If you ask my daughter what’s the best thing to get at Armstrong’s Barbecue in Summerville, she would probably say it is the Brunswick stew. I think the best thing on the menu is the beef barbecue sandwich, closely followed by the cheeseburger. The food is good and the price is right. They smoke the meat all night after putting a rub and secret sauce on it, then it is sliced up and served on a toasted bun. Most restaurants chip it and then mix in the sauce. It is much less messy when it is sliced, and the sauce they use is vinegar based with peppercorns. I like my cheeseburgers with just mustard, ketchup and mayo. My wife also likes the barbecue, but she gets her cheeseburger loaded. I like mine with chips and a sweet tea, my wife and daughter get fries and diet coke. We all love Armstrong’s, we love it for different reasons and we get something different when we go there.
So what does barbecue and Brunswick stew have to do with the prodigal son? It may be a weak analogy, but the principle fits where I am going with this. We all come to God with different experiences and carrying our own unique baggage. I think the parable of the prodigal son speaks to this. The parable is found in Luke 15:11-32. If you know anything about the Bible, you know the parable of the prodigal.
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Most of the time when we hear or read this passage, we focus on the son who took the money and ran. We think about how he blew it, going out and choosing to live the wild life. We see people doing that all around us, living in the moment and ignoring the moral or ethical consequences of their actions. Then the parable tells us that he came to his senses and got right with his father. If we stop there we miss a very valuable lesson. I want to focus on the older brother; I think the he represents a lot of what is wrong with the church universal today. Too many times we want to say that people have to share our experiences or believe exactly like we do to be worthy of God’s grace. The truth is, each one of us has our own story. We come from different backgrounds and we have had different life experineces. God works differently in each of our lives, to speak to our unique needs and He approaches us in the way that will work for each of us individually. Yet some people have an attitude that everyone has to have the exact same experience and ideas, or else they are somehow different or less worthy. Here is a dose of reality: we are all unworthy!
Jesus spoke about this type of attitude in Luke 9:46-50.
46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."
49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."
50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you."
First, the disciples were arguing about who was the most worthy. Translate that today to: “I am a better Christian than you! God loves me more because I am more holy!” Then they say, “Jesus, we saw this dude who was preaching in your name. He wasn’t one of us, so we told him to quit. Who does he think he is? He is not with us, he can’t preach in your name, that’s our job! I think we should sue!!!” Have you ever encountered that type of attitude?
Why do we feel challenged or threatened by people who have different backgrounds, ideas or experiences than we have? I think it is basically due to spiritual immaturity and insecurity. For the most part, many Christians today have a faith that is shallow. We accept Christ as our Savior, but we refuse to let Him be LORD of our life. We decide what we believe about certain issues and then we set our faith on “cruise control.” When someone expresses a belief or idea that challenges us or calls us to strengthen our relationship, we feel threatened and lash out. Nobody likes bumps in the road when you’re on “cruise control!”
Cruise control doesn’t work if you really want to have a relationship with God. I think that is one of the most wonderful aspects of the Christian faith, it is based upon a relationship with Jesus Christ. Like any relationship, you have to work at it and invest in it. If I were to take the attitude that I didn’t need to talk to my wife or listen to her anymore since we are already married, my relationship with her would suffer. You can’t stop working at a marriage, it needs constant attention if the relationship is going to deepen and survive the test of time. Strengthening my marriage makes me secure in my relationship with my wife. I don’t feel threatened when she talks to another man or when she is not in my presence. I don’t fear that our marriage is going to crumble if we have an argument. We have invested the time in our marriage and in each other, and we have worked together at growing and strengthening that relationship. My relationship with God is the same way, I need to be committed to praying, to studying and make sure to actually listen for God’s voice in my life. I need to exercise my faith by serving Him in my church and my community. Strengthening my faith makes me secure in my relationship with God and I am not threatened when someone expresses an idea or opinion that is different than mine.
I believe Jesus when he said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I know I need to work on my relationship with Jesus Christ. I know that it is only God’s grace that allows me to have a relationship with Him through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing I have ever done will make me worthy. Fighting with other Christians doesn’t make me more worthy. Who am I to judge? Let’s rejoice that people come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him. I don’t want to get hung up on what they did before, or even the fact that we may disagree on some point of theology. We should celebrate that they have come to their senses and returned to the FATHER. We should rejoice and celebrate. Kill the fattened calf, and make sure you use Armstrong’s BBQ sauce. I think it’s the best!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Voice of Truth
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.6 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.7” John 14: 6-7 NRSV
There is a great amount of research out there on exactly how many times each day the average US citizen is exposed to advertising messages. The numbers range from around 500 to over 3000 exposures and includes TV, radio, billboards, print, point of sale, transit and mail. Regardless of which numbers you think are accurate, it is obvious that we are bombarded with messages telling us everything about how we should dress, what type of car we should buy, what type of mayo we should use and that we really do need a bloomin’ onion before we eat a delicious steak and baked potato from down under. Television shows and movies have also been increasing the number of product placements, prominently showing the brands of the companies that pay to have their product used by the actors for 10 seconds on screen.
