He has certainly revealed Himself!

I'm not trying to suggest that every trial in our lives is an answer to prayer, or that God always answers prayer through difficulty. What I am trying to suggest is that our hearts, even at their best, are desperately selfish, and when we pray (for instance) for humility, what we really want is for God to send it down packaged nicely and for it to land softly into our laps.

Praise God that He loves us too much to give us what we want all the time!

When trials come into my life, as they so often do when you have a blended family post-divorce, I simply have to cling to the truth of Romans 8:28, that no matter how desperate the situation appears from my end of things, that God is working all things for the good of those who love Him. I also have to remind myself that this promise doesn't necessarily define "good" as "good in the here and now." Too often we can't see any temporal good. And often enough, it may well be that there is no temporal good. But if you look closely at His promise in that verse, it doesn't say that God works all things for the good of those who love Him in this life.

Romans 8:28 used to stand alone as one of my favorite verses, but nowadays while verse 28 offers me the hope I need in the midst of trials, it's verse 29 that offers me the perspective. Romans 8:29 says that God is working all things for our good so that we will be conformed to the image of His Son.  This is the "good" that verse 28 refers to.  Therefore, we can be confident that God is working all things - chronic health issues, divorce, difficult relationships, loneliness, financial hardships, unemployment, the death of a loved one, and everything else - to cause us to become more selfless, more humble, more loving...more Christ-like, and that this is our ultimate good.  This truth is easy to say, but very often difficult to believe.

It was God's sweet and gentle mercy that He answered that early prayer of mine in a relatively trial-free way, and that He did so in a way that allowed me to "get what I wanted." Too often what we want is not what's best for us, and He has since then shown me time and time again that His plan for me is exquisitely and infinitesimally better than mine.

I still thank Him for moving me back to Missouri, and I regularly thank Him for changing my heart in ways only He can, even through the pain that He's allowed into my life. I've been slow to get to the place where I can honestly say that.  I can't guarantee I'll not rail against the next trial that comes. But one thing I think I do know: I absolutely believe that God is using all things - the good and especially the bad - for my good, to cause me to be conformed more and more into the likeness of His Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ.

If I really believe that, how can I not fall down on my knees and thank Him for loving me enough to give me what I really need?

Romans 8:28-29
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Why Is Mark In Mark?

Yesterday I received this email from a member of The Crossing:
“I'm reading through Mark and wondered if you could enlighten me with the significance of verses 51-52 of Ch 14? They are not in Matthew and I just wondered why they were included, as it seems they don't have anything to do with the Gospel message.”

Here are the verses to which this person was referring (the narrative is right after Jesus was arrested when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, and his disciples fled):

Mark 14:51–52 ESV
And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Strangely random, isn’t it? Or at least so it seems because that’s all it mentions about this “young man” in the Gospel of Mark. And the emailer is right—all the other gospels omit this little insertion to the narrative. Such an irrelevant blip in the story.

So why is it here in Mark?

The answer lies in the author of the Gospel of Mark. In fact, this young man is probably Mark himself when he was a young teenager.

The ESV Study Bible states:

“This incident is recorded only in Mark's Gospel, leading many commentators to think that Mark himself, the author of this Gospel, was this young man, but that out of modesty he did not include his own name.”

Well, modesty, yes, and probably also a bit of shame. He did flee from Jesus in his hour of suffering. Perhaps that was his greatest regret in life as an adult.

But why was a young teenage Mark even there to be almost seized with Jesus?

I think the answer is found in the context of all that happened on this fateful night prior to this event. Remember that Jesus and his disciples were out-of-towners while in Jerusalem. They lived way up north in Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee. They were in far-away Jerusalem for the Passover (and unknown to the disciples, Jesus was going to be the final Passover Lamb).

Earlier in this chapter (Mark 14:13-16), Jesus arranged for his disciples and himself to eat their Passover meal as guests in a house in Jerusalem with “a large upper room furnished and ready” (this was probably the same house and the same “upper room” where the disciples were staying on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 1:13).

Mark was probably a teenage relative of some kind (a young cousin?) of the owner of the house (Barnabas?) where Jesus had just had the Passover meal (i.e., the Last Supper) with his disciples. After the meal and the singing of a hymn, Jesus and his disciples left and went to the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:26; Mark 14:32), where Jesus repeatedly prayed his petitions to the Heavenly Father that he might find a way to avoid the cross.

It had to be exciting to a young teenage Mark to have this renowned Jesus as their houseguest. Jesus is actually HERE in our house! After the meal, Jesus and his disciples suddenly leave on some clandestine errand. It was the dark of night. What was Jesus up to? Mark had to have been curious. So he secretly followed and watched them from a distance. They end up at Gethsemane.

