Guilt Free
My friend Eric at “A Pilgrim’s Progress” has written a very encouraging and comforting post called “Don’t Feel Guilty.”
Eric’s post is one of those that I wish I had written. I think there is something in his list that everyone has struggled with from time to time.
But, guess what?! For those who are in Christ, there is no guilt… no condemnation. None.
We can rest in Christ, knowing that he loves us.
By the way, you may feel just the opposite of the things that Eric lists. Guess what?! No guilt for you either!
I guess, if I had to pick one thing to point out, it would be this one: “Please, brothers and sisters, don’t feel guilty… for feeling like you are speaking a different language when you talk with other Christians about the church.”
Which one would you pick?
(By the way, Eric’s post and image – which I used here – reminded me that whenever I see the words “Gluten Free” on a food package, I always think “Guilt Free” and smile…)
It’s not just about prophecy and tongues
At some point in the history of the believers in the Corinth, they (some of them anyway) apparently wrote a letter to Paul. He had traveled to Corinth (a major city east of Athens) earlier and had spent almost two years proclaiming the gospel and strengthening those who received the message.
Eventually, after Paul left on his continuing journey, some troubles and questions arose among the Corinthian believers. In response to their questions, Paul wrote a letter back to them. One of the questions that Paul answered concerned spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14).
He begins by reminding the Corinthians that only God could give them gifts, and he did so according to his own grace and desires. All spiritual gifts (and, thus, all believers) are necessary and important – especially those that may seem less important. (1 Corinthians 12)
Next, Paul tells the Corinthians that any spiritual gift (even the greatest) was worthless if the person did not love others. He said that eventually all spiritual gifts would cease (would no longer be necessary), but love would never cease. (1 Corinthians 13)
Within these two sections, Paul lists several different types and forms of spiritual gifts, all of them given by God for the benefit of others. While he says that different people are given different gifts for different reasons, he does not actually differentiate among the gifts (i.e., he does not call some “sign gifts” or “miraculous” gifts). To Paul, all of the gifts of the Spirit are “miraculous” because they are given from God through people.
In the last part of his answer to their question about spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14), Paul focuses on two of the spiritual gifts that he had already mentioned: prophecy and tongues. To Paul, there is one major difference between these two gifts: prophecy is directly understandable by people while tongues must be interpreted otherwise it is not understandable. In fact, Paul gives several examples, illustrations, and exhortations that prophecy is more beneficial when the church is gathered together specifically because people can understand it.
If we understand this major point in Paul’s argument, we can see that Paul is not only talking about prophecy and speaking in tongues. He’s using prophecy as an example of something that is understandable to all, and he’s using tongues as an example of something that is not directly understandable. (Of course, if the tongues is interpreted, then it becomes understandable.)
In this way, we can see that the end of Paul’s instructions (1 Corinthians 14:26-40) can help us understand other types of speaking and/or serving when the church is gathered together. Is the activity/speaking directly understandable to those gathered? If so, then it would fall under the guidelines that Paul gives for prophecy. If the activity/speaking is not directly understandable, then it would fall under the guidelines that Paul gives for speaking in tongues.
Teaching, praying, singing, etc. (if done in a way that others can understand) should be by two or three (one at a time) then the other would judge/discern what was said/sung/etc. If these things are done in a way that others can’t understand, then they should only be done by two or three (one at a time) if someone can interpret. (Of course, the interpretation would then follow the guidelines for prophecy, including being judged/discerned.)
It’s clear from the entire passage (1 Corinthians 12-14), that Paul is not ONLY concerned about prophecy and tongues. If we carry this broad concern into 1 Corinthians 14, then we can see that Paul’s guidelines are not only for prophecy and tongues.
The church and one another
JR at “More than Cake” has written a great post called “Are You A Part of the Real Church?”
He begins by reminding us that Jesus washed his followers’ feet the last night before he was crucified, ending by telling them that he did that as an example for them to also serve one another.
Then, JR makes the following statement, “Living for one another is the essence of what it means to be God’s church.” Did you catch that? Living for one another…
“One another…”
Finally, JR ends his post with a list of 33 verses that all focus on our relationship and interaction with “one another.”
Seriously, jump over to his site and read the last that JR has put together.
Yeah, apparently “one another” is pretty important to being the church…
How low can you go?
This post is part of an October synchroblog called “Down We Go.” (Click that link for more information about this synchroblog and synchroblogs in general.) Several bloggers are publishing posts on this topic today. (Whenever I get updates, I’ll add a list of links to the other bloggers at the bottom of this post.)
So, what is “Down We Go” all about? Well, from what I understand, it was inspired by Kathy Escobar’s book by the same title. Unfortunately, I have not read her book yet. However, we were told that we did not have to write about or interact with the book. Instead, we were asked to write about the same theme.
What theme? Well, here’s a description:
Independence. Success. Upward Mobility. Security. Comfort. In subtle and direct ways, many of have been sent a message by the world (and sometimes by the faith systems we have been part of) that life is about moving up–away from pain and suffering and toward comfort, stability, and put-togetherness. This kind of living is much different than the kind of life Jesus calls us to in the gospels. Jesus consistently modeled going down into the low and messy places of people’s experiences–intersecting with the lepers, the lonely, the outcasts, the marginalized. He calls us to a life of humility, love, and interdependence.
The way of life to which we are exhorted in the New Testament (and way of life mentioned in the description above) is perhaps best described as a life of humility. By “humility,” I mean a modest view of one’s own importance. This type of life is exemplified and exhorted in many passages of Scripture. One of my favorite examples is found in Paul’s letter to the believers in Philippi:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4 ESV)
A life of humility finds encouragement, comfort, affection, and sympathy in Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship (participation) in the Holy Spirit. (These are in direct opposition to the type of life that finds encouragement in that person’s own accomplishments or abilities.) Similarly, the life of humility responds through harmony with others, love, and unity without rivalry or conceit. Perhaps most importantly, a person of lives in humility considers the desires, thoughts, opinions, and interests of others as more important than his/her own. The last statement is very important. A humble person is actively engaged in the pursuit of interests that are important to others just as much as the pursuit of that person’s interests even if those interests (of the other people) are not important to that person.
This is a life of humility. A life that is demonstrates by our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul exhorts his readers (in Philippi) with the example of Christ’s life:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV)
According to Paul, Jesus Christ was not only “in the form of God” but was equal with God. However, he did not hold on to this equality with God choosing instead to lower himself to our level, and, even more, taking the humbling position of a servant and then allowing himself to face a humiliating death. Jesus gave up what was rightfully his for the benefit of others. This is humility.
While Jesus Christ was much more than a good example to follow, he was and is an example. (This passage among many others present Christ to us as an example to emulate.) Obviously, it is impossible to “have this mind among yourselves” without with the new life that we have in Christ and without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, for those of us in Christ, we are exhorted to live a life of humility. In fact, we should be asking ourselves, “How low can we go?”
Even more, humility is a characteristic that should be even more apparent among more mature believers. It may be demonstrated in acts of service, offers of hospitality, willingness to follow and submit to others, desire to support others in their interests and concerns, and, finally, the laying aside of one’s own interests. Unfortunately, among the church today (as among society), “leaders” are usually expected to demonstrate the opposite of these characteristics, demanding that others follow the leaders’ advice and opinions.
When Paul penned his letter to the church in Philippi, he specifically included in his address those who are “overseers” (bishops) and “deacons.” His commands to humble yourselves by considering the interests of others as more important are given to these leaders as much as (and perhaps more than) others among the church.
“How low can you go?” This is a question of humility that all of live in Christ should be asking themselves. And, if someone is not exemplifying this kind of life of humility, this person should not be followed, because this person is not leading others to follow Christ.
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Here is a list of others who are blogging on the topic “Down We Go”:
- Alan Knox – How Low Can You Go
- Jeremy Myers – Seeking The Next Demotion
- Glenn Hager – Pretty People
- David Derbershire – Reaching The Inner City
- Tammy Carter – Flight Plan
- Leah Randall – Jacked Up
- Leah Randall (her other voice) – How Low Can We Go
- Liz Dyer – Beautiful Mess
- Maria Anderson – Down
- Christine Sine – There Is No Failure In The Kingdom of God
- Leah Sophia – Down We Go
- Hugh Hollowell – Downward
- Kathy Escobar – We May Look Like Losers – Redux
- Anthony Ehrhardt – Slumming It For Jesus
- Sonja Andrews – Diversion and Distraction
- Marta Layton – Down The Up Staircase
- Wendy McCaig – A Material Girl
A blogger’s thoughts about the modern local church
Often, in my short noon posts, I link to a blog post written by another blogger. This time, I’m going to link to two different blog posts by the same blogger.
The blogger is Bobby from “Deconstructing Neverland.” And, I’m going to link to his posts in the reverse order that he published them… for a reason.
First, in his post called “What does local church look like?” Bobby admits that he does not agree with the way “local church” is usually defined and delineated today.
Next, in his post called “Trying something different,” talks about meeting with a local church. (The post is primarily about how the leaders of that church are trying a different, more participatory style of teaching.)
Now, put these two posts together. Bobby does not agree with how some of his brothers and sisters think about and live as the church. But, he wants to spend time with them (and DOES spend time with them) in spite of these differences.
What an AWESOME example of both blogging and LIVING as the church of God!
Running down a dream
A few years ago, I noticed that my body and my health were changing. Until that time, I could eat and do almost anything that I wanted, and it did not seem to affect by health. (It probably was affecting my health, but I didn’t notice any outward signs.)
So, when I noticed my health getting worse and my waistline expanding, I changed what I ate. That worked great for a couple of months, and I even lost alot of weight. But then I fell back into the same patterns of eating, and I regained all the weight that I had lost.
Later, I decided to try exercise. I started running, but soon had to stop because of pain in my shins. This annoyed me because I had always been able to run for exercise before. About a year later, I tried to run for exercise again. Once more, I had to stop because of shin pains.
Last summer, I went to the doctor, and he told me what I already knew: if something didn’t change in the way I was living, I was headed for a very unhealthy life that included high blood pressure, diabetes, and perhaps more.
He recommended changing both my diet (what I ate) and my exercise (that is, do something for exercise). So, Margaret and I both adjusted what we were eating, and we began walking for exercise. We started walking slowly for short periods of time, then eventually increased the pace and time of our walking.
Soon, I began to wonder if I could run. The first time that I tried, I ran for just under a mile. I waited a few days, and found that I did not have any shin pains. Next, I ran for just over a mile. Again, I did not have any pain in my shins. I continued increasing my pace and distance, and I continued to be able to run without shin pain. (After doing some research, the absence of shin pain could have been due to my losing weight and/or slowly increasing my exercise.)
So, things were going wonderfully. Margaret and I were still walking together, and several times per week, I would run as well. I loved the exercise.
Then, one week, I found running to be extremely difficult. I could not run as fast or as far as I could the week before. It wasn’t as fun as it had been. I wasn’t in pain; it was just more difficult to run.
Several people told me that this was to be expected. Everyone had off weeks, but they encouraged me to keep at it.
I decided that I needed an incentive to keep running so that I wouldn’t give up. So, I registered for two different 5k races. I kept running, even though it was hard. Within about a week or so, running was again a joy, and I was again increasing my pace and distance. I decided to register for a 10k race as well.
Now, guess what? My first 5k race – which seemed so far away when I first registered – is this Saturday! Yep. And, the second 5k race is the Saturday after that. Then, I get a weekend off before running the 10k race on November 5.
I may be a glutton for punishment, but I’m actually looking forward to the next few weeks. Not only am I enjoying running and exercising (both by myself and often with others), I also feel better and have more energy. (And, yes, Margaret and I have both lost over 20 lbs.)
Note: This post is not intended as a metaphor or allegory of the church. It’s just a quick note about what’s going on in my life. Sorry if you’re disappointed. 😉
(p.s. The title of this post – “Running down a dream” – is the title of a Tom Petty song, which, ironically, is not about running at all.)
A new church in the projects
I’ve linked to several posts written by Felicity at “Simply Church.” I link to her posts because she writes about what God is doing through her and the people around her. These kinds of examples can be very encouraging to people who are seeking how to follow God for themselves.
A few weeks ago, she wrote a series of posts about a new church that God started in a housing project in their town. If you haven’t read them, you should read through these posts:
- How we started a church in low-income housing projects
- The continuing story of how we started a church in the projects
- A church is born in the projects
- Lessons from Rosa’s story
Those posts are short, and well worth the time it would take you to read them, I think.
Teaching them to OBSERVE all that I have commanded you
You probably recognize the title of this post as part of the Great Commission. The Great Commission is a name given to one of the statements that Jesus made after his resurrection and just before he ascended into heaven.
Throughout the years, different groups of Christians have emphasized this passage. Until recently, those who emphasized this command (such as some of the Anabaptists) were persecuted and even tortured for attempting to do what Jesus told his disciples to do.
Just to put this post in perspective, here’s the entire statement:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)
While this passage has been examined and studied and subjected to every kind of analysis known to man, there is one part of it that I rarely see or hear addressed: “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Oh, I’ve heard the “teaching” part emphasized and even the “all” part. But, what about “to observe”…
Think about the difference between these two statements:
- Teaching them all that I have commanded you…
- Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…
The difference is obvious, right. Jesus did not tell his disciples to teach people WHAT he had taught them, but instead to teach them TO OBSERVE (i.e., keep or obey) what he had taught them. That’s a huge difference.
But, how does this difference play into our understanding of “the Great Commission” and how does it affect what we do about helping others become followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ?
Here are a few points to consider:
- Our goal is not giving people information or even understanding.
- Our goal is for people to obey to Jesus Christ (not us).
- We cannot make someone obey Jesus Christ.
- We cannot help someone obey by simply telling them information.
- We must show them what it means to obey Jesus Christ.
Again, this has HUGE implications to what it means to help someone follow Jesus Christ. Giving information – even good and true information – is, at best, a miniscule part of the Great Commission.
Would you be willing to help me and my readers think through what it means to “teach them to observe all that [Jesus] commanded”? How has someone helped you obey Jesus? How has God used you to help others observe Jesus’ commands? How do we help others obey without trampling on the work of the Spirit or the grace of God?
Members together with one another
For the last few days (and for the next few days), our family and some friends are in Williamsburg, VA. This morning we gathered together with some brothers and sisters in Williamsburg.
I’ve known Danny for a few years. Last year, he and I even traveled to Ethiopia together with Dave Black. About a month after we returned from Ethiopia, Danny moved back to Williamsburg. One of the reasons that we came to Williamsburg was to spend time with Danny and his family and some of the brothers and sisters in Christ that he had met.
This morning we had a chance to get together with them. We sang together, prayed together, read Scripture together, and encouraged and edified one another together. We shared the bread and cup together and ate salad, spaghetti, and sausage and peppers together. We sat around outside and enjoyed the fall afternoon and continued our conversations and fellowship.
Even though we live in North Carolina and they live in Virginia, we immediately recognized ourselves as and spent time together as members together with one another. Members of what? Members of some man-made designation of “local church” with whatever name we might give it? No. Co-members of the church – the body of Christ – not through some distinction or decision of man, but because we are all children of God and therefore brothers and sisters to one another.
What a great day so far! I thank God for the brothers and sisters (the church) that we gathered with this morning. Some of them I knew; some I had never met before. But, we were all members together with one another.
Scripture… As We Live It #177
This is the 177th passage in “Scripture… As We Live It.”
Now as they were eating instead of eating a meal, Jesus took bread small pieces of bread that had already been broken, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup several small cups, one for each of them, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them passed them out, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28 re-mix)
(Please read the first post for an explanation of this series.)