Ups and Downs

Tonight was a good night at Inner City Church. But it was also a challenging night. Recently, wrestling season ended, and since then, we haven’t had any men to spend time with boys during the Thursday night action groups. Our Girls’ Ministries clubs have been changed by active boys. My Rainbows class (3-4 year old girls and boys) has particularly been transformed. Tonight, I had one 4 year old girl and 10 boys of varying ages. The oldest two are 5th graders.

I expected to have a few boys like I have the past few weeks, but this was the largest crowd ever. I didn’t have enough craft supplies for all the kids, but I made due by having one group make donkeys while another made palm leaves. As they worked, I talked about Palm Sunday – how Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, and people welcomed him with shouts of praise.

The kids were noisy at times, and I didn’t get as many details in the story as some might have liked. But they were also attentive. They surprised me with how much they all wanted the extra pipe cleaners left over from the craft! I told them the team that won “Battle of Knowledge” could split the supplies, and we played the simple Tic-Tac-Toe review game that I do at kids church. Through the game, we reviewed the lesson and parts of the salvation message. The game was a draw, and they were all super excited to get four silly pipe cleaners as a reward.

As they waited for a snack, they made various shapes with the cherished pipe cleaners. When snacks arrived, I was thrilled that a few of the boys wanted to lead the prayer. I picked a 6 year old boy to pray, and my helper whispered words to him that he repeated.

I shared more of the salvation message as the kids ate. One boy had made an “H”-shape out of his pipe cleaners, and I used it to illustrate how sin (the horizontal line) separates us (one vertical line) from God (the other vertical line). I said that after Jesus forgives our sin, it’s gone, and we can be friends with God; we can ask God for help with our problems, like bullies at school.

Time was running out, and boy next to me began telling me about a bully at school that he was having problems with. That led into him telling me about another personal matter, and we talked briefly before circumstances forced my attention elsewhere. After our closing songs, he found our pastor and asked her to pray for him.

It was, in my view, a good night. But I left knowing we need some men who will pour into these boys’ lives. If you are willing to come once a month (or more!), let me know.

Blessings of a Job: Treated like a Servant

A few coworkers were told this morning that their jobs are being eliminated due to budget cuts. Everyone’s benefits are being reduced. Ironically, this news came on my 29th birthday. This past year has been a time of significant personal growth for me, and a lot of it stems from my job. I’ve thought about writing about the lessons I’ve learned – the blessings of a job – but the occasion never seemed right. Today, I am taking the first step.

The growth that I have experienced has been both professional and personal. The professional skills I’ve gained are priceless to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. Along the way, however, I’ve learned that it’s not professional skill but rather character that God is working to produce in my life. The most important of these traits is a heart geared toward service.

There is a part of me that genuinely wants to serve, but there is also a part that wants to be recognized. My bosses model the principle that leaders should “give praise and accept blame,” publicly praising my successes while accepting fault for my mistakes. Yet, I’ve never gotten as much recognition as I would like. For instance, a leader in the church called me a gifted writer this week after reading 150 words I wrote. After all the articles and videos I’ve written or edited, I was stunned anyone could be surprised at my ability because of a 150 word introduction to material written by others. I’m just not important enough to be known, and that bothers me.

Of course, I fully realize that personal acclaim shouldn’t be my goal, and it isn’t what ultimately motivates me. But as I’ve found myself periodically discouraged by the lack of attention, I’ve realized that I want to serve so long as I’m not treated like a servant. When I volunteer at church, I get to set the paraemters of my service. Even though I have responsibilities that I don’t always desire to fulfill, I get to choose to continue coming and serving. I can say, “No, I don’t want to do that” and “No, that is not important enough for me to work on.” I can be impatient with another volunteer, display a negative attitude, or fail to follow through on a commitment, and often, no one will say anything.

