Threaded Discussions

Recently, wordpress updated their settings to included threaded discusssions.  In case you are unaware of how to add this to your profiles, just go to your dashboard and click on the “discussion” link underneath settings.  There you will be able to allow threads up to 10 levels deep. 

Now, when you want to have a dialogue with me or any one of those leaving comments, all you have to do is click on the link that says “reply” beneath each comment.  Just thought this might be of interest to some of you.

Answering the Call

Just a thought (and I invite your comments)…based on everything that is taking shape in our world…esp. the down economy and the pressures this places on everyone, whether its a job loss or a company of people fighting to keep their jobs…I am driven to ask the following question:

If our churches are filled with disciples, shouldn’t we be looking at a time period in which our churches explode with growth?  I mean, the light shines the brightest when the world is at its darkest, right?  The history of the church has proven this.  If that is the case, then the current storm clouds are providing the Christ follower with an obvious (and perfect) opportunity to express his/her faith. 

Where is your peace that passes understanding?  Or, are you, like others living as those without hope, even though you have a hope and with it this peace that passes understanding.  This is your gift to the world.  Do not hide it.

Why do you call me me good?

The story of the rich young man in Mark 10 is a fascinating account of how the power of wealth can interfere with one’s discipleship.  This man beholds the glory of God in the flesh and declares his riches to be of more weight (“glory”) than Christ.  Unbelievable!  Maybe so…but we encounter the same in our lives every day.

As I recently returned to a study of this passage I wanted to share with you something that jumped off the pages of Scripture to me that I had never considered (nor heard taught) before.  When the rich young man encounters Jesus he falls prostrate before him and says, “Good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus responds, “Why do you call me good? No one is good–except God alone.”  An initial reading of this dialogue leads one to believe that Jesus is chastising the man for calling Him “Good.”  A more careful reading (which is always required of our Scripture reading) will highlight that Jesus never denies the truth of the man’s initial appellation.  Instead of reading this question in the negative light, what if we interpret this question of Jesus to be an actual pursuit of information by the Messiah?  Please allow me to paraphrase:  “Why do you call me good?  Tell me, please. There is only one who is good and that’s God.  So, I’d like to know why you used the term you used.  Do you understand the significance of what you are saying?” 

Can you see that in the text?  The entire Gospel of Mark is about revealing the identity of Jesus.  To this point in the Gospel there are not many characters in the story who understand who Jesus is…maybe this rich young man will be one who understands?  Read on in v. 20:

“Teacher, all these things I have kept since I was a boy.”  What?!  Where is the “Good Teacher”?  The rich young man has just been given a test and he failed miserably.  If he had held on to the “Good” the reader would have understood that he truly understood the identity of this teacher…that He was sent from God, full of grace and truth.  Instead we see that he is easily convinced that Jesus is nothing more than a “teacher.”  Because Jesus is just a teacher there is no way this man is going to be able to handle the request that Jesus would make of him to sell everything he has and to follow Him.  Had he known who Jesus was…the rest of the story might have been a little different.

Question for you and I:  Do we know deep in our hearts that Jesus is the “Good Teacher”?  If so, how could we not give up all things to follow Him? 

Creating Space

Since we just entered into the season of Lent, when many around the world are giving up something for the next 40 days or so leading up to Easter, I am reminded of the importance of creating space for our relationship with God. I don’t think God really cares if we give up pizza or tv, so I think it is ridiculous to label those committments as a sign of religious piety. What He does care about, I believe, is that we remove things that are an obstacle between us and Him. The focus needs to be, then, not on the giving up, but what we are gaining in the giving up. I think the Lenten fast should be chosen on the basis of what could be sacrificed to God that is actually consuming significant parts of our day. Once we have chosen such an item, the real task is to be ready to fill it with conversations with our Creator.

My tribe has never been one to celebrate holy days…for every day is holy in His presence. That’s all well and good, but there is nothing wrong with choosing to observe days that are given a special significance, provided we are not turning our devotion on/off like a light switch the rest of the year. I am one who believes that joining with Catholics and whoever else is participating in Lent could be an extremely beneficial practice for those who have never done so.

Last year I gave up desserts for Lent…which was good for my body…but didn’t do a whole lot for my soul. So, I’d like to know from you…what could you give up that would create space for you and God this Lent season? Be creative…you may be helping someone out with your ideas

Does God Deserve the Blame?

