Christmas is always a crazy time, crammed full with parties, shopping, travel, cooking, and extra events with the church family. Some people jokingly dread Christmas - some have very real, debilitating anxiety over Christmas. The best part about New Year's Day is that it's a real day off without Christmas stuff to do. (Am I alone in finding an unsettling irony that a calendar holiday is more relaxing than a Christian holiday?)
Easter is not much better - gotta buy the eggs, gotta prepare the eggs, gotta hide the eggs, gotta help the kids find the eggs, gotta remember where the last three eggs are hidden so that they don't stink in a couple of weeks. This Easter has been particularly busy, with the odd weather and an illness in the family and taxes due right around the corner. Don't get me wrong - I love Easter and I'm a decent fan of Christmas. But my calendar and task list are wearing out.
I'm too busy for Easter! (And I'm a pastor!) I don't have time this week for it. I'd like to reschedule it, please.
That's exactly the problem: I'm too busy for Easter. Not that my stuff is more important than Easter, but that I haven't left room for that which is truly important. I have made choices that make my life too occupied, too crammed full, and too full of myself. I have not created adequate space in my week for the most important holiday on the calendar. Worse than that, too often I have not created adequate space in my life for what this most important holiday means. I'm too busy for Easter and all that it embodies.
The beauty of Easter is how everything is centered on one, single truth. The one sacrifice by the one and only Son of God, once for all, calling on us to do but one thing in response. By grace through faith in just this one reality, I can be forgiven and have all the time that there will ever be in order to be with Him and to do His will. Compare this one thing to the hundreds of laws of religion, the millions of animals that have been sacrificed on altars, the myriads of demands that religiosity has placed on its captives. Just that one act by the One. Simple. Focused. Not too busy for anyone or anything.
My life should be about just this. I should never be too busy for Easter or for all that it means, because my entire life should always be all about it. Sure, I can do other things that are not directly tied to the substance of Easter, but my life should never be about those things. And especially, my life should not be so crammed full with them that I don't have time for Easter - the Easter holiday this week, the Easter event two millennia ago, or the Easter life to be lived in its 2000-year-long shadow.
I'm too busy for Easter. I should be too busy with Easter.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
How Should I Read the Bible?
The Jewish and Christian Scriptures are thoroughly unique pieces of literature. Although we can find features found in other works, such as Ancient Near East treaties, Greek epistles, and Semitic poetry, the totality of the work is really quite unlike anything else that exists. Sixty-six books written by some 40 authors from different languages, geographies, and cultural settings, "collaborating" over 1500 years on a masterpiece that has a unified message, surviving all attempts to eradicate it.
So, how should I approach such literature? What an undertaking!
First, we always want to be aware of our genre, or literary style of writing. The Bible is not just one style of writing - there's narrative, poetry, prophecy, apocalyptic, legal, didactic (teaching), and sometimes a mix. It's important to know what basic style of literature you're reading in order to understand fully what you're reading.
For example, David says in Psalm 76:2 that God's "dwelling place" is in Zion. If this were narrative, then we would take that as a literal statement - God has an address, and it includes "Zion" and a zip code. But the psalms are poetry, which employs lots of figurative language. God's "dwelling" is not an address. Rather, this means that His attention, His people, His concern, His Word, and His activity are centered in Zion. Yes, His Shekinah glory dwells in the Holy of Holies, but David is not waxing poetic merely about God's address. He's poetically conveying something far more important.
Second, we want to be aware of our intentions. We need to know about the text we are reading, but we also need to know about the one doing the reading (namely, us). Am I wanting to learn history? Then that determines not only what parts to read, but what specifics to pay attention to. Do I want to learn facts or do I want to study the Christian worldview (a way of looking at all of life)? Do I want to be taught what is good or how to do something? Perhaps I turn to Scripture to find out the nature of something (such as sin or the human condition). Often, we turn to Scripture for something affective rather than academic - we want a reason to hope, we're looking for comfort in troubled times, we need assurance of God's reliable character, and so on. What we're looking for determines how and what to read.
But there's one more crucial reason to read Scripture, but it's harder to describe. Let me start with a couple of illustrations.
One of my brothers is an attorney, and he often would say something like, "You don't go to Law School to learn the law. You go to Law School to learn to think like an attorney." His point is that Law School is not about trying to digest all the facts about every law (although, there is certainly plenty of that going on!). Rather, the process of Law School over time trains the student to mentally process situations and facts in a very attorney-like way. An attorney reaches his goals through a different mental process than would an engineer or a songwriter.
