Tag: Christianity

The Incarnation of Jesus Leads to Worship

This past weekend I not only spent some time with great friends serving college students, but I was once again brought face to face with the greatest truth and mystery of the Christian faith. Over the course of three-and-a-half days I celebrated The Lord’s Supper five times. It would be easy to think that doing something this regularly would have a negative effect in appreciating it. In fact, the opposite effect is felt.

One of the most poignant verses of scripture related to Communion is found in 1 Corinthians 11:26. While the Apostle Paul is trying to correct some of the errors and abuses that were happening in the Corinthian church.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

This truly is a wonderful mystery. Every time we participate in communion and celebrate The Lord’s Supper we are able to witness how God can dissolve the concept of time into one moment. Just take the time to consider how Paul does this in this verse.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup (in the present),
you proclaim the Lord’s death (in the past)
until he comes (in the future).

During one of the moments of Communion was struck by the glorious truth of what we as Christian’s call the Incarnation. I do not believe it would be a stretch to say that the without the Incarnation there is no Christianity. This single teaching of the Christian church is so important that without it every hope is lost. The entire prospect of salvation hinges on whether or not God became like one of us. I have included my thoughts below. I offer it as a meditation on how the incarnation of Jesus leads to worship.

The glorious mystery of the incarnation reveals the utter majesty of our great God and King. He who is full of glory and with unquenchable power has entered into a broken world. He has come so that I, a wretched sinner might know the unhindered presence of grace. This is the offer of true grace. Nothing withheld. Nothing denied. Nothing lacking. Complete salvation. Once and for all delivered through the womb of a woman.

Oh mystery of mysteries. How could this be? How could God accomplish so much through what appears to be something so weak–a baby weeping? Only an all powerful God could use one of the weakest images of the human experience and accomplish the redemption of, not just one man or woman, but of all of them. Now and forever. God has come in the flesh.

What great love this is. What a demonstration of unbridled and wasteful grace. God has so much grace to give he gives and gives and is not bothered by the fact that it will not all be consumed.

How could I ever feel unsatisfied by the grace of God? Only if I have accepted a substitute. Only if I have allowed another Gospel, which is no gospel at all, to pollute my heart and mind with lies about Jesus.

The incarnation is a glorious mystery. I don’t understand it. But then again. I don’t really want to.

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RANT WARNING | One Word Describes Sanctions Against Penn State…

That word is Pretentious.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Ok, so I may be all wrong about this. I will admit that right up front. I am not a Penn State or Paterno fan. When I saw the news conference about the sanctions imposed I was incensed.

I think that the actions or in-actions of those in power during the period that Jerry Sandusky was terrorizing and abusing children were despicable. The cover up of these abuses and the failure of the leadership of Penn State to do something as soon as the allegations came to light cannot be accurately described. This entire situation is terrible. There are no winners. Joe Paterno’s name is mud. All that he worked for has been completely dismantled by a failure of moral courage.

Here is where I am mad because of what the NCAA did. Why is the ENTIRE Penn State community getting hit with these stupendous fines and penalties when the people responsible kept them in the dark? How is doing this going to bring about the “intended cultural changes” needed at the school. The culture is changed, people. Penn State will never be the same. Ever.

Trying to make an example of an institution makes about as much sense as trying to kill a ghost. Penn State the institution is not self-aware. It does not run itself. The university is amoral. The problem was the people in charge who lacked any sense of personal honor and were more interested in covering their own behinds. Why is nobody going after them? Why are they not being tried and convicted of their roles. Oh, they got fired. That makes it all right now? The student body, faculty and community surrounding Penn State should not have to pay like this. This is ridiculous.

A few years ago in the political world we were told that there were institutions that were too big to fail. Now, we find out that there are times when something is too big, and it should fail. Give me a brake. Then we are told that the option of completely suspending the program would have unintended harm to people who were not involved. Please! The NCAA has essentially amputated both legs of the Penn State football program. They may never recover from this.

I do not have a problem with the sanctions. I just can not stand all the moralizing that was included in the press conference. The NCAA is just trying to make itself look better because in the end they failed to keep tabs on a member school.

I may be all wrong. But, something about all this does not sit well with me.