This one is more for discussion than anything.  My mind got rolling on this when I heard someone say recently that through the hardships in their life (and they were significant hardships) they never once pointed the accusational finger at God for their struggles.  While this is commendable…I wondered how I would react, say…if one of my daughters were stricken with leukemia (for instance).  I know it would take me a lifetime to say what Job declared after the tragic loss of his sons and daughters…”the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away…the name of the Lord be praised!”  (Job 1:21)  Let’s unpack Job’s statement from two perspectives…the Christian’s and the unchurched (by this term I am implying one who hasn’t grown up with all of the Christian-ese, who is preconditioned to certain theologies…I am NOT implying this person has no awareness of God or Jesus).

Christian:  Yes!  The name of the Lord be praised!  I agree with this…always.  What I don’t understand is why Job is blaming God for his loss.  It was clearly the Devil’s handiwork.  The Lord giveth, but the devil taketh away!

Unchurched:  This doesn’t make any sense at all to me.  I can agree with the statement regarding the Lord’s giving and the Lord’s taking away.  After all, this is the Lord we are talking about…the all-powerful Creator.  Who else would give?  Who else would take away?  Sure, blame Satan…but isn’t God ultimately responsible?  After all, it was God who gave Satan permission to hurt Job’s family!  What really does not make sense to me is how Job can praise God after such losses?  Job must be one calloused soul to appear so emotionally unaffected by his crisis.   There is no way I could praise the name of God in those moments.

I think I am most concerned with how the Christ follower speaks to the unchurched regarding how one ought to relate to God in tragedy.  I think us church-goers have been so conditioned to deflect accusations from God that we have developed a theology that doesn’t make sense to the unchurched…and frankly, doesn’t make sense to me.  The “O Satan is to blame” strategy defies the unchurched person’s pursuit of a God who is All-Powerful.  (Am I making sense?)  The Christian needs to come up with a better answer than we’ve had in the past.  Any suggestions?

On the other hand, there is much merit in the Christ follower’s intention of praising God in the storm.  It’s a place that I want to end up…I believe its a place that Job wanted to end up as well…even though he expressed it immediately after hearing of the loss of his possessions and his family.  I don’t think Job was a calloused soul…I believe he felt as deeply (or more so) than most of us and that his statement was an assertion of what he believed about the Sovereignty of God…that He was one to be praised regardless of Job’s (or anyone else’s) circumstances.  His statement is NOT a reflection of His current emotions!  Did you hear that!?  Job was not going to turn his back on God!  Neither did he believe that God had turned his back on him.  In spite of all this there would still be a relationship…one in which Job was aware that he was the created and God was the Creator.  Believing this does not preclude that Job was not suffering tremendously in the moment…that he would not have major questions…that he would not vent his anger over his circumstances.  The rest of the book deals with how he processes his pain.   Through this, Job is teaching me to remember that God is still God, even when He doesn’t feel like “my buddy.”  I think that’s where we have missed out in our modern-day theology as well…God is so close, so personal…that he is more of our buddy than He is our Sovereign Creator.  When things don’t go well for us…we take our toys and go home, rather than offering Him our worship b/c it is due Him…independent of our circumstances/emotions. 

What think ye (to borrow a phrase from my old man ) about all of this?  What is the biblical way of responding to God in tragedy?  How can a Christian communicate to a non-Christian in these circumstances…in a way that makes sense to them and yet preserves the Sovereign nature of the Creator?   What do you think about the whole “Satan is to blame” line that many Christians have used to deflect criticism from God?  I’d like to hear from you.

World, meet Rilyn!

Here’s my girl…all 9lbs. 2ounces of her!  Thankfully, she was not cursed with the Oakes’ head (though Oakes’ heads are adorable) and most of the 9lbs was situated in her shoulders and torso (mom was grateful for that during delivery!). 

God has truly blessed our family.  Our quiver is growing.  We couldn’t be happier. 

Rilyn Olivia Oakes entered the world under her Father’s watchful care at 3:01 pm on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009…and our world drew nearer to the Kingdom of God b/c of her…even if the world was oblivious to her. 

Blessed Father, please cast your gaze upon my daughter and yours…may she always be aware of your abiding presence in her life…through the sunshine and the rain.  May your glory be revealed in her as she walks among those who have eyes but cannot see and ears but do not hear.  May she find it possible in her life to remain as much a part of your Kingdom in her adult years as she is in the days of her youth.  May you give strength and leadership to her parents to never get in the way of this prayer being answered in her life.  But mostly, today…Father…we give you thanks for the joy that fills our hearts over your faithful answer to our prayers in bringing this gift into our world.