When I was in undergraduate school, I took most of my electives out of the math department - I couldn't get enough. I knew a lot of students who spent a lot of time memorizing formulas and step-by-step methods. I was no good at memorizing, but I loved the theory, so I stayed with that. Instead of memorizing, I learned to think more like a mathematician. So, on an exam, in order to arrive at the answers, I was doing less recall and more processing the problem from a theoretical standpoint. I didn't memorize the proofs - I would re-prove them from theory during the exam, then use that to answer the question. I wasn't always among the first to finish, but I usually did pretty well.
That's one of the most important reasons to read Scripture, to read it daily, to read it both with a quick broad sweep and a slow, investigative dig: to learn to think as God thinks. More than a list of facts and commands to keep track of, if we can eventually just change the way we think, to think more the way God does, then we'll understand Him and His creation all the more. We won't have to remember what things to do and how to do them; rather, we'll just do right things because we've begun to think like God more.
We'll never be able to completely think as God does, of course. He's got a bit more on His mind than we can handle! But, we can certainly begin to think more and more as He does. The Bible, then, becomes a cognitive training tool, like Law School or the math department, changing how we think our way through life.
So, how should I approach such literature? What an undertaking!
First, we always want to be aware of our genre, or literary style of writing. The Bible is not just one style of writing - there's narrative, poetry, prophecy, apocalyptic, legal, didactic (teaching), and sometimes a mix. It's important to know what basic style of literature you're reading in order to understand fully what you're reading.
For example, David says in Psalm 76:2 that God's "dwelling place" is in Zion. If this were narrative, then we would take that as a literal statement - God has an address, and it includes "Zion" and a zip code. But the psalms are poetry, which employs lots of figurative language. God's "dwelling" is not an address. Rather, this means that His attention, His people, His concern, His Word, and His activity are centered in Zion. Yes, His Shekinah glory dwells in the Holy of Holies, but David is not waxing poetic merely about God's address. He's poetically conveying something far more important.
Second, we want to be aware of our intentions. We need to know about the text we are reading, but we also need to know about the one doing the reading (namely, us). Am I wanting to learn history? Then that determines not only what parts to read, but what specifics to pay attention to. Do I want to learn facts or do I want to study the Christian worldview (a way of looking at all of life)? Do I want to be taught what is good or how to do something? Perhaps I turn to Scripture to find out the nature of something (such as sin or the human condition). Often, we turn to Scripture for something affective rather than academic - we want a reason to hope, we're looking for comfort in troubled times, we need assurance of God's reliable character, and so on. What we're looking for determines how and what to read.
But there's one more crucial reason to read Scripture, but it's harder to describe. Let me start with a couple of illustrations.
One of my brothers is an attorney, and he often would say something like, "You don't go to Law School to learn the law. You go to Law School to learn to think like an attorney." His point is that Law School is not about trying to digest all the facts about every law (although, there is certainly plenty of that going on!). Rather, the process of Law School over time trains the student to mentally process situations and facts in a very attorney-like way. An attorney reaches his goals through a different mental process than would an engineer or a songwriter.
When I was in undergraduate school, I took most of my electives out of the math department - I couldn't get enough. I knew a lot of students who spent a lot of time memorizing formulas and step-by-step methods. I was no good at memorizing, but I loved the theory, so I stayed with that. Instead of memorizing, I learned to think more like a mathematician. So, on an exam, in order to arrive at the answers, I was doing less recall and more processing the problem from a theoretical standpoint. I didn't memorize the proofs - I would re-prove them from theory during the exam, then use that to answer the question. I wasn't always among the first to finish, but I usually did pretty well.
That's one of the most important reasons to read Scripture, to read it daily, to read it both with a quick broad sweep and a slow, investigative dig: to learn to think as God thinks. More than a list of facts and commands to keep track of, if we can eventually just change the way we think, to think more the way God does, then we'll understand Him and His creation all the more. We won't have to remember what things to do and how to do them; rather, we'll just do right things because we've begun to think like God more.
We'll never be able to completely think as God does, of course. He's got a bit more on His mind than we can handle! But, we can certainly begin to think more and more as He does. The Bible, then, becomes a cognitive training tool, like Law School or the math department, changing how we think our way through life.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Home Run the Movie
In the software business, I got a lot of free shirts. I didn't realize how many until I left the business and suddenly had to start buying my own shirts again. In pastoral ministry, I don't get many free shirts, but I do get to screen some movies for free. Producers of family-friendly movies love to invite pastors to see the movie, provide their feedback, and then (hopefully) put in a good word for the movie with their congregations. It's business, sure, but it's also nice to hear from one's pastor that he's seen a particular movie and can recommend it.
