Doin' the Stuff

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (Jas. 1:22).

I believe the North American Evangelical church has been afflicted with a particular malaise. We seem to be obsessed with knowing the Word, but deficient in doing it. 

One of the most common questions I hear from people new to a church is "Do you have a Bible Study I can join?"

Don't get me wrong. I believe in learning more and more about the Bible. It is our only infallible guide for faith and practice. It is the authority upon which the church must build. Neither tradition, nor church hierarchy nor charismatic leadership can substitute for the Word of God. I personally have a regular reading and study routine and I participate in Bible Studies. When I preach, I try to expound God's Word so that people can grasp it and conform their lives to it.

However, with that said, I recall a story of John Wimber's (founder of the Vineyard Movement). When he started attending church, he asked one of the elders, "Where do we go to do the stuff?"

"What stuff?"

"You know, the stuff in the Bible. Healing the sick, raising the dead, preaching the Gospel to the poor."

"Oh, we don't actually do that stuff. We study about it, we hear sermons about it, but we don't actually do it."

"You mean I gave up drugs for this?" (Of course this was said tongue-in-cheek.)

This led to one of John Wimber's most famous pithy Wimberisms, "Doin' the stuff." That is, God wants us to actually go out, just like Jesus and His disciples did, and demonstrate the presence of the Kingdom of God by doing the same stuff that they did.

Are you satisfied with a Christian life that merely listens to the Word but does not actually do it? I must admit that this has been a constant struggle for me. It takes a major effort for me to take what I have received within the safe confines of the church and go into the streets where I might encounter resistance, rejection and failure. But when I do, God meets me there, and I think He is smiling.

It would be nice to hear someone at church ask, "Where do we go to do the stuff?" And it would be even better for us to be able to answer, "Come with me."

Slow to Anger

We recently got a new German Shepherd puppy named Zena. She is as cute as a button, but a bundle of energy. She's teething, so she is constantly nipping at things around her, including my hand. Despite a pile of chew-toys to chews from (yuck, yuck), she keeps latching on with her mouth to everything else in her sphere of influence, including the edges of furniture, area rugs and my shoes.

I just spent 7 months sleeping downstairs on the sofa, attending to our last dog, Kyra, who was getting so arthritic that I needed to be her nurse-maid through the night. We had to make the decision a couple months ago to "put her to sleep." I have to admit that I was not really ready to raise a puppy again (this will be our 5th German Shepherd). But here we are doing it one more time.

Why do I bring this up? Because I have been experiencing some moments of intense anger. You see, puppies need a lot of correction. They don't understand what it is you are telling them to do. Remember what the Peanuts cartoon characters heard when adults talked to them? The sound of a muted trumpet, "Whah, whah, whah..."

So when I want some "me" time and Zena wants to pee on the rug, or chew on my pant leg, or do any number of puppyish things, I find myself more than annoyed. My anger is palpable. And the anger in my correcting "Off!" or "No!" is a little more intense than might be normal. And I yank her leash a little harder than is necessary.

Where does all that anger come from? She is just a puppy being a puppy. She doesn't deserve to be yelled at. She doesn't deserve such a strong yank on her leash.

As James says, "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires" (Jas. 1:19-20).

Anger is perhaps one of the most commonly felt emotions. Yet, we are often not equipped to deal with it. James is not saying, "Don't be angry." That would be impossible. He is saying that we are called to be like God Himself, who is often described throughout the Old Testament as "slow to anger" as when He revealed Himself to Moses, "and he passed in front of him proclaiming, 'Yahweh, Yahweh, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness'" (Ex. 34:6).

Anger is what I call a "secondary" emotion. That is, it is usually masking an underlying vulnerable emotion. For instance, when the puppy ignores me and does her thing, I feel powerless and weak. Anger then jumps up to give me the power, through the release of adrenaline in my body, to act. It is called the "fight or flight mechanism." I like to add the word, "freeze." Adrenaline gives me the power to fight the thing that is making me feel weak, to run away, or I may actually freeze in place.

So, since I can't run away, I feel the "fight" mechanism get released. As a result, I raise my voice or yank on the leash.

Jesus felt angry too. You see, even though He is fully divine, He is also fully human. But Jesus did not hurt others when He felt angry. For instance, when the Pharisees showed the hardness of their hearts in the synagogue, "[Jesus] looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored" (Mark 3:5). Jesus' anger resulted in healing the man with the withered hand.

The goal of Christian transformation is to become more and more like Jesus, the Son of God. He is "slow to anger." That is, His anger does not lash out capriciously to hurt others. God's anger burns against the sin of mankind, which is really a rejection of His love and grace. Yet, mankind is not destroyed. God is slow to express that anger. Instead, He reserved it for the day that Jesus was nailed to the cross. Then the righteous wrath of God was poured out on Him.

