Graduate 172: Thanksgiving day break-down

That last post on worship ended up being longer and more unwieldy (and more in need of editing) than I anticipated. I said that I needed to blog more for the good of my soul--that was over a month ago. So what's happened in the intervening weeks? Many things.

One was the Halloween party I attended. I've attached a picture of the mask that I made for the occasion. It was so much fun for me to put that together. For better or worse it's also got me thinking about what sort of mask/head-dress/head-piece I could create for next year. (I have this crazy notion of creating a papier-mache chimera head. That would be quite the challenge.) It feels like the opportunities for me to exercise my more creative side are far to few and infrequent. Some of you may recognize this as a familiar complaint. I'll keep working on it in any case.

During the first week of November, I got to visit with a friend who is now on staff with Ravi Zacharias Ministries. He's going to start taking graduate courses in philosophy from the University of Georgia at Athens. In between catching up on life and sharing with other friends that I hadn't seen in a while, I got to talk a bit about my paper on intentional action, about ontology, epistemology, and modern empiricism.

During the second week of November, I finished new drafts of my Master's paper and Proposition. My advisor was starting to ask questions about what I would like to do my Dissertation on, which is sort of freaking me out. But the important thing is to keep moving through each step of the process.

I got to attend a Men's Retreat with my dad's church which was just a great time. We spent the weekend up at Oak Glen. Tom Kimber of Grace Evangelical Free Church was the speaker and did a phenomenal job bringing out the significance of the different facets of the gospel message. I enjoyed a number of very meaningful and moving conversations with some of the guys there. It was both a challenging and refreshing time.

On the 20th, I joined some of my friends from APU for Family Dinner (a tradition that goes back to my sophomore year of college--it actually may have begun right around Thanksgiving of that year--and has, thankfully, continued). It was great to spend time with so many friends whom I see but rarely since I don't regularly go out to L.A.

On the 21st, about thirty people from my church gathered for the 'second' Focusing Summit (that is the topic of my "Reflection for the Church" postings). Yesterday, I helped two friends move into their first house. Very exciting. And I'm pleased to report that my neck is continuing to do just fine since my injury--also about a month ago. I've been involved, lately, in a Bible study that is going through the book of Ephesians. I have really enjoyed that time and only hope that I can refrain from dominating the conversation completely just because I am so excited about the things that we are talking about.

Part of why I review all this is that it is yet another reminder to me of God's goodness and faithfulness and generosity. It is far too easy to forget just how good things are. Often one of the easiest blessings to overlook--only because it is also often a source of great stress to me--is my enrollment in UCR's graduate philosophy program. It often feels like I'm barely managing to hang on, but, through it all, I am also learning a lot and really am so grateful for all the faculty and graduate students here.

And this is just a list highlighting some of the big things that have come in the last month. There really are so many more things for which I am thankful. It would do no good to begin listing names because that list would just go on and on and on. So I'll wrap up this, sort of last-minute, Thanksgiving blog post by adding just one more thing to the list:

I'm thankful that my first experience of a car break-down (on my own), this morning, went as well as it did. That's right. I left my home in Riverside, driving on the 60 West, to visit my parents and some other relatives, and about a mile from the 15 freeway, my car started to lose power. So I exited the freeway and coasted into the parking lot of a nearby convenience store. Thankfully the highway was fairly clear on this Thanksgiving morning. Traffic was also light on the surface streets so I did not get stuck in the off-ramp or just on the side of the road. My cell phone was working and had plenty of charge. My dad is a Triple-A member. We know a good mechanic. My dad was able to pick me up and our plans for the day were not badly disrupted. The Triple-A tow truck came and did its business without any trouble. So many things to be thankful for. I bought my car, used, at a very low price and, prior to this, did not have any trouble with it for three years. Thankful, thankful, thankful.

It strikes me as amusing and, somehow, appropriate that I should begin Thanksgiving Day with such an inconvenience that actually drew my attention even more strongly to the multitude of things for which I can and should be and am thankful.

It's after 10:00 PM, when I'm posting this, but that's alright. The season of thanksgiving has not ended but is only just beginning, yet again. I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving!

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 171: Worship

On the morning of October 31, I had the chance to lead worship for the men's group at my church. We have a monthly breakfast meeting--a great time of fellowship. Some of you who know me better may already be puzzled though: Luis led worship? But Luis doesn't play guitar or piano or any other instrument that would ordinarily be seen in any familiar 'worship service' setting. How did he lead worship?

