Ancient Words for Modern Times
Years ago there was a group of blasphemers and heretics who were stirring up all sorts of trouble among the religious of their day. They went against orthodox teaching. They had new ideas that they were widely communicating. They were engaged in some questionable practices and did not seem to obey all the rules that their parents’ generation had.
I am speaking of course about the disciples of Jesus. Peter, Andrew, James, and John. These guys went rogue in the eyes of the religious establishment and paid a dear price for doing so. Today we seem to find ourselves in the same place.
Many from the religious establishment are unhappy with others who they openly call blasphemers and heretics. Many religious leaders spend time writing blogs and books about this cast of characters. Many religious leaders refute their teachings and ideas from their pulpits on Sundays. Many religious leaders devote a lot of time countering this group of men and women who have new ideas, thoughts, and just don’t seem to obey all the rules of their parents’ generation.
I wonder then, if some ancient advice given in the wake of the Jesus’ disciples, would also be a good word for us today.
In Acts 5, Peter and the apostles stand in the Temple Courts and teach in Jesus’ name. This after they have been punished and given strict orders not to do this. Some in the religious leadership are furious and want them silenced. It seems they get themselves worked up into quite a bother. In the midst of the arguments and fury, one man speaks. His name is Gamaliel. His words are simple and profound.
He says, “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5.33-39 TNIV).
Gamaliel does not seem concerned for the disciples and their teaching. If all of this was simply contained in the hearts of men, those peddling the message (and those foolish enough to follow) would self-destruct in time. He says this because even religious fads do not last.
Moreover, he was wise enough to know that the “hallowed tradition” so many of the religious wanted to protect was at one time a “new teaching” too. He also seemed to know that God was in the business of renewal, and God never utters the words in relation to his work in the hearts of people, “… because I have always done it this way.”
Gamaliel leaves room for God to do what God does. In this case his uncommon wisdom allows for him to be generous with several young men who followed a Galilean Rabbi who had been executed on a Roman cross – who they said rose from the dead.
Perhaps we should once again listen to the words of Gamaliel, as his contemporaries did long ago. For who knows how God will continue to work in our world? It just may be through an unlikely few, and I for one would not want to stand in the way of what God is doing. And if it is really not from him ... it will go away in its good time.
I Don't Want To Be a Man (2nd Edition)
Recently I have been asked what I thought of the recent conversation about "men" in the 21st Century that seems to be coming up more often within the Evangelical Church. Several men in our faith community have approached me to ask about a community for men here at DCC, and several more have asked what I think about the "be a man!" attitude that some speak about. There is a lot I could say in response, and perhaps I will in future blogs. However, I went back to a blog that I wrote four years ago about this subject.
Since that time I have read much about men, and in particular, masculine spirituality (thank you Fr. Richard Rohr). What I have learned is a breath of fresh air. For the first time I have learned of the masculine and feminine aspects of God, learned to love and be loved by God as Father, and seen a spirituality that goes far above (and beyond) the typical male bravado. The bravado that often includes loud overtones of chauvinism and foolish machismo.
My conclusion in this blog that I wrote in 2006 was that men need to pursue Jesus and become like him. The more I understand Jesus, the more I believe this to be true. Jesus was such a man, and lived such a life, that Paul was able to say, " ... in him there is neither male nor female." Far from losing our identity connected to gender, we are able to find our truest selves as men and as women.
In the near future, I will share with you some of what I am learning about myself, as a man, and most importantly as a beloved son. Below is my old blog, I do hope you enjoy it.
From 09.2006 ::
Today, Myles and I were walking through a store, rounded a corner, and came to the hunting section. He pointed and said in his little voice, “Daddy wha’ are dose?” I looked and said, “Those are guns.” He then said, “Wha’ are dey for?” I replied, “They are for killing things.” He then said, “Do you kill things?” I said, “No, buddy Daddy doesn’t kill things.”
