Worship

Why do we, those who claim to be followers of Christ and members of His church, argue over how we will worship him? I believe the answer is our flesh. Since Adam and Eve ate that "apple," we have been arguing. Arguing about who is the greatest, who will get the most inheritance, who is the favorite, and about who worships the right way. Really, we all want to be right and in the end the only thing we will be "right" about is Jesus. Jesus is the reason we worship. Not us. Jesus.

Too often we think that worship is about us. We skip around from church to church until we find one that satisfies our needs. Now I am mainly going to talk about music/worship styles, but there are sundry reasons why people move from one church to another. There are many churches these days with multiple types of "services": traditional, contemporary, blended, bilingual, etc. You would think this would please most people, but no. Then we have to argue over which service is first on Sunday mornings and which one is in the evening slot. We argue about how loud the drums are or how "old", expensive, and obnoxious the organ is.

A couple of weeks ago we had a retired pastor preach at our church. We have a 9am "traditional" service and an 11am "contemporary" service. Folks from the early service told this retired pastor that he wouldn't like the 2nd service because it is loud and the spirit of God isn't there. Needless to say he had a differing opinion of the service. It doesn't stop there. People who are more fond of a "contemporary" service say similar things about the "traditional" service. "It's dead in there, the songs are over 200 years old and so are the people who attend that service. I can't worship to an organ. It's so boring!"

You would think that having different opportunities for expressing our worship to God would enhance our worshipping community, uniting us in worship. Somehow it doesn't work that way. We still find something to argue about. Why can't we "encourage one another and build each other up?" Why can't we pray that the other worship service would outgrow ours? Can we praise and thank God for the work He is doing in people's hearts in "the other service?" Can we welcome people without heaping expectations on them, like what they should or shouldn't wear, how they should or shouldn't sing, and what instruments they should or shouldn't play?

One of the meanings of the word worship is "service." I'm not sure this is what God had in mind when He challenged us to serve one another. This isn't The Way. How can we serve those outside the church walls when we can't even serve those inside them without prejudice? A greater understanding and appreciation of worship worldwide would help us tremendously. Christians worship in SO many different ways around the world and God loves each expression. He created us to worship and he inhabits the praises of His people (worldwide). Let's ask ourselves this question: If we were created to worship Him and bring Him pleasure then what gives God the most pleasure? Here are a few words from the Apostle Paul on the attitude of Christ... and His followers.

Philippians 2: 1-13 (The Message)

"If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure."

Love, Knowledge, and Exposure

A friend of mine and I were talking the other day. We were asking ourselves, as members of the Church, how we can effectively reach out to a hurting world around us. How do we let them know there is a God, who is Love, who wants to be in relationship with them. Let me first say that it's one thing to write or read about this, it's another thing to live it out. My hope is that as I grow in relationship with and understand my need of Christ, compassion and love will flow out my relationship with him.

So my friend asked me, how do we truly love people into a relationship with Christ? Not really thinking long these three phrases popped into my mind. They may seem trite, but true nonetheless. They are Love of God, Knowledge of scripture, and Exposure to hurting people. As I am writing this I am tempted to get way too involved in each of these points. I'll keep it brief.

Love of God

I must truly love God and know that He loved me first (1 John 4:19). Before I can show others God's great love for them I must first have the love of God in me. An understanding of His love for me, His forgiveness, His mercy, His grace, and His compassion will lead to an overflow of love, forgiveness, mercy, grace and compassion for those around me.

Knowledge of Scripture

Having the love of God in my heart and knowing what God's word says about this love will only enable me to express even more deeply Christ's love. As I read God's word I see a calling on God's people to share in Christ's suffering, to give to the poor, to die to ourselves, to think of others' needs first, to give a drink to the thirsty, the clothe the naked, to provide shelter for the homeless. Scripture gives me everything I need to know in order to care for those around me; those who share similar hurts, habits, and hang-ups, but who do not yet know the abundant life that Christ so freely gives.

