Go Team!

Another Fabulous Fall for the Colts! As I write this they are 5-0, with a 14 game regular season winning streak. Their Sunday opponent, the Rams, have a longer streak going – 16 games in a row – but it’s a losing streak! Las Vegas is predicting the Colts will win by 13 points to extend both streaks.

It’s not that there are no good players in St. Louis. All of them were highly successful in college. And many of those losses were close. But there is something missing. The timing and teamwork of the Colts is like a well-oiled machine, and a beautiful thing to watch. At least for a Colts fan! It might be different in St. Louis.

We’ve been studying the book of Philippians on Sunday mornings. Paul closes his letter with a plea for teamwork; he writes in 4:2-3, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord…. Help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.” Something was going wrong with the team. These two women were among the earliest believers in Philippi, and each played big roles in getting the church established. They worked side by side with Paul in spreading the news of Christ, in training new believers, in expressing the love of God with acts of kindness. They had shared in victory after victory as the Holy Spirit did great things among them. Yet now, for some reason, they were contending with each other. It’s not that one was right and the other wrong – Paul pleads with both of them. Something had come between them, and instead of facing their true opponent, they were fighting against a team mate.

There is nothing like working together for a common cause to draw people together. Especially when that cause is God’s cause. None of us can accomplish God’s plans by ourselves. Only together can we advance His Kingdom. If I think I have a better idea than what the rest of the team is doing, it is going to mess up the whole play. If Dallas Clark thinks it would be better to turn left, but Manning is expecting him to turn right, the play will likely end up as an interception. But each time they do it right builds their confidence in each other.

So why are humans so susceptible to letting hurt feelings come between team mates, even when we have a long history of working together? It is part of our fallen nature. But with Christ, it does not have to be that way. We are on the same team. Our Coach has a great game plan. He already has a victory celebration planned at the end of the season! When the highlight reels are being played, I don’t want to be the one seen running the wrong way, blocking out a team mate instead of an opponent.

I am so thankful to be on God’s team with you! I count it a privilege to work side by side with such great team mates.

PASS THE WORD!

Have you ever left a piece of fruit or something sticky on the kitchen counter overnight, then by morning found yourself surrounded with company? A two-way stream of ants going back and forth from that spot across the cabinet, down the wall, under the door, and across the patio to their colony in the back yard.
You hadn’t put up any signs in the yard to let them know you had been lazy with sweet, gooey stuff the night before. Who knows the name of the first ant who sensed something was available in your kitchen? But when he found it he passed the word along to the rest of his colony immediately — and hundreds of his fellows were streaming in and out of your house until Mr. Raid announced a change of plans.
When Jesus walked this earth, something like that happened. He didn’t blow trumpets or send out advertizing to prepare the way. He simply showed up and began changing lives. Then like the woman at the well, they went and told others. Before long there was a steady stream of people coming to meet Him. Then they went out and brought their friends too.
Evangelism at its best is not a duty or a program. It is showing how Christ touched you with joy, peace, and wholeness! The best argument for Christ does not come in words alone, but in our lives, as we walk in the Spirit. Unfortunately the flip side is also true; the best argument against the Christian faith is Christians who are full of themselves, unloving, bitter, or gloomy.
Our goal as witnesses is not to change people, but to introduce them to Jesus. It is not our job to get them to quit their bad habits. As they get closer to God, the Holy Spirit will do a fine job of pointing out where they need to change. Like the ants, we simply tell where the sweet stuff is!
“You will be my witnesses...” Acts 1:8. Pass the word! Say something nice about God today.

IMHO

I was taking part in an on-line conversation awhile back, and came across the acronym “IMHO”; to which the next person replied with a “IMNSHO.” I had to turn to someone younger than I to get the translation, “In My Humble Opinion;” I figured out for myself that the extra NS stood for “not so.” It made me wonder, how often are my “humble opinions” stated in a way that is not so humble after all? Ted Turner (not exactly the poster child for modesty) once said “If I had a little bit of humility, I’d be perfect.”

