What Your Heaven Looks Like and Why It Matters

Quick, what’s heaven look like in your mind?  Your first impression likely speaks volumes about your theology, so to speak, of God’s coming kingdom.

Admittedly, though, I’ve already prejudiced your answer with the way I’ve asked the question.  While it’s true that most Christians think reflexively of “heaven” as the place where God will spend eternity with his people, “the new heavens and the new earth” is more biblically accurate.  As it turns out, the stock scene of fluffy white clouds, golden haloes, and chubby little angels has almost nothing to do with the reality of what will be.  No, the Bible allows us glimpses of a renewed physical world that we inhabit, not as ethereal ghosts, but as gloriously embodied creatures (see, e.g., Rev. 21-22, 1 Cor. 15, Rom. 8:18-25). That is the Christian’s destiny. 

Fortunately, according to Eric O. Jacobsen, more and more evangelicals are coming to understand this point, and that has some important ramifications:

This eschatological* paradigm shift helps to combat some of the Gnostic tendencies inherent in evangelical theology. Evangelicals have been tempted to believe that to be spiritual is to deny or ignore the parts of our lives that have to do with our physical existence. But when we think of eternity in the context of a real physical place, we tend to take the physicality of our lives more seriously in the here and now.

*“Eschatology” refers to the theology or study of “last things,” i.e., Christ’s return, the consummation of his kingdom, the eternal state of believers and unbelievers, etc.

This is a tremendous gain.  Forgetting that it was God himself who fashioned man with a physical body and called it “very good,” the church has often failed to reflect properly on any number of good and necessary ramifications of our bodily existence.  For example, things like art and sex, inherently good gifts when used properly, have sometimes been neglected or misunderstood.  Likewise, there lurks a continuing danger to view vocations with obvious links to the physical world as somehow inferior to others, which in turn fosters dissatisfaction and/or guilt in those pursuing them.

But even if we’ve made progress in this regard, Jacobsen says we’re still liable to make a further error:

Evangelicals have also been tempted to think of their eternal reward as a return to the simplicity of Eden, more than a journey to the New Jerusalem. We have longed for pristine naturalistic settings of fields and forests and the simplicity of the organic nuclear family as the context of our eternal existence.

We have pictured heaven in these terms, rather than making room in our imagination for good (read: God-honoring) cultural developments and the beautiful complexities (read: shalom) of life in the society of others as the context of our future existence.

He continues a bit later:

I call this tendency an "over-ruralized eschatology," because it ignores the urban images of the eschaton that we find in the Bible (Revelation 21:10 and Zechariah 8:4, for instance) in favor of the rural and domestic images that many find more comforting. While I don't want to deny the possibility of rural beauty and even domestic bliss in the eschaton, the problem I have with ignoring the urban in our eschatology is simply that it isn't very biblical. No matter our aesthetic tastes, the story of our salvation goes from a garden to a city, not from a garden to a backyard.

As Jacobsen suggests, at least one possible result of holding to an “over-ruralized eschatology” (there’s your five dollar theological phrase for the day) is a prejudice, even if subtle, against that which is man-made.  This includes what we normally think of as technology and its fruits, everything from computers and the buildings we use them in to cars and the roads we drive them on. 

In answer to this, Jacobsen is right to point to the trajectory of the biblical story.  What begins in a garden (apparently uncultivated to some degree) does indeed end with a city, into which we will bring “the glory and honor of the nations” (Rev. 21:26).  But we should note something further.  The end is the natural and appropriate result of God’s activity at the beginning.  God, supremely creative himself, created mankind in his own image.  Not only so, but he commanded is to both fill and “subdue” the earth.  The sense of this latter point is one of discovering and rightly cultivating the potential God has placed within the world.  In short, we were made (designed) to discover, invent, create, construct, and the like. 

So while we at times rightly seek to preserve aspects of our natural world that reflect the glory and goodness of our creator, we may also ultimately reflect this same glory and goodness by not leaving the world the way we found it.  In this way, both apples and architecture carry divine fingerprints.  We shouldn’t be surprised if we enjoy both in eternity.

Does Anyone Ever Really Change?

As someone working primarily in marital and/or substance abuse ministries at The Crossing, almost all of the people that I spend time with are very much genuinely interested in change. They already are, by and large, committed to the idea that "something has got to give." Perhaps the change they believe is needed is someone else's, and they are not all that interested in change for themselves, personally. Whatever the scenario, the question that seems to weigh heavily on everyone's mind is, "Is personal change and renewal really even a possibility?"

When the situation has involved years of pain, abuse, betrayal and/or sorrow as a result of sin, this question is particularly poignant. Particularly whenever people ask this question - in whatever form - what they are really asking is whether or not a person's heart-level motivations can be redeemed and renewed, or (as many fear) are we instead forever enslaved to the personal-evil treadmill that we find ourselves walking on?

Of course, it can readily be demonstrated that it is possible to change what's going on at a surface level, and it is even possible to enforce change in someone else's life as well. Initiating a divorce, for example, forces severe, negative life changes on several people - not just the two spouses. Or, if someone has been convicted of a crime, removing them from society with a long prison sentence can also effectively enforce a surface-level change. In both cases, however, it is all too possible to endure surface-level changes - desirable or otherwise - and be left absolutely the same as we were before.

When asking about the possibility of change, then, what most people are really after is a straight, no-nonsense answer to the question of whether or not anyone's root-level desires and proclivities can "really" be reached with the truth of the gospel. "This guy's been like this forever...why should I think he'll ever be any different?"

Now add to this the deep confusion caused by conversion experiences that, after a few months, seem to "wear off," or the perception that a true conversion is "a bit too conveniently timed." I like to use an analogy - borrowed from the DivorceCare curriculum – that compares insincere faith to whitewashing a rotting barn; from the highway, the barn looks pretty good! But when you get up close and start scratching at the wood with your fingers, the inner rot causes it to immediately give way under a more-careful inspection.

As we attempt to determine the authenticity of heart- and soul-level change in another person, I really think it's worth bearing a few things in mind. It's also important that we immediately make a distinction between 1) gospel truths and, 2) the individuals who claim them.

The Truths of Scripture are unshakeable, "true truth," not subject to doubt or second-guessing. The individuals who assert these truths for themselves are in an entirely different category of reliability. Someone who claims Jesus but continues to betray their marriage vows by committing adultery, for example, doesn't invalidate the gospel truth, but rather the sincerity of their faith. After all, Judas Iscariot walked with Christ for three years, served as treasurer for the disciples, and witnessed all of the same miracles that Peter did.

So, with that, four quick thoughts:

1. Denying the possibility of authentic, soul-level change is nothing short of a denial of Scripture. Again, it is important to distinguish between what the Bible says and how different people in our lives are applying those truths...or perhaps further blaspheming the Lord by attributing His work to a self-applied sugar-coating glossed over the manipulations of our own hearts. If you deny the possibility of soul-level change, then you have to tear all the letters of Paul, Peter, and John out of your New Testament. (And get rid of Acts 9 while you're at it.)
   
