"And now the lost, be welcomed home by the saved and redeemed, those adopted as your own. Let now our hearts burn with a flame, a fire consuming all for your son's holy name."
-Saviour King by United
As I sat at Starbucks the other day, reading, waiting for my disabled clients to arrive, a man walked up to me and asked me if I could spare some change for him. My immediate analysis of this man was that he was another homeless man looking for money to get some booze and get drunk. I told him I didn't have any change to spare and so he walked around and asked other people passing by if they could spare change. He came back to where I was sitting and started talking, but not to anyone in particular, just talking. Suddenly it hit me, this man was lonely, all he's looking for is someone to listen, someone to care. And so I turn my chair around and acknowledge him, and he begins to tell me his story. He was an engineer back in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. When Katrina struck New Orleans he had lost his home, his cars, and his land. He only received a small amount of relief money, compared to the thousands of dollars he was now in debt with from his job being destroyed and bills that he was not able to pay as a result of it. He hitchhiked all the way from New Orleans and was trying to get to a friend who lived in San Francisco to see if he could get work. For about 30 minutes we talked, more so I listened, as he told me stories of him back in New Orleans, his rusted voice resonating with nostalgia from a few years ago of what it was like before the hurricane and what it was like after. I reached in my back pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill and gave it to that man. I could feel his appreciation instantly as he thanked me. He got up and went to walk into Subway to get some food, and as he went turn and walk he looked at me with sincerely thankful eyes and said, "I will remember you." "What's your name?" I asked the man. "My name's Ron." "Well my name's Michael." "Pleasure to meet your Michael." "God bless Ron." "Thank you." And with that he headed into Subway to get a much needed meal.
Hours later I was walking around with my disabled clients and saw 3 young teenagers. Their clothes were worn, their eyes seemed a bit tired from traveling. I walked up to them and introduced myself. We got to talking and I found out that Evan was from Minnesota, Natasha was from Maine, and Adam was from Los Angeles. All three hop freight trains as a way of getting around the country. They told me stories, of how they got to doing this. I simply listened, didn't judge them or try to force any spiritual formulas on them, just loved them and accepted them. I also found out the food they were eating was from a dumpster. They didn't have much money and were waiting for another freight train to take them to LA that would be leaving on Sunday. I pulled out a twenty dollar bill and gave it to them and offered them my place to shower, freshen up, and cook them a hot meal. After work they came with me and made themselves at home. My roommates Brandon, George and Janet joined in and offered their food and cooked as well. They loved them and accepted them. I found a box of clothes I had not unpacked yet from my move and told them to pick whatever they wanted. You could see it, the feeling of being accepted, of feeling like they mattered in their eyes and subtle smiles. They were so happy to be watching tv, Evan told me that it had been so long since he watched "The Simpsons", one of his favorite shows. Adam was in awe playing the Wii, he had never played it before. Natasha and I talked about music and how you can only take so much grindcore music before you have to listen to another genre of music. Later on that night I came home from church with a ton of chocolate bars for them, I figured they could use a sugar rush. They ended up staying the night, and as I was about to head to bed I asked if there was anything else I could do, Adam looked up at me and said "you've done so much, we're all thankful for your hospitality." And with that I said goodnight and headed to bed. But before I dozed off, God spoke to my heart and through silence I heard his words, "This is what it means to be My hands, My feet. This is what it means to feed my sheep. This is how you say you love ME. This is how you build a community, this is how you lead people back to ME."
The next day I woke up early to head out to the city to visit my brother. I had a feeling I wouldn't be seeing them when I got home so I wrote them a letter. It was nothing fancy, but sincere. I told them how much I enjoyed their company, their conversations, and how glad I was that they could share a part of their lives with me and my roommates. I also told them that I would keep them in my prayers, and that God truly loves each on of them.
After a long day I came home to find a letter from each of them, my heart smiled at their words, reminding me that what you do....echoes in eternity.
Dez,
I can't thank you enough for your hospitality. Having a warm place to stay and shower can definitely make a huge difference. I was feeling pretty burnt out, sitting in the same place for days, and I'm definitely ready to face the world (and the train yard) again. I don't have anything for you other than my thanks but it is sincere and your kindness is truly appreciated. At times people can be cruel, and it's folks like you who restore my faith in humanity. Take care, I'll drop you a line on my space. Thank you so much!
Natasha
Yo Dez thank you sooo much. I patched up my pants so I left the other ones here. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Adam
Thank you again for your never-ending kindness in bringing us in and having us as your guests. We'll surely never forget your generosity and be sure to keep in touch. Keep the faith up, man.
Evan
P.S. Your roommates are great too, give them our thanks, especially Janet for the bag of food!
"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me."
-Matthew 25:35&36
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Go
Christians have a tendency to get caught up in the subculture of Christianity, closing themselves off from the world. We go to church Wednesdays, Sundays sometimes Saturdays, even on Fridays. We attend small groups on a week night and go to barbeques with our Christian friends and plan group outings. Too much of this closes us off from the rest of the world. If we want to reach out to nonbelievers, we have to take a step forward at doing so, and not simply invite people to join in our Christian social circle. Christ said Go into the World and minister the Gospel, He didn't tell us to pass out fliers and Jesus tracks. It's time we focused on going into our communities, being the hands and feet of God and connecting with nonbelievers and those of different religions on a personal level. Love in action is what speaks loudly, more than a sermon from a pulpit with megaphone speakers and subs that project the pastor's voice.