As we were talking I saw a few guys with camo shirts on that were nicely blending into the background of the department store. One of them must have caught my “Daddy doesn’t kill things comment” as he kind of gave me a puzzled, srunch-the-nose-in-confusion look. Part of me felt a little weird. I wanted to rip my shirt in half, wipe some of the deer scent on me, beat my chest, and eat a bear heart just to show that I was tough … that I was a man.
That I was a man? Is this really what my identity as a man has come to? I am not pointing the finger at hunters as people who do this simply because they are a man or to prove "they are a man." I do think however that the idea of being a guy has really been misunderstood in our world. Worse than that is seeing guys who have bought into the idea of what culture has told us men are to be.
While I hate labels, I watch television, see the media, and see the following labels to which was have acquiesced. Our culture tells us that guys love to eat, a lot, and that having a gut is cool because we eat so much. If you happen to have a gut it is really funny to gross your wife out with said gut.
If you are a guy when you are not thinking about food you are thinking about sex. Women are mere targets to us, because as men we cannot do anything to control ourselves. If we are guys who have any respect for women, or treat them with respect we are dorks.
Guys like cars (and should know a lot about fixing them), and the only mode of transport better than cars are motorcycles.
Guys do not like to read, and would much prefer banging painted bare chests with other guys at a football game in the snow than ever learn something by reading a book.
Guys have no motivation to do anything, and only ever do anything if their wife or girlfriend yells at them long enough and then they roll their eyes at her. It is of course easier to get a guy to do something if it involves fire, saws, or heavy machinery.
Guys love guns, explosions, blood, and anything that smacks of violence or destruction. The only thing better than watching these kinds of things on television is actually performing them to a lesser degree by using fireworks, shooting Bambi’s mom, or asking someone to punch them in the stomach (or the ear for you Chuck Palahniuk fans).
By these standards I do not want to be a man. Not that I am saying I want to be a woman, but whatever being a guy has become, it is just not something I want to be.
Now some of you are thinking, “Well most guys I know are like this.” If you are thinking this, then I say to you, “We have a crisis of epic proportions.” Might I remind you of what I wrote at the beginning of this blog:
"Worse than that is seeing guys who have bought into the idea of what culture has told us men are to be."
Why do we insist on perpetuating what our culture has told us what we are to be? We have bought into this whole “man” thing way to much.
I have a friend who has been caught in sin. He and I were talking about the fact that he was going to go before the board at his church and ask forgiveness for his sinfulness. He said to me, “My buddies told me that I had to 'be a man,' get tough, and own up to what I did wrong.”
I said back to him, “What does asking forgiveness of your faith community for what you have done have to do with you having a penis?” I continued, “You have chosen to do the right thing. Your sin has affected your community, but your asking forgiveness has more to do with being a disciple of Jesus. If you were a woman you should be doing the same thing.” Why have we made courage, toughness, and honor a thing about men?
Honestly, Esther had more courage than most any man I know. Deborah was tougher than many of the other judges who were men. If we are to speak of honor, should we look any further than the mother of Jesus? Can we stop profiling men please?
While men may say that they resemble many of the things described earlier, many are that way because we have been told and shown, our whole life that this is the way we are supposed to be. If anyone is told something about themselves long enough they will believe it.
Men have started to believe what they have been told. Buying into these messages is what is wrong with so many of us. So guys, stop acting like "guys" and let's start acting like Jesus. This is where all people, man or woman, will find themselves and our truest identity.
Islam at Ground Zero: A Meal Instead of Protest
Many have weighed in on the Cordoba House, the Islamic Center that will be built two blocks away from Ground Zero saying that building an Islamic center close to Ground Zero would be insensitive. I can understand why this attitude exists, as thousands of people around the world lost loved ones on 9/11 due to senseless acts of violence.
As an American, I remember that day clearly. Like most, I remember where I was when I found out. I recall watching the towers collapse. It seemed that in that moment our entire nation was silent, as together we experienced a collective ache. Years later Ground Zero has become a sacred site representing the lives lost on that sunny and clear September morning.
It is understandable why some feel building Park 51 is insensitive. Yet the conversation about Park 51 has taken an ugly turn. It has moved from a conversation about insensitivity to a conversation characterized by baseless accusation, fear mongering, name-calling, anger, and division. This adolescent behavior has been pouring out from both sides.
