Created good but fallen...

One of the marks of authentic spirituality is a quest for truth and its application in every area of life.  Notice I said quest.  It is a life-long pursuit and a trajectory of constant searching and hopefully Spirit-lead growth.  None of us have perfectly apprehended the truth about the world.  

Why does it seem like so many who profess Jesus 

are not questing to know and apply God's truth

to every area of life?

I think it is primarily because we have not learned how to develop an authentic Christian mind.  We have not been taught even the basics of how to understand and live in this world.  As a result, we continue to think and to live like everyone else in the world.

What do we need to know?

The first basic truth we should know is that all things were created good.  The ringing cry of Genesis 1 is God's declaration that what He made is good.  Over and over again, God creates and declares it good.  The final summation of the chapter concludes, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (vs. 31)  

What does this mean?  Simply it means that all things were created with an inherent goodness.  This includes humanity that is created in the image of God (vs. 26).  Not just individually but also corporately since male and female together reflect the full image of God.  This means that human interaction and culture was created to be good and to reflect the character of the God who created it.

Friends, this is great news!  This explains the joys we experience in relationship, the awe of being alone in nature, and the amazing wonder of seeing a newborn child.

I wish this truth was the entire story; but unfortunately, the goodness of creation must be balanced with another truth.

The second basic truth we should know is that all things were infected and effected by the fall.  Genesis 3 details how Adam and Eve turned away from listening to God to listen to their own desires.  When they were tempted by the Evil One, they chose to follow their fleshly desires to eat the fruit of the so-called knowledge of the good and evil.  The result was alienation from God (3:10), alienation from others (3:12), alienation from self (3:13), and alienation from all creation (3:16-19).  The consequence is

Each human and the entire universe suffers from this alienation from its created good.

We don't all suffer in the same way, but we all struggle against this alienation.  In other words, we all share a common problem.  We all know the tension of longing for the created good, but experiencing the disappointment of selfishness, sin, pollution, and evil.

Thankfully, these two truths are not all of the story.  At this point, so many of our modern fairy tales and morality plays end.  They tell you to get on the side of good and work to make the planet a better place.

One question.  How exactly do we do this?

You see, all of us have twin natures.  We were created to be great, free, beautiful, and good.  Yet, we are folks that are more often marked by selfishness, apathy, self-protection, and fear.  We are all fallen beings struggling to put off the gravitational pull of our sin tendencies. This pull drives us away from trusting in God and instead moves us toward trusting in self: our strength, our judgment, our resources.  The problem is that we forget that our strength, our judgment, and our resources are all infected with the consequences of the fall.

This is why our "solutions" to cultural and even individual problems often cause more issues than they solve.

What can be done?

Here is where Christianity offers a different answer than our cultural morality plays.  This post is getting long, so I will leave it here and pick up on Christ's answer next time.

Making Sense of our Experience through the Gospel

As I see it, the gospel is really a story of life.  It is an explanation for why we are here and what we experience.  In the past hundred years, (post) modern philosophy has told us that grand "meta-narratives" are impossible and should be abandoned.

What does this mean?  It means that for post-modern folks, any story beyond our small individual story is an imperialistic attempt at control.  When Nietzsche declared "God is Dead" he argued that each individual could not look to anything outside of themselves for meaning and definition.  Instead, the individual (or at least the heroic individual) had to make their own "narrative" (or story) to define themselves, their desires, their meaning.

Nietzsche was not alone in advancing this argument.  He was merely one of the most colorful.  His philosophy undercut any belief in universal morality, truth, or meaning.  As a system of thought, it leaves the individual alone.  I know it is an ad hominem argument, but in the end, Nietzsche went mad.

Pictures of Nietzsche.  Does he look like someone to trust?  At least he does have a cool mustache!

At least in essence, much of our postmodern thought and philosophy holds to Nietzsche's philosophy.  It can and has been used to emphasize both pragmatic political philosophy and complete human liberty in all matters of sexuality and morality.

The question to ask is two-fold.

First and most importantly, is this philosophy true?  In other words, do these ideas match reality?

Second, at the risk of soundly like a complete pragmatist, does this philosophy bring satisfaction and joy in life?  In other words, does this philosophy work for you, for others, and for society?

On both accounts, I strongly say no!  While it is the philosophy of this age, our age lacks a basis for discovering true love, meaning, purpose, and life.  Nietzsche hated the God of the Bible, but I believe he did not understand that God.  He did not really understand the story.  In fact, most people today who dismiss Christianity do so on the basis of what they have been told about the faith instead of an understanding of the faith as expressed in scripture.