   
2. Authentic soul-level changes will stand the test of time. In simple terms, if I have genuinely been reborn in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), then my conversion experience is permanent. Even if all of the outer trappings of my life should all fall apart, even if everyone I love should desert me and/or become an enemy, my life in Christ will remain (Colossians 3:3-4). I will be kept by Christ, period (1 Peter 1:3-5).
   
   
3. Soul-level change is not contingent on the response of others. The person who has been given a new heart will certainly be concerned to maintain and/or repair relationships, but the restoration of those relationships will not be ultimate. In other words, the renewed heart actively seeks to redeem and restore, but does not hang the legitimacy of its faith on a desired outcome. Whenever you find a place in your heart that essentially says, "I can't believe that Jesus is my Lord if such-and-such happens," then you have effectively made "such-and-such" your functional Savior; Jesus has been demoted to "supporting player" in your personal plan of redemption. (See Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods for an in-depth study of this all-too-common phenomenon.)
   
   
4. Authentic change stands up to scrutiny. The truly-transformed person does not fear inspection (Psalm 139:23), exhortation and/or rebuke (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Proverbs 15:31-32). The man or woman who has been truly transformed is an open book (Matthew 5:33-37) and regularly submits to examination to ensure that they have not strayed from Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5; Proverbs 11:14). In fact, the authentic believer welcomes examination, and sees it as a potential opportunity to grow closer to the Lord. Of course, none of this comes as an overnight change, but more and more a heart captured by Christ will seek to more often live in the light, work to speak truth and live openly, etc.

Obviously, this list is not exhaustive. These four simple principles are written from the perspective of someone who works in ministries that regularly bring me into contact with people who typically have a fairly serious interest in "obfuscating the truth," or at least diverting my attention away from their sins and onto the sins of someone else. As a result, I tend to place a fairly high value on the idea that real, Christ-driven change will bear fruit over time. This longer-term view can sometimes be frustrating when temporal realities are pressing for decisions to be made. ("Do we get back together...or divorce?")

So, does anyone ever really change? I mean, really change?

Yes, of course they do. The radically-transformed life has been, throughout the ages, one of the most powerful apologetics for the Truth of Christ and the reality of the work of His Holy Spirit in the hearts of humankind. When we allow ourselves to believe that Christ is not powerful enough to change our hearts, or at least the heart of this particular person, we have an awful lot of faithful Christians to explain away. Chances are strong that you personally know someone whose life has been dramatically changed, whose trajectory toward death and destruction was inexplicably altered toward faith in Christ and service to others. That certainly is John Newton's story, and many, many others.

Jesus calls us to be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). I have to think that there were a ton of frightened Christians who labored mightily to believe that Saul, the same guy who had been imprisoning and killing off early Christians, had been miraculously transformed into the Apostle Paul. It was probably only after Paul gladly endured suffering for the sake of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:21-33; Colossians 1:24-29) that the authenticity of his faith was assured in the minds of many. While we are called to give those around us the benefit of the doubt when they claim a renewed heart in Christ, it just seems wise to let time (and troubles!) flesh out the truth. As believers, then, we can gladly welcome all who come to faith...we just might be wise not to "hand over the car keys" for a bit.

Matthew 10:26-27 (ESV)
"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops."

Songs and Scenes from Sunday, January 29, 2012

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

All Creatures of Our God and King - Words by Francis of Assisi (cir­ca 1225), Arrangement by David Crowder

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

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

I sing the mighty power of God,
that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained
the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command,
and all the stars obey.

With Melting Heart and Weeping Eyes - Words by John Fawcett (1740-1817), Music by Clint Wells

Does not Thy sacred word proclaim,
salvation free in Jesus' name?
To Him I look and humbly cry,
"Lord, save a wretch condemned to die.
Lord, save this wretch condemned to die."

Christ is Risen by Matt Maher and Mia Fieldes

Oh death! Where is your sting?
Oh hell! Where is your victory?
Oh Church! Come stand in the light!
The glory of God has defeated the night!

Oh death! Where is your sting?
Oh hell! Where is your victory?
Oh Church! Come stand in the light!
Our God is not dead, he's alive! he's alive!

Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash

His body the bread, his blood the wine,
broken and poured out all for love.
The whole earth trembled, and the veil was torn.
Love so amazing, love so amazing.

Jesus, Messiah, Name above all names,
Blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel.
The Rescue for sinners. The Ransom from heaven.
Jesus Messiah, Lord of all.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - Words by Isaac Watts (1749), Music by Lowell Mason (1824)

When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

Music Team for Sunday, January 29, 2012:

Zak Burmaster - bass
Lacey Burrell - vocals
David Cover - electric guitar
Scott Johnson - keyboard, vocals
Andrew Luley - drums
Alison Tatum - violin
Brynne Whittaker - vocals

Get Your Kids a Nook

If you have children, I am pretty sure you have struggled with how to balance the mass onslaught of technological noise vying for your child’s attention. Xbox, Nintendo, Playstation, Ipod, Ipad, etc. A recent study found that children between the ages of 8 to 18 spend 53 hours a week on electronic media. Technology is a way of life for the children of this age. It can be an amazing conduit for innovation and imagination, but it can also encourage isolation and social ineptitude.

My wife and I enjoy the modern conveniences technology affords. We have also come to realize the humbling fact that children become who they are primarily through genetics and environment... and we as parents provide both! Sure, it is natural for our children to gravitate towards cool electronic toys like their dad! However, I want to be sure their time is spent wisely and the use of technology is respected as a privilege and not a right. For example, we strive to make TV watching an event for the whole family. The TV simply doesn’t stay on all the time. We don’t need more distraction...trust me.

We enjoy watching shows like Planet Earth on Discovery and my daughter enjoys watching House Hunters with my wife. We try to catch the MU games together and we get a kick out of watching American Idol as a group as well. And, just because we simply can’t get enough of watching our own kids laugh, we will put up with America’s Funniest Home Videos.

What we try to avoid is our kids disappearing into a room with a laptop or Ipod. The computer is in a room out in the open where everyone in the house congregates. My son has a laptop in his room, but it has a kids specific web browser and will not allow him to log in after 9:00 pm. Your computer probably has similar settings. Take a look and you will be surprised how easy it is to set parental controls on most computers.

One of our recent successes in the tech parenting department was getting our 11 and 8 year old a Nook simple touch reader. At $99 bucks it is a steal and most of the books are under 10 bucks. My 11 year old has read over 20 full length books since he received the Nook for his birthday in September. My daughter devours Junie B books by the dozen. Here is the kicker; with the simple touch reader, there are no options other than reading. Sure, there are better E-readers out there like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet, but you will never know if your kid is reading or playing Angry Birds. When our kids have the simple touch reader in hand, we know they are either reading, sleeping, or daydreaming (and we are OK with any of those).


No deep theological discussions here today, just plain ole’ common sense. I know my best days are typically filled with both. Know you are not alone as you struggle to make the right decision for your kids. It is completely reasonable, and is in fact imperative, for you to set boundaries. Our lives as adults are defined by boundaries and we do our kids a disservice if we don’t adequately prepare them in self assessment of how they balance their own time.

John Wesley: Man of Contradictions

This morning I finished a biography on John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) by Stephen Tomkin. It's a relatively short book that's very well written and manages to paint a picture of both Wesley's strengths and weaknesses. If your paradigm for Christian leaders (or anyone for that matter) is that they are either "good" or "bad," this book will challenge your categories.

