A Tale of Three Stories

If asked, most people will probably say they believe in God. Most of the parents of kids in our youth groups would also tell you that Christian faith is very important to them. They want their kids to grow up to be solid, well-rounded people of faith. Why is it, then, that so many youth workers struggle to get families to take youth events or attendance seriously? Ask almost any youth leader and you will find that students have calendars full of all kinds of activities, from band to sports to homework, which constantly take a higher priority than youth group involvement. Why do these activities take a higher precedence if parents really believe faith development is important?

One possible answer lies in the back-stories which drive our decision processes. We are all shaped by the larger narratives which help define how we see the world and understand our roles in the church and in society. These narratives, often unspoken, run in the background like the basic operating system of a computer. They help define who we are. They define the framework through which we see the world and make decisions about priorities. As a result, they guide our actions.

In preparation for a summer camp in 2012, three youth ministers recognized this phenomenon and labeled three possible narratives which help shape the contemporary world view of teens and parents These narratives are: The American Narrative, The American Christian Narrative, and the Godly Narrative. A great deal of current research in adolescent identity formation and spiritual development offers conclusions which are compatible with the framework of these narratives. [1]

The American Narrative

In a telling article, Susan Schulten details how the American concept of success began as a Puritan idea concerned with glorifying God. Over the last two hundred plus years seismic shifts have changed the focus of the American Dream.[2] She notes that as the Puritans came to the New World in search of social and religious freedom, they placed a high value on the community as a means to glorify God. To be a valuable, successful person one needed to live for the glory of God and good of the community.

Moving through the eighteenth century and into the industrial revolution, the new ethic became one of consumer rather than producer. The idea of success was not focused on being a valuable member of society in the sense of adding to the community or improving the state of all people. Rather, the dominant picture of success became that of the person who had more money, possessions, and time to enjoy leisure.

This is how we define the American Narrative. It is a world view which is dominated by individualism, consumerism and personal achievement. Motivated by consumer desires, it is largely self-centered and focuses on personal gain, achievement and comfort. Most importantly, it is devoid of any real reliance on God and sees little need for religious or spiritual pursuits.

Having said this, do not be mistaken, the American Narrative can seem very positive and altruistic. A father can expend great amounts of time and energy trying to “get ahead” so that his children will have a better life than he had; missing out on many good points in life with his family along the way. Parents can spend so much time and energy trying to get their kids involved in sports or band or any number of “good things” only to find years later that they never really had a significant relationship with these kids they drove all over the country. They may also find that in the process of giving so much to the kids they have lost themselves, and their marriage has become hollow and empty. Also, Chap Clark has clearly pointed out that when students are driven by their parents to excel, they begin to feel that they have no value in themselves except what is wrapped up in how they achieve.[3] The real tragedy is that their lives can become so consumed with these pursuits that they feel no need for any kind of spiritual pursuit, nor do they really “have time” for it if it does cross their minds.

This narrative drives people to believe that if they are good people who work hard, that is good enough. If they make enough money to have a house and support their kids and take good vacations, their lives are full. Chasing the American Dream, they can be successful and have a fulfilling life without any thought of spiritual things or the need for God.

The American Christian Narrative

The American Christian Narrative is similar to the American Narrative. While, those who live this story still largely chase the American Dream, they also acknowledge the need for cultivating their spiritual lives. The problem is that the American Narrative dominates their thinking. For these people, Christianity is little more than an add-on to their otherwise achievement-focused lives.

In a recent survey, Barna describes adults living this lifestyle as “Casual Christians.”[4] They are perfectly happy going to church once a week, saying prayers at meal times or bed time and giving little or no regard to a deeper relationship with God. This same attitude has been recognized in American teens and labeled as Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (MTD) by researchers in the National Study of Youth and Religion.[5] In Soul Searching, Smith and Denton describe the attitude American teens have toward religion as “benignly positive.”[6] Teens and adults alike, living the American Christian Narrative, see religion as a good thing that helps people be nice and have good morals, but they don’t seem to give it much thought beyond that.

In Almost Christian, Kenda Dean labels this concept as “The Cult of Nice.”[7] She goes on to explain that the faith that many teens are practicing is really not Christianity at all. The true faith has been supplanted by this watered down philosophy of being nice, treating others well, and believing that above all, God wants people to be happy. This is the American Christian Narrative.

