Leaving Church

I was asked earlier this year to pray about a decision. 

It was difficult and painful.

But I prayed and I saw what the Spirit was doing, if only a glimpse.

Moreso, I saw what could be.

And I made my choice.

Keisha came to the same decision.

On Sunday, July 13, we left the church.

Well… we left the local church body we were part of, which isn’t to say The Church.

No.  God forbid.

Instead, we are joining a group of followers who are going to plant a church.  We’re all willing to shuck norms and instead actively engage in the call to discipleship.  We long to become fully devoted followers of 

Christ, and we long for others to do likewise.

I miss the former body I partnered with, but Jesus said following Him would require sacrifice. 

Me, I’m willing to sacrifice anything for the Murdered One who died for me.

I’m willing to do whatever it takes.

For whoever will listen.

Wherever He leads me.

Forever.

Humble Orthodoxy, a Review

Humble Orthodoxy, by Joshua Harris, is a concise booklet.  It has only four chapters, spanning just 60 pages*.   However, with those 60 pages, Harris writes about a message absolutely relevant to Christians today, and that’s one concerning love.

Humble Orthodoxy is a follow-up book to Harris’ Dug Down Deep (reviewed here).  It’s practical and to the point.  In Chapter One, “Your Attitude Matters,” Harris lays the groundwork for why this book is important.  Too often, Christians are either too humble or too orthodox, and each camp is plagued with problems.  Harris writes,

“Christians need to have a strong commitment to sound doctrine.  We need to be courageous in our stand for biblical truth.  But we also need to be gracious in our words and interaction with other people.” (p. 3,4)

Harris takes no credit for the term humble orthodoxy, but his teaching on the topic is nevertheless powerful.  It’s refreshing that’s he’s candid, for he, too, has much room for improvement.

This book packs a punch.  My copy is filled with underlines and stars.  The message is humbling (intentional pun!) and challenging.  Harris makes his point, and at least to me, it’s one that I am trying hard to infiltrate in my life.  Pride is insidious.  It’s toxic.  It’s detrimental to the gospel and it’s keeping millions of people in sin.  I don’t want my life ruled by pride or by my own personal truths/agendas, and Joshua Harris’ Humble Orthodoxy is an excellent resource to help combat that.

I highly recommend Harris’ little book, Humble Orthodoxy.  It offers a message that each and every Christian needs to hear.  A message on humility is not a fun message, nor is one on orthodoxy, but they are messages that are still important.  I pray that God works in my heart to make it more aligned with His truth.  I want to have genuine love and compassion for each person I encounter in my life.  I want to also hold fast to the Truth that God has revealed.   

* There’s an additional study guide section in the back.

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FTC Thingy: This book was delivered on the wings of a three-winged Pegasus, festooned with spring rolls and lucky Vegas dice.  It also was delivered free of charge in exchange for my honest (to goodness) review.  I was not obligated to review this book positively, nor was I obligated to feed the Pegasus my last Oreo cookie, either, though I did manage to do both.

The Hole in Our Gospel, a Review+

Please read this review.  Do not discard it simply because you are unfamiliar with the book or with the message it might have.  If you're reading this sentence, then please read this review.  A life literally depends on it.  Thank you.

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The words "life changing" are pretty much cliched now, their meaning no longer to be taken at face value. Perhaps that's endemic of our American tendencies to abuse hyperbole? But when I think back on Richard Stearns' oh-so-relevant book The Hole in Our Gospel, those two overused words immediately rise to the top. 

"If Jesus was willing to die for this troubled planet, maybe I need to care about it too." (Pg. 2)

Richard Stearns is the president of World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization with the goals of "working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God." I've had a relationship with World Vision for five years now through the child sponsorship program. (I liked how 86% of donations went directly to the mission.) Stearns has served at this post for fourteen years now. Prior to that he lived a life of luxury, working as the CEO for luxury kitchen company Lenox, making six-figures and achieving the "American Dream," overcoming his relatively poor childhood and finding success through hard work and perseverance. 

The Hole in Our Gospel is part autobiographical, part field guide to get involved and help change the world. Stearns writes candidly of his struggle to uproot and take on the new position at World Vision. He admitted several times that he had no interest in doing anything like that, that he was comfortable with his life and was satisfied. But what really shines is Stearns' passion to motivate others--people like you and me--to get involved in the world, to plug in and help those who are so desperately in need of assistance. His appeal is from a Christ-like attitude, but I suspect that even non-believers support Stearns opinions.

"If we are to be part of this coming kingdom, God expects our lives--our churches and faith communities too--to be characterized by these authentic signs of our own transformations: compassion, mercy, justice, and love--demonstrated tangibly." (Pg. 57)

There is so much that I could talk about from this book that I don't know where to begin.  On one hand I fear that I would cheapen the experience of reading the book, as Stearns takes twenty-six chapters to expound the various issues raised.  My single weblog post would be nothing.  On the other hand I so want to share this book with you.  I made so many highlights and underlines that my book looks rather abused, and picking out what to share was not the easiest task.  Additionally, removing a quote from its context loses some meaning.

