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 

Psalm 23 and the Lord's Prayer: An Exercise in Providence

Psalm 23 and Jesus’s prayer from Matthew 6 are two of the most well known passages of Scripture in the modern world. For centuries, believers have memorized and recited these passages because of the comfort and insight they offer. Several years ago, I was fortunate to be part of a class led by Dallas Willard. During that course, a student asked him what had been the most beneficial Spiritual practice of his life. He answered that at morning and at night, he recited and meditated on the Lord’s Prayer or Psalm 23.

For the next year, I took up that practice. Every morning before getting out of bed and every night before going to sleep, I would pray through and meditate on one of these two passages. They proved to be more fruitful for my faith and overall sense of peace than I would have estimated from the beginning. With careful attention and prayer seeking for insight, I discovered that when taken together, Psalm 23 is actually a perfect answer to the petitions of the Lord’s prayer.

What follows is an exposition of this insight. What you will notice below is that every statement or petition Jesus offers in this prayer is answered, and even surpassed, by the confident assertion David makes in Psalm 23.

Jesus’ Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I will not be in want.

Here Jesus opens his prayer with the affirmation that God is Holy and the assertion/request that God’s will be carried out in our lives just as it is in the spiritual realm. The psalmist answers saying that God is Shepherd. The metaphor implies that as a sheep looks to the shepherd for protection, support, leading, and sustenance, God is the one who provides all these things precisely because he is all the things that Jesus asserts.

Jesus’ Prayer: Give us today our daily bread.

Psalm 23: He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

This is the first direct request that Jesus makes in the prayer. The psalmist asserts that the answer, from his experience with the Lord, goes far beyond the simple request for daily bread. Continuing the metaphor of shepherd and sheep, David says that he lies down in green pastures. This is a clear reference to a sheep that has had its fill of good food, and feels safe and secure. No sheep lies down in a green pasture unless it has eaten all it wants and feels safe to lie down. The implication is clear. David, as the sheep, enjoys the protection and provision of a good shepherd. He also speaks of access to still waters, another reference to safety and having all his needs met by his shepherd. Finally, he goes beyond the physical needs to the deeper spiritual and personal needs “he restores my soul.” Jesus requests God’s provision. The psalmist asserts that in relationship with the Lord all these are met and them some!

Jesus’ Prayer: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Psalm 23: He guides me along the right paths (or in paths of righteousness) for his name’s sake.

Here Jesus asks for the forgiveness we all need in order to be right with God. He qualifies it by asking that we be forgiven as we in turn forgive others. The psalmist answers that God goes beyond this request. God not only forgives, but leads him to be righteous in all his ways. He adds that God does this, “for his name’s sake.” In other words, God guides and empowers us to forgive as he forgives. He leads us to act rightly and justly so that others will see his influence in our lives and be drawn to God as a result. The right paths the psalmist speaks of are paths that draw us closer to God and others in the context of right relationships. The foundation is being gracious – forgiving as we have been forgiven – but beyond that, living in the righteous example of God in all ways. For the psalmist, God answers the request by shaping and directing us in all our relationships in such a way that His name is blessed in our lives.

Jesus’ Prayer: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

So far, the psalmist has declared that God’s response goes above and beyond Jesus’s request at every step. This answer reaches the pinnacle of that insight. Jesus asks that God not lead us into temptation, and delivers us from evil, Psalm 23 answers with a treatise on God’s power and provision in the face of danger and the enemy. Temptation is the borderland of Spiritual danger. The psalmist asserts that even in the darkest, or most frightening place, there is no need for fear if one walks with God. The shepherd’s rod and staff in the hand of God represent both discipline and protection. God by the side of the psalmist means that he is not alone to face any trial or temptation that threatens to harm him. The next image is the most powerful. “He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” It is as though the psalmist faces his enemies on the field of battle. God enters the scene, telling the enemy to stand back and watch, as God spreads out a banquet table in front of him. Then he calls David to sit and eat, while the enemy looks on. He anoints David’s head with oil, showing that he is God’s chosen one, protected and dearly loved. He is so greatly cared for that his cups overflows. All this is done with the enemy held in check and looking on! God’s provision is complete.

Jesus’ Prayer: For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen

Psalm 23: Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Jesus closes the prayer as he began, asserting that God is indeed Lord, and that power and glory belong to Him. The psalmist asserts that because this is true, he will benefit from the peace, goodness, and blessing that come from living under God’s rule.

Final Note:

When I first noticed this connection between these meaningful passages, I had the same thought that I am sure many of you reading this have: “Psalm 23 is certainly not intended to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer. David wrote the psalm out of his own experience, based on the times in which he was living, not as a prophetic word waiting for a prayer that would not be uttered for 1,000 years!” Certainly, there is a strong sense in which this is true. Psalm 23 stands on its own merit as a passage of assurance and peace completely independent of Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6.

On the other hand, consider this. Scripture can have layers of meaning to different people at different times. This is evidence of the genius of the Spirit of God as he shapes and empowers us through His word. I believe that God was involved in the process that inspired David with insights that led to the writing of Psalm 23. It is God himself, in the person of Jesus, who spoke this prayer as an example of prayer for his disciples. The two passages work together so well. They each interpret and inform greater insight into the other. With God involved in both, this should come as no surprise.

David is the great King of Israel. God promises that his line will never end and that one will come in his line who will stand as the Christ, the Messiah, the one whose reign will never end. Jesus is that Chosen One. He speaks this prayer as example to all believers so we will know better how to structure our own prayers. In his providence, God inspires the answer to this prayer some 1,000 years before in the words of David. Only God could inspire the answer to his own prayer 1,000 years before it was spoken!

This is not out of character for God. It is right in line with what God has done all along. Consider another example, Paul writes in Romans 5: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In essence, before we ever knew we needed a way back to God, he had already made the way through the blood of Jesus. In a similar way, I am suggesting that Psalm 23 can be read as an insightful response to Jesus’ prayer, given before the prayer was ever spoken.  I am not saying that Psalm 23 must be only seen in the context of the prayer of Jesus. I am saying that putting these two together offers us great insight and food for our souls. The fact that God utters the prayer, in the form of Jesus the Messiah, and David, the first king in the line of Messiah, penned words in advance that would fill out the meaning of that prayer, seem to be the kind of providence and wisdom that bespeaks the power and grace of God.

If the insight I suggest does not make sense to you, or seems inappropriate, then let it go. If it feels more like a blessing, then be blessed. Either way, at the very least, consider making these two passages a more frequent part of your life of connection to God through prayer and contemplation of his word.