God is right now offering forgiveness for sin because Jesus took the wrath upon Himself on the cross. Our part is to respond by placing our faith, our trust, in Him.

And when we feel angry with others in the body of Christ, Paul tells us to work as soon as possible to resolve it. Unresolved anger leaves a foothold for the enemy to sew discord in the body. "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 'In your anger do not sin:' Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold" (Eph. 4:25-27).

Are you struggling with inappropriate bursts of anger? Or are you harboring anger against your brothers or sisters? Let Jesus into those vulnerable places in order to be healed. Receive His patience and His attribute of being slow to anger. Speak the truth to your neighbor and resolve the anger before it becomes an entry-point for the enemy into your relationships and into the church.

The Beatitudes

Jesus began his longest discourse in Matthew's Gospel with what we call, "The Beatitudes."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..." (Matt. 5: 3).

This list of kingdom proverbs is unusual for Jesus, who normally taught using parables. Each of the eight (some say nine, counting vv. 11-12 as separate from vs. 10) begins with the pronouncement of kingdom blessing.

"Blessed" means "joyfully favored by God." Those who are blessed now stand in the joyous shalom enjoyed by all the people of God who are under God's kingdom rule. Thus, for some reason, Jesus is saying that those who are "poor in spirit" actually stand in a state of blessedness.

The conventional Jewish wisdom was that it was those who felt powerful, together and confident who stood under God's blessing. Poverty was a sign of being cursed, not blessed. Spiritual pride was a sign of blessing.

Not all riches were seen as bringing blessing. The tax collectors may have been materially rich, but they were also "poor in spirit." They might be rich, but they could not feel pride before God.

Thus the story that Jesus tells in Luke 18: 9-14 about "The Pharisee and The Tax Collector." The Pharisee has done his religious duty and is able to confidently thank God for the holiness he has achieved. The Tax Collector cannot even look up towards God because of the shame he feels. Between the two, he is the one who is indeed "poor in spirit." And the punchline of this parable is that it is the Tax Collector, the one who is poor-in-spirit, who goes home justified before God.

Simon and Garfunkel wrote the song, "Blessed," inspired by the Beatitudes. "Blessed are the sat upon, spat upon, ratted on..."

Read through the list to understand the attitude of the one who is truly blessed in God's kingdom:
•  The poor in spirit--
(those who realize that they have nothing in themselves and need God's salvation);
•  The mourners--
(those who let go of their own agenda to take up their cross);
•  The meek--
(those who don't act out of ambition and lust for power, but learn to serve humbly);
•  The hungry/thirsty for righteousness--
(those in touch with their desire for godliness);
•  The merciful--
(those who care for others who are needy, rather than simply look out for self);
•  The pure in heart--
(those with a single mind focused on God with no hidden agendas);
•  The peacemakers--
(those who sew peace in relationships rather than stirring up strife);
•  The persecuted--
(those who accept the scorn of the world out of love for Christ).

The Beatitudes were revolutionary for Jesus' time. It was not the prideful and arrogant leaders of temples and palaces and commerce who were entering into the kingdom. It was "the sat upon, the spat upon, the ratted on." They heard with joy the promise of blessedness and came streaming into the kingdom.

How about you? Are you in touch with your own poverty of spirit? Reach out in humble dependence on him. If you do, you will be blessed and the kingdom of heaven will be yours.

The Heart of Ministry

This past week, I had the privilege of volunteering at a local outreach to the homeless. Various churches volunteer on a regular basis to hand out clothing and provide a free meal to people who obviously appreciate it.

I got to help out at the coffee station. And this gave me the freedom to engage several people in conversation.

One conversation was interesting. A rather intimidating figure came to our area, obviously angry with some interaction he had just experienced. The leaders have the guests sit at tables and wait to be invited to get in line for the food table. He had arrived and gone straight into the food line. Someone asked him to find a seat first and then get in line when his table was released. A reasonable request.

But he was someone who was filtering everything through "victim" lenses. You see, when you are living on the edge, it is common to encounter a pattern of authority figures saying, "No" or just pushing their weight around. Add to that, a childhood marked by abusive authority and abandonment, and you have a recipe for disaster. The food line worker was trying to help everyone get served. But this guest thought, "Here's one more power-hungry authority figure who thinks they can just push me around." And he got triggered.

The leader working with me decided to help him get served. She personally helped him through the line. And having received TLC, this brought him out of his foul mood.

I have heard pastors say, "I love the ministry--it's people I can't stand."

I can't begin to tell you how wrong-headed this attitude is. You see, ministry IS people. That is, Jesus did not die for fame or glory, He died for people. God loves people and the proof of that is Jesus.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. This is how God shows his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4: 7, 9-11).