And if this is the case, Mark was a witness to Jesus' prayers, repeated rebuke of his disciples for their slumber, and his eventual arrest. By the way, Keith gave some other interesting insights we know about Mark from the Bible in his sermon last Sunday, May 20th.

So in these strangely odd two verses, the now adult Mark inserts himself into his gospel narrative because that’s where Jesus’ story intersects with his. In a sense, this is the author’s “Alfred Hitchcock” appearance in his narrative.

So what does all this tell us?

The emailer is right—strangely, this little insertion has absolutely nothing to do with the message or story of Jesus. It is irrelevant to the narrative. But it’s in Mark’s gospel because it’s in Mark’s memory. And he remembers that night very well. It is one more of so many examples of our reading the unimportant details in the gospel narratives simply because they are part of someone’s memories. It happened. They remembered. And so it’s part of the Bible’s narrative account.

Author Tim Keller comments on this phenomenon (King’s Cross, p. 47):

In his book Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (p. 343ff), biblical scholar Richard Bauckham examines the characteristics of eyewitness memory. One of the marks of an eyewitness account is “irrelevant detail.” Composed, fictional stories contain details that move the narrative along or convey a message that the author wants to get across. But eyewitnesses record many details simply because they remember them. It is true that fiction writers today often add small details to their stories to make them realistic. But that’s not the way legends were composed in ancient times. …These sorts of details don’t advance the plot and don’t develop the characters. Vincent Taylor, the prominent twentieth-century biblical scholar, said that these details were “so unnecessary to the story” and therefore have the marks of “genuine reminiscence.”

And this kind of genuine reminiscence is just another historical marker that this story—the story of Jesus—really happened.

What Makes a "Good Christian Movie": Pt. 2

Last week I highlighted a blog discussion initiated by The Gospel Coalition that explored what excellence in Christian filmmaking might look like and how it might be achieved. I also promised to share more of my own perspective on the subject (unsolicited thought it may be). Here then are at least a few steps in that direction.    

Thought it's far from an original view, tt seems to me that Christian filmmakers—or any other kind of artist for that matter—need to concern themselves primarily with two dimensions of their work: (1) what could be called its artistic, aesthetic, or technical excellence and (2) its content. While this certainly won't be the final word on either, let's briefly consider both dimensions in the context of making movies.

Artistic Excellence

Movies are essentially stories that are given visual and auditory form. As such, anyone who wishes to make movies of quality needs first to tell good stories using the means available in filmmaking.

But this goal, it must be stressed, is fundamentally different than simply communicating truth—however valuable that truth might be. Stating ideas in a straightforward, propositional manner can be of enormous value. In fact, there are any number of situations in life that call for this very thing. One the other hand, such expressions rarely, if ever, constitute a compelling story. 

Perhaps an example will illustrate the point. Consider two alternatives:

1. Stating that God’s relationship with his people is based on his loving grace rather than our moral performance—something on the order of what Paul does in Ephesians 2:1-10.
2. Jesus telling the parable of the prodigal son (or perhaps better, the two lost sons) in Luke 15.

There are obviously suitable occasions for both approaches. They express much of the same truth. But only the second is a good story. 

Without a compelling story, a filmmaker may have many good things to say. He might even have makings of a considerable achievement in another medium. But he likely won’t have a good movie. 

All this means that filmmakers will need to place a premium on the many artistic considerations that go into telling good stories in their chosen medium: everything from plot and character development to setting, cinematography, and editing, to the performances of the actors involved.

But we should add one thing: crafting stories of this type is very difficult. It’s true that contemporary Christians have often produced art of substandard quality. No doubt this is, at times, due to a tendency to elevate message over medium. But as Douglas Wilson points out, sometimes a simpler explanation is available:

I have no problem with evangelicals receiving criticism for producing schlock. That is what criticism (rightly conceived) is for. What I cannot abide is schlock criticism — memes that make no sense getting endlessly repeated as though they were some kind of wisdom. One of those memes is that evangelicals are unique in their ability to produce this stuff. Anybody who says this cannot have been in a video rental store recently. Evangelicals make bad movies because making good movies is hard, which turns out to be the same reason why people generally make bad movies.

Content

A few brief points:

1. Art, including film, does not need to be expressly “religious” or “spiritual” in its content. 

A tree may not present the gospel, but it’s to be enjoyed nonetheless. And while art is quite capable of communicating overt spiritual truth—often in extremely powerful ways—it need not do so to be appreciated.

