750 Words

(I type everyday at 750words.com.  This was todays entry.  Straight and uncut.)

I almost missed it today.  I was reading my Google Reader stuff.  If Faith had succeeded in sending me to Jack in the Box I would have blown my streak.  40 days today I think.

that is how long Jesus was in the desert being tempted.  I haven't suffered anything like he did.  I don't really deserve to wear his name.  My only consolation is that none of us do.  We are not worthy.  We are declared worthy, and then made worthy by his name.

I was watching Ip Man the movie on Hulu earlier.  I guess it is like being a student of someone.  We are their student, not their equal, or their twin.  We grow to be a bit more like them in one way or another, but not in all ways.  We are still ourselves, just with a bit of an overlay changing one facet of our lives.

Except, with Jesus, it should change every facet of our lives.  I'm not saying I'm going to grow a beard and learn to speak Aramaic or Greek.  Nor do I plan on upsetting the current religious regime enough that they trump up charges and sell me to the political tyrants in charge.

But, I should be more like him.  Caring and loving.  Sacrificing.  I have a lot of "things" but nothing, other than my Self, that I can sacrifice.  the problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.  Its an old saying, but still true.  I have laid my life on the altar multiple times, and still I find myself living my own life.

there are many problems with organized religion.  We tend to push not just our beliefs but also our culture on another group.  Hence, the name the "missionary position."  As I understand it, this was the only accepted sexual position God wanted.  And missionaries forced many others to adapt.  Government, dress, government.  Language, etc.  It was all an attempt to make them like us, because we are Christians.  So, to be Christians, they must be clones of us, our habits, our dress, our styles of speech, music, entertainment.  Everything must be like us.

No wonder so many people see Christianity as a European, white man's religion.  It didn't originate with us, but European's certainly were effective at sharing it.  I wonder how much success was at the point of a gun, much like Islam "conquered" Arabia and northern Africa by the sword.  It wasn't Islam as much as it was religious zealots backed by armed might.  Convert or die is a persuasive argument.  whether it be Christianity or Islam, much conversion was done by force.

I wonder how this should be interpreted by that phrase of Jesus' when he said the gospel suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  It has been violated.  the muslims claim that terrorists do not truly represent Islam.  And I say the Crusaders don't represent the best side of Christianity.

We are both at fault.  Of course, trace our roots back to Judaism and they were commanded to decimate, no, to obliterate and remove their enemies from their midst.  Not to convert, but to slay them all.  Complete irradication.  That doesn't sound like the God I serve, but it is in the Bible.  I have to believe it.  I can see reasons for it, too.

All filthiness must be removed.  All temptation.  All impurities.  Despite what they were commanded to do, they still fell again and again into idolatry.  Now, what do we have to say for ourselves?  We are mixed into the civilization around us, and commanded to be salt and light, a preserving and guiding force for the countries and communities we live in.  Thermostats instead of thermometers. 

What changed?  We are the ones who are supposed to be changed.  Israel was isolated from the nations, commanded to be separate as an example to them.  A Light among the Nations.  We, Christians, are given the Spirit individually to carry into our personal lives.  We are not alone.  We are not isolated.  We are carriers.  We are changers, movers and shakers.  We are the yeast in the dough.  We have been sent into the world, not to be OF it, but, still, in it, making changes wherever we go.

Not with the sword, as many religions and cultures did through the ages, but with our lives and our blood.  A daily sacrifice lived to enhance and enrich the lives of others, and not to please ourselves.

F.U.D.

“Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt”

Origin

This was a marketing term used to describe one competitor sowing distrust about a  competitor, so customers would stay with them instead of trying something new.  “They’re product is full of bugs.”  “They’re a start-up company.  They have no staying power, or tech support.”  “They’ll go out of business, and you’ll be left holding the bag.”

These are all drawn from computer sales, where, I think, F.U.D. got its start.  One company advertising against another highlighting their defects and shortcomings, whether imagined or real.  It didn’t matter.  Sales mattered.  The truth didn’t matter.  Only the bottom line.  You went with one company and avoided another.