Our world system mocks the Christian faith.  Our churches are full of folks who do not understand the implications of the faith so we do not present the truth of Christ with all its force and weight.  Consequently, most folks in our culture are satisfied to join in the mocking and dismissal of the gospel instead of investigating the life and truth found within its story!

Contrary to postmodern thought, the gospel story is full and rich in its implications and applications.  It is the basis for all great stories in literature.  It resonates with people from every continent.  It has the ring of truth within it.

Why?

Because it is foundational truth!  It is an understanding of the world that makes sense of the often senseless experience we have.  It is not just "personal" as postmodern philosophy would wish to make all truth, but it applies to every situation.

So what is the gospel story?

It begins with God- a creative, loving, and holy being.  God loves His creation and He made it all to be in relationship with Him.  God creates everything from nothing.  This is vitally important.  In most religions, God uses the substance already present to fashion a world.  In the Biblical gospel narrative, God speaks through the Word to bring everything into existence.  This makes God above and beyond all the so called 'gods' of the ancient world.

God creates the entire universe good.  In fact, when he is through with the foundations of creation, He declares everything very good (Gen. 1:31).  Included in this creation is man and woman, who together reflect the image of God.  We were created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.  We were created for relationship with God, others, and creation.  Furthermore, we were created to be stewards of creation- exploring, protecting, preserving, and using creation wisely.

This explains why sensitive people love the beauty of creation.  It explains why we enjoy the fellowship of others.  It explains why we value elements of culture, art, and music since human creation continues the creative work of God.  As all of these dimensions of our experience reflect the created good, they are beautiful.  As all of these dimension of our experience stray from their created good, they move in the direction of ugliness and distortion.

So how do we move away from our created Good?  The Gospel declares that creation is fallen because of the fall of humanity from a state of perfect relationship to a state of animosity toward God because of sin.  

I know we do not like being called "sinners" but what word better explains our situation?  We often know the good we ought to do, but we lack the will to carry it out.  This is the state of fallenness.  As we move further and further away from the way were made to be, we find it easier and easier to walk in sin without blushing.  Why?  Because sin piled upon sin leads to hardness of heart.  Such a condition refuses to acknowledge its need for God, need for others, or need for being in good relationship with creation.

Does this not describe accurately where most of us live?  Does this not describe your life?  This post is getting very long, so I will pick up here tomorrow.

Leading through our God-Given Strengths

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb,

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Ps 139: 13-14

Do you really believe that the Lord made you who you are?  Do you believe that He composed your soul and personality right alongside your body while you were in your mother's womb?  I think many sincere folks doubt that the Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He put us together.  We look at our sin tendencies and our hang-ups, and we wonder how God could use us.  We are so _____ (fill in the blank).  We might be cautious or aggressive; thoughtful or spontaneous; or quiet or outgoing.  We make so many mistakes!  How could God use us like we are?

It is so much easier to see what holds us back instead of how God could and will use us as He made us.  Today I wish to focus our thoughts on leadership and how God uses our strengths to lead His people.  Ironically, we often find that our greatest strengths as also our greatest weaknesses.  At least this has been my experience as I have grown as a man, pastor, and leader in the Church!

To help get into this subject, I will share what I laid out to the leadership of First CRC of Seattle as I prepared to minister in this new place.  I began my life in this new church by using the Strength-Finder's material to describe the person God has made me to be.  I recommend this material to anyone who wishes to discover their natural strengths.  

Strength-Finder 2.0 can be accessed by purchasing one of their books.  There is a code in back, which allows you to take the on-line test.  Through a series of questions, the on-line resource helps access your top five strengths.  Someone was telling me you can get the order of all 34 strengths for only a nominal fee of $500 or so.  Personally, I will stick with the top five!

I do recommend this test.  I have taken many personality tests and such.  I find often these tests demonstrate more how I felt on a certain day than who I am.  In fact, I have taken some tests multiple times, and I have found the tests pointing in opposite directions depending upon when I took them!

In terms of the Strength-Finder's test, I have taken it two times.  The first time I did it to help a fellow pastor who was going through the training.  He needed another test taker immediately.  I really did not have time to do it, but I agreed to help him out.  

I took the test in a hurry.  It asks questions of which you prefer on a scale of 1 to 7.  For the first 100 questions, I answered each question in 2 seconds or less with either a 1 or 7.  At that point, I knew the program would think I was insane and impulsive.  I finished the test, but took it with a grain of salt.  

