Archive for the ‘Christianity’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

New Leadership Rises

August 24, 2010

I’m still contemplating the end of the gospel of Mark. So the group has an intimate, friendly if not joyous, but yet strange Passover meal. The leader is acting a little strangely, what with washing their feet and all. They whisper about betrayal, but still don’t really know what to expect. Little do they know that by tomorrow night they will be leaderless–sort of. Or at least temporarily. Little did they know that they had to go from student to leader almost overnight. It’s sort of like going from adolescence to maturity in the space of a month.

Think about high school athletics. OK, maybe a stretch, but consider this. One year there is senior leadership of the team, but they inevitably graduate (or get too old). But the next year, last year’s juniors are this year’s seniors, and new leadership arises.

While the disciples had Jesus, they didn’t have to think. Jesus made the decisions. Jesus did the teaching. Jesus chose the inner circle. Jesus arranged the Passover dinner. And the next night he was gone.

So we sit in our comfortable homes and churches and criticize the disciples. What would you have done. You don’t become a leader overnight. Think of times in your life when there was a leader and then she or he was gone. Died. Moved away. Whatever. Wasn’t there a period of time for adjustment?

So they gradually regrouped. Then they experienced the new Jesus. Then they started to exercise their own leadership muscles. And in only 40 days came the day of Pentecost when they announced to the world, “We’re back.” And they each went out and started faith communities. And Paul, Barnabas and others were called, and they traveled the world establishing faith communities. And so, here we are.

The thing that grieves me personally is this thought–what have I done to start new faith communities and raise up new leaders? Have I done enough? Have you? That is one of our tasks–to bring up new leaders to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is here.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Christianity, Leadership | Leave a Comment »

Jesus is with you

August 23, 2010

Returned from another business trip where I’m on the go from early until late. Still pondering Mark’s gospel, though.

There are two endings to the gospel. It appears that some in the community long ago added another ending–perhaps because what appears to be the original ending seemed to stop short. No one can know for certain today. But both endings have a similar conclusion. Jesus went with the disciples as they spread the gospel of God’s salvation.

Sunday, our pastor challenged us (based upon the three stories in Luke 15) to find the lost. Remember the three stories? The lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. While he was talking, I was thinking–how do you approach those who have been in the church then left in bitterness because of something someone said or did years ago? It’s hard. I’ve had those conversations. You don’t just sweep in and drop a few words of wisdom and solve all the problems.

Then I read the conclusions of Mark again and it dawned upon me. You don’t approach situations just within your own emotions and intellect. You step back momentarily and find that Jesus is with you (you could say the Spirit or God–all the same). Then you use the added help that you now have because you are with Jesus. He’s helping you do the work.

Those early Christ followers really felt Jesus’ presence. How long since you have? What better things could you do if you realized that he’s walking with you?

Tags:, ,
Posted in Christianity | Leave a Comment »

Figuring Out Jesus

August 16, 2010

We’re coming up on Jesus’ last two days on Earth as a human. His closest followers, indeed almost everyone, thought they had him figured out. That doesn’t mean everyone agreed with him. After all, he threatened the positions and spiritual security of many. But they thought they had him figured out.

Then he’s arrested, questioned in several tribunals, found guilty of a trumped up charge, and executed as the King of the Jews. Jesus has shown many great powers. Both his friends and his enemies expected him to use those great powers to avoid execution and assume leadership of the Jewish nation.

They were all confounded. When it appeared that the authorities had won, his male friends disappeared. His female friends, however, watched everything and waited. His enemies taunted him with his own words, but still they thought they had him figured out.

What extraordinary power did Jesus exhibit? The power of self control in the face of nasty, false accusations and violent treatment. But nobody could figure out where that was going.

The description of Jesus dying is not really detailed. But what we do know that the way he died was extraordinary. It was different from any other execution the people around had ever experienced. It was so different that a pagan Roman officer exclaimed, “He truly is the Son of God.” That must have been a truly “other worldly” moment. The sky turned black, the curtain in the Temple was torn. It was as if (or maybe better said, he actually did) God reached through the fabric of the universe he had created from wherever God is (he must be outside the universe since he created it) and changed the course of history at that point.

Everyone was looking for evidence of who Jesus was in the wrong places. He was the one person in history who walked (in the Hebrew sense) totally with-God. So, his dying was no ordinary event. It was extra-ordinary. So significant that pagans noticed.

Are you looking for Jesus in the wrong way? Think you have him figured out? Probably not. He is extra-ordinary. Don’t trap him in a little wrist band. To meet him, you must live with-God. And that is a challenge.

Tags:,
Posted in Christianity | Leave a Comment »

Defend Yourself

August 10, 2010

How do you defend your positions? When someone confronts you with a false accusation or with an argument that is counter to everything you believe in, how do you react? Are you defensive? Do you attack the person? Do you lead with phrases that include “you”? Does your defensiveness or insecurity result in angry responses?

What if your life were on the line? You were wrongly accused, and if you can’t defend yourself adequately, you’ll die?

