“Do you want to get well?”
It really is an important question. Do you want to get well? Do you want your circumstances to change? Do you want to be different, or are you content in your brokenness? Your sickness? Your despair?
Too many of us are defined by what is “wrong” with us. We believe we can’t change, and our identity becomes wrapped up in our brokenness. We wear little, “Hi, My Name Is _______” badges around with our characteristics on them. “Hi, my name is…” Alcoholic. Porn Addict. Gossip. The Fat Kid. Abused. Neglected. Friendless. Worthless. We believe that we cannot change, that this is the way it will always be. Do we want to get well?
Jesus stands at the pool of Bethesda, looking out over the scene. One man had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. We know very little else about this man, except that he was waiting by the pool hoping to get well. He wasn’t seeking help. He wasn’t trying to sit any closer to the edge. He wasn’t making deals with others so he could be cleansed. No, he was just waiting. Until Jesus showed up. “Do you want to be well?”
The question is important, because it is possible that he doesn’t! He has been invalid for thirty-eight years. It defines him. He probably makes his living begging. This is who he is. Does he really want it to change? And we find that instead of shouting out, “Yes! I want to walk!” he instead answers with an excuse. “I have no one to help me into the pool…”
What excuses are we making? Do you believe you can’t change? Do you believe that you won’t ever be different? If so, you are saying that God is smaller than your alcoholism, than your porn addiction, than the abuses that have happened to you in the past. God doesn’t want our past to define us; he calls us to be more than our pasts. We can change because God allows us to change. “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me!” God wants to change us, he wants to redefine us, he wants to give us a new name. All we have to do is ask. “Yes, I want to get well.”
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Sowing the Seed
I often wonder about the parable of the Sower. The story we get seems really condensed. Now, I know I’m not a farmer, so this story doesn’t hit me as hard as it did Jesus’ audience. But, bear with me a second.
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable about the farmer out sowing seed. Some seed fell on the path, others fell in rocky soil, and still others fell among the thorns. None of those seeds bore any lasting results. But, the seed sometimes fell on good soil, and there is produced a huge crop of abundance. Jesus later goes on to explain that the seed is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the farmers are us. Although it isn’t stated, each of us has been given the task of sharing the Good News with every person that we meet. That doesn’t necessarily have to be overt; sometimes it is just a smile, a nod, or a kind word. But each of us is called to scatter seed.
However, I have often wondered about this parable… Each time I share the Gospel with someone, it is immensely personal. It usually develops out of relationship, as we begin to share the most important parts of our lives with one another. Sometimes the Gospel takes root and multiplies in that person’s life; but sometimes it is like the three other types of soil, being choked out or stolen away or trampled on. Each time I see the person not respond, it hurts and sometimes feels a little personal. Maybe if I had only done better, or said something in a different way, or didn’t push at this instance, or maybe if I’d just pushed a little harder… Jesus seems to gloss over the personal nature of evangelism, comparing it simply to a farmer out tossing seeds around.
Yet maybe it is a good analogy. The farmer’s livelihood depends on the productivity of that seed, and he works them and makes them grow. His life and his hope are wrapped up in the seeds’ response. Yet it is God who causes the seed to grow. We aren’t always called to bring in the harvest; we can’t make the seed take root and grow. We are simply called to sow and cultivate seed. Maybe the seed will stay dormant for many years, suddenly springing up and thriving. Maybe it will be carried away, only to be dropped into good soil when the moment is right. We aren’t called to be successful, just to be faithful. So, keep on sowing the seed, Farmers for the LORD. You never know what harvest God will provide.
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable about the farmer out sowing seed. Some seed fell on the path, others fell in rocky soil, and still others fell among the thorns. None of those seeds bore any lasting results. But, the seed sometimes fell on good soil, and there is produced a huge crop of abundance. Jesus later goes on to explain that the seed is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the farmers are us. Although it isn’t stated, each of us has been given the task of sharing the Good News with every person that we meet. That doesn’t necessarily have to be overt; sometimes it is just a smile, a nod, or a kind word. But each of us is called to scatter seed.
However, I have often wondered about this parable… Each time I share the Gospel with someone, it is immensely personal. It usually develops out of relationship, as we begin to share the most important parts of our lives with one another. Sometimes the Gospel takes root and multiplies in that person’s life; but sometimes it is like the three other types of soil, being choked out or stolen away or trampled on. Each time I see the person not respond, it hurts and sometimes feels a little personal. Maybe if I had only done better, or said something in a different way, or didn’t push at this instance, or maybe if I’d just pushed a little harder… Jesus seems to gloss over the personal nature of evangelism, comparing it simply to a farmer out tossing seeds around.
