Yesterday, I talked about a pastor and his wife in San Diego County who have been told by a county official that they need to stop holding their Bible study in their home or get a permit for proper land use. I'm sure we'll hear a lot about it in the coming days as the Christian community gets its feathers ruffled about it.
Yesterday, I pointed out that we do need to be concerned about the government (national, state or local) infringing on our rights to worship. Jesus warned us that the world would hate His followers more than they hated him, so we need to be on our guard.
I also noted that we need to respect the laws that affect our area. But, what happens when laws are passed that harm churches and religious gatherings? This question brings me to what I believe is an even greater threat to the church today than any single government official's attempt to stop Christianity.
I am most concerned about the issue of eminent domain. This is a legal maneuver that governments typically use to gain access to private property for the construction of highways, utilities, etc. If necessary, this is a proper use of eminent domain. However, recently there have been moves across the country to use eminent domain to obtain private property then turn that over to commercial developers. The idea is that the commercial developments can generate more tax dollars than residential areas.
Such was an effort a few years ago in the city of Ozark, Missouri, where the city government tried to condemn a residential neighborhood in an effort to turn the land into a commercial area. It failed, and led to tighter laws on eminent domain use in the state, but those laws have left a huge loophole. There are no protections against the taking of property owned by not-for-profit organizations, like churches.
Imagine, if you will, that your church sits on a heavily travelled strip of road. As a tax exempt organization, your land generates no tax for the government. A cash-strapped city might target your prime piece of real estate for eminent domain, then turn that "condemned" land and facilities over to a developer to build a strip mall.
This type of possibility is why I believe churches should set aside money in their budgets to keep an attorney and maybe even a lobbyiest on retainer to represent them before the government. I would even encourage church leaders to get involved on some level with their government representatives to push for greater protections.
Yes, if it is law, we have to abide by it, but in America, we still have the ability as citizens to shape those laws. It's time to get involved and be a part of the process.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Big Brother vs. Religion
The burners seem to keep getting turned up on the church vs. the state issue, and this week it got a little warmer. This news story tells the initial details about an apparent attempt by San Diego County to shut down a home Bible study group.
Obviously, we don't know the full story of what is going on, and I think those of us in the midwest shouldn't just assume that since this is a county issue, these folks live in a rural area. San Diego County has more than three million people living there, so it is a developed area. I point that out to just say that we could find that indeed certain permits necessary for regular home meetings of any kind might have been necessary.
What makes this story stink is the allegation that the county official who informed the family of the violation interrogated the couple about their religious practices during those meetings. Whether this part is true or not, it's the subject matter of this story that I want to discuss today.
We're starting to hear more and more stories around the country about the run-ins religious people are having with the government or society. In particular, most of the focus has been on the Christian community.
As a Christian, the initial knee-jerk reaction is to proclaim persecution, but I think we need to be very careful about this. Yes, I do believe the church in America is in the beginning stages of persecution. However, sometimes our knee-jerk reactions can make Christians look more like jerks than Christians. And, in a nation that is rapidly becoming post-Christian, this is the last impression we need to put out there.
We need to follow Christ's example in how we approach the issues we face instead of just jumping to conclusions on the matters before us. This won't be easy, because human nature is not very patient, and it isn't very articulate.
So, what should American Christians do in light of increasing pressure from the world to push Christianity down into the minority? Check back tomorrow for my take, and what I believe is an even bigger danger to churches than a county infringing on a Bible study.
Obviously, we don't know the full story of what is going on, and I think those of us in the midwest shouldn't just assume that since this is a county issue, these folks live in a rural area. San Diego County has more than three million people living there, so it is a developed area. I point that out to just say that we could find that indeed certain permits necessary for regular home meetings of any kind might have been necessary.
What makes this story stink is the allegation that the county official who informed the family of the violation interrogated the couple about their religious practices during those meetings. Whether this part is true or not, it's the subject matter of this story that I want to discuss today.
We're starting to hear more and more stories around the country about the run-ins religious people are having with the government or society. In particular, most of the focus has been on the Christian community.
As a Christian, the initial knee-jerk reaction is to proclaim persecution, but I think we need to be very careful about this. Yes, I do believe the church in America is in the beginning stages of persecution. However, sometimes our knee-jerk reactions can make Christians look more like jerks than Christians. And, in a nation that is rapidly becoming post-Christian, this is the last impression we need to put out there.
We need to follow Christ's example in how we approach the issues we face instead of just jumping to conclusions on the matters before us. This won't be easy, because human nature is not very patient, and it isn't very articulate.
So, what should American Christians do in light of increasing pressure from the world to push Christianity down into the minority? Check back tomorrow for my take, and what I believe is an even bigger danger to churches than a county infringing on a Bible study.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Scars
My wife wrote what may be the most profound words to come from her mind on her blog this week.
It was nearly a year ago when she was injured in an auto accident, suffering extensive trauma to her right hand. She was kind of recounting that experience on her blog when she wrote:
What's interesting about scars is how we each perceive them differently. To one person, a scar can be something they're proud of. It might symbolize either a heroic act, or some tormoil that the individual successfully navigated. To another person, a scar is hideous and ugly, and a reminder of the pain that caused it.
Scars are painful to obtain, but they signify healing. With a scar, the wound has closed, it no longer oozes, and the scab has fallen away. The scar typically carries a lesson learned. For someone who has relied on God to get them through the trauma, that scar can act as a road sign pointing to how God helped the individual through the tough time.
I like to think that Peter used some emotional scars for that purpose in his life. In our Bible, Peter is known for both his boldness and his uncanny ability to stick his foot in his mouth. Such was the case when he vowed he'd never let any harm come to Jesus, only to follow it with his denial of Christ. That last line that tells how Peter went out and wept bitterly suggests a deep wound opened in his heart. Earlier in the evening his pride caused him to make a vow he'd never be able to keep. Even though he did try to defend Jesus. when the pressure increased, Peter crumbled.
Fortunately, Jesus still had plans for Peter. After his resurrection, Jesus pulled Peter aside and made a healed scar out of that emotional wound. It would be a short time later that Peter would fulfill the prophetic calling on his life and be the instrument God used to establish the church.
God has a plan for you, no matter the junk you've gone through. He wants to use your situation and turn it to good if you'll let Him. So, if you're struggling with how to view your scars, consider again what my wife said, "I have scars to remind me every day how good God really is!"
It was nearly a year ago when she was injured in an auto accident, suffering extensive trauma to her right hand. She was kind of recounting that experience on her blog when she wrote:
"...God is always there with us no matter what and will help us through it. I haveOne doesn't always associate the scars of life as being a gift from God, but I think that sometimes we need those scars. Whether they're physical or mental, those scars act as markers of things we've been through in our life. They're road signs in our life that we look back on to remember what has happened.
scars to remind me every day how good God really is!!"
What's interesting about scars is how we each perceive them differently. To one person, a scar can be something they're proud of. It might symbolize either a heroic act, or some tormoil that the individual successfully navigated. To another person, a scar is hideous and ugly, and a reminder of the pain that caused it.
Scars are painful to obtain, but they signify healing. With a scar, the wound has closed, it no longer oozes, and the scab has fallen away. The scar typically carries a lesson learned. For someone who has relied on God to get them through the trauma, that scar can act as a road sign pointing to how God helped the individual through the tough time.
I like to think that Peter used some emotional scars for that purpose in his life. In our Bible, Peter is known for both his boldness and his uncanny ability to stick his foot in his mouth. Such was the case when he vowed he'd never let any harm come to Jesus, only to follow it with his denial of Christ. That last line that tells how Peter went out and wept bitterly suggests a deep wound opened in his heart. Earlier in the evening his pride caused him to make a vow he'd never be able to keep. Even though he did try to defend Jesus. when the pressure increased, Peter crumbled.
