OK Let's get real!

I have been reading blogs concerning "authenticity" such as in worship, prayer or relationships. A concern seems to arise that we will try to hard to be authentic and just chase after this as the newest trend. Psalms are cited where they seem to begin with an unrealistic, "Oh praise the Lord for all things" approach to life that is far from authentic. This "Praise the Lord" phenomenon went through the Christian world in the early 70"s. I read the Psalms and see authenticity that is much deeper than this superficial kind of spirituality. I hear the Psalmist say, "God, smuck my neighbor because he has been bad to me. Pluck out his eyes, punish him, and may his children run away from home. But Lord I trust in you so your will be done in his life." Lamentations, shouting at God, is really being authentic and the Bible seems to encourage us to do this. God is a big boy and can take it. He wants us to be real with Him. That is the only way a relationship can grow. What do you think?

My last word on hell - for now

Yesterday, I preached on hell. It wasn’t a hell, fire, and brimstone sermon. I rarely get to that energy level and try to not throw stones. I was responding a Rob Bell’s new book seeming to question the current idea of hell. Also, I had a lady in our church come to me with a question. She said that a fellow employee was going around telling folks that if you don’t read your Bible you will go to hell. Now I would be impressed if someone knew who was in (God’s kingdom) and who is out but I am not impressed by these rule seekers. If I read correctly Jesus wasn’t very impressed either. He liked to shake up their world by flipping these kinds of comments back on them. You see I think Jesus doesn’t want anyone to go to hell (2 Peter 3:9). We are way too quick to condemn. As one seminary professor I know has stated, “If you put your lips on a stove you won’t go to hell but you will burn your lips off!” I think we often skip the common sense test when talking about this great subject. It would seem better to be talking about how to embrace and enjoy God’s love rather than our “brilliant” thoughts on some great eternal plan. Anyway that is the way I see it.

The Starting Line

In the Christian world much talk occurs about a giant leap, a decision, being “saved”, born again, receiving Christ, all of which is good. But for many this seems to be the end of their journey. Once saved, there is nothing else to do but go get others saved. My contention is that this isn’t the be-all and end-all of our journey, our conversation, but the starting line.

The call I see in the Bible is to strive to be more like Jesus. This is an internal process or conversion that takes a lifetime. The Apostle Paul talks about this in his Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 4 where he says, “²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” The goal is to be “like God”. We have to make the initial choice, conversion, leap, or whatever you call it but then our lives are measured by how much we become like God. The change doesn’t happen all at once or we would probably explode. This is a messy process, but as long as we keep turning to Jesus our source, our model, and the one who lives within us, we can experience this new life. We need to, in Paul’s words, “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” He talks about running the good race, fighting the good fight, and we cannot stop turning to Him, seeking Him, allowing Him to transform us into what He intended us to be. This takes time, time spent with God in prayer, worship, connection. In these 40 days before Easter, take this as a time to find out what He is doing in you.

Freaketh not!

Recently I have been reading blogs like the one I posted a couple of days ago from Rob Bell seeming to question whether there is a hell or not. I think questioning is more than fine, it is mandatory. I don't want to see this new generation following the "zeitgest" or "spirit of the times" but questioning old beliefs is a way to test what you believe is true and whether you really do believe it. This is of course as long as you don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Much of what Christianity has become is fairly thin, polarized, and/or even politicized. The outsiders see through this lack of real substance quite easily.

Dr. Phil Zuckerman, a Sociology Professor at Pitzer College and a devote atheist wrote a column titled, "Why Evangelicals Hate Jesus." He challenges the fact that many Christians deny what Jesus taught or modeled. He states, "Jesus unambiguously preached mercy and forgiveness. These are supposed to be cardinal virtues of the Christian faith. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of the death penalty, draconian sentencing, punitive punishment over rehabilitation, and the governmental use of torture. Jesus exhorted humans to be loving, peaceful, and non-violent. And yet Evangelicals are the group of Americans most supportive of easy-access weaponry, little-to-no regulation of handgun and semi-automatic gun ownership, not to mention the violent military invasion of various countries around the world. Jesus was very clear that the pursuit of wealth was inimical to the Kingdom of God, that the rich are to be condemned, and that to be a follower of Him means to give one's money to the poor. And yet Evangelicals are the most supportive of corporate greed and capitalistic excess, and they are the most opposed to institutional help for the nation's poor -- especially poor children. They hate anything that smacks of "socialism," even though that is essentially what their Savior preached. They despise food stamp programs, subsidies for schools, hospitals, job training -- anything that might dare to help out those in need. Even though helping out those in need was exactly what Jesus urged humans to do. In short, Evangelicals are that segment of America which is the most pro-militaristic, pro-gun, and pro-corporate, while simultaneously claiming to be most ardent lovers of the Prince of Peace."

Now I am not saying he is right, but I do think he has hit on some points worth discussing. We can fall into our own form of zeitgest if we blindly follow one political party or another. Let us not also throw the baby out with the bath water. We can find ourselves backing ideas that have nothing to do with Christ's belief and everything to do with a sociological, economic or political belief. We need to use the test of love as we evaluate our decisions concerning our belief systems. Or do you disagree?

The Hindu Grandmother

Who then can be saved? That was the disciples' question when Jesus let them know that the "in-crowd" wasn't safe. Is there an in-crowd? This video, by Dave Schmelzer, a Vineyard pastor in Boston rattles some of the same cages. Are we trying to be more exclusive than God. I hope so. I believe He is far more inclusive than we can ask or dream of. After all Jesus says He is the one who judges the hearts of men and women, not just their actions. Some of us in the in-crowd may be like the boy who was given an award, a badge for humility but then they had to take it away because he wore it. We can let our pride, our egos get in the way of God and isn't that the very message He gave us. Set that stuff aside and love others. What do you think?

If you don't know what Dave is talking about with the bounded and centered set concepts see my earlier blog on January 27th.

Love wins!

It is impossible to write a critique on a book that hasn’t been published yet. Seeing the video clip by Rob Bell on this book you see a warm heart. Admirably he attacks the harshness, the judgmentalism, the elitism the church has fallen into. We all want to say what he says, however I can’t. It isn’t that I'm a coward. It is because it isn’t true, that is if he is saying all are going to be with God (my definition of heaven) and everyone avoids the darkness of hell (not being with God). Where one is not with the source of love and light he is in darkness whether he is still alive on this earth or not. Hell is the darkness of not being with God.

But Gandhi in hell? I am not the one to call that. If I was, he would get my vote for heaven, but I don’t think he needs my vote. He only needs God’s vote. My personal opinion, which is of no worth, is that he is closer to God than many “religious” people in Christianity.

“Love wins”. How very true that is. My question is, “What is love?” It may have a different definition to the child sold into the sex slave trade than the one going to Sunday school. There is injustice. There is evil in the world. There is extreme selfishness. How does love “win” in those areas? It does! However it will look different than the simplistic “everyone gets a pass” world of universalism. The sex slave trader - get a pass? God is the righter of wrongs. Love wins in the end, but so does justice. Mercy wins in the end, but so does truth. I am really glad I’m not God. What I know is that God, who is love, wants all of us to know Him and experience His love because love wins and then so do we!