I'll tell you: a few weeks prior to the breakfast, I was asked to lead a short time of prayer with the men. But when the announcement was made in church about who would be speaking, who would be cooking breakfast, and who would be leading worship, I was forced to think, again, about what I was going to do.

How do you 'worship' without music? Of course many Christians would affirm that worship is about more than just music. But have you ever thought about what that would actually look like? Matt Redman wrote a, now-very-well-known, song about the Heart of Worship. The lyrics go like this:

--

When the music fades,
And all is stripped away,
And I simply come,

Longing just to bring
Something that's of worth,
That will bless Your heart--

I'll bring you more than a song,
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required.

You search much deeper within,
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship,
And it's all about You.
It's all about You, Jesus.

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it,
When it's all about you.
It's all about You, Jesus.

--

So the heart of worship is supposed to be "All about Jesus," but what does that mean? Can we give more content to the idea of worship, in a way that might inform our practice? This is where my thoughts went.

Worship is a response to (an encounter with) the character, action, and person of God.

If we take this as our starting point, several significant consequences follow. The one that I want to focus on is this: that worship must be impossible apart from an encounter with the character, action, and person of God. Is that obvious? It might seem obvious, but consider this: how many people, who are standing in church services around the U.S., are singing songs of praise to God in response to their having had a personal encounter with the character, action, and person of God? My guess is: probably not all of them. This is not a criticism. What I am trying to do is draw our attention to the kind of discrepancy that can exist between music and worship.

Consider that most of the hymns and praise songs that we sing were written in response to some encounter with the character, action, and person of God. Song writers usually write in this way. But when we play those songs, sing those songs, listen to those songs on the radio, it doesn't automatically follow that every interaction that we have with that music is informed by such a context and encounter. Does that mean we should get rid of music in the church? --Absolutely not! But it does mean that we should reflect on how we are using music and what role it plays and what is underlying or grounding that role.

Here's a (radical) thought: in our church services, God is not interested in hearing what Matt Redman has to say about him. God is not interested in hearing what Tommy Walker has to say about him. God is not interested in what Martin Luther (author of Holy, Holy, Holy) has to say about him, or John Newton (Amazing Grace) or Fanny J. Crosby (Blessed Assurance). He's not even interested in what King David or the Prophet Isaiah or the Apostle Paul has to say about him. In our church services, God is interested in hearing what you and I have to say to him.

Does that make sense to you? I'm not saying that God doesn't care about Matt Redman or Martin Luther or the Apostle Paul. Each one of these has his own relationship with God and expresses that relationship and worships God in response to his own encounters with God's character, action, and person. And we can use their words and lyrics as helpful avenues into an encounter with God's character, action, and person--since they remind us of who God is and what He is like. We can also use them as reminders of who God is and what He has done in our lives. But if the words are not connected to some encounter that we have with this God, then the words that we sing about Him will very likely fall flat.

I suggested earlier that worship is impossible apart from an encounter with the character, action, and person of God. The question we need to consider, then, is this: How has God manifested Himself in your life? What is God doing in your life? How are you growing in your relationship with and knowledge/understanding of God?

When it comes to worship, this is the central question--and also, probably, the most uncomfortable question. I had to think about this question as I prepared to lead 'worship' for the men's group at my church. My plan was to basically dedicate our time of worship to sharing how God has been working in various individuals' lives. Of course, the worry that arises for such a plan is: What if people don't have any answers? What if God hasn't been working in people's lives? What if people come up completely blank in response to the question? That could turn out to be a pretty depressing time of worship.

And it was at that point that I had to consider: either I was going to be serious about inviting the men into a time of worship--and risk the whole thing flopping--or I was going to try to set up a time of giving praise to God that did not actually depend upon anyone in the room having any actual connection with God. Hopefully you can see how the second alternative would be clearly unacceptable. Worship presupposes some connection between the worshiping individual and the God that is the object of worship. But if your worship service depends upon their being that connection, then you always face the possibility that no one in the room will actually have that connection and so no worship will happen. That can be awkward. That can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just set up an emotionally intense and hopefully gratifying experience and not have to make our worship depend on the hearts of the people who are actually supposed to be worshipping? Would it?

I wound up going with my first plan, and I'm pleased to say that the response was phenomenal. One person came up to me afterwards and expressed his surprise and pleasure that people responded so positively to that time of sharing. I confessed to him that I was not sure, going into that time, that it would be so 'successful.' I had a plan A (if the men actually shared), but I also did have a plan B (just in case the men didn't respond).

What would be your plan B in that situation? If you asked a group of men, "How has God been working in your life this past week?" and got only blank stairs and shuffling feet--what would you do? What would you say?

