Devotionals Topical Index Up

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A Prayer Meeting By Any Other Name . . .

The New York Times reported today that a government watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW is their acronym, I suppose), has asked President Obama and Congressional leaders not to attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington this year.  The reason?  The sponsor of the event is an evangelical group called The Fellowship (aka The Family), who apparently has been tied to legislation in Uganda calling for the imprisonment and execution of homosexuals.  I’ve never heard of The Fellowship, but that’s not surprising since the organization is supposedly known for its secrecy and has denied its existence in the past, which just adds to the apprehension of the crew at CREW.  CREW’s boycott request isn’t the point of this post, though.

According to the NYT article, liberal members of the clergy and gay rights groups have organized competing prayer events in 17 cities, including one called the American Prayer Hour, which is sponsored by Truth Wins Out, a gay rights advocacy organization.  The executive director of Truth Wins Out explains the purpose for organizing the alternative prayer event: “They have symbolically taken the mantle of religion, and I think it’s time to take it back. And the American Prayer Hour is a step in that direction.”

I find this an interesting counterpoint to my post two days ago about Mosaic Church attempting to engage the media by entering a Doritos competition to air an ad during the Super Bowl.  You could say the American Prayer Hour is the inverse of what Mosaic Church is doing.  While the Church is trying to re-establish its influence in secularized popular culture, opponents of biblical Christianity are trying to extend its influence into the Church’s territory, the sphere of religion.  It’s basically the queering of religion.  The agenda is to redefine the norms of religion and key religious practice like prayer such that Christianity is stripped of its essential meaning.  Prayer becomes mere ceremony.  A Christianity without Christ.  About as oxymoronic and tasty as salt-free salt (cf. Matthew 5:13).

Could there be any doubt that a struggle of spiritual dimensions is going on?  There’s a land grab for influence.  Each side is aiming to define the core identity of the other.  The stakes are high.  Hello, Church — convinced you should get out of the cave yet?

Spacious Plains

“He brought me out into a spacious place” – Psalm 18:19

A byproduct of living by the flesh is a constant anxiousness to move on.  The next place you eagerly desire to get to might be a personal goal.  It could be some material thing you want to acquire, or circumstances you think are far better than those in which you are now.  Whatever the next destination might be, there is that persistent itch to move past the present.  It is a quest to find firm ground, but every time you think you’ve arrived, the earth beneath you sinks again.

When once you walk by the Spirit, the overwhelming sense is one of security.   There is no need to hunt for steady ground.  The Lord sets your feet on plenty of it, enough to let you roam about without concern.   There is peace that transcends understanding.  There is freedom to explore.  Life in the Spirit liberates you from the incessant desire to acquire what you do not have, from the drive to move on to the next thing.

Where would you rather walk?  Quicksand or spacious plains?

Signs of Life in the Church . . . and Chips

The Church just might be making an appearance on Super Bowl Sunday.  Mosaic Church’s ad entry in the “Crash the Superbowl” contest has made the cut as one of the top six finalists.  The top three ads (determined by online voters) will air during the Super Bowl and and its creators have a shot at winning up to $2 million.  Mosaic’s ad riffs off the resurrection theme.  The ad is set in a funeral, where the deceased is put in a casket full of Doritos per his dying wish.  He’s actually not dead though.  It’s a ruse to get free Doritos, and while the funeral is going on, he’s watching the game from inside the casket.  He gives himself away when he gets too excited after a touchdown and knocks over the casket, spilling himself (and his Doritos) all over the floor.  His buddy covers for his sudden burst of life by exclaiming, “It’s a miracle!”  Check out the official VoteforCasket.com site (and cast your vote at the Doritos contest site, if you want.)  ABC News also has a writeup of Mosaic’s amazing journey to becoming a top contender among over 4,000 entries.

The ad is noteworthy not because of its content.  It’s just a Doritos commercial, after all.  As Mosaic senior pastor Erwin McManus explains, “We’re not trying to use Doritos to propagate a message, but I think we want people to know that we have a sense of humor, that it’s OK to laugh.”  What’s most interesting to me is the fact that a church has the possibility of making a foray into that icon of American culture, the Super Bowl.

Frankly, a few years ago I probably would have read the story with mild disgust.  I would have thought that the whole affair dumbs down Christianity to make it overly “seeker sensitive.”  Now, I think differently, and here’s why.  The point of it all isn’t evangelism, exactly, at least not in the sense of conveying the gospel message.  There’s bigger picture stuff going on.  As the producer of the ad explained, “Nobody’s going to fall on their knees and accept Jesus as a result of this spot. But advertisers on Madison Avenue spend millions on a Super Bowl spot because they know it influences people.”  Yes, it’s about influence.  One of the failings of the Church has been its retreat from various spheres of influence, including the media.  The result?  Secular values fill the void.  And the American church wonders why the community around it is going to pot.