Those who live by this story believe that all people are basically good and that happiness is life’s goal. They live their lives believing that success is achievement. They seek personal gain and happiness, appeasing their consciences by filling out a “checklist” kind of religious faith. They are hauntingly similar to the Pharisees whom Jesus criticizes for focusing on the minor things like sacrifices and offerings but ignoring the more important matters of faith and God’s Law.[8] Paul echoes these words in 2 Timothy, describing people in the last days who practice all kinds of disobedience and self-centered actions. He says "they have a form of godliness, but deny its power.”[9]

The Godly Narrative

The Godly Narrative is not about achievement or fulfilling a list of Christian duties or rituals. It is about finding your purpose within the grand story of God. To recognize that our lives are meant to be an extension of something bigger than us lends meaning and purpose to our existence. It grants a new significance to our life choices.

Those who follow this narrative are guided by the belief that God is the reason we are here. We are created for his purposes. He is writing the grand story of which we are privileged to be a part. His story, written throughout all of eternity, is the back drop to our story. Our stories do not make sense and will never find their full meaning until they are lined up with him.

In Almost Christian Dean points out that those students from the NSYR who are labeled as “highly devoted” have four things in common:1. a creed to believe in, 2. a call to live out, 3. a community to belong to, and 4. a hope to hold onto.[10] These priorities line up with the ethic of the Godly Narrative. The basic creed this narrative breathes is that “God is” and he longs for relationship with us. Our calling is to use our gifts and talents in such a way that he is glorified and others are drawn to him. We find community with others who share this vision and are driven by it. Standing together we order our lives by our faith in the clear hope that this world and our present circumstances are not all there is to existence.

Living by the direction of this Godly Narrative, we and our teens can find meaning and purpose in our eternal significance. We make decisions about activities and priorities which are defined by the question, “How do we glorify God with our time and our activities?” Rather than being driven by the ideals of “success by achievement” and anxious self-interest, Christians who are shaped by the Godly Narrative live their lives believing that the Kingdom of God is present now. This narrative drives us to make God’s Kingdom a reality in our lives and usher it into the lives of others.




[1] Dan Henegar, DJ Iverson and Zac Luben developed these concepts over a period of months from January through June of 2012. The material was presented at So Cal Teen Camp for the Churches of Christ in July of 2012. While at camp I, the author, joined with them in discussion about how these concepts lined up with the research findings from the National Study of Youth and Religion, presented in Almost Christian by Kenda Creasy-Dean and Soul Searching by Christian Smith and Melinda Lindquist, as well as the work of Chap Clark in Hurt 2.0, and the Fuller Youth Institute in Sticky Faith.


[2] Susan Schulten, “Success,” in the Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History,Vol.3,eds. Mary Kupiec Cayton and Peter W. Williams (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2001), 3-10.




[3] Hurt 2.0 Chap Clark


[4] George Barna, The Seven Faith Tribes: Who They Are, What They Believe and Why They Matter. Tyndale House, Carol Stream, IL 2006 16.




[5] This study was conducted among American teenagers from 2001 to2005 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both Soul Searching by Smith and Denton and Almost Christian by Dean are based on the findings from this study.


[6] Smith and Denton, Soul Searching, 124-126


[7] Dean, Almost Christian, 25-42.


[8] Matthew 23: 23-24 NIV 1984.


[9] 2 Timothy 3:1-5. NIV 1984.


[10] Dean, Almost Christian, 42

What Are We Doing Here?

Coming out of the COVID pandemic in the past few weeks has prompted me to write and speak about the purpose of the church. In the face of horrific news of two more mass shootings in the past week, this message seems even more important. For this reason I am giving a brief account here of what I've been thinking.

The words of what we know as the Lord’s Prayer are not just flowery language. When Jesus prays, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” he was sincere and sober in his petition.  What we see in the world around us is a clash of kingdoms. The Kingdom of God is contested by the kingdoms of the world and the desires of those who are not aligned with God.