Mutation

Its mutated away from commercialism though, and entered the political arena.  During this  last election, Obama’s slogan was “Change!”  “We need change, because what we’re doing isn’t working.”  Or, if its working it isn’t good.  “It isn’t ethical.”  “It isn’t right.”  “Look at the devastation of the war.”  “Look at the cost in lives, and money.”  “The environment.  We’re killing the whole world.”  “We’re exploiting the Third World.” 

I guess in politics, its called mud-slinging and fear-mongering, but its the same thing.  “My opponent doesn’t have the experience needed for this job.”  “More of the same isn’t the answer.”  Republicans, Democrats, and those independent few all use the same tactics.  “You need to fear our opponent (fear), because he can’t handle it (uncertainty).”  “He is not capable (doubt).”

More of the Same

We’re seeing more of it today, with the “swine flu,” or H1N1, scare.  In the midst of all this frenzy, I heard people saying that it isn’t really that bad (which I agree with.)  But, they went on to say it was pushed and publicized so we would overlook Obama’s first one hundred days.  What did he do?  Spend money?  or solve problems?  It was used as a distraction so we, the people, wouldn’t look too closely.  Hmmm, maybe.  Or more F.U.D.  “Obama wants us to be scared of something other than himself.”  “He wants us to look to him for our safety.”

F.U.D. is being used as an accusation:  “The other person is using underhanded tricks to get what he wants.”  Now, the accuser is guilty. Of fear-mongering.  One side accuses the other of mud slinging, while their own hands are stained and dirty.

 

We, the Accused …

The Church has been accused of this also.  “Fire and brimstone!”  “Turn or burn!”  “God will smite you!”  “AIDS is God’s curse on mankind for _________.”  You can fill in the blank with your sin of choice:  homosexuality, drug use, abortion.  The mortgage crash is because we worshipped money.  Hurricane Katrina was God’s punishment for … what?  Mardi Gras?  9/11 was God’s call to repentance, a sign of the End Times.

Some few Christian’s say these things.  Many more may think them.  This isn’t right.  It isn’t useful or productive for the kingdom of God.

The Gospel is good news.  When John’s disciples came to Jesus, what was his response?  Tell them the blind see, the lame walk, and the poor hear the good news.  Eternal Damnation isn’t good news.  Its bad news.  We can use scare tactics to get people into heaven, but I don’t think that was God’s plan of the ages.  I think He wants us to tell people “good news.”  Jesus loves you.  God wants to hug you, not smite you.  Heaven will be exciting, not boring.

 

What do you think is the “best” part of the “good” news?

"Stop selling what you have ...

"Stop selling what you have, and start selling what they need. -- IBM"

I found this quote on Twitter, posted by Adrian Warnock.  Okay, honestly, I assume he's quoting something IBM said at one point, although I couldn't find it.  I googled it a bit, and found someone else quoting it a while back, saying its from an ad he saw by IBM.  Even knowing that, I couldn't track it down.  Nevertheless, it got me thinking, (which is something I do when people aren't talking to me).

The church needs to hear this, too.  We have been selling what we have, instead of what the world needs.  And what is it we have?  I guess it depends on where you live.  In America, we have an awful lot.  (Stress on the awful part.)  When I was in college, one of the "big things" circulating was the "Faith Movement," or Hyperfaith, or the name-it-and-claim-it people.  Basically, they said, God loves us and doesn't want to deny us anything.  So, if we pray with faith, God has to answer us, because of His nature and his promises.  "They say I need a shopping mall" mocked Steve Taylor.  I need a bigger house, or a Porsche.

But the world has these things.  It has all these things and more.  More than I can state here.  More than I can even imagine.  Things out of science fiction are popping up today.  The world has "gained the world", but it doesn't need them.

The world also doesn't need another testimony of what "God has done in my life."  Rock stars and movie actors saved from selfish and destructive lifestyles are powerful testimonies.  Then there are stories of kids raised in the midst of gang warfare and drugs, and come through it like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.  God was able to preserve them from falling into that lifestyle, and they don't even smell like smoke.