Fortunately, Jesus still had plans for Peter. After his resurrection, Jesus pulled Peter aside and made a healed scar out of that emotional wound. It would be a short time later that Peter would fulfill the prophetic calling on his life and be the instrument God used to establish the church.
God has a plan for you, no matter the junk you've gone through. He wants to use your situation and turn it to good if you'll let Him. So, if you're struggling with how to view your scars, consider again what my wife said, "I have scars to remind me every day how good God really is!"
Friday, May 22, 2009
Open Letter To Veterans
Thank you to the veterans of our military. Your service to this nation is thing I respect greatly, mostly because I never had the opportunity. I admire your courage and bravery.
I know there are some of you that are a bit dismayed that many of this nation's citizens will pass through this coming weekend without giving a thought to the sacrifice you and your fellow service members have made. Yes, there are some citizens who have the extended weekend, parties, the start of summer or barbeques on the mind. I understand your frustration.
I also know there is a loud minority out there that dispise your service to this country. Yes, they may give lip service when peer pressure demands it, but at other times they talk of the evils of the military. They don't deserve the gift you gave us all.
But, rest in this. Those who forget what this weekend stands for, and those who despise it would not have the opportunity to do so if you hadn't been there to fight for our country's freedom. And, we wouldn't have had this weekend if some of you hadn't given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free today.
I salute and honor you.
I know there are some of you that are a bit dismayed that many of this nation's citizens will pass through this coming weekend without giving a thought to the sacrifice you and your fellow service members have made. Yes, there are some citizens who have the extended weekend, parties, the start of summer or barbeques on the mind. I understand your frustration.
I also know there is a loud minority out there that dispise your service to this country. Yes, they may give lip service when peer pressure demands it, but at other times they talk of the evils of the military. They don't deserve the gift you gave us all.
But, rest in this. Those who forget what this weekend stands for, and those who despise it would not have the opportunity to do so if you hadn't been there to fight for our country's freedom. And, we wouldn't have had this weekend if some of you hadn't given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be free today.
I salute and honor you.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Kids and Their Faith
If you've been following this blog, you know that I've been recently helping a cousin witness to her athiest friend. The cousin is doing all the hard work, and I'm helping her with some perspective and advice.
But, one of the things this athiest friend said has caught my attention, because this individual has gone through something I believe most young people deal with as they leave home for the college and adult worlds. They start to question all they were taught by their parents. It doesn't matter the type of home a child comes from, whether good or bad, young people, as they enter their 20s, typically look back to assess whether the way they were raised was right or wrong.
It's all part of the process that shapes our beliefs and lifestyles as we grow older. I did it, my wife did it, and I'm sure you have as well. We put nearly everything we've been taught to the test. And, by "test," I don't mean we necessarily go out to violate those teachings. Instead, we think about them and run through great thought processes to determine whether those "values" are really of any value.
In working with this athiest lady, she more or less admits coming from a home that claimed Christianity, but she has determined that the Christianity of her family was an oppressive one, not the enlightening and freeing one talked about in the Bible. Somewhere in her young, adult life this lady started to process all she had been taught, and weighed it against how she perceived truth to be at this stage of her life. She chose to walk away from religion.
How is it that what happened to her didn't also happen to me, my wife, my cousin, or countless others who stayed with their faith? Additionally, as a parent what am I doing to ensure that my children won't recant their faith when they hit the college years?
Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." And, Mark 4 illustrates how different people process the teachings of the Bible differently. Some for good, some not so much.
These appear to be such simple passages, yet they provide a tremendous challenge for parents. I want my children to grow up experiencing the full extent of God's grace and glory. I want them to be certain of their beliefs by the time they leave high school and head out on their own, so when the day comes that they start to question everything, they will know where to go for the answers.
I want them to discover that their parents' convictions weren't just something we came up with out of thin air, but that there are real reasons for them that can be backed up either with the Bible or with the wisdom of personal experience. I want them to know which values are my opinion and open to their own reasoning, and which are extremely important, God-given instructions.
You see, the stuff that is my opinion which cannot be necessarily backed up by scripture is just my personal conviction. It may have some wisdom associated with it, but if not also backed up by scripture, my boys are free to accept my opinion or cast it off and form their own. I've done some of this with personal convictions my parents passed to my sister and I. Some I have accepted, and some I haven't.
With that in mind, what do I teach my children? I think I'll have to mix both conviction and truth. They'll have to know that the Bible gives certain liberties, but those liberties carried to the extreme can also have bad consequences (such as consumption of alcohol). So, my children will have to learn the wisdom handed down from previous generations, and ultimately will make their own decisions.
In light of the recent adventures with the athiest, this challenge to train up my children has taken on a much more important meaning.
How about you? How have you weighed what you were taught with the truth of the Bible? How are you preparing your children to enter adulthood in a way that will keep them on God's path and off the world's path?
But, one of the things this athiest friend said has caught my attention, because this individual has gone through something I believe most young people deal with as they leave home for the college and adult worlds. They start to question all they were taught by their parents. It doesn't matter the type of home a child comes from, whether good or bad, young people, as they enter their 20s, typically look back to assess whether the way they were raised was right or wrong.
It's all part of the process that shapes our beliefs and lifestyles as we grow older. I did it, my wife did it, and I'm sure you have as well. We put nearly everything we've been taught to the test. And, by "test," I don't mean we necessarily go out to violate those teachings. Instead, we think about them and run through great thought processes to determine whether those "values" are really of any value.
In working with this athiest lady, she more or less admits coming from a home that claimed Christianity, but she has determined that the Christianity of her family was an oppressive one, not the enlightening and freeing one talked about in the Bible. Somewhere in her young, adult life this lady started to process all she had been taught, and weighed it against how she perceived truth to be at this stage of her life. She chose to walk away from religion.
How is it that what happened to her didn't also happen to me, my wife, my cousin, or countless others who stayed with their faith? Additionally, as a parent what am I doing to ensure that my children won't recant their faith when they hit the college years?
Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." And, Mark 4 illustrates how different people process the teachings of the Bible differently. Some for good, some not so much.
These appear to be such simple passages, yet they provide a tremendous challenge for parents. I want my children to grow up experiencing the full extent of God's grace and glory. I want them to be certain of their beliefs by the time they leave high school and head out on their own, so when the day comes that they start to question everything, they will know where to go for the answers.
I want them to discover that their parents' convictions weren't just something we came up with out of thin air, but that there are real reasons for them that can be backed up either with the Bible or with the wisdom of personal experience. I want them to know which values are my opinion and open to their own reasoning, and which are extremely important, God-given instructions.
You see, the stuff that is my opinion which cannot be necessarily backed up by scripture is just my personal conviction. It may have some wisdom associated with it, but if not also backed up by scripture, my boys are free to accept my opinion or cast it off and form their own. I've done some of this with personal convictions my parents passed to my sister and I. Some I have accepted, and some I haven't.
With that in mind, what do I teach my children? I think I'll have to mix both conviction and truth. They'll have to know that the Bible gives certain liberties, but those liberties carried to the extreme can also have bad consequences (such as consumption of alcohol). So, my children will have to learn the wisdom handed down from previous generations, and ultimately will make their own decisions.
In light of the recent adventures with the athiest, this challenge to train up my children has taken on a much more important meaning.
How about you? How have you weighed what you were taught with the truth of the Bible? How are you preparing your children to enter adulthood in a way that will keep them on God's path and off the world's path?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Is Christian a Bad Word?
That's a topic I seem to be hearing more of lately, but murmerings of this have been around for quite a while. In fact, just a look through the New Testament beginning in Acts and going through the end of the Bible would seem to indicate that "Christian" has had a shady past.
I was reading this article by Pastor Francis Chan, and he opened with the following remarks:
As a result, I've noticed a recent effort in some arenas to stop labeling the followers of Christ as Christians, and instead using terms such as Christ-follower. To be honest, I actually like these efforts to re-label true followers of Jesus. Before you get your feathers in a ruffle, allow me to expound on this.
Pastor Chan is correct in his assessment that the term Christian has been diluted by people who claim the name of Christ, either through family heritage, or simply doing so on Sunday and living like the world the rest of the week. The lukewarm-Christian and the Christian-by-association has done great harm to the reputation of Christianity. We often do not give much consideration about how our actions influence the public perception of Christianity, but when we lie, cheat and harm those around us, we end up destroying their perseption and giving "Christian" a bad name.
Here's my challenge to you:
I was reading this article by Pastor Francis Chan, and he opened with the following remarks:
I would venture to guess that each generation has had it's version of Chan's assessment, but from where I sit, it is so true for today. More than once I have heard that "Christians" give Christ a bad name by the wickedness that sometimes comes from those who claim Jesus as savior. It's those situations that seem to be blamed as reasons for people to not follow Jesus.We live in a time when the term "Christian" has been so diluted that
millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves "good
Christians." We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who
believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly. Others
will label you a good Christian even though your life has no semblance to the
way Christ spent His days on earth.
As a result, I've noticed a recent effort in some arenas to stop labeling the followers of Christ as Christians, and instead using terms such as Christ-follower. To be honest, I actually like these efforts to re-label true followers of Jesus. Before you get your feathers in a ruffle, allow me to expound on this.
Pastor Chan is correct in his assessment that the term Christian has been diluted by people who claim the name of Christ, either through family heritage, or simply doing so on Sunday and living like the world the rest of the week. The lukewarm-Christian and the Christian-by-association has done great harm to the reputation of Christianity. We often do not give much consideration about how our actions influence the public perception of Christianity, but when we lie, cheat and harm those around us, we end up destroying their perseption and giving "Christian" a bad name.
Here's my challenge to you:
- If you have friends who view Christians in a bad way, try changing up the termonology. The early believers were called followers of The Way, so take that precident and feel free to call fellow believers something else, like Christ-followers. Just be sure the people you're referring to as followers of Jesus, actually live and act like Christ did. There's no sense in watering down that term, too.
- Call out those who claim Christianity, but live a lifestyle that does not promote Christ. Our churches are too full today of people who try to claim that we can't criticize what they do. But, 1 Corinthians 5 says otherwise. At the end of that chapter, Paul points out that Christians have a duty to correct others claiming Christ as their savior. (BTW, the last verse says it's God's job to judge those who aren't Christians.) Oh, and if you're wondering how you should correct someone who is ruining the Christian name, I'm not going to tell you. You need to read the New Testament to get that answer (hint: start here).
- Inspect your life to ensure your actions, whether public or private, are hindering the cause of Christ. There aren't many worse things than to realize that something you did caused someone to NOT make a decision to follow Jesus.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Complacency and Political Correctness
Last week at Baptist Bible College's Fellowship Week, the school had an Iranian Christian tell about his escape from his home country and subsequent conversion from Islam to Christianity. It was a fascinating story and I hope BBC will post it to their iTunes site soon.
One of the things the speaker, Daniel Schiest (cq?) mentioned near the end of his talk really stuck with me. He commented that Christianity is losing in America because Christianity has become filled with complacent, politically correct people.
Is this true? Is it possible that the majority of churches and Christians in America fall into the complacent and P-C category? Considering that our society has increasingly gone this direction, it would seem plausible. Sadly, an observation of Christianity in America would seem to support the claim.
Here's what I see.... I see a church that is more interested in voting on what toilet paper the church uses, and less interested in displaying their beliefs and values on election day. I see a church that is so concerned about offending troublemakers within the walls that they never try to solve the issues in their communities. I see a church that is consumed with personal power, agendas and their own kingdoms that they will not submit to God's Word nor grow His kingdom. I see a church that is so worried about making people feel comfortable that they never challenge people to make decisions to follow Jesus.
That all being said, it is not this way everywhere. I also see churches that are casting aside the lukewarm and embracing Christ in ways that haven't been seen in nearly a century. American Christians are starting to awaken to a reality where the God they believe in is on the verge of being wiped out in favor of the more politically correct "many-gods" or "no-god." Pastors my age are starting to preach the Gospel more boldly without fear of what the offended in their congregations might say.
I believe Christianity in America is in the midst of a great identity change. I have heard reports across the country where two particular things are happening: 1) pastors are preaching the blunt truth of the Bible, regardless of whether or not it offends, and 2) people are beginning to come to Jesus in numbers not seen since the last Great Awakening.
And, that's where I'll wrap it up for today. Christ-follower, you should be getting excited. You should be sharing the good news of Jesus to those around you without fear. You should be noticing that God is moving among us in amazing ways. yes, I believe we are on the edge of another mighty move of God in our world. So, cast off the complacency and political correctness. Jesus condemned them in the Bible, and He condemns them today.
Friday, May 15, 2009
An Eye Opening Experience
Working for a Christian organization can be a blessing and a bit of a curse. The blessings should be obvious -- common beliefs & purpose, pleasant atmosphere, etc. But, the downside of being around only Christians all the time is that you lose touch with those who don't follow Christ. And, once you lose touch with them, you no longer have the connections necessary to bring people to a salvation relationship with Jesus.
That is the boat I'm in. Being in Christian radio, most of the people you come into contact with are fellow believers. But, this week a cousin of mine has allowed me to participate in sharing Jesus with a self-proclaimed liberal, atheist. The young lady does not believe in any god or religion, and views herself as having been set free with her understanding that god is a myth. She claims to have been spurned by organized religion, and it has been clear through some of her comments that she has a lot of assumptions about the Bible, but hasn't ever really explored it.
I'll ask you now to please pray for this young lady. She's the type of person that believes she has it all figured out, and stubbornly refuses to accept the possibility that God may actually exist. However, she has opened herself up to the thinking of the Wicca religion, and I can see where that has influenced her some. Thanks for the prayers for her.
Now, back to the point of this blog post. Dealing with this young woman has been a very eye-opening experience. It has been a wonderful experience delving into the mind of someone who is convinced that if there is a god, she is her own.
For me, personally, I am being stretched in ways that haven't happened for some time. I'm seeing that some people out there have no idea what Jesus was really all about. They see what organized Christianity is, and want nothing of it. But, they assume that Jesus just set up another organized religion. They don't see that He came to free us from that stuff and to build a bridge back to God. They don't see that Jesus shows respect to the lowest of people that the world would rather trample on.
What they do see are all the man-made rules and regulations, power trips and failures, and political infighting that comes when man forgets to put Jesus in charge. And, they want no part of that. Sadly, they assume Jesus to have been the same way, since His followers are all messed up.
One last observation for this day, if you are a Christ-follower, be sure to read your Bible. If you don't know ALL that your Bible says, there is no way you can answer the questions a "liberal atheist" might have. In fact, their skepticism will eat you for lunch.
That is the boat I'm in. Being in Christian radio, most of the people you come into contact with are fellow believers. But, this week a cousin of mine has allowed me to participate in sharing Jesus with a self-proclaimed liberal, atheist. The young lady does not believe in any god or religion, and views herself as having been set free with her understanding that god is a myth. She claims to have been spurned by organized religion, and it has been clear through some of her comments that she has a lot of assumptions about the Bible, but hasn't ever really explored it.