This is not at all to say that a filmmakers should avoid communicating their worldview or particular faith commitments within a work. Indeed, it would be difficult to do so. This leads us to the subsequent points.

2. Let the Big Story shape the small stories.

Many have pointed out that the Bible, despite its many genres and books, ultimately forms one great narrative. Broadly speaking, it is a drama with four acts: creation, fall (or rebellion), redemption, and consummation (or glorification).  

Whether we realize it or not, these four acts form the reality in which every human being participates. As a result, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that that compelling filmmaking will almost always resonate in some way with one or more of these themes—again, whether we realize it or not. 

3. No one can say everything all the time. 

A particular work of art need not display the entirety of Christian truth or even all the elements of the gospel. Not even Jesus’ parables—which were specifically meant to convey such things—do that.

A given film may dwell on or bring to the fore a few concepts that reflect a Christian worldview while not concerning itself with others. One film may highlight the brokenness and tragedy that infects our world. Another might center upon the consequences of exhibiting a particular character trait in certain circumstances. A third could explore our longing for satisfaction and inability to find it in our own power. Still another might focus on portraying a type of redemption, and so on.

In many cases, the totality of an artist’s work will artfully display a broad spectrum of biblically consistent truth. But individual works may bear a lesser burden. 

4. In filmmaking, “leavening” often works best. 

A filmmaker is often better served in communicating through what might be called “leavening” rather than more didactic means. By this I mean that a filmmaker’s worldview should suffuse and bubble up throughout a work.

A well-known example from literature (and subsequently the movies) is J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Because Tolkien’s faith permeated his work, LOTR contains numerous echoes of the biblical story. In this sense, it is profoundly Christian. And yet, these echoes aren’t simple equivalencies to biblical characters and events (Tolkien in fact confessed to despising allegory). Instead, they’re expressed in ways that are consistent with Tolkien’s imaginative world and serve the story he wished to tell. Ironically, taking this approach makes these echoes all the more compelling within the medium of literature/film, even if the same strategy almost certainly wouldn’t be sufficient for a sermon or a seminar.

Collision: God's Storyline vs. Our Expectations

It's been said before that at least part of the underlying reason for the recent resurgence of speakers and authors doggedly advocating an atheistic worldview is a collective, horrified response to the death and destruction unleashed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. - as well as the decade-long "War on Terror" that has followed.

Of course, atheists have been around since the dawn of time; the Sept. 11 attacks merely galvanized many of them to push past the unpleasant idea that you and I are free to believe whatever we wish with regard to God. The newer form of atheism classifies religious belief as unacceptable for anyone with an "enlightened" mind, something to be expunged with extreme prejudice. Your religious freedom is now classified as a secondary concern.

While no one in their right mind would deny the immense tragedy and loss that accompany both terrorist attacks and the subsequent military response, allowing proper mourning to mutate into shaking an angry fist at God solves nothing; in fact, it only exacerbates the problem and divides us even further from one another.

No one typically comes right out and says this - though some do - but if you listen carefully and "read between the lines" a bit, you can almost hear the anti-God sirens singing as one unified chorus line: "Will you just look at what happens when people hold to these crazy beliefs in God?" The sad irony is that it is in our episodes of tragedy - both corporate and individual - that we find the strongest, most-obvious signposts that we do in fact need God. Underlying all of this demand that we thrust God into the dock of judgment is the arrogant notion that God has no right to determine the course of events in an individual's life, let alone that of human history. (It is the peculiar province of the atheist to both deny God's existence and simultaneously to be very angry with Him and feel compelled to judge His actions.)

Simply stated, not too many people immediately embrace the idea that our lives, and the events that take place in them, all belong to God.

Your next breath is on loan. The biblical view is pretty easy to understand, but immensely difficult to accept. The very beating of your heart as you read these words is an ongoing demonstration of God's grace and mercy in your life, and He may be well pleased to allow your heart to continue to beat for another 10, 30, or perhaps even 70 years...or He may determine that it is in your best interest to call you home tomorrow. Framed in this manner, it becomes a bit simpler to develop a heart of gratitude, even in the face of tremendous loss and brokenness.

What's the single biggest problem in your life...right now?

For me, these days, it's various forms of "relational brokenness." Funny, though, how my intense scrutiny of this particular problem would likely change somewhat were my house to catch fire (God forbid!) while my family was asleep inside. But even the total loss of everything we owned might start to look like "the good old days" if the geopolitical realities of our day shifted such that our cozy little university town were to begin experiencing carpet-bombing, roadside explosive devices and drone missile attacks, the daily norm in other parts of the globe. My point is not that "It can always get worse;" instead, I am simply saying that no matter where we find ourselves on the scale of suffering, human beings tend always to feel that God has failed to deliver on the promised "good life." As a result, they may well lose the ability to see the manifold blessings of God in their lives.