Off to the Hospital

Just a quick blurb to let everyone know that Kelly and I are going to the hospital early this morning to welcome our 2nd daughter into the world. Thanks for all of your prayers. I will look forward to sharing the news with you all in a day or two; I will post some pictures as well. Have a blessed day!

Surprised by the Kingdom

Setting politics aside (as much as possible)…this is a huge week in the history of this country.  I cannot help but be moved by the image of MLK, Jr. that resides in the shadow of the inauguration of this country’s first black President.  While the question of race was certainly at the center of Dr. King’s speech…as a minister listening to a minister…I hear sooo much more in his speech.   The link above is an abridged version of the speech (the full version is also available of youtube or by subscribing to iTunes “great speeches in American history.”  I encourage you to listen to the entire speech if you haven’t done so in some time (or maybe never have).  It is one of the best presentations you will ever here…in its eloquence…its powerful rhetoric…and in its ability to move the audience towards action.   A sermon whose legacy has lasted 45+ years….us preacher can only dream of that kind of impact (I’m happy if someone remembers my lessons a week later!)

What I draw you towards in this speech is not the cliches that are quoted so often that the rest of the speech is lost to our memories…but I encourage all who are trying to follow Christ to hear this speech for the vision it presents of the Kingdom of God…His inbreaking Kingdom.  The broader application of Dr. King’s speech is the dream of a world where God is ruling in the lives of His people.  Who can argue with the fact that this rule is fantastically displayed when all of God’s children look at each other as just that…children made in the image of God?!

I hope with all of the talk of America being a “post-Christian” society…that we don’t misunderstand what is being said.  In one sense…this talk is true…Christianity as we know it is undergoing a metamorphosis and in many sectors of society it is no longer the dominant paradigm of the people.  Though these things are true…we should not accept that this means the kingdom is no longer active and expanding.  God’s kingdom is so much bigger than what is happening behind the walls of our church buildings!  While in many ways we are in a state of moral decay…in many other ways a purer Kingdom is rising up from the ashes of a misguided institution…the spirit of Christ is establishing God’s will in places and in hearts that are surprising to many “Christians.” 

So…we should not think all is doom and gloom (even if you’re a Republican).  For Tuesday, when this country inaugurates Barack Obama as its 44th president…the world will see in part the realization of a dream that was spoken of 45 years ago in front of the Lincoln Memorial…which was the dream of one of our country’s greatest leaders 145 years ago (when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation)…also a dream that reflects the heart of our nation’s forefathers (though not all of them knew what they were saying when they declared that “all men are created equal” and have “unalienable rights”)…and most importantly, by far, it is the fulfillment of the dream of Jehovah God who made all men in His image.  We would be remiss in failing to acknowledge the Kingdom’s surprising presence in Tuesday’s inauguration. 

I hope we can all learn a little bit more in the days to come to see and acknowledge where the Kingdom shows up in our lives…and to be grateful for the surprising places from which it comes.

The Impossible Command: To Love One Another

In a recent sermon I preached, I was provoked to more thought on the command Jesus gives to his disciples in John 13:33-34:  “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another.” 

It’s amazing how easy it is to take commandments and turn them into human responsibility.  These are the easy aspects of obedience…there is no gray matter…it’s black and white…Jesus said it…so let’s “git R dun” so-to-speak.  If, however, we really stop to evaluate what was being commanded by Jesus in this passage we might see the following:

#1 – That Jesus was talking to men (that’s the not the profound part of this discussion…but a reality nonetheless)

#2 – That these men put on display their conflict with one another throughout their journey with Christ.  “Who is the greatest?”  “Let me sit at your right hand?”  “Oh…oh…can I sit at your left?”  “What about him…what is to become of him? (Peter speaking of John)”  “I (not we) will follow you to death.”  Not to mention the fact that the diversity of backgrounds within this bunch led to conflict over social class and political affiliations (tax collectors comingling with fishermen).  These men probably barely liked each other; good luck getting them to love each other.

#3 – Jesus commands them to love AS He had loved them.  Okay, Jesus, loving Matthew is one thing…but to go that degree is quite another. 