I'll ask you now to please pray for this young lady. She's the type of person that believes she has it all figured out, and stubbornly refuses to accept the possibility that God may actually exist. However, she has opened herself up to the thinking of the Wicca religion, and I can see where that has influenced her some. Thanks for the prayers for her.
Now, back to the point of this blog post. Dealing with this young woman has been a very eye-opening experience. It has been a wonderful experience delving into the mind of someone who is convinced that if there is a god, she is her own.
For me, personally, I am being stretched in ways that haven't happened for some time. I'm seeing that some people out there have no idea what Jesus was really all about. They see what organized Christianity is, and want nothing of it. But, they assume that Jesus just set up another organized religion. They don't see that He came to free us from that stuff and to build a bridge back to God. They don't see that Jesus shows respect to the lowest of people that the world would rather trample on.
What they do see are all the man-made rules and regulations, power trips and failures, and political infighting that comes when man forgets to put Jesus in charge. And, they want no part of that. Sadly, they assume Jesus to have been the same way, since His followers are all messed up.
One last observation for this day, if you are a Christ-follower, be sure to read your Bible. If you don't know ALL that your Bible says, there is no way you can answer the questions a "liberal atheist" might have. In fact, their skepticism will eat you for lunch.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Greatest Atrocity in the Church Today - Part 2
Today, I'm continue with this brief series on handicapped people in the church. Yesterday, I talked about how churches tend to overlook special needs children with their ministry planning. Today, we're going to focus on the atrocities committed against handicapped adults.
This issue resonated with me this week when I went to the dentist, and there was a man who had some type of handicap, perhaps ALS. From a casual observation, the man clearly had some mental issues, and the rolling walker and the way he bent his neck to read indicated a broken down body. Then he opened his mouth. His speech would have led one to immediately assume that he was simple, but closer attention revealed that it was merely his speech that was broken. His mind was sharp and very attentive. Here was a bright man trapped inside a decaying body.
It was when the nurse spoke to him as if he were a little child that I was reminded of the atrocity the church commits in how we treat those with mental and physical handicaps. I have witnessed this time and again, and have probably done a little of this myself. Our prejudiced minds develop these assumptions that people with special needs are automatically stupid and incapable of thinking for themselves. And, we treat them that way.
It's probably one of the things that gets under my skin the most. An adult who can't function or speak properly get treated like a simpleton, a fool or a child. We act like they're extremely fragile. We talk to them like they can't understand what we're saying. We treat them like second-class citizens.
Sure, sometimes you have individuals who have severe enough mental handicaps that communication is difficult. But, often times we are in such a hurry with our own lives that we don't take the time to learn how to communicate with them. We just assume these people are dumb and we go on our way. The truth, however, is that you can learn how to communicate with these people. It's just like learning to understand someone with an Asian dialect trying to speak English. It take time to decipher the language patterns.
Well, it's bad enough with this stuff happens in the general public. It's atrocious when it happens in our churches. Sadly to say, I have seen this happen in two churches I've attended. In one, people would joke around and be nice to a mildly-retarded man, but most people wouldn't hang around to try and decipher his disabled speech. But, even with the mild-mental handicap, this man was very smart, loving and wanted to be a part.
The second instance nearly made me vomit. It involved an elderly man who was confined to a wheelchair by ALS. He could barely control his limbs, and his speech was extremely hard to decode. If you took the time, you could communicate, and you'd discover that the brain was very much intact. This man was beloved in the church for the many healthy years of service, but in the grips of ALS, some had lost their respect for him. The stomach turning event involved an interaction with this man and an older woman. She walked by his wheelchair, asked how he was doing, and when he muttered that he was doing good, she clearly couldn't understand him. Instead of trying to hear what he said, she merely turned and walked away.
Do we really treat the handicapped this way? I don't think it's our intention, but we get used to a busy pace of life that takes little time to understand the complex and confusing unless it directly impacts us. Sadly, that translates to churches and Christians that may not spend the time and resources to assist leading the handicapped to Christ and making disciples of them.
Just like the children mentioned in yesterday's post, we have to treat the handicapped and their families as a mission field. We have to take the time to understand them and their needs. We have to train people to assist them in learning about Jesus. Show this compassion, and I believe we will please Jesus.
This issue resonated with me this week when I went to the dentist, and there was a man who had some type of handicap, perhaps ALS. From a casual observation, the man clearly had some mental issues, and the rolling walker and the way he bent his neck to read indicated a broken down body. Then he opened his mouth. His speech would have led one to immediately assume that he was simple, but closer attention revealed that it was merely his speech that was broken. His mind was sharp and very attentive. Here was a bright man trapped inside a decaying body.
It was when the nurse spoke to him as if he were a little child that I was reminded of the atrocity the church commits in how we treat those with mental and physical handicaps. I have witnessed this time and again, and have probably done a little of this myself. Our prejudiced minds develop these assumptions that people with special needs are automatically stupid and incapable of thinking for themselves. And, we treat them that way.
It's probably one of the things that gets under my skin the most. An adult who can't function or speak properly get treated like a simpleton, a fool or a child. We act like they're extremely fragile. We talk to them like they can't understand what we're saying. We treat them like second-class citizens.
Sure, sometimes you have individuals who have severe enough mental handicaps that communication is difficult. But, often times we are in such a hurry with our own lives that we don't take the time to learn how to communicate with them. We just assume these people are dumb and we go on our way. The truth, however, is that you can learn how to communicate with these people. It's just like learning to understand someone with an Asian dialect trying to speak English. It take time to decipher the language patterns.
Well, it's bad enough with this stuff happens in the general public. It's atrocious when it happens in our churches. Sadly to say, I have seen this happen in two churches I've attended. In one, people would joke around and be nice to a mildly-retarded man, but most people wouldn't hang around to try and decipher his disabled speech. But, even with the mild-mental handicap, this man was very smart, loving and wanted to be a part.
The second instance nearly made me vomit. It involved an elderly man who was confined to a wheelchair by ALS. He could barely control his limbs, and his speech was extremely hard to decode. If you took the time, you could communicate, and you'd discover that the brain was very much intact. This man was beloved in the church for the many healthy years of service, but in the grips of ALS, some had lost their respect for him. The stomach turning event involved an interaction with this man and an older woman. She walked by his wheelchair, asked how he was doing, and when he muttered that he was doing good, she clearly couldn't understand him. Instead of trying to hear what he said, she merely turned and walked away.
Do we really treat the handicapped this way? I don't think it's our intention, but we get used to a busy pace of life that takes little time to understand the complex and confusing unless it directly impacts us. Sadly, that translates to churches and Christians that may not spend the time and resources to assist leading the handicapped to Christ and making disciples of them.
Just like the children mentioned in yesterday's post, we have to treat the handicapped and their families as a mission field. We have to take the time to understand them and their needs. We have to train people to assist them in learning about Jesus. Show this compassion, and I believe we will please Jesus.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Greatest Atrocity in the Church Today - Part 1
Some eight or nine years ago my wife and I had our world turned up-side-down when our oldest son was diagnosed with autism. The good news is that he has since recovered from it, but there were a few harrowing years there where we wondered whether or not our little boy would ever be able to function in society. We began noticing something was wrong when he started to lose speech that he had picked up, then lost the happy side of his emotions, and began odd repetitive behaviors.
I'll save the full details for a future post, but will sum it up by letting you know we credit God with working a miracle in our firstborn. God led us to the right doctors and therapists, and thousands of people lifted Jeremiah up in prayer, and over the years we saw him go from low-functioning autism to normal.
It was during those difficult years, though, that one of the greatest crimes of the church came to our attention. Sadly, it's an atrocity that most people don't even realize exists. It simply passes under the radar. The problem comes in how we deal with handicapped people.
You see, I had learned the lesson of the atrocity during our son's bout with autism. We realized very quickly that churches simply are not set up to handle handicapped people, especially children.