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it's the only thing."
Albert Schweitzer
"Do you love me...Do you love me...Do you love me....? Then feed my sheep."
-Jesus of Nazareth
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it's the only thing."
Albert Schweitzer
"Do you love me...Do you love me...Do you love me....? Then feed my sheep."
-Jesus of Nazareth
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Gay Pride
"Nothing that we despise in the other man is entirely absent from ourselves. We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or don't do, and more in light of what they suffer."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German pastor executed for his opposition to the Nazi party.
Over the last 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in the percentage of churchgoers who have heard a sermon about homosexuality, with more than 2/3 of attenders in evangelical churches recalling such sermons. Although most Christians say they are concerned about homosexual lifestyles, just 4% of Americans (and 10% of born-again Christians) say they have engaged in any other nonpolitical means of addressing what they perceive to be a problem. Only 1% of Americans say they pray for homosexuals; a similarly miniscule proportion say they address the issue by donating money to organizations that help people dealing with that lifestyle or that they try to have meaningful discussions with people about it. This information was derived from a random, representative sample of 1,007 adults, among whom more than 600 said that the homosexual lifestyle is a problem facing America. As people described what they thought would help, just one respondent offered the word love as a potential solution. One other survey participant suggested "being sympathetic." Simply put, Christians think there is a problem but have no idea what to do about it.
But why is there so much attention on homosexuality? Why do we shine the spotlight on this issue? I find it ironic that so many are quick to point out the sin of homosexuality and its connection to AIDS but will gladly overlook the sin of obesity, which is directly linked to the disease of diabetes. If we are compelled to deal with homosexuality in the way the Bible does, we must deal with it as we would any other sin. One of the main reasons that Christians have such a negative perception stems from our hyper-concern for morality. Instead of expressing what true Christianity is all about, we have put the cart before the horse and further alienate the people we should care for the most.
We can't deal with sin apart from Christ. If people don't know Christ, they are incapable of dealing with their own sin. The Bible is clear: homosexual practice is inconsistent with Christian discipleship, but it is not the only thing that is inconsistent. Everyone of us, gay, straight, transgender, etc., expresses sexuality in broken ways. We must stop identifying people as "sexual beings" and instead identify them as "human beings." There is not a special judgment for homosexuals, and there is not a special righteousness for heterosexuals. God often allows us to learn just as much as we travel our chosen paths as we would have if we had walked only his lighted portions. It would be dishonest for me to pretend I agree or understand people that choose the lifestyle of homosexuality, which they believe is right, but I accept that they are free to choose their own life course. This is not because I'm especially generous, but because God is. For all of us, our only hope for the fracture in our soul is the cross of Christ.
I remember my own struggle with homosexuality throughout my high school years. I recall feeling so much anger and confusion, so much despair and loneliness. What brought me through it all, what helped me to overcome my struggle wasn't sermons on homosexuality, Christians that loudly voiced the sin of an alternative lifestyle, it was friends and family who loved me for who I was, my brother Raffy, whom I followed around so much growing up, who taught me how to play basketball, be cool, who always reminded me that I mattered, that I belonged. Most of my family and friends had no idea that I was struggling with homosexuality, and even some are unaware of my past struggle. But little did they know that their genuine love and acceptance they showed towards me, led me to find redemption and restoration in Christ.
In any struggle we have, I believe that the best way to help someone overcome, is not to point out the struggle, the sin, the flaw, but to love someone with God's love, that overlooks errors and shortcomings, and saturates a person's entire being with intimacy and acceptance. Love the hell out of people.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German pastor executed for his opposition to the Nazi party.
Over the last 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in the percentage of churchgoers who have heard a sermon about homosexuality, with more than 2/3 of attenders in evangelical churches recalling such sermons. Although most Christians say they are concerned about homosexual lifestyles, just 4% of Americans (and 10% of born-again Christians) say they have engaged in any other nonpolitical means of addressing what they perceive to be a problem. Only 1% of Americans say they pray for homosexuals; a similarly miniscule proportion say they address the issue by donating money to organizations that help people dealing with that lifestyle or that they try to have meaningful discussions with people about it. This information was derived from a random, representative sample of 1,007 adults, among whom more than 600 said that the homosexual lifestyle is a problem facing America. As people described what they thought would help, just one respondent offered the word love as a potential solution. One other survey participant suggested "being sympathetic." Simply put, Christians think there is a problem but have no idea what to do about it.
But why is there so much attention on homosexuality? Why do we shine the spotlight on this issue? I find it ironic that so many are quick to point out the sin of homosexuality and its connection to AIDS but will gladly overlook the sin of obesity, which is directly linked to the disease of diabetes. If we are compelled to deal with homosexuality in the way the Bible does, we must deal with it as we would any other sin. One of the main reasons that Christians have such a negative perception stems from our hyper-concern for morality. Instead of expressing what true Christianity is all about, we have put the cart before the horse and further alienate the people we should care for the most.
We can't deal with sin apart from Christ. If people don't know Christ, they are incapable of dealing with their own sin. The Bible is clear: homosexual practice is inconsistent with Christian discipleship, but it is not the only thing that is inconsistent. Everyone of us, gay, straight, transgender, etc., expresses sexuality in broken ways. We must stop identifying people as "sexual beings" and instead identify them as "human beings." There is not a special judgment for homosexuals, and there is not a special righteousness for heterosexuals. God often allows us to learn just as much as we travel our chosen paths as we would have if we had walked only his lighted portions. It would be dishonest for me to pretend I agree or understand people that choose the lifestyle of homosexuality, which they believe is right, but I accept that they are free to choose their own life course. This is not because I'm especially generous, but because God is. For all of us, our only hope for the fracture in our soul is the cross of Christ.
