“WHAT KEEPS US FROM FOLLOWING JESUS?”


The text from Matthew for our worship services this weekend is about the rich young ruler, and about possessions and wealth and what really matters most in the long run (Matt. 19:16-30). This is always a tricky passage for me, creating much guilt, excuses, musings about faith and works and salvation, and so forth and so on.

Today, as I was reading my “Magnificent Prayer” devotional, I remembered a recent entry about this very thing. I went back and reread it. Here is what it says:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. (I John 2:15-16)

Friends, it seems to me that I can see two hands outstretched to grip the throat of Christians and to strangle prayer. One is the hot, feverish, restless hand of worldliness; the other the cold, nervous hand of ceaseless activity. Has either gripped your throat and all but stopped your prayer? Ruth Paxson

PRAY ABOUT IT: We can be one with Christ or one with the world, but we cannot be one with both. If the love of the world is clutching your throat, it will surely strangle your prayer life. Ceaseless activity, even good activity in the name of Christ, will also thwart our prayerfulness. Better to step aside from worldliness and busyness and retain our prayer life than to lose the latter and be devoid of the Spirit. Watch today for those two outstretched hands that are reaching for your throat. Refuse their pull and stay close to God.

God cannot hear the prayers on our lips often because the desires of our heart after the world cry out to Him much more strongly and loudly than our desires for Him. Andrew Murray

What a descriptive phrase: “two hands outstretched to grip the throat of Christians, and to strangle prayer!” I certainly feel that often enough, don’t you?


How often and with such immediacy the “things of the world” assault us and overwhelm us! All our gadgets and gizmos, possessions and pleasures, diversions and desires (physical, emotional, spiritual), appetites, comforts, security--the list is almost limitless! And because these are so tangible, so ubiquitous, so normal and regular (“everyone is doing it” kind of thinking), so obviously basic and necessary (we think! After all, “we must be sensible about these things...”), we hardly take even a moment to stop, to question, to reflect, to step back and get a bigger, better view of what’s really at work here, in our normal everyday “domain of the drudgery” lives.


How often and with such compulsion we are driven to keep busy, get things done, achieve goals, accomplish a host of tasks, fill up our schedules, get involved, do this, do that, finish such-and-such before bed/before dinner/before going home--and along the way becoming “human doings” instead of “human beings.” Even in our spiritual lives, we get caught up in “oughts” and “shoulds” and almost ceaseless activity: read the Bible, pray more, pray a certain way, study more, go to more Bible studies/small groups/support groups, join this program/this ministry/this team, be at church whenever the doors are open, volunteer more, use your gifts and talents, get behind this cause, speak out about that issue, learn more, practice more--and before you know it, our relationship with God has gotten buried in a sea of actions, responsibilities, and commitments.

I guess my challenge to you--and to me--is simply this: Remember your priorities. Recall what truly counts. Live consciously. Keep aware, alert, in tune. Choose what you think and do and value every moment of every day with wisdom, discernment, and purpose. Do not worry. Release fear. Be in the present. Refuse to be overwhelmed. Push against everything that threatens to undo you. Getting rid of the worldly “stuff” that we already have too much of is a good way to go (the discipline of simplicity). “Letting go and letting God” (as my dear friend Dorothy Peterson used to say) is a wonderful way to not let all that good “Christian” activity weigh you down and smother your spirit. Take seriously to heart the teachings of Jesus about these things: “Store up treasures in heaven.” “You cannot serve God and money.” “Become like little children.” “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” “Peace I give you--not as the world gives.” Recall the Scriptures: “Be still, and know that I am God.” “The Lord was not in the wind-earthquake-fire; (He) came in a gentle whisper.” “Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for Him.”


In some recent correspondence with people, I have written about our American Christian penchant for comfort and security. It seems to me that, because these cultural values have really infected us who claim to follow Christ, and have come to have such a high priority in the Church as well, it is necessary for Christians to pursue wealth and possessions and to keep busy doing all we can to keep ourselves safe and secure.

Isn’t this ironic? Isn’t this stupid? Isn’t this completely antithetical to our beliefs, to what “faith" is actually about, to the very essence of how Christ’s body, the Church (us; His representatives on earth) is supposed to be in the world? Isn’t all of this exactly what our rabbi and Savior, Jesus, warned us about? What He preached against? Think about it; all the ways Jesus made people uncomfortable (see this Sunday’s text again!). Think how often Jesus made people insecure. How He re-framed situations and understandings and expectations, moving people off center. These two priorities, comfort and security, are part and parcel of those two outstretched hands gripping the throat of Christians. Look at the adjectives: hot, feverish, restless, nervous, ceaseless. They are descriptive of preoccupations with comfort and security. And I think I hear Jesus saying that if we insist on pursuing these priorities, we can have no part in Him (John 13:8 paraphrased).

Harsh words. Stern warnings from Jesus. “Who then can be saved?”

