Crash Course in Waiting (aka "A Saab Story")

There's a bitter irony in preaching and writing on the "spiritual discipline" of waiting, and then having God throw you a curve to see if you really mean what you say.

For many years, I have been yearning to get a new car. I was tired of the old, gutless Escort I had been driving. I wanted something new. I wanted something fun. I wanted an adult car! After a lot of waiting and saving and researching and dreaming, this September we bought a Saab 9-3. I loved it! 210hp of turbocharged excitement turning on rails as you work through the 6-speed manual transmission. Suddenly, even going to the store to get milk was enjoyable. At least for 3 months, 12 days, and 2,777 miles...

Last Thursday (12/27), Kristi and I were returning from a stop at the Tacoma Mall before going to dinner. It was dark and raining, and the northbound traffic on I-5 was at a crawl. Fortunately (so we thought), the new long exit ramp to I-705 was moving along a good pace. Unfortunately, people getting stuck on I-5 started darting over into the exit lanes. The young man driving with his father in his dad's Volvo wagon in front of me suddenly stomped on his brakes. My Saab responded with agility as as I quickly began to stop behind him. (You know you're in control and going to stop in time when your wife doesn't reach for the dash!) BUT... the young man and his date in the Jeep Cherokee behind us wasn't as quick on the brakes. He smashed into us and forced us into the Volvo in front of us. When you're the middle car, there's just no where for all that kinetic energy to go. Bang! CRASH! In an instant, it was over.

As Kristi put it, there's good news, bad news, and sad news. The good news: Everybody involved was okay; there were no injuries. The bad news: our date was ruined and we missed dinner. The sad news: the Saab is toast!




And so the waiting begins again. This time, it's waiting on insurance companies to do their thing. Waiting to see if the car can be fixed or if they will total it out. More waiting...

In the meantime, I'm trying to remember how much I need to be thankful for. No one was hurt. The kids weren't with us. The State Patrol responded quickly and did a great job of handling things. The kid who hit us admitted responsibility. The tow truck got there fairly quick. We had great friends taking care of our kids, and who came to pick us up (Thanks, Doug and Betsy!). And more.

I'm also realizing again just how much of waiting involves a sense of being out of control. Actively waiting means actively trusting that my Heavenly Father is in control. It also means remembering that everything is a gift from God, and I need to hold all that God has given with an open hand.

Lord God, thank you for the way you continue to provide and protect. Heavenly Father, you are the giver of every good and perfect gift. Help me to receive all that you give with open hands and to never take for granted your generosity and grace. And thank you for the things that matter most: family, friends, and fellowship with you.

Random Ruminations on Christmas

Christmas is over for another year. Nothing left but the recycling and "Thank you" notes. Time to look back and ruminate a little on Christmas 2007...

1. Should we celebrate Christmas? A story in the Tacoma News Tribune recently looked at American Christians who reject the celebration of Christmas on religious grounds (http://www.thenewstribune.com/tacoma/24hour/religion/story/228703.html). Those quoted contend that the holiday was largely ignored until the late 19th century because of "the lack of biblical sanction for Dec. 25 as the date of Jesus' birth." Readers are reminded that many of the elements of our Christmas celebrations (e.g., decorating trees) have origins in paganism and celebrations of the winter solstice. Clyde Kilough, president of the United Church of God, is quoted as saying,"The theological question is quite simple: Is it acceptable to God for humans to choose to worship him by adopting paganism's most popular celebrations and calling them Christian?" To a great extent, I believe the answer is "Yes." Let's remember that God is in the business of redeeming the profane. God doesn't create holy people and sacred practices ex nihilo; God instead starts with sinful people and practices, and then he transforms them in Christ.
   
   In addition, from the earliest days, Christian communities have had to wrestle with how the radical freedom found in Christ pertains to the cultic worship practices of both Jews and Gentiles, with the bulk of New Testament teaching focusing on a) not judging others, either positively or negatively, for their practices, b) not forcing others to follow the old rules, and c) not allowing one's own freedom in Christ to become a stumbling block for others (e.g, Rom. 14:1-4; 1 Cor. 8:1-13; Gal. 4:9-11; Col. 2:13-23). This challenge is nothing new.
   