The Hole in Our Gospel was published in 2009.  As such, the statistics are slightly out of date, but still very close to true, I'd wager.  I'm thankful Stearns includes a comprehensive index for footnotes, giving sources to the statistics he shares.  Many times I would flip to the back to see where the data came from.  Unfortunately, most of the statistics are punches to the gut.  Just think, 3.6 billion people, 55% of the world's population, live on less than $2 per day. Americans, approximately 4.5% of the world's people, live on $105 per day.  I'm blinded to how much I actually have, how much I actually waste.  It's sickening.

• "More than 26,500 children died yesterday of preventable causes related to their poverty, and it will happen again today and tomorrow and the day after that." (Pg. 107)
• "It is estimated that a child dies every five seconds from hunger-related causes." (Pg. 135)
• "A child dies every fifteen seconds of a waterborne disease." (Pg. 138)
• "93% of the world's people don't own a car" (Pg. 216)

I don't know about you, but reading stuff like that is truly devastating.  Stearns presents a lot of this information in a chapter titled "One Hundred Crashing Jetliners."  In short, if one hundred jetliners crashed today, killing 26,500 people, imagine the chaos that would ensue.  People would be in pure pandemonium, afraid to fly and fervent in fixing the problem.  Stearns then asks the question why 26,500 kids can (and do) die every day and receive little to no media coverage, no public outrage, no government interference.  His conclusion, 

"If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we simply have less empathy for people of other cultures living in faraway countries than we do for Americans." (Pg. 107)

That hurts.  A few pages later, at the end of the chapter, I wrote in my margin "is my sadness enough to drive me to do something about this?"  I'm wrestling with that thought right now.  How can I live with myself knowing how much I'm doing to combat this kind of thing?

"Here is the bottom line: if we are aware of the suffering of our distant neighbors--and we are--if we have access to these neighbors, either personally or through aid organizations and charities--and we do--and if we have the ability to make a difference through programs and technologies that work--which is also the case--then we should no more turn our backs on these neighbors of ours than the priest and the Levite should have walked by the bleeding man." (Pg. 104)

The beauty and uplifting news of The Hole in Our Gospel is that there is hope, that the problems of the world are not insurmountable.  It's easy to see the massive problem that exists, and thinking of it as one large mountain makes the task impossible.  Stearns argument, though, is that the world changes through each individual.  We're not called to change the world, but to love our neighbors.  Jesus invested in people to institute His church and the Kingdom; we, his followers, should do likewise.  With this mindset, changing a person in order to change the world, things become more manageable.

"Christ is an all-or-nothing proposition, and one way or another, every one of us has already made a choice about Him. We have either committed our lives to Him whole-heartedly, or we have not." (Pg. 83)

"This has always been a problem with God's people; we tend to drift away from God's bold vision, replacing it with a safer, tamer version of our own." (Pg. 183)

Richard Stearns book is powerful.  The Hole in Our Gospel sheds light on global issues of suffering that I was not even aware existed.  I once was oblivious, but now I'm enlightened.  Now there is something burning within me that's longing to do something, longing to take a stand against the status quo and the American Dream, to rise from my stupor and my good life and actually make a difference.  I began mapping out my next step, thinking of ways to spread awareness and also do a little good.  (You can see the current plan here if you're interested.)  I won't change the world, no, but to the ones I do help, I will change their's.  And you can too.

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito." -African proverb (Pg. 250)

Pastor Search Committee

Back in December I was selected to be a member of the Pastor Search Committee (PSC) at church.  The PSC is made up of seven men & women, and its sole purpose is to find a pastor to take up the pulpit.  I had no idea how the PSC operated or what all went on in the selection process, and at the time (and now, still, to an extent) I was sworn to secrecy, so to speak.

I am very pleased to announce that as of two weeks past, on Sunday, April 29, our church is no longer looking for a senior pastor.  The candidate the PSC recommended preached a trial sermon and was voted (98.1% positive) in by the church.  Now that the PSC is disbanded, I suddenly have a few more hours free each week.

It takes a lot of time and commitment being on the committee.  We met every Sunday afternoon for an hour or so, and then again every Wednesday night after church, usually for at least an hour-and-a-half, sometimes longer.  When we conducted interviews, several hours were set aside.  There was also a lot of listening to sermons outside of the committee meetings, especially early on as we were resume weeding.  Overall we received around 270 resumes, so it took some time to drop down to a workable number.

