“What do Christians mean when they say God made us in His image?’ ”
That was the question asked by the guy in the corner of the pub at my monthly book club. The people in the group come with a range of faith perspectives—atheist, Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, both liberal and conservative. And a range of professions. There’s a physician, a philosopher, a couple lawyers. Even the waitress at the pub has joined sometimes.
We read classic literature, mostly—Camus and Conrad, Dante and Dostoevsky, Euripides and Eliot, Milton and Shakespeare. And for spice, Jonathan Franzen. The book that evening was Pascal’s Pensees—a full-throated defense of the Christian faith.
I started to answer the question by saying the Genesis creation accounts show that God is creative, orderly, social. At which point the guy in the corner, an atheist who had grown up evangelical, stopped me and said, “Social? That’s interesting. I’ve never heard that before.”
This is a common problem. Christians say “image of God” a lot, but how many of us have really thought through what all it means? I rarely do. Even more importantly, how many of us have even contemplated why God made us in His image? What is the purpose of being created in His image?
I contend that God is, in His Trinitarian self, an orderly community of selfless love. And He made us in His image for this purpose: to create, sustain and extend orderly communities of selfless love across the globe.
Let’s look at each one of those words to further understand.
Create
God is creative and He made us to create as well. What we create is called culture—something that God, even before sin entered the world, began to work through people to make. As theologian John Frame has said, “creation is what God makes by himself; and culture is what he makes through us.”
Sustain
Modern culture idolizes the new, but much of what we do every day is maintain the gifts already given to us–God’s gifts in nature and, through the traditions of people, God’s gifts in culture.
Extend
Adam and Eve were not designed to stay in Eden, even before their sin. They were to “fill the earth,” as Gen. 1:28 says. And Gen. 2:24 says a man will leave his father and mother’s house to live with his wife. So households will multiply, eventually, filling the earth.
Order
The creation account shows God bringing order to His creation, which was formless and void. He separates light from dark, land from sea. He creates animals “according to their kind” (Gen. 1:21). God works with Adam to name all the animals—a cultural creation, based on Adam’s God-given reason and knowledge, that helped Adam rule over the animals. At the same time, the system of names Adam created made it easier to extend that knowledge to other communities, helping people to fulfill God’s order both to the “fill the earth” as well as to “have dominion” over the animals—that is, to rule the earth in an orderly way.
God also gave Adam and Even a job—to tend a garden. A garden is not raw nature—it is an ordered version of nature, as Andy Crouch noted in his delightful book, Culture Making. “From the beginning, creation requires cultivation, in the sense of paying attention to ordering and dividing what already exists into fruitful spaces,” he wrote.
Community
God is a community—three persons in one being. This might be reflected in the words “Let us make” in Genesis 1. God also makes people to be a community. When only Adam had been created but not yet Eve, God declared, “It is not good that man should be alone.” And the command to “Fill the earth” implies the addition of lots more people.
Selfless Love
What kind of community did God envision for Adam and Eve? We’re used to thinking of this purely in terms of obedience—a community that did not sin by eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree and a community that multiplied through procreation. But we must remember that the first community was a married couple. And the Bible has lots to say about marriage. The Apostle Peter tells wives and husbands to love each other selflessly–wives submitting to husbands and husbands honoring wives–under the rule of God and His Son Jesus (1 Pet. 2:25–3:7).
Peter brackets his comments on marriage with commands to servants under masters (i.e., employees) and then to “all of you” in the church. We are all to submit to one another and serve one another, inside the church and outside it. The church is to be an orderly community marked by selfless love (John 13:34-35). But so are our communities outside the church, as the parable of the Good Samaritan loving his neighbor shows.
The Image in Action
We can use the goal of a “community of selfless love” as a useful gauge to understand why our day-to-day work is important. And to understand if our actions within that work are aimed correctly.
One question people have today is if being a full-time mom (or dad) is valuable. But if our purpose is to “create, sustain and extend communities of selfless love,” then feeding a family and training kids in how to love and be loved is the highest work of all. It also means the work of those who produce and deliver the things that keep families fed, clothes and healthy are critical too.
Another question is whether government is an entirely separate from our religious lives. But if God’s purpose for our lives, beginning even before sin corrupted the world, is to create orderly communities, then government in all its forms–politics, police, courts, military, homeowners associations, keeping an eye on our neighbors’ houses and roles of leading and following–is vital to all parts of our lives.
Above all, our work should aim to create selfless relationships that are the definition of community.
In a small way, that’s what my book club does. Amid the brokenness of our sinful existence, an honest but respectful dialog–fueled by some of the greatest portrayals of how life is and ought to be–offers a glimpse of the image of God in action, creating a community of selfless love in a small corner of the globe.
This article about why God made us in His image originally appeared here.
It’s nearly impossible to overestimate the value of a vibrant children’s ministry in your church.
Parents love their kids.
God loves their kids.
I’m confident you do too.
But the fact that you care about the kids that attend your church may not show in your children’s ministry.
Your church may have an inspiring vision, outstanding worship services, and strong outreach ministries, etc., but if you don’t have a vibrant children’s ministry, families may stop coming.
No need to panic, but when it comes to children’s ministry, there is a need for strong leadership and commitment to the next generation.
And I want to express appreciation to all children’s staff and volunteers! You are heroes. Thank you for what you do.