Why do we think this way? Where in Scripture does one go for the "entitlement" promises of God? When does God have our "permission" to mess up our day? (An interesting follow-up to that question might be, "Would we ever give God our permission to bring about any form of suffering?")

Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced "cha-vi-jin") knows a little something about God's ability to throw a monkey wrench into our lives...even as we are selflessly serving God! Unlike the new atheists, however, Tchividjian did not turn from God or accuse Him of wrongdoing in the face of unanticipated circumstances. Following a thoroughly biblical model, he allowed God to use his suffering to expose his own weaknesses, flaws, idolatry and (yes) sins. In simple terms, Tchividjian chose to believe that God allows suffering as a means of exposing those areas of our lives that need to be brought out into the light, examined and repented of. Even the most casual reading of his new book - "Jesus + Nothing = Everything" - allows readers to see for themselves how faithful God is and how truly merciful He is by allowing suffering in our lives as "a wake-up call."

A grandson of Ruth and Billy Graham, Tchividjian has said nothing truly new in his book, but rather woven together some of the better teachings of folks such as John Piper and Tim Keller and applied their Christian principles to the serious mess of his own life. In my opinion, all of the Christian intellectualism in the world is not nearly as helpful as following along in someone else's footsteps and seeing how their bedrock belief in a just, merciful and loving God guided them in their decisions and responses. This is not to say that I do not value the rigorous mind work that is required for a lasting relationship with God; not at all. In fact, I very much admire, respect and seek to understand the bright, talented scholars that God has placed in His church. But watching someone actually apply Christian ideals to the blood, sweat and tears of real life is something else altogether. It's the difference between admiring a sleek new sports car on a perfectly-lit stage at an auto show, and driving that same car down a favorite stretch of highway at top speed.

The struggles of Tchividjian at his church in Florida hardly seem worth comparing to the epic tragedy of Sept. 11 and the worldwide conflict in which we currently find ourselves embroiled. I have every reason to believe that Tchividjian himself would say as much. However, both the rise of "New Atheism" and the submissive-to-God response of Tchividjian share some common ground. In both cases, the very existence and nature of God are called into question. The difference is in the result of that questioning.

• "God allowed this to happen...I can't allow myself to believe in Him anymore." If we hold ourselves, our plans, and our "right" to continue drawing breath as the highest-possible good, then we are most likely to respond with anger, unbelief and/or outrage whenever God allows suffering to enter our lives. "Bereft of hope" when our dreams do not come to pass, and when reality stubbornly does not fit into the expectations we have developed, we may be strongly tempted to turn away from God at the precise moment that He is closest to us and loudly calling us to enter into relationship with Him.
• "Your will be done." In contrast to being angry and upset, the believer who will open his or her heart up during times of crisis to accept that God will be God, and to bring whatever is required into the process of conforming them more and more to the image of His Son, is placed squarely in The Learning Seat. God is gracious and loving, so prayerful questions such as, "What are you doing in my life, Lord? What am I supposed to be learning from this?" are perfectly OK. We are free to ask questions of God with a humble and confused heart, as Mary inquired of the angel of the Lord in Luke 1:30-38. Too often, though, we adopt a posture more like that of Zechariah (Luke 1:13-20) when we begin to question God's ability to do some quick change-up work in our lives. Both Mary and Zechariah asked essentially the same question; the primary difference between them was an attitude of heart.

Does God have your permission to "mess with your life" in any way that serves His purposes...and your ultimate good (Romans 8:28)?

In recent months, I have had that question put to me more than once, and I've at least learned not to answer it too quickly. In my more honest moments, I can be heard to say ridiculous nonsense that basically boils down to, "Yes, but I'd really like it if He would check with me first." Lacking the ability to see the glorious storyline of God across the centuries - and even within our own lives - the propensity to ask valid questions can all too quickly turn to unbelief, anger, disillusionment and (left unchecked) a complete denial of God altogether. Thankfully, though, He has provided us with several snapshots of what it looks like to live faithfully in times of great stress, sorrow and grief.

• "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)
• "If I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16)
• "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21)

Songs and Scenes from Sunday, May 20, 2012

Today's Songs and Scenes review features photos provided by Lana Eklund. You'll find links in the song titles to help you purchase recorded versions of the songs when available.

Come Ye Sinners - Words: Joseph Hart, Music: Matthew Smith

Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus, ready, stands to save you,
Full of pity, joined with power.
He is able, He is able;
He is willing; doubt no more.