The most crucial piece of the committee functioning properly was prayer and guidance through the Spirit.  We all spent many hours in prayer over the course of time.  We hit some snares and some hardships, but the committee was always in unison whenever it came to making decisions.  This was a feat in and of itself, as there were seven unique individuals representing a broad range of ages and tastes.  That said, I very much enjoyed getting to know my fellow committee members a little more, and I think we all grew pretty close during this time.

Every church does this process differently, I've learned.  Some have an elder board that takes care of things.  Others involve the entire church.  There's no right way to do it.  There are plenty of wrong ways, though.  The PSC received a ton of negative attention and many discouraging comments from grumblers. We were called dysfunctional and accused of being biased and blah and blah and blah.  Rumors were rampant, and it was crazy.  If you are ever a part of a church body that has a pastor search committee in progress, I implore you to love on and encourage those people.  They need it.

I am glad to have served on the PSC, but I'm equally glad that it's business is finished.  I look forward to seeing the pastor arrive and seeing how God will use him for our church.

Have any of you ever served on a Search Committee or been in a church that has had to go through this?  What was it like?  Any questions you'd want to ask?

Unusual Unity

When people are united for a common cause, the results are amazing.  Whether it's a team of scientists all passionate about eradicating a virus or a youth group determined to provide food at a homeless shelter, a united team is a thing of beauty.

God is infinitely beyond my comprehension, but I understand Him to be both United and Individual.  There is the Father aspect, the Son aspect, and the Spirit, hence the Three-in-One God.  Likewise, Jesus the Son established and built the Church, His Bride, as a single united entity.  To complicate it, though, the church is also the individual people that make up the Bride.  And whenever people are included, things get messy.

Disunity is a problem.  In the home, when a husband and wife are not on the same page, the family suffers.  At a job, if one manager wants one thing and another something else, there is confusion and a lack of output.  In the church, when one member puts their individual wants above another's, there is strife.

What does the solution look like?  Simply, we must all aspire to be more selfless.  This rings true in all circumstances.  If a husband selflessly sacrifices his choice in love for his wife's, the family grows stronger.  When the managers meet a compromise, there is efficiency.  When the church member adopts the lifestyle of Jesus, the gospel is spread.

Too often we view selflessness as failure.  We tend to think that a life of sacrifice is horrible, that we're entitled to certain things just because.  In this situation, I think of one of my favorite passages in the bible, Philippians 2:3-11. (Emphasis is mine.)

[3] Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [4] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If anyone had a right to entitlement and to be selfish, it was Jesus, the Innocent Lamb of God.  Instead, out of love He chose to empty Himself of His God-form and become Man, where He then went on to suffer an unimaginably horrible death.  Jesus did all of this so that we could have eternal life in heaven and be united with the Trinity in glory.  He did not do it to glorify Himself.  No, He did it to give glory to the Father.

That's how unity works.  It's supernatural.  It's awesome.  It's something that I'm trying to live out in my life, and it's something I long to see within the church.

Wrestling With: Alcohol & Liberty

Used to be I was a teetotaller.  Alcohol was bad.  I knew how it affected people, how it enslaved people, how it buried itself deep into the hearts of the weak and addicted and never let go.  In my eyes, having a drink of alcohol was having a one-way ticket to hell.  This extended up through my first year or two of college, my Formative Years, as I like to call them.  These were the years when I decided to "work out my own salvation" (Philippians 2:12) and dig into my faith.

What I found was shocking.  Jesus died to give us freedom from this world, from sin, from shame, from the Law of Moses, and from every thing that binds us down.  Jesus, who had the ultimate freedom of being God, gave up all of His freedoms and became Man.  Not only that, but He completely emptied His Godhood (Philippians 2:7) and became the most humble man to have ever lived.  If Jesus had any freedoms, He gave them up so that sin would be conquered when He rose from the grave.  And He did all of that for you and me.

Paul wrote extensively on this freedom that Jesus died for.  In both the first letter to the Corinthians and in the letter to the Romans, he addressed the issue of eating food and consuming drinks offered to idols (see 1 Cor. 10:23-33 and Romans 14).  These two chapters are still relevant today, especially in regards to a Christians freedom to indulge in alcohol.  Complicating the issue is that Jesus' very first miracle was turning water into wine (John 2:1-12), and that wine was declared "good."  If the Son was there in the beginning and all of creation was made through Him, then I imagine that the wine made at the wedding was indeed very good.  Another complication is God commanding the Israelites in Deuteronomy 14 about their agricultural tithes, especially verses 24-27:

[24] And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the LORD your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the LORD your God chooses, to set his name there, [25] then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses [26] and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. [27] And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you.  (Deuteronomy 14:24-27 ESV--emphasis mine)

Some translations refer to "strong drink" as "beer," as this is likely what is meant.  So here we have plenty of verses pointing to the fact that alcohol isn't implicitly bad, and in fact, Paul says that "all things are lawful" there in 1 Corinthians.  He goes on to point out that one should not offend someone by refusing the wine or the food or whatever, as this could damage the witness.

