Lights

Love everyone… This includes people who think differently than you, difficult people, and those who have hurt you.

Feed the hungry and give water to the thirsty.

Visit the prisoner.

Provide for the widow

Care for the orphan.

Invite in the stranger and immigrant.

Be hospitable.

Clothe the naked.

Care for the sick.

Stand up for the marginalized and defenseless ones.

Be humble.  Treat others as better than yourself.

Speak carefully.

Be slow to anger.

Don’t show favoritism towards the rich, famous, or powerful.

Don’t love money and don't be a slave to it.  Be wise and generous with your finances.

Practice justice.

Give mercy.

Shelter the homeless.

Don’t envy.

Don’t be selfish.

Make peace whenever possible.

Be gentle, kind, and caring.

Don’t be arrogant and boastful.

Be patient.

Use your gifts to help others.

Be self-controlled.

Don’t be hypocrites.

Speak the truth but don’t be a jerk about it.

Be trustworthy.  People should believe what you say.

Don’t talk bad about others.  Gossip and slander are destructive.

Do good deeds.  Even when it’s hard.  Even when others don’t.

Be respectable.  Live so you have a good reputation with others.

Do what is right, even if you suffer for it.

Don’t drink, eat, party, or anything else to excess.

Be clear-minded and alert.

Serve others even when it means sacrificing your own comfort, especially if it means sacrifice.

Treat those older than you with respect and those younger as brothers and sisters.

If someone has screwed up in life, restore them gently.

Don’t listen to liars, idiots, or those who stir up trouble.

Respect and obey the government so.  Even the ones you didn’t vote for.

Don’t fight with one another and don’t be quarrelsome and divisive.

Don’t sleep around, treat your body and others with respect.

Be a good example.

Take care of your own family, whether you like them or not.

Live with joy and contentment even in tough times.

Be generous and willing to share.

Respect your parents and treat your kids well.

Treat your spouse well.

Forgive those who have hurt you.  Quickly.

Don’t take what doesn’t belong to you.

Be honest in your business dealings.

Don’t be a slave to pleasure and entertainment.

Study God’s word and teach them to others.

Don’t put up with false teaching.

Pray.

It’s not about gimmicky services.  It’s not about ‘relevant’ music.  It’s not about being seeker sensitive.  It’s not about bigger and better props.  It’s not about rock star preachers and self-help messages.  It’s not about growth at any price.  It’s not about hooks to get them in the door so we can spring the trap on them.  It’s not even about us versus them. 

We shouldn’t have to paint up the gospel like a $20 hooker in order to try to attract people.  P.T. Barnum showmanship and used-car-salesman trickery have no place in the body of Christ.  If you believe that ostentatious glitter and flashy extravaganzas are what is required to for people to come to belief, then that suggests to me that you don’t believe that the gospel is enough yourself.

Neither should we be the obnoxious and arrogant evangelists who beat people with a twisted gospel or try to trick them into hearing it with cartoon tracts and baited questions.  Protest signs, angry words, and megaphones have no place here either.

It’s about a radically gentle, life-changing love that affects us enough to become living evidence to others.  It’s about individual, personal change and the struggle of daily turning towards God and His way, as evidenced in the list above.  It’s about walking together through good times and hard times.  It’s about turning away from the world of self-aggrandizement, self-enrichment, and selfish pleasure.  That was the message at the beginning and that is the only relevant message in a world of distraction and dissipation that we live in today.

If our lives actually reflected change, people might actually see our deeds and realize the truth of God’s message.  It’s almost as if that’s in the Bible (Matthew 5:16, 1Peter 2:12)

The message of the cross is offensive only because it acknowledges the evil in all of us, even those who think they are good people.  And,it offers grace to everyone, even those we don’t like or we don’t feel deserve it.  If we offend people with the gospel for any other reason, we are not being faithful to the message. 

Read the above list* again.  This is what a follower of Jesus looks like.  I think that the rest of the world would have much less problems with ‘Christians’ if more of us looked like this.

Do your deeds reflect God’s message? 

Do your actions demonstrate your faith?

Does your life show that you believe in something that matters?  Does your growth and discipleship demonstrate a way that might help others?  Do your actions exhibit a faith that is a light to others?

If your friends, coworkers, family, and neighbors didn’t know you went to church services, would they still know you were a follower of Jesus?

Perhaps it is time for each individual in the church and the church as a whole to take Peter’s advice in 1Peter 3:3-4.

³Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Let us become lights to this world through our quiet but active devotion to our God and to the people around us.  Let each of us be like a simple, single candle burning in the darkness instead of trying to be garish neon facades like the Las Vegas strip.

* this list is a compilation of exhortations and admonitions taken from the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament.

Eavesdropping - Part II

7:00 am. Again, sitting in an almost empty classroom waiting for Biology class to start. Surfing the net on my laptop.

Girl 1 and Girl 2 are again sitting somewhere behind me having a conversation. The same two girls from the last Eavesdropping blog. (http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/08/eavesdropping.html)

Girl 1, “You know, Jews don’t proselytize. They don’t push their religion off on other people. I really respect that.”

Girl 2, “ Yeah, me too.”

I have no idea who these girls are, but again, I wonder if they have ever really thought through their beliefs and ideas.

I want to ask the question, “If you believed in something that separated you from others, that changed your life, and ultimately gave you meaning and answers, as well as a promise of salvation from death…wouldn’t you want to share it with others? “

Penn Gillette, an outspoken atheist addressed this same question, asking, “How much would you have to hate someone not to proselytize them?

I see plenty of bumper-sticker Christianity out there, pithy sayings on cars, silly prayers before ball games, and contrived conversations to ‘lead people to Christ.’ I also see guys standing on street corners with megaphones and signs or sitting at basketball games with signs that say John 3:16.

I don’t want to be those people. I know my life, I know the person I was before I began following Jesus, and I know how far I’ve come. I want to share this.

I never did speak with those girls. I hope they learn to think through their beliefs and ideas.

I pray that someone who knows them and cares will share God’s love with them.

Ten Things in the Bible that People Always Seem to Get Wrong

Ten Things in the Bible That People Always Seem to Get Wrong

Whether it is cultural bias, twisting scripture to prove their own selfish points, or good old fashioned ignorance, there are some scriptures that people always seem to get wrong. Here are ten of the most common:

Number 10: Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Mom loved to quote scripture to get you to clean behind your ears. The problem is, it ain’t in the Bible.

Number 9: God helps those who help themselves. Nope, that ain’t in there either.

Number 8: Judge not, lest ye be judged. Matthew 7:1-5. I’ve included this in other lists. This is not an instruction forbidding wise judgment, but an instruction against hypocrisy.

Number 7: The entire book of Revelation. Lots of people read parts of this book and then figure that they know how it’s all going to end and how God is coming back. They see black helicopters and marching soldiers and the Antichrist in everybody from Hitler to Saddam Hussein to Barack Obama.

Number 6: Health & Wealth Gospel. Flip on channel 21 and chances are you’ll see someone telling you that if you have just enough faith, then God will make you rich and healthy and happy. That’s great, but that isn’t in the Bible. O, they will take various scriptures such as Isaiah 53:5 or Matthew 7:7-8 to prove their point, but only by twisting the original meaning and ignoring verses like Luke 18:18-23, 1Timothy 6:9-11 (see below) and John 15:19-20.

Number 5: 1Timothy 6:9-11 Money is the root of all evil. Actually, the verse says, that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Hmmmm Enron, Bernie Madoff, our current mortgage crisis…. It’s almost as if God knew what He was talking about!

Number 4: Matthew 18:19-20. Where three or more are gathered in my name, I am there with them. This is used in a lot of beautiful communion meditations to say that God is present when we meet together for fellowship. It is also used as a health and wealth scripture. But, if you take this back to Matthew 18:15-20, then you see he is speaking about discipline for those who are refusing correction, specifically, someone who has sinned against a brother and then is recalcitrant about fixing it.

Number 3: Thou shalt not kill. Another verse that everyone seems to know in the King James. It is actually a law against murder, not all killing. A soldier doing his job is not covered by this law. A person using deadly force to defend their life or the life of another is not covered by this. A police officer or an executioner doing their duty are not covered by this.

Number 2: 1Timothy 2:11-13 Women don’t serve in church. I have, at times, run into people (mostly women, believe it or not) who don’t believe that women should serve in church, speak in church, or do anything else that might smack of leadership or teaching because of this scripture. In doing so, they disregard Mary, Phoebe, Priscilla, Lydia, Junia, Deborah, Esther, and a whole mess of other ladies in the Bible who did serve God, who did lead God’s people, who did teach, preach, prophesy, etc.