On the job, things are different. I have to complete tasks no matter how much I dislike them or how much importance I ascribe to them. I am expected to express my ideas and concerns to my bosses, but it has to be done appropriately, and I have to respect their decisions. By no means does anyone make me feel unvalued, but I’m am employee, a servant by virtue of getting a paycheck, and that means I am rightly treated like one. As a employee, I’m expected to serve, and no one is particularly impressed when I do it! Jesus told us this is normal:

And which one of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and sit down to eat”? But will he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink.” Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:7-13)

The opportunities to serve and grow are one of the most important aspects of my job to me. I want my attitude to be right, and I’ve found inspiration in an unlikely place: Chick-fil-A. Their service sets them apart from the competition as much as their food. I love how they say “My pleasure!” after being thanked by a customer. It always seems so genuine. If they can have that attutide when it comes to serving chicken sandwhiches, how much more should I at my job?

Immigrants: Burden or Blessing?

“Immigrants today are a burden because they take our jobs, housing and health care.” That was the assesment of 64 percent of white evangelical Protestants in a 2006 Pew Forum poll. Only 29 percent responded that immigrants “strengthen our country with their hard work and talents.”

That helps explain my surprise that the National Association of Evangelicals approved a resolution calling for comprehensive immigration reform. One of the more controversial elements was a call for a “process for currently undocumented immigrants who wish to assume the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship to earn legal status.” Critics interpret this to mean amnesty for undocumented immigrants, and complaints have poured in to many of the NAE’s member organizations, causing some to distance themselves from the NAE’s resolution while others formally endorsed it.

The belief that immigrants burden our society echoes the rhetoric I hear too often in my religious circles. Just like the Pew Forum poll, the dislike for immigrants doesn’t just apply to illegal immigrants; immigrants as a whole are sometimes perceived as taking more from American society than they give. The distrust turns to disdain, however, when only undocumented immigrants are considered. Illegal immigrants are criminals and should be treated as thieves and murderers; they steal from our healthcare system and educate their children for free in public schools while taking jobs from Americans. Why would any Christian organization want their wrongdoing to be forgiven?

The only Christian response is a Christlike one. We can disagree on how to solve the political and legal challenges, but the Christlike response requires putting ourselves in the shoes of the illegal immigrant: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If we can do that, perhaps we will rediscover how their talents and hard work strengthen America.

Tunnel Vision

Some people believe we shouldn’t emphasize foreign missions so much because it is decreasing efforts to reach Americans.

Some think we can’t help plant a church in another state because we’re too busy reaching our own.

Some can’t support efforts to reach the inner city for fear we’ll miss those in the suburbs who need Jesus.

And some are worried their relationship with Christ won’t last through the week if they attend one less worship service, Bible study, or fellowship time in favor of reaching out to their neighbor.

When we neglect the world, our vision narrows until all that is left is ourselves. May God not only help us see that He sufficient to save the whole world; His Spirit has empowered His church to do just that.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8, KJV

The rich young ruler and me

Some of the saddest pictures in the Gospels are of those who liked Jesus but couldn’t trust him enough to follow him. One of the most powerful and arresting stories in this vein is the story of ‘The Rich Ruler,’ as many Bible versions label it. This subhead is unfortunate because it leads most of us to think the story doesn’t have anything to do with us. After all, we’re not rulers, we wouldn’t consider ourselves rich, and we’d never claim that we had obeyed all the commandments, as he did. Accordingly, I always pictured this spoiled and sanctimonious boy-king who gets his comeuppance when Jesus shows him to be the greedy sinner he really is. I thought this until I carefully read the story, and then what I mostly saw was me.

- Gary Haugen, Just Courage

Since reading Haugen’s reflections on the young man, I too have come to see myself in him. He knew who Jesus was, and he adored him. He ran to Jesus and fell on his knees before him (Mark 10:17). He addressed Jesus as ‘Good teacher’. His heart was drawn to the things of God, and he knew Christ had the answers he was seeking; he recognized that Christ could give him eternal life. When Christ told him to obey the commandments – to not murder, steal, or lie and to honor his parents and love his neighbors – he claimed to have kept them, and Christ found no reason to show him where he failed. He was a devout follower  of Christ.

I can say with him, “All these I have kept since I was a child.” Yet I know I haven’t entered into the fullness of living eternal life now. I know there must be more than this.

But this earnest, extraodinarily devout believer is restless. He feels he has done what his religious tradition has taught him to do, but in the presence of Jesus it just doesn’t feel satisfying. In fact, after affirming his compliance with the basics of the law, the young man asks, ‘What do I still lack?’ (Matthew 19:20). He knows his own personal piety is not enough. He knows there must be more to truly enter the kingdom of God. The young man asked the question, so Jesus cuts to the chase. He takes the young man right up to his particular boundary of fear and invites him to cross it: ‘If you want to be perfect,’ Jesus replies, ‘go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’ (Matthew 19:21).

The young man walked away sad. He wanted to do more than just obey the commandments – just keep from sin – but Jesus demanded too much. The young man wanted significance, and he could have found it in Christ. He could have really entered into eternal life, but instead he walked away sad.

How often I make the same, wrong decision! I know there must be more than just keeping a few commandments, and I ask Christ what it really means to start living eternally now. Yet when he answers my question with a call to the eternal living I seek, I walk away sad, and find myself at the same crossroads again and again.

The suprising truth about extreme global poverty

It’s impossible to do communications for a group of missionaries and not understand that there are desperately poor people all over the earth. I see the photos; I know the statistics; I edit the stories. It all fails to do justice to the plight of the 26,500 children who died today because of preventable causes related to their extreme poverty.

Yet, the surprising truth about extreme global poverty is that we can do something about it. There hasn’t always been a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor, and we can use our wealth to help the poor escape death. But will we?

In The Hole in Our Gospel, Richard Stearns list three major impediments that prevented past generations from eradicating extreme poverty: awareness, access, and ability. Previous generations weren’t aware of the problem, so they couldn’t address it. That changed in the last 100 years with mass media, video, and the internet making the wealthy (i.e., you and me) aware.

Increased awareness couldn’t make any difference, however, unless people had access to those in need. As commercial air travel made it possible for anyone to travel internationally, we all gained the access needed to help the poor. You could be in a desperately poor part of the world tomorrow; your donation can get there instantly.

Yet even being aware of and physically near a problem doesn’t give one the ability to address it. Only the last few generations have known how to treat illnesses like smallpox and typhoid or prevent disease through basic first aid and good hygiene. Moreover, we understand better than ever how to prevent disease, increase food yield through better agriculture methods, and assist the poor in starting microbusinesses so they can permanently escape poverty. We also have the surplus gained from our prosperity to fund the initiatives needed.

We have the awareness, the access, and the ability to virtually eradicate extreme poverty. No longer are the world’s poor someone else’s responsibility; they are our neighbors, and Jesus calls us to love them as we love ourselves.

Reach the lost… or love your neighbor?

I’ve found myself wondering in recent days which is most important – evangelism that focuses on eternal salvation or matters relating to social justice. I’ve always known they aren’t mutually exclusive, but their relative priority has remained a mystery. God works the details of each individual’s calling out, but all share a common call. Is it primarily about reaching the lost or loving our neighbors? Which is more important – the second greatest commandment or the great commission?

I’ve been reading The Hole in the Gospel, which is authored by the president of World Vision. He didn’t seek the role; in fact, he tried to run from it. In chapter after chapter, the author addresses the questions I have. What does God require of every Christian? What does he require of me? To answer those questions, I intend to study the related teachings of Jesus. Meanwhile, the book has already given me that study in a nutshell. He reminded me of the way Jesus summed up what God requires of us all:

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind
• Love your neighbor as yourself

But then he addresses what he says just might be the third greatest commandment – the great commission. The way he ties the greatest commandments to the great commission is enlightening. The Great Commission calls us to make followers of Christ who do what Jesus commanded: “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded.” And God has commanded that we love God and love people.