I remember my own struggle with homosexuality throughout my high school years. I recall feeling so much anger and confusion, so much despair and loneliness. What brought me through it all, what helped me to overcome my struggle wasn't sermons on homosexuality, Christians that loudly voiced the sin of an alternative lifestyle, it was friends and family who loved me for who I was, my brother Raffy, whom I followed around so much growing up, who taught me how to play basketball, be cool, who always reminded me that I mattered, that I belonged. Most of my family and friends had no idea that I was struggling with homosexuality, and even some are unaware of my past struggle. But little did they know that their genuine love and acceptance they showed towards me, led me to find redemption and restoration in Christ.
In any struggle we have, I believe that the best way to help someone overcome, is not to point out the struggle, the sin, the flaw, but to love someone with God's love, that overlooks errors and shortcomings, and saturates a person's entire being with intimacy and acceptance. Love the hell out of people.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Something to talk about
I recently watched a debate with Craig Gross (Pastor/Founder of XXXChurch.com) and Ron Jeremy, who is an infamous porn star. Their lines of arguments were strong and well thought out. What really intrigued me was when Craig Gross said that pornography creates a false sense of reality, and the end result is we try to bring that reality into our lives and are disappointed, tempted with lust, tempted to re-enact these fantasies, and in many cases this leads to sexually committed crimes. One woman in the audience stood up and asked Craig that if creating a false sense of reality produces a negative impact on society, is all types of fantasy (i.e. Mythology, Hollywood, Literature, etc.) wrong? You have Christians that have no problem seeing a movie such as "Transformers", The Bourne Identity (all 3 films) "Saving Private Ryan" or "Lord of the Rings", which contain a strong amount of violence, gore, one of them containing sorcery and mysticism. No big disputes raised against these films, these types of fantasies, with the exception of "Saving Private Ryan" being based on a true story but dramatized by Hollywood producers, but red flags and all sorts of alarms go off at the hint of a pornographic film, let alone a sex scene in a mainstream Hollywood movie. Couldn't it be argued that films like "Saving Private Ryan" or "Lord of the Rings" encourage people as well to make fantasy reality, that they induce people to commit crimes or dabble in witchcraft? If so, it could be argued that the issue would not be the content, but the discretion or lack of discretion the viewer is advising his or her-self. Is content the main issue, or is character and discipline of the mind?
I want to be clear that I am not advocating the advancement of pornography, Nor am I saying we should make legislation to ban it. I am simply opening up the forum to hear your thoughts and welcome them all.
I want to be clear that I am not advocating the advancement of pornography, Nor am I saying we should make legislation to ban it. I am simply opening up the forum to hear your thoughts and welcome them all.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saved
Here's something insightful coming from someone within the church doors.
In trying to communicate the gospel to the masses, the message was eventually reduced to a partial story: humans are sinful and need Jesus in order to go to heaven. This made Christianity lose some of its life because the full description of God's activity-such as his creation, his plans for restoration, "renounce your sins and place your hope in Jesus." This phrase is not wrong per se. But it is insufficient, particularly as our culture becomes more pluralistic. As a result of this mindset, one can easily accept Jesus Buddha and a form of Wicca and have not the slightest problem with the significant contradictions. By reducing the gospel to a what's-in-it-for-me message, people feel Jesus exists for their benefit. I believe it is important that people make decisions to follow Jesus-I just believe it needs to happen in a context of love and not be reduced to feed the consumer's mindset of finding spiritual comfort. The Gospels portray a grand multifaceted picture of Jesus. I think we should really interact with this portrait in sharing Christ with others. Read through the Gospels with them and let them encounter the person rather than the formula. I just think that asking someone to commit to a major way of life like following Christ deserves much more respect than simply spiritual formulas.
-Rick Mckinley
Pastor of Imago Dei
In trying to communicate the gospel to the masses, the message was eventually reduced to a partial story: humans are sinful and need Jesus in order to go to heaven. This made Christianity lose some of its life because the full description of God's activity-such as his creation, his plans for restoration, "renounce your sins and place your hope in Jesus." This phrase is not wrong per se. But it is insufficient, particularly as our culture becomes more pluralistic. As a result of this mindset, one can easily accept Jesus Buddha and a form of Wicca and have not the slightest problem with the significant contradictions. By reducing the gospel to a what's-in-it-for-me message, people feel Jesus exists for their benefit. I believe it is important that people make decisions to follow Jesus-I just believe it needs to happen in a context of love and not be reduced to feed the consumer's mindset of finding spiritual comfort. The Gospels portray a grand multifaceted picture of Jesus. I think we should really interact with this portrait in sharing Christ with others. Read through the Gospels with them and let them encounter the person rather than the formula. I just think that asking someone to commit to a major way of life like following Christ deserves much more respect than simply spiritual formulas.