Exposure to a Hurting World

"Oh, I can't go over there. It's too dangerous." "I could never go there and talk to 'those people'." I don't know how many times I've heard statements like these from Christians. People who no doubt love God, read their Bible, and go to church every Sunday say things like this all the time. Sometimes it's in reference to another country, another state, another city, or even sometimes just another part of their own town or city. Why are we so afraid? What are we afraid of? (Matthew 10: 26-31) If I love God and know what His word says about loving others then why don't I do it? What keeps me from putting myself in places and situations where people need the love of God the most? We must place ourselves in situations that require us to rely on Christ. If we are to learn how to "reach out" and "witness" to a hurting world we have to spend time with hurting people.

I know it's easy to write it; much harder to live it. However, as we live out these three points, in community, we will see a world transform...people transform...ourselves transform... into the likeness of Christ. We will begin to see heaven meet earth. As Christ said, "The kingdom of heaven is near." Much nearer than we think.

Matthew 10: 6-8
"Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

Demystify

It's been about a year since I posted something on my blog. There are only a handful of you who read it, but that's probably just as well. I started this blog just before going to an Exodus Conference last year. Just a few days ago I returned home from another Exodus conference. For some reason the two Exodus conferences I've attended have been like a retreat experience for me. Even though I've never struggled with homosexuality, I have struggled with sin. For those of you who don't know or have forgotten homosexual sin and heterosexual sin are the same. They manifest themselves in very different ways in that one lusts after the same gender and the other lusts after the opposite gender. Which is worse? I would say neither. The outcome of both is brokenness in relationship with God and those around us, male and female.

One morning I helped teach a workshop with my friends Tony and Blue. The workshop was titled "Jonathan and David - Establishing healthy same-sex friendships". There are a host of men and women who are struggling with homosexuality, desire to leave that lifestyle behind, and pursue relationship with God and healthy same-sex relationships with other men and women. We, men and women of the Church, often make this an even more difficult process for these men and women. For that matter, we often make it difficult for men and women to overcome any sin by not providing a vulnerable yet safe atmosphere that promotes confession and restoration. Without going too far on that tangent, part of our workshop focused on demystifying masculinity. Our world, culture, and society bombard us with what it means to be men and women. All men should like to play sports, eat meat, and hunt and kill things. They shouldn't be overly sensitive, nor should they share openly their feelings. They should be reserved, withdrawn, and distant with their feelings; a rock. So in front of about 60 or 70 men who are desperately seeking to overcome their same-sex attractions I confessed or should I say professed my love of cucumber melon scented candles and lotion, chick flics, and music. We encouraged these men not to succumb to the worldly pattern that tells us what we should or shouldn't do, like, or be as men. I believe I learned just as much if not more from the workshop as our audience did. As Tony, Blue, and I were reviewing the day before our workshop Jesus' sermon on the mount came to mind. Specifically what we call the Beattitudes. I asked myself, in the midst of our gender confused society, what does Christ call us to do, to be, to pursue.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus' teaching transcends all of our gender specific roles and rules and our cultures' understanding of what it means to be a man. Jesus says pursue righteousness, peace, mercy, meekness, and purity. This is what it means to be a man of God.

My intent in writing this was to help demystify homosexuality. While I learned a lot about demystifying masculinity I probably learned even more about demystifying homosexuality. It's not the opposite of heterosexuality. Exodus does not encourage men and women to pursue heterosexuality. That might sound funny to some. It took me a while to process that statement. What they do encourage is to pursue holiness. Homosexuality is sexual sin. So is a man lusting after a woman or a woman lusting after a man. So is pornography. So is sex outside of marriage.

God help us not to settle for simply not sinning. Help us to pursue holiness. Help us to pursue YOU and YOUR righteousness.

Less Stressing More Blessing

Today I bought all of my family's Christmas gifts. In one click on my computer I purchased their gifts. The only catch is that they will more than likely never see their gifts. Some kind of gift that is, huh?

This Christmas will be different. I usually rack my brain trying to figure out what in the world I can get my family for Christmas. My family doesn't NEED anything more than they already have. There isn't anything I can give them that will bring more pleasure or satisfaction or contentment. However I can give a gift that gives life. This year I bought my parents and my brothers each a well in Africa. Through an organization called Blood: Water Mission I was able to give the gift of clean drinking water to families in Africa who lack the most essential element needed to survive. Don't get me wrong, I'll probably get my family something else for Christmas, but it won't be something they'll soon forget, throw away, or sell in a garage sale in a few months.