   More importantly, I think there are important theological reasons for keeping a regular celebration of Christmas in American Christianity. The Incarnation is severely overlooked in protestant theology. In many ways, it is seen as means to an end--Jesus had to be born so that he could die. We hear this in sermons and songs every December. I certainly don't want to deny the central importance of Christ's death and resurrection. But the coming of God in Christ, the Word becoming flesh, has vital significance in itself. Evangelical Protestants speak often of humanity's sin incurring God's wrath and requiring a penalty of death. We sometimes add that sin separates us from God. But we often fail to account for the natural separation between divinity and humanity. There is an ontological divide as well as a sin divide. Combine the two and clearly our humanity may not have unmediated or self-initiated communion with God. So Christ becomes the mediator between holy God and sinful humanity by taking on human flesh and becoming one of us. Unless the Son of God had taken on our humanity we could have no hope of becoming united with him because there would be no point of common contact. But because his flesh is our flesh, we may be united to him and subsequently receive the benefits of his Cross. This incredible Christmas journey of the Son of God from heaven to earth is worth celebrating just as his Easter journey from the Cross to the empty tomb.
   
   
2. Waiting for Christmas. Last Sunday I preached on the theme of waiting, drawing upon the stories of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2 and how they had lived for decades intently and intentionally waiting for the coming of Christ. I believe that in big ways and small ways, all of us our waiting for God to show up in our lives and do something, although that something will be different for all of us. At one point, I sought to expound on the ways in which God uses waiting, that God intentionally makes us wait, as a means for shaping our character and for deepening our faith and trust in him.
   
   In discussing the theme with my (brilliant) wife afterward, she made the great observation that we often lose out on those benefits because we cheat. Like a kid who can't wait for the go-ahead from the parents to start opening the Christmas presents, we take shortcuts and try to get what we want right now. People have always had trouble waiting on God. Unlike Simeon and Anna, how many people living before the first Christmas couldn't wait for the true Messiah? How many settled for less and followed the posers who came claiming the title? How many gave up hope for God to show up and make good on his promise, and they decided to take matters into their own hands and rely on their own strength? How often do I do the same?
   
   When I think of areas in my life where I'm waiting on God, I usually fall to one of two temptations that keep me from waiting actively. Sometimes I take matters into my own hands. I remain active, but now I try to make things happen myself. Other times, I become resigned. I'm waiting, but not actively. It's the life-posture of "Whatever."
   
   Christmas, or more accurately Advent, has been a good reminder this year of the need to wait actively upon the Lord. It's a reminder and a lesson I hope to carry into 2008.
   
   

Becoming a Christian, Part 4

Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.
Q. 32. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
A. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which, in this life, accompany or flow from them.

- The Westminster Shorter Catechism

The quote above from a catechism from the mid-17th century reveals a view of "becoming a Christian" significantly different from the transactional models prevalent today. First, the emphasis is on what God is doing (not just what God has done) when a person becomes a Christian. Transactional models tend to emphasize what we do. Second, the catechism speaks of benefits in this life--becoming a Christian doesn't just leave us with "sin management" but includes the transformation of life as we live it now. Transactional models, on the other hand, tend to emphasize only eternal benefits experienced after death (hence the old evangelistic conversation starter question: "If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven?").

To be fair, many of those who hold to a more transactional view of salvation, many who see "becoming a Christian" almost exclusively as an event rather than a process, nonetheless will include some teaching on the need to for the new Christian to grow or mature. Regrettably, those that do exhibit a desire to see people grow in Christ have outlined that growth as a linear and even formulaic process.

One of the most popular models currently (and one to which my congregation has subscribed) is the Purpose-Driven model popularized by Rick Warren and Saddleback Church. According to Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life, God created each person to fulfill five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry (service), and outreach (mission). Moreover, the expectation is that those who become Christians will work through each purpose in order and that only Christians can engage in these sequential steps. One starts as a part of the "community" of people who can attend worship, but since Warren teaches that only Christians can actually worship God, these people obviously cannot progress further until they "become Christians." From there, one can move toward the inner circles of the "crowd," "congregation," "committed," and finally the "core."

But this assumes (falsely, I believe) that genuine worship, or fellowship, or service, or whatever else, can only be done by those who are Christians. Yet, because God designed all people to be worshipers, everybody is worship something... usually multiple things! I don't believe it is accurate to say that the person who has not "become a Christian" through the transaction of "saying the prayer" or "crossing the line of faith" cannot truly worship God. Their worship of God may be incomplete or divided because their knowledge of God is incomplete and their hearts are still divided. But that's true for all of us! Likewise, those who are at various places in their spiritual journey--from pagan to puritan to priest--seek meaningful relationships with others (e.g., fellowship) and seek to do good for others (e.g., ministry and outreach).