If we are going to pick up the ministry of Jesus, we will love people. How do we know that? Jesus loved people. And He demonstrated that by going to the cross. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15: 13).

As the evening was wrapping up, the guest came back to the coffee station to talk. I could see that he was grateful for being treated with respect by my co-worker. As I engaged him in conversation, I began to see in him a hurting person who needed someone to listen and talk to him with dignity and respect. Perhaps he also needed a male authority figure to do that. So, I engaged him in conversation.

As we went deeper, I realized that there were a lot of painful childhood memories that were coming up. So I invited him to sit with me and talk. I merely asked questions and gave him the gift of listening and affirming. What had been a kind of power-defense position was now melted. He had been resistant to acknowledging God at all earlier in the evening. Now he allowed me to pray for God to bless him. I knew that this was a holy moment for him and perhaps a breakthrough. Only time will tell.

As we were preparing to leave, one of the leaders asked me with a sense of wonder, "What did you do?"

"What do you mean? I just listened to him and prayed for him."

"He has never been open to that kind of ministry. In fact, he has always come with an angry attitude and brought others who caused trouble."

I don't think there is anything special about me. The answer is simple: I had the opportunity to simply love someone in a way that they could feel it and God got his message of love through.

The challenge to all of us is to remember that the ministry is about people. God loves people and He calls us to love them too. Let us not get so caught up in external and material activity that we lose touch with the heart of ministry.

Love Edifies

In my college years, I was part of a small group of students who were intense in our devotion to God and our desire to grow in our faith. At one point, I was attending five Bible studies a week. I just couldn't get enough.

Even now, I look back on that period of my Christian journey with such warmth and gratitude. The relationships I formed have a kind of "eternal" quality. Even when I haven't seen someone from that group for many years, if we happen to see each other, we share an instant bond.

But there was one aspect of my attitude from that time that I am glad to leave in the past. It was a kind of "holier-than-thou" attitude, a sectarianism that gave me a sense of spiritual superiority and that kept me from being able to enjoy fellowship with the rest of the big "C" Church. I was sure I knew the "truth" and that nobody else had it quite the way I did.

If I happened to visit a church, I would definitely not enjoy myself. Nor would I experience God's presence. I was too busy criticizing everything that went on. To quote Doc Holliday from the movie, Tombstone, "My hypocrisy [knew] no bounds." I was busy pointing out all the specks in the eyes of everyone else, while I sat there with a plank sticking out of mine. It became impossible for me to last very long at one church without collapsing under the weight of my own lumberyard headgear.

Eventually, after living away from church life in general, we found our way to the Anaheim Vineyard. I am grateful to my former pastor, architect of the Vineyard movement, John Wimber. In one of the first messages I remember, he helped me to understand something very simple: God loves all believers and he simply calls us to love everyone whom He loves.

This is the meaning of Paul's statement: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Cor. 8: 1b). In discussing the controversial and divisive subject of eating meat offered to idols, Paul frames the basis for all of his ethics. If you are simply motivated by a sense of superior knowledge, you will feel good about yourself, but the church will not be benefited. Instead, ethical action should be primarily based on love, which builds up the church. This is why Paul has decided to refrain from any activity that might cause a weaker brother to stumble. (vs. 13)

Jesus prays for the church that we would experience just such love: "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17: 23).

Put simply: We are called to love everyone God loves. If God loves them, it's good enough for me.

Thus, Jesus' new commandment given to the disciples in the Upper Room at the Last Supper. "A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this will all [people] know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13: 34-35).

I am grateful to be planting a church in a city with a wonderfully united group of churches. Eleven of us, all pastors, were recently able to get away for a 24-hour retreat. We shared our lives and prayed for one another. That was followed recently by a united worship event near Easter. Thirteen churches were represented. Each pastor introduced and led prayer for another pastor. The love for one another was evident.

The picture of heaven that we are given in Revelation is dominated by an incredible unity. People from "every nation, tribe, people and language" (Rev. 7: 9) are gathered around the throne to worship God together. Unity is a sign of the Kingdom of God.

Why not try something yourself? Think about someone you might disagree with or you might be very different from or who rattles your sensibilities. Then ask yourself this question: "Does God love them?" And if the answer is "Yes," and it is hard to think of a time when it would be otherwise, then make the decision to love them too. Don't you think that would go a long way to sowing peace among us?

Honoring Rich Buhler

Rich Buhler went to be with the Lord on Monday night, May 7, 2012. He was best known as a Christian talk-radio show host and author. But he was also a wonderful disciple of Jesus whose life should be remembered and honored.

"Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him" (Php. 2: 29).