Wesley was a man of great faith with a relentless drive to spread the gospel and yet had significant sins and shortcomings. In that sense he is a perfect example of all of us. One of my church history professors at Trinity told my class that one of the benefits of studying the past is that it helps us understand that the best men are sinners and the worst sinners are still men made in the image of God.

Wesley's passion to spread the gospel in England drove him to ride on horseback over 250,000 miles, give away 30,000 British Pounds, and preach more than 40,000 sermons. He preached generosity to the poor and adopted that as his own lifestyle. Although he eventually made quite a bit of money off of his theological writings, he died almost penniless not because he had squandered the money but because he quickly gave it all away lest it corrupt him.

He was a man of great courage refusing to stop preaching Christ even in the face of death threats. On more than one occasion he preached while rocks were being hurled at him. To really appreciate Wesley you have to understand that the official state Anglican church had in many ways succumbed to dead orthodoxy. Through Wesley's ministry and influence people were introduced to "religion of the heart" which is nothing more than a real personal faith in the gospel. By the time of his death there were 72,000 Methodists in England and another 60,000 in America.

And yet Wesley's weaknesses were as great as his strengths. His marriage to a widow named Molly with four kids was nothing short of a disaster as he abandoned her for long stretches and always kept relationships with other women that made her jealous and uncomfortable. His stubbornness put him at odds with his brother Charles and they spent many years hardly communicating. Theologically he embraced the dangerous and unbiblical doctrine of perfectionism. In relationships with other pastors he was not trustworthy attacking his one time ally George Whitfield over the issue of predestination.

What do you do with John Wesley? I think that you learn that he's not that much different than anyone you know including yourself. Every person, every Christian leader is a mixed bag. Knowing this keeps us from idolizing any human being and reserving our worship for Jesus alone.

Read Tomkin's biography to learn much more about John Wesley.

Praying With The Psalms - Psalm 111

I often will turn to a Psalm in the Bible to help my prayer time with God in the morning. Like anyone, I find some Psalms more applicable to my life at the moment than others. For example, some Psalms are rather intense pleas for God’s deliverance from and judgment of the psalmist’s “enemies” (see Psalm 35). Most modern Americans find it hard to relate to these Psalms at this point in our lives, primarily because we are not so burdened in our souls because we’re being pursued by those who want to destroy us. But that’s because we are looking merely at our visible enemies.


Yet the Bible repeatedly warns us that our spiritual enemies are always at war with us, trying to destroy us (Eph 6:10-18; 1 Pet 5:8). When we forget our real enemy, the Deliverance Psalms seem to lose their applicability to us. We ignore such enemies in our prayers to our own peril.

Then there are those Psalms that simply praise God because of his Gospel promises to us as his people. They are powerful Psalms to pray and meditate through. One such Psalm I’ve enjoyed this week is Psalm 111.

Psalms 111 (English Standard Version)
1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

When we read these Old Testament Psalms through the lens of the New Testament—looking at the Psalms through the realities of Jesus Christ and his covenant promises to his people—we begin to see their full richness. For example, “he remembers his covenant forever” (v. 5), “in giving them the inheritance of the nations” (v. 6), is a promise to all of God’s people that’s guaranteed and fulfilled by and in Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:28). We will inherit the earth in the Kingdom of Christ. Read through this Psalm in prayer in light of our great New Testament promises to us in Christ. It is ultimately these promises that this Psalm, and all the Old Testament, point to (Luke 24:44-45).

The first verse actually calls out to us to willfully begin to “Praise the LORD.” Often I must begin my personal time of prayer by simply starting to worship God. “I praise you, O Lord. You are my God. You are my Creator. You are the Giver of Life. You are my Redeemer. My Restorer. My Good Shepherd.” It’s a kind of switch I hit inside my heart and mind to just start doing it. Just starting is half the battle.

That’s how this psalmist starts his prayer time. “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.”

One last thought: beyond our own personal prayer time, this verse is also calling us to be regular, active participants in community/church worship. Which means that we need to get ourselves to church in order to worship, and it means we need to activate our hearts and minds to engage in worship when we’re there rather than letting ourselves be merely observers. Moving from being merely an observer to an active participant in worship is a kind of switch we hit inside ourselves when we get to church. I may or may not love the particular song or the style in which it is played today, but I must still engage my heart and mind in worship with the rest of the congregation. I’m not going to let myself merely observe. Here’s a key principle: observers always eventually become critics. We always evaluate what we just watch. In worship we are not merely watchers and observers of other people's worship. We must move our own hearts, minds and souls to be participants, and be blessed personally when we do.

A Fusion of Art and Faith: Makoto Fujimura

Golden Fire

If I asked you to consider the facets of our society in which Christians are a significant redemptive influence, my hope is that you would be able to think of several possibilities. I doubt, however, that many of us would include the world of contemporary art at the top of the list.

Before I go any further, I should offer an important disclaimer: If one could describe proper understanding and appreciation of contemporary art in terms of “fluency,” I’ve got a long way to go to achieve even “passable communication.”

Still, I’ve recently tried to take a few small steps toward that end. And in doing so, I’ve been intrigued and encouraged by Makoto Fujimura. Born in the United States, the New York based Fujimura graduated from Bucknell University before pursuing graduate studies in Japan at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He is a practitioner of Nihonga, a form of traditional Japanese painting. His life and word offers an excellent picture of how at least one man pursues a creative calling in the context of following Christ. A few quick but noteworthy points in support of that claim:

1. Artistic excellence.

Fujimura was awarded the top thesis prize in his MFA program at Tokyo National University in Fine Arts and Music, and he was the first non-native to be admitted into the school’s post MFA doctoral level program in Nihonga. He was also the youngest artist ever to have a work acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. His work has been displayed in numerous contexts in Japan, Hong Kong, and America, and he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Council of the Arts. In the words of Greg Wolfe, editor of Image Journal, “Mako is one of America’s leading visual artists."

2. A Connected Faith.

Artists are often associated with an individualistic spirituality, but Fujimura is no “church of one.” He served as an elder at Tim Keller’s Redeemer Church before helping to plant The Village Church in Greenwich Village.

3. A Mature Perspective.

Speaking to Christianity Today in 2008, he offered, “Artists are leaders simply because we are in the ‘enterprise of persuasion.’ With that [comes] great responsibility…to use that persuasive influence to create the ‘world that ought to be.’”

Matthew–Consider the Lilies

But this doesn’t mean each of his pieces is necessarily overtly religious. Rather, Fujimura creates art that commands credibility in his field because of its excellence, and yet, because of who he is, is inevitably infused with and informed by his faith, often in suggestive and complex ways. The result leads to reactions like the one of curator Sara Tecchia: “He is a profound believer and I am totally secular. But he is like a professor to me. Fujimura’s paintings allow for skeptics such as myself to the one thing that secularism has labeled as a sign of weakness: to hope.”

