Why Either/Or?

It has been over a month since I have offered my thoughts in this way. This morning my heart is stirred by many avenues. I could take time to enter into the Glen Beck statements about social justice, already have given too many words to that. I could take about the luck of the Irish, and most seem to think that luck is simply found by getting drunk, again already spent too many words on that. Instead what about the guy behind all this green, shamrocks and poor Irish brogue attempts. St. Patrick is often lost in the midst of the day which carries his name. It is interesting that when so much discussion about social justice, and/or the Gospel are in the mainstream, we would come across St. Patrick. Before getting any further I want to recommend a book about Celtic Spirituality, " The Celtic Way of Evangelism" by George Hunter III. This book opens a window into the life and work of St. Patrick all should see and hear.

I am not sure there was much of a debate for Patrick when it came to the Gospel or Social Justice. The two seemed to be deeply connected by the way he lived his live and encouraged others to live. In fact there is much of St. Patrick's life which we find a sense of both/and living rather than forcing a choice which is a limiting choice. That is what happens when we force people or ourselves to choose between things like Social Justice and the Gospel. It can and has been argued by myself and others far smarter than I, that you cannot have a Gospel without Social Justice, and you cannot have Social Justice without the Gospel. To force a choice is to limit both.

Why is it that we as humanity, especially we in the church, like to force people into an either/or corner? Often doctrinal, or scriptural purity is lifted high as the battle cry. Problem, whose doctrine or purity of Scripture shall we use? There is so much more to God, and the Scriptures given to us by God than we as humans can fully comprehend. No, my impression is the enforcement of the either/or is truly designed to great exclusivity. If we can force someone to choose one way or another, we can know whether they are with us or not. Better said, we can determine if they are truly a follower of Christ or not.

The reality the One we follow was the master of the both/and. Jesus did not simply say commit verbally to following me, and hold pure doctrine. Likewise, Jesus did not say just go around doing good deeds and working for justice. No! Both things were deeply connected to the Kingdom of God, which by its very nature is a both/and kind of place. It is both present and future. It is both fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled. It is at hand, and yet to be embraced. I wonder what would happen if people who claimed to follow Christ began to see how broad, and deep God is. Life is not as easy as forcing a choice. Many messes are created by allowing room for both. Yet who ever said Kingdom living would be easy, and neat?

Looking Ahead

Today we begin with the Francis Chan quote, "People who are obsessed think about heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them."

This quote presents to me one of the classic battles of our journey. As we are told in scripture we are not citizens of this world, rather we are citizens of heaven. However, as it has also been said we can be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. For example, right now we could look at Haiti and ignore it by saying well, in the end it will all work out for those folks down there. We know those who had made their commitment to Christ will join us in heaven. This could be the action, and might be the action some people are taking. While the premise is true, there is a significant flaw.

Our focus tends to be too limited. Now I know that is the whole point of a focus, to limit what we are looking at, nonetheless ours gets too limited. The problem is not found in our actions now directly, it is found in the way we view this thing or place called heaven. Often heaven is thought of as another place and another time. Somehow we disconnect our current reality from what is to come in the fullness of time. People who are obsessed with Jesus Christ understand we are practicing now for what it will be like when that time comes. The call is now to be a people who seek and work toward justice, people who bring comfort to the hurting, and are expressing the Kingdom of God in tangible ways. This gets much easier when we realize what we are experiencing now is not all there is.

When we are following after Christ with all we have it is easier to understand there is more to life than we can see right now. Because we can focus on the glory of Christ we can see how our actions today fit in with eternity. Our present struggle will pass, and the glory of God will enter in. Our actions are no longer limited to solving the crisis at hand, rather we focus on working toward the ultimate goal of the time when God sets everything right. We would now look ahead to what God is already putting into place. Obsessed people are not paralyzed by the moment, rather they are energized by what is to come.

The World of Give and Take

Francis Chan offers the following "People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world."

