Go Deep

Things are not always as they seem. One of the reasons I love studying the Bible is that each time I take on a new Bible book or class, I discover new insight into the encounter the first century apostles, disciples, and writers had with the risen Jesus.

The more one studies Greek, for instance, the greater awareness one has of stylistic nuances a NT writer used to communicate a transforming idea. You can study rhetoric and see precisely how the "books" of the NT were written to be heard as powerful oral messages or even "sermons." Studying history helps one to understand the complex political and social backdrop against which the lives of the early Christians were lived. Each layer of understanding opens up scripture's beauty and depth as well as the writers' receptivity to God's revelation. It also reveals their skillfulness in communicating well the "good news" about Jesus.

Becoming more knowledgeable on topics like these can only open up the word of God and increase our ability to see how God moved in people's lives back then and how He might move in people's lives today!

Here are three really helpful resources that can serve as an entry point to a deeper appreciation of scripture..

Virtual Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. You can find a completely FREE course on the New Testament (and many other topics) on Itunes (www.apple.com/itunes).

Ben Witherington has a wonderful little book called What's in a Word which is a look at how we can understand certain New Testament passages by better understanding how people in the past constructed speeches on important topics (known as the study of rhetoric)! (available HERE)

For a good historical overview of the New Testament period you can read Witherington's New Testament History, found HERE.

If you want to go deeper in your understanding of what's taking place in the New Testament, check these out. They are really wonderful places to start for learning more about the words that give us hope and life!!

Pure Religion

"Religion" has become one of those words that spirit-filled Christians have let go of - preferring instead to speak of expressive faith in Jesus. Religion, in this vein, conjures up images of emotionless ritual and routine worship. Faith is about opening up one's eyes to see the reality of God in one's everyday experience and moving in agreement with that vision.

Martin Luther was suspicious of the the book of James (not so much a letter as an "homily" to Jewish Christians written in about 45 AD) because of its emphasis on doing, relegating it in his canon to secondary status. Luther, Calvin, and many others in the reformed tradition preferred the writing of Paul, particularly Romans, which gave primacy to faith, thinking that any faith that elevated works would simultaneously elevate human pride.

Interestingly, James has a lot to say about human pride. He castigates the rich who show preference in the worship service for other wealthy people and disdain the poor (Jas 2:5-7). Unafraid of speaking of his faith in terms of "religion" (latin meaning "reconnect") real religion, James observes, is about caring for those who are on the margins of society or even forgotten - the widows and orphans (Jas 1:27)

He even gives critique to those who would take pride in their "faith." Isn't that interesting. "Faith without works is dead", he tell those who would pridefully rest on their superior knowledge and understanding and then do nothing to pour life and love into those who have no home or family.

I think James would offer the same critique today to anyone who rested in their "doctrinal purity" and neglected the spiritual discipline of compassion. When you talk to someone outside of the church about why they aren't a Christian, the conversation always turns to how those who claim to follow Jesus have squabbled over minute differences in scriptual interpretation while the world around them (including the environment, the government, social networks, and economy) fell to ruin. Naturally, there are apocalyptic scenarios in which some Christians maintain that such ruin is a "sign of the times." But James, who lived in equally uncertain and oppressive times would have offered a different prognosis. Knowing intimately the power of Jesus to heal and "sozo" save, he told the Christians of his day to LIVE their faith and PRACTICE their love. Any "wisdom" in fact, that doesn't take into account and work toward real life transformation is "demonic" (Jas 3:15).

James believes our faith together makes a difference. Followers of Christ are to be peace-makers (Jas 3:18). Why would he cast vision for peace and being peace-makers if real peace, real reconciliation and wholeness weren't something that we could work toward and hope to actually see? Real faith actually believes in God's power to transform his creation and works toward the healing of people and nations.

Patrick!

A friend of ours - Patrick McNaughton - the brother of John Ryan McNaughton is moving back to California to San Jose. We had a great "going away" lunch for him today at Thai Cafe and wish Patrick the very best as he establishes some roots in sunny CA. We also wish him the very best as he develops his relationship with a special young woman there. We'll miss Patrick's laid back style, humorous outlook, and passion for late night guy flicks!

Leaders

Yesterday I met with several new deacons at First Christian in Alamo while John Gilbert, Mark Crider, Dale Dodd (and several others) held down the fort at Promise Church in Jackson. As ministry in both places heats up, I'm finding that I have to rely more on the great leaders at both churches to step up and do what otherwise I would do. In other words, I'm finding that as I hit my limits, room is being made for others to step into leadership and practice their gifts of leadership.