"I am a Christian,” Fujimura told the Associated Press in 2007. “I am also an artist and creative, and what I do is driven by my faith experience. But I am also a human being living in the 21st century, struggling with a lot of brokenness—my own, as well as the world’s. I don’t want to use the term ‘Christian’ to shield me away form the suffering of evil that I see, or to escape in some nice ghetto where everyone thinks the same.” This leads to my final point.

4. Bridging worlds.

Fujimura is the founder and creative director of the faith-based International Arts Movement. Its mission? “IAM gathers artists and creative catalysts to wrestle with the deep questions of art, faith, and humanity in order to inspire the creative community to engage the culture that is and create the world that ‘ought to be.’"

In the CT article mentioned above, Fujimura noted, “I advocate for art in the church, and in the art world I’m advocating for the gospel.” To do this most effectively, one has to be credible in both worlds. Fujimura is.

………

You can find out a little bit more about Fujimura and view more of his work here.

Lunch Special: 40 Lashes and a Pot of Meat

What is it about the human heart that so often causes us to prefer personal destruction to redemption and renewal?

I've been wrestling with that question for most of my adult life, but never more so than in the past few years as I have begun helping facilitate various recovery ministries at The Crossing. I had the issue pressed upon my heart yet again this past week as I finished reading Mike Wilkerson's truly excellent book, Redemption: Freed by Jesus from the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry.

Yeah...why is it that so many people willingly choose to embark upon a path that they know full well will lead to their demise?

Having spent approximately 20 years of my adult life enslaved to alcohol and other drugs, I have come to understand that we addicts will regularly return to the things that are destroying us for three simple reasons:

1. the enslaving behavior - at some point - provided a sense of comfort where none other was to be had;
2. we mistakenly believe that we control the besetting sin; and
3. in a world filled with relational brokenness and loneliness, the darkness of addiction is at least "familiar" and "known."

Never mind that it is slowly killing us...a bottle of Wild Turkey is a known quantity, whereas in a relationship with another human being, anything might happen!

If you spend enough time with someone who simply cannot stop drinking, smoking, shooting up, downloading porn, and so on, you will discover that this person's back-story almost always includes a painful lesson; at some point, most addicts have "learned" - in a traumatic way - that human relationships are dangerous, not at all what they should be. Often, someone very close to that person - father, mother, sibling or relative - enacted some sort of hellish scenario that left that person "hollowed out" whereas, had everyone been attentive and seeking to live out God's good plan for family and friendship, there might otherwise have been a solid core of assurance and security. Clear examples include physical and/or sexual abuse as a child or teen, abandonment by parents, and/or ongoing emotional abuse. To compensate for this heightened feeling of emptiness, the addict learns to "medicate" themselves with whatever previously brought escape and/or comfort.

For those who live with and/or love an addict, I think it's important to understand that ongoing, habitual behavior is almost always nothing more than a misguided attempt to relieve pain of one type or another. The addict in question is not capable of clearly thinking their way through the destructive behavior; oftentimes they really cannot see that the "cure" they have self-selected is very often worse than the original pain. All they want, particularly in the moment, is to make their pain go away as quickly as possible.

Wilkerson very obviously gets all of this, and his book effectively uses the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt as a classic example of how distorted the human perspective can become in the face of harsh realities.

Seeking to closely tie 21st-century recovery efforts to the pages of Scripture, Wilkerson interweaves the Exodus narrative with modern-day stories of tragedy, wandering, lostness and redemption. While this approach is by no means unique, it does carry with it the advantage of being a storyline with which most people are at least somewhat familiar. If your attempts at earnest Bible study start and stop with taking your kid to see The Prince of Egypt, then you already know enough of your Bible to follow as Wilkerson takes up the subject of "voluntary slavery."

You may recall that in Chapter 1 of the book of Exodus, Pharoah is afflicting the Israelites with heavy burdens, instituting the genocide of all male children and tossing helpless Jewish babies into the Nile. The oppression and systematic brutality inflicted upon God's people could hardly have been worse, and the Jews cried out for roughly 400 years to be delivered from their enslavement. To bring them out of Egypt, the Lord in turn afflicted all of Egypt with various plagues, culminating in the death of Egypt's firstborn. Clouds of smoke and fire, the parting of the Red Sea and the subsequent drowning of Pharoah's army...God "pulled out all the stops" to bring Israel up out of the house of slavery.

To the modern reader, then, it seems nothing short of insane that by Chapter 16 the Israelites are in revolt against Moses, and longing for "the good old days" when they sat around eating pots of meat, having their fill of the culinary delights offered to them by their harsh taskmasters (Exodus 16:1-3). "Sure, I'm still carrying multiple scars on my back from being whipped all the time, and yeah, it upset me when they tried to wipe out an entire generation of our boys, but you know, those bowls of Egyptian chili sure beat the heck out of this bread that God has been raining down on us every day."

Wilkerson uses several case studies to demonstrate how deeply traumatic events resonate in the soul and result in destructive behavior patterns that can last for years, sometimes lifetimes. Even after the devastating consequences finally break through to the awareness of the addict, it is oftentimes too late to work one's way out of the darkness by sheer will power, corrective theology and/or 12-step programs. Without a dramatic intervention from God, countless souls are inexplicably "satisfied" to consume their particular "pot of meat" even as the lash is being applied to their already scarred, disfigured flesh.

I have read quite a few books on the topic of addiction, all from the vantage point of a former addict redeemed by the grace, mercy and power of Jesus. The truth I've come to understand is both sobering and hopeful. Deeply broken human beings, left to their own devices, will continue to destroy themselves in an attempt to escape their particular pain. However, God can and does continue to bring people out of slavery. Not only do I hold myself up as an example, giving God all the glory, but I know of several other men who are now living lives as a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Chances are very good that you know someone suffering from some form of repetitive, destructive behavior. Depending on how emotionally invested you are with that person, you may have preached yourself silly trying to get that person to change, perhaps to little effect. Ongoing anger, threats and shouting typically yield little in the way of real, lasting change. Our most potent weapons are sometimes the ones we leave for last: prayer, patience, and getting our hands on anything that will assist us in understanding the mindset of someone who will gladly endure outrageous amounts of suffering in the service of their particular "pot of meat."

For whatever this is worth, I just added Wilkerson to my list of top reads on this subject. I've listed a few more below. May God give all of us wisdom, insight, and compassion as we pray for those in our midst who just can't stop themselves from yielding their backs to the whip.

Book Recommendations for Addiction Recovery

• Redemption by Mike Wilkerson
• Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Ed Welch
• Death by Love by Mark Driscoll
• Not the Way It's Supposed to Be by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

Exodus 1:15-22
Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live." But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?" The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live."

Exodus 16:1-3
They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

---

So who exactly is this Mike Wilkerson guy? Well, according to the back cover of the book: "Mike Wilkerson, a pastor at Seattle's Mars Hill Church since 2004, is passionate about restoring gospel-based counseling to the local church and leads Mars Hill's Redemption Group ministry." If interested, you can find additional resources at Mike Wilkerson's Resurgence.com page.

Songs and Scenes from Sunday, January 22, 2012

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

Worthy, You Are Worthy by Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin

Glory, I give glory
to the One who saved my soul.
You found me and You freed me
from the shame that was my own.
And I cannot begin to tell
how merciful You've been.
Oh Lord, my ears have heard of You,
now my eyes have seen.