Last week, I got to see Home Run (http://www.homerunthemovie.com/), opening April 19. Cory Brand is a professional baseball player struggling with alcoholism and unresolved issues from his childhood. A series of bad decisions forces him to spend some time away from the game, where he finally begins to face his problems.
The movie earned a PG-13 rating, primarily because it openly discusses a variety of struggles that adults face, in the context of a recovery group. The discussions are not gratuitous or salacious, but they are direct. For example, one person talks (non-graphically) about his addiction to internet porn, and another talks about being abused as a child. Parents should decide whether or not their children are ready for those topics to come up - please don't take your kids unless you are able to guide them in discussing the issues at a conceptual level.
The production quality of the movie is generally good. There was only one actor I felt was weak, and she simply overplayed her character (I get the impression she was a sweet person trying to play a sassy person). The child actors held their own, but were not stand outs. The rest of the cast was enjoyable to watch. The first third of the movie was a less than smooth in its storytelling, but the remainder of the movie flowed well, had good pace and rhythm, and kept me engaged. Some of the camera work extended beyond storytelling and allowed us to appreciate the sights and sounds. The movie will not garner any major movie awards, and because of its strong Christian theme, will likely receive open criticism.
The story centers on the Christian ministry called Celebrate Recovery, which helps people deal with all kinds of addictions and other recovery situations. In some ways, the movie was a commercial for the ministry, but because CR does good work, I don't mind. Unlike some recent Christian-themed movies, Home Run does not set any false expectations that once you put your faith in Christ, everything is going to work out in the end. The CR scenes are clear that Christians are not magically freed from their problems, but that Christ is our greatest hope in the midst of those problems.
The biggest critique I put in my comments for the screening is that the movie does not really address the Atonement (the work of Jesus on the Cross to satisfy God's wrath for our sin). Yes, the message is that Jesus can provide recovery for us, but that's not the main reason Jesus came. Leaving out the Atonement runs the risk of preaching a "therapeutic Gospel" - that Jesus came to make our lives better. Instead, Jesus came to make unworthy sinners fit for God's holy and loving presence forever.
I do recommend the movie with enthusiasm. I believe people struggling with addictions can identify with one or more characters, and will be challenged with the idea that Jesus and the community of believers can bring victory. I do hope that people join CR after seeing this. The movie can spark conversations with your friends and loved ones who may struggle (and it can challenge any of us who struggle). The story is good, is not entirely predictable, and engages your emotions. It's a rare combination of a "clean" movie that dives into mature topics with some measure of realism.
It doesn't have the full Gospel overtly presented so that the viewer is directly challenged with the claims of Christ, but it does rightly show that addictions and dysfunctions can be successfully addressed within the Christian community relying primarily on Jesus.
Check out the website, and even use the site to campaign to make sure it opens in our area. Go see it, bring friends and family, and use it as a springboard to talk about important issues. Plus, it's a baseball movie, so I automatically like it!
Last week, I got to see Home Run (http://www.homerunthemovie.com/), opening April 19. Cory Brand is a professional baseball player struggling with alcoholism and unresolved issues from his childhood. A series of bad decisions forces him to spend some time away from the game, where he finally begins to face his problems.
The movie earned a PG-13 rating, primarily because it openly discusses a variety of struggles that adults face, in the context of a recovery group. The discussions are not gratuitous or salacious, but they are direct. For example, one person talks (non-graphically) about his addiction to internet porn, and another talks about being abused as a child. Parents should decide whether or not their children are ready for those topics to come up - please don't take your kids unless you are able to guide them in discussing the issues at a conceptual level.
The production quality of the movie is generally good. There was only one actor I felt was weak, and she simply overplayed her character (I get the impression she was a sweet person trying to play a sassy person). The child actors held their own, but were not stand outs. The rest of the cast was enjoyable to watch. The first third of the movie was a less than smooth in its storytelling, but the remainder of the movie flowed well, had good pace and rhythm, and kept me engaged. Some of the camera work extended beyond storytelling and allowed us to appreciate the sights and sounds. The movie will not garner any major movie awards, and because of its strong Christian theme, will likely receive open criticism.