During the time we were fighting autism, we came into contact with several Christian families with handicapped children who did not attend church. These people loved Christ and badly wanted to be in church, but because churches are not designed to handle handicapped issues, it was impossible for them to go anywhere.
You see, the vast majority of churches can usually handle an adult in a wheelchair. Yes, it might cramp the isles a little bit, but it can be done. However, try putting a full size wheelchair in a children's area and the situation becomes more complicated. Now, consider children with mental issues who may not be able to function socially or physically in a way that the average person can.
The problem arises in that these special-needs children usually require a single person to work with them. Many times, that's one volunteer too many for churches, and these children get neglected or shipped back to their parents. And, specialized volunteers who are trained for these situations likely come with a price.
This continuing cycle eventually leads to the parents deciding it's not worth the hassle and horrid responses they get from their church, and they just stay home.
The end result is that we have a lot of families in our communities that want a church home, but can't find a church willing to invest in their kids. Imagine that for a moment. Entire families who desire to worship Christ and be taught the scripture, but the church can't accommodate their special needs and turns its back.
Church, here's my challenge to you today. Spend the extra resources it requires to provide care givers during your services to help the special-needs children in your community. Build a church home for these families who desperately want one. Yes, it'll require sacrifice. Yes, it may even require spending money. But, I believe God will be extremely pleased with the churches who recognize and meet these special needs.
Tomorrow, I want to discuss the same atrocity we commit toward handicapped adults.
I'll save the full details for a future post, but will sum it up by letting you know we credit God with working a miracle in our firstborn. God led us to the right doctors and therapists, and thousands of people lifted Jeremiah up in prayer, and over the years we saw him go from low-functioning autism to normal.
It was during those difficult years, though, that one of the greatest crimes of the church came to our attention. Sadly, it's an atrocity that most people don't even realize exists. It simply passes under the radar. The problem comes in how we deal with handicapped people.
You see, I had learned the lesson of the atrocity during our son's bout with autism. We realized very quickly that churches simply are not set up to handle handicapped people, especially children.
During the time we were fighting autism, we came into contact with several Christian families with handicapped children who did not attend church. These people loved Christ and badly wanted to be in church, but because churches are not designed to handle handicapped issues, it was impossible for them to go anywhere.
You see, the vast majority of churches can usually handle an adult in a wheelchair. Yes, it might cramp the isles a little bit, but it can be done. However, try putting a full size wheelchair in a children's area and the situation becomes more complicated. Now, consider children with mental issues who may not be able to function socially or physically in a way that the average person can.
The problem arises in that these special-needs children usually require a single person to work with them. Many times, that's one volunteer too many for churches, and these children get neglected or shipped back to their parents. And, specialized volunteers who are trained for these situations likely come with a price.
This continuing cycle eventually leads to the parents deciding it's not worth the hassle and horrid responses they get from their church, and they just stay home.
The end result is that we have a lot of families in our communities that want a church home, but can't find a church willing to invest in their kids. Imagine that for a moment. Entire families who desire to worship Christ and be taught the scripture, but the church can't accommodate their special needs and turns its back.
Church, here's my challenge to you today. Spend the extra resources it requires to provide care givers during your services to help the special-needs children in your community. Build a church home for these families who desperately want one. Yes, it'll require sacrifice. Yes, it may even require spending money. But, I believe God will be extremely pleased with the churches who recognize and meet these special needs.
Tomorrow, I want to discuss the same atrocity we commit toward handicapped adults.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Fear
I am extremely troubled by something I've noticed lately about our society, yet I'm not entirely surprised. No, it's not our culture's political embracement of homosexuality, or liberalism-gone-wild. While those things do concern me, at the moment, the one thing that is very bothersome is the fear that has swept our nation.
I don't think we fully grasp the impact fear can have on people until it engulfs a large group of people at the same time. For the past couple of years, we have witnessed a number of instances where fear has stopped people in their tracks.
What started as widespread panic over the collapse of the economy has now moved to concern over flu viruses. To make matters worse, it appears that our government leaders in Washington are bent on convincing us that we need to be afraid...that our only solution is the same government that historically has mismanaged nearly every program it has created. Evidence of this comes from President Obama's chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel who reportedly said "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste," essentially meaning that the federal government should use the opportunity presented by fear to scare citizens into turning over their rights and freedoms to the politicians in return for some government handout. And, it would appear that the government is doing all it can to follow through on Emanuel's comments.
The Rahm Emanuel comments came as part of the discussion over the financial crisis, but have also come into play in how the government is responding to the latest fear-monger, swine flu. At first, there was this public face that we should be very worried over this extremely deadly virus. But, when it turned out to not be so serious, the folks at the CDC had to come up with another scare tactic, namely the idea that swine flu could combine with avian flu and be real nasty (even though there is no proof that has happened or even will happen).
Even though this nationwide (and worldwide) panic appears to be enhanced by politicians in hunt of a power grab, the ultimate responsibility for this widespread fear lies on you and I. It is our fear that is continuing to drive the economic downturn, the hysteria over swine flu (or variations of it) and whatever else comes down the trail in coming days.
In a recent nationwide broadcast, author and talk show host Dave Ramsey pointed out that the entire collapse of the economic system was triggered by fear. He said that the markets are at false lows, and are being held down by fear. Likewise, the panic over flu viruses is also being caused in large part over fear of the unknown.
Well, since we don't know what lies around the corner, what can we do to combat this fear? We need to look to the Bible for answers. In Luke 12, Jesus tackles fear head on. He tells us not to fear the threats of man, but instead to fear the one who can take our soul. We should also not worry about those who will attack and defame us for our Christian faith (see Carrie Prejean). And, Jesus sums it all up by instructing us not to worry about the problems in this life, telling us that God has our best interests in mind and will care for those who follow Him.
What's great about Luke 12 is that Jesus also calls out the root of fear. He does it here, here and here. What's he telling us? I see a couple of things I want to point out.
First, Jesus tells us that those who live in fear are subject to the hypocrisy of the leaders in their community. He tells us to watch out for their lies and deceit, because they only seek to increase their pedistal.
Second, and more importantly, Jesus cautions us to not allow money (or other man-made things) to become our god. As we see around us today, when our false gods fail us, we tailspin into a panic that opens the door for the hypocrites (politicians) to make slaves of us.
Jesus had it right when He said these things 2,000 years ago. I think he was a bit smarter than our own modern-day thinkers.
What are your thoughts on fear? Drop a comment, and let me know.
I don't think we fully grasp the impact fear can have on people until it engulfs a large group of people at the same time. For the past couple of years, we have witnessed a number of instances where fear has stopped people in their tracks.
What started as widespread panic over the collapse of the economy has now moved to concern over flu viruses. To make matters worse, it appears that our government leaders in Washington are bent on convincing us that we need to be afraid...that our only solution is the same government that historically has mismanaged nearly every program it has created. Evidence of this comes from President Obama's chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel who reportedly said "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste," essentially meaning that the federal government should use the opportunity presented by fear to scare citizens into turning over their rights and freedoms to the politicians in return for some government handout. And, it would appear that the government is doing all it can to follow through on Emanuel's comments.
The Rahm Emanuel comments came as part of the discussion over the financial crisis, but have also come into play in how the government is responding to the latest fear-monger, swine flu. At first, there was this public face that we should be very worried over this extremely deadly virus. But, when it turned out to not be so serious, the folks at the CDC had to come up with another scare tactic, namely the idea that swine flu could combine with avian flu and be real nasty (even though there is no proof that has happened or even will happen).