To my knowledge, the only negatives concerning alcohol in the Scriptures all revolve around one thing: drunkenness.  Drunkenness is mentioned specifically as a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), which is constantly against the desires of the Spirit.  There are also several Proverbs concerning drunkenness, none of which are positive (see Proverbs 23, for example).

How am I to interpret this?  I have to say, when my bible study leader opened this can of worms as a college freshman, I was completely against him.  I just didn't get how anyone could be so silly.  But once I read the scriptures for myself and thought through them, it was obvious to see the truth.  Nevertheless, just because I could agree that alcohol in and of itself was not sinful, I refrained from drinking.

All of that changed when my best friend struck a deal with me.  He had been drinking for a while (illegally), and I had just turned 21.  He said that he would go to church with me if I would go have a drink with him.  I thought of Jesus hanging out with the prostitutes, tax collectors, and other ruffians.  These were the people He ministered to (in addition to the poor and needy).  I said sure, and he went to church with me for the next few months.  Seemed like a fair trade.  He heard the gospel of Jesus.

My one drink had no real affect on me.  Over the next few years, I may have drank a handful of times.  To me, alcohol was just a waste of money, a luxury I couldn't afford.  Still, the fact that I was a Christian and that I would drink was a witnessing tool that I could use.  Never once did I drink too much, never once have I been drunk, and never will I.  One must be self-aware and spiritually mature in order to imbibe, I decided, and I am blessed enough to be both, though neither were easy to attain.

And then last year I was voted to become a deacon of my current church body.  One of the questions asked during my trials pertained to alcohol.  I based my answers all on scripture.  I was thence trounced and assaulted for my immaturity and ultimately denied the position*.  That shook my faith more than a bit.  I've been in church my entire life and to be told that my faith was immature and weak was a punch to the gut.  I spent the last year reading and studying even more so than normal, and you know what, my opinions haven't changed much at all.  If I'm reading my bible correctly, then everything I've mentioned above is still true in my heart.

I was asked last Sunday again about becoming a deacon.  I accepted, and now I'm preparing myself for another interrogation.  Even though my biblical understanding has not changed, I can say that I no longer am a drinker, either.  Not even on occasion.  Why?  And how did I come to this conclusion?

• We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)
• For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Galatians 5:13-14)
• Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.  (Romans 14:13)

I think about how Jesus lived, about what motivated Him.  He loved people unconditionally.  He was a servant.  He denied Himself in all, ultimately giving His life away.  He commanded us to love and serve and take up our own crosses.  If Jesus was willing and did give up his freedoms, then I can give up one for a people I love, too.  Because even though I think I am in control, I cannot control what other people perceive, and I don't want to inadvertently cause anyone to stumble.  I must be above reproach.  I also don't want my daughter to be exposed to it, and putting alcohol out of my house (save for cooking bourbon, which is simply delicious in a chocolate pecan pie) is just a step in the right direction.  Am I really losing anything by refusing myself?  No, and I fully believe that in Heaven that I will get to enjoy the wines of the Father's vineyards.  Until then, or at least until the Spirit reveals something differently in the Word and in my heart, I am relinquishing this liberty of my own volition.  To God alone be the glory.

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*To be fair, this wasn't the only issue, though this was the biggest.  The other one concerned tithing, which again, I gave my understanding of biblical answers and principles.  This issue has changed slightly since last year.

Resolution for Men, a Review

The Resolution for Men is not the kind of book that I would normally read.  In fact, I think I've only read one book like it before, John Eldredge's Wild at Heart, and that as a single lad in college.  Now, with nearly five years of marriage under my belt, and almost a year of being a father, books like Resolution seem more appropriate.  Resolution, written by brothers Stephen & Alex Kendrick, is an accompanying resource book for last year's Courageous, a quasi-companion to Fireproof.

Point blank, I've seen neither of these movies, though from what I hear, they're "wonderful."  Personally, I just don't see the appeal.  I get that Christian movies are clean and wholesome and powerful and filled with a message, but generally the acting and budgets are not comparable to a Hollywood powerhouse.  Now I'm not knocking these movies, and I'm glad that they exist.  No, what I have problems with is the fact that the movie is labeled as a "Christian" movie, relegating it into a genre that's typically laughed at and ignored.  Anyone who's read this blog very long knows that I dislike labels and genres, whether it's for film or books or music or whatever.  If you want to reach a larger audience then remove the genre classification.  Until then, we'll remain a splintered people, separated by race, religion, and many other things.

