Whatever You Do, Don't Mention "Jesus"

I knew of a Christian radio station once that had as its policy to never mention the name of “Jesus” on the air. Rather than delve into the controversial world of who Jesus is, they decided to offer a “positive message” with helpful tips on “how to get the most out of life.” They claimed that they did not want to scare people away from Christianity by proclaiming Jesus, but hoped that people would be drawn into a church because their “non-threatening” message. In a sense, without mentioning Jesus they were hoping that people would be indirectly drawn to him. Without seeing the irony of such a perspective they filled their programming with helpful tips on time management, useful trivia and clean jokes in place of any preaching, testimonies or discussion about Jesus. 

            It all came to a head for me when they started their jokes and jabs at political leaders of the day. Blatantly siding with one political party they started to shade the listener’s perspective of who should be in charge of this country. It was here where I saw an obvious discrepancy. They are willing to make comments about who should be in charge of this country but not of who is in charge of everything? They willingly delve into the controversial world of secular politics but never the controversial person of Jesus? 

I read this book recently called Proclamation and Theology by William Willimon. In it, the he claims, “Faithful preaching is always more than respectful conversation between the gospel and the world as we have received it. Though it is that, preaching is also confrontation, assault, announcement, and collision with the received world, all of which is painful.” He goes on to say “All faithful Christian preaching is in this sense “political,” because it is always involves a dispute over just who is in charge of our world and therefore our lives.”

Although a Christian radio station may not serve the same purpose as a Sunday morning church service, perhaps there are similar blind spots that the modern church has in regard to its own proclamation of the gospel. Can claiming to be Christian without ever broaching the subject of Jesus ever happen?

In an attempt to become relevant, approachable and non-confrontational like this radio station, perhaps the church’s proclamation has denied its life changing power.  Granted, Paul in Acts 17 does spend time building rapport with the Athenians when he talks about their “idol to the unknown God.” But, he moves on from there to talk about the resurrection of Jesus and thus calls people to make a choice between Jesus and this world. It is also easy to see the political overtones with Paul’s use of the term “good news” or “gospel.” He borrows this term from the Roman world where they used it to describe the works of Caesar. When he uses the term Paul is in effect saying that “Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not!”

If all proclamation of the gospel is always a political challenge, can proclamation that doesn’t involve a challenge to “who is really in charge” ever be considered preaching? Is there ever a place for respectful dialog without arriving at Jesus? Can we preach without conflict? While I’m not advocating burning Korans or picketing abortion clinics, perhaps there needs to be more of an edge to our proclamation. Perhaps there needs to be more of a call to come and die.

And perhaps our proclamation of the gospel must be willing to assert that the powers are not in power and Jesus is Lord over all. And maybe I should stop saying “perhaps” and just tell you how it is…

From "iPad" To "iDisciple"

The other day I went to my son’s “Student Led Interview” to see how he was doing in school. They used to call these things “Parent Teacher Interviews.” You remember those days don’t you? When the parents and the teacher got together and talked about your progress. Apparently this former way of doing things was all wrong as students may have felt “bullied” so now we have students there to defend themselves. Heh…The old way seemed to work but who am I to question these new psychological paradigms.

So, I found out in this “student-led interview” that my son was struggling in some area of school. We were shocked because we had never heard this before but even more shocked when the teacher turned to my son right there and asked him for a possible solution! He sat there drawing a blank. You might as well have asked him to solve an advanced math problem. He had no clue - because he is six years old! I find it laughable that he was supposed to solve this problem. That is why he is in school, because he needs teachers to teach him! How can he solve a problem if he has never encountered it before?

Here is the thing; I fear that this mentality maybe creeping into the church when it comes to discipleship as well. There is a line of thinking that attempts to “customize ones experience with God.” The idea is to ask a new Christian what they would like to see happen in their spiritual life much like a trainer would ask someone what they want to accomplish with their gym membership. The disciple then plans their own course, determines their own outcomes and goes about to fulfill their own intentions. Great idea, but not biblical and could actually stunt their spiritual growth.

My experience is that most Christians struggle to understand what a relationship with God is supposed to look like. That is not a put-down, just a reality.

There is a dangerous line of thinking creeping up in the church that places the individual in charge of their own spiritual development and worse, their own measuring rod of spiritual success. If I think I am growing than I am - right? Perhaps I need someone to speak into my life and tell me that I am focused on the wrong things or my theology is way off base. But as long as we make the individual the sole determiner of spiritual development then they determine if they are growing or not. The whole “iPray” and “iFaith” rip off from culture doesn’t help matters either. What is next?- The “iDisciple” program that is all about you?

Don’t get me wrong, “iPads” are great and I will get one soon. But, when using a friend’s recently, I did get the sense that the world is customized and formed all around me the individual rather than having something that I need to adapt to. What if discipleship is having to adapt my thinking and way of life to something transcendent and almighty? We have all heard the joke about the boy who shoots arrows at the barn wall and then goes and paints targets around them. By doing this he shoots a “bulls-eye” every time. Perhaps letting people customize their own discipleship sets them up for a similar fate.

The most spiritually forming times of my life were when someone rebuked me or showed me something about God that I had never known or seen before. It was times that I was pushed to read something that I might not have chosen naturally, or the times I begrudgingly went on a service project only to find my life by losing it. How does an individual’s plan allow for that? Perhaps, we need to somehow allow for the individual to be part of the process but not in charge of the process.

What if we saw spiritual formation and discipleship as a submission? What if we saw it as trusting someone to tell me the things I need to know and not presuming that I already know them? Paul unashamedly and repeatedly came out in is letters and said, “Follow my example.” Or “Put into practice what you saw me do.” Even though our postmodern North American minds are offended by this perceived arrogance, this modeling and mentorship is the biblical way. What would it do to your faith this week to say, “follow my example?” Or better yet, what would it do in the community of faith to see these mentoring relationships all throughout?

I don’t know about you but, I need someone older, wiser and more spiritually mature than me to say like the Apostle Paul, “Follow my example.” So what about you, are you plotting your own course spiritually or are you letting others more mature speak into your life?

Iraqi Missionary to Canada?

I met my first Missionary to Canada the other day. Odd you might say? Perhaps even odder is the fact that she was from the country of Iraq! Wait a minute, why are missionaries coming to Canada? Don’t we “send” people to places like that? Why are they coming here?

Alister McGrath in his book The Future of Christianity says “One of the most dramatic developments of the of the final decade of the twentieth century  was the growing realization within the established churches of the west that the numerical center of gravity of Christianity now lies in the developing world.”  He goes on to explain in his own Anglican denomination “on any given Sunday there are now more Anglicans attending church in the western African state of Nigeria than in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia, taken together.”

He states further that Christian leaders in North America “are deeply concerned with the surge in growth in Christian communities in other regions in the world, which threaten to rob them of their once self-evident position of leadership and privilege.”

According to the World Christian Encyclopaedia, of the 2 billion Christians that are alive today approximately 820 million live in North America and Europe while 1153 million live in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Christianity is clearly no longer a "White man's religion" as the center of gravity of Christianity has shifted in recent decades. This isn’t the first time in history that a shift like this has happened in Christianity. But, it sure does make you think.

I don’t know about you but, I welcome this shift with open arms. We as leaders must be humble enough to be ministered to by Christians from other countries. Perhaps they might have answers to those nagging questions and dilemmas that we church leaders in the west find ourselves in. Perhaps they should be the ones that speak at our church leadership conferences. Perhaps, they need to plant churches in our country and expose the failings of our worldview. Perhaps there might come a day when we send our church leaders overseas to go to school and learn. Perhaps this shift could be a positive thing for Christianity and worldwide evangelism.

At a recent “Missions Conference” I attended I listened to a passionate speaker from Africa. He thanked the church in the west with tears in his eyes for the missionaries that we had sent to his village to share the gospel. He was saved because of them. Then with John the Baptist rebuke he turned to call us out of our complacency and showed us that the church is slowly dying in the west. There was chill in the air but also a submission in our souls as we all realized the need to learn from leaders such as this.

For years we have thought of missionaries as those that go overseas in to win the “heathens” for Christ. Although we still may carry on this tradition because of our wealth as North American Christians, it is important to see the mission field right in our own back yard. This missionary from Iraq explained to me through broken English that she is here to pray and serve. Pray for me, pray for the church and serve Jesus. I was humbled by her childlike faith and her perspective on North American Christianity. Today we must see ourselves as missionaries even within our country and stop acting like we are a “gift” for the rest of the world.

You’re a Christian from Iraq are you? – What can you teach me?