My knowledge of Rich goes back probably to about 1982 when I first started listening to him on the radio. I remember him interviewing a certain John Wimber. I turned to my wife and said, "Listen, this pastor believes the same stuff we do!" This led, eventually, to us becoming members of the Anaheim Vineyard and subsequently to a life-long love affair with the Vineyard movement.

It was in the summer of 1993 that I first became friends with Rich Buhler. We were participating in a small group and, for 30 days, I called him daily as my sponsor. That group was life-changing for all of us.

So many of the conversations Rich broadcast in those days opened new ways of thinking for me. Perhaps most significantly was when he would have Jan Frank, author of Door of Hope, or any number of other Christian counselors. You could feel the attitude towards personal recovery and the benefits of sound psychological counseling change throughout the Evangelical Christian community.

And it was like that for so many other topics as well. Rich was not only a seasoned reporter, always intent on getting to the truth, but he was a life-long learner. If you listened to him, you heard him learn and grow, and it helped you to learn and grow right along with him.

And I am not sure if I know of anyone else who possessed such a unique blend of verbal dexterity, deep pastoral wisdom, a keen mind and such an obvious love of people. Perhaps that's why, for anyone who listened to him, you felt like you knew him. And, indeed, you did. Because here was "an Israelite in whom was no guile."

Last year, I was privileged to be honored at a special appreciation service. Rich sent something to me, since he could not be there. A shepherd's staff. I knew that he was in the habit of honoring people who he believed were true pastors with this sign of recognition. It meant--and it means--all the world to me, and especially because it came from someone I consider to have been a true shepherd as well.

Our loss is heaven's gain. Thank you, Rich, for being a faithful and true witness.

The Greatest Generation

I grew up during the "hippie" era of the 60's and 70's. It was a time when we rejected the values of what has been called "The Greatest Generation." My parents, who were part of that generation, persevered through the Great Depression, fought and defeated fascism and imperialism and then rebuilt a prosperous world on the ashes. They handed us a much more stable and prosperous world than they had inherited.

But, unfortunately, the one thing that the Greatest Generation seemed incapable of handing over to us was the solid Judeo-Christian morality that inspired their work-ethic and self-sacrifice.

And so, the hippies thumbed their noses at their parents. "Don't trust anyone over 30," was their mantra. And as a result, we became the narcissistic generation. Prospering materially, but dying spiritually. We believed we knew better. Instead, we have proved what it looks like when the immature get to run the world.

Of course, our children and grand-children look at us and thumb their noses as well. They have rejected the materialism and preoccupation with "self." But what to replace it with? With so many children of divorce, no one seems to be able to deal with their own insecurities and general sense of abandonment.

This is where the church needs to step in. To a disconnected and fatherless generation, can we build a healthy model of family? Can we baby-boomer leaders set aside the building of our own empires so that we can spend our energy fathering and grand-fathering the next generation?

The "Jesus People" (often called "Jesus Freaks") were birthed during the hippie movement. One of our favorite words at the time was "koinonia" which is the Greek word for "common life" or "fellowship."

In Acts 2: 42-47, Luke describes the first spontaneous expressions of the new believers. That impulse was to gather together continually, to share meals, to pray together, to learn and grow together--and even to share financially during a time of great distress.

"All the believers were together and had everything in common" (Acts. 2: 44).

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating that we all live in communes. But what I am saying is that one of the signs of the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God, besides signs and wonders, is the spontaneous and joyous spiritual koinonia--shared life--that springs up.

And the rest of the Jewish community knew there was something special going on. "...enjoying favor with all the people...the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (vs. 47).

I don't know about you, but I think it is time to give myself away to the next generation. He's calling me to put it all in--everything He as given me--throw it all into the pot so that the community life is benefitted. Perhaps the greatest generation is yet to come.

Learning From the Herdmans

Another favorite novella that I try to read every year is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson. I have even read it aloud to a couple of groups. It was a made-for-TV special with Loretta Swit a couple of decades back and is available on DVD. But to get the full impact, read the book. It should take less than an hour to read--but is well worth it.

At the center of the book is another redemption story. The six Herdman children are the unredeemed rat-pack who terrorize any child who has the misfortune of attracting their attention.

Barbara writes the book from a terrorized little girl's perspective. When little brother Charlie is asked at church to share something he is thankful for at the Thanksgiving service, he shares, "There are no Herdmans." Although this is heartfelt, it strikes at the heart of the dilemma of church life. If we build a safe and loving environment where we can escape from the world, does that mean we exclude the Herdmans? Aren't the Herdmans exactly what the church is there for? As Karl Barth, the early 20th century theologian put it, church is "community for the sake of the world."

Of course, the Herdmans show up to church looking for free snacks. And when mom is stuck running the annual Christmas Pageant, put on by the Sunday School, the Herdmans take over all the important roles, including Imogene as Mary. The scandal of it all! A telephone whisper campaign begins, threatening to call off the pageant entirely. But of course, the play is staged with the Herdmans there to do their part.