There's always the temptation to try to do it all yourself. You've got a vision of how you'd like something to look and you believe (wrongly) that you're the only one who can make the vision happen. In following this path, though, you prevent others from being used by God, gaining experience in the ways God is wanting to use them, and being developed into people who use lead with confidence. All of us can probably look back to the time and the person who gave us an opportunity to "do our thing." Where would we be if they had held on to what was their "responsibility" and not opened up a development path to the potential they saw in us?

I'm finding that the best leaders (1) identify other teachable leaders, (2) pour life and experience and vision into them, and (3) make room for them to grow by giving them opportunities to use what they're learning.

This is really how the kingdom of God is supposed to look. We see a picture of this also in Romans 12. We all are part of the body. We each have our function and we each depend on the other to become more complete as missionally competent servant-leaders. We want more of this sort of leader in the church, not fewer. We want more people activated and equipped to live out their purpose. It's in in this way that each of us become catalysts for further kingdom growth. Multiply that process exponentially and you've created a culture.

Mastery

Christianity is a faith that has emphasized, well, faith. But as James's letter describes, there is a "doing" aspect of the faith as well. In fact, as James says, faith without works is a dead faith.

I enjoyed Mark Crider's sermon today which began with a short clip from Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon." My own martial arts movie experience is pretty limited. When I first saw the movie, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", I was drawn in by the film's highly technical fight scenes between karate masters who had become so sublimely identified with their art they could perform it almost magically. Chase scenes portray the characters running up the sides of walls and making heroic leaps off of rooftops. There's one scene where the fighters demonstrate their amazing self-mastery and balance fighting on the tips of tree limbs.

This is all fiction, of course. It's just a movie (as I so often tell my children when they're trying to figure out the film's "magic")! But think about it. Don't the great masters often appear to possess something vaguely magical when they practice their craft? Watch a you-tube video of Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic back in the sixties. Or picture Michael Phelps swimming for the gold. Ever seen Chet Atkins or Steve Patterson, for that matter, pick the guitar? We know that what appears to us as "magic" emerges out of thousands and thousands of hours of rehearsal or training or study. It doesn't come easy. It is patient, painstaking work to achieve mastery.

I wonder if in our agreement with Luther the Reformer, we've sold the practice of our faith short? Can Christians develop a form of mastery over the "spiritual disciplines" of their faith - prayer, fasting, study, promoting justice, serving, community-building? What could the church look like if believers took the exercise of their faith as seriously as the karate master takes the perfection of karate forms? Maybe then we could move mountains with faith or shift entire cultures toward recognition of a loving and empowering creator.

Intention

One of the words you hear me use a lot is "intentionality." Simply expressed, intentionality is visualizing a desired outcome and then thinking logically what steps must be taken to bring about that result. Easy, right?

I'm an incredible planner. I can generate "to do lists" in my sleep and think through multiple steps on massive projects with ease. But intentionality is not just about making maps. It also involves the discipline and mental focus to work through the plan, to adjust the plan when you see that you're headed in the wrong direction, and then ultimately evaluate when you're in need of an entirely new plan!

Living the life of a Jesus follower requires intentionality if only because there are "powers and principalities" (Eph 6:12) – unseen forces – at work in the world moving against the flow of God's justice, mercy, and compassion. We see the movement from order to chaos in just about every area of our life where there isn't some force acting to nudge, push, or shove in the direction of greater order. My house, if left to the people who live in it, can quickly become a dungeon of unwashed laundry and stacked high dishes. Someone, something has to exercise intentionality to see that laundry gets done and dishes are put away.

Our life is the same way. When we aren't mindful of the direction we're headed and then exercise "force" to move in that direction, we follow the natural groove of "disorder" resulting in depression, fear, stress, anxiety, feelings of incompleteness. We can endure short periods of this sort of living. But we all arrive at a place where we're forced to reflect on how where we're headed and what we're doing with the life we've been given.

Get a picture of your best, most joy-filled life. What force needs to be exerted TODAY to move in the direction of that life?

I’m Willing

^{Phil 1:12} Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel."