Within all of this, there may just be something slightly more important to consider. That is the role that the church is called to play.
In Wilson, Wisconsin; Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Santa Clara, California, and Mayfield, Kentucky there are currently organized groups (mostly Christians) who are gathering together to oppose the construction of mosques. In Temecula, California a pastor openly stated his opposition to the building of a mosque near his church building. He predicted confidently that there would be a “confrontational atmosphere” if the mosque were built, for he does not want to “see their influence spread.”
All of this has me troubled and saddened. I am troubled that a fellow pastor would react so strongly and boldly toward people of different faith. Some may want to immediately begin speaking in broad terms about Sharia Law, violence, or links to this or that group connected to Islam. But as followers of Jesus, if we begin there we begin at the wrong place.
It seems that the response of Christians toward the construction of mosques in the United States bears little reflection of the Kingdom of Heaven and much about national security and nationalism (two things Jesus was not concerned about). The rhetoric and protests reflect fear, anger, bigotry, and unforgiveness. None of these are from Jesus.
We are citizens of a kingdom that Jesus said, "is not from this world." Our first allegiance must be to this kingdom, which call us then to think differently. Given this, a central question we as Christians have to ask is, “How am I living out the love, hope, and redemption of Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven with regard to this controversy?”
Would Jesus protest or have a meal with Feisal Abdul Rauf? I think Jesus would have a meal. He ate with sinners, hookers, and tax collectors. The religious asked, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" They said this because tax collectors were considered traitors who sided with and supported the evil empire of Rome, they were a threat to the security of Israel. Sinners were unclean and were a threat the legalistic religiosity that some had bought into. Jesus’ meals were scandalous. How scandalous would it be in the eyes of some for a pastor, or any Christian, to have meal with the imam of the Cordoba House?
As followers of Jesus we need to stop protesting and sit down at the dinner table. We would do well to start the dinner conversation by apologizing to those of whom we have spoken ill. We must reach out and confess that our words and attitudes have been toxic and damaging. We need to ask forgiveness for painting an inaccurate picture, and admit that we spread much information while having little true knowledge regarding what we speak of.
Then perhaps we have could have a meal where we can love as Jesus loved, serve as Jesus served, and allow our hearts to be rooted in the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps, if we can do this together we may just see greater peace than we could ever imagine.
turn the lights on
These days it seems that vitriol reigns as king. I am amazed at the anger, snarling, and arrogance that is pumping through the airwaves from men and women that we call “leaders.” Without the slightest blush politicians, pastors, media personalities, and reporters routinely name call, spread misinformation, and smear the reputation of anyone who dare disagree with them. Which leads me to believe that we are a nation built on fear.
My psychologist friend David Beighley once told me that anger is built on fear. He believed that if you find a person who is angry you have found a person gripped by fear. I tend to agree with him. Fear engenders all sorts of responses from people – anxiety, violence, blaming the other, increase in vocal volume (yelling), insults, etc. – all of these are angry responses.
If this is the case, then what is fear built on? Often times, it seems that fear is built on ignorance (willful or otherwise). Let’s be honest uncertainty scares the hell out of us. The legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock knew this. In many of his scariest movies, he simply never revealed the very thing that instilled such fear in his audiences.
In the film “Signs”, by M. Night Shyamalan, he imitated Hitchcock by not showing the aliens that were causing such a panic. At the end of the film he finally showed one of the aliens, and the overwhelming response of audiences nationwide was, “It ruined the movie when he showed the alien.” Why? Because once we saw it for what it was, fear began to fade.
Which brings us back to the vitriol, which reigns as king, coursing throughout this land of ours. Is it possible that many are so angry because they are simply afraid of something they know little about?
The Apostle John tells us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear …” (1 John 4.18). And what is love? Love, at some level, is about knowing and being known. Love is about transparency and vulnerability. Love is about full disclosure without comparison and contrast or punitive judgment. Love says, “I know everything about you – even your deepest, darkest, dirtiest secrets – and I love you just the way you are, and way too much to let you stay that way.” When we encounter love, we encounter open embrace.