Yet maybe it is a good analogy. The farmer’s livelihood depends on the productivity of that seed, and he works them and makes them grow. His life and his hope are wrapped up in the seeds’ response. Yet it is God who causes the seed to grow. We aren’t always called to bring in the harvest; we can’t make the seed take root and grow. We are simply called to sow and cultivate seed. Maybe the seed will stay dormant for many years, suddenly springing up and thriving. Maybe it will be carried away, only to be dropped into good soil when the moment is right. We aren’t called to be successful, just to be faithful. So, keep on sowing the seed, Farmers for the LORD. You never know what harvest God will provide.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Millennials and Religion
One of the things I hear the most is that millennials are giving up on faith and walking away from church.
And the statistics do seem to point that out. In my fellowship, the Churches of Christ, we lose 40% of our children when they graduate from high school. Some of those move on to other denominational groups, but some simply walk away from church. By the time they graduate from college, we have lost 65%. And most groups have the same phenomenon taking place. There is a "woe-is-us" group taht argues that Christianity, as a whole, is simply losing ground.
But does reality support these statistics? The argument's answer is... maybe. A recent study published shows that millennials attend church as regularly as their Gen X and Baby-booker predecessors. However, the claim to have a deeper level of faith that goes beyond basic church attendance. The number of "unaffiliated" millennials is much higher than any other level. They find themselves being more spiritual, without ever stepping into a church building. For them, faith has become very personalized, between them and God. They are looking for a GROUP that feels the same way. There is a strong draw towards matters of faith and spirituality, but it doesn't necessarily lead to "church."
In the recent Newsweek article, “Why Harvard’s Crisis of Faith,” there was a discussion about integrating religion into the curriculum at Harvard. The president of Harvard wants every student to have to take a “Faith and Reason” course. This could include anything from philosophy to theology to Buddhist studies. But he argues that faith has become vital in all realms of life, from politics to international studies to English. Others in the Harvard faculty rebelled against this idea. One professor, Dr. Steven Pinker of the psychology department, argued that the primary goal of a Harvard education is the pursuit of truth through rational inquiry, and that religion has no place in that. "Faith," he said, "is believing in something without good reasons to do so. It has no place in anything but a religious institution, and our society has no shortage of these.” The president decided to back down for now and wait till a later date to renew the conversation.
The article goes on to state in a sidebar that Harvard has one of the most secular faculties in the world, with 33% of the faculty disbelieving in a higher power. That statistic hit me hard, and I began to get down about what I was reading. But then I realized… that means that 66% of Harvard’s faculty DOES believe in a higher power! The statistics seem to slant our views that everyone doesn’t believe in God, but instead we find that the vast majority do! Also, there is a growing number of Christians at Harvard. Jay Harris, the dean of the General Studies program at Harvard, states, “Harvard students are increasingly churchgoing, Bible-studying, and believing. We have a very strong evangelical community…”
I think many of us get caught up in the idea that many of the people around us do not share our beliefs or our ideals. We feel like we are a minority as believers in Lawrence and at KU. But instead we have to realize that believers are still the largest demographic in America. Don’t lose heart, and don’t think all is lost.
As Paul looked around at the city of Corinth he had a similar thought. He felt as if he was in a losing battle, and a minority. “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” (Acts 18:9-11) Take heart, my friends, because God is doing great things in this city!
So, all this to say... maybe the landscape isn't as bleak as we once imagined.
And the statistics do seem to point that out. In my fellowship, the Churches of Christ, we lose 40% of our children when they graduate from high school. Some of those move on to other denominational groups, but some simply walk away from church. By the time they graduate from college, we have lost 65%. And most groups have the same phenomenon taking place. There is a "woe-is-us" group taht argues that Christianity, as a whole, is simply losing ground.
But does reality support these statistics? The argument's answer is... maybe. A recent study published shows that millennials attend church as regularly as their Gen X and Baby-booker predecessors. However, the claim to have a deeper level of faith that goes beyond basic church attendance. The number of "unaffiliated" millennials is much higher than any other level. They find themselves being more spiritual, without ever stepping into a church building. For them, faith has become very personalized, between them and God. They are looking for a GROUP that feels the same way. There is a strong draw towards matters of faith and spirituality, but it doesn't necessarily lead to "church."