New technologies and the boom of reality television have also created a convergence of media strategies that offer more opportunities for advertisers to target messages and learn more detailed information about our media consumption habits. Reality television has continued to grow in its scope and popularity and is the most successful format today. This growth has seen reality TV shift from portraying reality to actually defining reality in our society.
This onslaught of constant advertising and reality TV is troubling to me, especially when you look at the content of the messages. They all seem to be telling us that we don’t have the right look, we are not talented enough, and that we are just not good enough. “America voted, and your journey ends tonight.” “The tribe has spoken, and you have been voted off the island!” “You failed this stage of the race and you are going home.” It is as if we feed off the misery of others. Somehow our society seems to have a voyeuristic appetite for failure and rejection.
I personally think this is unhealthy. Our minds are like sponges, they absorb whatever we expose them to. If we surround ourselves with negativity or heavy doses of critical messages, we will begin to think that way. Can we expect to be confident in our abilities and have a positive outlook if we bathe in negativity?
Confession time! I fall victim to this as well. I think we all live with doubts about our abilities at some point or another. In most people it may occur in one area of their life and not be present in other areas. For a couple of years, I have really felt like God was leading me to begin to write some things down. I said in earlier blog that I really have no idea why He wants me to do this. I never thought of myself as a good writer, I always felt more confident in math and the social sciences. So it was hard for me to accept the idea that God would want me to write something.
At first I was thinking a book, but that never felt right. Then the blog idea came into my head but I kept putting it off. I told myself that no one would be interested in what I have to say or think about anything. Then this past December I was out blowing the vast quantities of leaves out of my yard and a song began to play on my iPod. Remember how cold it was this December. I had on a pair of thermals under my jeans, a polartec, a heavy jacket, gloves, earmuffs and, of course, a Shorter College hat. My earbuds were securely in place under the earmuffs and the sound quality was quite good. I was listening to my “Christian Pop” playlist. I have another playlist that has old gospel classics on it, we’re talking Florida Boys, Happy Goodmans, The Speers. Anyway, the song “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns was playing and it was as if everything got silent when the second verse began to play. The blower noise faded out, the sting of the cold left my face and these words just forced themselves to the front of my consciousness.
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!
"You'll never win"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
and the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
It is not about what I think people want to hear. It is not about what other people may think of me. As a Christian all I should care about is being obedient to God. And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!"
I think the Voice of Truth gets drowned out in our lives. We are so bombarded with messages from every corner of society that we don’t make time to listen to God. You wake up late and have to hit the door running to take kids to school and then go to work, run errands and fifty other responsibilities. You have worked a long hard day, taken care of things at home and then you want to crash and go to sleep. When do we make time to listen to God? I think I am guilty of treating God like a fast-food drive thru window. “Okay, God. I’ll take a “forgive me of my sins” platter, a side of blessings for me and my family, and a large cup of mercy and assistance for all my friends who are struggling right now. Could I get that in the biggie size today?”
Do I actually make time to listen? “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. The psalmist had it right. I need to put myself in a quiet place, forget about all of the things happening around me and just listen to God. I need to listen to the Voice of Truth. I believe God has something for each of us to do. How will we ever know His will for our life if we don’t stop and listen?
What is The Voice of Truth calling you to do?
There is a great amount of research out there on exactly how many times each day the average US citizen is exposed to advertising messages. The numbers range from around 500 to over 3000 exposures and includes TV, radio, billboards, print, point of sale, transit and mail. Regardless of which numbers you think are accurate, it is obvious that we are bombarded with messages telling us everything about how we should dress, what type of car we should buy, what type of mayo we should use and that we really do need a bloomin’ onion before we eat a delicious steak and baked potato from down under. Television shows and movies have also been increasing the number of product placements, prominently showing the brands of the companies that pay to have their product used by the actors for 10 seconds on screen.
New technologies and the boom of reality television have also created a convergence of media strategies that offer more opportunities for advertisers to target messages and learn more detailed information about our media consumption habits. Reality television has continued to grow in its scope and popularity and is the most successful format today. This growth has seen reality TV shift from portraying reality to actually defining reality in our society.