But the book helps us to look at the Christmas story through the fresh eyes of the uninitiated. And it gives the congregation the same opportunity. And we get to witness the power of the story of God's entrance into our world, like a great tsunami, as it washes over and transforms the Herdman family.

Why not try reading the ancient story from Luke and Matthew as if it was the first time you had ever heard it? A poor young couple, clinging to their belief in God's word to them, in spite of the scorn of a skeptical world, face the desperate journey to Bethlehem. They camp out with the animals as Mary goes through labor and childbirth in very trying circumstances. Yet, God reveals himself via a host of angels to the local shepherds and then brings worshipers from exotic lands with extravagant gifts. The child, who outwardly looks like any other baby, is revealed to be special--in fact the unique Son of God Himself! God's ultimate gift to us.

And hear the shout of little Gladys Herdman, playing the Angel of the Lord, ringing in your head--"Hey! Unto you a child is born!"

Jesus Loves People

Jesus loves people. Everything he did points to this fact.

In Philippians 2: 5-8, Paul tells us that Jesus, although equal to God, rather than using his position to acquire more power for himself, poured himself out for us, becoming a human being. And not just any human, a humble and obedient servant. And not just any servant, but one who made the ultimate sacrifice of himself in the most shameful form of execution ever invented--crucifixion. Jesus' work of salvation was motivated by love.

Another way that Jesus demonstrated his love for people was through his healing ministry. The Gospel writers constantly tell us that Jesus was "moved with compassion" and then performed a miraculous healing. The underlying Greek word for compassion is powerful. It literally means "gut-wrenching." In other words, Jesus felt a deep pang of empathy in his bowels. That's why the KJV translates this as "bowels of mercy." Jesus' healing ministry was motivated by love.

Matthew tells us, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matt: 9. 36). Jesus saw the crowds as disoriented, dejected, dispirited--like a flock of sheep without the guiding, protecting and providing presence of their shepherd. Love for people moved him with compassion.

So, what did Jesus' love motivate him to do this time?

Out of compassion, he authorized and empowered his twelve disciples to take on his own kingdom ministry and then sent them out, two-by-two, into the harvest field to extend his ministry (Matt. 10). And Luke tells us that he sent out 72 others as well, in order to extend his kingdom ministry even more.

Love motivated Jesus to send US into the harvest field as well. The book of Acts describes the sending out of the church to "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth" (Acts 1: 8).

Jesus says in Matthew "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers out into his harvest field (Matt. 9: 37-38).

Do you love people enough to be sent into the harvest field? Let us pray for the compassionate love of God for people to be poured into our hearts--and for God to send us.

Christ as the Head of the Church

Several years ago, the senior pastor of the church at which I worked had to step down from his position. The resulting leadership vacuum was not instantly filled. The staff met almost daily, sometimes for half the day, to discuss decisions and what we needed to do to help the church function and go through the process of recovery. It became very clear to me how debilitating it was not to have a clear leader at the helm to steer the ship.

I must confess that during this interim period, I made some decisions and signed some approvals that no one had given me permission to do, but I knew that everything would grind to a halt if someone didn't keep the machinery greased. When the new senior pastor arrived, I gently let go of the power that I had temporarily (and benignly) assumed.

An old Latin proverb has often been quoted through the ages: "Power abhors a vacuum."

And yet, I am aware of several churches that have not only survived, but thrived under a kind of shared leadership. One person is the administrative elder, another the teaching elder, and another the pastoral care elder. By conventional wisdom, they should have crumbled or succumbed to a power-grab by someone. What makes them different?

I believe that, in their case, Jesus is the head of the church and they are all subject to his leadership. They are serving a greater vision that was planted in them when the church was founded and they are simply seeking to implement that vision under Christ's direction.

In Ephesians, Paul says that part of the maturing of the church is to begin to operate with Jesus as the Head. "From him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Eph. 4: 16).

A way I have often thought about this is that the church is the perpetual motion machine, defying the second law of thermodynamics (that all things tend towards disorder or decay). It works when two things are in place: 1) Christ is the head, and 2) love is the lubrication.

John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard, used to share his conviction that Jesus wants to be the head of the Church.

To use the picture of vine and branches that Jesus gives us in John 15, "Apart from me, you can do nothing" (John 15: 5). Each of us, when we are vitally connected to the life-giving vine, will not only receive life from him but produce fruit.

Are we willing to get out of the way and let him lead us? Are we willing to let his leadership fill the power vacuum?