Last year some friends of ours had a Halloween Party for a bunch of kiddos. In their basement they set up a little “haunted house” which amounted to little more than a few black lights and a couple of curtains. Within five minutes of my daughter going downstairs I heard her begin to cry; she was scared. On the way down the stairs I flipped on the overhead lights. She stopped crying almost immediately when she saw the basement that she had played in so many times. Once she saw it for what it was, there was no more fear.
Love does this. She turns on the light inside each of us. Love liberates us from fear, and when we let that light shine, our presence liberates others from their fear (Willamson, Return to Love, page 191).
With love, there is nothing left that is unknown. Perhaps this is why men and women who understand themselves to be beloved sons and daughters of God can face hatred, bigotry, and even death threats without fear (For an example of this see Martin Luther King, Jr.).
For MLK he understood love so deeply, that when he faced hatred he understood it for what it was. His wife, Coretta Scott King, once said that they would speak about when he would be assassinated, not if he would be. Yet, even this looming threat did not cause him to fear. How do we know this? Because MLK was a man who was open to the omnipresent flow of God's love, and therefore was one from whom love flowed – even toward those who hated him the most.
As followers of Jesus, we need to wake up to who we are. Beloved sons. Beloved daughters. Children of a God who loves us, and everyone, desperately. We need not give ourselves over to more misinformation or ignorant polemics. Those just keep us in the dark. It’s time to turn the light on, and to allow love to reign as king.
What's Good About the Good News
This weekend at Denver Community Church we asked the question, “What’s so good about the good news?” We concluded our time of teaching by responding to this question.
Some people asked for this in writing, so here it is. What follows was written by me and contains words and thoughts inspired by several authors and theologians. Here is the response:
What’s good is that God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, inaugurated the renewal and redemption of this world.
What’s good is that God in the person of Jesus reflected his radical availability to all people to find unlimited hope, healing, grace, love, and mercy.
What’s good is that God, through Jesus has offered humanity a way to be rescued from their sinfulness, brokenness, pain, guilt, and shame.
What’s good is that God has given us a way to live more fully – more fully as humans and more fully as men and women who bear his image.
What’s good is that the work God began through Jesus to repair this broken world, he is continuing through his Church – his embodiment in this world.
What’s good is that God has chosen to use us – broken, messed up, hurting people like you and me – to put flesh and blood on his Gospel.
What’s good is that everything we do matters to God. Everything we say. All we create. The mouths we feed. The sick for whom we care. The imprisoned we visit. The children we nurture. The spouse you love. The friend with whom you weep and rejoice. The kindness you offer to a stranger. It all matters, and not just for now … because everything you do for God matters for eternity.
What’s good is that God is renewing you, he’s renewing me, he’s redeeming this world … and the story is not over.
What’s good is that we do not just know this story, but we are part of it … we are called to live as the hands and feet of Jesus in our world. Serving a God who wastes nothing – not even your biggest mistakes – a God who loves you just as you are and way too much to let you stay that way.
What’s good is you can stop trying so hard – and cry out to the God who is love – who bit by bit is putting it all back together.
Growing in Change, Part Three
Change, as we have said, is natural. There is another thing that is natural in all living things – that is growth. My wife and I recently celebrated the birth of our third child, a girl. When she was born we spoke of how we had forgotten how small newborns are. Now, in just a few weeks, we are talking about how we have forgotten how quickly they grow.
Growth is natural and an inevitable part of life – and it is inviting. Have you ever been around something that is growing? There is something wonderful and mysterious about it isn’t there?
This past spring I had our apricot tree in our backyard pruned. This summer the tree took off. We have never seen so many apricots. One of our branches actually broke under the weight of the fruit. The apricots are clustered like grapes all over our tree. It is funny to see how people react when they come over. They stare in amazement, they smile, and then ask, “Can I have some when they ripen?”
Perhaps this is how we should speak of change. Not in terms of change, but in terms of growth. Growth always comes out of what is there - but always brings forth something new.