For reasons of free will and factors which I am not wise enough to either understand or explain, this world remains broken. History rolls on with human atrocities and pain 2,000 long years after Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of God to us with power. This is what I and a long list of theologians describe as living in the “already but not yet.” To paraphrase Dallas Willard, the Kingdom of God is a grassroots movement of men and women who show true allegiance to Jesus. This kingdom movement cuts across all lines: ethnicity, gender, nationality and geography. It means that God’s kingdom is present in the lives of his people in the midst of the mess of this world. The Kingdom of God is already present among us, but it is not yet fully realized. God has yet to bring judgment on this world and put an end to evil. We trust that he will do this, but as yet we are called to live and act in ways that introduce his priorities and his love to a world that so frequently rejects and denies him.

The question, “What are we doing here?” is specifically directed toward this priority.  To my beloved Conejo church family and similar members of the body of Christ throughout the world,  I ask, “In the midst of a world that is so out of step with the priorities of Christ, what are we doing here?” The massive negative effects of the pandemic which kept us at home and separated from each other are largely over. So what are we doing now? How are we living differently as the body of Christ in the communities where God has placed us? How are our priorities and Christ-life being lived out in ways that show a different kingdom priority to the community around us?

Part of the answer to these questions rests in the ministry initiatives we have carried on for a long time. At The Conejo Valley Church of Christ, and I am sure in your congregations as well, many of our special programs are designed to continue to tell the only story that matters; the only story that can change lives and bring real hope. When we come together for Good Friday or for Advent activities, we have long tried to approach these days with creativity and passion to make God’s love evident to all who would come and see. When our kids go to camp or enjoy VBS, or on mission trips with the less fortumate, we find many fun and memorable ways to tell them that there is hope and life found in Christ that exists in no other way. Every Sunday, we sing songs of faith and praise. We gather and share in earnest prayer for our world. Each Sunday we gather around the table for communion to remember what God has done on our behalf through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the midst of the shootings and the hatred, the conflict and the brokenness, we hold up a light that shines in the darkness and even this present darkness has not overcome it.

My prayer for each of you, my beloved brothers and sisters, is that you will see that what we do each week, month after month, year in and year out, makes an eternal difference. Please engage. Please bring others into places and events where they can hear and see. Please take part in what God is doing through his body in these places – through us. Please help answer the prayer of Jesus and help his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That, my friends is what we are doing here. To paraphrase authors of Scripture, let us not grow weary or lose heart in doing good.

Please reflect and pray about your part in God’s Kingdom business in your community, your church, your home.

Blessings,

Jack

 

A Step of Faith

When I was a kid, I used to love taking walks in the winter, especially when the snow was on the ground. In the mountains of southern Oregon, the coldest days in the heart of winter left everything covered in white. The roads were a hard sheet of packed snow.  Many days the sun would break through and warm things up just enough that there would be puddles along the side of the road. In the early morning on the way to school, these little frozen puddles were a game just waiting to be played.  They were never more than a few inches deep. The chilling temperatures of the night before would leave them covered in a thin sheet of ice, or perhaps even frozen completely through. That was the game.

I used to seek out these puddles along the way and try to guess if they were frozen solid enough to hold my weight. Finding one and making my guess, I would gingerly step on the ice, hoping it would hold. Often it held, but many times, much to my glee, it would almost hold and then crash away, dropping my foot with a splash. I never really wanted to get my foot wet, out there in the cold, but the thrill of either standing on solid ice or leaping to get my foot out before it soaked my shoe was much more than worth the risk. As I grew bigger, solid ice was harder to find, but my ability to discern what might hold and what might not also grew. Experience had taught me to read the signs and more accurately predict what could hold me and what could not.

Faith is kind of like that. In faith, there exists a tension between the unbelievable and the undeniable. I would never step onto the thin crust of a puddle I thought was deeper than my shoe top, unless I had some strong assurance from puddles around it that it would hold.  At first it might have seemed hard to believe that the temperature the night before was cold enough to freeze such a puddle so solid that I could stand on it. However, if I had experienced enough puddles along the way that had held me, I could conjure up enough courage to step onto that bigger, deeper puddle and hope it would hold. The idea that it could hold me may have seemed unbelievable, but with enough confidence to step on it and then see it hold, the unbelievable became undeniable. I would then encourage my friend or my sister to try it. If it were large enough, we might even see how many of us it would hold before breaking.