The Gospel Song by Drew Jones and Bob Kauflin

Holy God, in love, became
perfect Man to bear my blame.
On the cross He took my sin.
By His death I live again.

God Who Saves by Aaron Senseman

There is truth in His body,
raised that third day.
There is joy in a stone rolled away.
There is hope pouring out
of the tomb where He lay,
pouring out, pouring over the grave.

Praise the God who saves.
Praise the God who bled.
Praise the God who was nailed to a tree
and wore our sins upon His head.

We read last two verses of Psalm 139 which led us into a time of silent prayer.

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul - Words by Anne Steele (1716-1778), Contemporary Music by Kevin Twit

Dear refuge of my weary soul,
on Thee, when sorrows rise
on Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
my fainting hope relies;
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
for Thou alone canst heal.
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
for every pain I feel.

Saide read these comforting words from Psalm 34.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

All Must Be Well - Words by Mary Bowley Peters (1847) with contemporary music by Matthew Smith.

Through the love of God our Savior, all will be well;
Free and changeless is His favor, all is well;
Precious is the blood that healed us;
Perfect is the grace that sealed us;
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.

Mighty is the Power of the Cross by Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves and Shawn Craig

What can take a dying man
and raise him up to life again?
What can heal the wounded soul,
what can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness,
what can mend our brokenness?

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
is the holy cross
where the lamb laid down His life
to lift us from the fall.

Medley: Grace That is Greater - Words by Julia H. Johnston, Music by Daniel B. Towner (1910)

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin.

Music and Tech Team for Sunday, May 20, 2012:

David Currey - resophonic guitar
John Currey - mandolin
Sadie Currey - fiddle, vocals
Ashley Gross - vocals
Nick Havens - bass
Rhett Johnson - drums
Scott Johnson - piano, acoustic guitar, vocals
Emily Reisen - vocals

Kameron Bong - tech assistant
Mike Conant - sermon media
Addison Hawkins - FOH audio
Kirk Pickett - camera operator
Ken Surdin - light board operator
Jake Wandel - production manager; music media

The Politico

It is no secret the political climate is heating up as we find ourselves in another election year. There has already been significant turnover within the primary season as many incumbents are finding their constituents less than impressed with their legislative efforts and voting record. One of the first major upsets of the primary season is Senator Richard Lugar’s loss in the Indiana senate primary.

Senator Lugar penned an extremely interesting good-bye letter which I have included here. It is certainly long, but I think it is worth the read.  I consider it a safe bet a politician’s last words in office would hold much more objective truth than their opening statements. Lugar goes to great lengths to summarize his impressions of the significant poisonous partisanship defining Washington these days.

I understand that Mr. Lugar’s remarks reflect only one voice and one opinion in the vast political landscape. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I didn’t know much at all about Lugar before reading his letter. However, I think you will sense a sincere concern for the integrity of the political process and the necessity of compromise to achieve forward progress.

What I consider most interesting is the general historical context of how societal religious shifts frequently mirror political trends.  Is it too much of a stretch then, to consider Lugar’s mea culpa as a warning to the church about the effectiveness of drawing battle lines in an effort to influence culture?

I know there is always a tendency to reinvent history, and each generation has a penchant for declaring how different things “used to be”. However, it does seem like the lack of respect exhibited towards those with a different ideology permeates not only our politics, but every single discipline in our society.

Imagine for a moment if it was still considered appropriate to settle a dispute by a duel. How often in this day and age do you think both parties would take the full twenty paces? 19 steps and a turn would be justified simply by declaring “I won”. Winning has become more important than how one wins. It is exhibited in football players targeting a player with a damaged anterior cruciate ligament or multiple concussions.  Sport used to be defined by the best athletes beating the best athletes at their best. There is supposed to be a mutual respect in the achievement of competing at the highest level against an opponent worthy of your best.

A collective community of believers always carries an identity, purposefully or not. God clearly defines that identity is to be founded in a type of love always respectful of those with whom we don’t see eye-to-eye. The hope is that a collection of believers would represent a church that is a light in the broader community because it stands apart as different. Wouldn’t it be reasonable in our current culture to consider it as “different” to be willing to eat with the tax collector, care for the harlot and give to the poor?

I want to be sure that my circle of acquaintances always includes an ample supply of those with whom I can respectfully disagree on a multitude of relevant issues. The moment I find I’m surrounded by people who think just like I do is the moment my light just went out.