In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis calls pride the great sin, saying, "There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else. Pride is spiritual cancer, it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense. If anyone would like to acquire humility I can I think tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a big step too. At least nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed."

How could Jesus be so humble? He had more to be proud of than anyone! His identity as Messiah, all the miracles, his faithfulness to God, his sacrifices for the sake of the Kingdom… to say nothing about his divine nature! Yet we constantly see Jesus taking the humble position. He never demands that others serve him, and never complains about being mistreated. He did teach “as one with authority,” not just sharing humble opinions. And he did tread on a few toes in the process. But it was more about the truth, not about building his own reputation.

Humility is a process of dying to self. It involves giving up the need to be the important one. It is never easy among our peers. I’ve noticed, though, that when we are in the presence of someone truly great it comes more naturally. We turn our focus to them.

When we are in worship, we recognize that we are in the presence of God. There is no room for personal pride in worship because it is about Him, not about us. The more we are aware of His awesome presence the more humble we will be.

But what about our normal day to day interactions with our Christian brothers and sisters… can we recognize Christ living in them? They may not be letting His light shine through very brightly at the moment, but that does not reduce His presence. May God help us to see Himself in each other.

IMHO, the light of Christ shines beautifully in your eyes.

School Days

School days are here again…can fall be far behind?

School memories are a mixed bag. One of my least favorite memories is running to catch the bus, only to be tripped by the school bully. The gash on my hand didn’t hurt as bad as the bruise to my ego.

Why are some people so mean? Why, after all the years of working on “self-esteem”, psychology, new medications, and social work, do we still have bullies in school? Why, with our increased knowledge of human behavior, do we have more people in jail and prison than ever? Easy to label the problem as SIN, but we still have to deal with the suffering.

Paul writes in Colossians 1“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, the church.” I wrestle with how to understand this. Obviously Paul does not mean that the Cross is insufficient, that more suffering is required to atone for our sins. But somehow he claims that his suffering works for the good of the church.

What is it about suffering that can work out for the good? We’d just as soon avoid it all together. We might each have a different image of “the good life”, but rarely does it include suffering!

Could it be that in our suffering we can participate in the sacrificial nature of Christ? His sacrifice was much bigger than the cross. Jesus was constantly giving of himself for the sake of others. He viewed all of life, including his suffering, in the light of his highest goal – fulfilling God’s purpose.

So what about the bullies? I don’t think they are doing God’s will, but the way we respond to them gives us the opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose.

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Phil 3:10-11

School days are here again…can fall be far behind?

School memories are a mixed bag. One of my least favorite memories is running to catch the bus, only to be tripped by the school bully. The gash on my hand didn’t hurt as bad as the bruise to my ego.

Why are some people so mean? Why, after all the years of working on “self-esteem”, psychology, new medications, and social work, do we still have bullies in school? Why, with our increased knowledge of human behavior, do we have more people in jail and prison than ever? Easy to label the problem as SIN, but we still have to deal with the suffering.

Paul writes in Colossians 1 “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, the church.” I wrestle with how to understand this. Obviously Paul does not mean that the Cross is insufficient, that more suffering is required to atone for our sins. But somehow he claims that his suffering works for the good of the church.

What is it about suffering that can work out for the good? We’d just as soon avoid it all together. We might each have a different image of “the good life”, but rarely does it include suffering!

Could it be that in our suffering we can participate in the sacrificial nature of Christ? His sacrifice was much bigger than the cross. Jesus was constantly giving of himself for the sake of others. He viewed all of life, including his suffering, in the light of his highest goal – fulfilling God’s purpose.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

This has been kind of a whirlwind summer for Lyn and me. VBS was followed by Solid Rock Church Camp. Then we left for the 4-C Family Conference (with David and Sandy) in Iowa. As soon as we got back from that, we were switching our suitcases to head over to Hungary to witness our daughter getting married. Weddings are always wonderful occasions, filled with beauty and pageantry. This one was even more, because of all the different traditions. Since the happy couple is also planning an American wedding (September 12, and you are invited) reflecting American traditions, they made the first ceremony truly Hungarian. Translators made it possible for us to follow along. The reception lasted till 3am, and included a “second supper” after midnight! The food was quite different – even the cake – but very delicious.