With that said, Resolution is a non-fictional book about what it means to be a Man.  To be a good husband.  To be a good dad.  Or, from the Introduction,

This book is an unapologetic call for men to live courageously for their faith and their families.  It is designed to strategically challenge you to become the man God created you to be. (page1)

Continuing my confession, I would very likely never have read Resolution on my own.  It's just not my norm.  As it so happened, my Wednesday morning D-group (which we affectionately call "Coffee Talk") decided to read this book together.  What's more, we decided that after we finished that we would pledge the "Resolution" the book provides, affirming our intentions publicly and in the presence of others.  This Resolution is the focus of the book, as it precedes and concludes the text.  Each of the fifteen chapters point to the twelve points made in the "Resolution", and all build upon one another as expected.

To make things even more difficult, I literally started reading the book a day or two before my dad died.  Because of the book's content, my mind had been thinking about him a lot at the time.  Thinking about how he was never there for us and how little he was involved in my life.  The book speaks of being a chain-breaker in your family, and I had a clear goal in mind for my life of how not to be.  Reading the book was cementing the way to that goal.  Then he died, and all the difficult parts about fatherhood were suddenly clearer and made more of an impact.

I came into Resolution with no real expectations, what I found was a book containing a lot of great information about being a Man of God.  I like to read with ink pens and highlighters at my disposal, and this book shows it.  Many of the pages are scribbled with notes or underlines, things I found particularly insightful or applicable.  Consider (and I apologize for the quote-dump here),

*All sin in us reveals that God is not as holy to us as He should be. (p89)

*[And] the more maturity a man has, the more responsibility God can trust him with. (p62)

*If you want to get to the core of who people really are, get them to start talking about their dad. (p14)

*God's Word commands husbands and fathers to lovingly lead their homes. As men, we are to walk in honor and integrity and fully embrace our responsibilities as shepherds over our families. We are called to model a loving, Christlike example for our wives and children... Therefore--because this is God's calling--it's no mystery that a godless culture would mock and constantly undermine fatherhood, attacking and inverting what God designs and values. (p13)

*Strong relationships and marriages don't happen because people never hurt each other. They happen because the people involved keep on forgiving. (p172)

*Being a Christian once meant faithfully and boldly representing Christ, even when it came at great risk, even when it meant being unpopular. But too many men today have redefined being Christlike to mean "nice and quiet." (p137)

This is just a smattering of things I marked.  For you see, Resolution offered much more than I was expecting.  Not only did the authors give theory behind things they recommended, but they went beyond that by offering practical things to do.  I appreciate reading a book with suggestions for how to apply to my life.  Too often, it seems, that these books only offer us reasons why we need to do things a certain way but not how to go about it.  

I've already mentioned the "Resolution" at the front and back of the book, but it's worth mentioning again.  I think the desire of the authors is to get men to recommit themselves to seeking a lifestyle that's reflective of biblical manhood.  The Resolution is a solemn compact that should not be entered into half-hearted.  I imagine that there are some who have qualms about making that type of commitment and instead just gloss over that part of the book, but as for me, it's something I'm going to do.  The Resolution is composed of great points that not only will make us better men, but will draw us closer to God.

Stephen & Alex Kendrick's Resolution for Men is not a perfect book.  There are plenty of instances that I completely disagreed with, where I felt that they were being too legalistic or too dogmatic, but these were uncommon.  At times I also felt like they were repetitive in their message, but this could be that they just wanted to make sure that their message was heard.  Even so, these brothers are to be applauded for the book they've produced.  It's poignant and much needed in modern day America.  If you're wondering what it takes to be a better husband, a better father, and a better Man in general, then let me suggest checking out  The Resolution for Men.

[Note: Just in case you're curious, there's also a Resolution for Women out there.  I can't attest to its content, but if it's like this one, then I do recommend it, too.]

Wrestling With: Reverence & Respect

Recently I was part of a frustrating exchange.  An elderly man in our church expressed his disappointment in seeing someone wear a hat inside the sanctuary.  What's more, the culprit was a minister.  (No, this wasn't at my church, but was at another church in a video we were watching.)  The elderly man proclaimed that there's not any reverence anymore, no respect of the pulpit or of the church or anything.  He acknowledged that yes, the church is not the building, but even so, it should be respected*.  To complicate the matter, two other people joined in and supported him.

Through it all I felt a growing sense of unease.  How can people think that the clothes they wear are an indication of their heart and its relationship to Almighty God?  We all know that "clothes don't make the man."  That's been around forever.  Eventually I was asked my opinion, and I said that I disagreed with them and that I saw no problem with it.  I went on to say that God doesn't care what we wear as long as it's modest and not causing someone else to sin or laced with profanity.  He looks at our hearts.  Our respect/reverence of Him has nothing to do with what we're wearing in church.