The Church must re-insert itself into the community.  It has to engage the culture and influence it for kingdom purposes rather than cloister itself from it.  Mosaic’s effort to reach one of the biggest television audiences of the year is admirable, whether or not you agree with its methods or like the contents of the ad. It’s the fact that the Church is re-entering this important sphere of influence that matters.

It’s funny that I just began reading a book about this very theme — The Culturally Savvy Christian by Dick Staub.  I’m barely done with the first chapter, but so far, it seems to strike up a tune that needs to be played more loudly.  Culture is important to God’s redemption plan.   And if culture is important to God, shouldn’t it be important to the Church too?

Inheritance, Not Wages

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’”  — Luke 15:31

Have you ever been angry at God?  Perhaps it’s not an overt anger.  The anger is more often hidden, too deeply embedded in our hearts to be apparent even to ourselves.  It comes to us as that nagging sense that God is being unfair.  He’s withholding something good from us; what have we done to deserve such treatment?

In the parable widely titled the “prodigal son,” the older brother criticizes his father for celebrating his younger brother’s return from a life of partying and irresponsible behavior.  Jealousy certainly provoked the older brother’s anger.  But something more fundamental was at play.  The older brother was burdened by a sense of entitlement.  He protested to his father, “All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.”  v. 29.   And this was the thanks he got?  A welcome home party for his useless brother and nothing for him?  It was then that the father reminded him, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”  v. 31.

How easy it is to fall into the same pattern of thinking as the older brother.  We believe our good works and obedience entitle us to a reward from the Father.  We measure our level of entitlement by comparing our the works to the works (or lack thereof) of others.  And when we don’t get what we think we deserve, we rail against the Father.  The truth is that we deserve nothing.  If our works are the measure of our worth to God, we’re in big trouble.  The good news is that, as followers of Christ, we are sons and daughters of God, not servants.  We receive an inheritance, not wages.  That inheritance is richer than anything we can earn.

Be free from the spirit of slavery and start appreciating what’s already yours.

More Than a Soundbite, Part 2

This is an addendum to my previous post.  As I was pondering the Enemy’s strategy of breaking up lies into small and easy to swallow chunks, it occurred to me that God has an effective counterstrategy.  One thing we have to remember is that God is greater than the devil.  Never will God be outplayed.  The Cross is the ultimate example of this.  The devil never expected that God would take human form and then die in sacrifice for humanity’s sin.  Talk about a strategy!

Anyway, just as Satan uses simple things to deceive people, God uses simple things to lead people back to Him.  Lately, God has been speaking to our church about this theme.  The last two sermons have been about the large impact small things can have.  There’s faith the size of a mustard seed that can move mountains.  Matthew 17:20.  Then there’s the four creatures that are diminutive in size but great in wisdom.  Proverbs 30:24-28.  Or what about the tongue that can set fires?  James 3:5-9.  I was wondering why God was telling this message to our church . . . until now.

Our God is infinitely complex, and yet, He can reveal Himself in the most simple things.  He manifests His presence in  simple bread and wine to come near us in Holy Communion.  He can use our simple acts of kindness toward others to turn them to His love.  God can use simple words to change hearts formerly hardened against Him.

I guess my point is this: There is no reason to be discouraged at the pervasiveness of Satan’s lies and his seemingly successful strategy for spreading them.  Our God is greater, our God is wiser, and He is victorious.

More Than a Soundbite

While talking to a friend at a traditional marriage rally today, a reporter and her camera interrupted us to see if we would be willing to give an interview.  My friend talked to the reporters the most.  When he was finished, they turned to me to see if I had any comments.  I was reluctant, but thought, “what the hey.” So I answered their questions.  The interview lasted all of 3 minutes.  About 15 seconds of my comments ended up on the air.  I was not surprised that the clip of my interview was so short.  Reporters have to condense comments to a size suitable for quick consumption.  Even as the reporter asked me to share my views, my mind was reeling as I tried to figure out a way to best convey my thoughts on the subject in as concise a way as possible — which is fairly impossible, because there’s a lot to consider if one wants to be thoughtful in arriving at an opinion on the matter.