This Christmas will be different and hopefully many more to come will be different as well. After seeing and hearing more and more about the crisis in Africa and many other places around the globe I can't continue to ignore it. (www.adventconspiracy.org) If I believe that God is a God of the nations, not just our nation, then I have to be willing to partner with and care for those in other nations if I'm able...and I'm able. Most of us are - I heard recently that Americans spend around $20 Billion on ice cream each year. I'd say we're able. Some say it's easy to just throw money at issues though and I agree. It is easy to just give money to organizations who help people half way around the world. Much easier than helping the man or woman down the street who is hungry or thirsty. It has caused me to think a lot about who I am as a Christian. What my ultimate purpose is as a Christian on this earth.

I am learning to give where I need to give. I am learning to take advantage of the opportunities that come... and they do. Normally I just ignore them, people and opportunities, and then feel bad later. The purpose in helping isn't so I won't feel bad. The purpose is to do what Christ has called me to do as His follower. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give a drink to the thirsty. Wise as serpents - Innocent as doves!

Thankful!

I have so much to be thankful for. God has supplied me with everything I could ever need. Food, water, shelter, friendships, family, church family...everything. Sometimes I want more than I need though. I recently moved into a new apartment and realized I really don't "need" anything more. Sure there are things that I want and things that would make my life a little more comfortable, but I really don't need them. As I was going through my boxes full of clothing I realized I didn't wear half of them. I started emptying some boxes only to fill others to give to Goodwill. Why do I have all this stuff?

My parents asked me the other day for my Christmas wish list. Now I'm almost 30 and I'm guessing this will probably never stop; they asking me for a wish list. I told my mom I really didn't need anything, but even then my mind started to wander and I started thinking about all the things I would like to have. Then I remembered a friend of mine had told me about a particular organization ( www.heifer.org ) You can purchase an animal or a group of animals in order to provide a source of food for families in need all around the globe. What a great way to live out the mission of the early church and hopefully the mission of today's church. Now I'm sure I'll get something from my parents and I'll probably get a lot of stuff for people for Christmas this year. It's all good. I just want to remember to be thankful and not just during this season of Thanksgiving, but always. That's part of God's will for my life and yours. Be thankful in all circumstances. Not always easy in this culture.

This culture I live in tells me I need to buy the latest fashion. I need to be up to date on the latest gadgets. I need to have a cell phone that plays mp3s and videos and at the same time have an iPod that does the same thing? Doesn't make a lot of sense...does it? I need to have a pair of shoes that matches every outfit? Where does it end? Sometimes I even catch myself not thanking God for the good gifts he has given me. Life for example. "Thank you Lord for life" as my friend Jerry often says. We don't say that enough. Something as simple as life itself is often forgotten. We forget God gives us breath everyday. It is He that supplies our every need.

As I was reading the other day in Deuteronomy I remembered the Lord said,

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

I am learning to be content and ever more thankful for the good gifts in my life. Not just the material, but more importantly the immaterial; the relationships or perhaps put another way - treasures in heaven - the eternal treasures that last throughout eternity.

Learning is hard

I say I like change. I say I like learning. Well, I don't. I don't like learning or changing because it requires that I...change. Every Thursday morning I meet with a group of guys for accountability. We talk about a multitude of things. We desire to know each other inside and out. Well, this morning they got to see a little more of who I am and how I'm shaped.

Why am I so quick to be offended? Why must I be right? After our time together this morning I had to ask myself these two questions. As these guys tried to help me more fully understand God's grace this morning I became defensive. Deep down inside I didn't want to admit that there is a part of me that just might need a little reshaping or developing. I know about God's grace. I see it at work in my life. I see it at work in other people's lives. What more is there to know? Well apparently lots! As much as I may say I like to get everything out in the open and talk it out, I really don't. However, I know I must do it. In order for God to continue to shape us, we need to allow others into the depths of our thinking. I need to expose my thinking to God and to others that God might renew my mind. Our minds are cluttered, well my mind at least is cluttered with all this "stuff". I need God to renew my mind daily.