Growing up in rural Kentucky, my home church had a dress code.  For males, blue jeans or pants were to be worn at all times; females had to wear skirts or dresses.  Shorts were never allowed.  This was how I grew up, and how I thought for much of my life.  I never bothered to ask why.  It was one of those "that's just how it is" things.  Along those lines, American history shows plenty of examples of men taking their hats off before entering buildings, opening doors for women, and being generally "respectful."  Culture defined respect, and like any good Baptist, this turned into a tradition, albeit lacking any biblical support.

I was given some stern looks and questioned about my opinions.  The problem with America, I was told, is that we've progressively compromised our stands and allowed liberal theology to overtake us.  I can agree to some extent with that, but not in full.  Too often people hold to the "God is an unchanging God" mentality, that He's "the same yesterday, today, and forever" and that means that we should be the same, too.  The problem with that is that it limits how you worship God, who creates a new day every morning, who's crafted a world filled with beauty and impossible splendor.  The world is changing, just as God knew it would, and holding on to pointless traditions are inefficient at best, and downright wrong at worse.

The bride that Jesus died for is built on the Word of God, not traditions.  Traditions can teach, and there is wisdom found in them, but they are not God's Word.  Whenever the two butt heads, I'm going to choose the bible every time.  It bugs me when people say "I believe that..." or something similar.  What we believe has no matter when compared with what God says.  The bible speaks plenty on respect and honoring God.

• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. -- Proverbs 1:7
• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  -- Psalm 111:10
• Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory, honor, and power... -- Revelation 4:11
• Honor your father and mother. -- Exodus 20:12

The bible teaches in being reverent to God.  The bible teaches that I should live out my life in fear of Him, and that that fear is healthy and humbling.  The bible teaches us that as we fear Him then He blesses us.  Jesus taught us that people should respect one another and love one another and that our respect and love toward one another is reflective of His love to us.  The bible does not teach that wearing a hat in church is disrespectful or wrong.  That means that we can serve and worship God in a three-piece suit as easily as we can in gym shorts and sandals.

It seems to me that the Generic American Church of Denominations has a mixed bag when it comes to things like this.  We have our traditions and our practices, things that are obviously American and rooted in our grandparents and great-grandparents days, or all the way back to the Pilgrims even.  We hold fast to these things, convincing ourselves that they are right and God-breathed.  On the same hand, we cling to biblical cultures and practices when it's convenient, eager to apply verses out of context.  This double standard is frustrating and foolish.  It brings to mind James' words 1:8, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways."  Man cannot be double-minded or else we're called a hypocrite.  The same goes for the church.

I just wish people would wake up and realize this.  I'm just as guilty as anyone else, blinded by my own opinions and biased to my own thinking.  But I'm honestly trying to base my opinions on the bible, not on traditions or culture or some pastor or the latest book or anything else.  God's Word is the only source of truth that we have.  The rest is just empty words.  Now I'm not saying that we should just throw out the way that we do things, but I am saying that we should think about the way that we do things.  Are we scriptural in our practices?  And even deeper, even if we don't say anything, are we silently judging somebody else because they're doing something out of the norm or worse, something we disagree with?  I'm wrestling with being as biblical as I can in my life.  I hope you are, too.

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*Why?  Why are buildings worthy of respect?  God no longer dwells in a tabernacle or temple.  He sent His Spirit to us, which dwells in our hearts.  So again, why treat the building as something holy?

I'm Sworn to Secrecy

Since I keep a journal here on Rememorandom, I've got something very important to ramble on about.

Recall, earlier this year I was selected by the church body to become a deacon.  I was humbled and after prayerful consideration, I accepted.  The next step was to be tested, so to speak.  Had to go to to a room filled with the current deacons and be questioned about my faith, doctrinal issues, those sorts of things.  I wasn't expecting the interrogation I got, especially not the vitriol I received.  After the whole fiasco, I was found to be lacking the spiritual maturity they required and was rejected.  (To be fair, 8/12 of the men voted in my favor, though this majority did not meet the qualifications set in the church's bylaws.)

To be honest, I was hurt and angry.  I was judgmental.  I was disappointed.  I was grieved.  In my mind, I was more qualified to be a deacon than several of the men sitting in that room.  I desired to impact the world, to impact the church, to love on people, to help, to go, to serve.  These were the things that I didn't see the deacons doing.  How dare they deny me?  I contented myself saying that you didn't have to be a deacon to serve and that God was in control.

I've spent the last six months growing in leaps and bounds in my faith.  My reliance on God has increased tenfold.  My devotion to reading and studying the Word has grown exponentially.  I've changed in my opinions on the dividing topics, growing even more firm in my beliefs about them.  I'm convinced that the bible speaks very clearly and that their opinions are based on more than just the bible.  But through all of my growth I've also layered myself in cynicism.  My ability to trust has wavered.  My faith in my local church has waned to non-existent.  My righteous anger has simmered.