Holy (Jesus, You Are) by Jason Ingram, Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin

Your name alone has power to raise us.
Your light will shine when else fades.
Our eyes will look on Your glorious face,
shining like the sun? Who is like you God?

You are holy, holy, holy
God most high and God most worthy.
You are holy, holy, holy
Jesus, You are. Jesus, You are.

Keith led us in a meditation based on Psalm 20:7, The Crossing's scripture memory verse for the week.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

O Help My Unbelief Words: Isaac Watts, Music: Justin Smith

How sad our state by nature is!
our sin, how deep it stains!
and Satan binds our captive minds
Fast in his slavish chains.
But there's a voice of sov'reign grace,
sounds from the sacred word:
"O, ye despairing sinners come,
and trust upon the Lord."

A Place For You by Christine Cover, Jake Wandel, Chris Binkley, Molly Cover and David A. Cover

Let your heart not be troubled,
trust in God and also in me.
Do not fear, My child,
I’ll come back for you, to take you home.
In My father’s house I’ve made a place for you
so that where I am you will be too.

We viewed Dale Wilcox's faith story. A video produced by Gerik Parmele, The Crossing's Media Director.

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

This original song (based on Psalm 18) gave voice to our prayers of humble dependence on God's mercy, strength and Sovereign hand in all things.

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 Team for January 22, 2012:

David Cover - acoustic guitar, vocals
Sadie Currey - violin
Ashley Gross - vocals
Nick Havens - bass
Rhett Johnson - electric guitars
Scott Johnson - keyboards, vocals
Andrew Luley - drums

A Dead Guy's Lesson on Obedience

This is the brief story of an old dude named Polycarp, a bishop in the second century, who most likely knew the Apostle John who wrote Revelation.

Persecution of Christians has broken out in the Roman empire somewhere around 150-160 AD. Believers are being dragged out of their homes and places of work before governors and pro-consuls and told that if they swear allegiance to Caesar and denounce Christ they'll be saved, if they will not they will be executed.  Forms of execution include burning at stake, pulled apart by wild beasts, tortured on racks, etc, and they are done in public, sometimes in arenas. Many brave souls happily face their God appointed fate of martyrdom, but some play the coward and deny Christ to save their earthly lives.  Polycarp is over 85 years of age at this point, so his followers convince him to hide outside of the city so that he won't have to be killed.  They proceed to move him from farm to farm evading the authorities until a servant under severe torture reveals his whereabouts.  So the Romans drag Polycarp before the pro-consul.

The pro-consul hasn't previously met Polycarp and is astonished and saddened by the obvious elderly nature of the bishop. Therefore he treats him more kindly and gently than he has the others, begging him to denounce his faith to save his life.  This goes on for some time until Polycarp emphatically pronounces: "For 86 years I have been his servant, and he has never wronged me.  How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?  Bring forth what thou will." In response, the crowd demands that a lion be let loose on the aged Polycarp, but due to a legal quirk this was not allowed at that time, so burning at the stake was the chosen method.  They bound and burned him, and Polycarp died.

The Bible makes a big deal out of obedience.  I tend to not talk a ton about it because I neither want to give the impression that Christianity is about dos and don'ts nor that sheer will-power is the key to spiritual maturity.  But it's not as if obedience can be ignored, we often have to do what we don't want to do in the moment simply because we know it's right.

We would all like to say that we'd be able to obey like Polycarp if faced with the same situation.  But how can we know what our response would be?  How strong is our foundation that would allow us to obey in the face of such persecution?

You don't wake up on a Friday and decide to run a marathon the next day.  No, you train for months, starting with one mile, then two, then three, then six, then twelve, etc.  You see, your ability to run 26.2 miles is predicated upon your ability to discipline yourself in the smaller increments, the smaller moments.  You must build up, your must be prepared, you must be trained.

If you want to be willing to do what Polycarp did, to obey so dramatically then you must obey in the smaller increments and moments on a consistent basis.  You have to obey God and not fudge a little bit on your tax returns, you have to obey God and pull out your bible when you're tired and have other things you'd rather do, you have to obey God and hold your tongue when a biting or inappropriate comment comes to mind, you have to obey when you're tempted to covet or be envious of someone's car, purse, computer, clothes, situation, success.  For it's in these small moments that we train ourselves to obey in the final sense.

If I won't obey today in the small things how can I ever expect to obey in the big ones?

Trusting God in the Unexpected

My five-year-old son discovered last night that he has a loose tooth.

It's not a big deal, I suppose. As Eli is my fourth child, it’s not even a unique event for me. But this mundane little happening is one of several that are working together to foreshadow a change that I’m not ready for: this year, Eli will enter kindergarten and I will enter a new season in my life, one in which I no longer spend my days, as his Dad says, “thick as thieves” with my little man.

And five years goes just like that.

I can so clearly remember when I first knew without a doubt that I was going to have another baby. A fourth. Unexpectedly. At forty years old. To say it was a bit of a surprise is a grand understatement.

I remember the shock of realizing this unplanned addition was going to re-orient my life completely. I had stayed home with my three older children prior to my divorce from their father, but as a single mother I had re-entered the workforce years earlier, and I had no plans to change that. But with a new baby on the way, I knew I would want to stay home again. That would mean giving up life as I’d come to know it, again.

So, for the last five years, my life has looked markedly different from what I would have planned for my 40’s. I’ve been home with Eli and also watching a few other little ones out of our home to help make ends meet. I've never worked harder in my life; I’ve wiped more noses and changed more toxic diapers than I care to count.

A lot of other things changed too.

For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to take a women’s Bible study during the day, and through those studies God began to really grow my knowledge of His Word and a hunger to know Jesus. This season, while certainly busy, also gave me the flexibility wherein I could agree to help start a new divorce ministry at The Crossing three plus years ago, alongside my husband. And being at home – albeit encumbered with lots of little people – gave me the freedom to spend a significant amount of time developing and deepening friendships with other women who were also pursuing God.

This unexpected, unasked-for, unscheduled change of plans which took me by such surprise six years ago made my life much harder, and redirected me in ways I never would have chosen. However, looking back, I can now see it was also the catalyst God used to really change me and deepen my relationship with Him. Looking back, it seems evident to me that through this change in trajectory, God was working to create a fundamentally different version of me than I would have been had Eli not come along, and I had continued to work outside the home.

Maybe you’ve had a major change in the trajectory of your life lately, too. Maybe, like me, you’re reeling at the unexpectedness of your life being turned upside down. Or maybe you’ve actually chosen to take steps that are going to spark major changes, but you don’t really know what life is going to look like for you and are as full of questions as I was years ago. How is this all going to turn out? Fear of the unknown has you wondering what on earth God is going to do in your life.

I can easily think of someone else who must have felt the same way. When Joseph woke up one morning after a particularly cool dream, I have to think he had no idea that sharing his dream with his brothers (Genesis 37:5-8) would be the straw that broke the camel’s back, provoking such jealousy that his own siblings would want him dead (Genesis 37:18-20). Finding himself in the hands of slave traders, he must have looked at this abrupt change in his life and wondered the same thing; “God, what are you doing?!” (Genesis 37:28)

Given that Joseph was raised as a clearly-favored child, and apparently felt no reluctance in telling his brothers that he was having dreams that he would rule over them, I imagine that Joseph must have struggled with pride and arrogance as a young man. We know he was a bit of a tattletale, and doted on by his father, beyond what his brothers received (Genesis 37:2-4). There was work to be done in him.