If we are willing to live counter to all of the influences and pressures and expectations that the world places on us daily, it is possible to live more intimately and presently and responsively to the living God. We must willfully give our hearts--all of us; all of our affections and desires and preoccupations--over to our Lord and, through regular, persistent, ongoing prayer, make it clear Who it is that we love and serve; in Who it is that “we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) It takes intentionality. It takes commitment. It takes dogged determination! But the more we practice a lifestyle that demonstrates Who has captured our heart, the easier it will become to put away uncertainty, worry, fear, obsessions, and the like.

Keeping open and responsive to the realities of the wider world can help too. I want to close this blog post with an example of this, one that is very difficult to watch but that certainly helps put one’s priorities into proper place with no doubts whatsoever. I received the link to this YouTube video from a friend at the AIDS hospice in Chennai, India who I continue to support. Watch it, and see if your priorities aren’t significantly realigned almost immediately. Then, let the impact of what you see and experience transform, in some way, your own attitude about possessions, wealth, and your personal priorities. comfort?security?

This Sunday is also Pentecost Sunday. A blessed Pentecost to all of you!

“Veni Sancte Spiritus!”

Come, O Holy Spirit. Come as Holy Fire and burn us. Come as Holy Wind and cleanse us within. Come as Holy Light and lead us in the darkness. Come as Holy Truth and dispel our ignorance. Come as Holy Power and enable our weakness. Come as Holy Life and dwell in us.

Convict us, convert us, consecrate us until we are set free from the service of ourselves to be your servants in the world.

Amen.

CHRISTIANITY IS CHANGING (continued)
WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?


Since last Monday, I have been receiving a whole lot of communication about Bret’s resignation from a number of “young people”--yes! Those 20’s/30’s we’re always talking about! In their reflections, regrets, and sadness, a number of things keep coming up that reinforce the email comments I blogged about just one week ago. Can we hear what they are saying to us?

“We love being challenged to think about our beliefs and put them into action more efficiently.”

“I"m thinking about the challenging class (“How To Think Like A Missionary”) on what people of different generations think and how to bridge the gap.  I was very intrigued by the different approaches to how we worship - creative, in nature, meditating, etc.  (“Sacred Pathways”). I thought you were very innovative in your ideas.” 

“I don't know if you had a chance to reach out to the people of our generation to get more of us in attendance. Quite honestly, people our age are sometimes doing a lot and hectic schedules make it difficult to make it to every weekend service. It doesn't mean that we don't wish we were there or think about it on the Saturdays we missed.”

“My husband and I enjoyed our conversations with you and we were actually kind of shocked that our beliefs weren't as weird as we thought they were!” :-)

“I don't think the people (in a certain group) would even consider reading, say, Anne Lamott or Donald Miller. But that's the kind of thing I would rather read! Something challenging and complex.”

“You have taught us a lot and showed us that there are other ways to worship than the ones we were used to. We were challenged to think through our beliefs, which is healthy and necessary--but so many don't do it! It's been nice to see our religion applied to our modern lives.”

“You have really brought a refreshing way of learning about Christ into my life. It was your direction that brought new and exciting ways to think about my faith.”

These are just some of the email comments I’ve received, none of the ones I’ve gotten in phone conversations, visits, or meetings. These comments indicate that what these individuals have been experiencing recently in their spiritual growth was not happening previously (although we might believe it was). Again, can we hear what these voices are saying to us? To me, these comments speak loudly about how this younger generation is approaching their faith journey. It is not through the familiar frameworks that we in church appreciate. New methods, approaches, attitudes, and understandings are needed--indeed, they are imperative--in order to reach this generation.

My prayer is that older, established congregations can get their heads around this--and soon. The clock is ticking, time is passing, and too many, even ones who have grown up in our congregation in Hilmar, are not interested in “church” as we know it. How can we help these earnest young people pursue Christ, and Christ’s priorities in the world, in meaningful ways? In the contexts in which they are living?

Lisa Orris’ new workshop on evangelism, called “One Step Closer,” is a great resource to educate and facilitate congregations in connecting with people in our culture today. A book by two Intervarsity leaders, “I Once Was Lost,” is another excellent help in understanding what it takes to connect with today’s unchurched generation. Here at Hilmar Covenant, we have the Veritas process to help us--hopefully--deal with the realities facing the Christian Church. Stay tuned for more details about the proposal that the Veritas Team has put together. It was received very favorably by our church council!


My prayer--my plea--is this: Holy Spirit, fill us, open us, change us, lead us. Amen.

CHRISTIANITY IS CHANGING


My mind is full of a number of things as this week begins: the Veritas process (our Team has finished our proposal!), the call to prayer last Monday night, sadness at Bret’s resignation, the future of Christianity, and most specifically what the younger generation and unchurched people feel about faith, spirituality, God, priorities, values, and so forth.

Two weeks ago I received an email from one of our 20’s/30’s. It is relatively brief, but it reveals a lot about the ways young people are living, thinking, oriented, committed, and investing themselves. It also has much to tell us about the future, especially as it relates to “church.” I think the implications are immense. It is written by someone who has grown up in Hilmar Covenant and is sincere about their faith. Here is the email:

“Church in the next 20 years... I am sure there will be a shift. I can't really imagine my generation being spiritually fed through a traditional Sunday service. We tend to be more movers and shakers than pew row sitters. We are fed by serving others. We are not book club folks either, or readers of Scripture. We seek to entertain and be entertained in return--and how that will look when applied to a "church service," that will be interesting!  I couldn't say.”
 
