The Conscience of a Society

January 28, 2014

Pete Seeger has passed away at age 94. That’s what an alert from the Wall Street Journal on my iPhone told me this morning. He was the conscience of the nation at a time of great changes in our society. I was greatly influenced by him. I can see many of the things he saw about society, but in the end I lack his courage to live an entire life as a conscience.

In that fear part of the 50s and the rise of Joseph McCarthy, he was branded a communist and lost the ability to earn a living for many years. Still, he persisted. He followed the footsteps of another folk-singing legend–Woody Gutherie. And some who followed him, such as Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow of the group Peter, Paul & Mary, did not have the same stamina.

I wonder who is today’s conscience. In America, is it John Stewart? Not the same. Most likely Bono of U2 fame.

Seeger probably looked like our mental image of some of the Old Testament prophets. He was like some of them. He saw injustice in society and pointed it out. Much as those old prophets, he was not often revered. Instead often ridiculed, despised.

Still, the last time I heard him, he was firm to his convictions and ever watchful of the movements in society. Still seeking a society that has justice for all. Still pointing out shortcomings.

As the prophet Amos said (5:24), “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Seeger lived that. Why do I fall short?

Tags: ,
Posted in Ethics | Leave a Comment »

Teach Them Well

January 27, 2014

Paul’s letter to Titus came up last week in my reading and listening. It’s been a while since I read it. There’s a wealth of information for leaders and others in that little piece of writing.

If you step back and look at the entire thing, you can see that Paul expects Titus to be a teacher as a leader. Many years ago I read about how legendary basketball coach John Wooden compiled such a winning record over so many years. He was observant of the strengths and weaknesses of his players. He devised ways for them to be successful. He put them in the situations where they could become successful. And he taught them what it took to be successful.

Paul expected the same from Titus. Teach the people well. Put people in a position to be successful. Even though Titus was on an island where the people were evidently looked down upon by the rest of Roman society. But Paul believed in Titus’ ability.

In whatever leadership position that we have, we need to remember Paul’s thought–to lead is to teach. Even in the largest corporations when leading extremely driven people, there is still the need to teach everyone about the mission of the organization (company, church, committee), why it matters, how to behave, where to focus.

We tend to forget these things. Even leaders tend to forget. That’s why Paul is reminding Titus, the person he left behind in Crete to lead the new Christian community there.

The song recorded by Crosby, Stills and Nash years ago keeps popping into mind. “Teach…your children well.” Followed by “Teach…your parents well.” We all have something to teach. We’re all leaders in some contexts and followers in others. When you lead, teach…them well.

Tags: ,
Posted in Leadership | Leave a Comment »

Debating Society or Living in Love

January 24, 2014

A teacher recently explained something of the difference between the Reformed view of Scripture and the Dispensationalist view. I found it interesting to learn that I was closer to the Reformed view than I’d have expected.

The Reformed strain begins with Luther, then Calvin and others of the 16th and 17th Century. The Dispensationalists (precursors of much of today’s “fundamentalists”) originated in the 19th Century.

By the way, these are Protestant strains of thought. There are other theologies alive in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. I say that lest we think that we’ve discovered the one true way through some philosopher.

I’ve always found it instructive to read the earliest sources and tend to find writings that seek to explain the “secrets” of the Bible to be less than instructive.

To me, the Bible exists to show us how to live our lives in relationship with God. What would our lives look like if we did so.

I thought about this in relationship to theology and organized religion. I realized that over the course of the past 35 years or so, I’ve spent very little time thinking about religion. I used to subscribe to theology journals, but found the playing of mind games merely entertaining–not instructive.

There was a song that appeared in the mid-late 60s I think co-written by Paul Stookey of the folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary (and I’ve forgotten the title), that starts “Sunday morning very bright, I read your book by colored light that came in through the pretty window picture.” It’s about a person who shows up in church at times but finds it not nourishing. In one verse, he says they passed a plate and I just had time to write note that said “I believe in You.”

Jesus said we’d know his followers by their love. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve forgotten that simple description in our quest for theological purity (of a philosophy developed 1600 or 1900 years after Jesus) or doctrinal argument or unlocking the “secrets” of the Bible.

What have we done to show love today? It’s just that simple. And that hard.

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

Foundation of Leadership

January 23, 2014

Recently my attention was brought to the little letter the apostle Paul wrote to Titus. In this letter, Paul instructed Titus how to establish the local church. He was much concerned about the qualifications of the leaders.