It’s not always easy, and you may not get thanked as much as you deserve, but please know what you do is incredibly important, and you are appreciated.
One volunteer said that several parents of preschoolers shared that their kids cry if they don’t get to come to children’s ministry that Sunday!
It’s never our goal for kids to cry under any circumstance, but that’s a pretty good sign you are doing something right within Kid’s ministry when the children want to be there that much!
Children’s ministry is a big job, and there is a lot too it, but if you focus on five core elements, you can build a world-class vibrant children’s ministry that will help you strengthen and grow your church.
Here are the five key elements of a vibrant children’s ministry:
1) Create a safe and attractive environment.
Few things trump the safety of children while they are under your supervision at church. If you don’t get this right, you don’t get to do anything else.
From check-in and security to a safe and clean physical environment, it’s essential that you do this well.
With a heart to serve, part of your responsibility is to gain the trust of the parents.
That starts with an environment that brings confidence to moms and dads when they drop their kids off, pick them up, and every minute while the kids are under your responsibility.
From clean flooring for the toddlers to enough volunteers to manage an appropriate span of care, a safe environment is the foundation.
Do you have a team member who checks on these kinds of things?
Earlier today, the Christian world was shocked to learn that Christian rapper TobyMac had suffered a severe loss. A representative of the McKeehan family said their oldest son, Truett Foster McKeehan, died either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Now, TobyMac (Kevin McKeehan), has issued a statement about his son’s passing. It is as much a lovely tribute to a beloved son as it is a heartbreaking commentary on a life taken too soon.
“He had an untamable grand personality and dreams to match,” TobyMac wrote in the statement he gave to USA Today.
Remembering Truett Foster McKeehan
Truett aspired to follow in his father’s artistic footsteps and was working on creating his own music. TobyMac said that his son didn’t want to be a child star or do something like take the easy road to fame. Instead of releasing an album at a young age, TobyMac said his son wanted to “live some life and have something to say” before he made music. “He wanted to be a man with scars and a story to tell,” TobyMac wrote. This was a position TobyMac supported, along with his son’s musical talent. He described Truett as a “true artist” who wrote, recorded, produced, mixed, and designed the art for his songs.
The husband and father of five described his eldest son as full of joy and “a magnetic son and brother and friend.” As far as his son’s faith, TobyMac said Truett had a “soft spot for God,” even though he wasn’t a “cookie cutter Christian.”
Truett always had a soft spot for God. The Bible moved him. His heart was warm to the things of his King. He was by no means a cookie cutter Christian but give me a believer who fights to keep believing. Give me a broken man who recognizes his need for a Savior every time. That’s who Truett was and how he should be remembered.
The Christian rapper, who rushed home to be with his family earlier this week while he was on tour in Canada, recalls the last time he saw his son.
My last moment with Truett in person was at his first show this past Thursday at the Factory in Franklin, Tennessee. I had to leave the next morning very early to fly and start our Canadian tour. As I stood in the audience and watched my son bring joy to a room, I was as proud as a “pop” (as tru called me) could be. It was the culminating moment of a dream that he had since he was 12. It couldn’t have been sweeter. Our music, and what we say lyrically couldn’t be more different, but the outcome was much the same… offering a room full of people a few minutes of joy in a crazy world.
TobyMac also included a picture of their last text exchange, in which the father expressed how proud he was of Truett. The exchange read:
TobyMac:
“I wanted to tell you how proud I was of you last night…Your show was amazing and I think you got the “it” factor which is very important but unexplainable. your joy is infectious and you invite people into it… But one more thing I was very very very proud of you when you went down and stood on the front row after most people left you watched Nathan show from the front row and encouraged him… That kind of thing right there will take you farther than great art… God doesn’t miss those things like he notices things like that and blesses us I promise.”
Truett replied:
“Love you Dad
Thank you so much
you have always believed in me
make me feel like a superhero”
At the end of his statement, TobyMac shared a bit about the grief he and his family are experiencing. He encouraged those who may be questioning why a good God would allow something like this to happen with these words:
My wife and I would want the world to know this… We don’t follow God because we have some sort of under the table deal with Him, like we’ll follow you if you bless us. We follow God because we love Him. It’s our honor. He is the God of the hills and the valleys. And He is beautiful above all things.
The Anglican Archbishop of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia, has come under fire for recent statements he made regarding the church’s position on same-sex unions. While it is not surprising that people have found Archbishop Glenn Davies’ words offensive, many news outlets have ignored the context of his speech as they have reported on it.
“My own view,” said Archbishop Glenn Davies In his presidential address at the 51st Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, “is that if people wish to change the doctrine of our Church, they should start a new church or join a church more aligned to their views—but do not ruin the Anglican Church by abandoning the plain teaching of Scripture. Please leave us.”
Why Did Archbishop Glenn Davies Say That?
At the beginning of his speech, Archbishop Davies spent more than 20 minutes discussing the gravity of the bishop’s role, as well as the actions of specific bishops in the Anglican church. The office of the bishop, said Davies, finds its basis in Paul’s instructions in the epistles of Timothy and Titus, and “Anglican polity retained this ancient office of bishop as a means of guarding the faith, entrusted with the responsibility of ordaining, licensing and appointing ministers to serve the body of Christ.” Bishops, argued Davies, have a weighty responsibility to safeguard the faith as they lead the flock and appoint others lead it.
