Who is Disqualified?

I am just back from Africa, and logic might tell you that this entry would be about my time there, but I am often on the other side of logic. Today I am thinking more about the people that we as Christians disqualify from having worth. Churches are built both buildings and people, to reach people and this is good. he tragedy is these churches often are only looking to have people like us there. The "Boomer" thought of churches endorses such thinking. I argue that the Jesus way of thinking challenges this line of thought in some significant ways. As Christians we are called to build relationships with all people, especially those who are not just like us. The church is not to be a place where people look the same, talk the same and think the same. I guess it comes down to the words that many attribute to John Wesley, actually it is Augustine, in the essentials unity, in the doubtful things liberty, but in all things love. The only essential is Jesus, and what his life, death and resurrection opens for each person on the face of the planet. Everything else is a opportunity for growth and discussion along the journey of faith. There are far less absolutes than I once thought there to be, but there is still Jesus, and a call for people to radically live like Jesus calls us to live.

Adventures in Missiong the Point

To steal a title from Tony Campolo and Brian McLaren, I think often our lives become adventures in missing the point. The issues that we make significant and of greatest importance are often issues that confuse the call of God. The more I travel this journey of faith, the more I become convinced that buildings, budgets, and statistics are a waste of time if we are not staying focused on the work of God. So what is the work of God? I think the principle work of God is building relationship. Relationship with God first, and then as a product of our relationship with God, others. Not just the people who are like us, but with all people. People of different race, economic group, sexual preference, political outlook, or any other difference. The point of this whole thing called life is not to create division, but to build relationship with all people and God.

More Than Salvation

I think that it is easy to miss the point in this thing called life. It is really easy to miss the point in this glorious and mysterious thing called the church. What if relationship is more important than salvation. Now before you think I have completely lost my mind hear me out. What if the key to our life and the church was found in relationship, not only human to human, but our relationship with God. I contest a full relationship with God can only be accomplished through the grace offered by Jesus Christ. Yet, I think God is looking for more than to simply have us all be saved. I think God longs to be in relationship with us, a deep, meaningful, and intimate relationship. In fact it is fractured relationship that brought about the need for salvation, but salvation does not repair the breech of relationship. The repair is only done by developing the relationship with God, that God longs to have with us.

Lord If I Know

Lord If I Know

Why Hold Back

I just got back from spending a week with some of the most amazing youth. For a little over 6 years I have been working with the program called Director's Invitational at Casowasco Camp and Retreat Center. This group of young people came together and challenged each other through discussion and exploration of who God is and the ways that we relate to God. It made me wonder why we, as supposed adults, have such a difficult time being in dialogue such as I say in these leaders of the church.

I wonder if we spend more time trying to keep people happy, or if we do not want to offend someone. I guess it could possibly be that we have not taken the time to think through our believes enough and we know if really challenged we would be lost. Could it be that we might have to face the fact that we might be wrong?

All told, it might seem more simple to just assume what another person thinks and leave it at that. It also might seem more simple to never challenge what we believe. However, do we ever grow then?

The Privilege and Responsibility of Invitation

“For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. -- Ephesians 2:8

It is only through the grace of God, not our good works, not our human determination, or even through our will, that we gain full access to the riches and fullness of God. The only thing we did to receive this gift was to accept the gift. The grace of God was poured out for all humanity in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and is offered to every single person. Many of you reading this might have not only heard about the grace of God, but you have chosen to accept the gift. Still more of you may have gone from acceptance to living fully a life of grace. All who have accepted this grace are called to share the gift. Grace, while given to each person, is not only for the one person. As Christ Followers, those who have accepted the gift, there is a great privilege in inviting others to experience the grace of God first hand. A grace relationship with God through Jesus Christ is not something that we are to merely soak in the glory of. We are not to be selfish with what God has done through Christ. Not only is it our privilege to share the grace of God it is our responsibility. Part of being a Christ Follower is to act as Christ did, and that is to extend the grace of God to all people.

Establishing a grace relationship with God through Christ is not something we did. It is impossible for us to do enough good things to receive grace. It is a gift from God. It is not from us, and only for us. It is from God and for all people. There are many ways for people to experience this gift, one of the ways is through the church. I want to invite you to be praying about, and looking for people that you can share the grace of God with. Invite them to experience the grace God has freely given to all of us.