The story centers on the Christian ministry called Celebrate Recovery, which helps people deal with all kinds of addictions and other recovery situations. In some ways, the movie was a commercial for the ministry, but because CR does good work, I don't mind. Unlike some recent Christian-themed movies, Home Run does not set any false expectations that once you put your faith in Christ, everything is going to work out in the end. The CR scenes are clear that Christians are not magically freed from their problems, but that Christ is our greatest hope in the midst of those problems.
The biggest critique I put in my comments for the screening is that the movie does not really address the Atonement (the work of Jesus on the Cross to satisfy God's wrath for our sin). Yes, the message is that Jesus can provide recovery for us, but that's not the main reason Jesus came. Leaving out the Atonement runs the risk of preaching a "therapeutic Gospel" - that Jesus came to make our lives better. Instead, Jesus came to make unworthy sinners fit for God's holy and loving presence forever.
I do recommend the movie with enthusiasm. I believe people struggling with addictions can identify with one or more characters, and will be challenged with the idea that Jesus and the community of believers can bring victory. I do hope that people join CR after seeing this. The movie can spark conversations with your friends and loved ones who may struggle (and it can challenge any of us who struggle). The story is good, is not entirely predictable, and engages your emotions. It's a rare combination of a "clean" movie that dives into mature topics with some measure of realism.
It doesn't have the full Gospel overtly presented so that the viewer is directly challenged with the claims of Christ, but it does rightly show that addictions and dysfunctions can be successfully addressed within the Christian community relying primarily on Jesus.
Check out the website, and even use the site to campaign to make sure it opens in our area. Go see it, bring friends and family, and use it as a springboard to talk about important issues. Plus, it's a baseball movie, so I automatically like it!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Comfy?
What stops us? We know we should get our sinful habits under control, but we hang onto them. We know we should be sharing the Good News more readily, but we avoid opportunities that are placed right in front of us. We know we should waste less time, spend less on entertainment, carve out more time for prayer and Bible study, and stop being a jerk at work. What stops us? (I'm not being too harsh - Paul wondered the same thing about himself in Romans 7.)
It's not just one thing - it's never just one thing. But there is one thing that is often one of the primarily culprits. Comfort. Not Comfort, really, but our pursuit of Comfort. We do nothing instead of something because we just want to relax and be comfortable. We don't share our faith when we see a clear opportunity to, because the situation might get ... heaven forbid ... uncomfortable. We spend money on pampering ourselves and less on impacting others for Jesus because pampery things are so comforting.
Comfort can become a god. It can be the altar we sacrifice everything in our lives for. It can determine how we spend a weekend, how we steward money, and how we treat others. Comfort can even dictate our church ministry, rather than the other way around. Comfort can call the shots and receive all our gifts and offerings. We even pray to God to make things more comfortable, often in lieu of asking Him to make things more righteous.
The god of Comfort is decimating the church in our society. We (the modern Western church) give less sacrificially, because we've moved from a sacrificial model of giving to a comfort-level model of giving - we give until just before it hurts. Fewer people are willing to sacrifice their careers in order to serve the church or the mission field. We've become timid with that which we should not be ashamed of. We boast about getting out of our "comfort zone" for as long as ... two whole hours! (It's sad how "comfort zone" is one of our most common phrases when talking about outreach - it shouldn't even be a second thought!)
Why? We know better. We see it in others and in ourselves. We don't like reading articles like this because we know it applies to us (it hurts to even write this!). Why? Because like the prodigal son, we want our inheritance NOW. God has promised us ultimate comfort in His Kingdom - with all joy, all glory, all access to God. More comfort and peace and satisfaction than we can imagine. Rather than trust Him that it's coming in full, we pursue it in part here and now - by avoiding things that make us uncomfortable to the detriment of the purpose of the Church.
Where's the line? Those who were called "ascetics" responded to this truth by intentionally creating a lifestyle of suffering - nothing comfortable allowed! But all they accomplished was throwing away the god of Comfort in favor of the god of Discomfort, who then started calling the shots and receiving the sacrifices.
Our Stewardship series is perhaps the best place to begin. The Master gave us all our resources, including time, and then left for an unspecified duration. He's coming back, and will ask us to render account for our stewardship. He will not ask, "Were you comfortable?" He will ask, "Were you faithful?" We fight the god of Comfort by worshiping and obeying the God of Everything, and surrendering all things, including Comfort, to Him in order to steward well all He has given us.
Do not let Comfort call the shots. Do not let Discomfort tell you you're more righteous than the Comfortites. Be a steward of comfort, making it obey your will, in total submission to the one true God.
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