The sad thing is that this is so uncharacteristic of me that it's not funny.  I'm an extremely happy optimist.  I believe in the goodness of people to a point well past logic and reason.  I'm not naive, I'm too much a Realist for that, but I'm hopeful.  And yet, over these last few months, I've changed my outlook, and I hate it.  I'm disappointed with myself and my scorn.  I realize that I'm wanting people to be held to a higher standard when I myself am regressing.  I'm expecting maturity from a group of people that have had very little rearing. Many are on the milk still, so to speak, and my expectations from them are unrealistic.

So I've resolved myself to do better.  To think kinder.  To love more.  To pour myself out until I'm drained dry.  If I'm wanting change, then let it be seen in me.

Flash forward to last night.  Skipping all the details, I was selected to serve on the pastor search committee, and last night was my first meeting.  (My church has been without a senior pastor for a long time now and tension is very high within the church.  Perhaps this is part of the reason why there have been so many problems.)  I received a packet of information, and among it was a sheet detailing the qualifications for its members.  I inwardly chuckled at the first two: must be spiritually mature and must be respected by the church to be competent and responsible.

The irony of being qualified to select the next pastor for the church and yet being unqualified to be a deacon of said church is more than a little amusing.

So what's the point?  The point is that I'm learning to rely on God more, to look to Him more, and to trust in Him.  On the PSC I am bound to confidentiality, something that I intend on taking very seriously.  Already after one meeting there are things that I would love to talk about and get off my shoulders, but I can't.  To ramifications could be tremendous.  Instead, I'll pray and look for guidance.  And I also ask, dear Readers, that you hold me and my church up whenever it crosses your mind.  I've a feeling that things are gonna be tough, but I've no doubts that God will reign supremely over everything.

Have a merry Christmas, everyone.

Dug Down Deep, a Review

This isn't a book on systematic theology proper. It's more like a mixtape of biblical truth that I've found personally significant. Dug Down Deep is my reveling in theology in my own simple way--not too polished, sometimes awkward, less than scholarly, hopefully gracious and faithful. Even thought these are deep truths, I don't pretend to be swimming in the deep end of the pool. I'm splashing in the shallow end. But if my splashing can inspire you to dive in, I will have succeeded.

In 1997, Joshua Harris broke into the scene with his book on dating, appropriately titled I Kissed Dating Goodbye.  I'd heard of it, but never had a desire to read it, nor anything else by this author.  As I saw it, he was one of those Christian authors that wrote on one and only one subject matter, and it just happened to be one I was uninterested in.  However, back in September I requested a copy of Harris' book on systematic theology called Dug Down Deep, primarily because of the book's style.  Harris chose to tackle the subjects through transparent memoirs (as opposed to exhaustive biblical analysis), and I thought his journey sounded interesting.

In some ways, this book could have been written by Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What, and several other books), as the tone of the author was very reminiscent.  Harris begins Dug Down Deep with a thought-provoking question: what are you building your life on?  He then goes on to talk about Jesus' parable in Matthew 7, comparing the man who built his house on the sand with the man who built his house on the more solid foundation: rock.  Harris argues that building on the rock takes work, it takes some digging, but in the end, after the wind and the rain and the storms, the house remains standing.  He explains,

In the past I thought the point was simply that being a Christian is better than not being a Christian. And I suppose on a very rudimentary level, that is what it means. But I never thought about the specifics of what digging down to the rock represents.

This was the impetus for the book.  He grew up in the church and found himself lacking any biblical depth.  He was familiar with theology, doctrine, orthodoxy, and the like, but at the same time, they meant very little to him.  They were just old sounding words that old people used.  For the remainder of the Dug Down Deep, Harris opens up with humbling honesty, explaining how he came to understand certain elements of theology.  Some of the essays included are about the Father, the Son, the Spirit, the Word, sanctification, justification, the church, orthodoxy, and a few others.  And if you're anything like me, some of those words sound boring (i.e., orthodoxy), but Harris points out (reasonably) that they shouldn't, and he explains why.

Knowledge doesn't have to be dry and lifeless. And when you think about it, exactly what is our alternative? Ignorance? Falsehood? We're either building our lives on the reality of what God is truly like and what he's about, or we're basing our lives on our own imagination and misconceptions. We're all theologians. The question is whether what we know about God is true.

When I finished Dug Down Deep, I had several passages highlighted and underlined.  The chapter on sanctification is definitely worth the read, as I found it thoroughly fascinating and incredibly awe-inspiring.  Another recommended chapter is the last one, where Harris writes on humble orthodoxy, bringing home the point  of how crucial it is to remain humble in our lives.  This is something I think many of us should read and take to heart, as pride is ever so subtle and we must be on guard.  These are just two of the eleven chapters presented in the book, and all are well thought out and stimulating.