Right now it seems as though everyone is ready to give a little, or a lot, in the wake of the Haitian earthquake. I applaud the efforts people are undertaking. In moments of great tragedy, I find there is still hope for our world. Nations and people alike are finding resources in the midst of tough economic times to help out the people of Haiti. I wonder what the fervor will be like in a year? Well what was it like a year ago?

Tragedy highlights the needs of the poor, and Haiti is the poorest country in the hemisphere. While hope is highlighted as well another side of humanity is drawn into the light. In moments of crises we care, but in the day to day we tend to have a disregard for those who are poor. Sure we might see them, but we do not see them. We know they are there, but we do not know them. The average person only sees the need to be in ministry with the poor during times such as these. Our challenge as Christ followers is found in that we are not called to be average. We are called to be obsessed. Jesus went out of his way to be with the poor. Please note that is not to minister to the poor, rather to be with them. It would only make sense the followers of Jesus would do the same.

As we gear up and meet the demands of this tragedy, I hope and pray we will be the followers in full force. That there would be ab outpouring of financial resource and material resource. My hope is there will be a great number of people ready to be in ministry with the people of Haiti, both poor and not as poor. More than that, I hope we will become obsessed with ministry with the poor. Let us not wait for the crisis of our world, rather may we look daily upon those who need obsessed people to come along side for the journey. Anything less and I wonder if we are not fulfilling our calling to be obsessed followers of Jesus Christ.

Service To Others

After a New Years break we are now back at it. Today's guiding thought from Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love is, "People who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people."

I have to confess this one hurt this morning. I was hoping for a quote that would allow me to convict others more than myself. Yesterday was one of those ministry days that started way too early and ended way to late. As the day wore on I was was wearing down. Once the mid-afternoon blood sugar low set in, I was ready to retreat to my office to preview a DVD for consideration of a future class. As I settled in they started coming. Our food pantry has hours on Wednesdays and the person who was working it was running late. Before I knew it there was a small crowd waiting to receive food.

I convinced myself they can wait, I have some really important things to do. I tried to focus on the project in front of me but I kept looking at the clock and seeing people patiently waiting for their opportunity to eat that night. Finally I pushed away the video and went out to serve the folks in need. My confession, I did it with an absence of joy. Here I had an opportunity to show love to people who God has sent my way, and all I could think about was not wanting to be doing it. This morning as I reflected on the words of Francis Chan, the cut was deep and true. I have so far to go before I can enter the ranks of the obsessed.

I find comfort and fear in the thought that I am not alone. I am sure there are many who are striving to live the obsessed life, but just cannot seem to get there. Along the way there are gains and there are setbacks, and the gains feel great while the setbacks hurt. Nonetheless the joy is not in the completion, it is found in the journey. Yes it is tragic I struggle so with being obsessed with the giver of life and being. More tragic is the number of people who identify themselves with God, yet are not even on the journey of obsession.

Whether it is professional ministry, or more importantly, the work of every baptized Christian, we all struggle in service. In moments which show our connection with God, we long to serve and be used by God. Other moments are perhaps neutral, and even more are an act of the will. We force ourselves to do what we know is the call of God to creation. The key is moving from and act of the will, to an act of joy based in our obsession of the One who calls us.

I wonder how many people, and churches do things out of perceived obligation? We must provide food for the hungry, clothes for the naked. We must do this or that or God will be angry with us and zap us. While we might not use these words, that is the sentiment I find in myself from time to time. What might happen if we, the followers of Christ, became obsessed? If we did things not do delay God's wrath, or because we should, rather because we live for it.

Serving others is not always easy. Whenever people are involved there will be struggle and conflict. Sacrifice will be required and, people will not always be happy, much less appreciate, the effort. We will grow tired and weary. The desire to give up will be more than we can bear from time to time. That is where the joy of obsession comes in. We can choose to persevere with joy. Service to others is the greatest form of showing the love of God.