And of course, over the years, being treated with such humiliation over and over – abandoned by family, sold into slavery, unjustly accused of sexual assault and then imprisoned and forgotten (Genesis 39:7-20, 40:23) – Joseph’s future must have looked hopeless to him at times. While we know that ultimately his faith in God strengthened him to persevere, these trials were also undoubtedly used to change who Joseph might otherwise have been, had he lived out his life in relative ease and comfort as the favored among all of Jacob’s sons.

Looking forward, young Joseph must have been filled with fear and anxiety and maybe even anger, wondering what his life was going to look like. Looking back over the years, however, we know that he was able to see God’s hand in all of the unexpected events of his life, and His great plan not just for Joseph, but for many others (Genesis 50:19-21).

God’s Word assures us that as believers, we can trust Him to work in our lives today just as he did in Joseph’s thousands of years ago. His plans for us are always for our ultimate good (Jeremiah 29:11), even if temporally speaking things are about to get rough. Joseph’s story attests to this truth. That ultimate good is slowly revealed as God uses all things in our lives – the unexpected, life-altering blessings, the ominous dark clouds of trial, and everything in between – to slowly transform us more into the likeness of our Lord and Savior, His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). Will we trust Him to work His perfect plan in our lives through all of it?

I’m not sure how well I trusted God five years ago when we were faced with making serious changes to our lives to welcome another child into our blended family. I know that at the outset, I worried too much about our family’s finances and how this new little one would be accepted by our five older children, among other things. Looking back, though, I can see how richly God has blessed me through all those changes, even the hard things, drawing me to Him in ways that might not otherwise have happened.

Blessedly, the next season for me is not completely unexpected. I’ve been given fair warning that Eli’s wiggly tooth will fall out one day fairly soon, and that is a little reminder that kindergarten is around the corner. Will I also trust God with whatever other unexpected changes might come along?

By God's grace, and by reminding myself that His steadfast faithfulness in the past can give me confidence in His future grace, not just to me but to all His children…I think I will.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 91:1-4

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

Genesis 3 And The Lie Of Satan

Genesis 3 is, in my opinion, one of the most insightful and helpful passages in all of Scripture. Personally, I am often drawn back to its life changing truths so it's no surprise that it came up in a conversation at our dinner table on Tuesday night. Christine and I have been encouraging our kids to join us in The Crossing's Bible Reading Plan with the idea that it would foster good family discussions.

You might already know that Genesis 3 records the first sin by any human being but more than that it lays out a paradigm for how Satan, sin, and temptation work to conspire against every person.

Genesis 3:1-7 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

A Few Observations:
1. Satan is crafty (v. 1). His attacks against us are not by physical force but deception. 2 Corinthians 11:3: "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."

2. Satan attacks God's character: "Did God really say..." (v. 1). You can hear the feigned disbelief in Satan's voice. Did God really say that sex is only within marriage? How antiquated. Did God really say to love your enemies? How naive. Did God really say that the last shall be first? If so, he doesn't know what the real world is like.

3. Satan contradicts God's word: "You will not certainly die" (v. 4). Now the choice for Eve (and the rest of us) is whether we will believe God's word or Satan's? Of course we don't "hear" Satan's voice nor does he ever present himself in such obvious ways. Remember he is crafty and came to Eve in the form of a serpent. Satan's accusations and suggestions usually come to us in the form of our own thoughts or a friend's voice or something we heard on the radio or read on the internet.

4. Satan uses cynicism to fuel distrust: "For God knows that when you eat of it..." (v. 5). Satan is suggesting that God's motives are cynical. He tells Eve (and Adam) that God has forbidden this fruit not because he wants to protect them but because he wants to protect himself. He doesn't want them to be like Him. Satan seductively says that he is taking Adam and Eve in behind the scenes to show them what God is really up to.

5. Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit because she thought that sin was better for her. She didn't sin out of duty ("I don't really want this but I guess I should eat it."). She sinned out of delight ("This fruit looks good and it promises to make me wise and happy.").

So the battle is set. Will I believe God or Satan? Does God love me and want the best for me or is he keeping me from the "good" life. Will sin bring real and lasting satisfaction and joy or do those things come from obeying God?

May God give us grace to read, understand, and apply his inspired word.

Hating Religion but Loving Jesus?

Never before has it been so easy for one person to communicate to so many. Thanks to the full range of social media, ideas and images are now limited only by the downloading speed of millions of digital devices. And like many of the developments of this highly technological age, it is a glorious and frightful power, capable of both great good and great ill, along with everything in between.

Which brings us to one of the latest videos to merit the moniker “Youtube sensation,” spoken word poet Jefferson Bethke’s “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus”:



As of this writing, the video has received over 13 million hits, certainly no small feat. But what to make of it?

If you’re a fan of the The Princess Bride, you might recall Inigo Montoya saying, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Along the same lines, Justin Garrett reminded me that one the professors we both had in seminary would say something like, “I know what I mean when I say ________, but I’m not sure what you mean when you say ________.” Both quotes point to the fact that definitions matter a great deal, particularly when we’re dealing with words that lend themselves to a wide range of possible meanings. Think for a minute about terms such as “evangelical,” “postmodern,” “liberal,” “conservative,” “evolution,” “intelligent design,” or even “love” or “God.” All of these are likely to be defined differently by different people, meaning that we may need to do a bit of work to understand what is meant by each in a given context.

All that said, I think one’s basic reaction to this video likely hinges a great deal on one’s definition of the word “religion.”

After viewing it three times and reading the explanatory blurb the author posted underneath the video, I think it’s fairly clear that Bethke is using the term to denote what could be otherwise described as self-righteousness, i.e., the various attempts human beings make to obtain God’s acceptance, approval, and love through their own efforts and merit. This often bears the fruit of empty, formalistic practices and a moralism that manifests itself in personal pride or despair (depending on how one is “measuring up”) and the condemnation of others for their failures, whether real or imagined. Biblically speaking, this is a borderline universal and doggedly persistent human tendency and one that we do well to fight against with all the resources of grace at our disposal.

But is this definition of religion demanded by the Scriptures? Not at all. Consider James 1:26-7: “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” According to this passage, there is such a thing as positive religion: one characterized by (and doubtless not limited to) a controlled tongue, care for the particularly vulnerable, and genuine holiness. To set Jesus in opposition to this religion would be to pit him against his own word. Again, I don’t at all believe this is Bethke’s intention, but it does illustrate one of the potential issues in framing his video in the way that he has.

I suspect the problem more likely problem to result from this piece has to do with those who would claim some kind of affinity to Jesus—or at least a certain perception of Jesus—but are quick to distance themselves from and even denounce “the church.” Again, definitions are important here, but these people usually say something like, “Churches are full of hypocrisy and a bunch of hoops to jump through. What really matters is my relationship with Jesus. I just want to follow Jesus and worship him in my own way.”