In the Gospel of John, the author tells us that he shares these miracle stories – he calls them signs - so that hearing of them we may believe that Jesus is the Son of God. The signs are stories of healing the sick, and amazing tricks like turning water to wine or multiplying bread and fish to feed a crowd, even raising the dead. To us these stories seem utterly impossible – completely unbelievable. However to John, and those who witnessed Jesus do these things and many others, these unbelievable feats became undeniable. They now stand as witnesses to us. They are standing on the frozen pond, deep enough to completely soak any who fall through, saying “Come on out!” They are thrilled to not only stand on the ice, but to run, jump, and skate around in the freedom of knowing it will not fall away under their feet. Are you willing to take the risk and trust the ice to hold you? That first step of faith is the hardest. After that, experience builds confidence and faith slowly brings peace and freedom without fear.

Blessings,

Jack

On Being a Signpost

Let me give you a simple , yet profound insight into making a difference in the world around you: consider being an effective signpost... There, that’s pretty much it.  Just think about being a signpost. That helps, doesn’t it?  . . .  No?  Perhaps I should try to explain.   

Several years ago, when I was first trying hard to take my faith seriously, I ran across a book by John White entitled The Fight: A Practical Handbook for Christian Living. This wonderful little volume helped me put several of the thoughts and feelings I had held most of my life in line and gain a grasp on how to begin to live this new life in Christ with meaning and purpose. One of the illustrations he used that has stuck with me is that of being a signpost. White talks about our call to be witnesses to Jesus. He relates this to the job of a signpost. I have found this to be profoundly helpful. He writes: 

A signpost points to a destination. It matters little whether the signpost is pretty or ugly, old or new. It helps if the lettering is bold and clear. But the essential features are that it must point in the right direction and be clear about what it is pointing to (pp.87-88).  

He goes on to say that most of us don’t really remember much about the signposts along the road. If they serve their purpose, they get us to our destination. We probably don’t think much more about them. A good sign is clear and concise. Its message is clearly and easily understood. It is self-effacing, in that it does not draw attention to itself except to help a traveler see how to reach the destination it is pointing to. As witnesses to Jesus, this is our job as well. Our lives and our faith should be lived simply and clearly so that those we meet who are seeking for God can see our lives pointing in the direction of Christ. It’s really as simple. . .  and complicated as that.

That is the reason I have taken up the practice of soul searching and reflection every year at this time. For me, the 40-day season before Easter has become a yearly routine where I re-examine my role as a signpost. What is my life pointing to? How clear is the message I am giving for those who look on? Were others to follow the direction to which I am pointing, would then end up at Christ?

The author of the Gospel of John shares miracle stories for this specific purpose. He calls them  “signs” performed by Jesus. These acts of wonder are intended to give us reason to believe and live out our faith in Jesus.  If you haven't read through those in awhile, you might do well to spend some time there. While reflecting on those signs and on how Jesus calls us to follow him, you may just find that you are well suited to being a better signpost to those around you. 

Blessings,

Jack

Stop, Drop, and Roll

One of the earliest lessons I remember is the importance of what to do if your clothes ever caught on fire: "Stop drop, and roll!" This was such an important lesson that it was hammered into our memories from kindergarten on. To this day, I have never seen anyone have to use this incredibly important life-saving technique. It seemed so important and urgent to teach to every child. All these years later I don't know anyone who has ever had to use it. How often did they think our clothes were going to catch on fire?

As teens, my friends and I would laugh about this. We wondered if there were other, more practical lessons that should have been taught to us that we never got. We may never have learned how to manage money, how to handle conflict with grace, or how to confront and stop a bully, but if our clothes ever caught on fire, yeah buddy, we were ready!

Thinking about this today, it strikes me that "stop, drop, and roll" may be better advice for our spiritual lives than for us physically. We are all familiar with that to do if we catch on fire, but we are, perhaps, less versed in how to deal with the spiritual crises that sear our hearts and souls almost daily. Looking into Scripture, I think it is clear that God does not want us to remain blatantly sinful. Neither does he want us to carry around an ever-burning load of guilt. When burning under the heat and weight of divine judgement, how does on " stop, drop, and roll?"

This may seem simplistic, but sometimes the best spiritual lessons are simple.

First, when you recognize your sin or your negative, rebellious behavior:STOP. Stop doing it.Stop justifying your behavior. Stop craving and chasing the negative gains if promises. Stop denying you are going against God's best instruction and guidance for your life.