The importance of recognizing the challenge…NO…the impossibility of fulfilling this command on their own is ESSENTIAL to understanding the power of the command.  If it were easy…if it could be done by human effort…what would be the big deal?  How would the world know that these were disciples of Christ if it was a matter of best friends who drink tea and make quilts together loving one another?  Answer:  No one would care…there would be no testimony in that.  But, if these guys…these diverse, competitive, unsympathetic, power-mongers could love each other????…Wow…if that can happen…then YES…the World will know that they are Christ’s disciples.

What blows me away about my church experiences is that the toughest commandment we have ever had to fulfill is this one by Jesus.  We have failed miserably at it time and time again…we long to be right…we fight for power…for control…we divide rather than unite…we end up so very far from the fulfillment of this commandment…though all the while we hold it up as our banner. 

There is one difference that I can see in Scripture that allows the fulfillment of this impossible command:  the Spirit of Christ made its home in the hearts of these men.  The world was never the same after Pentecost.  The world stood up and took notice at what they saw in these men…a love like Jesus.   But it was the Spirit that had to come first.

May we understand and embrace this…quit trying to do it on our own…and may the World stand up and take notice once again at a “love like Jesus” that they see in us.

Story

 I absolutely have to put a plug in for what I believe is going to be an incredible read.  On my way to California last month I got the chance to listen to Donald Miller as a guest speaker at Rob Bell’s church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  It is a rare occasion to have the opportunity to find a downloadable sermon by Mr. Miller.  I heard him once in Austin at a Youth Specialties conference; it was incredible and I’ve been anxious to hear what he’s been working on.  That said, if you are an iTunes subscriber, download the Nov. 11, 2007 sermon by Donald Miller from the Mars Hill podcast.  It’s about an hour long; you won’t be disappointed. 

This book called “Let Story Guide You” is supposed to hit the shelves this Tuesday, Jan. 8th.  If his sermon at Mars Hill is an indicator of the content of this book, then here are a few key of the impact points:

1.  Your life story “sets the compass” for all those around you.  We need to hear this.  He gives a poignant example of a businessman who receives a memo from his secretary.  As she hands him the memo, she allows her hand to pause for an extra second on his hand…in that moment there is a decision to be made that will “set the compass” for all of those in this man’s life…for the secretary’s, for his wife’s, for the lives of his children.  What he does in that moment, will write in permanent ink the next chapter of his loved ones lives.  It cannot be otherwise. 

Now, this is a common sense example…but if you are like me…it has added poignancy in the context of Story.

2.  The Protagonist is only the hero so long as he does not consider himself better than those around him.  If he does, he instantly becomes the villain.  Interestingly enough, a hero can have all sorts of other flaws…serious flaws….but the moment in the story that pride overcomes him…hero status is lost.  Jesus remembered this by “not considering equality with God something to be grasped” and “humbling himself, taking the very nature of a servant.”  If we are to be the protagonist of our own story, we must keep this in mind.

3.  The Plot has to matter.  Nobody wants to read a story about the guy whose life ambition this year is purchasing a new Volvo (Miller’s example).  Volvo guy does not matter…its not an evil pursuit, but its a pursuit that has no impact on our emotions.  He tells, instead, of the story of his friend, Jenna, who is digging wells for people in Africa…and how if for some random act of occurrence she were hit and killed by a car, hundreds of lives would be affected even lost by her death.  Hers is a story that matters.

The challenge in this is to choose a story that matters.  This involves living the life that you have been called to in Christ no matter the consequences to self.  Within every life is possibility of a great story.  Life is not the problem; people are.  The majority of people will write a boring and useless story b/c they failed to have faith in God to do the impossible.  When an obstacle came upon their path they quietly decided that it must not have been God’s will for that to happen and they passively let great opportunities pass them by.   This, Miller says, is not the path of the hero.  The hero kicks down the doors that get closed in front of him, assured of the noble and true calling he has received and knowing that there will be hardships along the way and that no story is worth writing unless there are risks and challenges to face in the process. 

Whether all of this is the right paradigm to view our lives with or not…I know that when listening to Miller’s words and the way he framed the way he thought it ought to be…spoke to my heart.  There was something within me that said, “Yes…that’s right.  That’s how I want my life story to be told.  I don’t want to be Volvo guy.  I want a story that matters.”  The good news is, if we learn to walk in the footsteps of Christ…our story will matter.

I think I’ll be reading this book.