May we, the church, become an obsessed people. May we serve people not out of obligation or fear. May we serve people because of the love God has infused our life with. May we be obsessed.

The Battle of Pride

I was out of commission for a few days with illness, but now we return to the topic of Obsession. We are reminded by Francis Chan, "A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be "humble enough" and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known.". Wow this one is hard. In my lifetime I have grown up in a society which rewarded those who make themselves known. Humanity has always fallen prey to the allure of the superstar, and the church has tragically not been an exception to that.

There is a need to elevate people in the church to a superstar status. Billy Graham, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, just to name a few. In each of the church circles on travels there will be the "superstar' of those circles. In fact by using the quotes of Francis Chan I run the risk of elevating him to a place reserved only for Christ. I have not had opportunity to talk one-on-one with any of these men I have listed, in fact I am not sure I have ever spoken one-on-one with any of those that would be considered church world superstars. Yet, I have a hunch they walk the tightrope. Having read and heard Billy Graham, I know he recognizes the places God has taken him, yet he knows it is not about him, rather the God whom he serves. I would wager a guess that most of these superstars would say the same thing. However, I am also hoping the battle wages.

The reason I hope the battle wages for them is selfish in and of itself. I know the battle wages with in me. I dream of being a pastor God could use on a national scale to aid in the transformation of the church. In my good moments my ambition is for the kingdom of God. In the moments when I struggle and begin to lose the battle, my ambition is for my own greatness. The reality is, anything targeted at my own greatness has one name, pride. I believe it was Paul who said it is not longer I that live, rather it is Christ who lives in me. This means our lives are not our own. Any opportunity we have is given by God. The fact that those ready these words are stationed all around the globe, is nothing that I can accomplish.

Another stark reality is in earthly terms, I am an overweight, average pastor, in a small obscure community in Central New York. Like many I struggle to get by and make the proverbial ends meet. My faith journey is a constant battle of faithfulness and struggle, often more on the struggle side. Again in terms of earthly clout, not even really a blip on the radar screen. Now before anyone sends me a message about my self esteem, realize that I know that I have value, and matchless value at that, it is just not measured in earthly terms. I get the awesome privilege to impact eternity on a weekly basis, possibly more often than that. God gives me opportunity to speak, teach, and live in community with others. None of that is about me, it is about the God who beacons me, and leads me. When I lose sight of that, enter pride.

Those who are obsessed with Jesus know that life is not about them. Our primary identifier is not our status, or our prestige. We are identified as followers of Christ. This means all things go back to Christ. While the battle is constant, victory can be won, but only through losing. We must lose ourselves. Not diminishing what God is doing with and through our lives, just not elevating ourselves. Not deceiving ourselves into thinking it is us who is at work. I will close with the words of Howard Hendricks, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less." May we all radically pursue humility.

Doing the right thing is always advised. We teach children to do the right thing and hope they will do it. Most of us want to do the right thing, just sometimes we get confused about what that is. Today's obsession starting point brings this into focus. Francis Chan offers "Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. As Martin Luther put it, There are two days on my calendar: this day and that day""

The drive to do what is right is often laden with self interest, either yours or someone who is advising you. A friend of mine once said the status quo is never neutral, it is always carefully crafted and protected by people's self interest. Persons who are obsessed with Jesus decide what is the right thing to do with a much different filter. Expectation and status quo while a force to be reckoned with, are not what determine their course of action. The very voice and call of God is what determines what is right.

Here is where the fun begins. The suicide bomber sincerely believes they have heard from God to go about their business. The Christians of the Crusades felt they were doing what the voice of God was calling. So how do we go about determining the voice of God. Well lets agree there is not the space or time here to even begin to develop that. The very abbreviated version is found The Sermon on The Mount, the section we have codified as the Lord's Prayer. Repeatedly we ask God to help us to yield to what God would want on earth, more than what we want. "Thy will be done, thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven."