Number 1: Speaking of gender issues. Ephesians 5:22-24. Wives must submit to their husbands or else!!! This verse has been used countless times as an excuse for an overbearing jerk of a husband to beat his wife, dominate her, and/or control her life. Conveniently, he will always skip Ephesians 5:21 and Ephesians 5:25-29. Men are actually held to a much higher standard of submission to their wives in these verses.

Tomorrow: Ten Books of the Bible that are Worth Your Time to Read

Ten Things in the Bible That I Wish Christians Would Move Past For Awhile

Top Ten Things In the Bible That I Wish Christians Would Move Past For Awhile

I will probably get hate mail and arguments on this one. Sacred cows are so hard to kill. It isn’t that some things are necessarily un-biblical or that they aren’t something to be educated about, it is just that I think we get sidetracked on our own pet issues and forget that our job is to make disciples, to share the Gospel of grace for the lost, and to put our religion into practice by helping the poor, supporting widows, adopting orphans, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, etc. The message of the cross is offensive because it promises grace to all who sin (but they have to recognize their sin) if they believe. Why are we offending people with side issues?

Before you read more, please note that I could argue each of these point much more, but my very point is that I believe we spend too much time on these items. Also, this is my blog and therefore my opinions. Take them as you will.

Number 10: The End. The book of Revelation. More specifically, End Times Theology (A.K.A. Eschatology). As a pastor, I have to know the four Orthodox views and understand their strengths and weaknesses, but everyone else needs to read Matthew 25 and understand our job is to be ready, not to force current events into a tight mold of what we think might happen. (For the record, I don't think that Obama is the Anti-Christ.) This issue of eschatology distracts us from the real message of grace and gets us into pointless debates over an issue that is ultimately God's responsibility, not ours. Our responsibility is readiness.

Number 9: The Beginning. Creation and Evolution. Genesis 1:1 is important, because it is the start of faith. God created all things. As to the rest of Genesis 1 & 2, it is not a literal science textbook. Those that take this as an exact, literal, word for word explanation (with no regard for the poetic style of the language) of creation end up with crazy ideas like dinosaurs walking around with people. This issue distracts us from the real message of grace and confuses non-believers about what we are about.

Number 8: John 3:16. Yes, it is a beautiful look at God’s love and grace. But, if I see one more John 3:16 sign at a football game or held by some scraggly looking weirdo on the street corner yelling at me through a bullhorn, I might just start throwing things. Do you really think that is an effective way to reach people? Is that what Jesus did? Is that what the apostles did? I don’t think so.

Number 7: Denominations. In light of 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 and Ephesians 4:1-6, how can we still hold ourselves separate from one another and still believe we are being faithful to our calling? Whether you are Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Church of Christ, Nazarene, Methodist, et. al, you are my brothers in Christ. Much of what we have split over in the past are minor issues of interpretation and worship style. Ditch the names on the sign, seek unity with other bodies and just follow Jesus.

Number 6: Legalism. Forbidding rated R Movies, card playing, dancing, and alcohol as well as legalistic attempts at following Old Testament Laws. Hello, I have a book to introduce you to: Galatians. We aren’t supposed to add to the law or try to carry the law anymore. Growth in Christ comes from relationship with God not from artificial rules. Choosing out Rated R movies has two issues: first, try reading the Old Testament, it is Rated R in many parts and NC17 in others; second, there are some excellent rated R movies that deal with powerful issues and there are some PG and PG-13 that are terrible and offensive. Instead of blanket condemnation, try using your discernment, that’s why God gave it to you. As to card playing and dancing, they aren’t even in the Bible. Drunkeness is forbidden, but not the use of alcohol. Finally, the most devout legalists that I have met still disregard some of the law. Try reading James 2:10. I have yet to meet a legalist who does not cut the forelocks of his hair or clip his beard (Leviticus 19:27).

Number 5: Prayer of Jabez and Health/Wealth Gospel. God loves you and wants you to be rich, just buy my book for $34.95 and you will learn how God can make you rich. To quote the late, great poet Janis Joplin (luv you Janis), “O Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz.” This is a popular movement today in our consumerist, materialistic society. It completely disregards the message of Jesus of course and has no basis whatsoever in the Bible, but Oh well, it’s easier to believe. I frankly think that we need to focus on getting all materialism out of the church. This has to be a teaching and discipling choice. If children are starving, if people are going without necessary health-care, if anyone is homeless; how can we in good conscience waste our money on fancy cars, too large homes, gigantic flat panel t.v.’s in every room, and eating out at restaurants every night? When I read the Bible, I see us called to generosity, to giving, to sacrifice.