Davies went on to evaluate recent appointments and actions of various Anglican bishops in Australia and in other parts of the world. Some bishops he praised for their faithfulness, and some he criticized for betraying the the truth of Scripture by supporting same-sex unions. He specifically mentioned the Bishop of Wangaratta, who recently supported a regulation blessing same-sex marriages. This, said the archbishop, “is contrary to the teaching of Scripture and the doctrine of Christ” and leaves church members in a dilemma.
“What do faithful Anglicans do when their bishops betray God’s word, as did Israel’s shepherds of old?” asked the archbishop. “How do you hold onto the time-honoured ministry of bishops as guardians of the faith and doctrine, when your own bishop is no longer a worthy shepherd?”
Davies noted that next year, the General Synod will convene a special session to “confer on the issue of same-sex blessings and same-sex marriage.” While this meeting is to be a “consultation, with no opportunity for making decisions,” the archbishop emphasized the necessity for the Anglican church to take a definitive, biblical stance on this issue. Given the division within the Church over sexuality, Davies said, “I fear for the stability of the Anglican Church of Australia. These developments have the potential to fracture our fellowship and impair our communion.”
It was in the context of such comments that Davies then stated that it would be better for those who wish to change the established doctrine of the church to simply leave and start a church more to their liking.
Glenn Davies’ Response
Despite the content of the rest of the archbishop’s speech, media headlines have highlighted the phrase, “Please leave us,” and made it sound like Davies wants anyone who disagrees with him to leave the church. The Guardian even criticized him for taking four days to clarify his words.
Archbishop Davies did write a response to the outcry, saying that his comments were directed at the bishops and that he does not retract anything he said: “Many in society think that I should ‘update the faith’ rather than ‘guard the faith.’ But that is not up to me or, may I say, up to any bishop of the church of God. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith. We are not at liberty to change what he said, drop out bits that don’t suit us, or mould Jesus into what we would like him to be.”
Doctrinal Statement on Gender Identity
Something else Davies mentioned in his presidential speech was “the troubling issue of gender identity.” The Synod did address that topic by adopting a doctrinal statement, as well as a set of pastoral care guidelines, on the issue. The purpose of the statement, said Davies, “is to make it clear not only to the public but also to our congregations, clients, customers and constituency, what the doctrine of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Sydney is on this matter.” Without a clear declaration of the church’s position on gender, “the community expectations on issues of morality will prevail.”
The Synod’s statement affirmed two biological sexes, saying that gender dysphoria is a result of the Fall. While it acknowledged the challenges presented when people are born intersex, the statement said this does not negate God’s created order. It also emphasized showing compassion for those struggling with gender dysphoria and encouraged them to fix their eyes on Christ.
The Synod delayed voting on a document advising bishops to encourage trans people who have transitioned to de-transition.
The statement on gender identity was not well-received by transgender church members, who view the church’s rejection of non-binary identities as inherently discriminatory and uncompassionate. One likened the document to, “putting lipstick on a pig.”
In his presidential address, Archbishop Glenn Davies said he expects that “the Christian voice” will be increasingly marginalized. Even so, he said, “our engagement with these issues must not be based upon seeking to preserve ourselves or the privileged status we currently enjoy. Rather, our concern ought to be for the glory of God in following his paths.”
Christian artist TobyMac and his family are facing the death of their oldest son, Truett Foster McKeehan. Truett was 21 when he passed away earlier this week. TobyMac, who was touring in Canada at the time, rushed home from his concert tour to be with his family in Franklin, Tennessee.
“Truett did pass away at home in the Nashville area sometime Tuesday night or Wednesday morning,” a representative for TobyMac wrote in a statement released today to USA Today Network.
No details have been given at this time about Truett’s cause of death. Truett is the son of TobyMac (Kevin McKeehan) and his wife, Amanda. The couple has four other children: Leo, Judah, Marlee, and Moses.
Truett, an aspiring rapper, also went by the name Shiloh and Tru and had made some cameo appearances on some of his father’s albums over the years. The young artist was living in L.A. to pursue his musical career. Truett’s Instagram account features clips of him rapping and a recent video of him performing at his first live event. [Please note: the video below and Truett’s Instagram account contain graphic language some may find offensive].
Last year, TobyMac released the album The Elements, which features the song “Scars.” The rapper told the Tennessean the song came from watching Truett leave home in pursuit of his career. On his website, “Scars” is described this way:
Among the most personal songs on the record, and one of TobyMac’s very favorites, is “Scars.” “I love ‘Scars.’ It is a different melody for me. It was kind of cool to keep it real low key,” he says. “It’s the closest song to me on the record. I had a few people in mind when I wrote it, but subconsciously I started focusing on my first-born son. For the first time in my life I found myself sending ships of out the harbor … up to now our family and home have been the harbor. The people I love the most are going out there facing all the pain, struggle and temptation this crazy world brings. It can be so hard to watch. I’m very aware of the scars that come with life’s journey but sometimes we insulate those from our children—so to see them go out and there and do this real world is painful. I wanted to let him know that I’m here for him and even bigger than that, God is there for him. You are not alone—so lift your head up my son—to where your help comes from.”