Simple Instructions

What is the most complicated set of instructions you've ever had to follow in your home? For me it was the assembly instructions for my gas barbecue. Not only were the instructions complex, but it seems that they were written by non-native English speakers. "Take up through slotted down-piece." What?!?! I had several pieces left when I had finished assembly. Oh well, it seems to work.

What is the least complicated set of instructions you've had to follow in your home? For me it is written on the side of my shampoo bottle: "Lather. Rinse. Repeat."

It doesn't get any easier than that.

Growing up in the church, I often felt that Christianity was mysterious and complicated, like my gas barbecue assembly. With all the trappings of religion, how can anyone understand whether God is pleased and you are in the center of His will?

But Jesus, when confronted by the scribes and Pharisees in the Temple courts was given a nagging question that was probably commonly discussed by the scholars, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matt. 22: 36).

The question was meant to trap him by getting him mired in the complex theological debates of the religious leaders. They read the Torah and got caught up in all of the minutiae. To them, religion was like my gas barbecue, a myriad of instructions. The successful holy person could bring all the pieces together into a harmonious whole. The answer is a 5-volume Systematic Theology.

But Jesus' answer was simple. "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matt. 22: 37-40).

Jesus is essentially saying that God's Torah can be boiled down to two simple instructions: Love God and Love People.

When I started to realize that this was indeed the heart of Christianity, I thought the church's mission statement should really be more like my shampoo bottle: "Love God. Love People. Repeat."

It doesn't get much simpler than that. What would happen if we all read these simple set of instructions every morning and then just tried to follow them?

E Pluribus Unum

On every coin minted in the United States is a Latin phrase, "E Pluribus Unum." The motto means "out of many, one."

Originally, this referred to the joining of 13 colonies into one nation. But in our modern democratically minded country, it has come to be associated with the way that many ethnicities, cultures and people-groups have melded into a greater identity--a melting pot.

Paul, describing the church in 1 Corinthians 12, makes a similar observation. "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body" (1 Cor. 12: 12). In fact, this is perhaps the most pervasive metaphor for the church--we are the body of Christ.

This brings together two realities that seem contradictory, but are held in tension by the metaphor: 1) as individuals, we are all different in gifting and functioning; and 2) as a group, we function together to serve a unified purpose. Unity through diversity. In other words, when we learn to embrace and nurture our individual and unique gifts and callings, then the overall unified body works as one.

In Ephesians, Paul uses the same metaphor to describe the church. But instead of focusing on the individual gifts, he shows how the "joints and ligaments" bring us all together under the direction of "the head" who is Christ. And the cement that brings us all together is love.

So, this is the vision: Jesus is the Head; we are all members; if we all value each other and listen to the Head, we will grow into the unity that He intends for us. "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him, who is the Head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Eph. 4: 15-16).

What's keeping you from loving all the parts of the body? What's keeping you from faithfully doing your part?

Kingdom Paradoxes

The Kingdom of God is full of paradoxes. Here's three: 1) by dying, we live; 2) by becoming least, we become greatest, and; 3) it is in giving that we receive.

And notice that each of these three paradoxes must be experienced in order to be fully realized.

1) I must first die in order for life to be released. We do not experience the resurrection until we have first experienced the death. We must be plunged under the waters of baptism before we are raised up from them. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9: 24). "For if you live according to the [flesh], you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live" (Rom. 8: 13).

2) Similarly, I do not try to climb to the top of the ladder of greatness in my own strength. Instead, I must first humble myself in service to others, then God can exalt me. "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matt. 23: 11-12). Jesus is the model of humble service who we should seek to emulate (see Php. 2). "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10: 45).

3) And finally, generosity is the doorway to prosperity. "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6: 38). "'Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it" (Mal. 3: 10).

These last two scriptures have often been hijacked by a wing of charismatic Christianity that focuses on prosperity as the goal of Christian life. Let me reframe the discussion.

I learned a lesson from John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard Movement, many years ago. Yes, we must learn to give generously, so that God can then give back to us. But not as an end in itself. When I am blessed by God, it now puts me in a place to be MORE generous. As he used to say: "We don't just give to get. We give to get, so that we can give more." And it is experiencing the virtue of generosity that becomes the real blessing in my life, not the accumulation of material possessions.

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God" (2 Cor. 9: 11).

Have you experienced the grace of giving in your Christian life? Just like the living/dying and least/greatest paradoxes, it begins with a counter-intuitive act. First we die, and only by that act of faith do we experience life. First we serve, and only by that act do we experience exaltation. First we give, and only by that act do we experience true prosperity.

Finally, don't expect it to be easy. It is hard, and intentionally so. It is the only way that our faith is truly tested. "'Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty..."

Father's Day for the Fatherless

Several times this last week, I started to think, "I have to get a Father's Day Card..." and then I remembered that my father is gone. With my wife's father deceased many years and not having any children myself, what do I have to look forward to on Father's Day?

