The Body of Christ

Timothy Keller in Prodigal God makes a strong assertion. It's neither common or popular in the current climate of Christianity in North America today. But, I agree with it. We need each other.

"Christians commonly say they want a relationship with jesus, that they want to 'get to know Jesus better'. You will never be able to do that by yourself. You must be deeply involved in the church, in Christian community, with strong relationships of love and accountability. Only if you are part of a community of believers seeking to resemble, serve and love Jesus will you ever get to know Him and grow into His likeness."
Keller goes on to quote C.S. Lewis. Lewis describes the beauty of being a member of the body of Christ:
"In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity. I want other lights than my own to show all his facets."

Courage and Faith

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28)
King Agrippa’s response to Paul’s testimony is memorable. The KJV reads “almost thou persuaded me to be a Christian”. Paul presented a passionate and compelling account of the Gospel. Agrippa listened and managed to muster up a fairly puny response. Waht about us? We have received the Gospel. None of us would dare to diminish the power of the Gospel with our words. I pray we do not diminish it with our actions. Agrippa lacked the faith and courage to move forward and accept Jesus. Moving boldly with our testimony requires the same faith and courage. Consider the words of Robert Quinn:

The land of excellence is safely guarded from unworthy intruders. At the gates stand two fearsome sentries – risk and learning. The keys to entry are faith and courage.

Servant Leadership

"human beings can make choices to live and lead at a higher level, to be serving rather than self-serving. But when you look at the leaders around the world—whether they’re running countries, businesses, churches, educational institutions, or what have you—too many people are choosing to be self-serving rather than serving. Why is that? Because they don’t have a different leadership role model." Ken Blanchard

Blanchard points us toward the ultimate leader. Most of us are quick to acknowledge what a great leader Jesus was (and is). Yet, how often do we consider his leadership principles as a model for our own leadership? Blanchard calls this the "choice" to lead at a higher level. I like his terminology. In biblical terms it is a choice to lead according to the tranformation of the Spirit rather than the desires of our selfish nature. The choice is made more difficult when we celebrate leaders who are self-serving (as we so often do in our culture).

Independence

I was watching a mother with her child. He was just a little toddler. No doubt he was just about four of five months into his adventure in walking. They were walking down the street and the toddler was pushing his stroller. I had to smile as I remembered how Nick used to do the same thing. This little guy didn't understand his inner desire to prove what he was capable of doing "on his own". All he knew was he was tired of being confined in the stroller and he wanted to be in charge of pushing it. Even though his mom was ready, willing and able to push him around, he would have none of that. This little boy was progressing in life and that is a good thing. Yet, I thought about how his craving for independence mirrors an unhealthy proression in our own spiritual lives. God walks alongside us. God provides a great deal of help and assistance. He gives us power to live and move and have our being. Too often, we prefer to push through life and reject or ignore His help. Why? It's because we have distorted healthy spiritual growth and development into an unhealthy dependence our own strength. We fool ourselves into thinking that we can make it just fine without Him. I'm not suggesting we ride through life in a stroller. I am suggesting a bit of irony. Trust and dependency on God's help is a mark of maturity.

More on Forgiveness

The story of forgiveness is a story of two kingdoms. The kingdom of heaven is a generous kingdom. It's a kingdom where workers get paid the same whether they begin the day at dawn or dusk (Read Matthew 20:1-16). It's a kingdom that is marked by God's righteousness more so than by what we deem is fair. That bothers us. It doesn't bother us so much when we are recipients of God's mercy and grace. But, in our kingdom, we tend to get envious, jealous and selfish. We tend to want rules to apply to others that we desire to escape. We tend to view forgiveness as something we deserve and yet ration it when it comes to dispensing it to others. Jesus knows us well. Jesus knows the difference between our kingdom and His. That's why He taught us to pray: "Father...forgive us as we forgive". More and more this part of my prayer causes me to pause. It brings a lump in my throat. It's easy to rush through it. It's easy focus like a laser on the forgiveness I need rather than the forgiveness I need to give. But, I dont' believe that is what Jesus has in mind.

Forgiveness

"The strongest argument in favor of grace is the alternative, a world of ungrace. The strongest argument for forgiveness is the alternative, a permanent state of unforgiveness."
Phillip Yancey

Yancey's words interest me. I'm studying forgiveness. I'm preparing for a message about forgiveness on Sunday. It's a lot easier to study forgiveness than it is to practice it. It's fine to keep it at a safe distance and comment about what Jesus had to say about it. It's quite another thing to be confronted with a real live person who has caused hurt. When it happens we build a case for what Yancey calls "ungrace". We wait for an apology. We crave retribution. We construct a list of will be required in order for someone to deserve forgiveness. And we wait for satisfaction. When these conditions are constructed by a heart that has chosen "ungrace", satisfaction never comes. In the midst of our "ungrace" we develop a profound case of amnesia. How many times have I been forgiven? Many. How many times did I deserve to be forgiven? None. These two questions have the potential to bring about a quick recovery from forgiveness. Meditation on own experiences with forgiveness can melt away "ungrace" and uncover the grace within us.

Nanny's going home

Sometimes we need the proper context to appreciate the greatness of the Word of God. There are moments in our lives when the truths of God take on new meaning. As I spend time with Lynn’s grandmother in the closing hours of her life. The obvious aspects of mortality seem to stare me in the face. Yet, immortality breaks through. It’s natural to focus on what is seen rather than what is unseen. It’s understandable to obsess over what is happening now rather than what is unfolding before us. But, we have an opportunity to rest in so much more and we find the words that reveal the truth.

It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:13-18