I know that there are times when I would not have a ready answer to the question, "How has God been working in your life this past week?" And I expect that there are many Christian men and women who have, nagging at the back of their minds, a sense of guilt or shame because they also have no idea how they would answer that question. Now let us make no mistake about this being a very serious issue. But we must also understand that guilting people about this sort of thing is the worst possible strategy for finding a solution. If we go down that road, what that does is (effectively) force people to lie about what God is doing in their lives. Can you imagine anything worse than driving to church on Sunday morning and trying to think about how you would answer any person who asked you to describe how God has met you in the last week. What a terrible burden. And even if you could convince all the Christian people around you--there would still be lacking that genuine connection with your Heavenly Father.

In our churches, Christians should feel absolutely free to say things like, "I really am not seeing God work in my life," or "I feel distant from God," or "This whole 'relationship-with-God' talk makes no sense to me." And, again, if people in your church were to say that, what would be your plan B?

Here are the first sketchy steps of my plan B: You have to teach them how to meet with God. Recall, worship is the natural response to an encounter with the character, action, and person of God. If a person is not worshipping or cannot worship or doesn't feel able to worship--the correct response is not to guilt them or to tell them that Christians should worship, etc., etc. The correct response is to find out why they cannot worship. In many cases, the reason will be that they have not had an encounter with the character, action, and person of God. And if they have not had that encounter, again, the correct response is not to guilt them or to tell them that Christians ought to be meeting with God all the time. The correct response is to help them to enter into that kind of encounter. The correct response is to teach and train.

How do you help a person to enter into an encounter with the character, action, and person of God. I will not lay out a full plan here but just make two preliminary points.

(1) When it comes to developing the 'heart of worship', many people will point to the need for a change in perspective. God, after all, is always working in the world and his fingerprints cover all of creation. If we aren't seeing Him, the problem is with our vision, our sensitivity, our receptiveness, and that is what needs to change. The purpose of Bible study, teaching, study, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines, then, is to alter or correct our 'spiritual senses.' Once our eyes have been set right, we will see clearly. Once our ears have been unblocked, we will hear clearly. And once our heart has been softened, we will understand and recognize more fully.

Now I want to say, about this approach to developing the proper attitude of worship, that it is absolutely correct so far as it goes. Many of the problems we do face have to do with our clouded spiritual senses and those need to be corrected. But that cannot be all of the story. Like I said, this solution is absolutely correct, but only so far as it goes. Consider, then, how talking about 'changing our perspective' shares a lot in common with talk of 'having a positive attitude,' 'looking at the brighter side of things,' and 'counting your blessings'. There is nothing wrong with these things, but we have to ask: Is that all that Christianity offers? A different perspective on the same old things in life? Or think about it this way: the Bible says that God causes the sun to rise on the wicked and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Consider then: Is the fullest possible extent of God's action in our lives limited to these general features of the world that are received by both those who have a relationship with God and those who don't? Is the only significant difference between Christians and non-Christians that one has a greater or more profound appreciation of how God acts in the sunshine and the rain? In the Bible, we see that what separates those who have a relationship with God from those who do not is that God is active in the lives of the first group, in ways that he is not in the second. That activity comes when people choose to place their trust in God and to act in obedience to Him--as if He really were who He claims to be.

(2) So developing the heart of worship requires more than just changing our perspective. It requires that we actually trust in the character and person of God and respond in obedience to Him, which has the consequence that He begins to act in our lives. Then, when God acts in our lives, our natural response is and always will be worship.

This is a difficult truth, for the following reason: it makes it the case that our worship depends on God's actually acting and being involved. That can be a hard truth for a church worship leader--who wants to bring people in to worship. Is he going to set up his services in such a way that worship will only happen if God shows up. Or is he going to resort to manufacturing a worship experience, just so that no one has to feel awkward or uncomfortable.

Now this is not to say that the burden hangs entirely on God--so that human beings are absolved of any duty or responsibility in the matter. After all, in (1) I pointed out that our senses and abilities to perceive God's activity do need to be developed. We do need to have our eyes set right and our ears unblocked. But (2) emphasizes that we must also be living and acting in such a way that there will actually be things to see and hear. Our eyes and ears may be open, but if we are not actually trusting in God for anything, then there's no room in our lives for Him to act. And if there's no room in our lives for Him to act then He won't act and, consequently, we won't see Him.