Dug Down Deep is a very accessible book.  It offers deep thoughts and unfathomable truths about God and His character, but Harris attempts to explain them as clearly as he can.  I think the book would be a great tool for new believers, but I think the impact would be even stronger with those who've walked with God for a while, especially the ones that have grown frustrated with their fellow believers or their own faith.  Really, the book is relative even to those outside of the fold, those that have questions about life's journey and the roads we travel on.  Overall, I really enjoyed Joshua Harris' Dug Down Deep.  Maybe it's where I'm at in life, but Dug Down Deep resonated with me.  I found it encouraging and refreshing, and I think it's a book that many people could read and  get something out of it.

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FTC Thingy: This book was provided to me free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I received no goods other than the ebook, and had I been offered any other goods (like, say, chocolate chip cookies) I would have been tempted to take the bribe.  Nevertheless, I wasn't offered, nor did I ask.  As such, the opinion expressed in this review is entirely my own and has in no way been affected by my lack of receiving free, home-baked chocolate goodies.

Being Santa

Saturday we did our Third Annual Nativity Project.  (See here for how it started.)  This year, we partnered with a local community center--the Neblett Center--that was much bigger than our previous venues.  In addition to its increased size, the Neblett Center was also in a prime location, as it's near the heart of the poorer side of town.

Like previous years, our Sunday School class has been collecting gently used clothes and toys throughout the year.  A week or two ago we all met up and sorted what we had, which subsequently filled a 10-ft. trailer to the max with some items left that wouldn't fit.  Over the next week, our class received several more donations, but we also were given some anonymous monetary donations, too, totaling over $1600.  So a second trailer was acquired (a 12-footer now) and again was filled to the brim with stuff left.  Everything that couldn't fit was loaded into vehicles, and on last Friday, all of it was brought to the Neblett Center.

The Neblett Center is a after-school type facility for children & babies to go while parents work.  It's not as big as an average elementary school, but it's still rather large, and our class was given the gym to setup in.  It turned out that there were several kids still there, and they all watched with wonder as we bustled many, many boxes & bags in.  Cheers of delight and excitement made the unloading process an absolute blessing.

Soon, all was unloaded, and then we began the daunting task of unpacking and organizing.  We spent the next several hours piling items on top of tables and bleachers, and when we left, the gym was transformed.  God provided so much for us this year to give that the previous years were as nothing compared to this.  If we liquidated all the goods, I'd estimate we gave away well over $5k worth of things.  Winter coats.  Jeans.  Shoes.  Toys.  Wrapping paper and gift boxes.  And clothes and clothes and clothes.

Saturday morning came early, and we arrived at 7:30.  A few small things were left to unpack and set out.  But my day was going to be different.  I wasn't going to get to be in the gym and help parents "shop" for their kids, for their families, and for themselves.  (Note: A staggering number of people selflessly shopped for others, especially young siblings.  They wanted to get gifts for their brother or sister, sometimes several, and not a thing for themselves.  Amazing.  Humbling.)  I wasn't going to help go through the piles of clothes and look for certain sizes.  No, my day was different.  I was going to be Santa Claus.

Santa and Avonlea

We had a room off to the side for the kids to play and color in while their parents shopped.  In the same room we set up a photo shoot for kids to get pictures with Santa.  I donned the suit, took a seat, and experienced the wonderful joy (and occasional sadness) of being the Fat Man.  Almost every child that entered got this glow on their face when they saw me.  Some where bashful.  Some were in awe.  A few were terrified.  One little girl ran up to me and jumped in my lap and put her arms around me and squeezed, saying "I'm so very happy to see you Santa Claus!"  I think my heart grew enormous there.  She kept sneaking peeks at me throughout the day, always smiling and blushing.  For some, the magic of Christmas still exists.  One boy, when asked what he wanted for Christmas, responded with "a belt."  That was it.  No toys or electronics or race cars.  No, he only wanted a belt.  Still, through everything, these kids got to see Santa and get a free picture taken with him.  Hopefully they'll cherish that; I know I will.

By eleven o'clock, a lot of the stuff was gone.  I had successfully sweated my last three hours away and Santa had left the building.  By noon, the doors were closed and still a lot remained.  We talked with the Neblett Center director and he said they'd like to keep all the stuff and bring it out again in a couple of days/weeks.  He knew several people that couldn't make it on Saturday, plus he'd go door-to-door in the neighborhood and invite folks.  He had a general idea of who the needy were.  We eagerly agreed.

Now it's over.  The event is exhausting and draining, but it's something so to behold.  We started this ministry three years ago just trying to make a difference in people's lives.  We wanted to show love to those in need and possibly provide Christmas to families that wouldn't have had one otherwise.  God has blessed our class and this mission tremendously in these three years, and I suspect we've grown more from it than any of the receivers of gifts.  We've already started planning next years, brainstorming on what worked and what didn't.  We're thinking of ways to raise funds to get even more.  God is a mighty God, and He delights in showing His love.