I came across this verse last night. Paul is sitting under house arrest near the end of his ministry in Rome awaiting an audience with the Roman emperor Nero. Prison would seem like "the end of the line" for so many. For Paul it is the opportunity to tell the good news of Jesus to the most powerful man in the world in his day. But note here that Paul isn't simply waiting for his moment with the emperor. While imprisoned in Rome he writes four letters that now appear in our New Testament: Philippians, Philemon, Colossians and Ephesians. And he sees his imprisonment as an opportunity to minister to the Praetorian guard (Caesar's elite guard). Inspired by his own boldness, Paul says, Christians in Rome are have become unafraid to share the gospel.

What would it look like if we too saw our present circumstances, no matter how undesirable or depressing they may seem, as opportunities to live our hard won freedom in front of those who don't know Jesus. What would it be like NOT to join in the chorus of complaining and blaming and instead ask for God to use us to shine light in the darkness and let His joy flow through us to others?

I've been thinking about this recently. Not everything I would have liked to have happened in almost twenty of ministry has happened. I've had to make adjustments. More often, I've had to completely re-orient when I finally figured out that the path I was on wasn't the path God was leading me down. How much happier I would have been if rather than dig in my heals and "fight for my right" to do it my way, I had the faith to see that God had bigger and better plans to use me to accomplish the very thing I felt led to accomplish all along – leading others into a transforming relationship with Jesus.

Paul doesn't stop leading others toward that relationship because he is in chains in Rome waiting for the emperor to see him. Even in incredibly limiting circumstances, Paul never stops living for the purpose for which he was created. He looks around and asks, "okay, Lord, what would you have me to do now?" And then he does it. And people's lives are changed. A whole world is changed through this man's willingness to press through his limitations, his hurt, his pain, his depression and fear, and simply say, "Lord, I'm willing even here."

Think what might happen inside of your world if you let go of the outcome and simply said, "Lord, I'm willing."

Powdered Sugar!

This was the first time we took Neeley downtown in New Orleans. We didn't stray too far from Cafe du Monde. After dumping most of her powdered sugar from her beignet onto the table (but some great cafe au lait for mom and dad), we took a stroll around Jackson square.

Barnes and Noble

There are few places today that invite quiet sitting and soaking.
Barnes and Noble is one of them. It's cool to be in a place where we
haven't self-selected who will be there. There's always the
possibility of the random encounter with an old friend or perhaps a
new one.

--
Sent from my mobile device

NOLA for a day!

Getting to visit the parents for a day in New Orleans. Mom is having pre-opt exam today for knee replacement surgery in two weeks. Inviting prayer!

Consider It All Joy

^{Jas 1:2} Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Beginning study today on my series on James that will go through the end of September and excited because James is one of my favorite books. It is probably the most practical book on the New Testament written in a style resembling ancient Wisdom literature like Proverbs. The writer, James the brother of Jesus, wants his audience to know how to live their faith in Christ. He encourages people to be "doers" of the word and not merely "hearers" (1:22).

James begins by connecting wisdom with real life experience. It's not just what we know – that would have been the pursuit of the later Gnostic heresy – it's how we LIVE the faith. James sees faith and life as wholly integrated. The belief we have about Jesus gives definition to how we pattern our lives. Faith without works, James says, is dead faith. (2:17). This isn't merely a theological observation, it's a declaration about how we experience in real life the presence and love of Jesus. We all live oriented toward something. Pagan religion in James's time believed that the Gods could be placated and manipulated to bring peace, war, provision, prosperity, and love. Jesus followers were instructed to live FOR the world so that the world would have REAL LIFE. That life was reflected in the best of the world's wisdom literature (it's amazing to see how Christian themes have analogues in so many philosophical streams around the same time as James is being written). In Christian thinking, Wisdom stems from Jesus being the pre-existent Logos, or Word. When we live wisely, we live in congruence with the purposes and will of the creator WHO provides for ALL of his children (and causes it to rain on the just and unjust).

The same is true today. With Tillich we agree that faith is living for one's ultimate concern. Everyone has the one thing (or things) that give structure to one's life, that shape one's schedule or spending habits, that determine who one is in relationship with and who one avoids. For James, our ultimate concern is life in the kingdom of the one, true, creator God. God is the organizing principle under which all of our dreams, aspirations, goals, and purposes gain their meaning and significance. There is no other life that could ever really be called "ultimate." Any other path would be a dead end as it stopped short of diverged from God whose purpose and will has been made known fully in the life, ministry, and teaching of Jesus. To truly live means then being a "disciple" – a devoted learner and practitioner of the WAY of Jesus. In James' mini-sermon, we are given clear pathways into THE WAY of life that brings REAL LIFE.