What if instead of this linear approach, we adapted the model to have overlapping circles rather than concentric circles? One can maintain the idea that all five purposes are important, but now we move to a less linear and more holistic approach. Moreover, people can be invited into a deeper realization of life in Christ from any point rather than assuming that worship is always the beginning. For example, the person who is seeking wholeness in their heart, mind, and soul can be helped to see that this is really part of God's design that we be like Christ (e.g., discipleship). Or those who are already doing good things in the world apart from acknowledging Christ, such as serving in a food kitchen or giving to AIDS relief, can grow in union with Christ so that they see and act on this as part of the spread of God's kingdom (e.g., outreach). This approach can also move us from a more attractional approach to evangelism ("come to us") to a more missional approach where we can join with the work the Spirit is doing in a person's life wherever they are at.

We can modify this further by recognizing that the our approach to "ministry" can be self-serving. According to the purpose-driven model, each Christian should have a 'ministry in the church' and a 'mission in the world.' Isn't this a bit of a false distinction? Churches today with their big buildings and multiple on-site programs have great need for people to volunteer to serve the church. But where do we get the idea that serving the church is the thing to do? Serving the people is a good thing, but that is covered under the idea of "fellowship." Serving the church--the organization or the institution--helps to "grow the church." But, again, where do we get the idea that that is part of God's agenda for the world? The church is not an end unto itself. The church is meant to follow the lead of her Lord who came not be served but to serve. The church is a means to end, namely the furthering of the kingdom of God in the world. Consequently, the purpose of "ministry" can easily be subsumed under "fellowship" and "outreach.

Moreover, we can see some parallels with with the three benefits of our effectual call mentioned in the catechism and the three sets of New Testament metaphors mentioned in the previous post. Although the correspondence is far from exact, the purpose of "worship" can be reinterpreted to include all of our life in Communion with God, that which flows out of our justification. "Fellowship" can be understood as our life in Community with others, that which flows from our adoption. And "discipleship" can be viewed as the transformation of the Character within us, that which results from our sanctification. All of this happens within the world we are called to serve.

At this point, I'm realizing that we've strayed some from the original idea of what "becoming a Christian" means. I suppose most of this rumination revolves around ways to envision our "becoming a Christian" as a journey rather than a transaction, as a process rather than an event. It must include an essential effect on this life and not focus only on the life to come. And it needs to be open to mystery and the unknown as we are united with Christ. So, perhaps we can keep the old idea of a "bridge" diagram for "becoming a Christian," but have it look something like this...

Comments anyone?

Becoming a Christian, Part 3

"When we examine the broad spectrum of Christian proclamation and practice, we see that the only thing made essential on the right wing of theology is forgiveness of the individual's sins. On the left it is remove of social or structural evils. The current gospel then becomes a 'gospel of sin management.' Transformation of life and character is no part of the redemptive message. Moment-to-moment human reality in its depths is not the arena of faith and eternal living." - Dallas Willard

What is our theology of salvation? What do we believe salvation really is? Consider the aforementioned bridge analogy popularized in the 4 Spiritual Laws evangelistic presentations (see Part 1). Here the problem of sin is that it separates us from God. The solution to the problem is God bridging the gap through Christ and the cross. We receive salvation, then, by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, which is done by following the suggested prayer formula.

While I don't disagree that sin separates us from God or that Christ can be viewed metaphorically as the bridge between God and humanity, this presentation of salvation seems to be one-dimensional as well as truncated or incomplete. Consider some of the New Testament metaphors for the saving work of God in Christ. Similar to the bridge analogy, some deal directly with our relationship with God: In Christ we are 'reconciled' (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18-19), 'forgiven' (Mt. 26:28; 1 Jn. 1:9), 'redeemed' (Gal. 3:13), 'ransomed" (Eph. 1:7, 14), and 'freed' (Rom. 6:18). Some salvation metaphors deal with the transformation of our life and character: In Christ we are 'born again" (1 Pe. 1:3), 'purified' (Jn. 17:19; Eph. 5:26), 'made alive' (Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13), and made 'new creations' (Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17). Similarly and related to these, still other metaphors deal with our relationships with others: In Christ with others we receive 'adoption' (Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:5), become 'children of God' (Jn. 1:12; Rom. 8:17) and a part of 'Christ's body' (1 Cor. 12:13) in which we have 'fellowship' with one another (1 Jn. 1:3, 7). And this list is by no means exhaustive!

Is there a way to capture some of these ideas in presenting the Gospel to others? Something to ruminate on next time.

