Should Faith Control or Compel?

I posed a question to friends online recently asking, “does your faith control you or compel you?” Those who entered the conversation offered a broad spectrum of thought — everything from “both” to “neither.” “Both” didn’t surprise me — it’s a great compromise answer. “Neither” made me think, and I appreciate that.

In thinking of this question myself I’m drawn to considering how Jesus’ contemporaries viewed this after seeing the way He lived. In a letter written to the early church it was said…

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 TNIV)

What strikes me about this, and so much of what Jesus and those who knew Him wrote, is that it’s written almost entirely from a perspective of inspiration rather than compliance. Certainly God “laid down the law” quite literally in Old Testament writings. But Jesus put even that in context when He quotedDeuteronomy 6:5 saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And pointed out in Matt 22 that the entire law stands on this principle. So in the end, it’s motivation that counts.

I am becoming increasing convinced that a faith of real power is a faith that compels. A life in the way of Jesus must be lived through the Spirit, from the heart. Faith should be our greatest motivation. Motivation challenges us to live life abundantly. To the extent we live by a faith that controls us, we are living in supposition that the Spirit has not, and will not, change our hearts. That mindset has us defeated from the start. Let’s remember that God made us in His image. We were made to live as He modeled for us through Christ. And if we are in relationship with Him, the Spirit will guide our hearts and minds. So rather than focusing our efforts on living our modern version of old testament law, let’s free ourselves, recognize that we’re imperfect, BUT that the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4paraphrase.)

Working as a True “Worship Team”

I have to admit I have always shrugged a bit at the term “worship team” which has grown in use so much in the church. I’ve been a part of groups under that label for years. It’s not that there’s anything essentially wrong with it, I just see it as unnecessary and a bit inaccurate. Another example of how the church tends to rename normal things and then confuse the rest of the world In most cases, isn’t the worship team simply, the “band” or “ensemble?” What’s wrong with just calling it that then? More importantly, it’s just not inclusive enough. Dictionary.com defines “team” as a number of persons associated in some joint action. So in the sense of communal worship, isn’t it more accurate to think of the entire assembly as the “worship team?” We’re all in it together, right?

I’m increasingly impressed with how we are all unique and essential parts of God’s kingdom. Each person has a unique role. This means ministry, church and all of life, really, are not done alone, but as a team. As a community of believers there will be leaders and individual contributors in all levels and capacities. Men, women, all ages, gifts, styles, preferences, strengths, weaknesses, with all our experiences good and bad. Look at how Jesus did it. If anyone could have done it alone it was Him. Instead, He pulled together a diverse team that wouldn’t have ever come together without Him and together they set a course to change the world. God has orchestrated life such that we need each other in the same way the Godhead itself is a “community” of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Seeking an Oasis of Simplicity

Over the years I can remember hearing people muse about “being born in the wrong time,” and how they long for things as they were (or mostly likely as they imagined them to be.) I’ve never really connected with that line of thinking. I’m definitely a product of my time and place in history, and for what it’s worth, I’m pretty happy with that. For the most part, I enjoy living in an area that’s highly populated and diverse. I like fact that American society has become more accepting and open. I like technology and the ways it’s enriching our live and empowering people to communicate, create, share and connect. And the list goes on. Yes, every one of these things has it’s downsides. Everything does. Things are far from perfect. But I think this is a pretty cool time to be alive overall.

But from those who long for ages past, I think I may note a common thread — and this is one that does resonate for me. The desire for simplicity. When people talk of “the good old days,” that’s usually an aspect of what they’re referring to. It is true that one facet of our modern society is that we have a lot competing for our time and attention. I realize that many of you won’t even finish reading this because you’ll be interrupted by a call, email, txt, status update, Tweet, TV show, etc. Most of those didn’t even exist when we were born. For the most part our modern lives are loud, distracted, and over-crowded. Our attention spans suffer in the process.

Those of us who value a relationship with a God who’s known to speak in a “still small voice” should take note. People in every time have had to make an effort to have a relationship with God. The efforts required change with the times. God’s always knocking, but we have to answer the door. The question today is sometimes, can we hear him knocking over the iPod blasting in our ears? Distraction is an enemy of intimate connection.
I believe this has important ramifications for what worship should be in the church today. There are always voices calling for church services to be culturally relevant. And they should be. But this doesn’t mean they have to be highly produced 55-minute programs wrapped with multimedia, hosted by hip, humorous, and well-styled spokespeople who manage to deliver the whole event with not a second of “dead air.”

Rather than “relevant”, perhaps a better goal would be “refreshing”. Being in relationship with God should be refreshing — “He restores my soul.” I’m inspired to think of a place and time for community worship as an oasis of simplicity. A gathering that derives its relevance not by virtue of its familiarity, but by its contrast. We notice that daytime is beautiful partially because it is not night. We thirst for water when our mouths are dry. In world of distraction, worship should have space.

I attended a service Saturday night at Antioch’s Church on the Rock that explored this interesting ways. In many ways it had familar features — music, speaking, slides, video, drama. But it was a service that was not afraid of silence and space. And in that space, the presence of The Spirit was palpable. It was refreshing. The kind of worship experience that leaves you feeling refreshed, rather than impressed. There was no applaus, though deserved. But there was a sense that reverence filled the air, and that was enough.

When we seek God, shouldn’t we leave room to feel His presence?

What I’ve Learned in 2008

This has been big news year. Wars, rumors of wars, major political changes, financial chaos. It’s a lot to take in and this season is filled with media that covers every possible angle. I’ve taken some time to consider the year in review from a personal perspective. What are the big things I’ve learned this year? Like the world around me, it’s been a big year for me as well I suppose. I’m seeing things pretty differently and I’m grateful for what I’m learning. Some things are new. Some are confirmation of things I already knew, but didn’t understand. Still others represent resolution to ideas that had existed in conflict in me over the years.

I share this here for three basic reasons:

1. I feel compelled to though I can’t fully explain why.
2. That what I write might encourage others to consider these ideas and conclusions (especially if they surprise you) and either adopt them or challenge me on them.
3. That people who know me might hold me accountable to the impacts of these realizations. 2009 and years that follow should be different because of what I’ve learned in 2008.

Like anyone, I am a product of my culture. What I’ve learned this year has been heavily influenced by the times. That’s unavoidable. But it’s also been shaped by purposeful experience and learning. Some key influences in 2008 were:

• Short-term mission work with the poor in rural Haiti. You can’t experience something like this and not be changed.
• In depth study of the Gospel and several New Testament letters.
• Reading several contemporary authors that express faith from a non-traditional perspective.
• Formal study of the Church and prophesy of future things

Many thanks to the people around me who write, teach, preach and discuss on matters such as these. I learn from all of you. My thanks also to the Holy Spirit who amazes me with His ability to reveal truth. Finally, I especially appreciate my wife with whom I’ve shared so many great discussions as we’ve each wrestled with these topics through the year. I appreciate her appetite for learning (an inspiration), her thoughts, her ability to challenge me and her passion to have faith that’s real. I love you

God is far bigger than I’ve ever conceived
His Word is vast and complete in its ability to communicate history, theology, wisdom and salvation. It is our guide to the way of life modeled by Jesus, the apostles and the churches they established. Yet in our finite nature, we cannot begin grasp the height, depth, vastness, or grandeur of His creation, let alone His infinite nature. We must know and live by scripture as lead by the Holy Spirit, but be cautious about stretching its application beyond what it literally says.

God is far more intimate with us than I’ve previously understood
The “substance” of God runs throughout His creation including everything and everyone in it. He not only set it in motion, He actively holds it together. As the Psalm says, there is no where we can hide from Him, because He IS everywhere. The Great I AM. This may seem somewhat basic, but it necessitates a level of personal involvement that has become increasingly real to me in 2008. If you believe this, you will see the world, everything, and everyone, differently. You pray differently. You experience life differently. It’s not that God is everything. He is infinitely more than the sum of His creation. But He is present throughout it.

Heaven is real, is imminent, and is the first time we’ll fully experience life as it was intended
God established mankind in Eden, a place where He was fully present with us physically and spiritually. It was an imperishable place and man was also imperishable. Eden was here on Earth and could have been our eternal home. The fact that sin messed that up through breaking our ties with the source of life (God), doesn’t change the fact that this the kind of place and the kind of life we were intended for. The struggles and pain we experience today in what’s left of creation are all a direct result of our fall from grace. All of them, personal, political, economic, social, ecological, you name it. They all stem from the lack of direct and personal connection with God that resulted from our acts of sin. But through Jesus we are reconciled with God. We can once again experience communion with Him intimately through the Holy Spirit. The world we live in is still fallen, and so will remain imperfect until it is remade. But after a time, God will establish a new Heaven and a new Earth and we will see all that God has had in store for those who love Him since the very beginning! Heaven is a far more tangible hope this year than it was in the past.

Salvation is a beginning, not an end
I have been guilty of seeing salvation of sinners as the end-result of the church’s work. That is part of our work (more specifically, “making disciples” is.) But the great commission (Matthew 28) is so much more than that alone. It is just as much about teaching people how to live like Jesus in this life, not just bask in the rewards that will come in the next life. Honestly, that always felt a little self-centered, and it was. But like most selfish pursuits, it also began to feel shallow. (And I should know, I have a lot of experience being selfish.) So how do we teach people how to live like Jesus? The answer is at once simple and impossible: live like Jesus. Ouch! Yes, Jesus was a teacher and we should continue to teach His message. But He lived-out his lessons and taught by example. We must too. This is the most challenging realization I think I’ve ever experienced and I have no idea where this may lead me in practical terms. But I don’t want this to be a passing thought. It should be transformational, as it was for those who heard it first-hand from Jesus himself. Jesus said, “follow me.” I think He’s still staying that to all who believe, not just pastors, evangelists and missionaries.