Given the past experiences some have had with the church, this sentiment can be understandable. It can even be well intentioned. Unfortunately, it’s just not biblical. This is probably worth a post in itself, but here it might suffice to say that there are too many “one another” passages, too many metaphors that picture the church as an interconnected body, too many places where the genuine community of the church and its activities are understood to be a primary means to foster our relationship with Jesus for this to be a considered a legitimate Christian mindset.

I suspect any encouragement Bethke’s video provides toward this way of thinking is largely unintentional. But we all tend to hear what we want to hear, and the danger is particularly acute in the absence of information that can provide greater clarity and nuance. And while no one can say everything that potentially needs to be said all the time, that’s certainly something to consider for anyone creating a piece like this one.

All in all, I think there’s much to commend in the final product. My first exposure to the video came from critical responses to it. But after watching the thing itself, I came away more sympathetic than I thought I’d be. Despite my reservations (both those listed above and others), the idea that salvation is the result of grace alone comes through clearly, and that is no small thing.

For those wishing to read a more comprehensive analysis of the video, check out Kevin DeYoung’s thoughts here. In a nice turn of events, Bethke actually ended up reading DeYoung’s analysis, prompting a very commendable exchange between the two which you can find linked in the latter’s initial post. All in all, it’s a great example in both giving and receiving constructive criticism. And that's no small thing either.

Christ's Authority to Confound and Perplex

As I write this week's blog, I am very decidedly living outside of my normal routine. In fact, I am approximately 37,000 feet in the air, headed to a series of seminars and discussions on the topic of "Faith, Vocation and Culture," hosted by Steven Garber of The Washington Institute. It's been about eight months since I last laid eyes on Steven, when we first met as part of a D.Min. Cohort at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis. In the interim, however, I was able to successfully pester him into a two-part interview for ESI back in August ("Seek the Flourishing of the University," Part 1 and Part 2).

So as I wing my way eastward in a shiny metal tube filled with jet fuel and fellow image-bearers (Genesis 1:26), I can't help but think that we live in very interesting times indeed. More often than I care to admit, I am struck by what a historically-poor job the Church of Christ has done - generally speaking – in contributing to the thriving of human beings who live their lives apart from Christianity, and/or responding articulately to the culture in which we live (Jeremiah 29:4-7). On the other hand, it cheers me up greatly to consider that at no point in human history have we ever had so many outlets for gospel truth, along with such a wide array of means with which to intersect with those we care about, whether down the hall or on the other side of the planet. The possibilities seem endless for spreading the word of Christ in ways I could scarcely have imagined just 20 years ago.

All this works together to create within me a deep sense of gratitude that I am part of a local church that actively seeks to engage our culture "where it lives."

I haven’t always felt that way.

In fact, there was a time when I used all kinds of excuses to hold Christ at arm’s length, and many of those excuses had to do with the way I saw Christians evangelizing and reaching out to unbelievers. Because it didn’t reach me, because it offended many, I also scorned these efforts. And then, in July of 2001, I walked into the Rock Bridge High School auditorium and heard the Word of God faithfully preached.

Just like every other church under the sun, The Crossing is not meant to appeal to everyone. If, for example, you want to "come to Jesus" so that the Lord will bless you with health, wealth and prosperity, The Crossing is probably not the church for you. On the other hand, if you are genuinely interested in learning more about the Person and work of Jesus Christ as it took place within human history, and what the work of Christ 2,000 years ago could possibly have to do with your unique set of problems in the 21st century, then I would strongly suggest you lend the pastors your ear for three to four weeks, either in person or via podcast.

But it's important to understand that my wife and I give of our time, talent and treasure to The Crossing with our eyes wide open, which is a nice way of saying that we see our church for what it truly is, namely an imperfect reflection of what life will be like when all of us - friend or enemy - are living under the Lordship of Christ's eternal kingdom. Do church leaders make mistakes? Of course they do! They're flawed human beings living in a fallen world, just like you and me. What caught my attention back in 2001 - and what is still true today - is that, by and large, we at The Crossing are mightily blessed with leadership that is quick to admit mistakes, confess foolishness, and repent of poor decision-making. That sort of humility goes a long way with me, particularly as we all seek to faithfully build God’s kingdom in today’s environment by engaging the culture in new ways.

Which brings me back to the reason that I am flying to D.C. to meet up with Steven, Donald Guthrie, and roughly a dozen other Covenant grad students. The assumed truth in all of our meetings, seminars and discussions is that everything - absolutely everything - exists under the all-powerful hand of a loving God, and that Christians are best matched to the task of spreading the faith when they allow themselves to break out of conventional ways of thinking and allow others to speak into time-honored traditions and customs. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all things can be received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:4-5) and that we as faithful believers are called to honor our leaders (1 Peter 2:13-15) and suspend judgment (Matthew 7:1-5).

Reaching a new generation of believers with the Person of Christ will require that we be creative. Simultaneously, it will require us to graciously offer our leaders the freedom and grace they need to explore new avenues of reaching and redeeming the culture. Sure, there are bound to be bumps and hiccups along the way...that's why grace is needed!

To put it succinctly, I am excited to be part of a church that is willing to experiment with music CDs ("Forever Home" and "The Shore"), multimedia presentations during Sunday services and on the Internet, participating in secular festivals (True/False), and so on. While some of these efforts may not speak directly to my own heart or do a thing to deepen my personal faith, I am more than willing to support these gospel-fueled efforts. How boring, indeed, it would be to contribute to the ongoing ministries of a church in which everything conformed perfectly to my own particular taste! It hasn’t always been true, but I am coming to trust that new endeavors with which I am not immediately comfortable are, in fact, reaching other people for Christ and advancing His kingdom purposes.

So here I am, approaching my landing, ready to be challenged once again to consider ministry efforts that don't fit neatly into my personal mold, the box into which I have previously been content to confine my Lord and Savior. As Steven, Donald and others confront me with the work of faithful believers that lives outside of my own enshrined paradigm, I expect to come away from this week exceedingly grateful for a stern rebuke to my selfish tendency to restrict the work of Christ, the Lord of all creation, who is able to speak across time, artistic styles, languages, dreams, musical traditions, technologies, and anything else He cares to use to reach His people.

If there is anything of value in this, it's only been in the last few years that I have been able to assign a label to my own tendency to be annoyed whenever something - you name it - runs counter to my expectations during a church service, in ministry efforts or my own discipleship. Whenever I become aware of that sensation, I instantly draw a mental picture of the disciples’ astonishment at finding Jesus conversing with a Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar (John 4). Within that one conversation Jesus stepped over multiple "sacred" boundaries drawn within the culture at that time – those of Jews speaking to Samaritans, men conversing with women, a rabbi speaking with a "loose woman," to point out just the obvious ones; I can only imagine the rebukes and "corrections" that were floating through the disciples' hearts and minds as Jesus tried "something new and different" as part of His ministry work.

And yet, through His reaching out to this one woman, many in her village became believers (John 4:39-41). Thank God that He regularly chooses to ignore our boundaries and confound our expectations. May He be pleased to continue that limitless work, outside of our box, and may we all embrace His plan for the redemption of mankind, even if it does not fit neatly into the box that we have created for ourselves.