This onslaught of constant advertising and reality TV is troubling to me, especially when you look at the content of the messages. They all seem to be telling us that we don’t have the right look, we are not talented enough, and that we are just not good enough. “America voted, and your journey ends tonight.” “The tribe has spoken, and you have been voted off the island!” “You failed this stage of the race and you are going home.” It is as if we feed off the misery of others. Somehow our society seems to have a voyeuristic appetite for failure and rejection.
I personally think this is unhealthy. Our minds are like sponges, they absorb whatever we expose them to. If we surround ourselves with negativity or heavy doses of critical messages, we will begin to think that way. Can we expect to be confident in our abilities and have a positive outlook if we bathe in negativity?
Confession time! I fall victim to this as well. I think we all live with doubts about our abilities at some point or another. In most people it may occur in one area of their life and not be present in other areas. For a couple of years, I have really felt like God was leading me to begin to write some things down. I said in earlier blog that I really have no idea why He wants me to do this. I never thought of myself as a good writer, I always felt more confident in math and the social sciences. So it was hard for me to accept the idea that God would want me to write something.
At first I was thinking a book, but that never felt right. Then the blog idea came into my head but I kept putting it off. I told myself that no one would be interested in what I have to say or think about anything. Then this past December I was out blowing the vast quantities of leaves out of my yard and a song began to play on my iPod. Remember how cold it was this December. I had on a pair of thermals under my jeans, a polartec, a heavy jacket, gloves, earmuffs and, of course, a Shorter College hat. My earbuds were securely in place under the earmuffs and the sound quality was quite good. I was listening to my “Christian Pop” playlist. I have another playlist that has old gospel classics on it, we’re talking Florida Boys, Happy Goodmans, The Speers. Anyway, the song “Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns was playing and it was as if everything got silent when the second verse began to play. The blower noise faded out, the sting of the cold left my face and these words just forced themselves to the front of my consciousness.
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!
"You'll never win"
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
and the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
It is not about what I think people want to hear. It is not about what other people may think of me. As a Christian all I should care about is being obedient to God. And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory!"
I think the Voice of Truth gets drowned out in our lives. We are so bombarded with messages from every corner of society that we don’t make time to listen to God. You wake up late and have to hit the door running to take kids to school and then go to work, run errands and fifty other responsibilities. You have worked a long hard day, taken care of things at home and then you want to crash and go to sleep. When do we make time to listen to God? I think I am guilty of treating God like a fast-food drive thru window. “Okay, God. I’ll take a “forgive me of my sins” platter, a side of blessings for me and my family, and a large cup of mercy and assistance for all my friends who are struggling right now. Could I get that in the biggie size today?”
Do I actually make time to listen? “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. The psalmist had it right. I need to put myself in a quiet place, forget about all of the things happening around me and just listen to God. I need to listen to the Voice of Truth. I believe God has something for each of us to do. How will we ever know His will for our life if we don’t stop and listen?
What is The Voice of Truth calling you to do?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
My Christian Worldview
The only thing I remember from the Introduction to Psychology course that I took in college is this, “we tend to see what we expect to see.” This aspect of social psychology helps us understand our world and the people and things in it. The older I get the more I realize that this is true in every aspect of life. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about art, business, people, relationships or puppy dogs, we will most likely see what we expect to see.
Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal wrote a book entitled “Reframing Organizations” in which they assert that most organizations fall into one of four frames or lenses through which the organization sees itself and the markets in which it operates. They assert that these frames determine what we see, how we interpret a situation and how we respond. I think this is absolutely true in our personal lives as well. We use various frames or lenses to interpret situations and individuals, and to determine how we respond accordingly. We are conditioned by our families, experiences and environments and we make assumptions based on that conditioning. Racism, stereotypes and other prejudices are all based on this idea that we will most likely see in people whatever our preconceived ideas or frames tell us we will see.
So how does this theory play into my life as a Christian? The buzzword related to this topic is “Christian worldview.” That is the frame or lens that we use a Christian to view the world, the people and events around us, and is influenced by our belief in God and His creation. So here is a shot at my Christian worldview.
I believe that God is our creator. I believe that He created the universe and everything in it. I believe He created human beings out of love and seeks to have a relationship with us. The Bible is God’s holy word and provides a wonderful history of His effort to have a relationship with His creation. I think the Bible illustrates God’s persistent efforts to teach us how we should live our lives, relate to Him and to each other. Simply telling us was not effective, as sinful human beings we blew it. I believe that He became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ in order to demonstrate who God is and how we should live. I believe Jesus was fully human, yet fully divine. We have the clearest picture into the nature of God by looking at the life of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus’ teachings were so radical to the religious establishment that they had Him crucified on a Roman cross. Death could not contain Him and I believe in the literal and physical resurrection.