Some may draw conclusions from the line in the song “Now you won’t take my phone calls, You won’t text me back at all” that the relationship between TobyMac and Truett may have been strained.
The rep for the McKeehan family said, “We just ask that everyone please be respectful of their privacy during this time and allow them to grieve their loss.” On Thursday, TobyMac released a statement about his son’s passing.
I understand why churches look for someone with ministry experience when they’re looking for a pastor. Frankly, I would naturally lean that way, too—except for the many “rookie” pastors I’ve seen do well in their ministry. Here’s why a young pastor might lead well your church’s revitalization efforts.
Many young leaders have depth in their faith. They just believe that God can do anything, so they’re willing to follow Him into the most difficult church circumstances. That’s the kind of pastor I would want.
An increasing number of young pastors senses a call to do church revitalization. I wrote a blog post about the “church planting rage” in 2015. That calling is still popular, but more and more young pastors believe God is calling them to lead churches in plateau or decline.
Young pastors often seek an older mentor in ministry. They don’t want to do ministry alone, and they look for older leaders to help guide them. That means that your young pastor may well have wise counselors speaking into his life as he leads your church.
More young leaders have a deep burden for their home church. In many cases, they have fond memories of their upbringing in that church—and they want to help that church and others experience growth. Gone are the days when young leaders avoided struggling and dying churches.
Some young leaders have completed seminary classes on church revitalization. The school where I teach (Southeastern Seminary) now offers MA, MDiv, and D.Min. degrees with a specialization in revitalization—as do other seminaries. Hence, young leaders may have graduate level training in revitalization that older pastors did not get.
Young pastors will likely attract other young people. Church growth naturally happens that way—the young pastor will likely attract people close to his age and stage of life. Most church revitalizations I know need more young people.
Young pastors who just want to do ministry are often worth the risk. Their zeal for ministry is so strong that it can naturally bleed over into the congregation. Others then want to be a part of that ministry when they see the young pastor’s faithful passion for God.
Again, I do understand why congregations want a pastor with experience. At the same time, though, somebody must give young pastors a chance. I challenge you to give them that opportunity.
This article about considering young pastors originally appeared here.
Do you find yourself getting frustrated because the kids aren’t listening to the lesson?
Good news. I’ve got something you can do to change that.
It’s a simple, but highly effective way to see your behavioral issues go away.
Here’s what it is.
Stop looking at your class time as 60 minutes.
Here’s why.
Today’s kids have an attention span of 5 minutes max (the case could be made that it is even shorter than that).
Instead, do this. Look at your 60 minute class time as twelve 5 minute sections. Every 5 minutes change and do something different. By doing this, you are honoring the kids’ attention spans and you are resetting their internal clock every five minutes.
Let’s take your teaching timeas an example. Instead of teaching for 15 minutes straight, teach 5 minutes and then stop and have the kids do something related to the lesson. It might be a game that ties into the lesson theme, a song, an activity, etc.
After the kids have finished up the five minute activity, game, etc., you can jump back into the lesson.
Trust me, if you will do this, most, if not all, of your behavioral issues will go away.
A few weeks ago, I was consulting with a church. While I was observing the children’s ministry area on Sunday morning, the volunteers had a skit they were doing for the kids. I watched the kids immediately engage with the skit. However, at the three minute mark, the kids started to get restless. At the four minute mark, they begin to look around and whisper among themselves. At the five minute mark, they were completely disengaged.
Here’s how you can tell when kids disengage and you lose their attention. When they start looking around, whispering, wiggling in their seat or on the floor if they are sitting, then you know it’s time to move to the next part of your lesson.
The majority of the behavioral issues you are experiencing is due to not honoring the kids’ attention spans.
Kids are wired to move, talk and interact with those around them. Even when you are presenting the lesson. The behavioral problems are not a reflection on how good a teacher you are, rather it’s a reflection on your teaching and classroom strategy.
In Connect 12 curriculum, we have broken down the lessons for you into 5 minute segments. These lessons have been used to teach thousands of kids the 12 key Biblical truths they need to know before they graduate out of your ministry. You can see lesson examples at this link and series are available for purchase.
If you’re about to start pulling your hair out because the kids won’t listen, this can be a game-changer for you. Try it and you’ll see your behavioral problems fade away. You can get more info. about the curriculum at this link. Below are some examples of some of the series. All of these honor kids’ attention spans and will have kids loving your lessons.
Few things are more powerful than a mature leader. And few things are more dangerous than an immature leader.
An immature leader is like a grenade with the pin pulled. You don’t know when it will go off, but you know it will, and when it does it’s going to be messy.
I’ve come to deeply appreciate mature leaders and my respect for them rises quickly. Staff members who are mature are worth their weight in gold.
It’s OK to start immature, we all do, but at some point it’s time to grow up, and lead for the good of others.
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”
Maturity isn’t merely about age and experience. You can be young and mature, or older and immature. Maturity is an inner quality that resonates through all the components of a leader’s life. This doesn’t mean that a mature leader has “arrived.” We all have moments of immaturity, but it’s easy to identify the primary patterns of a mature leader.
6 Primary Life Patterns of a Mature Leader
1) A mature leader takes responsibility for their own actions.
This is arguably the most important factor to discern maturity. It’s not the only factor, but until a person takes responsibility for what they do and say, they are behaving immaturely.