As a father, I can see that Meg and Gabor have some challenges ahead of them. Cultural differences usually pop up in surprising little things. Things that you assume “everyone knows this.” Like how to celebrate birthdays, for instance. Or how to paint a room, or how to raise kids.

In a sense, all marriages are somewhat cross-cultural, since “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.” Yes, men and women are wired differently in many ways. It is curious that God chose to design a world where opposites attract. And though those “opposites” can create a lot of tension in a marriage, they also give it strength and vitality.

One of the strange things about Culture is that it largely operates behind the scenes. We do not hear the accent in our own voice. People from the South or from Minnesota have accents, not us. People from England have really strong accents, but we talk plain English.

It is hard for us to realize how much our Culture affects our religion. The great missionary statesman, Dr. Ralph Winter, always urged his students to be aware of how their own culture influenced their understanding of the Bible. Our upbringing shapes how we interpret the Word. It determines which verses we read, and persuades how we obey.

That is why we need the church. It protects us from getting lost in our own narrow views. And that is why it is so healthy for us to have a wide network of relationships. Even though I am fully committed and fully invested in Whetstone Church, I make it a point to have friends who are Baptist and Methodist and Lutheran and Assembly of God and Independent.

And that is one of the big values in taking missions trips. Traveling outside our culture helps us to see our own culture in a clearer light. It has helped me to see that God is far bigger than my preconceived notions. When I see the power of the Gospel transforming lives in India, I know without a doubt that we follow the one True God!

Talk about “opposites attract” – how is it possible that the infinite holy God could be attracted to me? When the Body of Christ becomes the Bride of Christ, that will be the most cross-cultural marriage ever! But oh what a day that will be.

How Long Is 20 Years?

That depends, of course. Looking forward it might seem forever; looking back, the same 20 years are but a moment. The 20 years I spent in school seemed pretty long at the time, even with summers off. The 20 years a child takes to grow up lasts as long as an ice cream cone in July. And 20 years spent doing what you love tends to fly by.

It doesn’t seem possible that I’ve been pastor of Whetstone for 20 years. When I look at the pictures of our family when we came, it seems like ages ago. Yet it feels like just a little bit. How many hospital visits? Funerals? Births? Baptisms? Weddings? I haven’t counted, but I know it is not enough yet!

I never would’ve guessed 20 years ago that we would still be here today. But the future is a funny thing. We never know how it is going to turn out. We can make predictions, but it is not in our control. We can and should make preparations, which definitely have an influence on how tomorrow turns out. But there are many more influences and circumstances in the mix. That is why I am so glad to say with Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” When we trust in Him, He keeps our feet on the pathway that leads to life. And Psalm 121, “The Lord will watch over your coming and your going, both now and forevermore.” He holds the future in His hands.

A few Sundays ago we read from Philippians 3:14, “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward.” It has been really nice living in the same house for 20 years. But nice as it is, this house is nothing compared to the one God has prepared for us. And even a whole lifetime here is only a moment compared to the eternity God has in mind for us.

We can look backward at 20 years or 40 years or 80 years and celebrate victories, or bemoan the defeats. All of us have had plenty of successes and failures. As a congregation we can look back at 135 years of continuous worship and discipleship and ministry here on the corner of 60^th and Madison (or, Whetstone Road and Brown Street Road). Plus 10 years before that in homes and schools. Do you think those early church planters had any idea of how things would turn out today? Did they dream that one day those corn fields would be filled with houses, and this country church would be part of the city of Anderson? Neither do we know how the future will turn out. But because of their faithfulness Whetstone Church was here for us.

I look forward to our church picnic this month, as we celebrate our history. How many lives have been shaped for the good, how many souls drawn to Christ through the ministry of this congregation? I have no idea of that number, but I do know this – not enough yet! Let’s keep pressing on to win the prize. God is calling us heavenward. Don’t give up till we get there.