Then I got the results.  I found it helpful that it listed what each strength meant for how I approached the world.  I also found it very accurate as to how each strength also has possible weaknesses.  In 20 years of ministry, I had found these weakness to true in my life.  In fact, I have spent so much of my ministry life being obsessed by my weaknesses!  Yet, as I talked with my pastor friend/Strength-Finder trainer and several other friends about the test, all affirmed they thought it was an accurate picture of my greatest strengths.

I was skeptical.  It ends up that one of my greatest strengths is strategy, and I figured I could throw the test if I wanted to.  I also figured that it ended up with the published results (like saying I have the gift of self-confidence) because of the way I took the test.

I really did not pay the test much attention for the next year.  Then, Borders went out of business.  As it was closing, I purchased several leadership books at a huge discount.  One of these books was Strength-finders for Leadership. 

I decided to re-take the test.  I would do it under a new name, so my past time taking the test would not shade my results.  This time I took the test being careful to answer each question with thought and less impulsiveness.  I honestly and painstakingly went through the test.  Then I got the results.

To my amazement, I had the same top five strengths.  The order was slightly different, but the same five were there.  I believe this illustrates an accurate and helpful test.

At the Leadership retreat, I began by sharing my strengths as illustrated by the test.  I also shared that my strengths also mean some will misinterpret who I am.  For example, my number one strength is context.  I want to know about everyone's past.  I want to know about a ministry's or church's past.  I want to know context!  Why?  So I can use my second strength, which is strategy.  I use context to determine how to relate and move forward in the present and future.

What does this mean?  I ask a lot of questions.  I ask these questions of individuals and I ask them in a group setting.  Why?  Not because I wish to be a pain, but because I want to know why and how you think.  To some this can be very disconcerting!  I tried to share that I do not wish to make someone feel on the spot, but I do wish to know them.

Another one of my top five strengths is self-assurance.  This gift means I have an inherit confidence in my abilities and in what I do.  Personally, I think it means that if I feel like God is leading, I will move forward without question or doubt.  This is a helpful strength for leadership as it does help give confidence to others.

Yet, it also can be seen as arrogance.  This is particularly true if someone does not have that same sense of confidence!  So I tried to share that I need folks to give me the benefit of the doubt when I am confident in what I can or cannot do.  I truly do not mean it as arrogance!  In fact, I am more than willing to confess my weaknesses!  I want to be approachable and I want to know people. 

One thing I have learned in my years of ministry is that all of us cannot help but lead from our strengths.  This is because we should be who God made us to be!  It is really no good "faking it until we make it."  God can and does use all of us and He does use every personality type and strength mix in building His Kingdom.  He can use you!  (Another of my strengths is activator.  It means I naturally seek to encourage others to do what God is calling them to do.  Ironic isn't it!)

The problem is that so many of us take too much time focusing on our weakness instead of our strengths.  I know early in my life and ministry well-meaning folks would try to tell me that I really need to change.  These critiques would come on two fronts.

First, they would say that I really needed to be more "pastoral."  What did they mean?  Stop leading and asking so many questions.  Just "be with people" and let them know you "love them."  On the surface, I so much agree that these traits are an important part of pastoral ministry.  Yet, they can be achieved in different ways!

Personally, I spent many years seeking to build up that which was perceived as "weak" or not natural and neglect working within our God-given strengths.  Such labor led to burnout, stress, and great frustration.  I now see that what these folks wanted was for me to be more like them.  They really did not care who I was.  They wanted to make me in their image.

A second critique that was often made was that I needed to stop trying to lead with my strengths.  I had many folks who would point out my confidence in God or my ability to see possible future issues and they would call these God-given abilities weaknesses.  They would ask me to stop trying to lead and instead to learn humility.

Early in my ministry career, I worked at a very large church on staff as a middle school youth director.  The church was in an interim period, and the staff was making decisions about the directions in ministry.  After a month or so, I began to point out possible difficulties with some of their decisions and I offered other possible solutions.  I was honestly told, through body language and other not so subtle clues to shut up!  Yet, I could not help but offer my opinions occasionally.  Then I noticed something.  One of the senior pastoral staff would write down what I said.  I would be ignored in the meeting, but in the next meeting he would bring up my exact idea and it would be adopted!  Looking back I can see that the problem wasn't my strengths being weakness, but I need a place to lead not a place where I was a junior and unimportant staff member!

In other words, know your strengths and work within them!

That being said, it is true that all of our strengths also have potentially negative relationship and directional issues built into them.  Why?  Not everyone is like us!  Furthermore we live in a fallen world and we are fallen people.  We must be aware of our potential weakness and confess them.  If we hurt others, we need to repent and be open to correction.  Christian Leadership means true humility.