I believe in the value of every human being as a unique and wonderful creation of God. Every life has worth and God has a purpose for each one of us. I believe that our souls crave to be reconnected with the spirit of God. Some people try to satisfy that craving with materialism, drugs, alcohol and other things that leave the soul wanting. I believe that “sin” is anything that keeps us from God. True happiness is found when we live a life that is in obedience to God’s will for our lives. Serving God is not limited to those in vocational ministry. I believe God calls us to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers, carpenters, business owners, farmers and a whole lot of other things. God can use us in whatever vocation we find ourselves in. I believe His church is a tapestry of individuals with unique skills and talents that He uses to achieve His will. No matter what we do, I believe He can use us and that we have a responsibility to care for each other and all of creation.
Maybe some people think that makes me a bleeding-heart tree hugger, but I also believe that God gives us abilities and talents and that we have a responsibility to use them. There are many ways that we can commit sin, and being lazy and disobedient are easy ways to do it. Apathy will get you every time.
I believe God commands me to respond when I see a need. I believe that when we as humans respond to each other with kindness and compassion, it is God’s spirit working through us. I guess that means I still believe in miracles. I believe that God is still engaged with humanity and that His ultimate will shall be realized.
This isn’t complete, but it is the core of what I believe. This has been on my mind for the last week since I heard Richard Stearns, president of World Vision speak at the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Forum. He really challenged me to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It falls right in line with the motto of the church I attend, FBC Rome, “Seeking His heart, being His hands.” I want to try and live that out every day in my life. Maybe this will challenge you to think about your world view and the lens through which you see the world.
Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal wrote a book entitled “Reframing Organizations” in which they assert that most organizations fall into one of four frames or lenses through which the organization sees itself and the markets in which it operates. They assert that these frames determine what we see, how we interpret a situation and how we respond. I think this is absolutely true in our personal lives as well. We use various frames or lenses to interpret situations and individuals, and to determine how we respond accordingly. We are conditioned by our families, experiences and environments and we make assumptions based on that conditioning. Racism, stereotypes and other prejudices are all based on this idea that we will most likely see in people whatever our preconceived ideas or frames tell us we will see.
So how does this theory play into my life as a Christian? The buzzword related to this topic is “Christian worldview.” That is the frame or lens that we use a Christian to view the world, the people and events around us, and is influenced by our belief in God and His creation. So here is a shot at my Christian worldview.
I believe that God is our creator. I believe that He created the universe and everything in it. I believe He created human beings out of love and seeks to have a relationship with us. The Bible is God’s holy word and provides a wonderful history of His effort to have a relationship with His creation. I think the Bible illustrates God’s persistent efforts to teach us how we should live our lives, relate to Him and to each other. Simply telling us was not effective, as sinful human beings we blew it. I believe that He became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ in order to demonstrate who God is and how we should live. I believe Jesus was fully human, yet fully divine. We have the clearest picture into the nature of God by looking at the life of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus’ teachings were so radical to the religious establishment that they had Him crucified on a Roman cross. Death could not contain Him and I believe in the literal and physical resurrection.
I believe in the value of every human being as a unique and wonderful creation of God. Every life has worth and God has a purpose for each one of us. I believe that our souls crave to be reconnected with the spirit of God. Some people try to satisfy that craving with materialism, drugs, alcohol and other things that leave the soul wanting. I believe that “sin” is anything that keeps us from God. True happiness is found when we live a life that is in obedience to God’s will for our lives. Serving God is not limited to those in vocational ministry. I believe God calls us to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers, carpenters, business owners, farmers and a whole lot of other things. God can use us in whatever vocation we find ourselves in. I believe His church is a tapestry of individuals with unique skills and talents that He uses to achieve His will. No matter what we do, I believe He can use us and that we have a responsibility to care for each other and all of creation.
Maybe some people think that makes me a bleeding-heart tree hugger, but I also believe that God gives us abilities and talents and that we have a responsibility to use them. There are many ways that we can commit sin, and being lazy and disobedient are easy ways to do it. Apathy will get you every time.
I believe God commands me to respond when I see a need. I believe that when we as humans respond to each other with kindness and compassion, it is God’s spirit working through us. I guess that means I still believe in miracles. I believe that God is still engaged with humanity and that His ultimate will shall be realized.
This isn’t complete, but it is the core of what I believe. This has been on my mind for the last week since I heard Richard Stearns, president of World Vision speak at the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Forum. He really challenged me to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It falls right in line with the motto of the church I attend, FBC Rome, “Seeking His heart, being His hands.” I want to try and live that out every day in my life. Maybe this will challenge you to think about your world view and the lens through which you see the world.
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