1 Timothy 4:4-5

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

The Lord's Prayer Devotional

The following is transcript of the devotional based on the Lord's Prayer Dave read in the sermon, Drawing Near Through Prayer. You can also download a live audio excerpt which can be used as a resource for guided prayer.

The Lord's Prayer

(Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4)

When we don’t pray, we allow our hearts to harden toward God and our thoughts and desires fall out of tune with God. And in so doing, we rob ourselves of being more and more in harmony with the God and Creator of the universe!

When we do draw near to God in prayer (especially prayer led by Scripture—like the Lord's Prayer, Psalms, etc.), something happens in our hearts, and to our faith.

As human beings, we desperately need to worship and believe and be in tune with God—and remind ourselves that he is our greatest need—on a daily basis. In other words, praying the Lord's Prayer is our need, not God’s.

Jesus intended to put words in our mouth by giving us the Lord's Prayer. Praying the Lord's Prayer—out loud or meditatively in our hearts—is a way that Jesus gives us to “tune” our hearts to be in harmony more and more with who God really is and what our need really is.

These are the kinds of prayers God wants us to pray and that he wants to answer.

So instead of singing a song, where going to prayer together through a kind of expanded version of the Lord's Prayer, where each line provides a heading in order to guide our prayers.

The goal is not just trying to get through this as if it’s a ritual. The purpose is to let it guide our prayer—to let these prayers soak a while in our minds and hearts so it can comfort us—challenge us—and change us!

Our Father in heaven

You are my Father in Heaven (which means I’m a child of Heaven)
You are my Creator—my Maker
You intimately knit me together in my mother’s womb (Ps 139:13)
I exist because you created me and intended for me to exist (Ps 139:16; Rev 4:11)—
I exist by you and for you (Rom 11:36)
You are intimately acquainted with every detail of my life (Ps 139:3; Matt 10:29-31; Lk 12:7)
You are my Father who is always present with me (Ps 23:4; Ps 118:6-7; Ps 139:7)
You are “our Father”—so all your people are my brothers and sisters precious in your sight

Hallowed be Your name

May your name be glorified and honored—I glory in your glory
May your name be high and lifted up (Isaiah 57:15)—in my heart and mind and soul and…
May your name be treasured and loved and cherished above all else
May my life bring glory to your name in my words, my relationships, my work, my…

May your kingdom come

Your kingdom is the Shalom my heart longs for
I want to live for the coming of Shalom—your kingdom—as my greatest hope and desire (Matt 13:44-45)
I long for your kingdom to come—Come Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20)
May your kingdom come more and more in my heart and my desires and…

May your will be done (on earth as it is in heaven)

I exist by and for your will (Rev 4:11; Rom 11:36)
Only in your will is true life, true joy and satisfaction forever found
Your will is the only will that is my good and my glory forever
Only in your will can I be truly happy and free
Not my will, but your will be done! (As Jesus prayed in Lk 22:42)

Give us this day our daily bread

Provide for me today everything I need for today—
And for tomorrow everything I need for tomorrow
I trust you that everything you provide is everything I need
Fill me with the Bread of Heaven to satisfy my hungry soul

Forgive us our sins…

(Jesus assumes our need for forgiveness every time we pray. And giving us this prayer request means that God answers the prayers of sinners! Sometimes we can become paralyzed in our praying and afraid to approach God because of guilt. But we are always sinners completely saved by grace through Jesus Christ. And God does not turn away the prayers of sinners when we pray like this.)

Forgive me for all the ways I have turned away from you and your will—
The ways I have not trusted you—
The ways I have offended and grieved you—
The ways I have rejected your wisdom, your love, your goodness, and your glory for my life

As we forgive those who have sinned against us

I forgive those who have offended me and sinned against me, because you have forgiven me of such a greater debt of offenses and sins I’ve committed against you
I forgive those who have hurt me—those who have acted against me
I forgive them and release to you my bitterness, resentment, and anger toward them
I will let go of my unforgiveness and let you deal with them

Lead us not into temptation

Keep me from being deceived by temptation’s false promises
And help me overcome every temptation by believing your promises of true Life in Christ—
By believing your promises are always far more satisfying and rewarding than the false promises of sin
By believing your will for me is always my only true good forever

Deliver us from evil

Deliver me from the evil one—
Who is seeking and desiring only to destroy me—
To rob and destroy your good for my life

Because yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen

Songs and Scenes from Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Crossing is going through sermon series called, Feeding Your Soul, in which the pastors are encouraging us to go deeper in our relationship with God through consistent prayer and bible study. This morning we journeyed through the very prayer that Jesus Christ gave us in Matthew 6 (with supplemental prayers by Martin Luther) to help us draw near to God as a congregation.

(Photos are courtesy of Lana Eklund. You'll find links in the song titles that will allow you to purchase recorded versions of the songs where available.)

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

All praise to You, Eternal God
You made the heavens and earth.
Giving life and breath to everyone,
sustaining all things by Your Word.

The Lord's Prayer: Hallowed be Your Name

Father in heaven, all hearts are open to you, you know all our desires, and there are no secrets hid from your sight: We pray you would cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Holy, Holy, Holy - Words by Reginald Heber (1783-1826)

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy (Jesus, You Are) by Jason Ingram, Matt Redman, Jonas Myrin

Your name alone has power to raise us.
Your light will shine when else fades.
Our eyes will look on Your glorious face,
shining like the sun? Who is like you God?

You are holy, holy, holy
God most high and God most worthy.
You are holy, holy, holy
Jesus, You are. Jesus, You are.

The Lord's Prayer: Your Kingdom Come

Father in heaven, we bring before you the names of those we commend to your kingdom work care. Our friends, co-workers, and family members. Give them your Holy Spirit, so that by your grace they may believe your holy Word and lead godly lives in this present hour and in eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Lord's Prayer: Forgive our sins

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

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy Cross I cling;
Naked, come to thee for dress;
Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.

Assurance of Forgiveness based on 1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

This is God’s gospel promise: to forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ’s one sacrifice finished on the cross.

Nothing But the Blood - Words and Music by Robert Lowry, Arrangement by Page CXVI

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
How precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
nothing but the blood of Jesus.

The Lord's Prayer: Deliver us from Evil

Father in heaven, You tempt no one. We pray that you would guard and keep us so that Satan, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive or seduce us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked everyday by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them and win the victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Revelation Song by Jennie Lee Riddle

Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder
at the mention of Your Name.
Jesus, Your Name is Power,
breath, and Living Water
such a marvelous mystery.

The Lord's Prayer: Based on Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

A live recording (with music) of the prayer meditation Dave used in his message is available here as a resource for guided prayer. The transcript is also available on The Crossing's iphone/droid app (available in the App Store).

Music and Tech Team for January 15, 2012:

Taylor Bonderer - violin
Kristen Camp - vocals
Sadie Currey - violin
Ashley Gross - vocals
Rhett Johnson - electric guitar
Nick Havens - bass
Scott Johnson - vocals, piano, keyboard
Andrew Luley - drums

Kameron Bong - tech assistant
Michael Novak - sermon media
Jake Wandel - stage and tech coordinator
Tim Worstell - sound