This post is getting long, so I will end here.  Hopefully tomorrow I will share more thoughts concerning leadership.

Understanding Real Life

I remember taking a Philosophy of Religion course many years ago in college.  We were asked as an assignment to define "God".  I was a young believer at the time, and I thought this would be easy.  I opened the Bible, started to look for passages to help me arrive at a definition, and I quickly began to realize this was a tough assignment!  At that time, I did not know that people before me in the faith had written excellent scriptural definitions concerning many topics, including the character and person of God.  I had not be taught as a believer that these Confessions of Faith are vitally important.  

What I learned from this assignment was to be careful about attempting to define anything.  It is much easier to critique or comment on other's work than to clearly define your own.  Unfortunately, easier is not always better!  In fact, this past week I shared with someone that the mark of an inferior mind is that of critiquing others without offering positive comments or definitions to the argument.

Today, I am going to begin a discussion toward defining the gospel.  I appreciate any comments that help me in the definition as this is tough work.  I am so thankful that others have walked this path before me!  

My hope is to work on a definition or understanding that allows us to build a "gospel-centered life."    As is often the case, the real rub with a definition is how to apply it.  I wish to define the gospel in such a way that is not merely a statement of faith, but rather a statement that explains why life is like it is and how to make it better!  (How's that for a grandiose goal?)

As I see it, the gospel is really a story of life.  It is an explanation for why we are here and what we experience.  In the past hundred years, (post) modern philosophy has told us that grand "meta-narratives" are impossible and should be abandoned.  To this claim, I ask, "why"?  Because some philosopher told me to give it up?  Because some wish to "make their own reality"?

I have found that gospel story is the basis for all great stories in literature.  It resonates with people from every continent.  It has the ring of truth within it.  Why?  Because it is foundational truth!  It is an understanding of the world that makes sense of the often senseless experience we have.  It is not just "personal" as postmodern philosophy would wish to make all truth, but it applies to every situation.

So what is the gospel story? It begins with God- a creative, loving, and holy being.  God loves His creation and He made it all for relationships with Him.  God creates everything from nothing.  This is vitally important.  In most religions, God uses the substance already present to fashion a world.  In the Biblical gospel narrative, God speaks through the Word to bring everything into existence.  This makes God above and beyond all the so called 'gods' of the ancient world.

God creates the entire universe good.  In fact, when he is through with the foundations of creation, He declares everything very good (Gen. 1:31).  Included in this creation is man and woman, who together reflect the image of God.  We were created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.  We were created for relationship with God, others, and creation.  Furthermore, we were created to be stewards of creation- exploring, protecting, preserving, and using creation wisely.

This explains why sensitive people love the beauty of creation.  It explains why we enjoy the fellowship of others.  It explains why we value elements of culture, art, and music since human creation continues the creative work of God.  As all of these dimensions of our experience reflect the created good, they are beautiful.  As all of these dimension of our experience stray from their created good, they move in the direction of ugly and distorted.

So how do we move away from our created Good?  The Gospel declares that creation is fallen because of the fall of humanity from a state of perfect relationship to a state of animosity toward God because of sin.  

I know we do not like being called "sinners" but what word better explains our situation?  We often know the good we ought to do, but we lack the will to carry it out.  This is the state of fallen.  As we move further and further away from the way were made to be, we find it easier and easier to walk in sin without blushing.  Why?  Because sin piled upon sin leads to hardness of heart.  Such a condition refuses to acknowledge its need for God, need for others, or need for being in good relationship with creation.

Does this not describe accurately where most of us live?  I will attempt to pick up here next time!

The World We Bring with Us

"It is possible for both individuals and churches to become devoted mainly to personal spiritual culture and forget outreach, especially if the process of reaching our involves touching those who may contaminate us. Thus many Protestant churches have in effect become closed systems for the nurture and servicing of the inheritors of a denominational tradition." Richard Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life.

"What is the salt loses its saltiness?  It is no longer good for anything.  It should be thrown out!"  Jesus (Matt 5:13)

Throughout all of church history there has been a pull toward Christians to not be "of the world."  The bible is full of passages that encourage believers to stay clear of the World's influences.  One example is found in 1 John 2:15-16, "Do not love the world, nor the things of the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."  Furthermore, throughout the OT, the Israelites are warned against the evil world that exists outside of its borders.  Many churches and many Christian take these warnings to mean that they cannot associate with the evil world "out there."  I find this tendency particularly strong with some who God rescued from deep-seated sin tendencies as well as with those who grow up with performance-oriented religion.