How do we develop the 'heart of worship'? We teach people about who God is and what He is like. We extol Him as creator, savior, redeemer, lord, and king. We focus on His goodness, love, grace, kindness, mercy, justice, power, and glory. We look at how He has acted in the past. We share about how He is acting now. And we train people to put their own faith and trust in God so that they will experience, in their own lives, God's action, presence, activity, and character. And when they experience that--when God works in their lives supernaturally, when they see the transformation of their own lives and circumstances, when they meet with God and hear from Him--then you will have no problem leading them into worship.

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 170: Five Reflections for the Church, Part 13

Surrender and repentance
Composed: 18 October 2009

One of my favorite moments from the first Focusing summit came toward the end when we were presented with the challenge to surrender. Tom drew a contrast between the 'cultural path' and the 'kingdom path' to renewal. When faced with formidable challenges and difficulties, those on the cultural path seek out information and understanding as a way of regaining control over whatever situation they are dealing with. And while this route may 'work' for a while, ultimately it ends in fatigue, frustration, and failure. Often it's at that point that people are finally driven to surrender--they call out to God for help and ask Him to take control of their situation. And it's at that point that God meets them--that God meets us--and begins to reveal and unfold His good plan.

Surrender is absolutely indispensable if we are to do the work of God. It's almost never easy, but the good fruit that comes from it is always worth the trouble. One woman illustrated this point beautifully when she shared about her own past struggles with the leadership and direction of her church. In a very transparent and heartfelt moment, she talked about how, for many years, she had backed away from involvement in her church because she did not agree with what the pastor was doing. After she realized that her attitude needed to change, she took the difficult step of going to the pastor and confessing her bad attitude and asking for forgiveness. Wow!

Confession is always an act of surrender. One of the main ways that we have of controlling our lives and other people is by never admitting that we're wrong. One of the main ways that Satan creates divisions within the church is by building up walls of unresolved resentment and hurt feelings between people. But something very powerful happens when we relinquish control of our lives and just stand honestly and openly before the truth: we discover that God really is standing with us. We discover that God really is our sure foundation. We discover that we really don't have to try to control our lives and other people after all.

It's hard to relinquish that control. It's hard to stand in front of someone and admit that you have wronged him or her. But if you never let go of that control, if you never take that step of surrender, then you will never know the joy of reconciliation. That's what that woman experienced: reconciliation--love, acceptance, and relationship. You can't have that if you're not willing to surrender. And when you find that, you'll understand that the trouble of surrendering was absolutely worth it.

Surrendering to God works the same way. It's not easy to relinquish control of our lives, of our church. In fact, we need to take seriously that it's one of the hardest things for people to do. But when we do, then God will meet us and begin to reveal and unfold His good plan for us. Believe me, it's better then anything that we could come up with on our own. Not only that, but abundant love, grace, mercy, joy, peace, and acceptance will also come to us as we grow in relationship with Him. Pray that we would learn to embrace surrender--in our relationships with God and with other people, in our church and in all of our lives.

"For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it;
but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it."
Matthew 16:25

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 169: Five Reflections for the Church, Part 12

Living in the kingdom
Composed: 20 September 2009

We've been praying over the Focusing the Church process since January and are now a mere six days from the first Summit meeting, which will be taking place on Saturday, 26 September.

As we look forward to this upcoming weekend, I want to draw our attention back, for a moment, to our motivations and goals. I was challenged on just this point last week. What are my priorities? Where is my focus? And how does that impact the way in which I do ministry? One of the easiest mistakes to make, when involved in church work, is to get fixated on the program, the agenda, or the task at hand, and to lose sight of the people involved and even of the God whose work we are supposed to be doing.

To help us understand what I mean, it may be useful to draw a distinction between (1) doing the work of the kingdom and (2) living in the kingdom. Of course, if you dig down deep enough, these two things are really inseparable, but there are still plenty of people who are (often without knowing it) trying to do one without the other. When we think about doing the work of the kingdom, we probably think about things like spreading the gospel, teaching the word, ministering to the poor and needy, supporting missions work, reaching out to the community, building relationships with neighbors and co-workers. But the biblical authors recognize, and warn against, performing these kinds of activities for the wrong reason or in the wrong way. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 13:3, the Apostle Paul writes, "And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing." (See also Matthew 6:1-18.)

People get involved in ministry and service for many different reasons. Some do so from a sense of obligation or duty; others out of habit or routine; some from a sense of guilt; and others because that is where they find meaning or fulfillment. Paul even refers to people, in his own time, who preached Christ "from envy and strife". (Philippians 1:15-17) But God's desire is not that we do ministry and service (the work of the kingdom) for just any reason. Rather, His intention is that our good works should be a natural outgrowth of our life in the kingdom. Jesus says, in John 15:4, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me." Abiding in the vine is a picture of life in the kingdom.