Even though this nationwide (and worldwide) panic appears to be enhanced by politicians in hunt of a power grab, the ultimate responsibility for this widespread fear lies on you and I. It is our fear that is continuing to drive the economic downturn, the hysteria over swine flu (or variations of it) and whatever else comes down the trail in coming days.
In a recent nationwide broadcast, author and talk show host Dave Ramsey pointed out that the entire collapse of the economic system was triggered by fear. He said that the markets are at false lows, and are being held down by fear. Likewise, the panic over flu viruses is also being caused in large part over fear of the unknown.
Well, since we don't know what lies around the corner, what can we do to combat this fear? We need to look to the Bible for answers. In Luke 12, Jesus tackles fear head on. He tells us not to fear the threats of man, but instead to fear the one who can take our soul. We should also not worry about those who will attack and defame us for our Christian faith (see Carrie Prejean). And, Jesus sums it all up by instructing us not to worry about the problems in this life, telling us that God has our best interests in mind and will care for those who follow Him.
What's great about Luke 12 is that Jesus also calls out the root of fear. He does it here, here and here. What's he telling us? I see a couple of things I want to point out.
First, Jesus tells us that those who live in fear are subject to the hypocrisy of the leaders in their community. He tells us to watch out for their lies and deceit, because they only seek to increase their pedistal.
Second, and more importantly, Jesus cautions us to not allow money (or other man-made things) to become our god. As we see around us today, when our false gods fail us, we tailspin into a panic that opens the door for the hypocrites (politicians) to make slaves of us.
Jesus had it right when He said these things 2,000 years ago. I think he was a bit smarter than our own modern-day thinkers.
What are your thoughts on fear? Drop a comment, and let me know.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Teachable Moments
I love teachable moments. You know the ones I'm talking about, where you get to teach your children a deep truth about life based on an event they got to experience.
My wife and I went through one of those teachable moments last week...only we were the students, and God used our ten-year-old son to illustrate it.
My wife and I were at a day baseball game in Springfield, and our son's school had brought his class and a few others to the same game as a reward for their standardized testing. Well, as any good parent would do, we went down to his section to say "hi." His greeting was anything but a greeting. In fact, as we stood there talking to him, he continued to stare out to the field of play, ignoring his dear mom and pop.
It was one of those moments that my wife and I realized, he's growing up and doesn't want us around. He is afraid we'll embarrass him. It was kinda gut-wrenching for my wife and I.
Then, over the weekend, my wife pointed out to me that we do that to God sometimes. He's there trying to get our attention. He has something important for us, but we sit there staring away from Him, hoping He'll just go away while we do our thing.
We're all guilty of it. We say to ourselves, "Self! I have MY life all planned out. I can't let anything get in the way of MY dreams." Then, when God steps forward to grant us a life much bigger than our dreams, we give Him the cold shoulder, and justify it with "He's always trying to mess up MY plans."
Oh, but if we would listen to what God says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
What a wonderful promise that is for us. It tells us that God has some pretty awesome things he wants to do through us, more amazing than anything we can dream up on OUR own.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is always trying to get our attention. He wants to share His plan with us -- if we will only listen.
My wife and I went through one of those teachable moments last week...only we were the students, and God used our ten-year-old son to illustrate it.
My wife and I were at a day baseball game in Springfield, and our son's school had brought his class and a few others to the same game as a reward for their standardized testing. Well, as any good parent would do, we went down to his section to say "hi." His greeting was anything but a greeting. In fact, as we stood there talking to him, he continued to stare out to the field of play, ignoring his dear mom and pop.
It was one of those moments that my wife and I realized, he's growing up and doesn't want us around. He is afraid we'll embarrass him. It was kinda gut-wrenching for my wife and I.
Then, over the weekend, my wife pointed out to me that we do that to God sometimes. He's there trying to get our attention. He has something important for us, but we sit there staring away from Him, hoping He'll just go away while we do our thing.
We're all guilty of it. We say to ourselves, "Self! I have MY life all planned out. I can't let anything get in the way of MY dreams." Then, when God steps forward to grant us a life much bigger than our dreams, we give Him the cold shoulder, and justify it with "He's always trying to mess up MY plans."
Oh, but if we would listen to what God says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11
What a wonderful promise that is for us. It tells us that God has some pretty awesome things he wants to do through us, more amazing than anything we can dream up on OUR own.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is always trying to get our attention. He wants to share His plan with us -- if we will only listen.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
God, Politics and the Church
Today, we're taking a break from the Healthy Church series to take opportunity with the National Day of Prayer. As we focus our prayers on asking God to help our nation and her leaders, I want to tackle a decades-old debate about what place God has in government, and what place politics has in the church.
I know many people who have differing opinions on these two subjects. "There should be no religious influence in government." "The church isn't the place for political speech." "The pastor should be able to talk about the candidates, and compare them to the Bible." Those are just a sampling of the comments we all have heard. And, now you're going to get my opinion.
God and Government
The National Day of Prayer serves as a strong reminder that God does have a place in our government, even if many people don't see it that way. Whether you are a Christian or not, there are some indisputable truths about our country.
I know many people who have differing opinions on these two subjects. "There should be no religious influence in government." "The church isn't the place for political speech." "The pastor should be able to talk about the candidates, and compare them to the Bible." Those are just a sampling of the comments we all have heard. And, now you're going to get my opinion.
God and Government
The National Day of Prayer serves as a strong reminder that God does have a place in our government, even if many people don't see it that way. Whether you are a Christian or not, there are some indisputable truths about our country.
- America's humble beginnings were in Christianity when the Pilgrims fled Europe, because they were being persecuted for their faith.
- Many of the founding fathers were either Christians or respected the Christian faith enough to recognize it contained the recipe for a healthy nation.
- The major laws of our land can be traced back to the morals and laws found in the Bible.
I could easily continue with quotes from some of the famous names in our nation's founding, and point out the evidence of Christ in their lives. Unfortunately, that would run this blog post to a lengthy degree. I'll leave the quote searches for you. There are many good books and websites that provide the evidence. For a quick start, click here.
Ultimately, what I'm wanting to show is that it was the intention of those who founded the USA that God be a major influence in the actions and decisions of the country. To deny that is to claim you are smarter than people who started a country, and I doubt you can do that.
Politics in Church
This has been a hot topic since Jesus commented on taxes. Should the church separate itself from political talk, or dive headfirst into the discussion? It's not an easy topic to handle, but I'll at least add my voice to the discussion.
I can understand both sides of the argument. In America, the free speech we do have has promoted free thinking and development of ideas and opinions on everything around us. To that end, many people entering into our churches today bring those opinions with them.
When it comes to politics, most folks land in either the conservative or liberal categories. These two ends of the political spectrum have a tendency butt heads rather ferociously at times. And, in the church it can bring about the end to some friendships. So, any political talk inside the church has to be handled carefully. Most churches tend to shy away from it for this very reason.
The flip side of this discussion says that pastors should be able to speak on politics and candidates from the pulpit, citing that if politics is running against Christian values it should be exposed. This view is in the minority, mainly because the IRS imposed rules in the last century to prevent churches from politicking from the pulpit. During last year's political campaigns, a number of churches banded together to challenge the IRS by preaching sermons where candidates were called out for their views, and some politicians were endorsed by pastors.
Here's my take on this sensitive subject. I'm of the belief that the pastor and his church should be able to voice any opinions they feel necessary from the pulpit, dais or whatever means of official communication they provide. If a church wishes to endorse candidates, they should be able to do so without fear of losing their IRS non-profit tax status.
Having said that, I still think most churches would chose to not participate in politics, simply because it could open a Pandora's box in their congregations. And, you know what? That's okay, too.