The questions that need to be asked are two-fold.  First, what is the world that we are warned about?  God warned the Israelites and the apostles warned the church about the world.  What does this mean?  The past couple week's worth of blogs should help with this.  The world is a system of structures and values that makes true godliness look foolish and wickedness righteous.  It is empowered by the Evil One, and it works in tandem with our flesh to bring about a lack of faith and trust in the grace of God.  The world is attractive to our flesh, and thus it is deceptive.  It has a sensual side that we are warned often about.  This should be avoided because it is destructive to our souls!  

The problem is that it also has a religious side that is equally destructive to our souls.  This religious side promotes self-righteousness that can be clearly seen in an holier-than-thou attitude.  It breeds an us against them attitude that can be smelled a mile away.  In the individual Christian or Christian family, it promotes a certain "weirdness" that everyone else can see, but the individual or family cannot.  Unfortunately, this "weirdness" does not look or smell like the person and ministry of Jesus, but it looks and smells like religious self-righteousness and judgment that says, "Come, be converted, and be like me."  For 99% of those not yet believing, this proposal looks and sounds horrible.

In other words, the world we are to avoid is not just outside the church and Christian community, but we bring it with us everywhere we go.  We need to repent of our attraction to it, and our embrace of it.  It is the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees that will spoil the whole batch (Matt. 16).

A second question that is should be asked by individual believers is, "How do I share this great discovery of Divine grace?"  In the context of 1 John 2 15-16, verse 17 states, "And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever."  What is the will of God?  I would think that Jesus and the apostles state it well.  Jesus brought the Kingdom of God into every area of the world that he touched.  He ate with and associated with "sinners."  He set people free.  Why would we not do the same?  How can we witness to God's faithfulness and love if we do not?  Paul and the apostles took the message of the gospel to the very ends of the known world.  Even the OT states that the purpose of the Jewish nation was to be a blessing to the entire world (Gen 12: 1-3).

I think what is needed is a change in focus.  What if we as believers "contaminated" the surrounding culture and individuals with the incredible love of God found in the gospel?  Why are we scared to share this good news?  My guess is not our fear of rejection (what is often claimed), but our lack of real, life-changing faith that this message is great!  If we drink deeply of the gospel and the grace of the Lord, the world, in all its forms, is not attractive.  In fact, drinking deeply of the love of God is the only thing that will break the power of sin in our lives.  When we are healed and changed, we praise God and declare His love.

Unfortunately, many of us live like the 9 men healed of leprosy who did not thank God in a loud voice with joy.  As a result, our faith has not made us well.  We are still soul sick.  Soul sick people do not witness to God's life-changing power that is working daily in their heart.  They might witness to what God did years ago, but they do not have a new story to tell.  Often their life begins to focus on their needs and wants instead of doing the will of God.

If you find yourself in this place today, repent and believe!  Confess your lack of love for those still bound by sin.  Confess the fact that you are bound by the sin of self-concern and self-righteousness.  Ask that God will help you to do as Jesus did: engage and love sinners while believing and resting in the Love of God.

A Concise Reformed/Gospel-centered Statement of Faith

Yesterday at Grace we had a congregational discussion concerning the church's transition to a new pastor.  It was decided that Grace will take a year or so to determine who they are.  It was confessed that often folks were happy to leave the church undefined while I was their pastor because they could just say, "Go talk to Pastor Greg."

One of my tasks in the next couple of months is to help guide and shape the early part of the discussion as to who and what Grace is as a church.  It was confessed that everyone was comfortable with the gospel- and grace-centered approach to ministry that has gone on at Grace for the past almost 8 years.  I was asked by one person, "So, what exactly do you believe?"  Others wanted us/me to draw up a basic statement of faith.  Well to help with this, I will re-post a short and concise statement of faith that I wrote and posted in the beginning of September.

I believe in one living God in three persons.  These persons are fully God and fully distinct as persons.  God is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good.  I believe that this one true God created the entire universe, out of nothing, for and at His pleasure.  God also created humanity, male and female, in the image of God. This creation, including the first humans, was very good in every respect. 

I believe that through the introduction of willful disobedience, sin and death entered into this good creation causing every aspect of creation to suffer a lack or depravation from its created good.  Currently creation retains glimpses and elements of its created good, but it also contains elements and entire movements that have drifted far from its created good.  All of creation groans awaiting the promise of restoration to its created good at the end of time.  Humanity also is fallen from our state of created goodness.  We are sinners by inherent sin through birth and by choice.  All of us are rebellious against the person and will of God.  As such, we justly deserve His displeasure and separation from God.