Watch how Jesus handles himself in his final days. He showed some irritability (cursing the fig tree), and he showed anguish. But mostly he was calm, self-composed, self-assured. He quietly answered questions, but with confidence and courage. He didn’t back down. He didn’t speak evil of his accusers. He even reached out to others (the criminal on the cross). In fact, he was still teaching.

What a role model. When confronted, maintain your poise. Be assured in your relationship with God. Answer with civility and gentleness all the while being firm and confident. Wish I could always be that way.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Christianity, Living | 1 Comment »

Betrayal and Forgiveness

August 9, 2010

[Note: I was on another business trip with days that went from 6 am to 10 pm. Somewhere I need to either budget less sleep or budget my time better on these trips. I slipped on all my blogs.]

I’ve reached the end of Mark where he devotes several chapters to Jesus’ last couple of days. I’ve thought about betrayal. The Bible is full of stories of betrayal. Certainly Jesus was betrayed by one of his friends. That happens. Usually this betrayal is a scene in a larger plot–that of enemies trying to undercut you or even kill you in extreme cases.

And that’s happened to me. I worked for a failing company. One day my boss came into my office and said, “X is going to the president of the company telling him you’re not working hard enough.” I was in the habit of eating lunch at my desk and reading the Wall Street Journal and other business information. Thereafter, I went to a restaurant with the group and had a hamburger and beer. That was considered more productive.

Later when I was at another company, I’d run into X around town. He’d smile and greet me like an old buddy. I remember the incident [the old saying “forgive and forget” isn’t always possible], but I don’t care about him. Within me, I forgave him. He was just trying, in vain, to save his job at the expense of me and probably others. Mostly I just thought about the stupidity of the entire situation.

I just read somewhere a quote that went something like, forgiveness is the beginning of healing. If you carry the betrayal within you it will have the ability to destroy your life. If you forgive, then you can get on with your life free of those negative emotions that destroy you.

Jesus seemed to forgive Judas in a way before the betrayal actually went down. Even facing death, he knew someone had to do the act. Judas was playing his part. Jesus knew. He didn’t go to his death carrying bitterness and revenge toward his betrayer. He was past that and on toward his freedom.

We’re unlikely to face a betrayer who is out to kill us. But the same model exists. Following Jesus as the pioneer of our faith (as the writer of Hebrews puts it) means emulating his model. In this case, forgive them the wrong done to you (I’m not talking about God’s final forgiveness here–that’s up to Him) and then you’re free to live with God.

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Christianity, Living | Leave a Comment »

You Better Have Figs

July 28, 2010

“I just know one thing, if the creator of the world comes to you and asks you for a fig, you’d better have some–lots of them.”

I’ve been meditating on the Gospel of Mark for the past several months. Getting toward the end, we came to the story (not parable) of Jesus cursing the fig tree. I sort of skipped over that part of the story and went to the explanation. Jesus’ closest friends were shocked to see him exhibit such impatience and pointed out that the fig tree he cursed the day before (May no one ever eat a fig from you again) was now dead all the way to the roots. And that happened overnight.

Driving to Chicago last night, I was listening to the weekend message from Willow Creek Community Church on my iPod. Pastor Wayne Cordeiro from Honolulu was speaking. He cited that passage as one of his examples. He said, I have studied that passage for years. Never could figure it out. Finally I just thought, “If the creator of the world asks you for figs, you’d better have figs.”

A little later in Mark’s story (Chapter 13), Jesus tells his followers to stay awake, be aware of what’s going on around them, be aware of God’s movement in the world and their lives. I bet he was thinking something along the lines of “When I’m gone and you’re the leaders, you’d better have been cultivating figs–and you’d better have plenty. Because you’ll need them. And God’s asking.”

Got any figs?

Tags:, ,
Posted in Christianity, Living | Leave a Comment »

Awesome Structures of Man

July 27, 2010

Humans have to build things. It’s in our nature. And long ago we learned how to build awesome structures. So big, so solid, so awesome that it would be unthinkable to suppose they would not last forever. These are usually great symbols of something. The Great Pyramids of Egypt still survive. But the World Trade Centers in New York, symbols of Western greed and immorality to some in the world, were destroyed.

“What large stones; what large buildings,” Jesus disciples said as they were leaving the Temple after his daylong battle of wits with the religious leaders of the day. The Temple was so awesome, so large, exuded so much power, the people from the “sticks” just couldn’t believe it. Sort of like people from Ohio fresh off the farm going to New York to see the large buildings.

Jesus says, don’t be taken in by these works of humans. Mark in Chapter 13 records the conversation. First Jesus says, look at all this, soon not one stone will be left on another. That shocked them. So, when they were alone in the garden, they asked him again. And he told them again that the Temple would be destroyed and pagan worship rites would occur on the site of the Holy of Holies. He said that there would be bad times for Jews in those days. And for his followers.

Within 50 years from this conversation, it all happened. The Temple was destroyed (and to this day it remains down). The big revolt of the Jews against Rome was put down at great loss of life. Think of Masada. Jesus’ closest followers were persecuted, jailed, many killed.

But Jesus said in another place that in his death and resurrection would be a new Temple. A new sacrifice for the atonement of sins. No need to buy animals for sacrifice.