Number 4: Consumer Church with a self-help message. My wife and I began visiting other church’s for a Saturday service, one where we could go and hear God’s word without working during church. We visited several local mega-churches (because they were the only ones with Saturday services). We found one excellent one at North Phoenix Baptist, but we happened to visit on the last time they were doing it. Bummer. So we visited several others. The main message of these services was self-help- feel-good-about-yourself. No Bibles were ever opened and, if God’s word was quoted, it was a side note that supported the preacher’s talking point instead of being the focus of the message. Church is not an entertainment option, but a calling to change and grow by following God's word. The Bible is not about self-help but about serving God and others. God's word isn't about what's in it for me, but who I'm supposed to be.

Number 3: Sex. Can I say that word in church? For many years, the church as seen this as a forbidden topic. I call this ‘La-La Theology,’ that is, cover your ears with your hands, squeeze your eyes shut, and yell la, la, la, la, la at the top of your lungs so that you don’t accidentally have to hear or see it. Well, the simple fact of the matter is God created sex and trust me, it is good. If our message to kids is abstinence only, followed with, “wait till you get out of college to get married,” we set them up to fail. The church must teach about it, teach the glory of it in a healthy marriage, teach about all the surrounding issues – essentially, we cannot ignore it. Hey, it’s all over the Bible.

Number 2: Church on Sunday. Church is a body of people who worship together, serve together, and reach out to their friends, family, and neighbors. It is not supposed to be a habitual gathering for 90 minutes on Sunday that has no effect on your life throughout the week. Our faith is something to be lived, to be put into action, to be seen by others in such a way that it brings Glory to God. I don’t see very much of that.

Number 1: Homosexuality condemnation verses. How can you expect those who do not follow God to live up to His law? Further, every person who is homosexual also has lied, cheated, hated, gossiped, and committed a multitude of other sins. JUST LIKE ME! JUST LIKE YOU! Why do we focus on this one thing without sharing the message of grace for all sin. It seems that each generation of Christians chooses some sin to be worse than all others to rant about. Thirty years ago it was divorce. Fifteen years ago it was abortion. I even believe that you can be homosexual and come to Christ. Whoa! When I see groups like Westboro Baptist or Steven Anderson’s church in Tempe, I am disgusted because they have forgotten the grace and gentleness with which Jesus dealt with people. The only time he got angry with people was when he dealt with hypocritical religious zealots who hurt other people with their legalistic view of God’s law. (http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/05/apology.html). I will write more on this topic another time, because there is another side to discuss within the church, but for now, I’ll leave it at this.

Number 0: That's right, I am making this list 11 things. It's my blog and I can do that if I want. Politics. Look up at the front and center of your church building. Is that a cross up there or is it a flag. Do you have to where your elephant shaped badge to get in the building? We need to remember 1Timothy 2:1-3 and Romans 13:1-7. Are we praying to the idol of America or are we faithfully serving God by discipling and spreading the Gospel?

Conclusion:

As I said earlier, some of these things have value and should be discussed, but I believe that many of them distract from our central message. When we fight amongst ourselves over petty issues, when we berate non-believers for actions instead of showing them love, when we try to legislate God’s word to change behavior without changing hearts, we forget the central message of the cross. Grace and Love towards those who are in sin and hurting, and exhortation towards growth for those within the church.

Tomorrow: Top 10 Things I Wish Non-Chrisitans Would Get Over.

Spiderman and Jesus

A few years ago, I traveled with a group of guys to a Promise Keepers convention. There were thousands of men going into a stadium to hear about Christ and to be challenged to change their lives. Primarily due to misunderstanding of the message, there were many people protesting the conference. Because of the possible threat of violence from these groups, the stadium had hired outside security for crowd control.

As we entered the arena, I passed one of these fellows. Spiderman. No, not Peter Parker, but a 6 feet tall biker type. Shaved head. Muscular with a shirt that said Security on it, black jeans and combat boots. Both ears pierced multiple times. Oh yeah, and tattoos. Lots of them. Both arms were sleeved in tatts. But, what drew the eye was the spider web tattoo that covered his face and head. Centered on his upper lip, the spider web went down his neck around his cheeks, over his forehead and back over his shaved pate. Spiderman. If you saw him coming at you down the street, you’d be afraid. In a dark alley, you’d run for your life.