-Rick Mckinley
Pastor of Imago Dei
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Love is an empire
We were created in love, meant to love, for the sake of love. I don't think God wants us alone. I don't think our lips are just meant for speech articulation. I believe they are meant for deep kisses, little ones on noses, and on foreheads, the ones you say goodnight with. I don’t think our hands are just meant to hold pencils and pens, power tools and beauty products. I believe the spaces between them fit perfectly with another, and they are meant to grasp, to beckon in motion with, to brush the sides of faces, rub sore backs with, scratch the places we cannot reach, and to embrace with, throwing our arms around someone with the intent of never letting go.
I don’t think our eyes are meant to only see traffic lights and exit signs that we tend to miss on freeways. I believe they are meant to notice little things, hidden things, things that are not even there. I think sometimes the best thing we can do is to close our eyes and see nothing at all, believe with our hearts, hold with our hands, and press passionately with our lips against our beloved, and they meet us with that same friction, that same tension and nervousness, and we can thank God for these moments. Moments that we can forget how our bodies function, forget knowledge, philosophy, and endless theories of big bangs or micro organisms, how late we are on our rent and bills, how long our day has been, what the price of tea in China is,who our next president will be, and remember what life is really about….LOVE
(Some of you are thinking...."where is the scripture verse?")Do I need to be cliche and attach a passage of scripture to what I've said in order for it to be valid? Truth does not need a verse attached to it in order for it to be true. God is love, God has spoken, the rest is commentary.
I don’t think our eyes are meant to only see traffic lights and exit signs that we tend to miss on freeways. I believe they are meant to notice little things, hidden things, things that are not even there. I think sometimes the best thing we can do is to close our eyes and see nothing at all, believe with our hearts, hold with our hands, and press passionately with our lips against our beloved, and they meet us with that same friction, that same tension and nervousness, and we can thank God for these moments. Moments that we can forget how our bodies function, forget knowledge, philosophy, and endless theories of big bangs or micro organisms, how late we are on our rent and bills, how long our day has been, what the price of tea in China is,who our next president will be, and remember what life is really about….LOVE
(Some of you are thinking...."where is the scripture verse?")Do I need to be cliche and attach a passage of scripture to what I've said in order for it to be valid? Truth does not need a verse attached to it in order for it to be true. God is love, God has spoken, the rest is commentary.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Let My People Think
"What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people."
Apostle Paul, Galatians 6:15
Through much research, we are learning that one of the primary reasons that ministry to teenagers fails to produce a lasting faith is because they are not being taught to think. This gets to the core of the get-saved perception: young people experience a one-size-fits-all message that fails to connect with their unique sensibilities, personality, or intellectual capabilities. I recently spoke to a friend of mine who was having a rough day. I asked her what was wrong and my friend told me that all the sermons she had been hearing in church, all the simple answers to her difficult situations weren't helping her, it only made her feel more lost. All along, she had heard sermons on issues, but what my friend wanted was to talk about these issues; Why was it wrong to do this? How did they know it was wrong? Is there a verse for it? Is there only one way to do this thing or that thing? Young people desperately need to be taught to process the rich complexities in life, to probe and test and stretch their faith from the perspective of a Christ follower.
Apostle Paul, Galatians 6:15
Through much research, we are learning that one of the primary reasons that ministry to teenagers fails to produce a lasting faith is because they are not being taught to think. This gets to the core of the get-saved perception: young people experience a one-size-fits-all message that fails to connect with their unique sensibilities, personality, or intellectual capabilities. I recently spoke to a friend of mine who was having a rough day. I asked her what was wrong and my friend told me that all the sermons she had been hearing in church, all the simple answers to her difficult situations weren't helping her, it only made her feel more lost. All along, she had heard sermons on issues, but what my friend wanted was to talk about these issues; Why was it wrong to do this? How did they know it was wrong? Is there a verse for it? Is there only one way to do this thing or that thing? Young people desperately need to be taught to process the rich complexities in life, to probe and test and stretch their faith from the perspective of a Christ follower.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Spiritual Headhunting
"Belief is a beautiful armor, but makes for the heaviest sword."
-John Mayer
Are we focused on ministry or converting? Further Research by the Barna group showed that only 1/3 of non-believers believe that Christians genuinely care about them (34%). And most Christians are oblivious to these perceptions-64% of Christians said they believe that outsiders would perceive their efforts as genuine. Only 1/4 of non-believers firmly believe that Christianity offers them "hope for the future" (23%). 81% say that Christianity teaches pretty much the same basic ideas as other religions. Are our current ways of evangelism, our methods and ways of reaching non-believers really effective? Let's take a look at some of them:
Myth: The best evangelism efforts are those that reach the most people at once
Reality: When asked young Christian adults to identify the activity, ministry event, or person most directly responsible for their decision to accept Jesus Christ, 71% listed an individual-typically their parent, a friend, another relative, or a teacher. A majority of those decisions were described as conversations and prayer, while about 1/3 were instances in which their friend or family member took them to a church service or evangelistic event.
Myth: Anything that brings people to Christ is worth doing.
Reality: In Barna Group's research with some of the leading "mass evangelism" efforts, we found that often these measures create three to ten times as much a negative response as positive. As Christians, we have to keep in mind that response rates are not the ultimate goal but rather the wise and careful stewardship of the image of God. Today's media and technology create unparalleled opportunities, but they also wield the potential to harm the Christian image among many outsiders. If you create more barriers with outsiders because of your tactics, you have not been a good steward of the gospel. How we choose to share Christ is as important as our actually doing it.
Myth:We cannot worry about the possibility of offending people when sharing the truth about Jesus.