Besides, isn't Father's Day and Mother's Day (and Grandparent's Day, and Valentine's Day, and Left-Handed Golfer's Day, and Adopt-a-Person-to-Send-a-Card-To Day, etc...)--aren't they all just a marketing ploy by the Greeting Card Industry to bilk me out of a few more dollars?

Lord, please save me from such cynicism.

Actually, even if the Greeting Card Industry does benefit, I think it is always a good day to remember people for their own special contribution to our lives. And why not have special days for fathers and mothers who, in their parenting roles, have sacrificed so much for us?

The Fifth Commandment, restated in Deuteronomy, says, "Honor your father and mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you" (Deut. 5: 16).

Now, I know that some people have experienced varying levels of parenting--from Ozzie & Harriet Nelson to Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne. And some people have a hard time thinking anything good about their parents. I have a lot of grace for people who are processing their childhood "stuff."

The goal of recovery should be to resolve the painful feelings so that we can let go of any negative bonds of attachment that keep us in a state of unresolved anger, fear, resentment, etc. Only when we grieve the loss of the parent we didn't have can we make peace with the parent that exists in reality. This is when we can actually grow. We can be healthier than our parents.

If I can do that, I will actually bring them honor, by being the best me I can be. You see, true Christian discipleship is not for the faint-hearted.

For myself, I am actually looking forward to this coming Sunday. I worked through all my issues long ago and I learned to love the man who was actually my dad. I will take the time to remember my father and thank God for him, warts and all, because I am largely the man I am because of him.

And I will listen to a sermon that will be preached by my Youth Pastor, who is a newly minted father, and celebrate the wonder of God's plan that places our tender, vulnerable lives in the hands of two maturing adults who must learn as they go.

I will "Honor my father and mother" and reap the reward "that I may live long and it may go well with me in the land."

Processing Loss

I have experienced more than my share of death this year. This Saturday will be my fourth memorial service for someone I knew. Although I have made peace with God in such a way that I am not really afraid of death any more, nor am I surprised by it--yet, I find myself a little worn down by it.

Well-meaning Christians will counsel that "We know they are in a better place" and "Faith sees beyond our current circumstances" and "Death has lost its sting." Yes, I agree with all those statements. Yes, I know in my heart that God has conquered death and Hades through the work of Christ. Yes, I know that death is not the end of life, merely a passage to the next.

Yet, I am human. And loss is a natural phenomenon that we experience as we contemplate the end of a relationship here. As Elizabeth Kübler-Ross described in her famous work, On Death and Dying, we go through predictable stages as we face loss: denial, anger, bargaining, sadness/depression, and acceptance.

I do not believe it is wrong to grieve and mourn those who have gone before us. In order to come to acceptance, we need to go through the natural process in order to learn and to grow.

"We grieve, but not like the rest of men who have no hope."

What does that mean? We grieve, which is only natural, like breathing--yet there is a sense of hope that keeps our grief from becoming debilitating. For the Christian, our souls are sustained by the living Spirit of God, who is the "parakletos," that is, "the one who comes alongside" to encourage and strengthen.

So, I will not feel shame for being human and grieving for the many losses I've experienced this year. But, I will go to God and ask for His comforting Presence to encourage and strengthen me as I place my hope in Him.

In one of my favorite movies, Shadowlands, Joy Gresham tells C. S. Lewis that he must stop avoiding loving, because it is really avoiding the inevitable losing that it entails. "The pain now is part of the happiness then. That's the deal," she says to him before she dies.

And at the end of the movie, he has learned to embrace joy and pain. The closing voice-over says it all:

"Why love if losing hurts so much? I have no answers now; only the life I've lived. The boy chose safety; the man chooses suffering. The pain now is part of the happiness then; that's the deal."

No Regrets

This last Saturday I got the news that my father had passed away.

We had just celebrated his 90th birthday in December and I knew he had a sense that it would be his last. It is a long drive for me (about 8-9 hours).  But I knew it was important for me to get there.

I happened to be in Arizona at a conference, so I had to drive back to Southern California before I could make the trek to Northern Cal.  Of course, all that drive time allowed me space to think about my relationship with my dad.

Although my father was a constant presence in my life--always home at 4:30, 4 weeks of vacation every year--he was not very demonstrative with his feelings.  I grew up wondering if I was loved, or maybe if I was love-able.  A lot of my personal growth involved letting go of the need for my father to demonstrate his love and accepting him for who he was.

Once I had done that, I came to a peace and acceptance of the dad I really did have.

And I found out that I liked him. He was intelligent, yet kind and gentle.  And I knew he was rooting for me to succeed in life.  And even though he couldn't express it easily, I know that he loved me.  And I can say without reservations, that I loved him.