All I could think at the time was, “You’d think Promise Keepers would do a better job of vetting the people working at their events.” Why would they let a guy like that work at one of their events?

Later, while the event was going on, I got up to use the restroom. As I returned to the seating area, they had started singing, “Amazing Grace.” There, in the back of the seating area, I saw him again. Spiderman. This great big biker type, covered with tatts and piercings was stomping to the music with his hands raised to heaven and his head bowed. With tears streaming down his face, he was sweetly singing the words to Amazing Grace – “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, to have saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see…”

Jesus tells a parable of a religious man and a sinner who went to the temple. The religious man stood proudly and prayed loudly, thanking God that he wasn’t like the sinner and reminding God of all of the ways the religious man had served God this week. The sinner on the other hand stayed far off and tore his clothes and beat his breast crying out, “God, have mercy on me a sinner.”

I never met Spiderman personally, but I’m pretty sure of which one he was in this parable and which one I was. I don’t know what his story was, but his history was written all over his face and body.

Because I don’t have my sins and scars on the outside of my body, it’s easy to forget that I have a history too. It’s a lot easier to pretend that I’ve got it all together and don’t need nearly as much grace as those sinners do.

The lesson Jesus teaches me time and time again is that I am a wretch who is broken and screwed up beyond belief. And, I need His grace as much as any other tattooed sinner out there. I belong on my knees, tearing my clothes, beating my breast, and weeping at my condition. “God, have mercy on me a sinner.”

Thank you, Spiderman.

On Hope

This blog originally published Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at 6:00pm

In a recent blog, I was tagged by several people for what they saw as a lack of hope. So, I thought I would address the issue of hope.

There are two kind of people in the world: those that divide the world into two kinds of people and those that don’t. I am in the first bunch. I always seem to be dividing things into two categories.

For example, there are two kinds of hope… There is the hope that God provides. This is the hope of resurrection and new life. This type of hope is a gift to those that believe in Jesus Christ. This is a wonderful hope for those who believe.

The other kind of hope is the hope that God gives the world. This is the hope that comes from God’s Kingdom. It is a hope for all. And, it is this message of hope that is so very important, the hope that may lead some to believe.

The first hope comes with faith in God and Christ His Son. The second hope comes from community action by God’s people, the ones who have been changed by faith.

Now, it seems to me that the church has historically focused on the first type of hope. I for one am not a pie-in-the-sky, waitin-for-heaven type of Christian. I'm a man who believes that actions speak much louder than words. I believe that the Bible is quite clear in its message that God’s Kingdom is here and now. Jesus began it, the apostles spread it, we are called to continue it and someday, Jesus will return to complete it.

There must be some reason that God doesn't take us away from this world when we believe, and this is it - He wants us to bring hope. A little of God’s Kingdom travels with each and every believer who goes out and touches the world around them. It is this little bit of the Kingdom that brings some little light of hope in a dark world.

Christianity is rapidly growing everywhere in the world but in the United States and Europe. Here, it is declining. We have to ask, “Why?” These people need God just as much as the rest of the world. It doesn’t take much effort to see the spiritual darkness, moral bankruptcy , and emotional desperation around us. It all comes down to a lack of hope. This is the reason that the people of our culture self-medicate with entertainment, toys, ambition, and syncretic spirituality. They are looking for hope, but just don’t know where to find it.

Yet, you might say, “But there is a church in every neighborhood, so the lack of Christianity is not the problem.

Well, kudos on getting the first part right. We are swamped with churches.

But, I firmly believe that, though there are many churches, and many people in the churches; there is a terrible lack of Christians in churches. There are a lot of people sitting in churches who have missed the message of action.

The lack of hope in this world is due to a lack of Christian action. When believers move, amazing things happen.

God’s word spreads.

Hope grows.

I know several wonderful Christians, who, though life has not been easy for them, have taken God’s call to action seriously. Instead of focusing on themselves, they reach out to others. They make a difference. They spread hope.

I also know many others who call themselves Christian. Maybe they attend church this week and maybe they don’t. Maybe they donate a pittance to church or charity and maybe they don’t. These are the people who complain about the music in church instead of recognizing the worship is for God, not them. These are the ones who bounce churches, because they ‘aren’t being fed’ (more on that topic another time). These are the ones who rarely if ever do anything to bring God’s Kingdom here and now. There is much that could be written about these Christians, but fortunately, they are few.