Remember that Paul’s task was two-fold. He was an evangelist who spread the message of Jesus to the greater world of the Gentiles. He was also the consolidator of the revolution. He turned the movement into an organization. Eric Hoffer, called the “Longshoreman Philosopher” wrote an interesting book, The True Believer: Thoughts On The Nature of Mass Movements. You can still get this book on Amazon. I read it in the 60s. That is where I first had my eyes opened to the greater work of Paul.

Paul left Titus behind in Crete, a place thought to be quite barbarous, to lead the group of Jesus-followers. He wrote that Titus should establish a formal leadership of “elders” and “overseers”. Then he explained to Titus the qualifications of the leaders.

As I read the list, I was struck by the fact that all the qualifications dealt with character issues. He didn’t mention organizational skills, what today we’d call leadership skills, speaking skills. He basically said, select men with good character.

He said elders should be “blameless.” It’s not that they are without fault, after all, who could be that. But the congregation can look at their life and see that they do not act in ways that bring disrepute. They should be a strong leader of the family. This is the first crucible of leadership training. If they cannot lead their family, how can they lead the church? They should overuse alcohol to the point of often being drunk. They should not be rebellious.

Paul continues with overseers (bishops, but not in our sense, yet), that they are to be good stewards, not arrogant or greedy, not quick tempered or violent. They should be hospitable, prudent, upright, devout and self-controlled.

Don’t you wish that our business, government and church leadership reflected those qualities of leadership?

If you are called to leadership, either in your family or a committee or an organization or business, it would be wise to reflect on Paul’s criteria for leaders. How do we measure up to this standard? Does our character qualify us as leaders?

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

Walking in Faith

January 22, 2014

Do you ever wonder about the people the writers in the Bible were addressing? Especially the New Testament letter writers?

One of my small groups is reading James. A marvelous little letter. But I started thinking–just what was that gathering of people like that caused James to write this letter to them?

His teaching included:

  • treating poor people just like you’d treat rich people
  • act out your faith, don’t just sit back and say you believe
  • watch what you say
  • be careful not to judge people as to their salvation
  • pray powerfully expecting results
  • if you’re rich, don’t hold it over other people

Picture this gathering of people. When they got together, they separated themselves among cultural lines just as if they were out in society. When things got tough, they whined. They were critical of each other, often saying mean things.

How many of these traits do we exhibit?

I remember long ago talking with a woman about coming to my church. She said, “I just wouldn’t fit in there.” What a powerful condemnation. She didn’t think our little Baptist church filled with middle class business people and teachers would accept a working person.

Even today, I can look across the 20 or more protestant churches in our town of 17,000 and see how often they are divided among income, cultural or racial lines. There is only one Catholic church in town, but there are several rural ones close by if people want to stay in the faith (protestants don’t seem to care about denomination very much any more, they just hop from church to church) and attend with people they feel comfortable with.

Wherever you are, do you try to live out some of these words of James?

  • make everyone feel equally welcome
  • speak kindly in the Spirit
  • perform acts of service in humility
  • pray powerfully with great expectation

I need reminding at times. Bet we all do.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Attitude, Disciplines, Prayer | Leave a Comment »

According To Their Character

January 21, 2014

I got a little swamped Sunday evening and yesterday recovering from my trip to Mexico. This is really yesterday’s post.

There are so many wonderful people in the world. Notwithstanding the depravity I saw in the “red light” district of Tijuana (in all my travels, I’ve never seen so many prostitutes per square yard), I met many truly wonderful people. In our political debates, often Mexicans are pictured in negative ways. People think negative things about Mexicans personally. I’ve seen the prejudice, and dealt with it, on the soccer pitch.

But I was in Mexico, so I was surrounded by Mexicans. What wonderful people.

Thinking of the holiday the US sets aside to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., I recall his words that all people should be judged by the strength of their character not the color of their skin. Those are words that I have always tried to live by.

That can become a spiritual discipline. Recognizing that every individual is created in God’s image by God can change the way you look at other people. “She’s made in God’s image.” “He’s made in God’s image.” “Did I just diss that person who is made in God’s image?”

Let’s work on that discipline this year.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Disciplines, Ethics, Relationship | Leave a Comment »

You Will Know My Followers By Their Love

January 16, 2014

I’m continuing my posts from the Tijuana Christian Mission. This is our last day. We’re flying home overnight, so back to work Friday afternoon.

What an amazing testimony to God’s love at work. These Jesus followers serve some of the poorest of the poor, the abused, the neglected. There is no false sentimentality, likewise no finger-pointing. Just sharing God’s love with a sandwich and a Bible lesson. A shelter for abused women. Orphanages for abandoned children. A hospice for lost people.

I’ve traveled and seen many things. But I’ve never been taken into an alley packed with people who have little hope, many the only hope they have comes through a needle. But appreciative to Christ-followers who share.

Jesus said, you will know my followers by their love.

Sometimes I wonder about some who claim his name, yet fail so much to love others.

When you see these illnesses of society, you realize how much work there is to be done.

I’ve seen changed hearts and changed lives. We need many more.

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

The Power of Prayer Plus Work

January 15, 2014

I am in Tijuana, Mexico this week visiting the Tijuana Christian Mission. Begun 50 years ago by an energetic young pastor, the mission now incorporates an orphanage in Tijuana, another in Rosarita, a shelter for abused women (mostly rescued from the sex trade), and a hospice hospital.

The founder (I’m probably not spelling it correctly) Sergio Gomez told us about his life and the ministry he has built. Rather God and he have built. I have written before about praying with intention. Well, he is the best example I’ve ever heard of prayers answered while praying specifically and with intention. As well as starting the path even when waiting on God to provide.

His family and the other staff are doing a great work (hearkening back to my Nehemiah discussions), and they “will not come down.” They keep the faith even when cheated and when promised support withers away.

I’m sitting in the courtyard typing this post listening to the boys playing basketball, a young girl rollerblading, the girls talking, a guitar lesson has just ended. Amazing.

Everything I’ve learned from my daughter about running a group home and dealing with troubled kids–they are living out. Most of the kids are victims of some sort of tragedy, and most are doing well. They’ve even had a college graduate recently.

If you are interested in learning more, just contact me.

[oh, sorry about the double post–I’m still learning how to use the WordPress app on my iPad]

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

Experience God or Believe in God

January 14, 2014

Belief? Or experience?

I was brought up to believe in God. This word, belief, has long puzzled me. It means something like having confidence that something is true or something exists even though there is no empirical evidence that it is, indeed, true.

Faith also seems to me to be similar to belief.

I struggle with these words. They seem lacking. Not descriptive enough. What do you mean that you don’t know that God exists?

Do you ever wonder about this? Or wonder if God is real?

There is a group or community of people who have ecstatic experiences of the Spirit. We call them pentacostal or maybe other terms. I am not one, quite, but I know many. This is experiential worship. But many people are just not the right personality type for ecstatic worship.

I could say that I believe that people can experience God. But that sounds like a contradiction.

So, I’ve thought about all this for many years.

Then about 30 years ago, when I discovered that people really exist (as a science/engineering personality type, I was lost in a world of ideas for most of my early life), I started reading psychology. A lot. Freud. James, John Climacus. Jung.

Finally, an observation that seemed to fit my thinking as well as my experiences. Carl Jung, toward the end of his life of deep exploration of the psyche, was asked if he believed in God. “Believe?” he answered, “no, I don’t believe. I know.”

Pondering visionary experiences of God while contemplating John’s Revelation, brought back memories of my experiences. Yes, I know. God’s beyond belief. God is real.

Modern psychologists or English professors or the like would say that I am merely delusional. But they say that because they do not know! It’s not belief. I know God is with me.

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

Treat Everyone Equally

January 13, 2014

When most of you read this post, I will be in the air on my way to Mexico to visit the Tijuana Christian Mission. I’m going with three members of our church’s pastoral staff partly so that I can rejuvenate our mission ministry.

One of my small groups is studying James right now. As always, what we study seems to have immediate application. Twice early in his letter, James teaches on respecting everyone. Everyone in the community is equal before God. We should not feel either inferior or superior. We should not treat others as superior or inferior.

That’s one of the things I admire about Pope Francis, by the way. In an organization that retains most of the medieval trappings of power and authority, he is trying to bring some other traditional Christian teachings into the church.

I have traveled internationally enough to intentionally try not to be the “typical American.” But often I’m at engineering conferences. This is a different trip. I’ll be the only engineer. James’ teachings will be at the front of my mind. Although (probably as an American) I seldom recognize personally superiority or inferiority, going on a mission trip with the poor and dispossessed will be different, for sure.

James teaches two things early in his letter–respect for others and awareness of our own motivations. Nowhere does this come out as much as during travel into other cultures. Should be an interesting time.

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

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »