Will we make it?

No doubt about it. There is an increased sense of polarization in our country. Each side in any argument, surrounding every issue, is circling the wagons, lobbing grenades at someone else, and wants to make sure there’s a clear winner and loser. In November, we’ll elect a new Congress. It’s going to be a mess I think. Whomever is elected will be beholding to a very narrow interest group. God forbid that anyone, then, does any kind of independent thinking or seek bi-partisan agreement. For sure, their time in office will be short lived. Deeply entrenched positioning is the sign of the times.

Underneath the fragmentation of our political system is some high grade fear, some genuine loathing, and an unprecedented disdain for anyone who believes contrary to whatever ‘groupthink’ you find yourself aligned with. There’s also some good old fashioned racism, ageism, and sexism that manages to poison the well. There’s a shrillness of opinion in the air that, frankly, scares me a great deal.

Somewhere in the not so distant future we’re in for some deep trouble. In a few years when the locus of power has shifted I’m wondering if there might be some pay back for abuses of power and authority. The culture of hate we are pretty willingly buying into now will take root and be a permanent part of the landscape. It is not the type of world I want to leave for my children and grandchildren.

So I wonder. Are we willing participants in sowing seeds of discord that will reap a harvest of future pain? The answer is clear. I think we are. We stand in judgment these days on just about everything. We’re not well read. We don’t listen well. We’re passive. Often, we vote to preserve our own interests. We equate the American dream with the Kingdom of God. And we believe opinion is wisdom.

Even in our churches we want to hear messages that allow us to stay in the same place doing the same old things …even if they’re sinful. We tithe to ourselves making sure our places of worship look pretty and inviting and our kids and us have the best. We hide behind ‘proof texting’ (finding a verse in the scripture that justifies our position) but know very little about the whole counsel of god. And we cozy up to this political party or that because they represent our (and thus God’s) point of view. We label anyone outside our little religious club as either being misguided or outright sinful.

We often live in isolated little ghettoes of misunderstanding. We look for safety when God is calling us to the risky business of faith. And all too often we remain quiet in the midst of great need because that need really doesn’t infringe on our style and standard of living. So why care?

So, in some degree we are part of the problem plaguing both our faith and the ills of our country and the world. We just don’t care enough to make the sacrifices necessary to challenge what’s evil and move out of our comfort zone to ask the right questions and do the right things to help bring some sanity to our country that is dangerously close to imploding upon itself.

So what do we do? I’ve been reading the 11th and 12th chapters of Hebrews recently. It reminds me of some important steps that can help me to address cultural insanity. In Hebrews I find a call to become familiar with the great cloud of witness that has gone before me. Their witness informs my life. That means I need to dive into Scripture to rediscover how those before me lived faithful lives in the midst of some very challenging cultural times. From them I get a good compass heading.

I’m also reminded to look for the sin that so easily ensnares me. That should concern you too. If we find ourself infuriated much of the time and spouting off about Obama or Palin, or afraid of African Americans or Hispanics, or thowing verbal bombs in the direction of liberals or conservatives …that’s a problem. It means we’re taking too much ugly stuff into our life. We need to root it out, confess it, and repent from it.

Then I have to find the road on which I’m to run my race. My race isn’t yours but there will be some remarkable similarities. On each road the shadow of the cross falls. Our race will take us through unfamiliar territory. At times it will feel a bit lonely. But then we fix our eyes on Jesus who’s the author and perfector of our faith journey. He’s our constant companion.

As you make a habit of Scripture, of repentance, and running the good race I want you to consider the following. Look for opportunities to face your fears, your biases and prejudices. If you’re a conservative, befriend a liberal. If you have strong opinions about illegal immigration get to know an illegal immigrant. If you are an evangelical and don’t like those liturgical types …find one to dialogue with. If you’re a sanctimonious liberal find a compassionate conservative to help you understand his/her point of view. If you take a trip to Israel make sure you spend some time in dialogue with a Palestinian.

Whatever it is you ‘hate’ or hold in low regard needs to become humanized. As long as we intellectualize issues and movements and fail to see its human face we will never understand the complexities and nuances of the problems before us. If all we're doing in our life is spouting ‘opinion’ chances are we're not running the good race. We're just running our mouth. That makes us part of the problem.

As long as we are kept captive by our pre-set positions and attitudes there is little opportunity for God to work in our lives or for us to be of much earthly good. Here’s the deal. We are at a scary time in history. But it is also a time of great opportunity. I think we are on a collision course towards some potentially horrible things here in America and in the greater world. But we don’t have to stay on that course. It’s going to take ‘us’ getting serious about how we are going to live our lives going forward. Enough people, living in the reality of the Kingdom, can make a huge difference.

If we stay where we are doing the same things over and over again we will live in an insanity spiral that’s going to lead to all kind of nasty things. It sounds trite to say this but ‘we are either part of the solution or part of the problem’.

Will we make it? Don’t know for sure. I do know that I’ve got some work to do. Maybe you do too.

Dreaming Big

What happens when you quit dreaming? Even worse, what happens if you’ve never been encouraged to dream or discouraged from dreaming big?

My take is that when we lose the ability to dream well, we lose the ability to hope. Without hope bad things happen. We lose the gift of ‘possibility’.

At Breakthrough we’re in the midst of a capital campaign called Dream Big. We’re trying to raise about 15 million dollars to construct a badly needed FamilyPlex for our neighborhood. But it goes beyond raising a lot of money for bricks and mortar. It’s more about helping to breathe hope into the lives of people who don’t know how to dream big but desperately need to. It's also about constantly encouraging those who are big dreamers to do what's necessary to help their dreams come true.

Wherever I look in the city and burbs I see a fair amount of people who have been beaten down by life. They lack hope. Dreaming big is non-existent. It’s a drag yourself out of bed, go to an uninspiring workplace, with lackluster colleagues kind of grind.

I know others who dream big about the usual things …money, power, position, prestige. Ho Hum. Fairly pedestrian kind of stuff. I know it well. Do it well. It scares me though. If you give your life to the pursuit of those dreams you run the risk of becoming what you give your life to. Nothing wrong with money, power, position or prestige except when they become the compass for our life.

I’ve been thinking about dreaming big lately. You see, I have maybe 20-25 years left. If I go small in my dreaming and stay amazingly practical and don’t reach for too many stars I can have a pretty non-descript hum drum rest of my life. In all honesty, on some days that sounds amazingly appealing. On most days, it sounds incredibly dull and life sucking. I can’t get away from the thought that God has created me for a variety of purposes and hum drum living isn’t one of those things. I could settle for it but I wouldn’t be happy.

Here’s what’s interesting. As I start to ‘dream big’ I’m having this deep desire to simplify my life. I’ve come to grips that my big earning years are behind me (were they ever in front of me?), that position doesn’t mean a whole lot anymore and that power and influence come more out of relationship than having stuff. So I’m starting to ask questions about what I really need and what is just fluff. Interesting and freeing.

I’m also thinking that part of my ‘big dream’ is to initiate and be part of discussions relating Christian faith to the bigger issues of the day. So I spend time asking questions. For instance: What does God have to say about justice, power, possessions, position, use of money, race, poverty, immigration etc. and why do so many believers remain content to live lives of pietistic indifference to such things? By the way, I think the issue of pietistic indifference is a plague that threatens the life of the church. What is it? We used to call it being so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good. It plays out in a ‘me and Jesus’ theology that ignores God’s call to make a difference on the planet. Pietistic indifference is about salvation and cares little about discipleship, true worship, and a life of service. It's about looking good and caring very little.

Dream Big. It’s more than positive thinking. It’s a life style that reaches for God’s best even if it costs you the expectations others have for you.

Immigration

A northern suburban high school in the Chicago area chose not to send a girls basketball team to Arizona. Lots of news coverage. Many are very upset. Some not so much. It depends a bit on your political perspective I guess. What it does is throw another log on the raging fired called ‘immigration’. It’s a hot issue and with each log thrown it gets hotter. It’s a little scary because the heat is fueling some ugly passions that aren’t serving us particularly well. Those inflamed passions make getting on the solution side of things difficult but not impossible. Bottom line …the immigration issue isn’t going to go away anytime soon. So, here’s my take on some of the issues.

A nation has to control its borders. That makes all the sense in the world. But in order to secure our borders we need to have a sane and just immigration policy. It can’t be just a strong military type presence at all borders. A military presence is needed however. The Arizona law isn’t the answer in my humble opinion. It is, however, going to force the hand of Congress. If congress can come to the table, put the posturing aside, and look for a bi-partisan ‘win’ in all this we might just end up with a just and sane immigration reform package.

In that package there needs to be some sort of legal ‘thumbs up’ for those who aren’t citizens but want to work in this country. This legal thumbs up is not citizenship. It’s a ‘guest worker’ status that would allow people who have jobs to move back and forth freely, with some protections and restrictions, between their home country and the U.S.A. Those who need the kind of services undocumented workers provide could actually be proactive and legal in their recruitment of such workers. Now they’re playing in a murky shadowland that skirts all kind of existing laws. Of course, that means part of any reform package would be some language that would require employers to provide decent wages, healthy living arrangements and safe work conditions for these ‘guest workers’ That isn’t always the case now. Undocumented workers do get exploited and currently have no real legal recourse. That should bother us more than it does.

We have millions of undocumented folks who live in this country. Some have suggested that we ‘ship them all back’. That doesn’t make sense on a whole lot of levels. Just practically speaking it would be a nightmare to even attempt to do such a thing. Economically, it would wreak some severe damage on an already besieged economy. Contrary to some opinion undocumented aliens do pay more into the system than they receive from it. And from a pastoral and biblical justice perspective ‘shipping them back’ sounds just flat out punitive and vindictive and doesn’t pass the WWJD sniff test.

So, we have to figure out a way to allow immigrants to come out of the shadows and get on a clear path towards American citizenship. Let’s face it there are a whole lot of people that have been here for a long time, contribute greatly in a whole variety of ways, raise their families, pay taxes and contribute to the public good. Let’s help them to live without fear and provide a mechanism that would allow them citizenship even if they did enter illegally. If they don’t want to be a U.S. citizen and don’t want to be a ‘guest worker’ then there are other options. But first, let’s make a citizenship pathway for folks who are here, have been here for awhile and have made our country their home. They’ll need to get in line like everyone else but at least they’ll know there is a line. Obviously, there is some generous grace period for these folks and certainly we’ll need to figure out a way to move that line much faster than it currently moves.

Of course, there are really bad people who sneak into our country every day. Immigration reform has to have ‘teeth’ to it so that we can deal quickly with those who have no intention of contributing to the public good, don’t want to follow our laws and intend on doing us harm. In this day and age we can’t afford to be naïve. At the same time we need to remain lucid.

As Christians, we need to come to grips with the fact that all these ‘illegals’ are people near and dear to God’s heart. We’re called to love and care for those immigrants in our midst. Look through the Scriptures from a justice point of view and it’s staggering how much is written about the poor, disenfranchised, and the alien in our midst. Rumor has it that Jesus crossed a border looking for safety early in his life. And chances are each of us knows someone who has either done work on our home, cared for our lawn, lived next door, watched our children, offered us counsel, waited on us at a restaurant, cleaned our teeth, coached our kids, done our taxes, written a book that's been helpful, or gone to school with us … who might be illegal. Putting a human face to the big problems of life can help us to slow down and take stock of what we really believe. How punitive do I want the law to be towards someone I really care about? From my perspective I want immigration reform to give us something that feels like a way in and not necessarily a way out. I also want any reform to capture the true heart of God.

Immigration reform is desperately needed. As with most things how we go about making those reforms will speak mightily about where the heart of our nation really lies. Laws have to make sense, have the ability to be enforced with some consistency and protect the citizenry. We also can’t forget that we are a ‘nation of immigrants’. So, we don’t want to lose sight of what beckoned our forefathers and mothers. Those same dreams still mean something to those who desire a fresh start in the home of the brave and the land of the free. Any reform needs to make sure we still have arms and hearts open while still protecting our borders. That’s doable.

Haunting Me

I read the question asked by John Piper in a book called Crazy Love written by Francis Chan. It’s haunted me for months. It's gotten me thinking. Here it is.

The critical question for our generation and for every generation is this. If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth and all the food you ever liked and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed and all the natural beauties you ever saw and all the physical pleasures you ever tasted and no human conflict or any natural disasters …could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

I’ve been a believer for a long time. I’ve committed my life to Christ. So, I'm wired in. But if I could have everything that’s meaningful to me in heaven minus Christ would I even blink?

What about you? Don't get real spiritual on me and forsake honesty. Would you miss Jesus in heaven if you had everything else you really wanted?

We throw the term 'relationship with Christ' around fairly casually in many religious circles. We talk about it with great gusto but I have a hunch a fair amount of us really don't know what we're talking about. And if that's true then maybe we really don't know Christ in some sort of personal, interactive way. Some of us have been around religious folks enough to gain access to 'personal relationship' jargon. But jargon isn't the same as a relationship. So, I'm thinking that there are a whole lot of folks in and outside the Christian camp that might just settle for a Christless heaven. If we don't need Him now why would we need Him then?

The other question haunting me is this one. Would I go anywhere, do anything, and take on any problem if God called me?

Would I? Do I have that kind of faith? Of course, my decision would depend greatly on whether or not I have cultivated some sort of relationship with God. My answer to the first question (heaven without Christ) would certainly influence my answer to this one.

I know enough about God to know that His call is often a step into the unknown. Is that what I really want?

What about you? Would you bravely go where no man or woman has gone before if you believed God was calling you?

Two questions. One about relationship. The other about trust and mission.

So, first things first. The first question is the more essential one I think. At least it is for me. I have very little trouble going on a mission. I struggle more with the relationship issue. Here's why.

I’m realizing that the answer in my head to the heaven without Christ question doesn't necessarily match the truth of my life. The answer in my head is “No way, I wouldn’t want to live anyplace with out Jesus, no matter how good it is.” If that’s the case why do I sometimes feel so distant from the living God in the here and now? Why am I so content at times to keep doing my own thing and in essence live a life of ‘functional atheism’? Quaker writer Parker Palmer coined that ‘functional atheism’ term. It’s the belief that ultimate responsibility for everything rests with us. We say we believe but live as though we don't. Functional atheism can be found wherever Christians gather. It’s a conviction held even by people who talk a good game about God.

So, it’s back to the drawing board. My dissatisfaction with my state of mind compels me to go back to the Scriptures and some tried and true spiritual disciplines. I'm thinking it time to rethink and relearn everything I know about Jesus. It’s time to read and study and breathe in the life of Christ, learning once again about the unforced rhythms of grace. I need to fall back in love (instead of just having unswerving respect) with the Savior who has never fallen out of love with me. And as I do the question about mission and call will fall into place I bet.

Don't go all judgmental on me now. I'm just trying to be honest. If you know me you know that my faith is real. I just need to rediscover the essence of it once again. I need to know God more than knowing about Him. Sometimes the pendulum of my life swings too far towards knowledge and my heart yearns for the intimacy of relationship. My guess some of you know what I'm talking about.

So what about you?

Can you easily imagine a heaven with no care and worry as being OK even if Jesus wasn’t part of the mix? Are questions of mission and call bothersome and intrusive?

Do you need to rediscover anew what drew you to faith in the first place?

Would love to hear what you’re thinking.

Liars

We live in a culture that likes to lie. We hold back from and even run away from the truth. We’re distrustful of politicians, car salespeople, general contractors, doctors, lawyers, big time sports heroes and the church. Actually, we’re just basically distrustful these days about all kinds of things and people because we’ve been lied to so many times and we know how untrustworthy the culture and even ourselves can be. And yet ‘lying’ is a multi-billion dollar industry. We pay big bucks to people who can put ‘spin’ on something. Tabloids pay outrageous sums for even the hint of truth. We watch ‘gossip’ TV because we love the juicy tidbit. Advertising sells more product when it can get us to believe lies about who we really are.

And lying comes easy. The other day I got a parking ticket during a college visit. I’m ashamed to admit that one of the first thoughts that came to my mind was to ‘fight’ the ticket by twisting the facts a wee bit. Now, I wasn’t going to do a whole lot of twisting. Just enough. After all, twisting the truth isn’t the same as lying is it? The good news is that I’m now $50 poorer but I fought the temptation and exited with my integrity intact.

How many of us try to make ourselves look better by putting a better, but often inaccurate foot forward? Most of us I’m sure.

Mass e-mails often are filled with lies. We believe the hot rumor and the titillating innuendo. When we do a bit of fact checking we find that the rumor isn’t hot and the innuendo is not even remotely truthful.

I believe lies about myself … a lot. Things like:

- You don’t deserve to be in this position.
- You’re not qualified.
- You’re always disappointing people.
- You don’t have the right giftings.

The trouble with lies is that they often carry a measure of truth. The fact of the matter is that there’s a lot I don’t deserve, and I lack certain qualifications, and I do disappoint some people and often times I find my gift mix isn’t the right match for specific situations. But partial truth isn’t the whole truth. Scripture tells us that Satan is the father of lies. I believe it. Hear enough lies about yourself and discouragement sets in and you find yourself in the outhouse of life. Why wouldn’t the enemy of God attack us with lies about who we really are? Why wouldn’t the father of lies delight in discouraging a nation regarding their political leaders? And why wouldn’t half –truth be used to rip a church apart? It’s a tried and true winning formula.

So, are you a liar?

It’s a spiritual condition for sure and not a good one. It splinters groups, damages people, and always builds mistrust. And it has to be dealt with.

How does one deal with lies?

I want to become a better fact checker. If I get an e-mail about the president, my senior pastor, or my favorite sports team I owe to myself to check the facts, making sure they're accurate. And even if the facts are true then I need to resist the temptation to pass on scurrilous information. God wants me to be a peace maker and bridge builder and to use facts to build up and not destroy.

The habit of lying puts us on a perilous spiritual pathway. I always have to be asking myself whether or not I want to become more and more like Christ or do I want to align myself with the father of lies? To say I want Christ and then to align myself by my actions with the evil one just makes me a hypocrite.

I'm learning more and more about forgiveness. Forgiveness is about asking for it and granting it. Lying has to be confessed and when done so with authenticity and real repentance it needs to be forgiven. Whenever I'm less than truthful I have to be willing to deal with it - even if it demands that I 'fess up.

Lying causes damage. Damage needs to be cleaned up. Are we willing to make amends for the damage our lies do to others? Every once in awhile I’ll confront someone who is mass e-mailing lies to hundreds of people. I’ll point them to places where they can see that so called truth of their e-mail has been thoroughly debunked. Not once that I can remember has anyone sent out a follow-up e-mail to those same hundreds of people apologizing for sharing lies and maligning character. I think we’re afraid to make ourselves look bad by admitting the truth about our own behavior. I'm not sure it's good to create a mess and not clean it up after being confronted with the truth. In fact, not cleaning up our messes is an act of cowardice I think.

Sometimes when I'm tempted to lie I'm forced to look more deeply at what that temptation represents. Am I trying to look good in someone's eyes, evade responsibility, or to get even with someone for what they've done to me? Whatever it is that’s what needs to be prayed through and ultimately dealt with because those core issues, left unchecked, will come back to haunt me.

Lying, like any sin, often needs to be dealt with in community. I wonder how many habitual liars are surrounded with people who speak the truth in love to them. Probably not many. Too bad. Good things happen when 'accountablity' is asked for.

Augustine once said, "One never errs more safely than when one errs by too much loving the truth." It's a good word isn't it?

Trouble in the USA

It gets deafening at times doesn’t it. I mean the chorus of nay-sayers is getting louder and louder. The negativity in our culture is getting harder and harder to live with. It certainly can’t be ignored.

A couple of days ago I got in the car and someone who sounded very educated was on the radio debunking the eco-movement as being akin to a tool of evil. Switching the dial I got drenched in the bile of a radicalized tea party devotee. Another quick twist and I heard someone insult people of faith. Heading to a sports station I was appalled at the hatred towards this team and that coach. There’s nothing wrong with challenging the eco-movement, or belonging to the tea part movement, or not buying into faith, or being a sports nut but there’s a whole lot wrong with bashing, baiting, and brazenly oozing hate all over the airwaves.

If you asked each and everyone of these people what they were doing they’d say that they were ‘exercising their right of free speech’. Well, that’s true on some level I guess. On another level I wish they’d exercise their obligation to be restrained. We really don’t have to say everything that’s on our mind especially when we say it in such vitriolic ways.

Turning on my computer that same day I had to dodge and weave around e-mails and postings that were filled with half-truth and innuendo. No one seems to fact check much these days and dragging individuals through the mud is becoming an internet pastime.

It’s got to stop. Really. How do we stop the hate? Is it fun to call the President of the United States Obozo? Some think it’s their right. Do all politicians take a pill diminishing their ability to put ‘impulse control’ into play? Sure looks like it these days. Could having a considered opinion be different than having a sound byte pronouncement? I think it is. Is it possible that someone could have an opinion different from our own and still be a good man or woman? Absolutely.

The killer for me in all of this is some of the most idiotic statements are coming from my own peeps – those who claim faith in Christ. Often those who call themselves Christians are on the front lines of dissent with clenched teeth, closed minds, and foul language. There’s nothing wrong with dissent, or being on the line of protest, or fighting boldly for principles and values but how we go about dissenting, protesting and fighting goes a long way towards defining who or what we really belong to.

We are creating a culture of fear. We really are. And when we do that we start to fight ‘boogeymen’ and create mountains of molehills. Everything becomes escalated when fear kicks in and before you know it there is a lack of trust, care and concern.

Instead of a culture of fear we need to create a culture of engagement. The rules of the culture of engagement almost sound silly in today’s culture. Things like listening for understanding, thinking before we speak, investigating facts, learning about the issues, and walking in another’s shoes don’t seem so interesting and titillating as knee jerk reaction. And then when we add those God things like praying for those we disagree with, and loving our neighbor, and practicing those go the extra mile Jesus practices … well, those things don’t play so well on the local talk radio show. They take more effort as more measured responses always do.

We’ve got trouble in the good ‘ol USA. And we’re part of the mess. We pick fights instead of building bridges. We spout venom instead of digging deeper towards understanding. We listen indiscriminately to media voices who care more about their pocketbook than they do about us and the country. We’ve quit reading. We’re losing the art of ‘dialogue’ and we look for proof texts instead of trying to understand the whole counsel of God.

My prayer is that we learn to engage. Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to commit myself to civility and respect as we talk about the big issues of the day. I’m not going to listen to hatred any longer on the airwaves because I know that garbage into my mind and heart means garbage out. And I’m going to use whatever tools are at my disposal to help those in my circle of influence to learn as much as possible about what’s getting us riled up and help them discern what God has to say about it all. What about you?

Litter

A few years ago I spent some time in Uganda and Kenya. Both countries were filled with beautiful people and I learned much from those I met. One of the things I noticed about both countries was the amount of litter that dotted both the urban neighborhood and the countryside. Deep inside the slums of Nairobi litter no longer dotted the landscape it was a major part of it. Seeing the dirt, the litter, and the despair that accompanied it all was very sobering.

Litter is part of the inner city landscape in the United States. One of the most notable differences between my home in the burbs and the streets of East Garfield Park where I work a few times a week is that the urban neighborhood is awash in litter. It’s not a little bit of litter. It’s a lot. Litter seems to be a constant companion of the poor for a lot of different reasons. Some of it has to do with issues of personal responsiblity I'm sure. Couple that with systemic inequity, government indifference, lack of resources and a general acceptance of low expectation and it's no wonder the human spirit gets beaten down robbing people of hope. When hope falls away motivation follows.

Litter is both a problem and a symptom. It clutters not just streets and lawns but intrudes on the heart and mind. Whether it be Africa or Chicago the garbage that acccumulates affects those living there. It adds insult to injury.

This past week our staff at Breakthrough cleaned up an empty lot we own and raked and swept a long city block. We filled a dumpster and an additional 25 rather large bags with garbage. And my heart broke. We picked up condoms, small plastic bags used for drugs, and broken glass. Lots of broken glass. And I thought of the children who played on that street. What was life like for them?

We have a good staff at Breakthrough. While we worked we prayed that perhaps our efforts would be used by God to motivate the currently unmotivated to care about their neighborhood. and encourage those who do. In addition, our efforts on the streets that day reminded us of the day in and day out grind many of our guests, neighbors and program participants experience. A couple of my colleagues are organizing a walk around the empty lot where we someday hope to build a FamilyPlex. On the walk we will pray. We will pray that God will move against the strongholds that are holding so many captive.

My neighborhood has garbage too. We just have the means to hide it from view. We know all about drugs and alcohol and sexual temptation. We have our own plastic bags, broken glass and used condoms. But they’re hidden from sight because that’s what suburban people do. We hide our junk or at least try to. It’s as if we believe that out of sight does indeed become out of mind. Even though there is nowhere near as much viewable litter in my suburban neighborhood the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of unhealthy things that dot the landscape of our inner lives, holding us captive and breaking the heart of God. Perhaps we’d be wise to hold a prayer vigil asking God to move against the strongholds gripping our lives.

Life is littered. Filled with garbage. Some of it is easy to see. Sometimes not so much. Even though my street and yard are clean sometimes my heart and mind get riddled with garbage. My attitude gets ugly and my thinking gets to stinking. And I do little to get it cleaned up. It’s amazing how we can settle for ‘what is’ instead of aspiring to and praying for what can be.

We’re in the midst of Earth Week. We think about being good stewards of the planet as God has asked us to be. Some of us move beyond thinking and begin to act. I’m thinking of litter this week. I’m thinking of the observable debris and the invisible garbage that beats us all down. Both need to be cleaned up. Are we up to it?

In both Africa and on the west side of Chicago litter was hard to find on some lots and in front of more than a few homes. There are people who care about how they live no matter what their circumstance. These are the people who help stabilize a neighborhood and bring hope to what looks like hopeless situations. They defy the labels and stereotypes those seeking easy answers want to slap on the poor. These are the real heroes and heroines for they stand against the proverbial boulder coming down the mountain believing that what they say and do can reverse its downward path. With God, they believe, all things are possible. May their tribe increase.

World Changer

Becoming a world changer. World changing is the preaching theme at our church this month. Big idea for sure. To be honest, this week has been too hectic to think about changing the world. Basically, I’m having more than enough trouble managing my own life, calendar, and other people’s expectations to spend time worrying about anything else. So, even though ‘ending world hunger’ is still on my to do list – I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

But even though I haven’t been doing I’ve been thinking about this whole world changing thing. Here’s what I’ve discovered. A quick look through scripture shows us that world changers had their personal worlds rocked. And I wonder. Do I want my personal world changed? Do you?

I’m all over being a missionary tourist. I’ll sign up just about anytime for a week with the poor in some impoverished country. I’m good for slapping paint on a wall and sleeping without air conditioning. I’m all about doing some good thing, even informing my world view but I’m not sure I want my world changed and then put back together piece by piece. After all, I’ve spent a lot of time carefully constructing this world of mine. So have you. We have familiar patterns and habits. Some women I know have spent years finding just the right hair dresser. Anita and I happen to be very fond of our car mechanic. Friends of mine actually have permanent tee times. We love our club sports team. We’ve got life in a groove. It’s planned out.

Oh, we might make some small tweaks. For instance Tuesday night is going to free up as soon as Lost is over but right now my life feels pretty good. So does yours more than likely. We like what we’ve constructed. It’s familiar. Sure we might want to lose a few pounds, or have a more compliant teenager or a wee bit more money. But if we’re honest we’re pretty locked in We like the way we live, what we do, and our friends. We might trade where we live for Arube but for the most part …it’s all good. Having our life changed isn’t a high priority even if its what God needs to do as part of his plan to change the world.

And if that describes us. And it just might. Then we’ve got problems. Because our vision of a self-satisfied, entitled life is on a collision course with God’s best for us.

Deceased South American bishop Oscar Romero used to always say that we read the gospel through the lens of our own comfort instead of digging deeper to see how radical the gospel message really is. He once said. "A church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone's skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed -- what gospel is that?"

The unchangeable God is in the ‘change’ business. He allows us to understand crisis and experience unsettledness. He allows us to come face to face with sin. And through that He wants us to emerge more like Jesus so that we can be that prophetic voice in our culture helping to challenge those things that are destructive and break the heart of God. God asks us to change. He expects it. And it’s for a purpose. Bishop Romero was right. A gospel proclaimed that doesn’t have an edge to it is a gospel lacking insight and purpose. And that Gospel needs word and deed proclaimers who have allowed their life to be disrupted and unsettled enough so God could use them to help transform the world.

And that seems to be God’s pattern. Comedian Curt Cloninger does a bit where he talks about that anyone who takes God seriously ends up being a ‘used to be’

Paul used to be a murderer now he’s a missionary.

Moses used to be a murderer on the run and God turns him into a spokesman for the kingdom who goes toe to toe with Pharaoh.

Mary used to be a teenage peasant girl. God turned her into mom.

Esther. She used to be part of the harem. Now she’s being asked to step up and speak for her people.

Peter and Andrew. Used to be fishing for fish. Now they’ll be fishing for men and women.

Lazarus. He kind of wins the ‘used to be’ sweepstakes. He used to be dead. Go figure.

Life changing experiences. Even the no names in the scripture ha d their world rocked. In Hebrews 10 we read:

Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

These early Jewish believers used to be normal people, fitting in to all the religious and cultural expectations but now they’re being exposed as being different. And they’re reward is suffering, ridicule, beatings, jail and losing their possession. Why didn’t they quit following? Because they knew there were better things waiting for them that would last forever. Their faith wasn’t in their position or their stuff. Their faith was in a God they trusted beyond hard circumstance.

I’m not sure we want to be a used to be. But that’s God’s pattern. His idea of what it means to follow Him is different than our intent.

In the gospels we meet a guy who had an opportunity to become a ‘used to be’. It was the rich young ruler. He wanted to know how he could obtain the kingdom of God. At the end of his conversation with Jesus he walked away. He chose not to have his world changed and the Scripture tells us ‘he walked away sad’. Why? I think it’s because he knew he was turning his back on God’s world changing agenda for his life. But he couldn’t say ‘yes’ to that call because his commitment to his own personal agenda for his life was too great.

Here’s our big issue I think. In the New Testament Jesus speaks of two roads …one narrow and one wide. What we want is a road in between. It’s not a narrow road and it’s not a wide road. We want a middle road. And on this middle road we can just keep doing our own thing with occasional excursions into the heart of the gospel. And we want God to change His mind about two roads and we want to convince Him that there’s a third way. Our way. But He’s not buying it. He’s saying it’s the narrow road or no road. It’s as if He’s saying, “I’ve saved you for something …not just from something. You’ll discover it on the narrow road.”

I really believe that God is calling us to change the world. Us. Wherever we are. Because this world has to change. It’s filled with injustice, with poverty, with illness, and hunger. And God can use us to change that. But it’s impossible, I think, to step into God’s plan without allowing him to change our personal world. Are you up to that? Is that the desire of your heart?

Retreat

I was on retreat this weekend. It was really, really good.

About 40 single adults (40’s and 50’s and beyond) headed up to Zion, Illinois and hunkered down at the Illinois Beach Resort. OK place with a beautiful backyard. That backyard is filled with Lake Michigan and sandy beaches. It’s a very nice piece of God’s creation.

Singles ministry, especially with older singles, is always interesting. Most have experienced loss. Some are widowed. A whole lot more are divorced. Others have never married and more than a few of those wonder why. Many have lived long enough to battle illness, nurture wayward children and change careers a time or two. These are seasoned human beings.

Some singles have lost old friends because of their singleness. Even churches sometimes don’t know what to do with them. And they’re plopped into the middle of a singles world that’s filled with both expectation and exploitation. Dating rules have changed. Faith is sometimes fragile. The trust needed to build new friendships is often lacking.

This past weekend we experienced community, talked about important things, luxuriated in a northern Illinois sunlit spring Saturday, and met God again in fresh and hopeful ways.

I was reminded of my need to ‘get away’. Even though I was one of those ‘in charge’ I was able to retreat a wee bit. Even though I’m tired I’m not exhausted. I was replenished more than diminished.

I’m fortunate to know many of the back stories of my fellow retreatants. I know some of their history and have been privileged to be allowed to question some motives and challenge some thinking. With many I’ve laughed in the midst of their joy and been absolutely stunned by their courage. They’ve told me about being abandoned by God and being surprised by His grace. I’ve walked enough miles with many of them to know them and for them to know me. The miles together, the stories told, the laughter, and the confrontation are grist for the mill of community building.

God showed up in some rather nice ways. A scavenger hunt broke down some walls. Our attempts to sing a capella had its moments of both reverence and wonder despite our difficulties with melody and timing. Video tapes of Andy Stanley helped us probe our inmost selves helping us ask the deeper questions of trust and hope. It all worked together rather nicely for what I have to believe God’s purpose and intent for our retreat.

I have a hunch that most who attended walked away encouraged and loved. In a world that’s filled with disappointment and can sometimes be very lonely these are not insignificant things.

We live in a world yearning for opportunities to taste the truly good things of life. It’s not fine food or expensive cars. It’s better than that. It’s that brush with the Divine, the opportunity for friendship, the unexpected laugh and the heartfelt response. These are the good things of life.

I’m a lucky man. I journey through life with good people. They allow me to touch their life and they help fulfill mine. God uses them to mold me more and more into His image.

I wonder how many reading this need an opportunity to stop their life for a bit and get away. Not a vacation. Not a tour. A retreat. Alone or with others. It’s a chance to see ourselves, to meet God again, and either rediscover or recover our life. Even though we know we need it we don’t take the time to do it. It’s too bad. I wonder how much better all our lives might be if we took the time to do what we need to do instead of making excuses for our inattentiveness to what’s necessary.

I retreated this past weekend. It was a God-thing. Very thankful.

Risen

We have a service at our church called 2HC. It doesn’t have any cool meaning. It’s shorthand for second hour contemporary. When it came time to pick a name we couldn’t think of one so this stuck. At 2HC we’ve been doing a series called ‘The Road’. Our guide has been the book of Matthew. As we’ve walked along the road we’ve discovered more and more about Jesus.

Throughout Holy week the road felt a little bit like a roller coaster. Palm Sunday is filled with joy. And then the road crests the hill and we start dropping into the valley. And what we see on the descent isn’t pretty. We witness the stunning abandonment of Jesus by his disciples, the arrest of Jesus, the cowardice of Pilate and when we hit the valley floor we get a gut wrenching view of the torture and death of Jesus. And now the road takes us to the tomb of Jesus.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

There’s a story of a Muslim who became a Christian in Africa. "Some of his friends asked him, 'Why have you become a Christian?' He answered, “Well, its like this. Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions, and you didn't know which way to go, and there at the fork in the road were two people, one dead and one alive--which one would you ask which way to go?'"

Look through the ages. One thing stands out. Every prophetic figure, every acknowledged religious leader, every charismatic leader came to the end of their days. Death consumed them.

But not Jesus.

His death on the cross dealt with this ugly sin issue that plagues mankind. His resurrection frees us to live in the company of a very alive and real Jesus …who loves us like crazy. It’s a power that guides our steps on the road even now.

In churches all across the world we celebrate Jesus’s victory over death, over the devil. Nothing has been able to stifle the work of the cross and the power of the resurrection. Although many have tried they’ve failed.

I remember reading about an anti-God rally in Russia during the rise of Communism. One of the Communist leaders addressed a crowd and belittled, abused, and ridiculed the Christian faith. It was a stunning display of hatred towards God designed to silence the church and any outward manifestation of faith. When he was finished questions were invited. An Orthodox church priest rose and asked to speak. He turned, faced the people, and gave the Easter greeting, "He is risen!" Instantly the assembly rose to its feet and the reply came back loud and clear, "He is risen indeed!"

Evil often thinks it has the upper hand. The Cross and the Resurrection looks evil in the eye and says …”no you don’t.” For the truth of the matter is this …some day “at the very name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Jesus is risen and He beckons us to keep road tripping. He told the women whom He trusted to tell the others that they were to get back on the road and go to Galilee. And they all went. And once there Jesus told them that the road they would travel on next would take them throughout the world preaching the good news of a God who’s not dead and who’s alive.

That’s what we proclaim too. The road is still there. And at every fork in that road …the living Lord is there saying “Come, follow me.” And He does something with us as we travel. He keeps working on us and with us, helping us to become more and more like Him. And He gives us stuff to do. We become His messengers. His hands and feet. He wants us to help change the world for Kingdom purposes. And as we travel down the road He stops us and builds into our life, shaping us more and more into His image and likeness. Like a sculptor crafting His masterpiece …the risen God …shows His love for us by not allowing us to stand pat. ‘Tis a good thing.

He is Risen.

Birth & Resurrection Society

Easter. We’ll have an overflow crowd on Easter. So will a lot of churches. Old and new members of the Birth and Resurrection Society will fill the pews. There’s lots of reasons people come who usually don’t.

For some, there’s a family expectation. Children come home from college. Older children plan a migration back home that coincides with a spring break. Even though they don’t normally go to church or practice a faith lifestyle they will buy into the familial pattern of going to church on Easter.

Others have a vague sense that going to church on both Christmas and Easter anchors them firmly to a faith they have really long abandoned. It doesn’t make sense and has the feel of superstition and magic but it's a very real thing in the lives of many.

Then there’s those who are indeed looking for what they sense is missing in their life. They are folks who are looking in all kinds of directions to heal and/or fill some deep longing in their heart. Somehow they turn to that building with a big steeple or towards a group with a ‘religious’ reputation.

All of them are part of the overflow crowd on Easter. Of course our prayer is that those who walk in out of expectation, or obligation or on wings of whimsy meet the great God of the bible and His people. That isn’t always the case. Let’s face it. Even with overflow crowds, our best foot forward and the best of hopes and prayer most of the overflow ends up not coming back …until Christmas.

It doesn’t matter. This is it. The whole world is at our doorstep. We’ll get the jaded, the skeptic, the true seeker, the don’t rock the boat family people, and folks who can’t even explain why they’re there. In the house on Sunday will be those who see our claims as being exclusive and narrow and even judgmental.
And we get the opportunity to let people know that even if they are ‘far from God’ He is ‘near to them’. We get to show people that the God they label as exclusive is, in truth, magnanimously inclusive.

So Easter will be packed but not the week after. That bothers me but it doesn’t really rock my world or what I do. Actually it's pretty exciting to think that pretty jaded people who live in a jaded world will be with us. And God has called me (and you) to be witnesses to those jaded people who live in a that jaded world. Wow.

It may sound trite but it’s a privilege just to be ‘present’ to all and any who walk through the doors this Sunday. Some are accompanied by the prayers of family and friends. Others not. Some will look saintly and others less so. A few will have a glazed expression of disdain on their face as if this hour on Sunday is their personal purgatory. Even some of them will taste a bit of heaven on Easter morning and walk away wondering what happened.

I don’t know about you but I’m looking forward to Easter this year. I know it’s going to be a strange crowd but I’m a little strange myself. But I get to be there. So do many of you. I get to preach. How fun is that? Some of you get to extend hands of friendship or a smile of welcome or a rescue from the more crotchety members of the church community. Whatever it is …God can use it. He will use it. He has a history of working with very little raw material and doing something quite dramatic with it. There’s no reason to believe He’ll stop now.

It’s the first meeting of 2010 for the Birth and Resurrection Society. It just could be a life changer.

Winners & Losers

The recent health care legislation was a defeat for a certain number of people. Many of those folks are both conservative and Christian. Good people. They try to do the right thing in the right way with the right attitude. And yet a lot of my conservative Christian friends are in a foul mood today. They’re angry. They feel threatened and a healthy number are convinced we’re firmly on the slippery slope leading to socialism. They’re also angry because they lost the fight. Who likes to lose?

And they may be angry with God. After all when you do the right thing in the right way with the right attitude shouldn’t God be on your side and shouldn’t you end up winning?

And for my Christian friends on the other side …well, they are almost giddy with delight. After all, they won.

Winners and losers. Hmmmm.

First, to the winners. Please listen to your more conservative brothers and sisters. Sift through the anger and rhetoric and hear some very clear messages about their worry over too much government, fiscal irresponsibility, and moral ambiguity. Really hear it. Listen. Fear is driving some of this. It may not appear logical and sensible to you but there is real fear disguised by the anger. And underneath it all is a deep concern for the moorings of our country. That can’t be discounted.

When you listen, really listen, you will need to dig deep enough to look at your own personal moorings of faith and how it informs your civic responsibility. Your conservative brothers and sisters are concerned that, at first blush, that you believe in everything and ultimately believe in nothing.

They know you're good at talking about the social dimensions of the gospel but don't think you can speak with any surety about your personal relationship with the Lord. And so that makes your 'liberal' leanings suspect in their eyes.

And to the losers. Will you open your eyes to the possibility that when you open the Scriptures that you’re reading it through the eyes of your political conservatism and not seeing God’s true intent and purpose? Does it ever bother you that some of the most strident voices in our culture belong to people you emulate?

Christians all around the country are happy that health care legislation has been passed. I know you might not believe it because your Christian community only includes those you agree with and keeps out those who think differently (even though they still think biblically). Does that concern you at all?

And now that you’ve lost this battle have you learned anything about how to engage in the next brouhaha …probably immigration?

To both winners and losers.

Social issues are not going away. The bible contains over 2,000 verses dealing with justice, poverty, and marginalization issues. What once was still is.

We are going to be engaged in great battles for the heart and soul of our culture I think. It’s inevitable. Social issues stir people’s hearts. The pocketbook gets involved. Passions explode.

From my vantage point we are citizens of a great country. I’m proud to be an American. Really am. I’m prouder, though, of being a citizen in the kingdom of God. And I believe the Kingdom of God is here and is yet to come (part of the mystery of faith). And as long as it’s here my allegiance is that Kingdom and to that King. That trumps anything else. It’s more important than being on the left or the right or firmly in the center. It supersedes such things.

As I’ve watched our public debates over the past few years I think we’ve lost sight of the fact that we are first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God which calls us to live differently. The principles guiding the Kingdom of God go beyond political, social, and economic philosophy. They are radical in design and application.

All great earthly kingdoms have come and gone away. Whether it be the Greeks, the Assyrians, the Aztecs or the Romans …whether it’s been the great tribes of Africa or the fiefdoms of the middle ages …greatness has worn thin and faded.

How long will America be great? For a long time I hope. But if history and the biblical narrative is any example some day America will fade. If anything, we’ll be eaten from within by the bickering and hate that is so much at the forefront these days.

In the in between time we, as Kingdom People, need to live, to serve, to lead, to listen and build bridges. In the company of Jesus we need to be involved in the great civic discussions, advancing noble principles, bringing light to dark places and all the while doing it with dignity, civility, and purposefulness. I don’t think we’ve done that well in recent days. We’ve looked undignified, lacked focus, and behaved with only hints of civility. We can do better than that. We must.

Good and Beautiful Life

I’ve been reading an interesting book called The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith. On the back cover Smith writes – “I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life. We all want to be happy and we want it all the time.” Smith asserts that we have bought into counterfeit notions of what leads and to happiness and success. “These self-centered decisions lead us further into the vices that cause ruin: lust, lying, worry and judging. Eventually we find ourselves living a beautifully packaged life of self-destruction.”

Here’s what I’m learning. Instead of trusting God I trust my fear. And when I begin to fear I default into wanting more control. When I start to control and take things into my own hands I turn, functionally, into an atheist. Maybe some of you can relate to this.

Here’s the fundamental question for me. Do I really believe God is with me, protecting me, and fighting for my well being? The truthful answer is that all too often I live as if God is in his heavens and is only passively involved with my well being.

The early years of my Christian life were spent learning that God wanted to ‘get me’. Sin and you’ll pay the price. As I matured I learned about ‘grace’ but never really bought into the idea that God loves me like crazy. Because I’m so adept at spotting my own flaws (and being disgusted by them) I struggle with accepting the fact that God and others can really love me.

And so, at times, my mouth speak words of faith but functionally I operate apart from the knowledge and protection of God. Even though I know that I can never flee from God I often act as though I have.

In my quiet time this morning I had a glimpse of living in a medieval kingdom. It was a good life. The King knew my name. He stopped to speak to me. He inquired of my well-being. I felt like I was important to him. I sensed I was. I also knew that when the kingdom was assaulted that my job was to rely on the King to set up defenses and protect all that was his. That wasn’t my job.

And so I wonder why I make it my job to allow my fear, my anger, and my sense of inadequacy to edge me to the point of ‘control’. That’s where I truly lose sight of my position and role in the true kingdom of God in the here and now. I create my own kingdom, becoming one of those ‘trinket’ gods the Scripture talks about.

So what’s the antidote? How does one undo a lifetime of habit?

I’m going to start by doing some study about the kingdom of God. This book is a starting place. It reminds me that the stories that shape the shadow side of my thinking and being can be replaced with Jesus stories about what the kingdom of God is truly meant to be. I know so little about what the kingdom of God truly means and yet it’s at the forefront of much of the teaching of Jesus.

And I’m going to pray and journal about fear and anger and a nagging sense of inadequacy. These are the things that drive me towards the shadow side of myself instead of into the light. In the shadows I am a functional atheist. In the light I learn about trust and the life of faith.

It’s interesting isn’t it. Almost 60 years old. A life time of experience and teaching and still so much to learn about allowing God to transform my life. The good news is that the desire for transformation still surges through me.

How about you. Ever function as an atheist even though you profess faith? Ever lose sight of your position and role in the Kingdom of God? Ever allow fear and anger to move you from a position of trust and into control?

Pick up The Good and Beautiful Life. It might be helpful.

Brackets and St. Pat's Day

Well, I filled out my brackets for the NCAA tournament. One for our office pool at Breakthrough. One for the pool John, Anita and I have for our home competition in Villa Park.

Rumor is that the winner of our Breakthrough pool (where no money changes hands by the way) will win something quite extravagant. Sounds like an empty promise to me. Hope not. Because I think I've done it this year. Yep. At home the winner is taken to dinner by the two losers.

This whole filling out the brackets thing is kind of interesting. It’s something everyone talks about and pays attention to. It’s an interesting diversion. Lots of money is wagered but the bulk of it is $5-$20 office pool kind of betting. For the legalists in our midst …yes, it’s still gambling but just shut your eyes, ignore it, and maybe have some fun.

You see, I think this is kind of fun. This is a shared activity that’s actually cuts across all the divides in our culture. And it’s fun because it really doesn’t matter. It’s not health care, or the environment. It’s not life and death. It’s something that focuses our national attention on something other than all the ‘junk’ floating around. I’m all for it.

What also makes it fun is that just about anyone can win. The most ardent student of basketball can lose to someone who picks winners just because they like the school nickname. It’s neither art nor science. Everyone can get in on the action.

And if you happen to be an alum of one of the schools in the tourney there’s bragging rights until they lose. Pretty cool. I’m not an alum of any of the schools playing. Undergrad at a DIII school and grad school at an underachieving mid-major keeps my ego in check. I did, however, watch players from K State, Kansas, and Duke play in high school. Doesn’t count does it?

I’ve got Kansas going all the way, playing Duke in the finals. And I’ve got Syracuse being ousted by Gonzaga early on. Watch out for Northern Iowa. I'm predicting at least one win for the Valley champs.

However I’m tempted, on this glorious of all days (St. Pat’s Day for those unlucky enough not to be born Irish) to pick Notre Dame to go all the way. Do the Fighting Irish have what it takes? I think not but they wouldn’t be the worse choice.

Speaking of St. Pat’s Day. The Irish are noted for many things. Ruddy good looks and steely intellect come quickly to mind along with deep seated humility. But the Irish are also known to be people of some faith (with a mischievous twist).

May those who love us, love us; and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping.”

Happy St. Pat’s Day.

Placement

In the 20th chapter of Matthew a mother comes before Jesus and she makes a bold and reverent request. “When the kingdom comes will you please, Jesus, place one of my boys at your right and one on your left?" Her sons are grown men and she’s still helicoptering around them angling for the best spot, the most prestigious position.

Somewhere on the road with Jesus, James and John and mom hatch a plot to establish themselves firmly at the top of the pecking order in Jesus’ kingdom. They were angling for corner offices. Actually, we understand their motivation. We’re ambitious people too.

Who doesn’t want power, influence and access? Not bad things to have on your side. I remember moving to Chicago. We were in the midst of adopting our youngest son and the bureaucracy of state and county were killing us. A friend a well known lawyer, asked how it was going. “Slow and painful” I said. He replied, “I’ll take care of it.’. Within an hour every obstacle was removed from our path. The person who was blocking our progress called with a whole new attitude and perspective about our case. We learned about ‘clout’. And rather liked it.

James, John and their mother wanted clout. And the only problem they were running into was Jesus’ intention. He was preparing James and John for a life of discipleship not privilege. And they were overestimating their own importance and underestimating the cost of following Him.

And even when Jesus asks them “Can you drink my cup?” They quickly answer ‘yes’. Sometimes the downside of ambition is a quick ‘yes’ without counting the cost. James and John were saying ‘yes’ even though Jesus has already stated emphatically that his road was leading to betrayal, mockery, flogging, and crucifixion. Sometimes we hear only what we want to hear.

But Jesus doesn’t turn them down and he doesn’t put them down. He doesn’t say, “Forget about it. You’ll never have a place of honor at my table.” Not at all. He looks at this as a teaching moment. And so Jesus gathers all his people together and lays on another layer of training. “ …whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus is saying “You want to sit next to me? Fine. Here’s what it will cost you.” James and John and the rest maybe were assuming their suffering was over and their work was done. They were wrong on both counts. Their suffering was still ahead of them and their work was just starting.

I love Jesus in this passage. He says in effect …”There is a place for you at my table. Those who will be at the table will have to turn notions of greatness upside down. I want the first to become servants. And I’ll show you to what extent. Watch me give my life. And then tell me you still want to drink of my cup?"

It’s interesting that a few days later Jesus is on the cross. There are two people with him. One on his left. One on his right. I wonder if James and John and mom thought long and hard about their request and wondered aloud if they really wanted a place in that type of kingdom.

Interesting enough both James and Johns signed on to drink the cup of suffering and a different type of influence. James was the first apostle to die at the hands of Herod Agrippa. John ended up in exile on the island of Patmos.

So let me ask you?

What are you ambitious about? Remember ambition itself is not evil. But Jesus is pointing to a different sort of upward mobility. Does your ambition include being last, a servant to many? Is your ambition wrapped up in walking the road with Jesus, drinking from the cup He offers?

Here we come to the bottom line of the life of faith. Is your agenda for yourself, for your kids, for your future something you’d be willing to sacrifice in order to follow Christ? Is your notion of being on the road with Jesus a life with unbridled ambition? Are you willing to serve instead of being served? Are you willing to step down in order to step up? Are you willing to be the caddy and not the golfer? Are you willing to be the waitress and not the customer? Are you willing to wash the truck of those who mow your grass? Are you willing to wait when you know you could be first? Are you willing to drink from the cup that Jesus offers?

As we head into Holy Week remember the road to the resurrection goes through the garden and onto the cross.

The good news in all of this is that James and John’s mom was right. There is a kingdom. We have an opportunity to live in the upside down kingdom of God now, work towards its increasing influence and can look forward to the fulfillment of it when Jesus comes again. And who doesn’t want to be there? I sure do. And in the kingdom of God every table is a good table. Every table is near Jesus. You’ll see James and John there. And their mom.

And our ticket in is Jesus Himself and the ambition to serve identifies us as one of His.

Belief

I believe.

So what, huh? For me it’s important to say it, to write it, and to share my belief. I’m not always sure people want to hear or read about it but that’s another issue entirely.

I know what I believe.

I’m not trying to be arrogant and there’s certainly a whole lot I don’t know. Those who know me well can attest to that. But when push comes to shove I can articulate my beliefs. I have some good foundations.

Early on the good Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration forced me to memorize catechism questions. One or two actually taught me to think about them. Although some of what I memorized I forgot quickly much has stayed with me especially some of the basics of faith. Things about the Trinity. The life of Christ. The conduct of a person of faith. The nature of personhood. Life in the Spirit. The church. Such things matured in my heart and mind as I grew and learned more. When I started more serious scripture study it didn’t surprise me that my early doctrinal foundations found new life and meaning. The learnings of my youth still inform my life today.

I’m borrowing a term here but there’s a ‘generous orthodoxy’ I ascribe to that starts with some basic creedal beliefs. Being orthodox doesn’t mean one has to be narrow and short-sided. No, not at all. It brings a compass and a map to a life like mine that has tendencies to wander.

I’m not sure you know what you believe.

I’m not trying to be confrontive. It’s just that I wonder. We live in a world that values perception and feelings and seems to stray away from any notion of truth. And so I see people all the time who say they believe but when asked questions about their beliefs can’t articulate them. That bothers me.

Could the world be filled with people whose foundations have never been laid in something authoritative and eternal?

Could our churches be filled with people who run to escape when winds of hardship blow because there is nothing anchoring them to something bigger than their own emotions?

We struggle with other people’s beliefs.

I’m an evangelical Christian. It’s a culture I know. Some in my camp love to argue but aren’t eager to have discussions. We lob grenades and angrily defend ‘the faith’. All too often we don’t try to get inside someone else’s head. We get angry when there’s no agreement on every jot and tiddle of faith.

Others will believe differently. That’s a given. God loves them. That’s a given. So, what if I really believed that differences are opportunities for dialogue, and proximity paves the way to relationship, and that relationship opens the door to understanding and understanding gives way to caring and ….??? And what if I really believed God could use the dialogue, the relationship, the understanding and the caring to do whatever He needs to do in that other person’s life? And what if I really left the results to God and majored more in being in the moment?

Belief is about being and doing.

A scripture writer said ‘what good is faith without action’. It’s a good challenge. My favorite people do their faith and keep on informing and forming their faith.

God believes in me.

That’s my biggest struggle to be honest. I’m one of those people who’s acutely aware of my imperfection and wonder how anyone could even like me let alone love me. It’s not rational I know. And if I struggle with being liked and being loved how can I believe a good God actually believes in me? But God does. Despite my objections.

Said what?

Recently I posted a link to some comments by punditainer Glenn Beck on my Facebook page. Beck, by the way, is a conservative in his political stance and partisan to an extreme. He's part entertainer and part commentator. He has a facile intellect and an interesting communication style. His audience is growing.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/08/glenn-beck-urges-listeners-to-leave-churches-that-preach-social/

Beck is urging people to peruse their church website looking for the words social and/or economic justice. He wants people to run as fast as they can away from such churches. He insinuates that social justice is just a quick turn to the left and an easy slide into Fascism and Marxism. Please. How insulting. And yet a quick look around the web and one finds many who aren't insulted but invigorated and ready to go to battle against social justice types. Against me. Against my friends and colleagues. I'm quite disturbed by his comments.

I work for two ministries which proudly align themselves with the biblical stream of social justice. For sure social justice is not the only stream that runs throughout the Scripture so I don’t want anyone accusing me or the ministries I serve with of ignoring other streams of discipleship. We don't. We won't. But social justice is a God thing we should be running to and not away from. It’s a stream that should transcend political ideology. After all Jesus Himself at the start of His ministry turned to the book of Isaiah and read:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Jesus was not afraid to align Himself with justice, with the poor, and with the marginalized. Nor should we. Again, I also believe that Jesus came to seek and save the lost (all of us). Personal sinfulness is a big deal. The cross and the resurrection mean something. But Jesus also talked often about the kingdom of God and our need to love others (even those who live outside our comfort zone) in very tangible ways. His desire is that His love takes hold in our lives in deep ways, penetrating our deepest held biases and prejudices, motivating us to be 'Jesus' in the world around us.

I'm sensing there is an alarming trend in both the church and on the airwaves to align social justice with some leftist conspiracy to bankrupt our government. It isn't a big movement but big enough. We can’t allow that trend to become a wave of insensitivity and become unjust itself. That’s why I’m writing.

Most of the people I know who are involved with social justice ministries are avowed capitalists and are quite fond of our democratic form of government. In fact, I know of no one who wants to take us down the path towards Marxism or Nazism. Who would? I think most who ride in the biblical stream of social justice are quite thankful for the freedom to discuss ideas and that we have a system in place where people can make money. Personally, I hope my friends who have been gifted with the 'art of the deal' 'make a lot of money. They will bless others with it. They love God and know all that they have is a gift from Him and needs to be stewarded well.

Those who minister with the poor do talk a fair amount about the systems that seem to block and oppress people and that leads to all kinds of interesting conversations about wealth, access, power, position and priority. These are questions that people of faith should be asking. And it is very true these are the very questions that have led to social upheavals all throughout history. Some of those upheavals have brought about important changes. Others have led to us to destructive places.. But the questions aren't bad. They are necessary. And guided by a good and gracious God much good can come of the asking and the accompanying dialogue. Guided by forces that want personal gain and power much evil can rain down on people and nations.

A biblical perspective on social justice starts with asking God to see the world as He sees it And then be prepared to have your life wrecked. That's what God does to people. He wrecks them and then refocuses their attention. When we start to see the world as God sees it we will see injustice and we will want to work to correct what we see. We will also read Scripture in a totally different light. We will want to engage all that is evil in this world and with righteous indignation work hard to deal with the systems and ideologies that oppress people. Part of the battle will be on the political front where we will have to talk about priorities and resources. None of this is smooth sledding. No worthy call of God ever is.

Glenn Beck is someone I do not know. I know him by reputation. I’ve seen him on TV a few times only. He’s bright and he also exaggerates. He's representative of a type of personality that is gaining too much influence especially among people who aren't sure if they want to think for themselves or not. I also believe these personalities can be found on both extremes of the political spectrum. The problem is that these kind of personalities belittle people of all types, have low regard for authority, create fear, and mismanage information. In this case using social justice as a code for leftist conspiracy is downright irresponsible.

God knows that most people involved in social justice ministry are too tired to organize a conspiracy against anything.

I do understand what Beck is saying though. I really do. Anything good can be used for evil purposes and movements that started well have ended in extremism. I get that. We all do. And I want to pay attention to that. But please don't insinuate that the good people I know are fronts for Marxist or Nazi ideologies.

For sure, if you look hard enough you’ll find extremists in the social justice realm. I'm sure they are there. You'll find people who are angry, bitter and who aren't fond of America for one reason or another. I haven't met them personally but I'm sure they're somewhere. I guess I'd rather look at the thousands and thousands and thousands of loving, caring, Jesus following people who are trying to love the ‘least of these’ in the name of the Lord.

My biggest worry for social justice types is that the magnitude of the issues before them can, perhaps, lead to losing heart and focus. We dare not forget the call of God on our lives nor abandon our own relationship with Jesus, the Christ. Social justice finds its meaning and purpose in and through the person of Jesus. Balancing the doing of the work of God with the being in a relationship with Him isn’t easy. Any critique of social justice needs to start with a look at it’s spiritual framework and move outward from there I think. And in all honesty I think that critique happens often at least in the circles I travel in.

A colleague of mine said today that she prays for the Glenn Beck types of this world. That’s a good plan. I need to be reminded of that in the midst of personal frustration.

I also think that we do need to stand up for what is clearly God’s heart and not allow those in bully pulpits to cause more harm than they already have.

Now let the fun begin.

Calendar Woes

Yesterday I needed to go old school. I needed something more than my Blackberry and laptop. I needed to see as clearly as I could what the next four months of my life looked like in black and white. So I printed out a calendar with all my commitments and appointments listed for me to see. And I shuddered.

I am over committed. Open dates are few and far between already and I haven’t even added in preaching and teaching responsibilities. This does not look pretty.

OK. It’s to be expected I guess. After all I’m doing two part time jobs that pull for a full-time commitment. And I do have a pretty extensive web of relationships that need to be nurtured. But in all honesty I’m nervous. It’s one of those times (and there have been many throughout my life) that I wonder if I will come out of this season of life whole and healthy (cue violins please).

For sure, there are some calendaring errors on my part. That happens. But I’m kind of chuckling about this in the midst of my shuddering. How could I let this happen again?

Almost everything I’m committed to is something I like to do. Not everything. I said almost. I have far too many meetings scheduled. I don’t love meetings. However, it goes with the territory of the world called grown-up. It’s hard to get out of meetings too. I wish there was an easy way to blow them off but most of the easy ways lack integrity.

I love to speak. When I do I sense God’s pleasure. I’m not sure others do but I feel I’m in the right groove. I actually love to prepare talks and lessons. Finding the right word, the right story, the right tone, the right questions …hmmm it’s quite nice.

I love to be with people although I gain my strength from solitude. The classic introvert profile. So I wonder if I’ll fill in the calendar with enough time to retreat and regroup.

My calendar doesn’t include enough ‘waste’ time. I haven’t scheduled in my commitments to Lost, The Office, Flash Forward or March Madness. Some might suggest that I could do without my TV addiction. Don’t see it. Losing the insights and inspiration of Michael Scott might be more than I can bear.

Well, it’s not the end of the world. Some tough choices ahead. I could go with less sleep. Not a good idea though. Anita and I spend a lot of time talking maybe I could listen less. Another bad idea I think.

It’s times like these when I feel pressed by time and shaken by my inability to plan and calendar better that I need to give what I’m thinking and feeling to the Lord asking Him to help me make the best of what looks like tough sledding. He can and I believe He will. I also need to work through my calendar and see where I can cut, where I can ask for help, where I can consolidate and where I might need to bail.

Don't feel sorry for me. I'm just whining. Kickin' myself a bit. I'll get through it. Always do. Lots of good stuff in my near future. Kingdom stuff. Nothing better than that.

Discovery

In the 10th chapter of Matthew Jesus asks his apostles to ‘go’ and do the things they saw Him doing. As their rabbi Jesus was helping his peeps take another step in the discipleship process. It was preparation for the rest of their life. Jesus wanted them to be witnesses to the nearness of the kingdom of God. And He warned them of opposition, the possibility of arrest, possible family alienation, persecution, and the very real threat of losing their life.

And you have to wonder. Why would anyone do it? Why would anyone knowingly put themselves on the line like the apostles were being asked to do? Wouldn’t the prospect of almost certain discomfort keep them from following through on any hard assignment and once out of sight of Jesus just head to the nearest Starbucks or Panera to surf the web? Why would anyone walk in the footsteps of Jesus?

Why indeed? It was probably a combination of things. Maybe some peer pressure. Obedience was probably a factor. Maybe there was a sense of obligation. Perhaps the promise of adventure. Beyone that there is every evidence that they were catching a vision of what could be and were certainly starting to trust their Master. After all He told them that if they traveled the discipleship road, taking up their cross, that they would find their life. That’s no small thing. Whatever the motivation they did it. And there were others …men and women from up and down the social ladder. And when people actually start walking after Jesus …well, a waiting world began to notice.

For sure, as we walk with God we will need to trust Him in the midst of what could be some rather formidable discomfort. And that’s not easy. Because if truth be known all too often we value our comfort more than we desire doing God’s will. God’s position, however, is that His purposes are more important than our comfort.

The more I read Scripture the more I sense the call to be really good at two things. One is simply to ‘be’ with Jesus. To watch. To observe. To hang round. To learn from Him. To talk with Him. Secondly, I know that if I hang out with Jesus long enough He’s going to ask me to ‘do’ something. To exercise my faith as I sensed the power of the living God welling up inside of me.

I can do these two things. I know I can. And yet sometimes I choose not to it. I don’t want to take the time nor exert the energy necessary. I don’t want to step out of my comfort zone. And then I lose out. You see, when those early followers of Jesus stepped on the path of discipleship some interesting things began to happen. There were healings and conversions coupled with opposition and persecution. My guess, though, is that in the midst of the hills and valleys they did indeed discover their life. Not a bad thing to find is it?

Reluctant Confronter

The questions were posed to a group of us.

"So how many of you feel comfortable with conflict?"

"How many of you had good conflict resolution modeled for you when your were growing up?"

The silence was deafening. In our head we could list the reasons why conflict can be good. After all the textbooks say that conflict is a doorway to opportunity. It opens the widows letting in fresh air. It's a launching pad for fresh new insights and agreements. Ya da ya da ya da.

Conflict is also hard. Who hasn't felt like the loser of a twelve round fight at time? Sometimes doors close and the windows are shattered. And, in all honesty, how many people stay at the table long enough to forge those creative win-win agreements.

I'm wary of conflict. When the shadow side of myself takes over I tend to be controlled by fear. And I handle fear by taking everything inside. My first tendency in any conflict is to blame myself. I know, I know it's not good. But remember that's the shadow side of myself.

There's another side of me that will wade into tumultuous water. If I sense an injustice is being done to someone I'll wade into the fray. I find it easier to enter into conflict when I'm going to battle for someone else especially if I know that someone lacks the resources in the moment to fight for themselves.

When I speak to a large group of people I don't mind talking about tough issues. One on one is harder. Interesting.

Sometimes conflict is hard for me because I know that others struggle with doing conflict right. They run, they hide, they lash out. So few of us know how to navigate the tricky roads of conflict resolution.

In our culture we don't do conflict well. We've become a name calling group of people hiding behind hearsay and slogans. It's going to be the death of us. As a result angry people are shouting so loudly that they become more of a problem than those they're shouting about. The medium is the message you know.

Conflict is hard. My wife has probably taught me more about doing conflict well than anyone. It's amazing how safe 'conflict' becomes when you know that acceptance, forgiveness, and resolution is part of the other person's DNA.

I want to be better at confronting. I want to walk through the front door of conflict, make my point, listen for understanding, seek common ground and walk away with my dignity intact. It's an old lesson. The only person I can control in the midst of conflict is myself. My job is to be a reconciling personality in a divisive world.

Of course, I've got to deal with that shadowy fear issue and resist the temptation to withdraw too far into myself. And then I have to pick my battles wisely otherwise I'll be battling all the time. Injustice is worth confronting on both the personal and systemic level. Matters of faith and morality are worth standing up for. Speaking up for the voiceless is a gospel imperative. And sticking up for that good person (me) God created is a noble endeavor.

Still thinking it through.