In the recent Newsweek article, “Why Harvard’s Crisis of Faith,” there was a discussion about integrating religion into the curriculum at Harvard. The president of Harvard wants every student to have to take a “Faith and Reason” course. This could include anything from philosophy to theology to Buddhist studies. But he argues that faith has become vital in all realms of life, from politics to international studies to English. Others in the Harvard faculty rebelled against this idea. One professor, Dr. Steven Pinker of the psychology department, argued that the primary goal of a Harvard education is the pursuit of truth through rational inquiry, and that religion has no place in that. "Faith," he said, "is believing in something without good reasons to do so. It has no place in anything but a religious institution, and our society has no shortage of these.” The president decided to back down for now and wait till a later date to renew the conversation.
The article goes on to state in a sidebar that Harvard has one of the most secular faculties in the world, with 33% of the faculty disbelieving in a higher power. That statistic hit me hard, and I began to get down about what I was reading. But then I realized… that means that 66% of Harvard’s faculty DOES believe in a higher power! The statistics seem to slant our views that everyone doesn’t believe in God, but instead we find that the vast majority do! Also, there is a growing number of Christians at Harvard. Jay Harris, the dean of the General Studies program at Harvard, states, “Harvard students are increasingly churchgoing, Bible-studying, and believing. We have a very strong evangelical community…”
I think many of us get caught up in the idea that many of the people around us do not share our beliefs or our ideals. We feel like we are a minority as believers in Lawrence and at KU. But instead we have to realize that believers are still the largest demographic in America. Don’t lose heart, and don’t think all is lost.
As Paul looked around at the city of Corinth he had a similar thought. He felt as if he was in a losing battle, and a minority. “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” (Acts 18:9-11) Take heart, my friends, because God is doing great things in this city!
So, all this to say... maybe the landscape isn't as bleak as we once imagined.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Kelly Ripa
I saw this live on Regis and Kelly over a year ago, but I thought it was HILARIOUS! So, enjoy!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Anti-Religious Jesus
“But don’t worry… I’m not religious.”
Those words characterize a number of the conversations I have had with KU students over the past two years. So many people on campus are afraid of being religious. Indeed, it has become something of a taboo. “Thou shalt not be religious!” seems to be the mantra of many young people I meet. I recently passed by a car with the bumper sticker: “The Religious Right is Neither.” People think being religious is a bad thing.
Is it? Is being religious necessarily bad? Well, the answer seems to be both yes and no. “Religion” teaches us what God requires of us; it calls us to live by a certain standard and a moral code. It calls us to the recognition of something greater than ourselves.
Yet Jesus called us to more than just religion. In fact, Jesus did not get along well with religious people! (Or at least those who thought of themselves as attaining their own salvation through their works.) In Matthew 23, Jesus confronts the VERY religious Pharisees on their own self-righteousness. He lovingly refers to them as “snakes” and “broods of vipers.” “You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are” (Mt. 23:15).
Jesus calls his disciples to a higher calling than just being religious. Religion is about what we do to attain salvation. Christianity is about the God who has already provided salvation for those of us who believe and obey. Jesus doesn’t call us to be religious; he calls us to be a part of The Way. Christianity isn’t just a religion; it is a way of life that calls us beyond rules and regulations and closer to the heart of God.
So go out and don’t be religious. Instead, live by The Way of God, loving people and showing them through your lives the God who loves them too.
Those words characterize a number of the conversations I have had with KU students over the past two years. So many people on campus are afraid of being religious. Indeed, it has become something of a taboo. “Thou shalt not be religious!” seems to be the mantra of many young people I meet. I recently passed by a car with the bumper sticker: “The Religious Right is Neither.” People think being religious is a bad thing.
Is it? Is being religious necessarily bad? Well, the answer seems to be both yes and no. “Religion” teaches us what God requires of us; it calls us to live by a certain standard and a moral code. It calls us to the recognition of something greater than ourselves.
Yet Jesus called us to more than just religion. In fact, Jesus did not get along well with religious people! (Or at least those who thought of themselves as attaining their own salvation through their works.) In Matthew 23, Jesus confronts the VERY religious Pharisees on their own self-righteousness. He lovingly refers to them as “snakes” and “broods of vipers.” “You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are” (Mt. 23:15).
Jesus calls his disciples to a higher calling than just being religious. Religion is about what we do to attain salvation. Christianity is about the God who has already provided salvation for those of us who believe and obey. Jesus doesn’t call us to be religious; he calls us to be a part of The Way. Christianity isn’t just a religion; it is a way of life that calls us beyond rules and regulations and closer to the heart of God.
So go out and don’t be religious. Instead, live by The Way of God, loving people and showing them through your lives the God who loves them too.
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