Outsourcing Caring Friendships

"In the face of this social disintegration, we have essentially hired an army of replacement confidants, an entire class of professional carers. As Ronald Dworkin pointed out in a 2010 paper for the Hoover Institution, in the late '40's, the United States was home to 2,500 clinical psychologists, 30,000 social workers, and fewer than 500 marriage and family therapists. As of 2010, the country had 77,000 clinical psychologists, 192,000 clinical social workers, 400,000 nonclinical social workers, 50,000 marriage and family therapists, 105,000 mental health counselors, 220,000 substance-abuse counselors, 17,000 nurse psychotherapists, and 30,000 life coaches. The majority of patients in therapy do not warrant a psychiatric diagnosis. This raft of psychic servants is helping us through what used to be called regular problems. We have outsourced the work of everyday caring."

From Is "Facebook Making Us Lonely?" by Stephen Marche in The Atlantic.

A Demolition of Love

Last Sunday I preached a sermon on this passage.

Mark 2:1–12 TNIV
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

You can listen to the sermon, entitled Rise Up From Your Paralysis, here.

Certainly an intriguing part of this story, and a point I did NOT preach on last Sunday, is regarding the unusual sacrifice of love of these four men digging through a two-foot thick roof of dirt and wood in order to be able to bring their friend to Jesus. After the sermon, a member of The Crossing, Phil Shearrer, came up to me and said that the deliberate demolition effort of these four men seemed like a really good picture/analogy of our recent demolition going on at The Crossing. He’s right.

Currently, we are demolishing two large classrooms opposite the back of our auditorium in order to be able to construct 350 or so new seats in our auditorium. It’s almost a cheesy comparison, but not really. The four men saw a building’s structural limitation as a spiritual limitation for their beloved friend who needed Jesus’ healing. There was no more room for him to enter the building to get to Jesus. So they did what they needed to do to break through it because they loved their friend. A demolition of love.

And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing at The Crossing—a demolition of love. We’re joining together to break through our current building’s structural limitation because we see that as a spiritual limitation in bringing in more people we love who need Jesus’ healing.

So this biblical story really is a great analogy of the demolition currently happening around our facility. We’re de-constructing in order to construct and overcome our space limitations so more and more people in our city can connect with all of God’s healing grace for them in Jesus. And we’re doing this because we love them and care about having room for them.

What Makes a "Good Christian Movie"?

It’s not quite the task that, say, explaining the Trinity to my five-year-old is, but answering the question in the title still very much opens a proverbial can of worms. 

One of the reasons this is so has to do with whether the question is valid in the first place. What, after all, do we mean when we use the term “Christian movie”? Is it better to ask what makes an excellent Christian movie or how Christians are to make excellent movies. The difference between the two questions is not incidental. In fact, it anticipates two significantly different ways to view the involvement of Christians in filmmaking—or any other form of art for that matter.

Still, the subject is both natural and important. Movies are not only one way we live out our God-imaging inclination to create and enjoy art, but they also play a powerful role in shaping and reflecting our society. Consequently, any thoughtful discussion of the topic is a valuable thing. 

Three cheers, then, for our friends over at The Gospel Coalition, who got the ball rolling on a series of posts dealing with just this topic. It’s genesis came from a comment by Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making, regarding the films produced by Sherwood Baptist Church (Fireproof, Facing the Giants, etc.): "one or two Christian kids with real talent somewhere in this vast land are going to see these movies, get the sacred-secular dichotomy knocked out of them at an early age, move to Los Angeles, work their tails off, dream, fail, and try again . . . and one day make truly great movies." This sparked TGC to ask: “What would these movies look like? What advice would you give to a Christian screenwriter, director, or producer who wants to make a film with artistic excellence from a Christian worldview?” 

TGC elicited responses from three individuals: Brian Godawa, screenwriter and author of Hollywood Worldviews; Mike Cosper, pastor of worship and arts at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, and Joe Carter, an editor at TGC. All three are thought provoking. An excerpt from each:

Godawa:

I know, I know, all Christian artists think they value both the craft and the content. But in my experience, they often fool themselves. When it comes time to make a decision for the story or the "message," they will go with the message every time. Why? Because they feel obligated by God to communicate a clear "message," or else they have wasted their time. They do not realize that the story itself, along with its style and craft, is part of the message. If we understand the nature of beauty as a theological imperative we would see that truth is ultimately incarnation, which is dramatic embodiment. The Word became flesh. Word and image, style and content, are equally ultimate.

Cosper:

Filmmakers are storytellers, and Christian filmmakers should (vocationally speaking) focus first and foremost on telling great stories. …In Tolkien's introduction to a later edition of The Lord of the Rings, he says he despises allegory and fiercely argues that his goal in the development of the series was to create a believable world and tell a compelling story. That should be an end enough in itself.