Next, DROP. Drop to your knees and pray for strength. Drop the games and positioning that keep you from being real in the mirror and before God. Drop the habits or behavior that empower this sin. Most importantly remember that in grace God wants to remove your sin from you as far as the east is from the west. Therefore, drop the guilt and accept forgiveness.

Finally, ROLL. Roll on with your life.Decide to sin this way no more. Roll on in in the freedom of new patterns and without the burden of your past. Roll on knowing that it is neither your sin nor your past that defines you. You are defined as a loved, forgiven child of the King. As such, you walk on learning newer , deeper lessons in this life because you have mastered the power of "stop, drop and roll" by the grace of God.

Rolling because of Christ,
Jack

Presidential Election Aftermath, 2016 - What are we to do?

Well it has been a tumultuous season in politics and in our country.  We have been besieged on every side by negative political rhetoric and harsh campaign propaganda. Now that the election is over our fears are far from assuaged!  I have been shocked and saddened by some of the responses I have seen on FB and in the media this past week. What are we to do?

At times like these, in my best moments, I am drawn back to Scripture.  When I ask the question, "What am I to do?," I hear Micah the Prophet answer: “He has shown you, Oh Man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

A threefold answer:

Do justice or act justly – in other words as much as it is up to you, do what is right. Keep yourself above reproach. Stay on track with the Spirit of God in all you say and do, even in the midst of others who do not do the same.

Love mercy – this is a give and receive sort of thing. We all love mercy when it is the mercy of God being extended to us. What about when we are the ones who are called to reach out to others with mercy, with grace, with a gentle answer? Can we love mercy then, more than strife - more than our quick-witted, biting, sarcastic remark that will shut them down or put them in their place? Do we love mercy then?

Walk humbly with your God –  Can we maintain faith that, even with Donald Trump in the White House, God is still on the throne in heaven? Whether you are thrilled that this may mean an end of the Clinton era or whether you are scared to death because of the beginning of the Trump dynamic, can you remain calm and humbly trust that God is still working his purposes in this world – even through this difficult time?

These are the questions, it seems to me, that really matter. Can we, as the people of God, continue to deal respectfully with the people around us - even when we disagree. And can we honor Christ in the way we walk together in the days ahead.

Can we do this? Only time will tell and the true test is totally up to you and me.

For Such a Time as This...

I am sure that most of you reading this are familiar with this poignant phrase from the fourth chapter of Esther. At a crucial time of crisis in her community, for her nation, and for all the people she loved, Esther faced an agonizing decision which could cost her everything. Her cousin Mordecai encouraged her to step out bravely, taking great risks in faith, trusting that God had prepared her, even equipped her, for service precisely for the situation she now faced. This section has long been among my favorite Old Testament Sunday School tales. It challenges me to see myself as an integral part of God’s plan even in difficult times.

The divisive Presidential election season we just came through has felt like a difficult trial at times.  I have heard from, and spoken with, people from all over the spectrum. The one common thread that seems to linger is uncertainty. Uncertainty can lead to fear. For many, the results have led to shock. Left unchecked these feelings can lead to full-blown panic.  What are we to do?

Here, I believe, is where Esther comes in. Not that our situation is exactly like hers. We do not face the wrath of an arbitrary King whose decree seeks to destroy us as a people. Although (I say with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek, and with a wink of my eye) if you listened to some of the rhetoric prior to the election, there are those who would tell you that is exactly what we faced from candidates on both sides of the fence! None the less, our situation is not exactly as grave as Esther’s. Still, I do believe that  you and me, and all Christ-followers living in America today, have been brought to this place for such a time as this.

What our nation needs is faithful people who will live out their loving beliefs in front of an angry, and fear-filled world. What our community needs is faithful men and women on the job, teens in classrooms, and kids on playgrounds who are driven by a solid faith that God is greater than any political squabble. Our world needs to see that even though this election shakes us all in some ways, perhaps to our core, at the true core of who we are, it does not shake our faith in the God who is and will forever be, Lord of all who live.

Our kids at the Conejo Church have been memorizing Psalm 90:2 recently. Perhaps we should follow their lead in re-centering our hearts: “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” Another familiar passage from the King of Israel reminds us, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want…”  Do we believe this? Are we living in such a way that this belief is evident? I encourage you to see that we were given a faith like this for such a time as this. Live it well and spread peace.

Because of Christ,

Jack