Gospel Basics: Seeing the Goodness of the Good News

Purchase here: Kindle Edition or Paperback

No Running from Romans 1

Romans 1:16-17 has been the catalyst for a radical transformation in my understanding of what God desires in us as his people. Paul writes these words after a brief introduction:

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

These two clauses have done more to ruin my tendency to sugarcoat what it means to be a pastor and a Christian than any other verses I can imagine.

The message and retelling of what Jesus did and what he secured for all who believe is so incomprehensible, the longer I think about it, the more my brain hurts and my heart yearns to see him. The Gospel is something that will never grow old, tired or weak. What happens is that our sensitivity to its message wains because we do not fully see its depth.

The Power of God For Salvation

This phrase, “the power of God for salvation,” can be difficult to understand on the surface. But, what stands out is that whatever it means there is an undeniable and unbreakable link between the Gospel and salvation. These two realities are so closely link by this text that if the Gospel is not proclaimed, then there is no salvation. And, if no salvation occurs, then the Gospel was not preached. The power, the dynamic active component necessary for salvation is the Gospel proclaimed. Why is this the case? I have no answer other than to say that is the way that God designed it.

If we take Peter’s declaration in Acts 4:12 that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” then we have to draw a straight logical line from the Gospel to Salvation. When the Gospel is clearly and intentionally presented, and the work of regeneration is done by the Holy Spirit, then salvation is the necessary byproduct. If this is not the necessary effect, then the power that Paul talks about is not present.

I think you can begin to see the problem. IF we, the modern church, are proclaiming the Gospel, then why are there not more people “getting saved” in our churches? We have one of at least two choices. Either, we are not preaching the Gospel. Or, the Gospel has no power? But, we know that the second of these options is not reasonable. Therefore, we are left with the first. There is something wrong in our Gospel presentation. The conviction that the Gospel should elicit has somehow been tamed, softened, dulled.

The Righteousness of God Is Revealed

Clause number two is just as potent as the first. This clause is interesting because it makes an unusual assertion. What makes this assertion unusual is that it ties God’s righteousness to the Gospel itself. Paul said that “in it” the “righteousness of God is revealed.” Wow! That means that every time the Gospel is accurately, faithfully and completely proclaimed God’s righteous acts toward sinners are on full display for all to see. If anything qualifies as a theological mouthful, this is it. The danger inherent in this claim is that the opposite is also true. When the Gospel is NOT accurately, faithfully and completely proclaimed God’s righteousness may be missed at best, and diminished beyond recognition at worst.

What I realized, as the weight of these verses landed on my heart, is that I do not want to be the reason that someone else does not hear the Gospel accurately. If you have not discovered that the Gospel can be unpopular at certain times among certain people, you will. It can be difficult to preach, teach, proclaim and tell the Gospel without shrinking back. However, I realized that I was unwilling to fail at being a faithful steward of God’s News to a fallen world. I do not want to be the one who would deny sinners the opportunity of encountering the righteous God and creator of the world. That is too high a cost for being liked by my peers.

My Hope For Gospel Basics

This book is my attempt at deciphering the fullness of the Gospel’s message. It is not an exhaustive treatment of the Gospel. I do not think that such an approach would be wise. I just wanted to remind myself and any who read it, of the Gospel’s beauty and simplicity.

It is not written with a lot of technical language, but there are important biblical concepts and theological ideas discussed. It should not take to long in reading. My hope and prayer for Gospel Basics is that it might serve as a reminder of what we have received in and because of Jesus.

A Look into the Future | “Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved?”

I came across this article by Ross Douthat in the NYTimes.com. It provides a very interesting commentary on the slippery slope of capitulating to cultural trends and theological malaise. Douthat looks at the recent decision by the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the Anglican Communion, to recognize homosexual unions and even to provide a liturgy/ceremony approved by denominational leaders about a week ago. While it would be easy to isolate the homosexual issue, this article does a very good job of looking at what happens to a denomination that gives ground to the prevailing wisdom of the surrounding culture. Continue reading “A Look into the Future | “Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved?””

The Dark Night Rises In Colorado

If anyone needed a reminder of the reality of suffering and sin, we have seen another example this morning in the early hours of The Dark Knight Rises premier. Reports are still being clarified, but the alleged suspect arrived and threw a tear gas like gas in the theater and then proceed to fire an unknown number of weapons and rounds of ammunition. As of this writing twelve are reported dead and over forty injured in a variety of ways. As many may be asking at this point in the day, “What was the point?”

