I have this thing about the cashiers at drive thru windows and at Walmart. I make a point of smiling at them and being pleasant and engaging. The more distracted and apathetic they are the more determined I am to be human and present while I interact. I don’t know where I came up with this, maybe flashbacks to my own monotonous time behind a cash-register, but I rarely miss an opportunity. Sometimes I wonder if people in the line behind me, whom I barely connect with, think that I am a long lost friend of the cashier or know them personally. I suspect that disparity says a lot for my daily interactions with people outside of cashiers.

After service the other evening I happened to go through the drive thru. I played my little game and grinned and joked with the cashier in the window and then drove off. For whatever reason, a tiny snippet of the night’s sermon came back to me asking “how would people know I am a Christian?” And a part of me wondered if smiling and chatting with people who are visibly checked out was a signal of that.

I have also been considering a friend’s thoughts on generosity. He thinks the early church members were known as Christians because of their generosity. And not because they gave away their possessions or money to the point of discomfort, which it seems they did, but because they did not qualify who they were being generous too. They did not require the recipient to meet five major points of criteria, pass an exam, or a credit check, promise to spend the money on food not alcohol, go to classes, listen to a sermon or be noticeably apathetic and work for a Walmart in order to qualify for generosity. Anyone who needed or asked, received.

So I really started churning over the idea of how people would know I am a Christian. Better yet, remove the label: how would people know that I am trying to listen to what God wants of me and who he wants me to be? Because I believe if everyone did that the world would be a remarkable place. But what signals do I give off?

While it might look good on the surface, I doubt that having a perverse game of smiling and engaging people who are apathetic, bored, and distracted in two scenarios is much of a signal. Nor is giving to organizations that I have qualified myself to make sure they in turn qualify who my money and volunteer hours benefit. It is a little ironic that what makes me feel like patting myself on the back for being aware or careful is a prime example of how I am completely missing the point; that generosity does not need qualifiers. That everyone deserves and benefits from smiles, conversations, donations, and time.

So how do people know I am a Christian? I doubt they do unless I have mentioned going to church. But the label itself isn’t so important to me, the outcome is. I want to signal something that I think could make the world remarkable. And I am starting to see that carefully qualified or limited activities drains the life out of the message just as mass-standardization can drain away a personality.

This post was written by a member of the Last Call community.

img credit

I came across an article that discusses a subtle way in which “dangerous” aspects of the gospel (embodied by certain followers of Christ) have been whitewashed and even virtually erased from our collective memory. This technique is referred to as canonization and control. Here’s what the article says about it.

“The idea is actually quite clever: place someone on a pedestal and you render that person irrelevant, at least in terms of being an example for the rest of us. Adoration thereby replaces emulation, reverence supplants replication.”

Perhaps the notion of “canonization and control” should be taken with just a bit of a grain of salt. But at the very least, this article should make us pause and think about what “impractical” or “inconvenient” parts of the gospel we gloss over. Maybe we should stop and ask ourselves, are we quickly judging and dismissing the lives of many so-called “dangerous” Christians without appreciating how they attempt or attempted to live out the gospel? Are we merely worshipping Christ without questioning what characteristics of his life and message we fail (at times) to emulate, thereby not letting his spirit dwell with us in all facets of our lives?

Please read the article and consider these questions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-canon-c-k-robertson-phd/dangerous-christians_b_858055.html

This a post by Steven Potts, a member of the young adult leadership team.

I recently reread the story of Esau giving up his inheritance for a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:29-34), and it made me wonder about the mathematics behind his decision making. In the moment, Esau was so hungry that the bowl of stew in front of him seemed more valuable than his inheritance, which apparently seemed too uncertain and distant. What an amazing example of how dangerous it is to misevaluate a potential outcome, or be so focused on the present that the value of a future event could be discounted to so little. In other words, how dangerous it is to overemphasize what is temporarily appealing while ignoring what it means for your future.

We are guilty of this all the time, both individually and as a society. For example, when making health-related decisions, people tend to apply ridiculously high discount rates, failing to invest in their future health because a slice of cake now seems much more appealing and tangible than good health in the future. (I write having just eaten a gigantic ice cream snack at 3:30 pm after skipping my morning run!) Esau’s decision sounds crazy when read with the benefit of hindsight, but how often do we make the same decision? What are you letting threaten your inheritance?

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and  joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

This a post by Kirsten Sharpes, a member of the young adult leadership team.

img credit

Below are some articles worth considering if the recent discussions on hell have prompted you to reflect. Our small group took an hour to discuss hell. Among other things we made these observations…
…we typically avoid this discussion because we, as a culture, avoid thinking about death in general. It is easy to live in denial about our finite days when we have so many ways to prolong life and avoid seeing death.
…we typically re-engage the issue of eternal realities when death confronts. The recent events in Japan have been the most recent catalyst for many people.
…our culture tends to think of humans as generally good ( 1. ‘good’ is not typically defined and 2. it is a belief at odds with the Bible). This lends itself to a belief that God will draw most everybody into everlasting life.
…Scripture itself seems to have some internal tensions – some passages suggesting that God in Jesus Christ will reconcile all peoples to himself while still accounting for sin, and plenty others making clear that God will judge evil and reject those who reject His love.

Below are some blogs that offer some thoughts on these weighty matters:

Tim Keller offering a Reformed position on the necessity of believing in hell:
http://www.redeemer.com/news_and_events/articles/the_importance_of_hell.html

Rich Mouw offering his reason for backing Rob Bell. More importantly, he maintains our need to err on the side salvific generosity.
http://www.netbloghost.com/mouw/?p=188

Christianity Today – http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/marchweb-only/rob-bell-universalism.html

News Sources that have picked up on the story and offered some commentary:

Huffington Post – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathleen-falsani/rob-bell-heretic-schmeret_b_835606.html

CNN – http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/08/firestorm-over-bell-book-continues/

CNN – http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/19/rob-bell-punches-back-against-claims-of-heresy/

MLive.com- http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/03/rob_bell_discusses_heaven_hell.html

Finally, here are some words from Lesslie Newbigin’s The Gospel in a Pluralistic
Society on the whole issue of heaven, hell, and universalism. Newbigin was a long-
time missionary in India and a well-respected theologian during the 20th century.

“Certainly the passage from Romans 11:25-26 has a universalist ring – “The full
number of the Gentiles will be gathered in and all of Israel will be saved.” Paul’s
vision is truly cosmic and universal. His earlier description of Jesus as the new
Adam also points in that direction. “as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for
all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all” (Rom. 5:18).
And yet the same Paul can say of himself that he must exercise the strictest self-
discipline “lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor.
9:27).

It seems to me that the whole nature of the gospel requires us to maintain this
tension and not to try to resolve it either by rationalistic universalism which denies
the possibility of finally missing the mark, or by increasingly fruitless arguments
about who will and who will not be saved. When Jesus was asked the question
about whether few or many would be saved he declined to answer it but sternly
warned the questioner to be strive to enter the narrow door that leads to life. His
often repeated words about the reversal of expectations (the first shall be last and
the last first) and the parables which suggest that those who are confident will find
themselves excluded and those who never expected it find themselves welcomed, all
point in the same direction.

There is a kind of confidence which leads to complacency, and there is a kind of
anxiety which leads to selfish efforts to save oneself. It seems to me clear from the
whole New Testament that the Christian life has room both for a godly confidence
and for a godly fear. The contrast between these is not a contradiction. If I know
that God in his limitless grace and kindness has chosen and called me to be a bearer
of his grace for others, my trust in him will not exclude the awareness that I could
betray his trust in me, and that very awareness will drive me closer to him. This
is a deeply personal relationship. It excludes, I think, the kind of rationalistic
universalism which I have referred to. It also excludes, I think, any temptation to set
limits to God’s grace, or to write off any human being as beyond God’s redeeming
love.”

This a post by Bobby Hulme-Lippert, Associate Pastor at Last Call, Clairmont Presbyterian.

img credit

Pray while driving instead of talking on the phone

Replacing time usually spent on the interent with time spent praying/pursuing God

Pray more for others, be more active in church life

Start helping with ESOL teaching

Give up TV and wasting time

Praying every morning

Giving up televsion

Read the bible regularly

Sacrificing TV for more prayer time

Increase my prayer for other people each day and focus on other’s needs more than my own

To be more hospitable

I would like to make a promise to abstain from television so that I may take advantage of the blessing of life in full

No alcohol

Give up my 2:30 in the afternoon caffeine crutch!