There are those moments when we clearly know God is calling us. If we are wondering whether to help the person we walk by who needs help, we do not need a long discernment process, simply help. It is more complicated when decades if not centuries have gone into carefully crafting a current status quo reality. We may hear the voice of God calling us to be the agent of change, but this is one we need to be sure of. Why? Because the cost is great both to the organization and to the individuals involved. People obsessed with Jesus Christ count the cost, seek after God for confirmation, not once but repeatedly. Then they act. There is the difference of the obsessed and the not, action. Obsessed people do not allow expectations and status quo keep them from pursuing God.

In the world of the church when we allow expectation and status quo to eat us up the results are tragic. In the end we end up with a nice church that does some good things, but is nothing more than a social club with crosses. Over time the status quo becomes entrenched, and any attempt to break from it it treated as not only an all out rebellion of the church, but against the very work of God. The end game here is death. Not of the body of Christ, not even the gated of Hades will prevail there, but local and institutionally the church will die. The organization which was initiated to represent the heights of freedom in Christ, will die imprisoned to the status quo of what has always been.

The way we avoid this fate is for there to be a rise of people obsessed with Jesus. Great moves of God begin when people decide to completely, and totally sell out to God through Jesus Christ. I wonder what would happen if today was the day that marked the gathering of the obsessed? What if today was the day we looked back upon and said that was the day everything changed? that was the day people obsessed with Jesus Christ began to walk in that way? I wonder?

Ministry With The Poor

Today I continue the Obsessed series of entries. Once again we are working from the chapter titled "Profile of the Obsessed" in the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Today's profile maker is, "People who are obsessed with Jesus Christ live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to him."

Being a United Methodist pastor I do my best to keep us with the global initiatives of the church. In the recent years the General Church put forth the four focus points for the coming years. Among the four points is ministry with the poor. I was thankful for the wording of with the poor and not for the poor, and I continue to be thankful the church is putting its attention on an issue which was so close to the heart of Jesus. I am regretful that it required an international initiative to get the church to pay attention.

Theoretically the church should have a disproportionate number of people in it who are obsessed with Jesus Christ. This would mean that the people of the church would not only see the need for ministry with the poor, but would be leading the way across the world. I cannot help wonder about the state of our General Church, and our local churches is this had gotten out of focus. I know in my own life when I have wandered away from being obsessed with Jesus, my compassion and connection with the poor has suffered greatly. Could it be that our churches are filled with a disproportionate number of people who are not obsessed with Jesus Christ?

Before you enter that comment calling me all kinds of names, let me further complicate the issue. I have no right to judge the station of another persons heart. I do not sit in the judgment seat, and do not know the hearts and minds of humanity. I do however, have the ability to look at the fruit of my own life, and the life of this thing called the church. If the tree comes up empty there are some conclusions I can draw. For the General Church to make a global initiative of ministry with the poor, the conclusion is we have not been bearing fruit in this area. I understand the countless number of servants who willingly and sacrificially give of themselves to this end. Blanket statements are always dangerous. Still the evidence remains that those of us in the United Methodist Church, and other churches, have not been keeping consistent with the Biblical mandate when it comes to the poor.

Great energy is spent on church and conference budgets, when people right outside our doors are going without food. Millions of dollars are spent training people about the global crisis of poverty, instead of investing the money on ministry which would work at come alongside the poor. I think we are obsessed, I am just not convinced it is always with Jesus Christ. Ministry initiatives look nice in print materials, and they can help people feel good about their church, but will they change anything? Only if it begins with finding ways for the people of the church to become obsessed with Jesus Christ. Otherwise it is a social service project which will die once it runs its course. When we connect with the poor as an extension of being obsessed with Jesus, we develop a lifestyle, more than a program.

Should we be in ministry with the poor, absolutely. However, it should not be because it is an initiative of the church. Our desire and work with the poor should stem from being obsessed with Jesus Christ, and believing to the point of living it, that issues of economics and the poor really are important to Jesus.