“Another issue with my generation is that we (personally, I think) question our faith and our beliefs much more frequently than older generations because we tend to challenge authority and authority figures.  We are engaged in a world that is literally at our finger tips through the internet, where we can research our doubts and get a variety of answers from a variety of believers of all sorts of religions. Ultimately, we will make the decision best for ourselves and have it not necessarily be the same as our parents.  I know that I have gotten into heated discussions with my parents when I challenge ideas such as evolution or the reality of hell. Growing up, I didn't think I would be one to question the lessons taught to me, but now I do. I think my whole generation does. I know that it concerned my parents; this newly found freedom to question my faith. Not that I denied God or didn’t believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior! But the issues surrounding God are different from what they have been taught and adopted in to their own personal belief.   My generation likes the struggle. We like our ideas to be challenged because we come out stronger. Instead of being fed, we want to be challenged. Does that make sense?”

There were other things that were written in a very similar vein that I can’t share here. But even in these two short paragraphs, do you catch the shift that is going on in the younger generation? Certainly, some of these comments are not new. Challenging authority and authority figures? Hey, I was in high school and college in the 60’s and early 70’s! Remember the way we treated authority? “Don’t trust anyone over 30!” Also, every one of us is affected (infected?) by the internet, and the whole cyberspace revolution. The immediacy of information, and the almost unlimited amount of it that continually assaults us, has changed our thinking and behavior, even those of us who are comfortable in church and like it just the way it is.

But there is more here. And the attitudes, preferences, and understandings that are expressed ought to make us pause and consider how we in the Church today are going to connect with this younger generation in meaningful ways; in ways that will encourage, support, and enlarge their faith. Otherwise all of the planning, visioning, programing, communicating, and milieu that we are trying to put forward and create will be for naught--like throwing a party and no one shows up. They just won’t be interested.

What’s going on here? Why do things seem to be in such upheaval regarding Christianity today? What will “church” be like in the next 100 years? Will we even recognize it?


At the Midwinter Conference this year, noted authority on religion in America, Phyllis Tickle, made some interesting observations about the eruptions going on around us. She pointed out that every 500 years, massive transitions happen in the Church (think back to the Reformation--roughly 500 years ago!). She pointed out an amazing number of trends, incidents, and concepts throughout the 20th century that created a kind of “perfect storm,” resulting in an explosion of things regarding Christian faith that have created the upheaval we are now experiencing in the Church. Similar disruptions are happening in our culture too, as we all know (which should only be expected, since Christian faith must always be contextualized in culture!).

Tickle also put an interesting, “act of God” spin on what has happened. Every time there is one of these eruptions, the Church tries to make sense of the chaos and to bring order to it. Slowly, new theologies, doctrines, beliefs, and views emerge. As more time passes, humans try to organize the things of God more and more and more. In this past 500 year period, the Enlightenment, rationlism, science, and things like evolution and the modernist/fundamentalist controversy occurred. A materialistic worldview has emerged and affected people’s thinking and beliefs in profound ways, especially in the West and in countries with high levels of education. In the Church, we have adopted all kinds of approaches to Scripture, to the meaning of faith, who God is, what “orthodoxy” is, the “end times,” on and on and on. We have also built up responses and reactions to the forces around us, creating systems of thought, apologetics, and layers of belief that organize and formalize our spirituality. In the process, we become more insistent and strident in our attitudes, establishing absolutes, reducing faith to formulas, concepts, and ideas that we can make sense of, grasping everything tighter and tighter, narrower and narrower, squeezing the “life” out of God, until..........


BOOM! Another eruption! God says, “Enough of this!” You think you’ve got me all figured out? Behold! I’m going to do something new!” And so the chaos and disorder and upheaval begin all over again--much to the chagrin of those who thought they had God and Church and their spirituality pretty much together; nicely figured out.

This was the essence of Phyllis Tickle’s message to the Covenant clergy in February. Now she has published a book about her observations (it was highlighted in the April “Covenant Companion”). Her premise makes sense to me. All of the data I see and hear and read about supports this reality: we are in a new Reformation! The things this young person from our own Hilmar Covenant congregation expresses are just the tip of the iceberg regarding faith and Church, spirituality and God, belief and Jesus and what these are going to look like as we move ahead in this century.

How do we respond? What is the way to go? How do we engage these young people, as well as the unchurched and dechurched people in our communities and culture? These are some of the crucial questions that Christians and churches all across America--and the West--need to address today. It is critical that we do so, and quickly! The facts are in: today’s young people are the most unchurched generation in history. This is not meant to scare anyone, but it does show the urgency with which believers and churches need to act. And if Tickle’s premise is true, we don’t have paradigms and patterns from which to draw up our plans!

So again, how do we respond? I believe the answer is more simple than ever:

Listen to Jesus.

What’s your answer?