When I was a kid and did something dumb, my mom would ask me, “Why did you do that?” I often said, “I don’t know.” That’s how a child answers, and the implication was simple: I wanted to. That’s it. (Regardless of how it affects others.) When I do or say something dumb, as an adult, I need to own it. I need to call it what it is, and take the appropriate action—be it an apology or action to correct it. Further, I should not repeat it.
2) A mature leader continues to love even when they don’t receive love in return.
Whether it’s your children, spouse, co-workers, employees, neighbors, etc., let’s be honest, you don’t always “feel the love” right? We have all experienced that. Jesus demonstrated this kind of unconditional, even sacrificial love for all of us, and we all fall short. But He set the high standard for us to strive after.
As a church leader, you may have a regular attender, leader or even a board member who is not treating you with the respect and kindness you deserve. When someone doesn’t interact with you in a loving way, love them anyway. This isn’t easy, but your love toward them will likely go a long way toward resolving whatever conflict may exist.
3) A mature leader demonstrates a surrender to God.
It’s hard to admit, but it’s easier to submit to God’s will and plans for our church and our leadership when things are going like we want them to. When things are tough and not immediately according to our prayers, the definition of surrender seems to become negotiable.
Maturity demonstrates a unique blend of confidence and humility. This quiet confidence comes from a knowledge that God gave us the talents and gifts we have, and provides the power that allows those abilities to result in changed lives. Mature leaders are at ease within themselves.
It’s understandable if young leaders are unsettled and restless. They need time to learn how to handle insecurities, discover who they are and how God has designed them to lead.
In time, however, maturity reveals itself when a leader is comfortable in who they are and personal insecurities have become minimal. This personal security allows you as a leader to invest your energy into making progress, solving problems and helping people, rather than trying to get people to see you as something other than you are.
5) A mature leader values accomplishment over status.
Mature leaders want to make a difference and immature leaders want to be noticed. Immature leaders are more concerned with status, org charts and what people think about them. Mature leaders want to know the vision, what is expected and find personal delight in getting the job done.
6) A mature leader learns from mistakes and continually improves.
It can be frustrating when a gifted and talented leader seemingly refuses to learn from their mistakes. It might be anything from a lack of discipline to an independent spirit, but when a capable leader repeats the same mistake over and over, even with coaching, they are revealing immaturity. To be blunt, they just want to do what they want to do.
Mature leaders continually learn, grow and improve. They get better at what they do. This enables them to handle more responsibility, love more consistently, lead in surrender to God, live comfortably in who they are and seek meaning over status.
“Faster internet!” “Buy it now!” “Get what you’ve always wanted when you want it.” These are only a few of the seemingly ubiquitous advertising slogans of our culture. No sooner have we begun to entertain them that we have met the dilemma of progress. The more things progress, the more we desire. The more we desire, the more we expect. The more we expect, the less we are willing to wait. The less we are willing to wait, the more we grow sinfully frustrated, anxious, discouraged or depressed. Progress feeds on a sin nature. As we move through our lives at hyper-speed, we unconsciously allow ourselves to believe that if we don’t keep up we will be left out. We set expectations both for ourselves and others. We convince ourselves that we can do more and have more–faster than ever. We convince ourselves that we can do whatever we set our mind to–and to do it on our timetable. When expectations are not met–or when we experience the hardships and trials of life–we begin to grow anxious and despair.
A number of years ago, I was speaking at a conference in Anchorage, Alaska. I quickly observed that everyone seemed far more relaxed in Alaska than in the rest of the US. When I asked the conference host about my observation, he said, “In the lower 48 (States), there is an expectation that everything happens right away. Here, if the bridge is out, people know that it won’t be repaired for months or years. People here don’t expect everything to happen right away.”
“Progress always gives us more and more of everything faster and faster…We have to deal with more ‘things per person’ than ever before in the history of humankind. Every year we have more products, more information, more technology, more activities, more choices, more change, more traffic, more commitments, more work. In short, more of everything. Faster…Progress automatically leads to increasing overload, meaninglessness, speed, change, stress, and complexity.”
The remedy is found in learning to wait on God. We will only ever truly learn to wait when we lack, when things are hard, when we are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and when we come to an end of ourselves.
King David knew all of this so well. Almost no one experienced more hardship, trials, loss and want, in life than David. While fleeing from Saul, David was–at one point in time–living among the Philistines. While living in hiding there, he fought battles for Achish, king of Gad (1 Samuel 27). When the Philistines were about to go to war with Israel, David was willing to be Achish’s bodyguard. However, the other Philistine lords complained to Achish about David. Therefore, Achish sent him back to the land of the Philistines, where David had been hiding with his wives and mighty men (1 Samuel 29). When David and his mighty men returned, they found that the city had been burned, and their wives and children taken captive (1 Samuel 30). David’s mighty men were furious at him, and sought to stone him.
In 1 Samuel 30:6-7, we read, “David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” David was at the brink of having lost everything. He was cut off from the people of God, from the land of God, from the enemies of God, from his own mighty men, and from his wives and his children. He had been stripped of everything. So, he did the one thing that he could do–and desperately needed to do. “He strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”
The great distress of soul that David experienced at this point in his life gives us insight into his response in Psalm 62. There we read,
“For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken” (Ps. 62:1-2)
David never makes a single petition in this psalm. He never even asks God to do anything. He strengthens himself in the Lord by counseling his own heart to wait in silence for God.
He again speaks of the grace of waiting in silence on God, when he writes,
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God” (Ps. 62:5-7).
David didn’t scheme. He didn’t devise a plan. He exercised the grace of waiting in silence on God to deliver him. By so doing, he experienced God’s deliverance, restoration and blessings. So much of the Christian life can only be learned when we are brought to a place where the only thing we have left to do is to wait on the Lord. Sinclair Ferguson says, “So often we think that we are trusting Christ when things are going well; when, in fact, we are simply trusting that things are going well. It’s when things are difficult that we discover whether or not we are trusting him.” David cried out to the Lord in self-abandonment and dependence. He wrote,
“Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us” (Ps. 62:8).
Learning to wait on the Lord in times of want, frustration, hardship and trials is one of the greatest graces in this life.
It takes the supernatural work of the Spirit of God to enable us to do so. It takes a deep knowledge of who God is from the Scriptures so that we are able to rely on Him. It takes a clear sight of Jesus Christ, the strong and mighty Redeemer of our souls, who poured out his lifeblood for the redemption of our souls. It takes the gift of faith to enable us to wait for God to act. When we begin to learn the grace of waiting in silence, we begin to grow in our understanding of what it truly is to trust in the Lord.
This article about the grace of waiting originally appeared here.
Barna Research has been known for communicating uncomfortable truths to the church world. The research group’s most recent report on young adults, titled “The Connected Generation” asks the church to reconsider the generation that has often been labeled “lazy” and “entitled.” David Kinnaman, president of Barna, started a webinar that discussed the research by saying Millennials are “much talked at and often misunderstood.” He then turned the tables on those tuned in by saying maybe we should be asking who raised this generation.
“[This] generation feels the impact of broad, global trends more than they feel loved and supported by others close to them,” Kinnaman says. He describes young people ages 18-35 as the “connected generation” (hence the title of the report) and says that despite the access they have to other people living in other countries and information through devices, they are some of the loneliest, most anxious people living right now.
Things You Should Know About Millennials
In the book Kinnaman co-authored with Mark Marlock, Faith for Exiles, he likens our current global context to Babylon as described in the Bible. He says we’re existing in what could be called a “digital Babylon” where Christians are striving to live out their faith like the exiled Jews were in Babylon, where there were many, many gods to choose from. Never in the history of the world has humanity been so aware and so connected to all the things going on in all parts of the world. And yet, we are increasingly feeling more isolated and alone.
In light of this paradox, Kinnaman and the group of researchers who forged the Connected Generation project feel there are some things we may not truly understand about Millennials and Gen Z. Their research surveyed over 15,000 young adults ages 18-35 from 25 countries around the world. Some of the results are expected, while others may take you by surprise.
Millennials Suffer From Anxiety
A lot of young adults ages 18-35 suffer from anxiety. So much so that Barna actually concluded young adults are “plagued” by anxiety and loneliness. One in five respondents identified with statements such as “I’m sad” or “depressed”, “lonely”, “feel insecure in my identity”, “afraid to fail.” The research indicated is a lot of insecurity felt around profession and finances especially.
A stunning 75 percent of women surveyed said they feel uncertain about the future, and 47 percent of women said they feel anxiety over important life decisions. (Interestingly, only 34 percent of men felt that way when asked those two questions.) Conversely, less than half the respondents (40 percent) say they “feel optimistic about the future and only 34 percent said they “feel able to accomplish my goals.”
Screenshot from “The Connected Generation” by Barna Research
Why might young adults feel this way? One ministry leader Barna interviewed for the webinar, pastor Mark Sayers from Australia, suggested the “ambient anxiety” he sees in the global culture may come from the sheer amount of information we are required to process in a given day. He reasons our brains can only process a certain amount of information at a time before we get mentally exhausted. Given our connectedness to information thanks to technology, this deluge of content causes anxiety. People have to sort through an “incredible amount of narratives.” Additionally, he feels companies and people are constantly competing for our attention, and not everyone has the best motives.
Sayers says that as a pastor, he’s seeing the “real world effects” of this generation being “exploited by people who don’t have their welfare in mind.” He asks, “which generation of people have been marketed to more?”
Kinnaman points to an increasing feeling that the world is spinning out of control. Considering the majority (77 percent) of the connected generation feels that “events around the world matter” to them and they “feel connected to people around the world” (57 percent), things like climate change and economic instability can cause more angst than they might to other generations who don’t feel as connected to others globally.
Millennials Feel the Need for Community
As their anxiety levels increase, more and more Millennials feel the need for community. Tish Harrison Warner is a minister in Chicago who says that while she sees anxiety and a sense of disconnection increasing in her parishioners, she also sees a “deep yearning” for community.
While they may feel that deep yearning, though, Warren feels many of us haven’t learned the “skill” of having community. “I think we want community to be something the church can dispense like a drive through,” she says. We want community to be easily delivered and without it requiring a lot of time or risk on our end. The reality is, though, that community takes time, requires investment, and even sacrifice, Warren says.