And with his passing, I realize that all that work in recovery was worth it.  I feel at peace and I have no lingering regrets.

Paul says, "Let no debt remain outstanding, but the continuing debt to love one another..." (Rom. 13:8).

Are you working to clear the ledgers in your life so that you can say there are no regrets? The work we do now will reap benefits later.  I speak from experience.

The Christian and Grief

I am feeling saddened this week.  Becky Wells, our Children's Ministry Director, passed away suddenly on Friday night.  She was a member since the planting of our church 10 1/2 years ago.  She was also a member of our Board of Directors.

The suddenness of her death was shocking.  She was expected at her oldest son's house Friday night where she was going to spend time with her week-old grandson.  But, evidently, she stopped by her high-security office building to do something at work.  They found her on Saturday slumped over her desk.

Christians often go through a lot of emotional conflict when they try to deal with this kind of tragedy.

In the book of Job, his associates who come to comfort him after his losses, although speaking many words of wisdom, failed to comfort their grieving friend.

"Miserable comforters are you all!" (Job 16: 2).

Yes, we know that Becky is in a better place.  Yes, we know we are all destined to join her.  Yes, we realize that God is sovereign and we all submit to His wisdom and knowledge.  These truths, though spoken with conviction by well-intentioned comforters, often fail to comfort the grieving.

You see, we are still human.   We feel the pangs of grief like everyone else.  We shake our heads in disbelief when we think of all the good things about the person we've lost.  We begin to feel a deep sense of loss when we consider what might have been.  Some may even feel a lot of regret over unresolved issues.

Sometimes the best comfort we can provide to the person who is grieving is our presence.  The reassurance that, as the person goes through the grieving process, we will tarry with them.

Job's friends sat with him in silence for seven days.  This was probably the most comforting thing they could do.  But Job's expression of grief in chapter 3 was too hard to listen to.  They had to correct Job, they had to try and fix him, set him right and defend God against his compaints.  And their attempts just made things worse.  It increased Job's pain, instead of bringing him comfort.

"If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom" (Job 13: 5).

In the end, the comfort that Job was seeking came only with the arrival of God Himself.

"My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you..." (Job 42: 5).

It is only the presence of God that can bring the comfort we need.  Christians indeed grieve, but not like those "who have no hope" (1 Thes. 4: 13).  We look to God Himself to respond with His comforting presence.  And those of us who seek to help would do well to simply tarry with the one who is grieving, looking for God's presence to do what we cannot.

Simple Instructions

I think the most complex set of instructions I've ever had to struggle with were for my patio barbeque.  And it didn't help matters that the English was probably translated by a non-native speaker at a factory somewhere in Asia.

It made me think, "What are the simplest instructions in my house?"  The truth is, I deal with them every day.  They are on my shampoo bottle:
1.  Lather
2.  Rinse
3.  Repeat

In Matthew 22, a teacher of the law asked Jesus what the greatest single law from the Torah was.  Jesus answered, "Love God."  And secondarily, "Love your neighbor."  Jesus wraps up his discussion by saying, "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matt. 22: 40).  Or to paraphrase it, "This sums up the Torah."

So, you could say that the entire ethical imperative of Torah may be as simple as that bottle of shampoo.
1.  Love God
2.  Love People
3.  Repeat

What would our world look like if the Church were involved in fulfilling those two simple commands, and then kept doing it over and over again?

Love This Election

We're in the final week of a very hotly contested election season. And people from all parts of the political spectrum have contributed to the generally acrid environment. I find myself feeling pretty upset at times.

In the midst of such malevolence, is it possible for Christians to live out the clear command of Christ in John 13: 34, "Love one another"?  And the even more difficult command in Matt. 5:44, "Love your enemies"?

If you are an apprentice of Jesus, hopefully it has dawned on you by now that the Christian life is IMPOSSIBLE to live.  That is, it is impossible if you are merely living it in the power of the flesh. The "flesh" is Paul's way of talking about the life whose volition is still centered in the sensual self.

"With God, all things are possible."

In 1st Corinthians, Paul contrasts the "fleshly" person with the "spiritual" person. The Holy Spirit is given so that we can live out of a new volitional center--our spirit, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our sensual, ego-centered self does not disappear, but becomes submissive to our new God-center.

Christ is the hope of the world. But he is making his appeal through us, his apprentices in kingdom living.  If we truly want to be the salt and light that we have been called to be, we will cry out to him to supply the power to truly love others, yes even political foes. Christ died for all.  Can we love those whom He loves, regardless of politics?  The answer lies in the transformation of our hearts, through the power of the indwelling Spirit, so that we operate under the rulership of God--true Kingdom living.

What would this election season look like if the church became The Church and Christians began loving one another--even their political opponents--like Christ loves us all?  Just a thought.