Reality: Obeying the command to make disciples does not give us license to offend people, especially when those offenses are actually inhibiting us from fulfilling that very commandment. Jesus used strong language, but who was he most likely to offend? Religiously arrogant people, not non-believers. Yes, the cross is offensive to people, but that gives us no extra motivation to be harsh or spiteful. True repect for people is a key factor in effective ministering to non-believers.
Myth: People embrace Christianity because of logical arguments.
Reality: Most people, by nature, are not logical thinkers and are not likely to change their beliefs because of elegant argumentation or apologetics. When asked non-believers what the most important factor is in their faith, they said it is something that "feels" right to them personally (69% of non-believers said this was an important facet of their spirituality). Before you start lamenting this reliance on feelings, you should realize that 67% of Christians between the ages of 16 and 29 said that this was important as well.
Myth: We just need to help outsiders find a connection with God.
Reality: Nearly half of young non-believers (42%) said they are skeptical and distrustful of faith and religion. Part of that skepticism is fierce independence. They don't want to be whipped up into a state of emotionalism and reliance on faith. Only 1/4 of non-believers siad they are looking for a faith that helps them connect with God. By comparison, this was the top motivation of young Christians, which confirms that this is a huge area of dissonance between those of us on the inside and those outside of the church. We have experienced the presence of a living God, but outsiders are wary of feeling brainwashed or manipulated. If we really want to help non-believers see the unique freedom available through Christ, a simplistic get-saved message is an insult to their intelligence. We may think people just need a quick spiritual transaction, but this kind of overhaul does not happen without a person's permission and the activity of the Holy Spirit.
I remember my senior year of high school I met a friend name Kristin. We had the best time hanging out, watching movies, watching Olympic curling, going to the movies, to rock shows, playing monopoly, and then having her get mad cause I would quit withing less than an hour, just being ourselves, and spending time as friends, as human beings. And for the record I was not close to receive the "best saint" reward. I made mistakes, I cut class (even with her cuz we liked Chinese food), I cussed, I lied, I was imperfect. But even with imperfection, I never stopped wanting to seek God, wanting to know God, and be known by Him, to have a genuine relationship. But I didn't try to tell Kristin she needed God, she needed to be good, do right things, be moral. I just loved and accepted her. I'll never forget the time she came to my youth group and the pastor asked if anyone would like to share his/her testimony of how they came to accept Christ in their life. She raised her hand and began telling her story of a friend she met earlier in the year. This friend of hers never tried to preach or judge her, they just accepted her for who she was. She watched this friend live their life, live out their faith, and from the way this friend was genuine with who they were, not trying to be holy or religious, she saw that having a relationship with God was possible for her, and she so accepted Christ into her life. On the ride home she broke the silence, "by the way, that friend I was talking about that led me to Christ, was you." To this day I am still imperfect. But I have realized that exposing my flaws in a humble and honest way doesn't repel people from wanting to know me, nor when they find out that I am a Christian, does it make them look at Christianity negatively. Instead they are touched to see someone who believes in God, who is a human being, not a human doing, who shares his stories of brokenness and redemption, who doesn't try to preach at them, but wears His belief in God like beautiful armor, loving them for who they are, not judging them for what they are not.
Our lives are a Bible, and if so, are we showing them the critically religious parts, the stories of Pharisees and Scribes condemning people for the specs in their eyes while they have a plank in theirs, forcing their morality upon others? Or are we showing them the stories of compassion, stories where 5,000 hungry people were fed, stories of people who were beaten and robbed, left for dead, who were rescued by someone that saw someone in need, stories where people fellowshipped, laughed together, cried together, served one another in an intimate community, where thieves and murderers sat down and broke bread with a man who mended the broken heart, binded wounds, and healed miraculously.
We rarely defend the things we love. We enjoy these things and share these things, invite people to join us, we don't try so hard to convince people, that's something for that person to do for themselves. We are called to preach the gospel at all times, words are not always necessary.
Does it sound like we're patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we're not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.
-Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:2
-John Mayer
Are we focused on ministry or converting? Further Research by the Barna group showed that only 1/3 of non-believers believe that Christians genuinely care about them (34%). And most Christians are oblivious to these perceptions-64% of Christians said they believe that outsiders would perceive their efforts as genuine. Only 1/4 of non-believers firmly believe that Christianity offers them "hope for the future" (23%). 81% say that Christianity teaches pretty much the same basic ideas as other religions. Are our current ways of evangelism, our methods and ways of reaching non-believers really effective? Let's take a look at some of them:
Myth: The best evangelism efforts are those that reach the most people at once
Reality: When asked young Christian adults to identify the activity, ministry event, or person most directly responsible for their decision to accept Jesus Christ, 71% listed an individual-typically their parent, a friend, another relative, or a teacher. A majority of those decisions were described as conversations and prayer, while about 1/3 were instances in which their friend or family member took them to a church service or evangelistic event.
Myth: Anything that brings people to Christ is worth doing.
Reality: In Barna Group's research with some of the leading "mass evangelism" efforts, we found that often these measures create three to ten times as much a negative response as positive. As Christians, we have to keep in mind that response rates are not the ultimate goal but rather the wise and careful stewardship of the image of God. Today's media and technology create unparalleled opportunities, but they also wield the potential to harm the Christian image among many outsiders. If you create more barriers with outsiders because of your tactics, you have not been a good steward of the gospel. How we choose to share Christ is as important as our actually doing it.