So while many Millennials see the need for community, the implication suggested by the research is that they are not finding the community they long for. As Warren suggests, this may be because of unrealistic expectations and a lack of training on how they can seek or cultivate community.
It’s finally happened: John Crist will have his own comedy special on Netflix. The Christian comedian announced the news Tuesday on his social media channels.
“The rumors are 100 percent true ladies and gentlemen,” said Crist. “This Thanksgiving Day, my comedy special, ‘I Ain’t Prayin for That,’ will be available worldwide.”
This Christian Comedian Is Coming to Netflix
Crist said the special will be available in 20 different languages and joked that he knows people might find it difficult to “Netflix and chill” over the holiday. With that in mind, he said, “I’ve come up with three Netflix alternatives for you to watch my special on Thanksgiving Day.”
First, said Crist, you could “Netflix and kill” your nieces and nephews for trying to get you to play wiffle ball instead of watch his special. Or you could “Netflix and treadmill,” that is, watch his special while working off all the calories you’ve eaten. The third and final option, said Crist—“and this is probably what I’ll be doing”—is to “‘Netflix and get grilled’ by your family for all the questionable financial, career and relationship choices you’ve made throughout the year.”
John Crist has grown increasingly popular over the past several years and is now selling out tours across the country. He currently has more than 1 billion video views and over 4 million followers online. Crist’s rise to fame has a lot to do with his YouTube videos, which often poke fun at different aspects of Christian culture. In one video, he portrays a pastor evaluating his sermon as though it were ESPN press conference. Other popular videos of his make fun of millennial missionaries and satirize consumer Christianity.
“All jokes aside,” said Crist at the end of his announcement, “I am so excited for you to watch this special, I can’t wait to hear what you guys think about it. I love you all. Peace!”
Lee Strobel is a best-selling author of more than 20 books, including his classic, The Case for Christ. He has spent the past 25 years sharing the evidence to support Christianity and encouraging and equipping people to share their faith. Most recently, Lee has founded the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University. The center seeks to fuel spiritual renewal across the U.S. by equipping churches, ministries and individual Christ-followers to naturally share and defend their faith. Lee has been married to Leslie for over 40 years, and they have two children and four grandchildren.
Key Questions for Lee Strobel
-Why is apologetics so important to local churches?
-What are some ways that churches are creating safe environments for questions?
-What do you mean by what you call the “New Apologetics”?
-What would you recommend to pastors of local churches as the next step if they really want to equip their people in apologetics?
Key Quotes from Lee Strobel
“We live in an increasingly skeptical world.”
“I think that apologetics is ever more relevant for two reasons. First, to deepen the faith of believers so that they’ll be more confident in sharing their faith. And secondly, in reaching out to people who are skeptics or spiritual seekers.”
“If we’re going to be effective in sharing our faith in the 21st century, we’re going to have to be prepared to answer questions that people have and doubts that they express.”
“Church ought to be the safest place to ask questions. That ought to be the place where we bring our doubts and our objections.”
“Debates are ok, they have their place, but I think for the average Christian, they keyword isn’t ‘debate.’ It’s ‘dialogue,’ it’s friendships, it’s relationships.”
“I think the pastor has to set the tone for a willingness to entertain objections that people raise.”
“When a person in the church has an objection, is there a place to go?”
“God didn’t send a bunch of propositional answers. He sent the Answerer.”
“Modern apologetics is where we’re less arrogant and more loving and understanding.”
As the director of an international missions organization, one of my responsibilities is to approve families for the mission field, either here in Guatemala or in our ministry in Liberia, Africa. Normally, that is a part of the job that I love. I am energized when I see men and women step out of their comfort zones in order to follow Jesus and make disciples.
For us, the process includes the submission of paperwork, references, an interview, background checks, and a time of prayer to discern God’s will. As a part of the process, there is sometimes dialogue with those providing references, especially if they raise a concern. If someone close to the family expresses a hesitancy to see them go to the mission field, we want to hear more to determine if the concern is valid and prohibitive. Again, this process is usually enjoyable. But there are the other times.
The Sense of Urgency With International Missions (or lack thereof)
This week, for the second time in as many months I had a North American pastor tell me that they saw no reason for a couple to “rush to the mission field.” One of them actually said, “The mission field will still be there in a few years.” In both cases, they were referring to couples with records of spiritual maturity and faithful service. And, in both cases, the concerns were centered around the ages of the families’ children.
In the first case, the applying couple has children who are in high school and approaching graduation. Their pastor affirmed that they were spiritually mature and had a record of excellent service and integrity. He also stated that he had seen their passion for the mission field and believed God was calling them. But within their denomination, they have a policy of not approving families for the field when their move would disrupt their children at such a crucial time as late high school. So he would not recommend them for missions at this time. They should wait.
In the second case, the couple has two young children. Their pastor again stated that the mother and father had displayed spiritual maturity, service, and key skills needed for the field. She stated that she believed they were called to missions. But she felt that they needed to wait until their children were older. (But apparently not so old as to be in high school. I guess there is a sweet spot in which people with children can be cleared to go.)
And that was when I heard the line that, quite frankly, made me angry: “I don’t see a need for them to rush to the field. It will still be there in a few years.”
Really? You don’t see a need? How about the millions who will enter a Christ-less eternity while you hold them back?