Notice, according to the verse, that if we are not abiding in the vine, then we cannot be effective ministers for the kingdom. If we are not living in the kingdom, then we are cut off from the source of divine life and strength and power--just like a branch that is cut off from the vine. Indeed one of the main reasons that so many Christian workers and leaders 'burn out' in the course of their ministries is that they are trying to do the work of the kingdom while neglecting their own life in the kingdom. They may have the best intentions, but they often are focused on so many different things, and wind up neglecting the condition of their own relationship with God. On the other hand, as we grow in our relationships with God, as we make His priorities our priorities, as we trust Him to provide for everything that we need, as we learn to live constantly under his rule and authority, two things will result: we will come to a deeper understanding of His love for us and we will find that His love for others is actually guiding and motivating our actions.

As we go through the Focusing process and turn our attention toward doing the work of the kingdom in our community, it's important to be motivated by the love of Jesus. But if you're not sure about your motivations, don't let that worry you. The community is also the place where you learn how to be motivated by the love of Jesus. In fact, the community is the place where you learn how to live in the kingdom of God. The invitation to become active in the community, then, is really open to everyone. The only question you have to consider is: Do you want to (learn how to) love like Jesus loved? Do you want to (learn how to) live in God's kingdom so that you can effectively do the work of the kingdom? If that is your goal, you will find two things beginning to emerge at the center of your focus: God and the people He wants to reach. And that's exactly where our focus should be.

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 168: Five Reflections for the Church, Part 11

How to love people
Composed: 30 August 2009

Yesterday, at our men's ministry breakfast, we talked about what is involved in loving people to Jesus. A couple noteworthy themes came out during that discussion. Several people pointed out the importance of keeping a positive attitude or an attitude of encouragement. Oftentimes we'll encounter people in our neighborhoods and workplaces who are not very nice and extremely difficult to love. Their manner, disposition, or way of treating us just does not prompt that spontaneous flow of love in our hearts and may actually irritate or aggravate us. What can we do in those situations? There may be nothing in that person that strikes us as particularly lovable, so our love for them must come from a different source. We need to be carrying that positive, encouraging, compassionate attitude within us, so that we can draw upon it and love people even in situations where the circumstances are less than ideal.

Another theme that came out was the importance of being intentional. This is closely related to the first point about our attitudes. Some people are just naturally lovable; we meet them and automatically want to befriend them and be with them and help them. But the vast majority of people in the world simply do not elicit that automatic response. And if we're going to love those people, we're going to have to do so intentionally and deliberately. What does being intentional look like? Think about the friends and people that you spend the most time with? Are there non-Christians in those circles? Are there times at work, in your home, or elsewhere when you can simply offer a word of support or encouragement to someone? Are there needs in people's lives that you are aware of and can help to alleviate--even if it's not the most convenient or exciting thing for you to do? Are there people around you whom you can help, in spite of the fact that they cannot repay you or offer anything to you in return? Are there opportunities for you to go out of your way to help, encourage, and love someone?

As your thinking moves more and more in this direction, it's likely that you will feel less and less comfortable. Being intentional looks like it involves a lot of work. And that's absolutely correct. Any time that you do something that is out of the ordinary or different from the routine, it's going to involve extra work (and intentionality). And the simple fact is that most people's ordinary way of living does not include loving people--at least, it does not include loving people the way that Jesus did. How did Jesus love people and how would He have us love them? Consider these words from the Sermon on the Mount:

"You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matt 5:43-45. See also Luke 6:32-36.)

If that sounds like a tall order or an impossible feat--to love people in the way that God loves them--, then realize that God does not expect us, overnight, to become people who automatically love people in that way. But he does expect us to move in that direction. (Matt. 7:24-27) And as we take practical steps to move in that direction, God will meet us. When we come up against situations that are too much for us to handle, God will help us. When we fail or fall flat on our faces, we can throw ourselves on the mercy of the God of Romans 8:28. And through it all God will perform a work in our hearts, changing and transforming us from the inside out until we faithfully carry that family resemblance--as sons and daughters of our Father who is in heaven.

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 167: Five Reflections for the Church, Part 10

Sanctification and training
Composed: 16 August 2009

In my last letter (2 August 2009) I tried to emphasize how sanctification and doing the 'work of God' are not just about getting a long list of Christian things to do and trying to do them. Rather, they are centered on the inward transformation of the individual into the kind of person who can be appropriately related to God and a useful instrument for His will and work. The problem with sin is not just that it puts us in the wrong line headed for hell. And the solution to that problem consists in more than just making sure that we're in the right line headed for heaven. The problem with sin is that it works on the various aspects of our person in such a way that we are rendered incapable of being related rightly to God. And when we're not related rightly to God, we end up living our lives for ourselves and from our own strength. Genesis 3:17-19 describes these unfortunate consequences, particularly in its references to toil and the sweat of your face.