Myth:We cannot worry about the possibility of offending people when sharing the truth about Jesus.
Reality: Obeying the command to make disciples does not give us license to offend people, especially when those offenses are actually inhibiting us from fulfilling that very commandment. Jesus used strong language, but who was he most likely to offend? Religiously arrogant people, not non-believers. Yes, the cross is offensive to people, but that gives us no extra motivation to be harsh or spiteful. True repect for people is a key factor in effective ministering to non-believers.
Myth: People embrace Christianity because of logical arguments.
Reality: Most people, by nature, are not logical thinkers and are not likely to change their beliefs because of elegant argumentation or apologetics. When asked non-believers what the most important factor is in their faith, they said it is something that "feels" right to them personally (69% of non-believers said this was an important facet of their spirituality). Before you start lamenting this reliance on feelings, you should realize that 67% of Christians between the ages of 16 and 29 said that this was important as well.
Myth: We just need to help outsiders find a connection with God.
Reality: Nearly half of young non-believers (42%) said they are skeptical and distrustful of faith and religion. Part of that skepticism is fierce independence. They don't want to be whipped up into a state of emotionalism and reliance on faith. Only 1/4 of non-believers siad they are looking for a faith that helps them connect with God. By comparison, this was the top motivation of young Christians, which confirms that this is a huge area of dissonance between those of us on the inside and those outside of the church. We have experienced the presence of a living God, but outsiders are wary of feeling brainwashed or manipulated. If we really want to help non-believers see the unique freedom available through Christ, a simplistic get-saved message is an insult to their intelligence. We may think people just need a quick spiritual transaction, but this kind of overhaul does not happen without a person's permission and the activity of the Holy Spirit.
I remember my senior year of high school I met a friend name Kristin. We had the best time hanging out, watching movies, watching Olympic curling, going to the movies, to rock shows, playing monopoly, and then having her get mad cause I would quit withing less than an hour, just being ourselves, and spending time as friends, as human beings. And for the record I was not close to receive the "best saint" reward. I made mistakes, I cut class (even with her cuz we liked Chinese food), I cussed, I lied, I was imperfect. But even with imperfection, I never stopped wanting to seek God, wanting to know God, and be known by Him, to have a genuine relationship. But I didn't try to tell Kristin she needed God, she needed to be good, do right things, be moral. I just loved and accepted her. I'll never forget the time she came to my youth group and the pastor asked if anyone would like to share his/her testimony of how they came to accept Christ in their life. She raised her hand and began telling her story of a friend she met earlier in the year. This friend of hers never tried to preach or judge her, they just accepted her for who she was. She watched this friend live their life, live out their faith, and from the way this friend was genuine with who they were, not trying to be holy or religious, she saw that having a relationship with God was possible for her, and she so accepted Christ into her life. On the ride home she broke the silence, "by the way, that friend I was talking about that led me to Christ, was you." To this day I am still imperfect. But I have realized that exposing my flaws in a humble and honest way doesn't repel people from wanting to know me, nor when they find out that I am a Christian, does it make them look at Christianity negatively. Instead they are touched to see someone who believes in God, who is a human being, not a human doing, who shares his stories of brokenness and redemption, who doesn't try to preach at them, but wears His belief in God like beautiful armor, loving them for who they are, not judging them for what they are not.
Our lives are a Bible, and if so, are we showing them the critically religious parts, the stories of Pharisees and Scribes condemning people for the specs in their eyes while they have a plank in theirs, forcing their morality upon others? Or are we showing them the stories of compassion, stories where 5,000 hungry people were fed, stories of people who were beaten and robbed, left for dead, who were rescued by someone that saw someone in need, stories where people fellowshipped, laughed together, cried together, served one another in an intimate community, where thieves and murderers sat down and broke bread with a man who mended the broken heart, binded wounds, and healed miraculously.
We rarely defend the things we love. We enjoy these things and share these things, invite people to join us, we don't try so hard to convince people, that's something for that person to do for themselves. We are called to preach the gospel at all times, words are not always necessary.
Does it sound like we're patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we're not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.
-Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:2
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Back in the day
As I look back to Biblical days, church (temple) was totally different. Back then a town would have only one copy of the Law/Torah and it would be kept at the Temple. But the Jews in that town knew the Law, most of them had it memorized so when the Rabbi would cite certain passages, they knew the subject matter. It was also very conversational. People were able to discuss with one another their thoughts and share their opinions on scripture. If someone did not understand, there was always someone to come along side and fill them in on the issue or help explain it to make it clear to them. They were able to analyze, debate, argue, hear one another out in a very community-like environment. God's word was something you studied together, it was a way to gain better understanding by looking at different perspectives and hearing people out.