Becoming a Christian, Part 2

"The moment of decision or the decision of faith must be understood not simply as one decision but as a life decision. The experience of salvation is not merely one specific experience in the life of the Christian; rather, it consists in an abiding with Christ that is strengthened and deepened through life. Faith entails not simply the acceptance of Christ but daily repentance and obedience....It is not a single experience of conversion but a life of conversion that is decisive for our salvation." - Donald Bloesch

Perhaps the reason why I react negatively to the purely transactional models of "becoming a Christian" is rooted in my own experience as a child and adolescent. Numerous times I heard a preacher or speaker give the invitation to "ask Jesus into your heart," and numerous times I responded. Unfortunately, I also believed that once I asked Jesus "in" He was free to leave and head "out" whenever He wanted, most likely in response to my unfaithfulness (which was common), and without any need to give 2 weeks notice. Consequently, I prayed the "sinner's prayer" and "received Christ" repeatedly, unsure if it had worked the last time I had completed the transaction. (This is why I hate the question, "When did you become a Christian?"--I still don't have a good answer! Perhaps it's also why I'm still unsettled by Jesus' question, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I say?" But I'll save that for another post!)

The end result was feeling like this salvation I'd received was incomplete. If the sweet-sounding amazing grace had saved me, why did I still feel like a wretch? I've heard similar stories from enough other people that I don't think this result is uncommon. Some feel like their salvation prayer was a one-hit wonder -- that one might have worked wonders, but the rest now seem to fall flat. Others find themselves stuck in habitual patterns of sin that they can't seem to break. And regrettably, the Church seems to provide little or no real help. After all, we're the ones who've set up these unmet expectations that once you "become a Christian" the important work is done.

I've written elsewhere: "Intentionally communicated or not, the message heard by many churchgoers today is one of 'instant salvation' or 'instant Christianity,' a message that is attractive to Americans who are preconditioned to instant gratification by our rapid cultural changes, our ever-increasing technological innovations, and our furious pace of life. We have become accustomed to time-saving techniques, shortcuts, and quick fixes, and the church's message has accommodated our short attention spans."

The result is numerous people actively seeking to be 'a Christian,' at least as it has been presented to them, but they're feeling like something is missing. Even more have heard and perhaps responded to this view of becoming a Christian, and are now doing little to actively follow Christ. Leadership Journal posted results of a survey which indicated that 81% of Americans that identified themselves as "Christian" could not meet their standard of "Active Christian." (See http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/004/1.19.html.) I can't help but wonder if this is because we're not helping people embrace full-life discipleship with Jesus. Are we essentially just making church-members instead of disciples? They've passed the initiation rite to join the club, but now that they're in...

This all seems to beg a question or two: What's our underlying theology of salvation? What do we believe salvation really is? We'll have to wrestle with that next.

Becoming a Christian, Part 1

Is conversion an event? Is salvation a transaction? Is becoming a Christian really a matter of making a decision or saying a prayer? Is it "crossing the line of faith," "asking Jesus into our hearts," or "accepting Jesus as my personal savior and Lord"?

Our church is currently doing a series on Sunday mornings with the "Becoming a Contagious Christian" material put out by Willow Creek and Zondervan (http://www.contagiouschristian.com/). I had the chance to go through this material with the author in the mid-90's when it first came out. I've also taught the curriculum as an adult class. I value it's emphasis on learning to share about Jesus in a style that is natural for you rather than giving a formula or cookie-cutter approach. BUT... there just has to be a but... I'm increasingly unsatisfied and even troubled by the way we're told to present "the gospel" and invite people to "become Christians."

The so-called "four spiritual laws" and the accompanying bridge analogy are the recommended means for calling people to respond to Christ. (See http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp and http://www.godlovestheworld.com/) All analogies break down, and this one does too in some significant ways (e.g., it keeps sin as something separate from us rather than a part of us; it has no mention of community). But my biggest issue with it is that it implies that once you have followed the steps and prayed the prayer to "receive Christ," then you're done.

I'm reminded of this great quote by A.W. Tozer:

"The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith many now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may be 'received' without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is saved,' but he is not hungry nor thirsty after God. In fact, he is specifically taught to be satisfied and is encouraged to be content with little." - A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Tozer wrote that 60 years ago! Things haven't changed in many ways.

In the next couple posts I want to wrestle with some of the possible results of this approach to evangelism. Are we, as Tozer says, too easily satisfied and content with too little? I also want to explore some of the theology behind all this. What is it that we believe about what is means to be saved? And hopefully, somewhere along the line, some alternatives might emerge.

Live... without a net!

So here it goes... After reading others' blogs for several years, I've decided to give it try. Why? Because I've got more random thoughts bouncing around in my head than I know what to do with! Hopefully this will give me a place to record and process stuff I'm thinking and reading and generally musing on. And hopefully it will also give a forum for dialoguing with others who want to wrestle with the same kind of stuff.

Welcome to Ruminations and Regurgitations!