Ask someone if they would like to grow, and most would say yes. This is because growth is not abandonment, rather it is an expansion. It builds on what is already there.
I have heard many people speak of wanting to change the Church. But what if those same people wanted to see the Church grow? Not necessarily numerically – but grow in its understanding of Jesus. Grow in its knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven and its present reality. Grow in its ability to adapt and change. Grow in its passion to see greater healing and wholeness in our world. Grow in its participation in the Gospel.
The church cannot and will not change in a way where we abandon all that we are and were. However, the Church can and will grow in a way where we look more like the embodiment of Jesus in our world. Surely, with growth there will be certain things that no longer fit and new things that we grow into. But we do not need to talk about that, it just becomes obvious and uncomfortable to wear things that are too small.
When we invite a person to grow, we are not asking him abandon what he knows for something new. We are not telling him that he is wrong. We are asking him to build on what already exists.
My friend, the “Post Evangelical” should be okay with where he is. If it were not for his Evangelical upbringing he would not have the perspective he has. He would not have had the grounding to ask the questions he ask, nor would he have the faith he has today.
We can honor our past as the place our growth began. As we do this we can still participate in the natural part of life called growth. Growth that may cause us to outgrow certain things and grow into new things. We must, however, always remember that what is new for us now, as we grow, may one day become too small.
Within our local faith congregation we frequently speak about those who have come before us. We acknowledge that we would not be where we are without them. As much as some may not like this or that about a certain faith, an aspect of politics, or certain philosophy – we must always remember that our ability to grow from the place we currently are would be inhibited if it were not for those who came before us.
As we speak of change and lead others in the process of change, let's invite them to grow with us. Maybe, all we need is to simply grow in the way we speak about change.
Growing in Change, Part Two
Growing in Change, Part One
This is a three part blog, I will be posting Part Two and Three later this week.
There has been a word floating around in the air in recent years. It has come from many arenas: business, church, religion, politics, and technology. It is a word on which some thrive and others cower in fear. A word that represents an idea that causes some to leap forward and others to dig in their heels. The word is quite simple, but carries immense complexities.
The word? “Change.”
As a leader in a local faith congregation I have heard time and time again, “People don’t like change.” Perhaps this is true, or perhaps it is only true because of the way that we have approached change.
Ask almost anyone about change, and they would be willing to admit that change does occur everyday. It is an inevitable part of our existence. Change comes naturally and is constantly happening all around us.
Ask that same person how they feel when they are forced to change, and I suspect you would get a different answer. When one is forced to change there is something that seems to suggest that who they are, where they are, or how they think is currently wrong. We are told to fix something if it is broken. Change then seems to say, “It’s broken.”
Ask most people if they are okay with being wrong, and I suspect they would say “no.” Research even suggests that if someone holds an opinion or belief about something and are presented with facts contrary to their opinion or belief; they will only cling more tightly to what could be called, “factually incorrect.” (For more on this click here.)
We simply don’t like to think we are wrong and need to change. We do not want to believe that we are broken and need fixing. Yet much talk about change suggests those two things. More than just being wrong, to speak of change is to speak of unfamiliar territory.
When a person speaks of change – whether it is implied by the speaker or imported by the listener – he or she talks of abandonment. The listener hears that we have to forsake our old ways, leave our dried-up rituals, and cease to use archaic language. We are called to abandon what we know, we leave what has gotten us this far, and we move on to something new.
Most people don’t like this. It’s not that the new is bad, but there is certainty, security, and connection to the old. More than that, often we speak of the new without properly honoring the old. When we speak of change we often can go to a place where we ask people to abandon what is near and dear to them.
In trying to effect change we point out all that is wrong with the old and why we need something new. What we fail to see is that many people like to the “old” just fine and have no intention of leaving it. Change means that things will not be as they are now, and for many this means a journey into the unknown. The unknown creates fear in most people. And people who are fearful are capable of doing some dark things to hold on to their security.
How then can we approach change? If it is part of life and natural, then we must do it. And as I said above, perhaps it is not change that is bad, rather maybe our approach to change needs to … well, change.