These days pastors study alone all week and preach on Sunday their interpretation, their exegesis of Scripture, without really allowing the congregation to share their thoughts, present their questions, there is no community-like environment where Scripture can be discussed in a socratic form, meaning it can't be analyzed as a group, we are by default forced to hear one side, one perspective. Anyone, pastor or Christian that says "I just preach the Bible exactly how it is, I don't give a biased opinion" is lying to you. The very fact that they are reading the Bible from the NIV, King James, New Living translation is proof that they are reading it from a biased perspective. Anything translated is going to be partial, because the translator is taking the original language the Bible was written in and breaking down the words the way they seem right to them. Therefore it can be summarized as this: God has spoken, the rest is commentary. Our commentaries, at best, can only give us a perspective, they can not give us a black and white conclusion. But what is happening in churches across America, is people become members to a certain church and subscribe to its doctrine, believing it to be the objective viewpoint, the right way to look at scripture. And so you have civil wars between Christians. You have Baptists criticizing Pentecostals for being overly dramatic in their spirituality, Presbyterians arguing that you don't have to be fully submerged to be baptized, that sprinkling water is legitimate, and United Pentecostals telling you that you have to wear a suit to church and so forth. Doctrine becomes our artillery, and we are ready to fire off our lines of arguments, segregating ourselves so much from other Christians, becoming islands, not bridging the gap, but raising the draw bridge and building deep moats around our spiritual fortresses. Our focus is about being right, not about being the hands and feet of God. We don't invite people to have a relationship with God, we tell them how they should have a relationship with God. They have questions, and we are assured that we have THE ANSWERS, when in reality we simply have comments, that may provide insight, but are surely not absolute in nature. If we want people to have a relationship with God, we have to stop acting like nosey parents and let People "date" God without "parental supervision". Sure, Hey may take them out dancing, and He may step on their toes, and crowd their feet, or promenade so gracefully. But it's His dance with His date, we have to let Him lead it.
These days pastors study alone all week and preach on Sunday their interpretation, their exegesis of Scripture, without really allowing the congregation to share their thoughts, present their questions, there is no community-like environment where Scripture can be discussed in a socratic form, meaning it can't be analyzed as a group, we are by default forced to hear one side, one perspective. Anyone, pastor or Christian that says "I just preach the Bible exactly how it is, I don't give a biased opinion" is lying to you. The very fact that they are reading the Bible from the NIV, King James, New Living translation is proof that they are reading it from a biased perspective. Anything translated is going to be partial, because the translator is taking the original language the Bible was written in and breaking down the words the way they seem right to them. Therefore it can be summarized as this: God has spoken, the rest is commentary. Our commentaries, at best, can only give us a perspective, they can not give us a black and white conclusion. But what is happening in churches across America, is people become members to a certain church and subscribe to its doctrine, believing it to be the objective viewpoint, the right way to look at scripture. And so you have civil wars between Christians. You have Baptists criticizing Pentecostals for being overly dramatic in their spirituality, Presbyterians arguing that you don't have to be fully submerged to be baptized, that sprinkling water is legitimate, and United Pentecostals telling you that you have to wear a suit to church and so forth. Doctrine becomes our artillery, and we are ready to fire off our lines of arguments, segregating ourselves so much from other Christians, becoming islands, not bridging the gap, but raising the draw bridge and building deep moats around our spiritual fortresses. Our focus is about being right, not about being the hands and feet of God. We don't invite people to have a relationship with God, we tell them how they should have a relationship with God. They have questions, and we are assured that we have THE ANSWERS, when in reality we simply have comments, that may provide insight, but are surely not absolute in nature. If we want people to have a relationship with God, we have to stop acting like nosey parents and let People "date" God without "parental supervision". Sure, Hey may take them out dancing, and He may step on their toes, and crowd their feet, or promenade so gracefully. But it's His dance with His date, we have to let Him lead it.
Point of Difference
We are called to be the difference, to be a light in a crooked and depraved world. Are we making that impression, that impact? A recent study conducted by The Barna group, interviewed thousands of born-again Christians and found that they failed much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed evidence. In 2007, The Barna Group found that most of the lifestyle activities of born-again Christians were statistically equivalent to those of non-believers. When asked to identify their activities over the last 30 days, born-again believers were just as likely to bet or gamble, to visit a pornographic website, to take something that didn't belong to them, consult a psychic, physically fight or abuse someone, to have consumed enough alcohol to be considered legally drunk.
One study conducted examined American's engagement in some type of sexually inappropriate behavior, including looking at online pornography, viewing sexually explicit magazines or movies, or having an intimate sexual encounter outside of marriage. In all, the study showed that 30% of born-again Christians admitted to at least one of these activities in the past 30 days, compared with 35% of other Americans. In statistical and practical terms, this means that non-born-agains and born-again Christians shared very little difference.
Among young non-believers, 84% say they personally know at least one committed Christian. Only 15% thought the lifestyles of those Christ followers were significantly different from the norm.
The Barna group conducted a survey on Christian adults. When asked to identify the priorities Christians pursue in terms of presonal faith. The answers were: being good, doing the right thing, not sinning. The "lifestyle" priority was more frequently mentioned than discipleship-learning about the Bible and about Christ. Serving others and others was identified as a main concern by just one-fifth of believers. Thoughts of stewardship or nurturing family faith were almost nonexistent as faith priorities.
"You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are filthy-full of greed and self-indulgence."