How does that description of life without God compare with Jesus' description of life with God in Matthew 6:25-34; 7:24-27; 11:29-30; John 6:35; and 10:10? Throughout Scripture we find numerous examples of individuals who actually led such lives. Their experiences stand as compelling testimonies to the truth that a radically different kind of life is possible for those who choose to trust in and follow God. Abraham, Joseph, David, the little girl from 2 Kings 5 (see next week's sermon), Daniel and his three friends, Esther, Jesus, and Paul--these are all examples that we can look to.

Once we've established that it is possible to be transformed by God's grace and the work of the Spirit, we need to look more closely at how that is supposed to happen. And the thought that I want to emphasize, here, is that it requires training. (See 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 & 2 Timothy; Hebrews 12:1-17.) How do I become the kind of person who is appropriately related to God and a useful instrument for His will and work? I must train. Like an athlete, musician, or soldier, I must enter into practices and disciplines that, by the grace of God, will work a change in the depths of who I am. How can I become the kind of person who loves his enemies? How can I become the kind of person who isn't concerned about how other people think of her? How can I become the kind of person who is ready and happy to sacrifice to help those in need? How can I become the kind of person who isn't anxious about all the crazy things that are going on in the world around us? Or if there's some other virtuous quality that I would like to cultivate--how do I do that and become that kind of person? It's not just going to happen to me one day when I walk out of church. I have to want it, I have to commit to it, and then I have to follow through.

Our Focusing Team Leader brought this idea out during last week's service. He said, "So what does it mean to follow Jesus? It certainly means more than 'hanging out' with Him. And it means more than just following Him to a destination. Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, 'Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people' (NET). True followers of Christ become His students, His disciples, His children." As we encounter daily circumstances, as disciples, we need to ask, "What would Jesus do?" And if we find that what Jesus would do is difficult for us, or even impossible, then we need to ask, "Why?" and to use that as an opportunity for growth. Because doing what Jesus would do is about more than just doing; it's about becoming a certain kind of person. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Hopefully you can see how Focusing the Church fits into this picture. "[T]his is an opportunity for each of us as individuals to submit, commit, and seek God's call on our lives. It is an opportunity for us to come together as the church and to seek God's heart for what He wants to accomplish through each of us in our daily lives." Hopefully that is also how we will treat every ministry and service project--not as something more to do but as an opportunity for growth and change.

--

God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 166: Five Reflections on the Church, Part 9

Sanctification: being set apart
Composed: 02 August 2009

Last week, two missionaries, Tim and Jervaun, visited our church and spoke to us about sanctification. They began by describing Tim's conversion and how, after praying to accept Jesus as his lord and savior, the next question that Tim asked was, "What do I do now?" This is such an important question for us to ask and take seriously, even if we have been in the faith for many, many years. 'So I prayed to receive Jesus. Well, what do I do now? What difference is that prayer and decision making in my life today?' Tim understood the importance of asking this question: "Because if I just go back to doing what I was doing before today, then this 'Jesus thing' is empty."

Unfortunately, the vital connection between that saving prayer and the rest of life here on earth is lost on many Christians. The gospel that many people hear often focuses on the salvation of their souls from hell in the afterlife and doesn't give adequate attention to the life that God desires for them here and now. As a consequence, when we start to speak of service, ministry, transformation, discipleship, and kingdom work, these are often perceived as add-ons, extra burdens, and even hindrances to living well in the present. When so many Christians are running themselves ragged just trying to get by, the call to do the work of God sounds like a terrible inconvenience.

But this is exactly what we were created for. Paul writes, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) If, then, we perceive these very good works as burdensome, we need to ask some serious questions about why that is the case. One of the main reasons that Christians are not enthusiastic about doing good works is that they perceive those works as just one more thing to add to the enormous pile that needs to be dealt with in their already crazy, busy, stressed, frantic, and frenzied lives. But there's something wrong with this picture. Jesus didn't call us to a crazy, busy, stressed, frantic, or frenzied life. He said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) Some will try to dismiss Jesus' words as unrealistic or explain them away somehow. But what if we tried to take them seriously instead. If our lives are so full that we cannot embrace and delight in the work that God has for us, could that be because we are not really trusting or following Him? (See Matthew 6:25-34.)

This is exactly why sanctification is so important and why it is so unfortunate that people neglect it. To be sanctified is to be set apart by God for some specific divine purpose. Now that does not mean that God just hands us a long list of Christian things to do. Rather, sanctification involves being changed and transformed from the inside out, into an instrument that God is able to use. Sanctification is the process by which every aspect of who we are (not just our external actions) is renewed, so that doing God's work becomes natural for us and so that our lives are increasingly pervaded and dominated by the characteristics of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (to recall just one familiar passage on this theme--Galatians 5:22-23). Paul writes, "Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from [what is ignoble and unclean, from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [that is, set apart], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." (2 Timothy 2:21, from the Amplified Bible)

There's so much that needs to be said about sanctification and I'm so glad that Tim and Jervaun chose to speak on the topic. I hope that we all will take seriously that journey and process. 'So I prayed to receive Jesus. What do I do now?' Answer: Keep on going with what you've started! Allow the Holy Spirit to change and transform you. Keep that goal steadily before your mind. (Philippians 4:14-15) Enter into the disciplines and practices that will help you to know Jesus more deeply and trust in Him more fully. (If you need help in this area, seek the advice of a pastor or other church leader.) And give serious attention to the work that God has for you. As you go through the process of sanctification, you'll come to realize that the greatest fulfillment, joy, encouragement, and satisfaction really does come from doing the things that God created you to do.

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God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 165: Five Reflections on the Church, Part 8

Encouragement, consolation, and fellowship
Composed: 19 July 2009

Prayer really is an essential part of Focusing The Church. Prayer is one of the main ways in which we actively and intentionally surrender this entire process to the lordship and direction of Jesus Christ. Indeed the whole point of this process is that our church would become more completely aligned with God's heart and desire to reach our community and the world. Prayer is one of the main ways that we can work on that relationship with our Heavenly Father whose call we want to hear, receive, and obediently answer. And prayer is a vital part of allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and minds into greater Christ-likeness.

In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul writes:
"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:1-4)

Verses 3 and 4 perfectly capture the attitudes and dispositions that we hope to develop and reinforce through the Focusing process. 'Regard one another as more important than yourself.' 'Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but look out for the interests of others.' 'Take thought to the needs of the people around you.' 'Go out of your way to help someone else.' But notice how Paul sets up verses 3 and 4. He writes, "IF… there is any encouragement in Christ, IF there is any consolation of love, IF there is any fellowship of the Spirit, …" THEN do these things. The question is: Are encouragement, consolation, fellowship, etc. to be found in our midst?

If you only glanced at our city and world, you might find very little of that encouragement in Christ or consolation of love. In fact, it seems that there's an awful lot in our world about which to be discouraged and disconsolate. The interesting thing about Paul is that he was able to find that encouragement and consolation even in the midst of persecution--while he was being imprisoned and facing trial, while his name and reputation were under attack even by other Christians. Despite all this, Paul was full of and overflowing with praise, thanksgiving, joy, confidence, hope, encouragement, and peace. (See Philippians 1.) Where does that come from? The truth is that encouragement in Christ, the consolation of love, and all those other elements that Paul considered to be foundational for putting on the mind and attitude of Christ--all of them--are available to you and to me right here and right now. But in our crazy, fast-paced, helter-skelter world, it's not at all surprising that we should miss them completely. You have to slow things down at some point if you're to really meet with God and access the encouragement and comfort that He wants to give you. You have to step back from all the stuff that's going on in the world to commune with the One who ordered and created the world. That is exactly why prayer, meditation, solitude, and silence are so essential--for the Christian life and for the Focusing process.

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God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 164: Five Reflections on the Church, Part 7

The truly wise course
Composed: 05 July 2009

What is the best way to live life? How can a person be truly content and fulfilled? How can I be really 'okay' in the midst of everything life throws at me? In the book of Proverbs, the answers to these questions take the form of a series of collections of sayings. At first glance, their arrangement may appear to be completely haphazard, but when considered a little more carefully, they manifest both thoughtful structure and organization. Here are some excerpts from the beginning, middle, and end of chapter 3, to help us think about the kind of life to which God calls and invites us.

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Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding.
For its profit is better than the profit of silver,
And its gain than fine gold.

Do not withhold good
from those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor,
"Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,"
When you have it with you.
Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives in security beside you.

Proverbs 3:5-7, 13-14, 27-29.

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The author begins, in the first section, by reminding us to, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart." That kind of expression is so familiar to us that we may be tempted to gloss over it. But stop for a moment and think about why the author is saying this. He is saying this because he knows that we often have a hard time really trusting God. And trusting God is essential if we are going to be willing to accept his advice and instructions about the best way to live life.