Part of what happened this morning was that I was humbled. I don't like it when I think I have a firm grasp on an issue and it turns out that I might have a little to learn. Especially something like God's grace. This free gift that God gives us that has been sung about for ages. I would like to think that I understand something so central to our faith in Jesus Christ. Well, apparently, I have a little more to learn. I need to be fashioned a little more. Most of all I need, and experienced this morning, to be humbled.

Lord humble me today as I learn to learn. Be patient with me as I learn to change. Not for the sake of changing or so I can say to someone "Look, I changed," but so that I might change and become more like Christ. It's ironic that this blog is titled Some Things I'm Learning... I thought it would be a good idea to keep record of things that God is teaching me. Little did I know it would be so hard. I wish everything I had to learn was easy and neat, but it's not. Learning is hard.

1 Peter 5:4-6

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Family Reunions (Part 2)

This weekend I went to yet another family reunion. It was great, just like the last one. I was able to visit with aunts, uncles, and cousins that I hadn't seen in years. I think the last time we had a family reunion on my mom's side of the family was 10 years ago. There were probably fifty people there, more than half of which I did not know. People change a lot in 10 years, well, some do.

We had a great time. The best food on earth. My mom is an excellent cook and she had to get it from somewhere. Well she got it from family. Good country cookin'. And the desserts...oh my goodness...the desserts. Apple cobbler, peanut butter pies, chocolate chip cookies, cherry pies, and just stuff they make up (a little of this, a little of that). It's all good. I could probably describe all the food there, but I don't have time and it would just make you jealous or as they say "so good it'll make you smack your granny."

Back to the people. When I was a kid my grandparents split up. I was about five years old so I didn't really know what was going on. But somewhere between some messed up family members and rumors of a cult, my grandparents split up. It got kind of ugly, as do most relationships when selfishness rears its ugly head. The only thing I remember was being in my grandparents living room (pre-split) and hearing this man screaming at the top of his lungs. He was shaking his Bible, screaming something about Jesus while standing behind a podium with seven or eight people listening (I think I was holding my ears). I was too young, thank the Lord, to understand everything he was talking about. All I remember, as I said before, was the screaming. Nobody was in trouble (so to speak), so I couldn't figure out why he was yelling. Well, fast forward a few years. Bits and pieces start to make sense. Something about brainwashing, my parents getting into it with the "screamer", my grandma moving in with us and on and on. I finally begin to see the severity of the situation. It was pretty bad. It wasn't until years later that I began to fully understand what "really" happened back then. (I'd tell the whole story, but really I'm afraid I'd use up all my blog space in one entry)

Well, the "screamer" turned out to be one of my cousins and he and some other family members had words during all that mess. That's what you call a heated argument where I'm from, had words. As you probably have already guessed most of these folks were at the reunion. It was civilized. Nobody had words with each other, unless it was about a fishing or deer hunting story. (There were some great fish stories) The reunion was civilized, yes, but one could definitely sense the tension. Luckily, for me, I didn't know half of the people there and the "screamer" wasn't there. It was pretty easy for me to forget about those who were involved, either directly or by association. Not so easy for some others. It was easy for me because I was five at the time, but how do we forgive others when they have wronged us? When they have hurt us and family so badly...so deeply. Earlier I said people change in 10 years. Well they do. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, and sometimes they stay the same. How do we truly forgive people who hurt us so intensely that it physically hurts us? The question I have to ask myself is how does Christ forgive me for hurting him so much that it hurts him...physically. Every time I separate myself from him I hurt him and my relationship with him. How do I forgive people who have literally ruined close family relationships and who have caused so much grief, anger, and heartache? How? Again, how does Christ forgive me? It's hard for us to imagine, just as it was hard for Jonah* to imagine God forgiving and wanting to rescue the Ninevites. It's difficult for us to imagine Joseph* forgiving his brothers after what they put him through. Forgiveness is very hard sometimes, yet very freeing at the same time. Freeing to those forgiven and freeing to those who forgive.

Today I am learning to forgive. I am learning that in order to be forgiven, we must forgive. It's not easy. Life isn't easy; another thing I continue to learn. The more I learn to forgive the more freedom I will experience. Forgiveness is life giving, both on the receiving and giving end. As I learn to practice forgiveness, as hard as it may be, I will experience more and more freedom.

*Jonah 4:11 *Genesis 50:15-21