Preachiness in films is always obnoxious, whether it's from evangelicals or Michael Moore. People go to the theater with the hopes of being told a compelling story, and when the urge to get a message across trumps the need to tell a good story, the film suffers and the audience cries foul. They came for an adventure and they got a sermon. But this is exactly what many Christians think of when they talk about "Christian" filmmaking. 

A good story, on the other hand, can carry profound redemptive themes and portray the agonies and ecstasies of everyday life in ways that a sermon can't (not to say that it's superior, just different).

Carter:

Unfortunately, many Christians have convinced themselves that we can approach our vocations with a sense of religious neutrality. But we can't. Our work either betrays a worldview shaped by Christ or one influenced by the world (or, more likely, a syncretistic mix of the two). Whether we are plumbers, teachers, or mathematicians, our faith ultimately shapes the way we approach and carry out our work.

………

When it comes to art, common grace can only carry us so far. Without the redemptive guidance of the Christian faith, our culture-making efforts as Christians will eventually stagnate and atrophy. Our work will become indistinguishable from those who rebel against our Creator.

For what it’s worth, I found myself alternately agreeing at times with each post and either disagreeing or at least wanting clarification at other points. (I particularly took issue with Carter’s estimation of Terrance Malik’s The Tree of Life, on which I’ve written here, here, and here. I almost always appreciate what Carter writes, but on this point I think he’s profoundly missed the mark.) And as the above excerpts hint at, the authors themselves aren’t completely on the same page. Cosper later responded on his own blog to Carter’s post, which sparked further (and amicable) discussion between the two in the comments section. 

Next week, I’ll try to follow up with a few more observations of my own…or maybe more accurately, that I’ve borrowed from elsewhere.   

(My thanks to Justin Taylor for his post pointing to the TGC discussion and a few related posts.)

Making the Journey from Head to Heart

I've heard it said more than once that "the closer you draw to Jesus, the filthier you start to feel." In other words, when your eyes are finally opened by God, and you begin to get the smallest glimpse of the Person of Christ in all His holiness, righteousness and majesty, a very understandable first response is to look at the mess you have made of your own life and despair at the "hopelessness" of your plight.

Assuming that this saying is true, then, I must - at least in some ways - be getting closer and closer to Jesus; nowadays, for example, I can hardly stand to read Romans 7 anymore for the sheer desperation certain passages speak to. And it completely overloads all of my circuits to recall that this letter was written by Paul, the guy handpicked by Jesus to bring the light of the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:1-19)!

There are, of course, many great stories that serve as analogies to help us to get a more accurate idea of our standing before God. Jesus Himself provided the single best illustration of our sorry state with His parable about The Prodigal Son, as recounted in Luke 15:11-32.

One of my more modern favorites, though, is the one told by disgraced Christian televangelist Jim Bakker ("I Was Wrong") about an incident that occurred while he was serving his sentence for fraud. Dressed in well-worn prison garb, covered with filthy water and dirt from cleaning out the lavatories, Bakker was informed that someone had come to visit him. Not really wanting to talk to anyone, Bakker ignored the request and continued cleaning out the toilets, relenting only after the guard insisted that he really ought to see this visitor. Irritated, and stubbornly refusing to clean himself up in the least, Bakker was escorted to the prison visitation area only to be warmly embraced by Billy Graham. And it was precisely at that point that Bakker's angry, self-pitying exterior finally broke down into a prolonged session of uncontrolled sobbing.

Purity, goodness and grace, presented without expectation of "payment" of any kind, has a way of breaking through to even the hardest of hearts. So it is with Christ. As we pause to contemplate the untarnished love and selflessness of Jesus, we are almost immediately confronted with the wideness of the disparity between His mercy and grace and our own inner wickedness. We may be able to make a good show of subverting the true desires of our heart for the benefit of spouses, family, employers and friends, but there really is nowhere to hide what we really think from our own selves.

In recent weeks, disturbed by some persistent issues, I have been gently encouraged to stop suppressing the uglier aspects of my inner thought life and instead draw them out into words and in private conversation with other deeply-trusted loved ones. Somewhat akin to how a small child will tell incredibly-descriptive stories as he or she draws indecipherable characters and objects onto sheet after sheet of blank paper, the idea has been to ask God for grace and then "give myself permission" to bleed out some of the unresolved issues that rise to the level of conscious thought...and then "give them over" to Christ for forgiveness and cleansing (2 Corinthians 10:5, 1 John 1:9).

