Free to Be a Slave

I was reading Galatians again this morning, as it will be the next book we cover after Easter in our God's Story series.  I was reflecting on this passage.  Galatians 5:13-14, For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.  For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (NRSV).  Most people think of freedom as the ability to do whatever they want, or to choose the way they want to.  I think of when I'm finished with a work day, or finishing up a class, and I think to myself, "I'm free for the rest of the day now."  Translation: The rest of the day is mine.  I can use it to please myself.  Yet, Paul writes, don't use your freedom for self-indulgence.  Use it to become slaves to one another.  Other translations say "serve" on another.  It seems to me that before we come to the cross and before we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, most, if not all, our choices probably had to do with the "self."  We are in fact slaves to ourselves.  But Christ sets us free, not for self-indulgence, but to pour ourselves into others; something we couldn't do fully apart from Christ.  Who are we committed to selflessly serving?        

Messy Church

This morning I was reading Galatians and came across this verse - 2:11-12, ^"When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.  Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group" (TNIV).  Wanting the approval of others is a powerful thing.  I'm not sure why it's so powerful.  I suppose it's because of our own insecurity that we love "fitting in" or "pleasing others."  I mean, here is Peter, the same guy who stood up in front of the religious leaders in Acts 4 and told them that not only did they crucify the Messiah, but that he would not listen to their command to stop teaching about Jesus.  Now he's avoiding Gentiles because he's afraid of a certain group of influential people.  Maybe he was just trying to keep everyone happy.  I guess that's the thing about being part of the body of Christ.  If the aim is truth and authenticity, you can't keep everyone happy.  Because we're all a mess.  Not to mention, following Jesus can be messy.  At times I can be easily swayed or influenced.  We're all a work in progress.  I need people in my life like Paul who will not only give their lives to help build me up, but will oppose me when I'm in the wrong.  I think we all do.  The question I need to wrestle with, and perhaps you might too, is this: Am I more in love with following Jesus or pleasing people.  If it's Jesus, I need to embrace the mess, be open to rebuke, be willing to speak truth, and surround myself with people willing to journey with me.        

Stumbling Blocks and Foolishness

Well I'm back.  The quarter is over, my final projects are done, and I have time to blog again.  At our church we have been going through the Bible a book a week and we're up to the book of 1 Corinthians.  This morning I was read this passage: "Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1. Cor. 1:22-24 TNIV).  I must admit that I often find myself either demanding signs from God or wanting God to fit into my mold of what makes sense (wisdom).  Yet Paul writes, "we preach Christ crucified."  That certainly didn't make sense to many in the first century.  When life doesn't make sense, I often find myself asking God to show me a sign or I try to figure out what's going on.  This morning, I have been reminded to once again take a posture of humility trusting in the wisdom of God, which is Christ.  God's ways may seem like stumbling blocks and foolishness, but true power and true wisdom are found in Christ.  

Be Back Soon

It's been over a month since I've blogged anything.  I figured this would happen once courses at Fuller started this quarter.  I'm taking two classes this quarter and it's been extremely busy.  I've got two more weeks to go and I'm looking forward to being able to come back here and begin tracking more thoughts and ideas with you.  See you in a few.

God Enters our World

I just finished reading a book titled "Who Gets to Narrate the World" by Robert E. Webber.  In one of the many great thoughts in the book.  Webber writes, "In almost every religion the quest is to find a way to transcend the pain and suffering of life, and get connected with the powers of the other world that will help us endure this world...But in these religions we never hear that God himself has entered our history and our suffering to redeem us for life in this world."  I've been reflecting a lot on the incarnation, the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.  Or as the message translates it, "...moved into the neighborhood."  I don't know about you, but I think that sometimes I treat God like the "other religions" that Webber describes, who try to connect with a God who is far off so I can get through the pain and suffering of life.  Instead, I should be continually looking to God who came to us to redeem us for life in his world.  A God who is not some far off distant being waiting for us to get to him, but a God who comes to us.  A God who is living and active in the world he created and redeems.                                                               

The Weakening of Belief

I've been reflecting on Romans 4:18-22 this past week.  Verses 20,21 say this about Abraham, "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised."  In the face of what seemed like a hopeless situation (becoming a father, when Sarah was well past the age of childbearing) he was fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised.  For some reason, the definition of belief has changed in our world today.  In my humble opinion it has been weakened.  We can say we believe something without it really affecting our actions.  It's as if when we say we "believe," what we are really saying is "I agree with."  But belief should translate into action.  Sharon Daloz Parks, in the book Big Questions Worthy Dreams writes, "Faith is intimately related to doing.  We human beings act in accordance with what we really trust- in contrast to what we may merely acclaim" (Parks 2000:26).  My prayer is that God will help me to be "fully persuaded" and to do what I say that I truly believe.    