Leadership - I Never Really Wanted This…

            “If you want to know if you are leading people, look to see if anyone is following you.” We have all heard a quote similar to this, but I wonder if it is only partially true. Sure, a leader that has no followers is only “taking a walk” but what about those times when a leader is called to take people to a difficult place?  Any leader worth their salt has many stories of accusations and problems they have faced when attempting to influence change or growth. Yet there must be a balance as a leader between looking in the rear view mirror and keeping your eyes on the road ahead. And, there might even be another dimension that we are not even thinking about, a dimension that enables a leader to be resilient even in the face of rejection.

Introducing Moses…Perhaps there has never been a leader in history with a more difficult role. The people of Israel he was called to lead, continually complained, falsely accused and rejected him as their leader. Even from his very first attempt at leadership in the flesh in Exodus 2, the ironic accusation “Who made you ruler and judge over us?” played itself out time and again throughout Moses’ life. Makes you wonder if rejection is “par for the course” as a leader.

It is interesting how strikingly different Moses reacts to this rejection before he is actually called by God to lead.  Early on he tries to intercede as leader of Israel in a relatively small dispute among his kinsmen. Yet, without a divine commission and call to lead, Moses runs from the rejection he faces and wants nothing to do with leadership. (Ex 2:11-15) Then God gets a hold of Moses and calls him to an enormous task. God assures Moses at the burning bush that “I will be with you” but, Moses stalls with objections and excuses - “Who am I to go?” “I don’t know enough about you God.” “What if the people don’t take me seriously?” “I hate public speaking.”  It is almost as if he needs to be pushed into leadership! Then after the burning bush incident where Moses is assured of his call and the presence of God in his life, there is not stopping him! Even looking at the example of Jesus who knew he was “sent from his Father”(Jn 8:42) one can’t help but wonder how essential a “call and commission” of God is, in order to overcome the difficulties one will face in leadership.

When talking about “the call of God” one inevitably gets defensive in our culture because of a perceived arrogance from those “called” to lead. This call has been abused by those that may attempt to influence others in ways that are not honouring to God. But, does that mean we should dismiss it?

There is a scene in the movie Gladiator where the current Caesar is dying and needs to choose a successor. Not wanting an insecure and weak leader on the throne he doesn’t want to choose his son. Instead, he turns to his top general Maximus and asks him to be the next leader of Rome. Maximus’s response reveals an attitude that should be more prevalent in leaders today. He responds, “With all my heart, no.” Caesar’s response is even more fitting, “That is why it must be you.” He knew that a leader seeking power and prestige would utterly fail in the face of rejection and difficulty. And, that sometimes the best leaders need to be pushed into leadership.

Perhaps there are more and better leaders sitting in the sidelines in our churches today. There may even be more potential in the people that shy away rather than the popular ones that assert themselves to the front of the pack. Moses sure needed a “push” into his calling at the burning bush!  

A leader that I look up to once told me about a disgruntled church member that in the middle of a tense moment blurted out, “It must be hard to keep 200 people happy!” He humbly retorted, “Sometimes it is my job to keep 200 people unhappy, to be faithful to the calling of God.” Perhaps leadership has very little to do with the desires of the leader or those called to follow. Perhaps leadership is about a humble submission before God and the calm assurance that you never really wanted this and it wasn’t your idea anyway. That calm assurance and call will enable any leader to rely on something beyond them in face of rejection. So sure, as a leader look behind and look ahead when faced with rejection, but most of all remember this wasn’t your idea, it was God’s. 

Rethinking Father's Day

I recently read a story about a herd of elephants in Africa. In order to control the growing population, wildlife ecologist took some of the older male elephants away from the herd. Soon this herd started acting abnormally doing things they wouldn’t normally do -  attacking other animals, fighting amongst themselves, posturing for position in the herd. In fact they started acting like rebellious teenagers. (Sort of like a select few individuals acting out after an unnamed city loses the Stanley Cup final)  The wildlife ecologists soon realized that this “acting out” was due to the lack of an older male presence in the herd. They inserted some more mature male elephants into the herd and the disruptive behaviour stopped. This made me think how important our father figures are in our society. I think we all can point to instances where this “elephant scenario” plays itself out in our world today.

But are we placing too much pressure on our fathers? We tell them that their voice is the most powerful voice in the world in the lives or their kids. Walk into any evangelical church this Sunday and you will hear a message similar to that. Perhaps even a “shape up and do better” message for our fathers because it is all riding on their shoulders. I know of a really good father who will no longer go to church on Father’s Day because he is sickened by the “do better” message. Ironically, we don’t have the same message for our mothers on Mother’s Day. I am not saying that we need to tell our fathers to fail but do we need to change our paradigm?

Even a good father cannot compare with our perfect heavenly Father. And, I wonder if our push for strong father figures in our society could distract us from finding solace in our Heavenly Father.

I watched one of those “Surprise Wedding” shows the other night. As the guy got down on his knee to propose to this girl he asked, “Will you be my eternity? Will you be my everything?” After I finished throwing up, I came to the realization that we are desperately trying to get eternal things out or our earthly relationships. The same goes for our how we view our parents. Sure Godly parents will give you a better chance to grow up in the knowledge of God and I am extremely thankful for mine! But, we have to remember that God is far bigger than our earthly fathers and mothers. I realize as a father that I cannot compare with the Fathering that my heavenly Father can do. My prayer as an earthly father is that my heavenly Father would continue to Father me and my children.

Colossians 3:1-4 says, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honour and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about the things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”

I learned this year that in the New Testament you can replace the word “God” with “Father” in most instances. Take the phrase that I italicized previously and it says “your real life is hidden with Christ in the Father.” Hmmm…how much stock should we put in our earthly relationships if this is not our real life? Can I receive from my earthly father those things that only my heavenly Father can give?

Whether you have a perceived good father or not, make sure you thank your father this Father’s Day. He sacrificed more than you know to get you to where you are today. But most of all turn to your heavenly Father who is ready to Father you.

A Better Way To Do Seminary

I found it interesting that a professor of mine blogged about the same thing that I did today. His blog is called "Is there a better way to do seminary"  Check it out.

http://dguretzki.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/is-there-a-better-way-to-do-seminary-pt-2/

The Relevance of Seminary

Is it just me or have Seminaries got a bad rap these days in Christian literature? It seems almost inevitable that when I pick up a current “Here is how to do church better” book that there will be some section bemoaning the inadequacy of Seminaries to train church leaders for today’s world.

This mentality even finds its way into conversations that I have had as recent. Some suggest that I am wasting my life “hiding away” as they call it in a class and library while much work needs to be done in the church. I am wasting my time studying theology because as one guy pointed out, “Can you really master the divinity?” They even point to the fact that the disciples were unschooled fishermen and thus I should seek to be the same. I am humble enough in that moment though to not flex my academic muscles showing them that these same disciples wrote much of that theology that confuses them or causes them to seek out a pastor for an answer. Paul the apostle was a pretty smart and educated guy too. Are ignorance and naivety really better options?

While I’m not up on the latest trends in Seminary education and I don’t have pulse on the current Seminary context in North America, I do have a working knowledge of my own school and have an understanding of what it takes to lead in the church today. I  have some advice for both the church and for Seminary students in order to mend this rift.

First, to the church. Don’t expect a finished project coming out of Seminary. These men and women still need to be seasoned and that seasoning only comes with time. A Seminary education is only part of the education they need - a necessary part though! Don’t you want people leading you who have spent some time studying the Bible and studying with gifted people? Don’t you want leaders who have critically thought through a biblical perspective of church today? Someone once told me that, “you will be the same person that you are today one year from now except for the people that you meet and the books that you read.” Seminary is a probably the best place to surround oneself with capable gifted people and good books. Don’t expect the “polished engineer” to come out of Seminary, because ministry is not math and a one size fits all. There are multiple complexities in the ever changing culture and church. The one thing that will always stay consistent though is a church leader’s knowledge of the word and their relationship with Christ.

Seminary Students can also help their own case. First of all, get out of the library once and a while and talk to real people. Volunteer at a youth drop in center or soup kitchen and ask yourself, “How can I communicate what I am learning about the theology of the Holy Spirit with this person?” or “How will the church even reach someone like this?” Don’t stop learning! Our education is only part of the learning that we need. As students we need follow the pattern of engage and retreat. Engage with the world and front line ministry and then retreat to reflect and retool.

I talked to a professor whom I look up to and respect about the value of Seminary education. He said the worst thing a Seminary student can do is hide in the library and just devote themselves to study. When he did his doctoral studies the best thing for him was to teach an adult Sunday School class. It grounded him from the high a lofty academics and reminded him of the reason for his education. If it can’t be passed on to everyday people, it is all for not.

Perhaps, we as students and churches are expecting too much from a Seminary education. Perhaps, there needs to be a renewed appreciation for Seminary education realizing that it is only part of the necessary learning of a church leader today. And, most importantly, perhaps it is not the Seminary that needs to change but the churches and students posture towards them. Heh, but I learned that from one of my professors at Seminary so I guess that doesn’t count…or does it?