Properly fenced in, this sounded like good advice, and it has in fact been helpful. But I have to say that it has also been personally difficult for me to see so clearly - again - the tremendous disparity between what I know in my head and what my heart shows that I really believe. I know much (in my head) about the truth of Christ, my desperate standing before God, and the unconditional forgiveness offered to me through Jesus Christ. And yet my heart - the seat of emotions and who I truly am, stripped of all pretense - through this exercise has revealed a surprising (and demoralizing) volume of poisonous garbage being regularly spewed through the words I say, the actions I take (or refuse to take) and all other manner of unrighteousness.

If drawing close to Jesus is going to reveal these sorts of things to me, then the immediate/suicidal impulse is to draw back and retreat into "the comfortable darkness" and the alluring temptation to go back to thinking "I'm basically an OK guy." But the truth is that I am not an OK guy. You are not an OK guy. None of us are. Thankfully, though, this is not the end of the story.

Our "filthiness," rightly understood, is only the first half of the redemption story. Yes, it's thoroughly biblical to get a closer look at the nastiness of the human condition, but we can't stop there. This exercise I've been doing of late, "bleeding out" the stubbornly sinful heart attitudes I've been holding onto, leaves me only half-finished. It is also thoroughly biblical, once we've come face to face with our own helpless condition, to grasp and believe the Truth that in Christ we now have all the grace and power we need to overcome even the worst of our sins and the most corrosive of heart attitudes. It no longer matters what we find when we "plumb the depths;" the back of sin has been forever broken, and we cease to be enslaved to it (Luke 4:16-21).

Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, is not content to simply diagnose us as riddled with cancer and beyond all known cures. This head knowledge leads only to despair unless and until our hearts embrace with everything we are the One who is our Great Cure.

At The Crossing, we are consistently blessed by some of the most intelligent pastors and staff that a churchgoer could ask for. This is (obviously) a tremendous gift; we should all be deeply grateful that our minds are challenged week after week with the Truth of the gospel message and the historical accuracy and reliability of Scripture. For far too long, though, I have drifted in and around the great error of thinking that the good Christian life consisted primarily of acquiring as much head knowledge as possible about the events taking place in Palestine in the first century, failing to really grasp that all the knowledge in the world will do me absolutely no good when standing in the presence of a perfectly-holy, righteous God.

It is the ongoing human condition that we tend to take God's good blessings and turn them into personal idols. While pursuing head knowledge is certainly not a bad thing, and we are all called upon to give reasons for our faith (1 Peter 3:15), if we are not careful we can become so fascinated by the lessons that we can lose sight of the Teacher. There is everything good and right about reading and acquiring knowledge about Jesus, the Bible, church history and so on, but we can never allow that to become primary over maintaining our friendship with Jesus.

It's not ultimately about what we know. It's about Who we know. (And whether we truly know Him or not.)

Mark 9:23-24 (ESV)
And Jesus said to him, "'If you can!' All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

Romans 7:14-25 (ESV)
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

The longest, most arduous trip in the world is often the journey from the head to the heart. Until that round trip is completed, we remain at war with ourselves. And, of course, those at war with themselves are apt to make casualties of others, including friends and loved ones.
Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr.

Songs and Scenes from Sunday, May 13, 2012

This morning our good friends Page CXVI lead us in worship with their arrangements of classic hymns and new songs written for the church. Page CXVI has had a tremendous impact on The Crossing relationally and musically and it was great to have them back with us. Scott Myers graciously provided photos from our worship time with them. You'll find links in the song titles to purchase their songs.

Praise to the Lord - Words: Joachim Neander (1680), Music: Lobe Herren (1665)

Praise to the Lord,
O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath,
come now with praises before Him.
Praise Him! Praise Him!

Rock of Ages - Words: Augustus M. Toplady (1776), Chorus by Page CXVI

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
from Thy wounded side which flowed.
Be of sin the double cure,
save from wrath and make me pure.

How Great Thou Art by Stuart K. Hine

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Wash Me Clean by David Wilton

Wash me clean In the warm sun dry me
cleanse my heart From all iniquity.
Baptize me, renew my mind,
in those days, in the Holy Spirit sea
that wickedness may flee.

Amazing Grace - Words by John Newton (1779), Music by Virginia Harmony (1831), Chorus by Page CXVI

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now Iʼm found,
was blind but now I see.

So I will sing to you this song of thanks
for giving me abundant grace.
You broke the stones around my heart.
In you Iʼve been redeemed.

In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty

What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled and striving cease;
My Comforter, my All-in-All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

Tech Team for Sunday, May 13, 2012:

Kameron Bong - tech assistant
David Cover - FOH audio
Amy Lamm - light designer; light board operator
Jamie Stephens- music media
Jake Wandel - production manager