God’s promise of restoration and redemption was worked out among the members of the Godhead before the creation of the world.  In His sovereign mercy, God decided to allow the eternal and holy Son of God, whom we know as Jesus, to become incarnate as a man.  Jesus was born of a virgin, and He lived a perfect life free from sin and marked by doing the will of God. He died a cruel death He did not deserve.  In His death, the wrath of God was poured out upon Him for the sin of all who believe.  In His resurrection, Jesus began the restoration of all creation by overthrowing sin and death. 

As humans, we must repent of our sin and believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Yet, as we actively repent and believe, even our faith is a work of grace and a gift of God.  When we believe, we are justified before God.  We are also then adopted into God’s family, and we are given the full rights of sons.  From this moment of first faith in Jesus, we begin the journey of growing back toward our created good through living a life of repentance and faith.  In this process, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to live within the heart of all believers leading us into a life of increasing holiness.

I believe in the coming Kingdom of God where evil will be ultimately destroyed and all things will be set right.  Currently this Kingdom is present, but soon it will be realized.

I am a Protestant by affirmation and choice.  I believe that God’s will is expressed perfectly and finally in the Holy Scriptures.  It is our final and ultimate authority as the Word of God.  It contains all that is needed for our faith and our practice.

I am also a Confessionalist at heart.  I believe the teaching of the Three Forms of Unity contains and describes the true teaching of scripture.  I affirm the teaching of the Apostle’s Creed and the first four great Ecumenical Creeds of the Church.  I also appreciate and affirm the teaching of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Calling, Career, and a Job

The call of God for each of us is personal and intimate.  Such a calling is what provides guidance and direction with all of life.  It is the key to experiencing a fulfilling life.

Yet, it is often so hard to discover!  Why?  Because we live in a fallen world, and we are part of that fallen creation.  We are sinners in need of grace.  Part of our sin tendency is that we are alienated from our true self.  We were created to know God perfectly, know others without walls or barriers, and to know ourselves including our truest inclinations and calling.  This is the honor of being created in the image of God!

The problem is that sin has entered the picture causing distortion in all these areas.  For some of us, the distortion in is greater than others.  Thus, our ability to hear "the call" can be suppressed, and so we lose our way.

Understanding our calling means having the ability to listen to someone else.  It implies attuning our attention to the voice of another.  In the ultimate case, it means attuning our ears, mind, and heart so we can hear what God is saying.  In my experience, most people take years to finally hear God's leading and call.  Even if they are given solid counsel from parents, friends, co-workers, and life, many move forward in life through willfulness or self-effort instead of in a posture of listening, prayer, and relationship with God that guides our relationship with others and ourself.

So what does this mean?  Many have not settled on their calling, but instead they have embraced a career. The word Career comes from the Latin word for "cart" and later from the Middle French word for "racetrack." (Dan Miller, 48 Days to the Work You Love, 39)  As Miller describes it,

Webster's dictionary defines career as "to run or move at full speed, rush wildly,"  In other words, you can go really fast for a long time but never get anywhere.  That is why in today's work environment, even physicians, attorneys, CPAs, dentists, and engineers may choose to get off the expected track and choose another career.  A career is a line of work, but not the only way to fulfill your calling.

Miller, 39.

I believe the misunderstanding of career and calling is one of the primary causes of mid-life crisis and the modern tendency to live for the weekend or for vacation.  So many people settle into the comfortable career track.  It is comfortable because it provides money, which provides security.  Yet, if it does not fulfill your calling, it will make you miserable.  

Finally, we come to a job.  A job is your daily activities that produce income.  In today's world, people change jobs every 3.2 years.  That means most people will have 14-16 jobs in a lifetime.  I know that I had about 10 different jobs before I ever heard of the idea of calling.  Now I can see how God used these experiences in my life, but at the time I had several jobs that just killed my soul.

How can this be?  If you are in a job that does not help you fulfill your calling, you will most likely hate it!  In the long-term, no job is worth the money if it does not fulfill your calling.  To make a job your career path without thought of how God made you will drive you to an early grave.

That being said, we still need to work!  Without work, we become self-absorbed.  Also, it is much easier to find a new job if you currently have a job.  So off to work at our job we go!

So what does this look like?  I will give two examples.  The first is from the fine book 48 Days to the Work You Love.  