Be generous

Not making baked goods

Teach my sons my family bedtime prayer

Give up refined foods, follow/read a christian blog every week

Give up complaining

No netflix

Drink only water

Pray and read the scripture every night

Spend 20-30 mins walking through my neighborhood

Go to a small group during lent, pray for a different person every night

I don’t know

Stay married

Give up TV shows

Give up video games

30 minutes of prayer every morning is listening, is talking

Give up diet coke, be grateful everyday, re-energize my body and faith through a prayer at bedtime

No more tailgating when driving

Finding a job and figuring out a grad school program. Would like both to be with Children.

More bible study and reflection

img credit

By the second retreat my wife had returned from Korea and I had found a job. There were no big questions looming over me that I might bury myself away to try and find the answer. Instead I simply enjoyed the company of fellow Christians all marveling the world God has provided us. This retreat was where acquaintances from the congregations turned into friends in Christ. One morning, when everyone was at the beach, one of the group and I waded out into the water by ourselves. There we talked about the difficulties and blessings of life; the basis, importance, and details of our faith; and just shoot the breeze in general. It was from such discussions throughout the retreat that my wife and I came to join the Nichol’s small group, a group that has meant a great deal to our spiritual growth. Christ calls the church to be a community, with each member adding his gifts to the others. Communities require strong bonds amongst its members, and the beach retreat helps forge those bounds from our shared belief in, and enjoyment of, Christ.

This is a post from the Last Call community by William Underwood.

Not only was I struck by the message being conveyed in this article, but I was also moved by the convicting focus on religious practices for inner/self- focused reasons vs. outer/kingdom-focused reasons. Although I seemingly “understood” the meaning of the Lenten season for so many years (as a Christian raised in the church), I’m not sure if I ever really got it. Or — if I’m more honest with myself — perhaps I was aware of the deeper, harder to acknowledge significance of Lent and chose to rest comfortably in my own interpretation. Undoubtedly, this involved less uncertainty, seemed easier, was more comfortable, and was more known. Simply accepting the more “surface” interpretation of the meaning of Lent always allowed me to choose something quickly that I would “give up”, proudly tell my friends and family about my decision, ask for prayer for my perseverance and spiritual growth, and then — simply — abstain/refrain from said thing or activity. However, as I reflect on past Lenten seasons, I cannot help but acknowledge that most of the things I chose to give up were self-serving in some way (i.e., my decision process usually started with something like, “what would be good to give up for Lent that isn’t good for me anyway?”) This mindset fixed my gaze, and focused my energy, on trying to “match” up something I wanted to do/not do anyway with something that would benefit my spiritual life and draw me closer to God. In other words, it could be likened to the old adage “killing two birds with one stone”. The problem was that I was starting with myself — rather than starting with the other-focused, Christ-centered, kingdom-striving, soul-searching mindset that this author describes (below).

http://blog.sojo.net/2011/03/11/lent-giving-up-coffee-or-my-life/

This is a post by Amy Potts, a member of the young adult leadership team.

img credit

A famous pastor is releasing a new book about salvation as it applies to world that does not know Jesus. Now, even though the book is not released and no one knows exactly what the arguments put forth in this book will be, the main theme has already been leaked. That theme is one of universalism. Put VERY roughly, universalism is the belief that there is no permanent condemnation (aka hell), and that God will reconcile everyone to him eventually. Now in reality, the topic is more complex than that, and there are many arguments surrounding universalism and to what degree people will be judged and condemned or saved.

Many people much smarter than I have taken on this subject and still have not settled the argument of whether universalism is the extreme power of God’s grace and love to overcome abundant sin and absent
faith or if it is merely how idealistic people wish that God’s love was defined. As I cannot compare to the intellect of Luther, Bonhoffer or Calvin, who have all weighed in on this subject, I will not attempt
to persuade one way or the other. I mention this upcoming firestorm over universalism because it will provide great opportunities. As secular media picks up the story of this division within the church
many questions will be asked and by all sorts of people. While CNN and Fox news may ask famous theologians their opinions, it is entirely probable and even likely a friend at work, school, or a neighbor may bring up the subject. If you are asked is there salvation for all, regardless of faith, how might you respond? What implications would your answer have in your own life?

The old saying that “any publicity is good publicity” takes advantage of the fact that news and media start conversations. Be involved in those conversations. You don’t have to determine the theology of the whole church by yourself. Simply be willing to discuss Christ and what you think the answer might be. That is how relationships are made and maintained. Open conversation. I pray we all stand firm in a faith based on Christ’s love and the word he left us in the Bible and with those as our support we can take full advantage of this impending controversy.

For more information about universalism please see the attached link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/marchweb-only/rob-bell-universalism.html

This is a post by Daniel Nichols. A member of the young adult leadership team.

img credit

Your boss lays out a plan that everything thinks is pretty bad. What do you say? “That looks like a terrible plan, here’s why” or “I wonder if it would be worth considering these options as well…”

In When Harry Met Sally, Harry wants to have sex with Sally after just meeting her. What does he say? “Do you want to have sex?” or “Want to see my place?”

Perhaps the hardest of all – you share that a loved one has died. What do you say? “He died.” Or “He passed away,” “He went to be with the Lord,” “He’s in a better place,” “It was his time.”

When it comes to places of vulnerability (power dynamics with a boss, intimacy in any relationship, and death), we skirt the issue with our language. There is safety in not entirely naming the ‘thing’ at hand. Not naming the boss’s plan ensures another day on the job. Not naming the sexual intent avoids intense amounts of awkwardness and rejection should the other say “no.” Not naming death avoids our intense discomfort with its reality, its brutal finality. And yet…

It is precisely in naming what is before us that we find the greatest freedom. The healthiest working relationships are those in which superiors and subordinates can share freely because all trust that they have right motives. Speaking freely about sex is a gift discovered most profoundly in marriage because the trust and intimacy allows for the ‘naming.’ And when we learn to name death as a reality, we can finally face it as something that will happen to us all. And there is freedom in naming that because it is only then that we can deal with that.

That is why I appreciate Ash Wednesday so much. It is in this service that we so fully ‘name’ death. The pastor puts ashes on each person’s forehead and says, “from dust you came, to dust you shall return.” In short, “you will die one day.” And there are no more words beyond that at this point. It is simply a call to face that reality without any kind of veiled language.

By facing it, we’re finally free to realize that we utterly need God. We are free to name death and face death without fear because we remember again that we know the One who defeated death. On the cross Jesus bore the full name of death (“took on death”), and on three days later he rose again and drowned the name of death in life. All who are “in Christ” take on the name ‘life’ as well. That promise is proclaimed most fully on Easter. Ash Wednesday prepares us for that Easter moment. I look forward to fully facing our reality and our hope on Ash Wednesday this week.

Bobby

img credit

(Interview format)

Jeff Guy: What is the season of Lent? (How long is it, how long has it been observed by The Church, what is the focus of the season, etc.)

Kris McDaniel: The Season of Lent is a 40 day period of prayer, repentance and fasting that leads us to the Easter season. The word Lent simply means springtime. Each Spring Christians all over the world prepare for Easter by engaging with the Lenten Season. Christians have been fasting during the season that leads to Easter for quite some time. The Canons of Nicaea (AD 325) were the first to mention 40 days of fasting during Lent. As Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days, so Christians enter an intentional wilderness wandering where we focus on our mortality and repent of our sins.

If you look at a calendar, you’ll notice that Lent actually spans more than 40 days. This is because each Sunday during the season of Lent provides a respite from the fasting of the week. We remember Jesus’ resurrection each Sunday and so it is a feast day. Think of Sundays as an oasis in the desert!

The Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. The imposition of Ash on the forehead of an individual sets the tone for the season. Biblically, ashes symbolize sorrow and mourning as well as death. As the ash is imposed on the forehead the refrain, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” is repeated. Essentially, Lent is a time to return to the LORD.

J.G.: What is the significance to its themes? (preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, giving and self-denial)

K.M.: We are comfort seekers. Much energy is expended in an attempt to avoid suffering. Themes such as prayer, repentance, fasting and mourning help remind us that it is good and right to identify with Jesus Christ in His sufferings. Our Lenten wilderness wandering helps us, in a small, but significant way, to join with Jesus in his crucifixion. As St. Paul says in Galations 2v20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

J.G.: How did Trinity adopt an observance of this season?

K.M.: Well, we just kind of stumbled onto it in a way that is similar to most of theliturgical elements that are expressed at Trinity today. I remember our leadership team discussing how we might better prepare our congregation to truly embrace the beauty and power of Easter. In this conversation, we noted that Easter tends to come and go without truly having an impact that is appropriate to its significance. It occurred to us that Lent provided a structure for preparation. As is true with all liturgy, when we explore the why behind the what we often discover a powerful anchor that invites us to join in with what Christians have been doing for centuries. So, we decided to join the party!

Source:  http://www.trinityanglicanmission.org/stories

img src