These are stories from the Church, about the Church.  They are interesting and amusing, sometimes relevant and heart-rending.  But they aren't powerful.  We need to be witnesses to the life of Christ.  His life is the One that can change us.  These others are "effects" to His "cause."  He is the source of power and change.  

Jesus Christ is the exact image of God (Hebrews 1).  If we have seen Jesus, we have seen God (John 1).  His love, His power, His message, His words.  Jesus Christ is, in every aspect of His life, God.  The story of His life demands people make a choice:  believe and be saved, or reject Him and remain in their damnation.

My life makes no such demands.  These are stories about me.  I hope you laugh with me, and have fun with me.  But you don't need me.  The world doesn't need me.  I can offer myself as a friend, or a co-worker, or an anonymous voice online.  But my life has no inherent power in it.

Christ's life is the Gospel.  It is "good news" for all people.  It is powerful.

We have stories, and they need power.

It is the Gospel of Christ Jesus that changes lives, not our anecdotes.

Wake the Dead

If its too loud, well, then you must be too old.

Doesn't this just sound like some young punk making excuses to play his music as loud as he wants?  He's laying the blame on those he's offending, instead of taking the blame for being the offender.  After all, this is America, the land of the free ... free to do whatever I want.  Even if it means inconviencing someone else.  "I can listen to what I want, as loud as I want.  If you don't want your kids hearing these lyrics, take them somewhere else.  If you don't want them to see me dressed this why, go somewhere else.  If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk."

But, hey, wait a second.  Don't some of these words sound a lot like what Jesus said?  Jesus came to "Wake the Dead" and the apostle Paul said "Wake up you sleepy heads".  They sound pretty close to biblical quotations to me.  (Of course, if you've read my blog, you'll know that most everything I see or hear has a biblical lesson in it somewhere.  This one comes closer than many others though.)

I don't think anyone would call Jesus and Paul 'young punks' making excuses for their behaviour.  However, they do lay blame on those they offend.  "If you don't like my message ... If you don't like my lifestyle ... "  Well, the truth is, if the Truth offends you, you must prefer lies.  You must be "old and dead" and set in your ways.

Jesus spoke very harsh words to the Pharisees.  He called them golden cups filled with filth, and beautiful, white-washed sarcophagi filled with dead-mens bones and cobwebs.   Yes, his words were offensive.  His lifestyle condemned their own, because his was righteous, and their's wasn't.  In effect, Jesus said "If my message is too loud, then you must be too old."

So, to all my fellow Christians  --  Turn It Up!

Active Context

In The Way of Aikido, by George Leonard, he writes of waking up listening to an orchestra outside his window, surrounding him.  Beautiful music all around.  Why was there an orchestra outside?  Especially at this time of night?  Then he reached up and touched headphones.  He'd fallen asleep listening to a CD, and woken to a musical interlude.  Instead of an orchestra, it was a CD.  Big difference.

What made the difference?  Context.  His understanding of what was really  happening at the time.  As his understanding changed, so did the whole event.

When we read the Bible, we need to be aware of the context.  Who wrote the passage, to whom, when, under what circumstances.  Read the verses, paragraphs, and chapters before and after.  Getting the whole picture will allow us to understanding the text.  (There is a story of a frontier preacher who taught that Elisha wandered around carrying Elijah's fireplace mantle, because he didn't know a mantle was also an article of clothing.  Just had to throw that in.  *grin*)

But, as Leonard points out, context isn't just a "passive container for our experience," it is an "active process dealing with how we weave our experience together to give it meaning."  Context isn't just for interpreting the Bible.  Its how we look at all of life.  Context "impels and directs our thoughts, emotions, and actions."  So, the way I see things will directly affect the way I interact with them.

If I see a problem, and focus on the problem, I'm giving my energy to it.  I need to focus on those things that made me successful, and direct my energy that way. In the words of Leonard, I need to make sure I don't lose sight of what made me successful in the first place.

And, just what is that?  It is God.  Daily time with God.  Imbibing his Word.  Resting at his feet.  Practicing his presence daily.

Notice in the quote by Leonard, he uses the singular "experience" and not the plural "experiences."  Life is all one piece.  We break it up into days, weeks, years, morning, noon, and night.  But, it is one.  One big experience.  I can't separate my Sundays from my Mondays just because the hour hand slips past the twelve in the depth of the night.  God isn't trapped by the hands on my watch.

When I go to work, or go shopping, to family reunions, or sit down to pay bills (not that I pay bills, my wife does, but you get the picture), what situation am I walking into?  Am I an interloper?  A pariah?  Low man on the totem pole?  Or, am I an ambassador of Christ walking in the power of the his Spirit?

Context.  Is this a problem, or an opportunity for God to show his power amongst those who need to witness his power in action?

The Illusion of Power

Empowerment. A buzzword of today's business establishment. The employees are empowered to make decisions. This gives them the power to make decisions without having to seek out management approval for every move they make. Its a good feeling, knowing that I am in charge, and I can do what I need to get the job done.

However, there are still rules. There are boundaries I can't cross. In the retail environment, for example, I may give a discount, but I can't give away the product for free. I can write a check and the bank will honor it, but only if I have the money in an account with them. Not having the money, or having it in another bank, doesn't count. Climb up the political chain, and you will encounter more and more red tape. Some gifts are acceptable, others not. Some may be taxable, while others are punishable by fines or prison time.

I come to realize that my personal power, inherent in my own "empowerment," is constrained and eroded. Its a grand sounding word, but ends up being a small pinnacle surrounded by slippery slopes. Use that power outside of fuzzy boundaries and you'll get into trouble. You could lose your job, your friends, your money, health, spouse. The list goes on.

In the end, "empowerment" is a good concept, but an easy way to destroy ones pride. "I tried to do what you said, but ..." The greatest example of this is Lucifer, who was cast down because of his pride. Satan was given great power and responsibility, and promptly overstepped his boundaries. "This far and no farther" wasn't a command, but a challenge. He was given a choice, and chose disobedience. From his lofty position, he was cast down.

This happens to us, also. We have been given power in life. Too many people let this power go to their heads, and they walk carelessly, slipping and falling from the path God set out before them. They end up lying at the bottom of pit, crushed and bruised, wondering where they went wrong. "God gave me this gift, and set me on this path. Why am I here?"

In the words of Isaiah, God is with the lowly and contrite, those who are broken in spirit. Or, as Steve Taylor put it, "Jesus is for losers."

The very word "empowered" means to be given power. Implying, power comes from an outside source. It is not inherent in us. None of us is born with power. Some are born into rich families, or politically connected families. But, that comes from the efforts of those who came before them. It isn't theirs. It is their families.

If I have an ability, it comes from God, and is a gift. The illusion of power blinds. Disillusionment brings freedom to come to Christ. And, in Christ, there is freedom and power to express ourselves fully in a personal way. A way that has meaning to us, individually, and a way that influences those around us for God.

Centering

I was mindmapping the word "centering," which came up in The Art of Aikido.  After a few minutes, I had several different paths to follow:  physical, spiritual, emotional.  There is also personal as well as corporate and family, and probably a dozen other types and styles of centering.  There is also centering prayer, although I can't find my book by Richard Foster right now.

In aikido, you center by placing your attention on your center of gravity.  Most people think of their "self" as being in their head, but by lowering your "self" to your center of gravity, you become more stable, and more graceful.

You can do this in other areas of your life, too.  Although, I'm not sure of everything Leonard is trying to teach.  As a Christian, I view what he says through the lens of the Bible, and some of it is off base.  But, the basic principle is still applicable.

As Christians, what is our "center"?  It is more than the Church, more than Christianity, more than the Bible.  He is Jesus Christ.  When we place Him at the center of our whole life, we become "more stable, and more graceful."  This is how great Christians of the past, and the present, have weathered the storms of life.  It is how Christians have drawn others to Him, by the grace with which we deal with life.

It was this appearance of centeredness that drew so many to the churches of America right after 9/11.  It was the lack of Jesus in so many Christian lives that let them slip away. 

I'll be dealing more with "centeredness" in the next few days, and what it means to me.