The sad truth is that there may never be an answer that will satisfy those of us that are wondering. There will never be an answer that will ease the pain of the loss of life. Events like this occur far too often, but it is not until a sensational event takes place, like the one this morning that our attentions are sharply drawn. I am frustrated by this. I am angry that this has happened again. But, some of my frustration and some of my anger is pointed at a culture that insists that it understands the deepest longings of the human heart, mind and soul. We have become so enlightened that we are more ignorant and more perverse than ever before.

I find it somewhat ironic that James Holmes, the suspect that was arrested, was released from the University of Colorado where he was a PH.D. student in neuroscience.

While I was finishing my undergraduate degree, I had to read The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. It is an interesting tale of a man by the name of Tomáš. His defining characteristic is that he has an insatiable sexual appetite. And yet, he never seems to find any peace or satisfaction. Instead of finding a weightiness to his existence, Tomáš realizes that his being is unbearable light. There is no substance, no significance, nothing of value or worth to his life. As you read the book you find that it is not in the abundance of pleasure that you find meaning. This is the strange existential reality of life. While many of us who heard about this terrible event feel sorrow and mourn with those that have lost; and while we feel a righteous anger toward the one who committed these heinous acts, we eventually all turn our attentions inward.

We turn inward because we think about what we would have done if we had been there. We turn inward wondering how we would feel if we had been injured, known someone who died or second guessed our decision to get out without helping others. We turn inward because we all are faced with the undying and unrelenting question, “Am I doing anything with my life worth remembering?” This is a fundamental reality.

If we were honest with ourselves we would have to acknowledge the general self-centeredness of our lives. I hate to even admit it, but it is true. We more often than not are looking out for “good ole #1.” What do we have in our lives that helps us to counteract this? The only example we have is Jesus’ self-less love for sinners. Jesus died for those that deserved it least. We are the reason for his death and suffering and he is the reason for our life and joy.

Paul says it this way in Philippians 2:

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NKJV)

The mind of Christ, as Paul calls it describes the change that takes place within those who follow Jesus. This change affects everything that we do, especially how we see and respond to tragedies like the one that occurred this morning. I do not make any claims in knowing how Jesus would respond to this event. I do think that it would include sorrow, weeping and a desire to serve those affected.

A dark night rose last night. It just was not the one that everyone was looking forward to.

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What Is The Difference Between Good Theology and Bad Theology?

It has been a couple of weeks since my friend Jay Williams passed away. I have had some time to think about his life and the impact that he had on so many, even in his death. Even now I am still hearing stories about the impact his life had. It is just amazing to me how one person can reach so many. Which, brings me to today. As I was standing in the hallway behind the sanctuary during Jay’s funeral, a thought hit me: Good theology is so important because life is too short to get it wrong.

I think some definitions would be helpful here before we go any further. Theology is the a word that means “study of God.” That means that when we are studying theology we are trying to understand something about how God works in this world and what kind of a God we are talking about. When we try and figure out how we are supposed to interact with God we have moved into a different realm of study. We are now talking about philosophy.

An Example of “Bad” Theology

My pastor a couple of weeks ago said something that I had felt, but had never really verbalized in quite this way. Pastor David said, “I have never been to a funeral where the person in the casket went to hell.” What he was saying was that it is very difficult to be the preacher at the funeral and say, “Well, they were a scoundrel, lived a terrible life and are now burning in the flames of eternal damnation! Oh, and by the way, they deserved it because they were unrepentant sinners.” I have never heard anything like that. But, we have to ask ourselves the question, “Does everybody go to heaven?” This post is not going to entertain the discussion that has been had in the last few years about this issue. I will state that I do not believe that everybody goes to heaven. What I want to say is that if we are so afraid of hell, why do we not accept the answer that God gives, rather than make up our own–that there is no hell or that everybody goes to heaven?

At the root of this example is a fear that all people have. If we allow the preacher or eulogizer of the dead to posit the eternal destiny of the person in the casket, then we have to ask ourselves the same question. “Have I given enough, or any thought, to what will happen to me at my death?” Have we considered what our destiny will be?