In the second section, the author compares the value of God's wisdom to the value of gold and silver. We don't deal much with gold and silver in our day-to-day lives but we are familiar with money and understand its importance for our lives. We need it to buy food, to pay the mortgage, keep the cars in running order, cover bills, and pay for medical expenses. Everybody knows that if you want to live well in our world, money is really important. Hear, then, what the author of these Proverbs says: 'You think that money is really important for living a decent, comfortable life. Well, guess what. Following God's instructions will do more than money ever could to bring you into contact with the good life.' Is that a little hard to believe? Think about it, as we continue.

The third section includes a few pieces of very practical instruction. Again, because of their obviousness, we need to ask the question: Why does the author bother including them? He includes them because he understands the natural tension that exists between God's ideas about how to live life and our ideas. This may hit us especially forcefully if we imagine the author speaking in the midst of hard times: 'You think that the best way to get through your current difficulties is to just focus on yourself and on trying to get by. The truth is, if you really want to be content, fulfilled, and 'okay,' even in the midst of your difficulties, the best strategy is to be good to others and to focus on others.' To many, that kind of advice will sound simply stupid. The author of Proverbs understands that. That's why he starts out by reminding us, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

Unfortunately, many people view community service as an undesirable burden. Even church ministry and outreach can feel like a heavy load that we have to carry just because God commanded us to or because other people expect us to. It's easy to slip into the mindset that life would be so much easier and more comfortable if we didn't have to worry about other people and could just focus on ourselves and on the small circle of friendships that we hold dear. It's easy to lose sight of the joy of giving and the joy that comes from service. The truth revealed in Proverbs, and throughout the Scriptures, is that selflessness, generosity, sacrifice, and love bring us into contact with (and are brought about by contact with) the deepest, most enduring source of life and love and joy and peace--God, Himself--who will not only sustain us in our work but also in all of our lives. (See also Matt 5:23-24, 39-48; Luke 6:29-30; Rom 12:4-21; Eph 4:1-16; Phil 2:1-11; and all of Proverbs 3.)

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God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.

Graduate 163: Five Reflections for the Church, Part 6

Interlude

I'm delighted to be able to continue this series, if only because it gives me a chance to set up this unusual situation--part six of a five-part series. Ha!

Since I am continuing this series, it might be a good idea to explain just where these reflections are coming from. The church that I am attending, Riverside Free Methodist Church, is currently going through a process designed to very intentionally move the congregation toward greater community engagement and outreach-mindedness. This is very much tied to a general desire to fulfill the great commission, but it is also a response to the recognition of an unfortunate long-standing pattern and trend among many churches away from strong community presence and involvement.

Back in January 2009, I began participating in a prayer team that our church put together for this process and began writing short letters to keep people updated on prayer needs and the latest goings-on of the process. The letters from the first few months focused on the prayer needs of our church, but as time went on, I began to incorporate small devotional reflections into those letters. Those reflections are what I have been editing and publishing in this series.

They are especially important to me because they represent my efforts to articulate what God's vision is for his people in a way that is biblically sound and that also connects with people. From the very beginning of this process, it has been important to me that we not treat this process as just another church program. What we're trying to accomplish is something much bigger.

Here's a passage from the first of these letters, published 13 January 2009, that basically captures my first take on what our church is doing:

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Throughout this past year, you've probably heard the pastors talking about the "Refocusing process." Various members of our church have been participating in the first phase of a process of reflection and vision-casting: looking at what God has done in the past and making informed decisions about the future. Phase two of this process will take place during 2009 and will engage our church community as a whole.

The exercise of "refocusing" is probably one with which you are very familiar, even if you have not gone through it in exactly the way that we are going through it now. At different times in our Christian lives, it is helpful and wise to stop and evaluate and reflect upon the condition of our walks with God. Doing so gives us the opportunity to see how far we have come, to look at how much we have grown, and to recognize how God has been working on our lives. Refocusing also gives us the opportunity to look to the future in an intentional and deliberate way. We can begin to identify areas where further growth is needed and we can listen and look for God's calling, seeking to understand what His will is for us and our future.

This same kind of process of reflection and refocusing, that is often so helpful for individual Christians, we are applying to our church community as a whole. How has God shaped us? What has God done through us in the past? How have we, as a community seen Him work? Also, what is our calling for the future? How can we continue to be at the center of God's will for us? What are the things that need to change? These are the questions that we want to bring before the church, this year, in a very deliberate way.

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God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.