The last kind of Christian is the real problem. This is by far the largest group. They are the rank and file pew-sitters. They don’t maliciously ignore God. There’s no ulterior motive behind their apathy. They just don’t have time for Him and His work. They are so polluted by the same busy-ness, the need for entertainment, the same ambitious drive for more stuff; that they have little or no positive effect on the world. They could bring God’s Kingdom, but they are just too busy. They never hear God’s call to turn their faith to action because they never turn down their iPod. They don’t kill hope, they just let it slowly die.

Where self-centeredness is high, hope is low.

Whether you like James’ epistle or look at it as Luther’s ‘right epistle of straw,’ the truth is that scripture calls us to put our faith in action. We are to be a light among men. We are to act justly and to love mercy. We are to care for widows and orphans. We are to do good deeds to bring praise to our Father in Heaven. We are to invest the talents He gives us. We are to spread hope. Hope.

Hope comes from us, from God’s people moving. The positive message here is that the few people who do act, accomplish some amazing things. They bring hope to lives by being a friend to the elderly, by adopting unwanted children, by helping a friend paint their house, by babysitting for a single mom, by giving to charity, by volunteering, by helping the homeless, by sharing from their larder with someone who is hungry…They bring Hope by doing.

There just aren’t enough of these people out there. We need more.

This is a call to action. This is a call to wake up.

If you are that Christian who is always too busy, this is for you. The simple message from God’s word is that He actually expects something from you. No, we can’t earn God’s grace, but that doesn’t mean He wants us to sit on our duffs, warming pews, but having no other effect on the world.

In case you missed the message, I am talking to you. As the song, 'Madly' says; "Let what we do in here, fill the street out there."

Let's get off our duffs, get our hands dirty, and get to work.

Bring the hope.

Three Little Sheep + 1

This blog originally posted Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Current mood: quixotic Category: Religion and Philosophy

The Story of the 3 Little Sheep + 1

Three little sheep to church they went
To hear God's word that's heaven sent.
They sit in the pews side by side
But the difference in their faith is quite wide.

You see…
sheep number one he's new to the fold,
Daily telling his testimony in a way so bold
He gives his money his life, and his time
To serve Jesus his Lord and let God's Glory shine.

No, He doesn't have everything right,
Not a bible expert, but he reads it each night
His old friends think its a strange thing
How it's changed his life and this has truth's ring.

They wonder at how he volunteers his time
And is generous with money, every dime
He no longer parties or smokes or drinks
What a strange thing he's got or so they think.

But someday the time comes, when things go wrong
Their lives have problems and before too long,
They remember what changed in sheep number one
And ask questions about God and Christ the Son.

Now Sheep number two he follows God
But he looks at sheep one and thinks him odd
Too loud, too weird you'll scare them away
Sheep two tells sheep one every Sabbath day

Don't get me wrong, sheep two loves the Lord,
But with his faith, he has become quite bored
He usually gives some money in the pot
Just like he shows up for church, just not a lot

He sleeps through the prayer and yawns through the songs
He's looking at his watch if the sermon is too long
He accepted Christ early but his faith ain't his own
He just tries to blend in, another church clone.

His friends, all Christians look and act the same
They've got God and will go to heaven, so they claim.
God wants them to have faith to be enjoying,
But He can't get through to them while they're snoring.

Look at the world and look at sheep two
I can't tell much difference and neither can you.
He'll probably go to heaven, when he has died,
But when God sees him, he'll have no pride.

Sheep number three is the worst of the bunch
When it comes to his faith, he's out to lunch
He looks good at church for service on Sunday
But he looks much different the next day on Monday

He cheats on his taxes and beats on his wife
He lies and he gossips and causes great strife
His employees they hate him, malicious and greedy
Ask his lawyer and his girlfriend, they'll tell you he's sleezy.

But on Sunday he's pressed, all nice and shiny
But deep in his heart he is totally slimy
They pass by the plate and he waves his big bill,
But when they look away drops nothing in the till

The world sees sheep three and it gives them fits
Why go to church "They're all hypocrites!"
When he talks, "Jesus is Lord", that's what he'll say,
But when he walks he shows its just not his way.

