The Balance of….What is Church?

(here is the first part of this little series.  they are like little essays of book chapters, so they are a bit longer.  but, there is a thesis.  ha. so, please hang in there and keep reading!  if you are looking for information about Finding The Way, PLEASE click on the page of it at the top and browse older posts.  updates will continue to come…)

what is church?     how does a question like that end up relating to things being out of balance?  look, i am not a theologian or, you know, god, so i am not here to give some exact definition of what local church absolutely is or isn’t or how it should or shouldn’t be lived out.  what i am saying, basically, is that…..none of us should do that to the extent where attitudes and then actions are out of balance.  and sadly, that happens a lot these days.

go to any christian bookstore or browse various sites and blogs, and you will find loads of information of either some “exact”(though actually only their own theoretical) definition of what church is and was meant to be from scripture, or you will find so many opinions of what is wrong with churches today and how they should be functioning properly.  it’s ridiculous.  it’s sad.

i was part of that ridiculousness.  over the years, i ended up with an attitude of being fairly negative toward the “church.”  i, as many these days, felt like the church in generally was legalistic, institutionalized, and stuck having very little affect in the kingdom of god.  i then thought that i was part of living out a kingdom life in ways that were better than others.  i did not think i was being negative or arrogant at the time.  i thought that i was enlightened.  again, i didn’t see it at the time; i just thought i “got it” and others hadn’t yet.  pathetic, huh.  it was wrong.  i was wrong.

the thing is that, though parts of my attitude were wrong, not all of my thinking was mistaken.  what i was learning and experiencing was needed and part of what god was genuinely teaching me and growing me in.  he was bringing balance to me. it’s just that my attitude about those good things could be too arrogant at times.  it is true that  there are a lot of groups of people who gather – church groups – who do fit those not so great descriptions and are out of balance.  that is a fact.  and, god can certainly do things in us as individuals and with his body of believers as a whole to shift people more into what will bring life as he intended.

he brings balance.

and my opinion, and it is just my opinion, is that god’s been doing that with the ekklesia: those who are called out and meet in assembly for a purpose.  ekklesia is the greek word often translated to church in the bible.  i think that overall, yes, there has been a need to have the followers of chirst meet in assembly for a purpose in a more balanced and life-giving way.  it’s just that now, as with so many things, the pendulum has swung so far the other direction that things are now out of balance for other reasons.

Revolution Day!!!!! and a GREAT ARTICLE

It’s the Fourth of July today – Independence Day!  Or, what I like to call, Revolution Day!!  I just love the word revolution.  I wrote a post on it last year, actually.  But, just to reiterate, let us live the Revolution of Jesus in our lives – in every breath.  Help me with it more and more God, and may the Freedom that comes in relationship with you be what I experience and let others see as You live out of me at all times!!!

I was going to write more, but then I came across this article today.  It’s on LeadershipJournal.net.  And, well, I find it to be an incredible reminder of some essential things in how we actually live out the Revolution in our lives and toward others.  I really encourage you to read it all and let it sink in.  HAPPY REVOLUTION DAY!!  “be transformed…”

The Sin Tamer

Do we ever get to stop fighting against the evil within?

John Ortberg | posted 6/29/2009

How much sin should we expect in the church? We have gauges for other elements of church life. We generally monitor attendance. We know how many people are in small groups. Somebody counts the offerings. And often we don’t just measure what we’re interested in—we set goals.

Anybody hear of a church that set a goal for a 5-percent sin reduction next year?

I don’t mean to be glib about this. Sin is, somehow, at the root of all human misery. Sin is what keeps us from God and from life. It is in the face of every battered woman, the cry of every neglected child, the despair of every addict, the death of every victim of every war.

doubt or life in the resurrection

most easter focus is on the hope and power of the resurrection.  and man, i am all about that.  big time.  but, as i was reading in matthew the other day, i was struck by the doubt and cluelessness of the disciples.  i was struck at how easy it is to just ignore the hope of jesus – the reality of him – the power of overcoming.  jesus bluntly told peter that he would deny him.  yet, peter didn’t even remember the warning until after the rooster crowed.  peter point blank lied and turned his back on jesus 3 times and didn’t even blink an eye.  he was so far into himself and fear that it took a jolt for him to feel conviction.  what a loser!!  you know?  and then later, when jesus appeared, talk about lack of faith.  they all couldn’t quite believe that jesus was really alive, particularly thomas, as we all know.