-Matthew 23:25
Our focus as the Church shouldn't be focused on doctrinal beliefs. It should be focused on sharing our own personal relationship with Christ, and making an impact in our communities, and in the world. I'm ashamed to say that much of my life, I have spent trying to do right, not sin, be a good person. I have preached so much about a lifestyle of faith, about what I think is right according to scripture, and not as much time making an impact with my life. I have spent more time preaching than showing love to people (feeding the poor, feeding a friend, being a friend, donating funds for disaster relief, breast cancer/aids research, serving others.) Coming towards the end of 2007, I really felt like it was time to let go of my car. A desire in my heart started to grow stronger, and that was to be a continual blessing in people's lives. I told God I wanted to bless people on a daily basis in big ways; helping them pay for rent, for their mortage, for food, etc. His response was, "you can start by giving your car away." And so this past Christmas I drove up to modesto to spend time with a friend and her three sons. I gave her the keys to my car and she broke into tears. She told me how hard it has been for the past couple of years losing her car and being so limited to do things for her three sons, to take them to places, and getting to work was so difficult on top of running errands for work. I had no idea the impact of giving her my car would make. It helped strengthen her faith that was weakening, and bringing hope to her friends who were struggling through hard times and more. I realized in that moment that you make an impact by blessing others, serving others, giving and sacrificing. Sermons on sin management do not set a person free as much as loving someone to the point you would help them meet their needs and their family's needs. It starts with letting God love us, and being transformed by that, not by sin management, not by looking good or trying to be good. and then sharing God's love in more than words. If we love God, we should feed His sheep. It's not enough to proclaim we are Christians. Our love for God should be seen in our actions. Christians are notoriously known by the world for what we are against, I believe it's time for them to know us by what we should be known for, Loving people with God's love."
"If I have the gift of speaking God's Word and if I understand all secrets, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I know all things and if I have the gift of faith so I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."
-Apostle Paul, 1 corinthians 13:2
One study conducted examined American's engagement in some type of sexually inappropriate behavior, including looking at online pornography, viewing sexually explicit magazines or movies, or having an intimate sexual encounter outside of marriage. In all, the study showed that 30% of born-again Christians admitted to at least one of these activities in the past 30 days, compared with 35% of other Americans. In statistical and practical terms, this means that non-born-agains and born-again Christians shared very little difference.
Among young non-believers, 84% say they personally know at least one committed Christian. Only 15% thought the lifestyles of those Christ followers were significantly different from the norm.
The Barna group conducted a survey on Christian adults. When asked to identify the priorities Christians pursue in terms of presonal faith. The answers were: being good, doing the right thing, not sinning. The "lifestyle" priority was more frequently mentioned than discipleship-learning about the Bible and about Christ. Serving others and others was identified as a main concern by just one-fifth of believers. Thoughts of stewardship or nurturing family faith were almost nonexistent as faith priorities.
"You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are filthy-full of greed and self-indulgence."
-Matthew 23:25
Our focus as the Church shouldn't be focused on doctrinal beliefs. It should be focused on sharing our own personal relationship with Christ, and making an impact in our communities, and in the world. I'm ashamed to say that much of my life, I have spent trying to do right, not sin, be a good person. I have preached so much about a lifestyle of faith, about what I think is right according to scripture, and not as much time making an impact with my life. I have spent more time preaching than showing love to people (feeding the poor, feeding a friend, being a friend, donating funds for disaster relief, breast cancer/aids research, serving others.) Coming towards the end of 2007, I really felt like it was time to let go of my car. A desire in my heart started to grow stronger, and that was to be a continual blessing in people's lives. I told God I wanted to bless people on a daily basis in big ways; helping them pay for rent, for their mortage, for food, etc. His response was, "you can start by giving your car away." And so this past Christmas I drove up to modesto to spend time with a friend and her three sons. I gave her the keys to my car and she broke into tears. She told me how hard it has been for the past couple of years losing her car and being so limited to do things for her three sons, to take them to places, and getting to work was so difficult on top of running errands for work. I had no idea the impact of giving her my car would make. It helped strengthen her faith that was weakening, and bringing hope to her friends who were struggling through hard times and more. I realized in that moment that you make an impact by blessing others, serving others, giving and sacrificing. Sermons on sin management do not set a person free as much as loving someone to the point you would help them meet their needs and their family's needs. It starts with letting God love us, and being transformed by that, not by sin management, not by looking good or trying to be good. and then sharing God's love in more than words. If we love God, we should feed His sheep. It's not enough to proclaim we are Christians. Our love for God should be seen in our actions. Christians are notoriously known by the world for what we are against, I believe it's time for them to know us by what we should be known for, Loving people with God's love."
"If I have the gift of speaking God's Word and if I understand all secrets, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I know all things and if I have the gift of faith so I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."
-Apostle Paul, 1 corinthians 13:2
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
UnChristian
There is a difference between the desire to know truth and be right. Looking back on my life, I can recall conversations I've had that stole a part of God's reputation because I reduced the Christian message to a "who-is-more-right" argument. But I realize that I have made such a big mistake, being so concerned about being right and not sharing God's love, and that Jesus is so much more than a logical proof. Rather than having a mindset of "converting" people to the Christian faith, I see the impact of sharing my experiences with God with people, or simply enjoying someone's company, taking them out to lunch, without trying to give them a pamphlet on Christianity. I believe the focus should be on genuine love for a person, exemplifying God's love through our lives, letting our actions speak, not our words, and not about morality, what people should and should not do. You have one denomination saying that water baptism should be done with full immersion while another says that water sprinkling is acceptable. Each one will claim that they are right. But the issue is not the water, how deep we go or how much water is sprinkled, the issue is the public declaration to follow Christ, and there are more ways to publicly show your devotion to Christ. Christians are predominantly known for what they are against, not what they stand for. Change is almost always resisted, but influence is almost always invited. A genuine love for people is what ministers greatly, not a wealth of knowledge, nor argumentation and rhetoric.
" While knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church."
-Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 8:1
" While knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church."
-Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 8:1
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