If we are obedient to the Great Commission, we are influencing people to take care of the poor and fight for justice for the oppressed. If we love the poor, we find that they also often becomes followers of Jesus who share his message with others. It’s not accurate to only say that these two aspects of the Christian message – salvation and social justice – aren’t mutually exclusive; we have to realize that they are simultaneous, even synergistic, working in perfect harmony together to create more than they could alone. We are to teach the nations to obey everything Jesus commanded. And if they do, the injustices, poverty, and disease rampant in the world will be addressed, because the people obeying Jesus’ commands will be loving their neighbors.

Perhaps that is the essence of missions today. We must make disciples of every nation, teaching them to love God and love their neighbors. Where there are Christians, we serve with them in loving neighbors and discipling believers. Where there are no Christians, we spread the message of the Kingdom of God through word and deed, teaching the people to obey everything Jesus commanded.

Missions should be about fulfilling the Lord’s prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.” Share the good news everywhere, and the goal of missions is met. And as you share that good news, teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded – love God, love others, and teach everyone to do the same. That’s the goal and the method and the sustainable cycle of missions.

The Motions

This might hurt, it’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care if I break,
At least I’ll be feeling something
Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking,
What if I had given everything,
Instead of going through the motions?

- The Motions, by Matthew West

Church Loyalty and Customer Satisfaction

Two items that caught my eye this week seem to have something in common – Customer Satisfaction Doesn’t Matter and Americans not losing their religion, but changing it often. Both discuss how people change brands – or churches – even though they aren’t disatisfied with what they have been getting. Consider this:

By every metric you could choose to assign to my experience, I’m a satisfied customer.

Now let me tell you something that should scare you, no matter what business you’re in. If something even slightly better came along as another option for me, I would switch without hesitation. (Customer Satisfaction Doesn’t Matter)

Her shift in religion was gradual, said Case, 41, a freelance writer and editor in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“It wasn’t so much ‘You people stink and I am out of here,’ as ‘I like this better and this is what I want to do.’ ” (Americans not losing their religion…)

In the church world, some say the Christians are to blame for being finicky and immature. Others blame churches for either not adapting to people’s desires or for failing to create mature Christians who remain loyal.

Instead, I see a different reason. Customers and church goers alike have little loyalty these days. It’s the result of a mobile society, where relationships and their counterpart – loyalty – take a backseat to what is best for the moment. Can churches counteract this?

Some people are surprised that I have remained loyal to my home church, where I have attended for 15 years. It’s a good church, but there was a time when I wasn’t a satisfied member. Yet I stayed because of a few key relationships and a network of acquaintances. Today, I couldn’t be happier.

Likewise, I remain committed to the denomination – not because it’s perfect, but because it’s my family. I see its short-comings, and I’m not motivated to remain because of a misguided elitism. I want to serve as part of the team that reached me, taught me, and trained me.

Yet, I don’t know how to connect with others in the denomination who share similar interests or are engaged in the types of ministries I’m truly passionate about. I know they exist, but the people who I personally know that do the things I really care about aren’t part of my denomination. I wonder at times if it isn’t God’s hand at work, leading me to the people He wants me to be with. Meanwhile, a few key relationships and a network of acquaintances keep me loyal.

Are you religious?

A local church recently bought billboards declaring, “We hate church… as usual.” The controversy it stirred up made the OKC news, and one of the blogs I follow, Church Marketing Sucks, took note. The question on the blog is whether that kind of church marketing is effective at reaching people for Christ. In particular, his criticism is that the advertisement is simply pointing out the perceived faults of other churches, turning churches into competitors instead of partners.

One commenter asked if it makes any sense to non-Christians when a church declares they are a church for people who hate church. And that got me thinking about all the times I’ve heard well-meaning Christians declare that they aren’t religious.

Does it make any sense to people who aren’t Christians when we say we aren’t religious? Communicate that Christianity is about a relationship with a loving God who causes us to love people, but quit denying the truth. You’re religious. And it’s not a bad thing.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27