And that’s where we are today. Still with the human urge to think how great are the works of our hands and brains. But what really matters is the person of Jesus who teaches us how to live with God. The Godly life endures. Physical things we build are only temporary–not things to worship, but to use.

Tags:
Posted in Christianity, Living | Leave a Comment »

How is your church

July 26, 2010

Jon Swanson writes a couple of blogs. One is “300 Words a Day.” Here he ponders “8 Ways to Find a Church.” If someone comes into your church, how do they “find it?” I don’t mean Yellow Pages. How do they find the experience? What do you think?

Jon has a list:

  1. Do they consider themselves a they or a building? (Church, biblically, is always the people.)
  2. Do people stick around after formalities are done? (It’s a sign of community, whether it’s a large Sunday gathering or a committee meeting.)
  3. Do they acknowledge God in three persons and build from the Bible (This one matters to me.)
  4. Do they teach things that I’m not sure I exactly agree with, but do it in a way I can converse with? (I don’t want a group that only knows what I know. I gotta be stretched. But lovingly. And as an invitation to love.)
  5. Do they allow brokenness or do they expect perfection? (No one isn’t broken. Too often, however, we say “fix yourself and then you can come to God.” That is exactly backwards.)
  6. Do I feel a sense of holiness that makes no sense? (Can’t explain it)
  7. Do you have to be related or part of the cultural tribe before you can be accepted as part of the church tribe? (If everyone is Swedish but you, or everyone is tatted or no one is, or you have to have a beehive.)
  8. Do they go more than they gather? (Are they at the jail and the Starbucks and the neighbor’s garden and traveling across the country with @hardlynormal to visit people without homes.)

Tags:
Posted in Christianity | Leave a Comment »

Politics and religion meet the spirit

July 20, 2010

By what authority do you teach? When you stop to think about it, that’s an interesting question. In today’s world, if you’re “ordained” by a religious body (say, Catholic, United Methodist, Lutheran, and so on), then you teach by the authority of that organization. Me? I just started teaching. Never thought about authority.

That question directed by the Jewish leaders (who were both religious and, in many ways, civil, leaders) to Jesus was what we call a loaded question. Jesus was openly questioning their authority. They thought they were just part of the leadership lineage that traced back to Moses. Somebody had to be in charge. Somebody had to oversee religious rites, tell people what was right, interpret God to the people. There had always been priests beginning when Moses appointed some. They were appointed to be part of that line of authority. They were essentially political leaders.

Mark says that this confrontation came the day after Jesus drove the commercial people out of the Temple. This was a revolutionary act directly affecting the income of the leaders–as well as their authority. So they asked Jesus by what authority he did that. But Jesus asked them about where John the Baptist derived his authority. Many people thought it came directly from God. But the leaders had opposed him.

Ah, here is where politics and religion meet the Spirit. If you are a leader and you want to maintain your authority, you begin to think like Mark reports. “If we say from man, the people will get mad at us. But if we say from God, then they’ll ask why we didn’t support him.” So, they didn’t answer. And that’s the problem with organizational leadership where people in power want to maintain power as their objective. This can happen at any level of any organization where someone gets comfortable and likes being in charge.

Jesus did not organize in that manner. His organization technique–one that is being emulated by many even in businesses today–is one of teaching, empowering, setting free. He gathered willing people to join him. Taught them. Gave them the power to act along with the foundation that would prepare them to act in a right manner. And eventually he set them free to lead themselves.

No matter where you are a leader–family, church committee, civic organization, political, denominational–think on these things. Are you in it for you? Or are you in it because God wants you to lead, teach, empower and set free?

Oh, Jesus authority? It came from God. By whose authority do you teach?

Tags:, ,
Posted in Christianity, Leadership | Leave a Comment »

Gentle or forceful

July 19, 2010

Can you be both gentle and forceful? Sounds like a paradox. Nineteenth Century European philosophers picked up on two things from contemporary Christian churches. First an attitude–Jesus was meek and Christians should emulate him as sheep. Second was politics–European Christian churches sided with wealth (to keep the donations coming) while telling the poor to be satisfied in the afterlife. These attitudes influenced both Marx and Nietzsche with awful consequences.

There is no way to read the Gospels without coming to the conclusion that Jesus had a forceful personality. He had “backbone” as they’d say in the country. Mark’s description of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem does not paint a picture of a quiet, gentle, feminine man. Jesus clears the temple of commerce (his only physical act of violence recorded). He stands up to the leaders of his faith and his country with deft verbal sparring–including telling a story that is a thinly veiled condemnation of them (the vineyard owner and the tenants). He leads his followers into unknown territory. And he faces death with grace and courage. Obviously philosophers and theologians of the time were mistaken.

Jesus also could deal gently and tenderly with people who were afflicted with demons and disabilities. His typical personality was gentle, but his forceful personality kept him focused on his mission.

Actually, emulating Jesus as the pioneer of our faith (as the writer of Hebrews puts it) guides us through life. A person living with-God bears the spiritual fruit of gentleness. But when adversity or adversaries arise, the strength and force of Jesus helps us stay on course.

Tags:,
Posted in Christianity, Living | Leave a Comment »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »