Most of Mike's Blogs Can Now Be Found at LittletonChristian.com

Hello vast, broad, and diverse readership!

I have decided that the majority of blogs I write from now on will now be located at LittletonChristian.com.  To jump straight to the most recent blog post, click here.

My intention is to periodically utilize this blog for personal thoughts, much like my recent post on the birth of my first child, a beautiful girl.  However, an intention with more force behind it is that I intend to do most of my blogging on the previously mentioned website, which is the church I am honored to serve as pastor.

See you there!

mike

Birth and Already, Not Yet

Early in the morning on Thursday, September First, I stood by (holding, shouting, coaching, gawking) as my wife gave birth to our first child, Jada.  A few brief observations:

1. I am convinced that she (my wife) is the strongest human being alive.  Strong of mind and body.  It's likely that every husband who has been present for the birth of one of his children shares my sentiment for his own wife.

2. Never have I seen the already and not yet come so closely together - to the point where it is genuinely hard to differentiate.  My little girl came 5 weeks early.  Labor was obviously painful and exhausting.  Genesis says this is a result of the Fall.  And yet, the process in and of itself strengthened my daughter and sparked necessary hormonal responses in her body and my wife's body that help my daughter thrive.  Lactation is a miracle.  The interaction from one body to another.  And yet, lactation can be frustrating and painful.

3. My father likes to ruminate on the way birth is central to our economy - truly, the companies that are barraging us with their services has grown.  Birth has a powerful effect on the economy of relationships as well.  We sense a deep and joyful connection with much of our church community as people have come around us in support.  If only every set of new parents could experience such joy.

Please enjoy a few pictures:

The Fear of God

Peter regularly challenges his readers to live in “reverence,” which in the Greek is the word phobos (where we get the word “phobic”), and is always a reference to the Fear of God – a common concept throughout the OT (for example, the entire wisdom of Proverbs is rooted there, based on Prov. 1:8). 

I’ve had trouble with this.  Knowing what we know about the grace and love of Jesus, it is easy to develop a concept of him in which he’s frankly not very scary.  I find myself having to conjure up feelings of fear for a sermon if the passage for the day touches on it. 

There’s a brief mention of fear in the passage I’m studying this week (1 Peter 3:1-7).  Wives of unbelieving husbands are called to quietly influence their husbands through their “purity and fear.” Somehow, this context brought it all together for me, and maybe my thoughts here could help you as you consider it.  These wives may or may not be able to actively participate in the worshipping community – Peter is calling them to honor their nonbelieving husbands, which means some of them would have been restricted from attending.  That means “purity and fear” are a normal part of their lives, a way of connecting with God quietly even if their husbands are angered by their faith.

The point is that the “fear of God” is Peter’s way of describing a life lived entirely conscious of God’s living and active existence, entirely conscious of his involvement in every part of our life, entirely aware of him.  It impacts our choices, our attitudes, and even helps us endure difficulties, because we are more focused on that fear than lesser situations.  Isn’t that the nature of fear?  In my own life there are too many examples of this, so I’ll go to a common fear:

For several years after I watched arachnophobia in the 4^th grade, I lived the title of the movie.  A hair moving on my leg as I fell asleep was surely a dangerous spider – sleep, especially camping, was miserable.  And when there actually was a spider in the room, you can be sure that did everything in my power never to lose sight of it (after all, the spiders in the movie waited until people were asleep or not looking).  The point, which can get lost in my weakness, is this: the lifestyle of fearing God is being aware of his activity and presence. 

For Peter this had come alive like never before: not only had he seen Jesus walk on water, raise the dead, turn water to wine, heal the sick and more, but he had also seen Jesus alive after he had died himself.  Not only did he see Jesus resurrected, but he watched him ascend to heaven.  Not only did he see Jesus ascend, but he experienced the fiery tongues of Pentecost and the subsequent power of God pulsing through himself! Not only that, but Peter had seen God strike two believers dead for lying about their donation.  The list goes on.  For Peter, there was no option but to fear God; God had proven to him that he is present, active, worthy of worship.   The metaphor breaks down; God’s presence is one of peace, hope, and love (unlike a spider); although there are some notable similarities: God’s presence is an awareness of the unknown: what might that thing do to me (the question I was unconsciously asking about the spider)? 

Simon bar Jona

As we begin our study of the book of 1 Peter, the right place to begin is the author.

There is some significant debate over whether or not it was actually Peter who wrote this letter or someone writing in his name, tapping into his tradition.  I believe there is enough evidence to support Petrine authorship and that it is far more helpful to read and interpret the book as though he wrote it.

So, who is this man?  His birth name is Simon (or Simeon).  He is a Galilean fisherman from the town of Bethsaida, and he is the brother of Andrew.  His brother introduced him to Jesus of Nazareth when they were young adults.  A survey of Peter's life yields six key "chapters."  If you'd rather listen to a message on this, click here.

Chapter 1: Young, Passionate, Over-Zealous Faith.
This chapter covers basically the entire ministry of Jesus and his disciples before Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Simon quickly becomes a very close friend to Jesus, and it is clear that along with James and John he is in Jesus' "inner circle."  Jesus gives him the name "Cephas," which means "Rock."  The Greek word for rock is Petros; thus, he is commonly known as Peter.  He is also the most vocal and passionate of the disciples - he clearly wears his heart on his sleeve.  Luke shows him falling at Jesus' feet when they first met, crying "Depart from me, Lord!  For I am a sinful man."  Peter witnesses many miracles first hand.  He is the disciple who recognizes Jesus' true identity first, saying he is the Christ (that is, the "anointed one"), and the "son of the living God."  Peter walks on water with Jesus (for a moment).  He is there at the transfiguration.   Notably, Peter repeatedly and loudly states his overwhelming commitment to Jesus, and to the victory of Jesus.  He rebukes Jesus for his passion predictions (that's no way for a king to act!), and promises that he will never leave or deny Jesus.  After all, as Peter is quick to remind us, he has "left everything to follow" Jesus.   His faith is fueled by the miraculous, full of passion and fervor, and believes that, by virtue of Jesus, he'll be part of the new government of Israel when the Anointed One seizes his rightful throne.  He always treats Jesus like a king, including refusing (initially) to have feet washed by the Christ.

Chapter Two: Disappointment, Denial, and Shame
This is a short chapter in Peter's life, but a very dark one.  When Jesus is arrested and shows no signs of struggle (he even stops Peter from defending him), Peter's expectations of being a General in Jesus' army are quickly dashed.  It seems he had daydreamed this victory so many times that he lost sight of who Jesus really was - he never understood a passion prediction.  So, following at a distance, Peter is confronted three times regarding his connection to Jesus.  He vehemently denies it - and, while it was lie, perhaps his heart and mind really felt as though he had never really known Jesus.  The Jesus he knew was the one he created in his his daydreams: a victorious king, reigning in Jerusalem, freeing the Jews from the hand of Rome.  All of Peter's young, passionate, over-zealous faith comes crashing down.

Chapter Three: Restoration
The final chapter of the Gospel of John recounts a scene after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, where Jesus approaches Peter on the shore and asks "Do you love me?" Three times in three ways (the English does not reflect the variety of Jesus question). Peter responds with a passionate "yes" each time - the relationship is being rebuilt.  In this moment, Jesus places this man who turned his back on him in a moment of doubt in the place of leadership and purpose for his followers.  It is restoration at it's best: the grace of Christ makes Peter more than what he was before.

Chapter Four: Power and Authority
Peter then naturally becomes the leader of the fledgling group of Jesus' followers.  And, after Jesus ascends to heaven, they follow his instruction to wait.  In an amazing moment, the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples, and they are filled with power and boldness not their own.  Peter is the shining example of this: he delivers an impromptu speech to the crowd and 3000 become believers in Jesus and set themselves aside through baptism.  Peter seems to be walking in the Spirit's power the most fully of the disciples, as Acts shows him undaunted by imprisonment; his shadow has healing power, he raises a girl from the dead, he heals a paralyzed man. Peter is quick to say this power is not his own, that it is the authority of Jesus.  This humility is easily connected to the life experience of over-zealous faith, shameful failure, and merciful restoration.

Chapter Five: Mistakes and Lessons
Having been restored and filled with the Spirit does not mean Peter is now infallible.  The key example of this is his confusion and wavering regarding the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Jesus-following community.  He receives a vision which seems to indicate they should be included by virtue of faith and grace; and yet within a couple years it's clear he's re-considered.  Paul recounts the necessity of rebuking Peter face to face for his inconsistency and lack of clarity on this key issue - the heart of Jesus' purpose in the world is at stake.  Peter must learn.  Based on the words of his first letter, it seems he has.  All Christians must continue to learn as he did - even if the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit is directly present in your life!

Chapter Six: Martyrdom
It is said that Peter was executed by Nero in the year 64, and that his request to be crucified upside down was granted.  Peter's last act was his greatest: he shows a full understanding that his Lord's kingdom is "not of this world," and that true victory comes not in the brandishing of the sword (as Peter did in Gethsamene so many years beforehand), but by total sacrifice.

May it be that followers of Christ today would see their own growth in chapters similar to these.  We start with passionate faith, we experience loss or frustration paired with failure and shame (and essentially walking away from Jesus), we are granted restoration, we receive true power because now we're not trying to do it "on our own," but look to God for everything, we continue to grow and learn, and finally we live a totally surrendered life.

The Proverbial Takeaway

Yesterday marked the beginning of the next teaching series at Littleton Christian Church, which has yet to find a catchy title, but will be a study of First Peter.

However, before this blog follows suit, I'd like to summarize a few of the most important points from the whole study of Proverbs, so that the information that was most helpful to me can continue bearing fruit for many of you.  My main source for this came from a former professor of mine, Tremper Longman III, in his excellent book How to Read Proverbs.  I adapted his method a bit after drinking enough of the Gospel Coalition koolaid (not to knock it, I really believe it), which presses us to look for the Gospel of Jesus in any text, Old or New Testament, and to read and understand it all through the lens of the gospel.

Without further ado, here are the principles for studying the book of Proverbs:

1. Proverbs is about Wisdom.  Wisdom (which has in its family knowledge, insight, prudence, and righteousness) is the ability to navigate life (and all of creation) well.

2. Proverbs as a book highlights the most important areas in life which require wisdom.  The areas I chose to focus on in preaching were: attitude, relationship with God, relationship with others, marital relationships (and singleness), parenting, communication (speaking and listening), and money (riches, poverty, generosity, and work).  There are certainly more; the skill here is to read the book and allow the key themes to rise to the surface as you read.

3. It is necessary and helpful to focus on each area one at a time.  Read through the whole of Proverbs making note of every statement that seems related to your particular topic.  Create a list.

4. Once you have that list, it's time to start working on what each proverb means.   You'll need to employ interpretive tools here: take note of the poetic imagery, the contrasts, the unique comparisons.  Each one explains something about your topic from a new light.  Take special care to see how proverbs relates your topic to God.

5. Having sought the meanings of the proverbs, what major timeless principles have emerged?  Make a list.

6. What does your list of principles tell you about the gospel?  In other words, do you see in them a need for Jesus?  How did Jesus live according to them?  Do you see anything that connects to any of his teaching?  Would it be possible to live according to these principles on your own strength?  IF you have rightly found the principles contained in the proverbs, you will have found a picture of how Christ in You, the hope of glory, will behave if you surrender your heart to his.

I deeply enjoyed studying Proverbs.  May it be a lifelong lesson for all of us!

The Message of the Cross, Foolishness to Those Who are Perishing

[Below, you'll find the thought process that I turned into Sunday's sermon.  From the pulpit, I went off script a bit, thus, adding it here.  It was written to be preached the day after the false prediction that May 21 was the Judgement Day, and I've decided not to go through and alter the words for this later publication of it.] 

As of yesterday, another Judgment Day prophecy has come and gone.  Harold Camping, the 89-year old co-founder of Family Radio, used a complex mathematical formula he believed was present in the scriptures to determine that as the six o clock hour struck yesterday (all across the globe), massive earthquakes would ensue, and the rapture would occur.  While non-believers took it as an opportunity to mock and the vast majority of believers shrugged it off, there are a few scattered mostly throughout the United States who gave literally everything they owned, and all their savings, to prepare for and warn about this coming event, forsaking the clear biblical promise that, while we believe the end is imminent, no one can know the day nor the hour.  As of today, they are left with nothing but a lot of questions.  Pray for them.  As a matter of fact, let’s do that now.

I was moved this week by the response of a pastor here in town, Gene Barron of Valley View Christian Church.  In a pastor’s prayer gathering, we were discussing this prediction.  Gene recounted a conversation he recently had with a member of his church about this.  “I don’t know about it,” Gene said to the person, and then added, “but I hope he’s right.”

That statement gave me pause.  To be honest, I’m mostly frustrated by Camping’s prediction.  I’ve shrugged it off and went on with my life.  Camping added foolishness to the Gospel.  He didn’t need to.  A resounding message of the Bible – both the Old and the New Testament – is this: “live like it’s the end, plan like it’s not.”  To me, this is the message of Proverbs, and it is certainly the message of Jesus.  The concept of the end, without any specific predictions, is strange enough.  But we believe that when it happens, it will be the best thing possible.  That’s a little weird.

Check out 1 Corinthians 1:18-24.  

The gospel itself is foolishness to “those who are perishing.”  We spend a lot of time trying to dress it up so that it does not appear foolish.  But the story in and of itself is mind-boggling.  Let’s take a few minutes to remember the story that brings us together every week:

Beginnings: The Self-Existent, All-Powerful, Perfect Being and the Universe

A Self-Existent, All-Powerful, Perfect Being chose to create the universe.  The universe, for those who have forgotten a vast expanse of space, heat, light, and elements.  He created all of that with the goal of supporting a tiny speck (in comparison) floating around a medium to smallish star (we call it the sun).  The balance of every other item in that huge universe somehow made it possible for that one tiny speck to support his tiny and intricate creations on it.  He covered it with water, and then separated out the water so that there could be dry land – but made it so the water functioned in an intricate system of evaporation and redistribution to support growth of all manner of living things on that dry land. 

Beginnings 2: The Creation of Human Beings (Tiny in Comparison, but Imago?)

At the pinnacle of all this stuff which he made just by saying it out loud (“let there be light,” etc.), this Self-Existent, All-Powerful, Perfect Being created a comparatively miniscule entity.  He made this miniscule entity using the other elements he had already spoken into existence, and then he breathed life into this entity and named it adam, which means “of the earth.” The Self-Existent, All-Powerful, Perfect Being, after creating a universe that is at least 28 Billion Light-years (5.87 Trillion Miles = 1 light year… the earth is just under 25,000 miles around) in Diameter (that’s as far as we can see), full of stars and planets, declared that this single entity was the one thing in all of that which was designed to be an image of Himself. Originally, adam was one entity.  But, because adam was made in the image of the Self-Existent, All-Powerful, Perfect Being, he was made to be in community with equals (we believe this Self-Existent, All-Powerful, Perfect Being exists somehow as One Being with Three Persons who dwell in perfect unity and community forever). Therefore, the Self Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being used a portion of adam to create another being who was also in the Self Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being's image, yet was slightly different than adam. So, adam called this second entity ishshah, and said the ishshah was “bone of [his] bone and flesh of [his] flesh,” which is a Hebrew way of saying “the is the very best of all that I am (just like the “song of songs” is the best song, or the King of Kings is the best king). 

Beginnings 3: The Cultural Mandate

These two were instructed by the Self-Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being to multiply, to fill the earth, and to subdue it.  He made it clear to them that he had provided everything they needed.  Their only instruction was that they were to trust the Self-Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being for right and wrong, and not to seek to be the decision makers about right and wrong on their own.  And for a time, we don’t know how long, Adam and ishshah, whom he named Eve, dwelt in this created place with joy and freedom.  It seems they interacted with the Perfect Being easily, freely, and intimately. Adam and Eve had all they wanted. After all, the vast universe was designed to support life on earth, and they were the crowning achievement of life on earth. They were human beings as every one of us imagine when we think of how our bodies, minds, and abilities should be – in perfect control, perfect comfort, perfect strength, perfect relationship, perfect dominion of the rest of creation.  They had no boundaries save one: trust the all powerful, perfect being for right and wrong.  Yet in Perfection, this being saw fit to give these two the opportunity to attempt to decide right and wrong on their own – this was represented by the fruit of a certain tree.  Its presence in their garden gave them an opportunity to trust him… and an opportunity not to. 

Beginnings 4: The Fall

In a moment of mistrust, Adam and Eve became convinced that they could be equals with the Self-Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being if they took the decisions for right and wrong into their own hands, so they ate from the tree.  We call this “the fall.”  The fall initiated a cycle in this tiny blue-green speck in the corner of the vast universe.  Many of Adam and Eve’s tasks continued – they were still to multiply and fill the earth, still to subdue it, but because they had attempted to find a right and wrong, a good and evil, outside of the direct revelation and direct provision of God, God did an interesting thing: he gave them their wish.  Adam and Eve, and their descendants, now had to work the multiply and subdue the land on their own power.  Childbirth became a painful and arduous process for the Woman, and submission of the land for provision became a painful and arduous process for the Man.  The direct revelation of God was no longer readily available, and so a longing developed in the first descendants of the man and the woman to please or appease God, but even that was wrought with difficulty and envy, and it resulted in the first major abuse of the God-Image abilities: one man took the life of another.  Oh, the story spins out of control here - chaos, murder, war, idolatry, adultery... all of it comes sweeping in. 

Redemption Through Israel: The People and their Book

The Self-Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being chose to continue to interact with a select few of the descendants of Adam.  These people recorded his interactions first through memorized spoken words, and then into writing – we call these recordings the Scriptures.  These recorded interactions and stories of the people of God began to weave a story that was building toward something: it was building toward redemption.  But in the strangest of ways: This Perfect Being chose one family line and said “these are my people,” while the rest of the people lived the entirety of their lives worshipping created beings. 

The Son and The Cross

Thousands and thousands of years after the Adam and the Ishshah ate the forbidden fruit, people like us look back on the story of these people and say “ahhhh, I see: God (the Self Existent, Perfect, All Powerful Being) intentionally allowed all of this to happen so that the maximal amount of worship from all of these Image-bearers would be given to himself, specifically to the Person of the Son.”  How, you ask?  Remember how Paul wrote that the “message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”?  He wrote it because it is mind boggling.  The message of the cross is that God allowed every detail I’ve just described, plus billions more details in between, so that one of the Members of the Three-in-One God could shed his Divine power for a time to become a descendant of the Adam, live a life that was perfectly submitted in trust to the Self-Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being in every way (that is, he never chose to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, as everyone else does), and then to be accused of being a false prophet and dangerous rebel so that he would be publicly executed on a Roman Cross. 

So… what’s the Message of the Cross again?

All this was done so that this descendant of the Adam could be a new Adam, and initiate a new generation of descendants who would have the privilege of the initial perfect relationship with the Self-Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being and ultimately would return to the perfect physical state.  You see, after his execution on the Roman Cross, this man came back to life.  That’s the story we tell.  And this new Adam, according to the “message of the cross,” initiated a process whereby, eventually, all those who decided to bet their lives on the effectiveness of his public execution, would experience the perfect existence that was originally planned for the descendants of the first adam: that is, they would have perfect dominion over the earth and everything that grows in it, and they would dwell in perfect trust of the Self Existent, All Powerful, Perfect Being, who would be so pleased with his plan of sending his own Son to make a way that he would now be totally and completely present with all those who had chosen to give up on the behavior of the first Adam and put their trust in him for good and evil, right and wrong.  The rest would dwell forever in a place that, in comparison to that perfect existence, could be called torment – they would forever have exactly what they want: to be forced to figure out good and evil, right and wrong, on their own… and to be eternally frustrated by the resulting competition, labor, and decay.  Eventually, in eternity, this will have been the only reality, when the infinite dwarfs the finite.  Billions of years make thousands look like a mere moment.  

All that is the message of the cross. We believe that a man named Jesus, who was born to a relatively powerless people living in and around a city called Jerusalem (not one of the major cities of the world even at that time), was totally a human being and at the same time was the incarnated God of the universe, and that he chose to live such a life that through his sacrificial death we would be able to enter back into the perfect relationship with the Creator of the whole universe, where that Creator would completely enjoy our company and we would completely enjoy his, and in that for an eternity we will joyfully glorify him with everything we do, with total ease.  

Why The Mocking Shouldn’t Be Shocking

It should be a bit refreshing to us, with all that in mind, that for the last couple days our whole culture has connected all those who believe what we believe with this man, Harold Camping, and to have mocked the foolishness of the story he was telling. His details and his methods were very wrong.  That ought to be a lesson for all of us who believe this book, the Bible, is totally authoritative for all of life – if we really believe that, we ought to really know what it says.  But the overarching message from Camping and his followers was nervously right: Jesus himself taught that the end, which included the great day of Judgment, was imminent, and that we should live with an urgency and expectancy of the end in light of that fact.  He appointed everyone who believed his message and worshipped him as Lord to become a herald of that very news: the only way to enjoy the fullness of Human Potential is to entrust one’s life to Jesus himself.  And when that day comes, to Pastor Gene’s point, it will be the best possible thing, because it means that God is satisfied with the number of those who will dwell in his perfect presence, and has decided to move the story of this little blue-green dot to it’s final, intended purpose.  For that, our hearts were made to long.  Judgment Day is to be the greatest celebration the world has ever known for believers, for it is the completion of all the justice and redemption that we only see glimmers of today.  

The Message of the Cross is that we are in the in-between time, that the suffering is only for a “little longer” and that there will be a joyful conclusion that far exceeds anything we can ask or imagine.  The message of the cross says to all those who believe it “hold on! Endure!  It will be worth it!”  Not only that, but the message of the cross says “You are now empowered to live in the way God intended for you to live, but the world has not yet been totally redeemed, so you must enjoy the spiritual reality and await the physical manifestation of it.”  That means the original instruction to the first Adam and Ishshah applies to those who believe: multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.   That means people who believe this whole story I’ve told also believe it is our responsibility to bring every part of this world – all the resources, all the stuff, all the animals, all the governments, and especially all the people – under submission of the NEW ADAM, who is named King Jesus. If more people understood the message of the cross, many who think they believe would stop believing, and those who hear it and but don’t believe it would mock it. They should laugh just as the world gripped its collective belly and gave a long hard laugh at Harold Camping and his followers last night and this morning.  That’s the sort of response believers are supposed to expect when we assert our message on the world. 

Were you embarrassed by the blogs, the tweets, the facebook posts, the articles, the talk show hosts, and the conversations on the street?  I was.  I’ve spent the last several months since our church administrator first told me about the billboard on 285 being frustrated, angry, and embarrassed by Camping and his fallacious prediction.  It’s true: he made a mockery of the Bible.  He didn’t need to do that.  He didn’t need to dig deep and apply some crazy formula to it.  The message the Scriptures tell, if you step back and look at them in whole, is wild enough.  It is full of hope and mystery. It attempts to explain how things got here, why things are the way they are, and how all the wrong that everyone can see with all of it can be fixed.  We call that the message of the Cross.  We call that message, as strange as it is, good news.  

Do you believe it? Have you traded your attempted independence for a radical, earth-shaking dependence on the Message of the Cross, and everything it means?   Or, perhaps you’re hearing it told this way for the first time, and realizing that you’ve been trying – perhaps believing you were a Christian all along – to figure out right and wrong on your own, maybe even to imitate this God, when instead all you needed was the power of the Cross applied to your life.  Believers, in this world we understand trades – trading is at the heart of how we interact and provide.  We trade services for goods.  Well, this is that, only it’s a total trade: you apply the message of the cross by giving up.  Trading everything you’re carrying around for a life of submission and trust in this God.  You can walk in that trust by believing that the way he’s given us to live is a better way of subduing the creation than what we were trying before.  It is a total surrender to his priorities, loving what he loves, hating what he hates, trusting what he has revealed, constantly depending on him to empower you to live, and therefore navigating this creation in the rhythm and plan designed by the Creator, which involves being unswayed by  pain, suffering, and disappointment, letting those only feed and fuel our hope all the more in the great story he is telling.  

Generosity that Pays

"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and will be repaid in full." Prov. 19:17

"Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want.  A generous person will be enriched and one who gives water will get water.  The people curse those who hold back grain, but a blessing is on the head of those who sell it."  Prov. 11:24-26

Last Sunday, the ideas that come from these two passages formed the core of the sermon I preached.

Here are some conclusions and suggestions.

1.  Giving to the poor, to those who may never be able to pay you back, is the wisest possible use of your money.   Apparently it's just good business... on an eternal scale.

2. Riches and poverty (that is, suffering want) are much more about mentality.  Jesus called the poverty mentality "worshipping mammon."  We call it "Materialism."  The short form of this mentality is the lie that there is never enough.  Try globalrichlist.com for some perspective.  Here you learn where your income ranks on a global scale.  Minimum wage in Colorado, working full time, yields 15,300/year.

3. If kindness to the poor is the best kind of generosity (so says Prov. 14:20-21, 31; 17:5; 19:17; 21:13; 22:9, 16, 22-23; 28:8, 27; 29:7; and 29:14), then we must open our eyes and learn who the poor are (try worldvision.org).

4. Imitate God.  He showed generosity to the poor by adopting us (Rom. 8:12-17).  Seriously and prayerfully consider adopting a child.

5. If adoption is impossible or unwise, then sponsor as many children as you can.  You can sponsor children through these excellent agencies:
compassion.com
worldvision.org
indiapartners.org
fh.org (food for the hungry)

6. Generously and sacrificially support gospel-centered, strategic efforts to care for the poor.  Groups like world vision are incredibly skillful at stretching dollars to impact lives.

7. Go back and see #4 again.  I was and am serious.  It is terrifying that Christians in this country consider it a better use of money to spend on luxuries when there are hundreds of millions of children in dire need of a stable home.

This coming Sunday, I intend to present Proverbs' perspective on provision - especially provision through the wise lifestyle of faithful, committed, WORK.  This is God's means of provision for his people.  And he provides so that we can be like him and provide.

Grateful Thoughts on Tithes and Preachers

Last Sunday, I preached on the topic of honoring the LORD with our stuff - particularly our "first fruits" and our "substance" (which is connected to the tithe).  The Old Testament indicates in several places that by virtue of God's salvation (the exodus for Israel, the crucifixion for all), he has laid claim to the first and the best of what we produce or earn in this world.  Because God spared the first-born sons of Israel by virtue of a lamb's blood, and because God spared the remainder of his elect by virtue of his Son's blood, he has required that we imitate and honor his sacrifice by giving our first and our best.

In the OT, God indicated that he because he had spared the first-born sons, they were all to be dedicated to his service.  Eventually, he allowed the entire tribe of the Levites to replace the first-born sons, but the other 11 tribes were called upon to provide the provision and substance the Levites required in order to maintain the Tabernacle (and later, the temple), and in order to meet their own needs.  The Levites, then, were called upon to tithe out of what had been given to them from the rest of the people's tithes.  In other words, no one is exempt.

This is the source of the concept in which churches use a portion (sometimes a large portion, if it's a smaller church) to provide for their Pastors.  Paul's instructions to Timothy in 1 Tim 5 suggest that the church is to take special care of those elders tasked with teaching the gospel and the scriptures.  In light of this whole topic, I would like to share some observations, and a special note to the body of LCC:

The first weekend in May was one of three annual meetings of the Presbytery of the West, which the regional community made of up the EPC pastors and elders. On the first day of gathering, we approved the change in call for one pastor who was joining the official staff at a church as an associate pastor.  Because that church was in difficult times financially, and because her husband made an adequate income for she and her family, she and the church had agreed – and were proposing to the presbytery, who is responsible for the wellbeing of the pastors – that she would not receive a salary for her role there.  This warranted significant debate.  There are many pastors, myself included, who have voiced dreams that one day we could serve the bodies to which we are called for free; much of this is inspired by Rick Warren, who, because his book The Purpose Driven Life sold so many copies, not only leads his church without a salary, but rumor has it that he recompensated Saddleback all the money they had paid him before the book came out.  Dreamy. Nonetheless, this had me thinking about all that.  The reality is that the vast majority of pastors are not able to do that and will probably never be able to do anything like that.  Instead, here we are, this community of people who teaches, prays, leads, and counsels – and we are compensated out of a percentage (sometimes very high, when there’s not a lot coming in) of the money people give as an act of worship and obedience.  We all have to grapple with the issue that so much of scripture is instructing the believing community to support the needs of the poor, the orphan, the widow.  I hope this makes more pastors than just me uncomfortable.  And yet, there are a couple places in the NT that expressly instruct the body of believers to support their elders, especially those who are among them teaching (1 Tim 5:17-22).

That night at Presbytery (Friday), we had a small worship service, in which one a candidate for ordination, Matt Hartman, delivered the message.  He simply walked us through Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses, and explained why that Psalm has been encouraging and instrumental to he and his wife, as they currently prepare to move their family to the Czech Republic, obeying a call of the Lord to go on the mission field (bunny trail: Matt “had it made,” in terms of ministry.  He was the youth pastor for 10 years at Cherry Hills Community Church, and could have stayed there forever – and yet, fear would have robbed him the fullness of Christ if he had let that keep him from obeying the call.  I believe God is calling more of us than we think to behave similarly). 

As I sat there and listened to him share about Psalm 90, it struck me: I realized this kind of depth in the word is only possible through extensive time and study, and through the strange humility of people to listen to one person speak for an extended period of time on it.  Conversations are powerful.  But there is something about preaching that is supernatural: The Spirit of God allows us to reach depths through that practice that are simply not available otherwise.  Every word of the Bible can be explored like a tropical forest – you may see a lot of trees, but when you stop, you find yourself surrounded by thousands of plants and animals – each tree an ecosystem in itself, supporting literally billions of living organisms, each square foot of soil providing enough data to occupy the whole of a scientists’ life.  That is scripture.  And that is why it is essential that the body of Christ carefully choose and allow certain people to explore it.

I am one of those people who has been allowed, by the body of Christ, to search the scriptures and explore their depths through the medium of preaching.  In the midst of this conversation on giving, I would be utterly remiss if I did not stop and tell the body at Littleton Christian how overwhelmingly grateful I am that you have allowed me to be among you as one who spends the better part of my time searching and studying the scriptures, praying, learning, and attempting to bring that before this body for the edification of us all.  When it happens, it is an act of the Lord, and it is because you have freed me to do it.  Thank you.  I don’t take your radical generosity for granted.  May the Lord be honored in all of our behavior with what he has given us, including myself. 

God vs. Money

On Sunday, I re-entered the teaching series that is exploring the book of Proverbs with an introduction to the last major Proverbial topic we'll cover: Riches.  You can hear that message here.

As I prepared last week, I read a very helpful blog by another pastor named Kevin DeYoung, who also happens to be preaching through the book of Proverbs, and happens to have recently touched on the topic of money.  His blog pointed out how easy it is to use the Bible to prove just about any theory on money.  Spend time with some of the Proverbs that promise material blessing for faithful living, or look at the life of Abraham, or Solomon, or even Job (when all is said and done), and it's not hard to figure out where the "prosperity gospel" preachers get their ideas.  Then again, spend some time reading the words of Jesus, the ideas of Paul,  or the celebration of suffering in 1 Peter, and you'll find out exactly where those believers who recoil from riches and opulence get their ideas.  DeYoung states, and I agree, that the whole of Proverbs is a great place to go if you are actually going to seek a fully biblical perspective on money, possessions, work, and all the related topics.

Jesus makes it the most clear: you cannot serve both God and money (he uses the word Mammon there, but it is commonly translated money and with good reason).  Money can be a tool; that's clear from the words of Jesus, Paul, Peter, and Solomon - but the second it begins to assert itself as the thing worth worshipping, pursuing, serving, and seeking... it is an idol.  And idols must be smashed.

I said on Sunday that Proverbs does not teach that it's bad to be rich.  Let me complete that thought here (that's the purpose of this blog these days): Proverbs does not teach that it's bad to be rich UNLESS riches are taking the place of wisdom, or honesty, or healthy relationships, or personal wholeness, or your good name, or (most importantly) a right relationship with God (aka, righteousness).  If that's the case, the most gracious thing God could do for you is bring about financial crisis in your life.  He is the same God who did not abide idolatry with his people Israel.  When we enter into Christ, we leave the kingdom of idols... but we can still choose to serve them.  God's grace will then work to destroy them.  Which is painful for us.  It involves suffering.

It is not bad to be rich.  But if your riches (or your desire for riches) overwhelm the Godly goods in your life: worship of him, love in your family, integrity in your behavior, and so on... then it is bad.  It is idolatry.  

Here's the thing: we were created to enjoy luxury and to desire unlimited resources.  We were made in the image of God, who has no financial burden, no want, no need.  If the images of the New Jerusalem, Heaven, Paradise, the Father's House with its many rooms, and more do not shout wealth, riches, and luxury, I don't know what does!  We fall into the trap of attempting to imitate heaven rather than recognizing that which Jesus has won for us on the cross and simply enjoying heaven - no matter what our earthly finances look like.

I have seen Godly men and women fall into the trap of trying to position themselves in such a way that he'll rain down the financial blessings on them, or on their ministry, or whatever.  When natural things occur and those ministries or churches or individuals do become rich... I wonder if that's not actually one of the most dangerous positions possible.  The tempter of our flesh has pulled the ultimate heist when that occurs.   You see, God knows our hearts.  And he knows that riches will never satisfy us - we'll always think there's more to be had, more that's needed.  He is better.

It's just so stinking hard to believe.  This idol is powerful.  And if we don't gather the courage to smash it... he will do it for us, eventually.  God have mercy.  Make your name Holy among us.  Let your Kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  We want to want YOU. 

Six More Word Principles

The sermon on Sunday was the third of a three part series within a series.  The series is "Wise Life: The Ancient Wisdom of Proverbs for the Daily Grind."  The series within (one of many), was "Wise Words."  We broke it up into three major principles: 1) The less you speak and the more you listen, the wiser you are. 2) Words can either reveal the truth or twist it; choose honesty - especially about yourself and about God.  3) You are what you say.

In "You Are What you Say," we identified six major principles of speech from Proverbs:

1. Knowledge is the Source of Good Speech (10:14, 31-32; 11:9; 15:2; 20:15; 27:1).
2. Death and Life are in the Power of the Tongue (11:11; 18:21; 20:20; 26:2) - addressed here is the power of blessing and cursing. 
3. Don't Associate with a Gossip, and don't be one (11:13; 20:19)
4. Refuse to cast insults or slander, and ignore them when cast against you (10:18; 11:12; 12:16; 19:11)
5. Practice Gentleness and Tact (12:25; 15:1, 4; 16:21-24; 25:11, 20; 27:14; 31:26)
6. Speak in Support of the Poor, refuse to insult them (17:5; 31:8-9)

Eventually, what you say and how you say it will shape and direct your life.  Commentator Derek Kidner says it well: 

"Superficial habits of talk react on the the mind; so that, e.g., cynical chatter, fashionable grumbles, flippancy, half-truths, barely meant in the first place, harden into well-established habits of thought." Proverbs, 68.  

Who are you? 

Words and the Charismatic Scale

For the last decade, I have walked the boundary between less-charismatic evangelicalism and the more-charismatic evangelicalism (I used to say between charismatics and evangelicals, but that is a misnomer because all groups in mind here hold the Bible in very similar esteem).  One of the goals of my journey along that boundary is to bring the supernatural to bear in people's lives who haven't been willing/able to see it before.  I suppose that means I walk the boundary with hopes of pulling people toward the supernatural power of the Spirit (the "Charismata" are gifts of the spirit).

But, there is always a tension, because people seem to prefer labels over truth; we label ourselves as people who either believe in "that sort of thing" or not.  After musing on words for the last few weeks, I wonder if their inherent supernatural power is, perhaps, a middle way.  This is my theory: if we can agree about the spiritual efficacy of words rooted in truth, then perhaps the result will be a truly powerful (and yes, supernatural) faith that is absent of mystical fiction that, in its most egregious form, leads to a "name it and claim it" mentality and other strange abuses of words that are little more than feigned supernatural power.  I have seen whole communities participate in imbalance - falling over when a spiritual leader waves his hand over a crowd and other strange occurrences.   Because words are so powerful, I have no doubt that I have participated in perversions of truth; and, as I say from the pulpit regularly, I'd prefer to err on the side of obeying God and being wrong than thinking "he never does things like that."

Theological scholars far more qualified than I have done extensive work to describe the nature of the Imago Dei, that is, the "Image of God."  Genesis 1 describes the creative process of God and sets human beings apart - while everything else is rooted in the raw imagination of the Intelligent Designer, people are created in his image and likeness.  This has manifold implications, and this blog is not the place to describe all of what that does (and does not) mean.  I would like to suggest (surely I'm not the first), that the behavior of the Creator revealed in the creation account is that he creates with words, and though there is now no possibility of creating ex nihilo as he did, human beings are to use our words to create order and steward the earth.  Words are themselves supernatural: they convert the invisible thoughts and feelings into transferable objects.  That alone is foundation enough to eventually understand how it could happen that "by the blessing of the righteous a city is exalted," or how Jesus could verbally rebuke a fever in Peter's mother and all present could watch it flee.  OR, how an accusation (true or false) can ruin one's day, or a fictional book (i.e., Uncle Tom's Cabin) can impact the norms of a nation.  For whatever reason, some people will allow for the sociological power and emotional power of words even to the point of knowing how words cause clear physical reactions, and yet have trouble with the concept of the power of a blessing or a curse, or a prayer for healing.  Could it be that the question to ask is: what is true?

The factor that will always remain a debate is the role of truth in this.  Prayers often call forth things to become true that aren't true now.  But what is true about the power of words themselves?  And about the activity of the Creator?  To what extent we're willing to hope and pray for a different version of truth is probably a good indicator of where we land on the "charismatic scale."

This is just the beginning of a whole train of thought... 

New Website for the Church

Littleton Christian Church, the amazing group of people I get to serve as pastor, have revamped our website.  I am debating whether or not I'll move this blog over there... until I decide, it'll stay here.  If you have an opinion on that, do tell.

Nonetheless, you can find it at LittletonChristian.com.  No one will be upset at you if you make it your homepage.  It's a work in progress, and eventually I expect it will be very cool, and very usable.  But even now, for all those who remember the old site, it has a ton more functionality.  

From now on, when I post links to sermons, they'll be on that website.  For example, Sunday's sermon discussing Proverbs' Wisdom regarding Honest Speech ("Wise Words, Part II"), can be found HERE.

Freethinking on Words

(Much of this made its way into last Sunday's message. The link is coming as soon as our new website goes live. Right now LittletonChristian.com has slipped into the void...)

Freethinking on Words:

We are all of us moved by words.  The power of words and thoughts is, when you consider it for but a moment, astounding.  Many people have done extraordinary work to narrow the gap between the human species and other animals, but quick observation will reveal the most clever of all animals simply learning to respond to human words.  No doubt, they may have an intelligence of their own, but the prowess of concepts and ideas rests in the human mind alone.  And we share those ideas not through scent, or intimidation, or mere survival, but through words.  Words are our connection to the unseen, to the intangible.  When I have an interior experience, or an experience with an invisible being – be it the non-created, Personal God of Christianity or a created but non-physical thing commonly referred to as an angel or a demon – my only outlet for sharing that experience is words. 

Words as mere symbols for things – and I’m talking about every type of word, including numbers, though numbers is in many ways a separate and equally astounding category – are the vehicle by which anything is communicable from one of us to the other.  While I thought Erin was beautiful from afar in college, and realized it even more so when she visited this church from California, it wasn’t her striking appearance that caused me to fall in love with her.  That happened while she was 1200 miles away, but was writing a  long wonderful email to me nearly every day, engaging the emails and letters I had written her, and thereby “showing” me who she was.  Truly, the words revealed so much more than anything my eyes could see.  Even when the first few dates we had were difficult, the words that we had shared had already formed an intimate bond that caused us to battle through the embarrassment of now knowing how to “be” around each other.  Words did that. 

And isn’t that the case with the billions of people you don’t know on this earth?  You see them, and may be able to make a few guesses about who they are based on – what do we call them? Non-verbals – but each person has so much hiding inside their mind and heart, the only way into it is words.  Each culture will use words differently (not to mention different words all together, given the manifold languages of this globe, both past and present), and yet the words are how people come to know one another.  They are the tangible window to the invisible world all over the world.  “The words of the mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.”

Flying way under the radar for most of us is the most provocative format for words: poetry.  Of course, poetry has continued to hold preeminence in our society, though most of us are unaware, in the form of song. 

“Poetry is an effort to share a moving experience by using language that is chosen and structured differently than ordinary prose.”  To say it differently: poetry opens the window into the unseen and removes the screen of grammatical rules (which are important).  It exposes words for all their power, in many different ways.  Words that we would otherwise not expect to be paired together are paired together.  The Proverbs, which in many ways are simply a collection of poems expressing wisdom, regularly employ shock value to express ideas.  “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout,” they say “is a beautiful woman without good sense.”  Poetry connects ideas together.  And, as I said, song employs poetry regularly, but the poetic power of metaphor has perhaps been so normalized for us that we miss it.  We have been so inundated with provocative language that it no longer provokes us.  As we discussed last week: the abundance of noise around us teaches us not to listen.  There are so many words around us that we’ve forgotten how to take them in, to understand their power.  When we drive down the street we see thousands of words, we register hundreds of them, and the rest simply pass by.  Would the words of Jesus infuriate us the way they infuriated the Jewish leaders?  Or have we been “shock-valued” so many times that we can no longer hear when a true shock arrives?

What tragedy, that so many masses are being sedated with images which do not engage nearly as much of their minds!  I am among them – by the grace of God, I have a deep enjoyment, and even a sort of deep confidence, in words – and yet I surely have traded 90 or more percent of the time I could have been engaging words in my lifetime watching fruitless images in television, video games, movies, etc. 

Before I go too far in blaming our culture for ruining the power of words (and ruining so much, as I am often inclined to do), I should allow the words which I claim to value above all other words instruct my perspective.  If the repeated warnings of Proverbs are correct, words driven by greed or another form of wickedness, as opposed to knowledge, seemed to be rampant 3000 years ago as they are now.  2000 years ago, the Apostle Paul rings his hands at the ease by which persuasive words derailed his ministry (“You foolish Galatians,” he sighs, “who has bewitched you?”).  And in perhaps the most famous discussion of speech in all of scripture, James laments that that “no one can tame the tongue.”  In so many forms, words have been misused. 

That fact, however, is not an excuse.  It is a recognition of our need for redemption and renewal.  When Paul calls forth the fundamental self-surrender of the Christian, he instructs us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  It is the Spirit who transforms, and the transformation happens at the core level: the mind.  The result is that our thought processes, the invisible worlds in between our ears and beating in our chest, will be different. Which means that eventually, the way in and the way out will be different.  James laments you cannot bring fresh water from a source made up of salt-water, and that is true – yet, many of us who have had our source replaced by giving our lives to Christ continue to spew saltwater.  Why, if the source within is one of Fresh?  I propose that it is possible because we continue to take saltwater in.  Similar to the common adage, “what goes up must come down,” we might say “what goes in must come out.” 

If words are as powerful as I am here suggesting, if they bring the invisible and intangible into the visible and tangible, then there is no doubt that believers who want fresh water to come forth – blessing and not cursing, as James says – must be incredibly critical about the words we choose to bring in.  In a world where countless words are available to every one of us with the click of a button, this is hugely significant.  I would include here all the images we see – every television show or movie you’ve ever watched is the signifier of a set of signifiers; it started with words, either spoken, thought, or (most commonly) written.  The most powerful movies started with the most powerful words.  Be incredibly careful what you let in.  This has a limit, of course.  Jesus offers a crucial corrective in a discussion about clean and unclean food - some of what goes into us (mostly food) ends up in the sewer.  It may be the case that the words out of your mouth are much more disgusting than the objects in your toilet (Matt. 15:10-20).   

Poet Recommendations?

After preaching on the power of words (I'll post a link soon), I have a strong desire to get back into reading great poetry (and hopefully writing a bit.  What I've posted recently isn't what I'm looking for)... but the world of poetry is huge, so I'm looking for recommendations.  Either of poets, poems, or collections.

Also, it's likely that sometime this week I will move this blog from here to Littleton Christian Church's new website (which should be up and running in the next 24-36 hrs).  I'll make sure to over-communicate that when it happens.  Most of you come here through the links I put on facebook, so I'm thinking you won't really care where it is.  Just an FYI.  

On Bearing False Witness

As I'm studying what the Proverbs say about what we say, it becomes clearer and clearer that this wisdom is built upon and expanding the 9th Commandment: "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."

The Westminster Larger Catechism, a brilliant presentation of the foundational Christian truths in question and answer format, extensively expands this commandment, and cites biblical references for every sentence  of the expansion.  Proverbs is mentioned 15 times in the notes - I know now the divines (that's what the authors of the Westminster Documents are called) must have had to pick and choose.

I'm not sure whether I will present this to the congregation on Sunday, but have produced it here because it so succinctly captures the heart of the Scriptures on the use and abuse of words, and because even if I do read it aloud on Sunday, it's a lot to take in, and requires some reflection:

"Question 144: What does the ninth commandment require?

"This commandment requires that we maintain and promote truthfulness in our dealings with each other and the good reputation of others as well as ourselves. We must come forward and stand up for the truth, speaking the truth and nothing but the truth from our hearts, sincerely, freely, clearly, and without equivocation, not only in all matters relating to the law and justice but in any and every circumstance whatsoever.  We must have a charitable regard for others, loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good reputation as well as regretting and putting the best light on their failings.  We must freely acknowledge their talents and gifts, defending their innocence, readily receiving a good report about them and reluctantly admitting a bad one.  We should discourage gossips, flatterers, and slanderers; we should love and protect our own good reputation and defend it when necessary; we should keep every lawful promise we make no matter what; and finally we should do the best we can to focus our lives and thoughts on things that are true, noble, lovely, and admirable.

Question 145: What particular sins does the ninth commandment forbid?

This commandment forbids everything detrimental to the truth and good reputation of others as well as our own, with special reference to legal matters in the courts.  We must not give untrue evidence, suborn perjury, knowingly appear and plead on behalf of an evil cause, or engage in overbearing and boastful exaggeration.  We should never participate in passing an unjust sentence, call evil good or good evil, or reward the wicked in a way appropriate  to the wicked.  Forgery is forbidden, as is concealing the truth, remaining silent in a just cause, and not taking it on ourselves to reprove or complain to others about some wrong.  We must not speak the truth at an inappropriate time, or maliciously to promote a wrong purpose, nor pervert it into a wrong meaning, into ambiguous equivocations, or in such ways as to undermine truth and justice.  Also forbidden are: saying anything untrue, as well as lying, slandering, backbiting, belittling, gossiping, whispering, ridiculing, reviling, and expressing any kind of judgmental opinion that is rash, harsh, or prejudiced; misconstruing intentions, words and actions; flattery and ostentatious boasting; thinking or speaking too highly or too poorly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts of God or the effects of his grace on us; exaggerating the significance of trivial faults; concealing, excusing, or rationalizing our sinful behavior when we are called to confess it voluntarily; gratuitously revealing the problems and failings of others; spreading false rumors, receiving and approving evil reports, and refusing to listen to a just defense; harboring evil suspicions; being envious of or grieved by the deserved honors others receive, trying to discredit those honors, and rejoicing at someone else’s disgrace or evil reputation; scornful contempt and foolish admiration; breaking our lawful promises; and finally, failing to promote everyone’s good name, and doing, not avoiding or not hindering in others, as we can, those things that give people a bad name.”  


Let's assume for the moment that the Westminster Divines got it right, that this great detail is exactly what the 9th commandment requires and forbids (Given the nature of Proverbs, as well as Matthew 7, 15; Colossians 3; James 3; and others, I think they're right on).  Assuming they are right, at how many points in the last 24 hours have you transgressed? How about the last week?  What about the last time you were angry?  Embarrassed?  Trying to make an impression?   


Suddenly, Paul and James seem onto something - Paul says that all our throats are open graves, that everyone utters lies (Romans 3), and James laments the reality that no man can tame the tongue... truly, like the great hymn declares: "I need thee, Oh I need thee, I need thee every hour!"  

Words are So Powerful

Words are so powerful
that the wisest way to use them
is sparingly.

On the other hand,
The ideas that words create
require extensive practice, and a plurality of errors.

Pray Continually - let most of that be listening.

[Here is a sermon on this]

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

Follower

As you can see in my last post, I finally caved in and signed up for Twitter a couple days ago.  Twitter uses interesting language.  On Facebook, the people who can "hear" and "see" you are your "friends."  On Twitter, people who can "hear" and "see" you are your "followers."  And the tweets (Twitter's terminology for the 140 character messages that are the backbone of their network) that I receive on my home page are from those people I "follow."

If you subscribe to (or at least grapple with) the Christian worldview, the idea of "following" should bring pause.  Jesus didn't use the word Christian, but he certainly called people to "follow" him.  When he confronted Levi (aka Matthew) the toll-collector, he commands, simply: "come follow me."  Our 21st Century Western ears miss the power of that moment, the power of that phrase.  Perhaps we think of Jesus as such a gravitational figure that Levi couldn't resist; or we assume the Holy Spirit was doing a mighty work in Levi's heart, such that he was already longing for Jesus before Jesus walked up to his booth.  While both of those imaginations are likely true, the cultural weight of that moment makes it even more powerful.  The invitation "come, follow me" was the manner in which a Rabbi would invite the best and brightest of his students to become his apprentices.  Culturally, when a Rabbi asks such a question, it would be rare (if ever) that a student would say "no."  The Rabbi had extended a rare honor. And by leaving his life behind, the student was now on the road to becoming a Rabbi himself.

"Following" shapes one's identity.  Who we follow will form who we are.  And every thinking person should be very critical about who we follow and why we follow them.  Paul gives the most significant criteria in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow me, as I follow Christ."  The NRSV, my translation of choice, draws out the nature of biblical following (Paul thought like a Rabbi too): "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."  The weight of this criteria rests on the word as. Follow me, as I follow Christ.  In other words, if one isn't following Christ, don't follow that one.   


For those odd people who think of me as a leader, I implore you: only follow me as I follow Christ.  That puts a lot of responsibility on your shoulders.  

Now, with Twitter, the terminology is a bit misleading.  My friend Jeff "follows" 924 Tweeters, at present.  I may have the distinct honor of being his 924th.  Among my close friends, he's one I consider to be a "master of social media."  Just because Twitter uses the lingo, doesn't mean we're really following all the people we're "following."  But, the lingo has left me wondering... who do I follow?  In the Church, there are a handful of pastors and thinkers that I pay very close attention to.  In the Body of Christ, it seems to me that we all should be following Christ, and EVERY ONE OF US should be following people who are following Christ.  You could call this a version of mutual submission.  Below is a non-exhaustive list of people I follow.  As I consider who is and isn't on this list, and especially as I think about people who used to be on this list but were intentionally removed, I realize that my own personal criteria have more facets than Paul's first big requirement from 1 Cor 11.  There are a number of people I used to follow who began to teach, preach, and write things that were a twisting of the Bible.  Others were people who's passion inspired me, but ultimately their message created a false tension between Christianity and the mind; anti-intellectualism is a disturbing trend in Evangelicalism (though it seems to be fading... maybe just in my world, since I've stopped paying attention to those who pushed it).  Anyway, who do I follow?  These leaders, thinkers, and writers shape the way I speak, write, and think.  This list is in no particular order, nor is it anywhere close to exhaustive:

1. Douglas Groothuis, PhD.  Professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary. 
2. Rev. Timothy Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City. 
3. Britt Merrick, Teaching Pastor of Reality Carpinteria (and founder of the Reality movement of churches which has now planted several churches along the west coast).  
4. David Platt, Pastor of the Church at Brook Hills, and author of Radical.
5. C.S. Lewis, author.  Though he is no longer alive, I follow him actively through his many books.  
6. John Piper, Pastor, author, and teacher.  I love how seriously he takes the truth.  
7. Ben Patterson, Campus Pastor at Westmont College, author. The man who, by his life and manner of speaking and related, defines the word "pastor" for me. 

The spark for this whole post, as I scanned Twitter this morning, was this thought: "Hmmm.  I'm a follower."  I've been trained to think that's a bad thing.  The truth is, it would be bad if I wasn't! Who do you follow?  And why do you follow them?  Entertainment value?  Shock value?  Character? Or because they follow Christ?  Choose critically and carefully.  Be willing to stop following someone who isn't worth following.  

@the_wright_mike is me on Twitter

I joined Twitter yesterday.  It bothers me that I would have to limit myself to 140 characters... but it probably will make you (if you're a regular reader of mine) happy.  If anyone has advice on how to use twitter in an effective, kingdom building, church edifying way... I'm all ears.

My Twitter "name" (or is it "address?"  Or "profile?"  Or "handle?") is @the_wright_mike. 

Headlines Scanned, Laments Required

(This looks like a poem; it's not.  It's an observation, a reaction.)

As I grow wickedly used to Libyan nightmares
As the layers of disaster in Japan unfold
I sit on a padded chair, sipping coffee.
Facebook is full of posts laughing at funny photos,
complaining about work, ignoring the world.

Break our hearts, O God!
People are underwater,
Others are starving,
Still others are captive to a wicked dictator
hunting their brethren down with automatic weapons.
(this stanza could continue for pages)

A prayer we must learn to pray:
"How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?"
I hold to hope: in eternity, this will make sense, bring joy, cause worship.
I understand hope: it doesn't yet.

"For in hope we are saved. 
Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what is seen?"

Lent

Yesterday began the season of Lent, the spiritual countdown to Easter Sunday.  What's it about?  Here, rather than giving an encyclopedic answer, I'd like to offer a few of my own thoughts.

In one of the most commonly repeated prayers of Paul, his prayer for the Ephesian Christian in Ephesians 1:15-23, he connects all his requests (wisdom, revelation, knowing the hope to which they've been called, knowing the reality of their spiritual inheritance, and knowing God's power available specifically for believers) to a very unique sort of power: the power of resurrection.  That is the climax of the prayer: that they may know the power of the resurrection.

Paul tells us more about this power: "God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this page but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."  (Eph 1:20-23).  It's amazing language, and quite a description of the current status of Jesus, the Anointed One.  BUT, the main purpose of this description of Jesus is to tell the Ephesians (and you and me) about this crazy sort of power available to believers.  The power of resurrection.

But knowing that power is, in the ebb and flow of normal life, difficult (to put it mildly).  It's no wonder Paul is praying this rather than just telling the Ephesians about it.  The build up in the prayer describes the heart of the Lent season:

1. Recognize God as the Father of glory
2. Receive from him a spirit of wisdom and revelation which happens as we come to know him
3. After, or as a result of receiving the spirit of wisdom and revelation, knowledge of hope, inheritance, and the available power is the fruit.

So, what is Lent about?  It is about receiving a spirit of wisdom and revelation.  That is why people traditionally choose something to abstain from during this season - don't just choose something to choose it, or because it's fattening, or because it's expensive, or because that's what you've always fasted for Lent.  Honestly evaluate your life and ask: what is impeding wisdom and revelation from taking root in my life?  What am I holding onto or doing that is (or might be) keeping the spirit of wisdom and revelation at arm's length?

Easter at its best is a recognition of the "immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe," because Easter is when we remind ourselves overtly: Jesus really died on a Roman cross, and his body really got placed in a tomb, and he really walked out of it on the third day.  And that is really supposed to completely alter the way we live, speak, love, pray, and hope.  Otherwise, there is no Christian hope, there are no "riches of his glorious inheritance," and there is no power.

To put all this in different words: Lent is not about giving something up and griping about how much it stinks; Lent is about opening your eyes and seeing what you have (or could have): immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.