When he gets to heaven, he's in for a real surprise
That's not where he's goin' not when he dies
He'll say Lord, Lord, but I'm one of your few
and God will tell him, "I don't know you"

For him the road was wide and nicely paved
But the narrow road is the one for those that are saved
He heard God's word, salvation could've been arranged
Now he'll suffer in hell for remaining unchanged.

Now this story is called 3 sheep plus one
We've seen those three, but now just for fun
Lets look at the last, the single, alone
It's for this one that I've written this poem.

He is the unsaved, the worldly sheep
For those whom Christ died to wake from their sleep
To give them eternal life as his greatest gift
To heal their souls of sins deep rift.

This one, alone, this sheep number four
Lives a life of pain and future unsure
He's destined for trouble and just doesn't know it
Unless sheep one through three meet him to show it.

Sheep number one says God is the way,
Don't rock the boat is what the other two say,
Sheep two says don't be pushy or preach,
Sheep three doesn't bother, no need to reach.

If they have their way, sheep one will calm
And the three of them will at church sing their songs
With no effect on the world, no nothing at all
The last sheep remains outside to take the fall

Three little sheep plus one is my story,
I pray to God and give him all of the Glory
I now ask a question, my challenge is true
Which one are you, sheep 1, sheep 3 or sheep 2?

Is your faith real, has it changed who you are,
Or do you keep it small and stored in a jar
Wednesday and Sunday you come into church
Proud of your deeds, mounted on a perch.

But what of the poor, the meek, the unsaved
Jesus brought them a message they craved
If you aren't being salt or a light
They can't see Jesus and that's just not right.

Praying and study are important no doubt,
But what use is faith is f you don't get it out.
Do what God says and give it a start
Serve others and love all to change your heart.

Heed this warning today so that you will know
Test your faith daily so it will grow
If you close your ears and remain sheep 2 or 3
When death comes, who knows where you'll be.

Embers

This blog originally posted Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Current mood: lonely Category: Life

Well, camp is over for the summer. Got done with CIY three weeks ago and Junior High Camp last week.

I'm always a little sad after camp. Every year. It took me a little while to realize why, but now I know. It's community. For one straight week, I get to live in a Christian community, eating, drinking, woshiping, sleeping, playing, etc... all in Christian community. Just like the first church in Acts.

We live, love, laugh, cry, argue, and play together. Every meal is communion. Every thing we do is worship. We are focussed on each other and on God.

I used to think camp was a nice break from the real world. Now, I realize that the real world is an unfortunate break from where I'm supposed to be.

The theme of CIY this year was, "you were never meant to be alone". That is so true. The level of relationship that is achievable in a closeknit Christian community is beyond anything else. And, best of all, it is just a peak at what eternity will be like in pure and total relationship with God.

The unfortunate truth is that our culture has become so 'me' centered and focused on our impassioned search for brief fixes of happiness, that we no longer attempt real community. We have begun to look at church as a community center that is there to provide services to us and not as a family that needs and loves us, a body that we are an irreplaceable part of. No, now we switch churches on a dime because we 'aren't being fed' or because another church has 'better worship'.

This church hopping, which is encoraged by many of the McMega Churches has been terribly destructive to the real relational community that can (and at times has) existed in the past.
Yeah, they have latte's down the street, and 7 services every weekend at the one around the corner. This one has a special group that caters just to my specific interests and that one sends their youth group to Disneyland for free every year.

Can we be honest here? All that is a 2nd rate chasing of the world. Vegas and Hollywood both do a better job and at least they are honest that the glitz and glamour is all fake. We aren't supposed to go to church to be entertained or catered to. We are supposed to worship God in community that is infinitely more joyful than a few moments of passive pleasure.

When did we forget that a relationship requires commitment, time invested, intentional love. How did we lose the knowledge that community is hard to build but infinitely worth it. Where did we misplace the understanding that God wants us to be a body, a family, a relationship?

If you can read this and believe in Jesus, I dare you to reconsider how you look at your faith. Are you a passive recipient of services? Are you a bored occasional visitor? Do you skip going to service because you ahave other 'important' things to do? Are you church hopping or shopping? If you are, open your Bible and look at Acts 2:42-25. That type of vibrant, loving, committed community is what we are supposed to have. It is achievable. It just requires you.
Like any relationship, it requires time. It requires you to be there. It requires you to want to grow closer to other people. It requires you to invest in others. It requires you to serve others. It requires you.

We don't need to reinvent Christianity to appeal to the masses. We just need to return to it.