The experience did get me thinking.  Issues like these are complicated.  They are not susceptible to explanation in a 15-second or even a 5-minute spot.  And while I’m not suggesting that people make decisions on such issues based solely on newscasts, I do think the format of newscasts (and even print journalism, for that matter) reflects the truth that we have become a people used to processing information in bite-sized chunks.  Hence the sound bites.  We are not accustomed to pondering the complexities of issues that affect us and our neighbors in fundamental ways.  Who has the time?!  There’s fierce competition for our minutes and attention — work, kids, entertainment, school!  We need to get stuff done now.  Yesterday.  We need to know what we need to know in 30 seconds or less so we can move on to the next thing.  It’s like a lifestyle crippled by ADD.

Somehow I suspect this is the work of the Enemy.  Lies are so much more palatable when they’re reduced to easy-to-understand snippets.  Think of a lie as an argument.  An argument is a conclusion built upon premises.  The trick is to get people to accept the premises because if they do, agreement with the conclusion (the lie) is inevitable.  The way to sell the premises is to split them up into innocuous-sounding ideas.  Before long, we buy into premise after after premise, leading to agreement with the ultimate lie.  Truth, on the other hand, is arrived upon by looking at the entire picture.  That, folks, takes time and effort.

All in Order

“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” — Galatians 6:3

There are times when our relationship with God seems off kilter.  The joy of the Lord is absent, and despair broods over us like a dark storm cloud.  What to do?  Check your alignment.

Consider the distance of the Earth from the Sun.  The position of the Earth in relation to the Sun is perfect for conditions that sustain life.  If the Earth were closer to the Sun, its oceans would boil away; if it were farther away, all water would be perpetually frozen.  Neither condition supports life.

Like the Sun’s place in the solar system, God’s rightful position in our lives is at the center.  Displace his position at the center with some other object of desire, and that is idolatry.  The system will break down.  Consider yourself greater or lesser in relation to God than you actually are, and that is pride.  Life does not thrive under such conditions.  Spiritual life grows when we recognize our true position in relation to God in terms of importance and authority — not at the center, and neither closer nor farther than we have been placed.  Humility is respecting the reality of this alignment.  And when we take joy at the perfection of the alignment?  That’s worship.

Be Prepared

“[B]e prepared in season and out of season.”  – 2 Timothy 4:2
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  – Hebrews 11:1

The end of the year is an occasion to reflect on the past and plan for the future.  Or is it?  For years, I took time before New Year’s Day to review the prior year with an eye toward devising a plan for the coming year.  My plans would often include a list of personal goals.  Almost inevitably, however, as the year progressed, I would deviate from the goals I set myself.  Like any good New Year’s resolution, my plans would get broken.  What seemed like a good idea back then didn’t turn out that way.

I have learned that it is more important to prepare than to plan.  Planning is based on my prediction of future events, which is often inaccurate and flawed.  I am no fortune teller.  Preparing is based on faith in God.  I might not know what the future holds, but the Father does.  My vision of what’s to come might be fuzzy, but if I seek after Him and learn what’s on His heart, I can be ready for His will to be realized.   The book of Hebrews gives us the example of Noah, who “by faith . . . when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.”  Hebrews 11:7.

It’s not my place to guess at what the future holds.  My station is to trust in God and be prepared for when His plans unfold.

Disarmed

Jesus’ ministry never fails to produce wonderment in me.  I’ve pondered the significance of Jesus’ work countless times.  I’ve read about it and written on it.  I consider myself a student of the Cross.  Still, as I sat at Christmas Eve service tonight, the birth of Christ eluded my understanding.  That God would become a human being is too cosmic a concept for me to grasp.  My logic is disarmed.

Which is for the best, I suppose.  I think too much sometimes.  It’s not possible to think one’s way to faith.  The faith I desire to have can only be had by being wrapped up in the inestimable greatness of God.

To Shepherds and Sinners

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’” — Luke 2:8-10

“The first Noel the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.”  So goes the opening line of the Christmas Carol The First Noel.  These lyrics paint an idyllic scene: men of the earth tending to fluffy sheep while angels shine above them in glory.  Incredible is a more apt way to describe the scene than idyllic — incredible because of whom God chose to first receive the news of his son’s arrival on Earth.  Shepherds!  God chose shepherds!  Shepherds were considered shady characters.  They were not allowed to  testify in court because it was presumed that they would lie.  Purchasing goods from shepherds was forbidden because the wares they sold were assumed to be stolen.  Shepherds were not exactly model citizens.

Why did God announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds first?  Because they were considered sinners, and the very reason Jesus came to Earth was to rid sinners of sin. It is as Jesus would later explain, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. . . . For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Matthew 9:12-13.  God could have made a special announcement of Jesus’ birth to kings and rulers, the wealthy, the powerful, the well-liked.  Instead, he chose to tell sinners, because it is sinners who need Jesus most.