Imagine three line workers at the Nissan plant here in middle Tennessee.  Each is asked, "What are you doing?"  The first responds, "I'm a welder- that's what they pay me for each Friday" (Job).  The second says, "I'm making a beautiful car today" (Career).  The third worker is thoughtful for a moment and then responds, "I'm helping to create innovative and responsible transportation for individuals, families, and companies" (Vocation).  These three workers, all doing the same work, define job, career, and vocation because of their different perspectives.  If you approach the understanding of your vocation first, you will find tremendous freedom in recognizing how many jobs can fulfill that vocation.

Miller, 41-42.

The second example is my own life.  I have come to discover that I am called to proclaim and live the glorious grace of God in Christ (the gospel).  He has not only called me to Himself, but He has set me apart to proclaim, explain, and live this truth.  This is my vocation or calling.  It took me thirty years to understand it and embrace it, but there it is!

So, I currently work as a pastor.  This is my career path.  It grants me a platform to proclaim, explain, and live the truth of the gospel.  It also provides me with income to support my family.  In the past, I also briefly followed the career path of teaching.  I found this career very fulfilling because it granted me a platform for fulfilling my calling.

While following these career paths, I also write, teach, and preach at conferences.  These are all extra jobs that help fulfill my calling, and they provide extra income to support my family.  

In the past couple of years, I have also worked as a landscaper, an organic meat farmer and salesman.  I can honestly say these jobs are not "fulfilling."  I enjoy parts of them, but from other parts I quickly grow tired and bored.  Yet, these jobs have fulfilled an important task in my calling.  They have provided extra and needed income.  For this I am thankful!    

I ask that you take some time today to think through the distinctions between jobs, careers, and calling (vocation).  Pray for grace to hear the voice of God so you get these different ideas in correct order!

Revival and Developing a Christian Worldview

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  

This is the first and greatest commandment.  

And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  

All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments."  

Matt. 22:37-39

Earlier this week, we began a discussion on developing a Christian mind.  We discussed our contemporary understanding of religion as private and making little impact on how we live because of a worldly and false dichotomy borrowed from the Enlightenment.  

Instead, I proposed that authentic spirituality will always seek to grow in its understanding of God and the implications of belief on life.  I know that for many professing faith there is little evidence in this regard!  This means nothing except that we have many in our churches who need either regeneration or revival.

Today's passage is a direct quote from Jesus as the Pharisees tried to test and trick him.  Their question is an attempt to get Jesus to divide the Law into parts so they can accuse him of neglecting some element of the Law.  It is similar to today when people ask you if you are someone who engages in active evangelism or seeking justice and truth in the world.  The answer should be yes- I do both.  Jesus' answer to the trick question dove-tales perfectly with our discussion concerning developing authentic spirituality and the Christian mind.  

Jesus answers by cutting to the heart of the Pharisee's misunderstanding of scripture.  There should not be an active debate on the most important commandment in scripture.  The answer should be yes!  All of the Law is equally important.  You just need to understand the principles that in-power the Law.  

These principles include there is only one God who is to be worshipped by all creation with abandon, and humans are created in the image of God and as image bearers so they should be loved and respected.  Notice these are the principles that manifest in the idea that creation is good!  Jesus answers the trick question by saying that the essence of the Law breaks down into two principles: Love God and love neighbor.  This is the theme of the positive side of the Law.

Of course for the sensitive of heart, this positive declaration of the Law also should promote repentance and humility.  How can we keep these commands?  I fall so short of continual love of God and neighbor.  Even as I affirm the rightness of Jesus' command, I cannot keep it perfectly.  I need God's help.  I need a savior.  

The proper preaching and teaching of the Law should promote a humble reliance on the Holy Spirit leading to dependence upon Christ.

Unfortunately, many of us, like the Pharisees of old, hear this and do not understand our struggle to obey.  We do not depend upon the Holy Spirit.  We muster up our own will power and try our hardest.  Then we count this as good enough, and we judge those who do not do as good as we do!

Now we know where most of us live, most of the time.  We also know the cause.  If we do not develop a solid understanding of God, we will make Him in our image instead of allowing His image and glory to shape us.  If we do not develop a solid understanding of humanity, we will sit in judgment upon everyone who does not fit our "mold" as the ideal.  We will establish our culture, our habits, our thoughts, as the standard for all other cultures, habits and thoughts.  We might even use the Law to justify our opinions, but we will neglect other elements of the Law to do so.  Jesus tells us that we all this to our own peril!

Our biggest problem is that we can find a church somewhere that will affirm us in our opinions.  Thus the church becomes worldly, Christians become unsavory to those not "just like them," and the teaching of truth about God and humanity sounds foreign and strange to us.