But, I do think churches and their pastors need to be brave and bold regarding the social issues of the day. History is littered with the disasters that have come about by the church remaining silent on the social changes occurring in their cultures. Lead on that proof sheet is the German church during Hitler's reign. When the Nazis wanted to step up their efforts against the Jews, the Christian church stood in the way. So, to counter this, Hitler cut a deal with the church, and many Christian leaders turned a blind eye to the Jewish persecution.
So, as America faces many challenges to Christianity in the culture and government, as persecution of the church is beginning to gain steam, NOW is the time for pastors and Christian leaders to begin expressing their biblically-based views on what is happening in the world around us. World history suggests that the clock is ticking. Time is running out for pastors to freely speak these truths in our country.
Tell me what you think.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Signs of a Healthy Church: Part 3 - Celebration
As we continue this week to look at some of the ingredients found in healthy churches, today we turn to celebrations.
This is kind of a weird one. Typically, you find churches that either love to celebrate (the healthy ones), or would rather run from any kind of glee (the unhealthy ones). You don't really find churches that do a mix of celebrate and un-celebrate.
But, celebrations are a great signal as to the health of a church. The healthy church loves to see victories come through the ministry of the church, while the unhealthy church puts out an air that says "who really cares."
In my 35 years, I've had my fair share of both types of churches. I've seen people that enjoy hanging out together, sharing their trials and victories, and who love working alongside each other in the ministry. I've also seen folks that enjoy their closed group of friends, don't really desire to hear about trials or victories, and could care less if they ever fellowship together.
The celebration level of a church is an important thing when determining whether a church is moving forward or falling back. The church that celebrates looks forward to seeing people come to Christ; spending time getting to know more and more people; and working together inside and outside of the church to further the ministry of the organization. These people cannot wait until the next service or ministry activity.
But, what if your church is anti-celebration? I was once accused of preaching a "soft" message once when I was trying to get people to recognize the victories God had worked amongst them, so I'm familiar with the anti-party mentality.
I do have good news for you. There is hope. I believe there are three key ingredients to developing an atmosphere of celebration in any church:
This is kind of a weird one. Typically, you find churches that either love to celebrate (the healthy ones), or would rather run from any kind of glee (the unhealthy ones). You don't really find churches that do a mix of celebrate and un-celebrate.
But, celebrations are a great signal as to the health of a church. The healthy church loves to see victories come through the ministry of the church, while the unhealthy church puts out an air that says "who really cares."
In my 35 years, I've had my fair share of both types of churches. I've seen people that enjoy hanging out together, sharing their trials and victories, and who love working alongside each other in the ministry. I've also seen folks that enjoy their closed group of friends, don't really desire to hear about trials or victories, and could care less if they ever fellowship together.
The celebration level of a church is an important thing when determining whether a church is moving forward or falling back. The church that celebrates looks forward to seeing people come to Christ; spending time getting to know more and more people; and working together inside and outside of the church to further the ministry of the organization. These people cannot wait until the next service or ministry activity.
But, what if your church is anti-celebration? I was once accused of preaching a "soft" message once when I was trying to get people to recognize the victories God had worked amongst them, so I'm familiar with the anti-party mentality.
I do have good news for you. There is hope. I believe there are three key ingredients to developing an atmosphere of celebration in any church:
- Prayer: God has to be the central part in establishing an atmosphere of celebration. Why? Because the celebration is directed toward Him. We don't just have fun and party together for our own benefit. Instead, we do it as an act of worship to God. So, ask God to assist in developing a heart of celebration among the church.
- It Takes One To Get It Done: The move to change a non-celebrating congregation to one that can't wait for the next celebration begins with one person. In fact, every idea, activity or social movement has always begun with one person who is willing to set aside fears and people's perceptions of them to get the job done. We get a clear, contrasting picture of this in 2 Samuel 6. David had a heart of celebrating God. His wife did not.
- Time: For an institution that does not value victories or spending time together, it will take quite a while to change attitudes and work toward a healthy church. Over time, more people will be won over to a celebratory heart and mind. They'll begin to see the world around them differently. Eventually, they'll be leading the celebration charge.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Signs of a Healthy Church: Part 2 - Life Change
Continuing with my short list of signs of a healthy church - today I tackle the subject of:
Life Change
Of all the possible characteristics of a healthy church, this, by far, is probably the single most important piece of evidence of the church's health.
I understand that it can seem as though churches experience salvations in spurts between dry spells. In some places, a barage of salvations might be followed by an extended period of few to no salvations. The dynamics associated with the community in which the church resides may play a part in this, so when I talk of Life Change, I'm only partially referring to salvations.
Because we are all in differing stages in our relationship with God, our churches will also be in differing stages. Similarly, what we look for in terms of life change fluxuates with those stages. Yes, we all love to see the salvations, and our churches should be expecting people to be giving their lives to Christ each week. But, the reality is that many churches do not see them regularly. That doesn't necessarily mean those churches are unhealthy. Inside them are likely people who are believers, but are in the process of maturing. For them, each week brings new changes to their lives as they grow in their faith and obedience to Christ. And, that is definately a healthy thing.
On the flip side, the unhealthy church has lost it's focus on life change. Members are indifferent if no one accepts Christ in their church, even if years pass without a salvation. When the rare salvation does occur, the unhealthy church doesn't get excited, or desire to see more people begin a relationship with Jesus. And, during those dry times, there is no effort to even grow their own spiritual maturity. Maybe the saddest statement of all regarding the unhealthy church is that the lack of life change is typically cast off as just being the way things are and have always been.
As Christians, it should be our desire to see lives changed for Christ each week. I suggested earlier that we should expect them, and I meant it. We should prepare for them. We should design church services that will help people discover Jesus, and want to become a follower. Then, we need to take the new believers and mentor them to a close relationship with God.
So, what are you to do if you are in an unhealthy church? Well, don't lose hope. I have personally seen churches rise out of the ashes to become fruitful once again. It isn't an easy or quick process, but it can be done. There are so many things that must happen in order to cast off the unhealthy habits and attitudes in your church. But, it this type of change requires one thing - life change in at least one individual who will develop a passion to see God move in mighty ways in his or her church. That person's life changing passion will eventually catch fire among other people until it gradually envelopes the entire church. Sadly, it is not a quick thing. But, once that unhealthy church leaves mediocrity behind and becomes healthy, no one will ever want it to return to the way things used to be.
Life Change
Of all the possible characteristics of a healthy church, this, by far, is probably the single most important piece of evidence of the church's health.
I understand that it can seem as though churches experience salvations in spurts between dry spells. In some places, a barage of salvations might be followed by an extended period of few to no salvations. The dynamics associated with the community in which the church resides may play a part in this, so when I talk of Life Change, I'm only partially referring to salvations.
Because we are all in differing stages in our relationship with God, our churches will also be in differing stages. Similarly, what we look for in terms of life change fluxuates with those stages. Yes, we all love to see the salvations, and our churches should be expecting people to be giving their lives to Christ each week. But, the reality is that many churches do not see them regularly. That doesn't necessarily mean those churches are unhealthy. Inside them are likely people who are believers, but are in the process of maturing. For them, each week brings new changes to their lives as they grow in their faith and obedience to Christ. And, that is definately a healthy thing.
On the flip side, the unhealthy church has lost it's focus on life change. Members are indifferent if no one accepts Christ in their church, even if years pass without a salvation. When the rare salvation does occur, the unhealthy church doesn't get excited, or desire to see more people begin a relationship with Jesus. And, during those dry times, there is no effort to even grow their own spiritual maturity. Maybe the saddest statement of all regarding the unhealthy church is that the lack of life change is typically cast off as just being the way things are and have always been.
As Christians, it should be our desire to see lives changed for Christ each week. I suggested earlier that we should expect them, and I meant it. We should prepare for them. We should design church services that will help people discover Jesus, and want to become a follower. Then, we need to take the new believers and mentor them to a close relationship with God.
So, what are you to do if you are in an unhealthy church? Well, don't lose hope. I have personally seen churches rise out of the ashes to become fruitful once again. It isn't an easy or quick process, but it can be done. There are so many things that must happen in order to cast off the unhealthy habits and attitudes in your church. But, it this type of change requires one thing - life change in at least one individual who will develop a passion to see God move in mighty ways in his or her church. That person's life changing passion will eventually catch fire among other people until it gradually envelopes the entire church. Sadly, it is not a quick thing. But, once that unhealthy church leaves mediocrity behind and becomes healthy, no one will ever want it to return to the way things used to be.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Signs of a Healthy Church: Part 1 - The Volunteers
This week I'm going to take a look at just a few of the signs of a healthy church. Don't necessarily expect the obvious, and don't be looking for any big secrets. What you're going to get is 35 years worth of experiences and observations.
The Volunteers
I have gone to church all of my life. I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and later marry a Christian woman who also grew up in a similar atmosphere. With all of that in mind, one of the things I have witnessed in healthy vs. unhealthy churches are the volunteers.
This may seem a no-brainer, and it really is an easy concept to comprehend. Church leaders are all the time trying to gauge the health of their churches, and one of the easiest ways is through the volunteers.
In a healthy church, you have a lot of dynamics at work that make the church attractive to people. Folks who attend the healthy church are seeing people become Christians on a regular basis. People in this church are growing in their relationship with Jesus, and increasingly want to share this relationship with their friends. Each week, those who attend the healthy church can't wait to get there, don't want to leave, and can't wait to come back.
The people in this type of church also share another characteristic: they volunteer. In fact, they come out in droves to volunteer. Whether it's working with children, helping out around the place during services, or teaming up with outside projects, the healthy church sees a healthy number of volunteers who get the job done.
In contrast, the unhealthy church is almost the exact opposite. At this church, the people have grown bored or indifferent. They live in a rut that is defined by mediocrity. They may want to break out of the rut, but don't always know how, plus there is some comfort in mediocrity. The unhealthy church congregation also allows distractions to override any positive momentum, thereby discouraging anyone involved in the ministry of the church. Each week, those attending here go merely out of obligation (It's what you do on Sunday.), are more concerned about their personal interests, and are indifferent toward the entire experience.
And, to top it off, volunteers are hard to find...for anything. Children's classes tend to have unhappy workers who have been there for years, because no one else wants to do it. Work day projects around the church may have half of the able-bodied and available people show up. And, anything done outside of the normal service times rarely have volunteers.
The reasons for the abundance or lack of volunteers typically has one characteristic that follows each group: excitement level. With the abundant group, there is an excitement level about what the church is doing that almost makes people want to be a part of the action. With the scarce group, there is no "buy-in" of the leadership's ideas, and therefore no excitement. Summed up, nobody wants to be a part of mediocrity.
You cannot manufacture sustained excitement in a church. Manufactured excitement will eventually wear out and give way to mediocrity, because there was little buy-in to what was happening in the church. Genuine excitement comes from God working among the people of the church. It comes from the people seeing God do amazing, God-sized things. When people see that, mediocrity doesn't stand a chance. For your biblical reference, read the book of Acts. You'll see time and again what God-inspired excitement can do. From the moment the early believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were all ready to charge Hell with water pistols.
Finally, my discussion on volunteers wouldn't be complete without this video from North Point Church.
The Volunteers
I have gone to church all of my life. I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and later marry a Christian woman who also grew up in a similar atmosphere. With all of that in mind, one of the things I have witnessed in healthy vs. unhealthy churches are the volunteers.
This may seem a no-brainer, and it really is an easy concept to comprehend. Church leaders are all the time trying to gauge the health of their churches, and one of the easiest ways is through the volunteers.
In a healthy church, you have a lot of dynamics at work that make the church attractive to people. Folks who attend the healthy church are seeing people become Christians on a regular basis. People in this church are growing in their relationship with Jesus, and increasingly want to share this relationship with their friends. Each week, those who attend the healthy church can't wait to get there, don't want to leave, and can't wait to come back.
The people in this type of church also share another characteristic: they volunteer. In fact, they come out in droves to volunteer. Whether it's working with children, helping out around the place during services, or teaming up with outside projects, the healthy church sees a healthy number of volunteers who get the job done.
In contrast, the unhealthy church is almost the exact opposite. At this church, the people have grown bored or indifferent. They live in a rut that is defined by mediocrity. They may want to break out of the rut, but don't always know how, plus there is some comfort in mediocrity. The unhealthy church congregation also allows distractions to override any positive momentum, thereby discouraging anyone involved in the ministry of the church. Each week, those attending here go merely out of obligation (It's what you do on Sunday.), are more concerned about their personal interests, and are indifferent toward the entire experience.
And, to top it off, volunteers are hard to find...for anything. Children's classes tend to have unhappy workers who have been there for years, because no one else wants to do it. Work day projects around the church may have half of the able-bodied and available people show up. And, anything done outside of the normal service times rarely have volunteers.
The reasons for the abundance or lack of volunteers typically has one characteristic that follows each group: excitement level. With the abundant group, there is an excitement level about what the church is doing that almost makes people want to be a part of the action. With the scarce group, there is no "buy-in" of the leadership's ideas, and therefore no excitement. Summed up, nobody wants to be a part of mediocrity.
You cannot manufacture sustained excitement in a church. Manufactured excitement will eventually wear out and give way to mediocrity, because there was little buy-in to what was happening in the church. Genuine excitement comes from God working among the people of the church. It comes from the people seeing God do amazing, God-sized things. When people see that, mediocrity doesn't stand a chance. For your biblical reference, read the book of Acts. You'll see time and again what God-inspired excitement can do. From the moment the early believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were all ready to charge Hell with water pistols.
Finally, my discussion on volunteers wouldn't be complete without this video from North Point Church.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Swine flu - To Be or Not To Be...Worried
This strain of hybrid flu has grabbed headlines and people's fears as more than a hundred people in North America have died from the disease, most in Mexico. The CDC says this strain of flu could be on it's way to becoming a pandemic. I'll admit, I'm a bit concerned over the thing, but is it all in my head, or is there something to it?
My wife thinks I'm worried when I shouldn't be, and she has the Bible to back her up.
Even still, has this whole swine flu thing reminded anyone of the movie "I Am Legend?" Part of the plot is that the human race is decimated by a pandemic that kills off 90% of the global population. No, swine flu isn't that serious, but it is causing people to panic in a way we haven't seen in decades. Should we really be concerned?
Well, consider this. As we sit here today, there are several pandemics among us. HIV/AIDS, west nile virus, measles, etc. Oh, and don't forget the regular old flu. There are plenty of things to get us worried about, but Jesus encouraged us not to worry. And, He was right. For His followers, there really is nothing to worry about. As Paul said of himself and the believers, "to live is Christ and to die is gain."
My wife thinks I'm worried when I shouldn't be, and she has the Bible to back her up.
Even still, has this whole swine flu thing reminded anyone of the movie "I Am Legend?" Part of the plot is that the human race is decimated by a pandemic that kills off 90% of the global population. No, swine flu isn't that serious, but it is causing people to panic in a way we haven't seen in decades. Should we really be concerned?
Well, consider this. As we sit here today, there are several pandemics among us. HIV/AIDS, west nile virus, measles, etc. Oh, and don't forget the regular old flu. There are plenty of things to get us worried about, but Jesus encouraged us not to worry. And, He was right. For His followers, there really is nothing to worry about. As Paul said of himself and the believers, "to live is Christ and to die is gain."
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