Supporting Cast

I'm reading a book right now called Who Gets to Narrate the World by Robert E. Webber.  In it, he writes about how God's story suffers from reductionism and privatism.  He writes, "The Christian faith was reduced to the problem of my sin, the work of Christ for me, the necessity of my conversion and the expectation of my faithfulness to live like a Christian.  I was made the center of the story.  I needed to invite Jesus into my life and my journey so he would walk with me and bless my life and my ministry."  The problem is we tend to make the Gospel all about us.  But it's not our story.  It's God's.  He's the author.  He's the director.  We're the supporting cast.  I need to die to my story and align my life with God's story.  Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..."        

Monday Spirituality

Mondays can be tough sometimes.  They can can also be a fresh start at the week.  As such, I thought it would be good to meditate a bit on spiritual disciplines or habits.  For some reason disciplines are often confused with legalism or guilt-driven duty.  I love Dallas Willard's description of spiritual disciplines.  He says, "A discipline for the spiritual life is, when the dust of history is blown away, nothing but an activity undertaken to bring us into more effective cooperation with Christ and his Kingdom.  When we understand that grace (charis) is gift (charisma), we then see that to grow in grace is to grow in what is given to us of God and by God.  The disciplines are then in the clearest sense, a means to that grace and also to those gifts (Spirit of the Disciplines, 156)."   

Ecclesiology of a 5 Year Old

If ecclesiology seems like a big word, it's just the "study of church."  This morning, my son Caleb (who is 5) woke up with pink eye.  As this can be highly contagious, I told him he wouldn't be able to go to church, but would have to stay home with mom.  Tears began to well up in his eyes.  He began begging me to go.  He said, "Dad, I won't let anyone touch my eyes I promise."  I couldn't help but cry too.  He taught me something amazing about church this morning.  A lot of people can find any excuse they can to avoid going to church on a Sunday.  They find it easy to miss a week if there is even a hint of inconvenience.  They see church as a "place you go to" or a "service to attend."  My son could really care less about the music, or the sermon.  But, he absolutely loves the people of Praxis.  Many thanks to all of you at Praxis who make our kids feel so loved.  Caleb couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you this morning.  I read recently in a book called The Tangible Kingdom that said, "Church must not be the goal.  Church should be what ends up happening as a natural response to people wanting to follow us, be with us, and be like us as we are following the way of Christ."  My son seems to get this.  Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said unless we become like little children we can't enter the kingdom (see Matthew 18).  I shared what I learned from my son with our church this morning.  It was hard to fight back tears.  But I have to say, I've learned one of my greatest lessons in ecclesiology from a 5 year old.  I'm so proud of him.       

Light Beer and Blue Jeans

Christmas is over and a new year is upon us.  I was reflecting more on the movie Avatar today.  in the movie Jake Sully, a former marine, has to infiltrate the Na'vi people on the moon Pandora and get to know them in an effort to try to get them to move out peaceably so that the Americans can excavate their land for a precious material worth big bucks.  In essence he needs to find out what they want so that they can negotiate a peaceful move away from their land vs. a military strike that forces them out.  In one of his video journals he makes a comment to the effect of "What do we have to offer them that they want?  Our light beer and blue jeans?" (don't quote me on that word for word, but that was the essence).  They seem completely content with their connections with each other, their deity, and their land.  I laughed out loud when he said this.  I couldn't help but think of Philippians 3:7,8, " But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ" (TNIV). The word "garbage" is actually a pretty tame version for the original Greek.  I'll let you use your imagination, but I couldn't help but reflect on the "things" that we value, think are important, or chase after in life.  Paul says that he considers these things nothing in comparison of knowing Christ.  One of my prayers for the new year is that we would really believe and live as though this were true.  That we would pursue our relationship with Christ, and our relationships with others.  And that everything else would look as valuable as light beer and blue jeans compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.