The Kingdom of God is here now
I have often thought of Jesus words proclaiming the Kingdom of God as being “at hand” as pointing to His Millennial reign, or even later starting in the new Heaven and new Earth. More recently though, I have come to believe that He was referring to the time beginning at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit arrived to reign in the hearts of believers. The impact of this is huge. It places Christians today in a very different position with respect to our allegiances. It also makes Paul’s claim of citizenship in Heaven in Philippians 3 make more sense. We are part of a different kingdom, and if we believe the Holy Spirit is literally present in our lives today and we aspire to living under His rule, then we’re talking about a literal kingdom. A government led by God through the Spirit and we (the church) are solely under His citizenship and authority. So as believers, we should not see ourselves as Americans, or Mexicans, or Chinese beyond ethnicity. These are human kingdoms lead by men that we were born into. However, having been baptized to Christ, we now live as expatriates in a foreign land. We are Christian, and our leader is our namesake — Christ Himself.

The “American Dream” is not ours to claim
As citizens of Heaven, we seek different goals. The fact is neither Jesus, the Apostles or the 1st century church ever sought or encouraged chasing after life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In fact, these things are more akin to “eating, drinking, and being merry” (1 Corinthians 15), but the apostle Paul only suggested this course of life if the Gospel were false! Christians in the US have bought into our American culture because it is comfortable. The constitution’s separation of faith from matters of state, while an unholy trade-off for a true believer, has afforded the church a measure of freedom to comfortably coexist as long as it doesn’t infringe on the state. This has encouraged a comfortable church that enjoys its tax shelters and largely stays under them. Other countries (e.g., China, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.) have not had it so easy. In those countries you would definitely find fewer minivans sporting Christian symbols. But the Christians you find there would be surprised to think that such a symbol would be necessary to identify a true believer living in freedom.

God’s politics are far different than I’ve been lead to believe
I have been relatively politically-minded over the years, even as a young adult. I was quite liberal (and Democrat) as a teen, but by my early 20’s I found myself relatively alone in this persuasion once established in the evangelical church. Through the influence of others and some natural moderation that come with maturity, I shifted significantly to the right (and Republican.) But after witnessing political failures at the hands of both parties during the two decades of my adult life, while at the same time learning more about Jesus for myself, I have become increasingly disillusioned with traditional politics and more interested in Jesus. Man’s systems clearly don’t hold the solutions to our problems. At best, the problems don’t essentially change. At worst, man creates more or worse problems. I’m beginning to believe that the ramifications of this realization may be quite far-reach for me, but 2008 netted these two major conclusions:

• Party affiliation. I no longer consider myself affiliated with either of the two major political parties. My association is to God’s kingdom, not man’s. This will affect my judgement on issues, my choices of candidates, my endorsements, or even my willingness to participate in the process. The solutions to every problem under the sun lie not in party platforms, but in restoring the hearts of men and women through the Gospel and in the church truly living as the body of Christ. There is no lasting hope short of this. But there is both immediate and eternal hope as we live lives consistent with the principles of the Kingdom of God today through the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit.
• The Earth is His, and everything in it. (Psalm 24) And we should treat it as such. Creation is not our Walmart from which to extract whatever suits our fancy as cheaply as possible. Yes, the resources of Earth were put in our care to feed, shelter, and even comfort us. But that are also intended to proclaim His glory and thus should not be thwarted or denigrated. The unique planet we’ve been graciously given is not ours to rape, pillage and burn. It is God’s. I have long felt uncomfortable with tension that seems to exist between the evangelical church and environmentalism. On one side we have Naturalists who revere “Mother Earth” and Darwinian evolutionism and see man as a blight upon her face. On the other, you have those who so seek to differentiate themselves from this that they end-up supporting ideologies that fail to acknowledge the wisdom God gives us through science and deny any need for ecological responsibility. I find myself equally at odds with both. ?I have come to this conclusion. God gave us the gift of a diverse, beautiful, hospitable and remarkably durable home. Like our own bodies, the Earth’s ability to heal itself within certain limits is nothing short of miraculous. But as everything else physical, it is not unbreakable. The church is quick to condemn smoking as a desecration of our bodies, yet our parking lots are remarkably full of trucks and SUV’s that needlessly desecrate the air we breathe. We should at once enjoy, share, and care for the earthly home we’ve been given.

Conclusion
So that’s a bit of what I’ve learned and concluded in 2008. So now what? The net of this is surely more then a collection of New Year’s resolutions. I specifically avoid making them because I’ve never been able to keep them. From what I hear I’m not alone. No, these things are more foundational than that. I’m very aware that the implications of these ideas are not to be taken lightly. I’m not sure where this will lead, but I’m sure of these things:

• I need to continue to grow.
• I don’t want to be a complacent Christian who is on the sidelines of the Big Game (or worse yet, finally discovers he’s not really on the team.)
• I need to be willing to rethink and reorder virtually every area of my life.
• I can’t do this alone. I need the Spirit’s guidance and strength, the support of a like-minded Church community and family.