How do we escape this trap?  We develop an informed and growing Christian mind.  We learn.  We repent of our false understandings and allow scripture to shape our mind.  This is the path not taken by many because it is hard!  Nevertheless, an informed Christian mind is the path to recovering our created good and overcoming our fallen tendency toward self.

May the Lord lead each of us to grow in our understanding of God and our neighbor!  May we develop a Christian mind that informs our understanding so we may Love God and others with authenticity and grace!

Developing a Christian World View

Today, I just did not get up early enough to get a new post written with an 8 AM meeting on the books.  Sorry about that!  Today's blog is a re-post from June.  This blog post did not get as many hits as some others, even through I think it is very important for understanding authentic spirituality.  

"The first step in forming a Christian worldview is to overcome this sharp divide between "heart" and "brain."  We have to reject the division of life into a sacred realm, limited to things like worship and personal morality, over against a secular realm that includes science, politics, economics, and the rest of the public arena.  This dichotomy in our own minds is the greatest barrier to liberating the power of the gospel across the whole of culture today."  

Nancy Pearsey, Total Truth, 20.

One of the marks of authentic spirituality is a quest for truth and its application in every area of life.  Notice I said quest.  It is a life-long pursuit and a trajectory of constant searching and hopefully Spirit-lead growth.  None of us have perfectly apprehended the truth about the world.  

One of the effects of sin is to warp our minds so they are preoccupied with self-concern and self-deceit.  The proper response to understanding this reality should be authentic humility that seeks to learn from God through His word, others, and creation.

So why is authentic humility so lacking in the Christian world?  Why are so many Christians marked by an arrogance that is appalling?  It never ceases to amaze me how a person rescued by God's grace from complete darkness can change in a year into a person who judges and looks down upon others still in darkness!  Why does this happen?  

I think it is primarily because we have not learned how to develop a authentic Christian mind.  We have not been taught even the basics of how to understand and live in this world.

The first basic we should know is that all things were created good.  If we look honestly, the ringing cry of Genesis 1 is God's declaration that what He made is good.  Over and over again, God creates and declares it good.  The final summation of the chapter concludes, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (vs. 31)  

What does this mean?  All things were created with an inherent goodness.  This includes humanity that is created in the image of God (vs. 26).  Not just individually but also corporately since male and female together reflect the full image of God.  This means that human interaction and culture was created to be good and to reflect the character of the God who created it.

The second basic we should know is that all things were infected and effected by the fall.  Genesis 3 details how Adam and Eve turned away from listening to God to listen to their own desires, prompted by the Evil One, to eat of the so called knowledge of the good and evil.  The result is alienation from God (3:10), alienation from others (3:12), alienation from self (3:13), and alienation from all creation (3:16-19).  

These various forms of alienation from the way we were created cause us great pain.  The more we move away from our created good the more pain, suffering, and alienation we experience and feel.  The closer we are to our created good, the more harmony, peace, and joy we will experience.  The final hope of the Biblical understanding of the universe is that one day we will be set free from the power of sin and death so that we can once again reflect the created good perfectly.  This will be achieved when we die or Christ returns!

Now the tie to our opening quote can be made.  In our fallen state, the reality of our condition is often felt, but not really understood.  We are special because we are created by God to reflect His glory and character.  Yet, all of us are fallen beings struggling to put off the gravitational pull of our sin tendencies. This pull drives us away from trusting in God and instead moves us toward trusting in self: our strength, our judgment, our resources.  The problem is that we forget that our strength, our judgment, and our resources are all infected with the consequences of the fall!  These consequences do not end when someone becomes a believer.  They continue until death or Christ returns!

Many Christians have bought into the dichotomy borrowed from the Enlightenment, which argues that there is a divide between sacred and secular realms.  We have been taught that Church, Bible, and personal faith are good.  We have also been taught that "secular humanism" and all worldly pursuits (anything not related to Church, Bible, and personal faith) are bad.  Hopefully you can see that this is wrong on many sides!  This will be our topic for the next few days as we investigate the implications of our false worldview.

One implication before we end.  There is not a sacred/secular dichotomy in scripture made along the lines we have borrowed from the Enlightenment.  All of us and every area of culture and creation are created good yet fallen.  This includes the Church and all Christian institutions.  It includes all "worldly" activities and enterprises.  The real task of authentic spirituality is to take this truth and apply it to every area of human experience.  We must seek to integrate this Biblical worldview into action.  It must inform all of life.  It creates vision on how we should live and how culture should function.  Yet, our fallenness should create humility and a willingness to grow and learn as we seek to apply these truths into a fallen world by fallen people.

Any observations and comments are welcome!  Let's grow together as we look at this area of authentic spirituality!