Bad theology lets us off the hook for our actions and puts us in more favorable circumstances. We all come out feeling better about ourselves even if the truth of the matter is something else. Bad theology is bad precisely because it puts us in the position of having to defend God from his own Word. God does not need defending.

What is Good Theology?

At the heart of Good Theology is God, as he truly is. Without the need for qualification or clarification. God all by himself. When we stop trying to make God look better we can begin to dig into what we are supposed to know and understand. My friend Jay died from a tragic accident. He fell from a roof. One of the most common things that I hear when someone dies young or unexpectedly is, “Well, it was just their time.”

Let’s think about that for a second. What are we saying about God? We are essentially saying that God was actively involved in the death of this person. Now, while this is not outside the realm of possibilities, and God is well within in right to do as he pleases, do we want to get into a “God’s Hit List” situation? God’s knowledge of events does not make God guilty of what happens on a fallen planet.

Good theology starts where the bible starts. Where is that exactly? The Bible starts with God’s goodness and human sin. Jay was a good man, a righteous man, by all accounts public and private, but Jay was a sinner and he lived in a sinful world. He, just like the rest of us, had to deal with the realities of living in a world ravaged by the effects of the fall. So what does that mean? It means that Jay’s faith in God did not immunize him from the realities and difficulties of life. It means that even accidents and premature deaths happen to those who believe in Jesus.

God is good even when especially when things do not turn out the way that we planned. This is the turbulent truth of the Christian faith. Can we endure the struggles of life, wondering if God will prove to be faithful? Or will God finally fail us?

What I have learned in the days and weeks following Jay’s death is that good theology is the only hope we have. Bad theology may make us feel better in the short term, but it will rob us of true peace and joy in the end.

Growing Pains, Pt. 6 | “Evangelism”

Give What Has Been Given

If there is one characteristic that embodies the essence of Christianity it is selflessness. Another word for this humility. Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Life that humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. I could stop right there, but that would only be part of the picture. If we are going to be the people that God would have us to be, then we must be willing and able to share the Good News of Jesus to all who are around us. There is a phrase that has stuck in my mind over the last several years. It is borrowed, but it says, “God will not send a blessing to you, if He knows He can’t get it through you.” God’s hand and activity in your life is not about you, and it surely is not only for you.

Christianity is a religion of return. No one comes to faith in isolation. Faith requires a body of faith to give it to others. If you had never seen a church, a Christian or a bible you never would have known about Jesus. You may have thought about God, for Paul said that the world testifies of God, but what we need can only come through revelation and that gift and responsibility has been given to the Church of Jesus. If there has been any benefit or change in our lives, then we are charged with a great responsibility, to give what has been given to us.

Many Ways To Share

Far too many Christians have been turned off to evangelism because they think that to spread the word is to get on a soapbox or hand out tracks or to be able to quote scripture to someone who is not a Christian. Evangelism is more than what you know or do not know about the church, the bible or the doctrines of scripture. What has Jesus done for you today? If you can think of one thing, then share that. It should not be that complicated.

Bible thumping is not the best or only way to do what Jesus did. Can you take a warm meal to a family in mourning? This is evangelism. Can you tell someone of a prayer that God has answered? Can you show grace where once there would have been anger? Can you look past the sin and love the sinner? This is evangelism. There are some that may feel comfortable with the confrontational method. There are some that need this kind of straight forward talk, but there are others that could use a gentle hug of comfort or a kind word of hope. The Gospel is supposed to be a balm, a medicine that we apply to the pains and hurts of someone’s life. If this is true, then it should not feel like alcohol on an open wound.

Like A Vitamin

Sharing your faith with someone else is like taking a vitamin. The more and the longer you share your faith the better you feel and the stronger your faith will become. I share my faith by showing that it is possible to have fun, to have a full and vibrant life and not compromise your values and convictions. There was a time when men and women knew that they needed God in their lives. There are so many distractions and diversions today, God has been relegated to an “as needed” remedy.

So many people feel that with a good job and good pay they can get everything that they need. The form of evangelism must change, not its substance. Try to find some way to share what you believe. Remember; you may not change anyone, but you will change the way they look at you. And that is evangelism at its heart.

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