so, i could look at all this and just go, “man, what is the point?!  don’t you see?  how can any of us think we could live lives of overcoming, of purpose, of hope, of power in the spirit?  even jesus closest followers sucked at sticking by him.  even they had their “issues.”"

i could let myself think like that.  i could see my own life, and the lives of so many people i know, and just figure that though god is real and the the resurrection is real and all that, we will all still remain with struggles and be losers. 

that is the easy way to think.  it is also the way of thinking – that discouragement and frustration with all the problems in our lives and in the world – that paralyze us in god’s kingdom life.  it is what not only leaves us stuck in our own crap, but it also makes us more prone to settle and not really live out god’s purpose to love him and others with all that we are – in action and in truth. 

so, here’s the thing about peter and all the other doubting, faithless followers.  they didn’t just quit.  they didn’t just fall into depression.  they didn’t just say that they were so weak so what’s the point in doing anything.  they didn’t look at the darkness in their own lives and all around in others and give up.  they didn’t sit on their hands and sink into the seeming comfort of everyday life.

no, they LIVED.  peter wept bitterly to be sure.  but, on resurrection day he ran full speed to the tomb.  and of course, later, peter affirms his love for jesus.  this all leads to peter being the catalyst for the start of the church – the followers of jesus meant to bring life to one another and hope to the world through the core of jesus.  peter and the others lived overcoming lives.

were the disciples perfect after all this?  you know – now that they can see and touch jesus, did that just wipe away all their issues and make a utopian world?  far from it.  peter was probably still a jerk at times – as we see in his relationship with paul and fear to stand up to fundamental jews at times.  problems remained in people.  paul had to address issues with those in his spiritual family.  he and barnabas had a falling out.  heaven was not yet here. 

but, look at the power – the effect – the revolution – the life, that came from these people, men and women, living out the power of the resurrection despite themselves.  you know why….BECAUSE IT’S NOT ABOUT THEM!  IT’S NOT ABOUT US!  it’s not about my strength – or my weakness.  this life following christ is about him and his strength.  i am weak.  i will fall and fail.  i will continue to see crap all around me and feel the pain of these things. 

but i don’t have to live in that.  that is not the end.  it is not all there is!  there is hope.  there is something different.  i can live that not because i make it happen, but because i weep bitterly over my various ways of denying jesus, and then i move on!!  then i continue to live.  i don’t run away.  i don’t give up.  i don’t beat myself up.  i awe at his ability to overcome death and all sin – my sin!!  and, i run to him and then keep living that out with others – for others – for him – because of him. 

and so, that is HOPE, POWER, OVERCOMING, LIFE!  it is real.  it is for me and in me.  it is for you and in you.  may we let it flow and be alive in us with every breath!

 

Flickr Tags: Jesus,Resurrection,Peter,Cross,Easter

yankees and the pope

i was watching the mass at yankee stadium on sunday, performed by pope benedict.  and for all the catholic issues theologically and just in society today, there was just something about god’s name being lifted up in that setting.  maybe it’s because i’m a yankees fan; i don’t know.  but, at the end of the service, joyful, joyful we adore thee (beethoven’s ode to joy) was played, and 57,000 people were waving flags.  it was kind of stirring.

now, yes, much of the flag waving was toward the pope.  so that’s not good.  but, i don’t know.  a young priest was interviewed, and what he had to say was great.  he talked very much about god’s presence being there, about jesus being glorified that day, about hope of christ and motivation of living a life following christ being celebrated that day. 

though, i did have to wonder, was there actually more beer sold for a group of catholics or for a yankees/red sox game?  and yes, it would have been cool to hear the bleacher-creatures do role call at the beginning of the mass like they do at the start of games (for those who are unaware, the fans in the bleachers chant each players name as the game begins until he waves).  “je-sus chri-ist /////”  ”ben-e-dict, ben-e-dict”   stuff like that.  

and of course, when the pope blessed articles at the end of mass, you just know that everyone in the stadium was holding a copy of the yankees schedule for him to bless, to insure they win every home game the rest of the season. 

RESTORE!

RESTORE:  to bring back to what is normal.

what a great definition!  (it’s one of the vocab words this week for the social studies class i teach)  what a great word!  seriously.  i have always like the word restoration and use it and believe in it for all kinds of things.

god is always restoring - bringing things back to what is normal.  that is the purpose of life.  to get back to what god intended to be normal.  so then, what is normal? 

normal is god’s way of life.  normal is union with him.  normal is living as god intended us to live.  normal is loving him and being loved by him so that we then love others.  normal is to always be restoring things ourselves in how we live and relate to people – always be open to seeing things get back to normal – get back to what god intended for any situation.

being brought back to normal is a process.  we are constantly being restored because, sadly, we are constantly being pulled away from god’s normal.  our “selves” and the devil who affects the world create that war and tension with god’s best.  it’s just that, as we allow god and choose to live in the truth that his power is greater in me than any power that is in the world, THEN his process of bringing us back occurs evermore.

may we all be restored in christ at all times, and may we always be in the business of allowing god to restore us and our situations in this world for his glory to be known and the testimony of his normalcy to reign!!

love made complete!!

so, i was reading in 1 john and something hit me afresh.  don’t you love it when that happens – when scripture becomes alive in a new way again?!?  and what hit me is obvious, yet important.   look here:

7 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. 8 The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love – so you can’t know him if you don’t love. 9 This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. 10 This is the kind of love we are talking about – not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. 11 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. 12 No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us – perfect love! 13 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit.

 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.

 i can have a hard time receiving and believing in god’s love.  i just can.  i’m sure that’s true for all of us at times.  the reality of his love and life become challenged in us.  and, we can read wonderful scriptures like 1 john to remind us of truth, yet still the fullness of his love can seem lack.  

so, it was just kind of cool to read verse 12 – in the context of the whole thing – and see just how we can experience the full expression of god’s love.  when i don’t “feel” god’s love or have a sense of it in my life much, then i don’t really want to love others.  you know?  i am not very motivated.  but here’s the thing…..(typical god/kingdom stuff – opposite of how we think/feel)….AS WE LOVE OTHERS, THEN we will experience the fullness of god more, becoming more like him, and having his love become complete in us!!!   but, as long as we withold love toward others, we will miss out on his love as well.   

so, when i most don’t want to actively love ppl (as love is and action and a choice) and treat them as i want to be treated, those are the times i most should not only for their benefit, but i mean, for mine too – as the love of god then becomes perfected in me!   way cool.   that’s all.

and, here’s a picture from zion national park – just cause, my niece emailed it to me, and i love it there!

THE BEST INTERVIEW!

here is an interview with eugene peterson (author of the message and many other great books.  i recommend any of his stuff).   i so appreciate a lot of what he shares b/c there is a balance.  all about living jesus yet not running to some new emerging trend just b/c.  it’s a long interview and you need to stop and reread to let parts soak in, but it’s well worth it.

some more words of encouragement (aka: “nobody sticks baby in a corner”)

the post below with the devotional based on caleb is something i’ve been reading almost daily for the past week or so.  it’s just a great reminder to me.  we are capable of being all god has us to be and doing all god has for us to do.  the other day, some friends were over and we were reading romans 6.  and something really struck me, though i’ve read this chapter who knows how many times.  here’s the main stuff.

7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. 9 We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

i’ve sure been struck so much again and again by the resurrection of jesus – that he defeated death and sin and darkness.  and then, that he arose to be with the father and now fights on our behalf b/c of that resurrection experience so that we, too, can live with the same benefits.    but reading this, i was just personally struck by the…”you….are..able to live for the glory of god.”

for someone like me who can struggle with living defeated even when i am aware of the truth, this thing about being able is huge.  i am able to live beyond sin and for god’s glory. 

Stuff about the Church

i am so saddened anymore with all the negative, and subsequently arrogant, attitudes people have about church and what it is/isn’t, should/should not be these days.  you look at current books and articles in all types of christian publications, check out blogs (like mine – ha!), and you see lots of thoughts, opinions, and supposed fact on how church should be and what it should be like.

what makes me so sad is not so much the discussion – a discussion, not so much the differences (though that is troubling to me), but it’s the attitudes of people being SO right on what they think.  all “camps” think they are right.  emergent camp.  traditional camp.  calvinistic camp.  liturgical camp.  contemporary camp.  blended camp.  apostolic camp.  charismatic camp.  it’s ridiculous to me.  it’s sad.  i have personally experienced the growing chasm between the camps – the growing attitudes of being right that cause DIVISION.  i mean, what the heck?  surely, even if there is disagreement – even if you DO think you are doing church the right way, does that mean we arrogantly blast those who are different?  does that mean we throw out our opinion as if we are god and totally know best – like god suddenly gave revelation to us here in the year 2008.  that’s what cracks me up.  it’s like suddenly some person has all the answers.  as if any of us knows EXACTLY what god is about.