Yes, it is true that, if the Lord does not return, Guatemala and Liberia will still be here, along with the countless other fields around the globe. But how many millions of souls will enter a Christ-less eternity over the next few years in those same places? Where is the urgency for the Gospel that Christ gave to the church? And when did we become worshipers of the false gods of comfort, security, and family?
International Missions and the Lack of Workers
Our ministry in both Guatemala and Liberia seeks to bring glory to Jesus Christ by caring for those with special needs and addressing the systemic issues that cause special needs. We do that through family-based group homes, rural village sponsorship programs that provide crucial resources to families with children who have disabilities, feeding and formula programs to address malnutrition, a nutrition center, birthing centers, medical clinics and more. And we are stretched thin. Here in Guatemala I am receiving lots of calls every week begging us to come and help or to receive children into one of our three homes. Last week, for example, I received calls from three different communities, asking us to expand our ministry to their region of the country. We also received calls asking our homes to receive 16 children. To each of these requests, I had to say “no” due to a lack of manpower and space. These calls involve children who are sick, suffering, and often dying. And each of these children represent families who need to hear the Gospel and see it in action. We need additional workers badly. The situation and desperate need is similar in Liberia.
But it is not just our organization. There are ministries around the world that are fighting for lives, both physical lives and spiritual ones, and many of them are overwhelmed and understaffed. There is a very real urgency to missions that those on the field experience daily.
Jesus himself spoke of the urgency. In Matthew 9 he told his disciples that “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
We see that plentiful harvest every day, and the lack of workers that allows people to die without Jesus. There is a huge urgency for missionaries around the globe, and millions are slipping into eternity while they wait. And we should be very hesitant to discourage others from responding to that need promptly. In so doing, we might find ourselves working against the very heart of God.
Anyone who has been in a church for any amount of time knows that every church has issues, but does every church have a senior pastor problem? The church is a collection of imperfect people seeking a perfect God. And we certainly tend to cause conflict with one another along the way.
A pattern of these conflicts recently occurred to me. And they all started with one specific kind of person within the church—the senior pastor.
So I began to ask myself: Does the church have a senior pastor problem? Here’s a few examples that help to make my point.
The Irreplaceable Senior Pastor Problem
A church I attended had the same senior pastor for 30 years. He was there several years before my family started attending, and he didn’t retire until I was actually on staff at the church.
During that time, he’d made a mark on the church. It wasn’t apparent that this was a problem until after he’d left. When his replacement started, the aging congregation made it obvious that they didn’t want any changes. They expected the same programming, the same style of worship, and the same kind of preaching they were used to.
So rather than bringing a breath of fresh air to the church, the new senior pastor tried to imitate his predecessor. He operated out of fear that he’d lose the church, which turned out to be a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Because the congregation gradually realized that the new guy wasn’t the old guy and they began leaving.
As beloved as the old senior pastor had been, he hadn’t bothered to worry about the church beyond his tenure. He’d made the church so much about his style and personality that the church started to crumble as soon as he left. He made himself irreplaceable.
The Boomerang Senior Pastor problem
Meanwhile, the church where my wife grew up had a similar crisis. Years before, mismanagement had driven the church into financial trouble. Not wanting to handle it, their senior pastor at the time claimed to be called elsewhere and left the church.
While searching for a replacement senior pastor, the church was blessed with a capable interim pastor. He guided the church to financial stability and restored order to the congregation.
After a lengthy search, the church finally settled on a choice as the new permanent senior pastor—the same guy who led them into financial trouble and abandoned them in the first place. Many of the long-time church members (including my in-laws) were understandably upset and left because of this decision.
The King of the Hill Senior Pastor Problem
Then, there was the church my wife and I attended right after we got married. It was a small but growing community with a young senior pastor that we genuinely liked. We both got involved as volunteers and developed relationships within the church.
Until one bizarre weekend when the pastor fired half of the church staff and the other half quit. After worship that Sunday, the pastor called a church-wide meeting to explain what had happened. According to him, the staff had grown jealous of him and wanted his job. He said that he’d been betrayed and had no other choice but to dismiss the staff members.
What actually happened is much more complicated and too nuanced to recount here. But ultimately most of the church members decided to leave over this decision, including me and my wife. What had begun as a promising community of faith was undone because of the decisions of the lead pastor.
Sadly, when we started visiting new churches to attend, the first one we visited had just experienced the same thing. Almost their entire congregation had left with their former senior pastor who started a new church over a disagreement. Safe to say, we didn’t join that church.
The Prodigal Senior Pastor Problem
One final story helps to illustrate my point perhaps better than any other.
Another pastor I knew went on to lead a rural church. A few years ago, I heard that he’d been let go by the church and was no longer ordained as part of the denomination. Obviously, something had happened, but I never knew what.
Just recently, a faction split from a local church over a theological issue. They formed a new congregation and started recruiting members. Because they were not officially part of the denomination, they could hire this pastor to lead the new church.
Because of that hullabaloo, several people started investigating why this pastor had been decommissioned. Apparently, he’d made decisions that were less than ideal.
When other pastors found out, they reported it to the local bishop. The bishop told this pastor he could either leave the church or he would be charged with fraud. However, this is not the story the pastor told his new church. He claimed it was a misunderstanding blown out of proportion. His new congregation was willing to accept his side of the story without question.
This put several people in an awkward situation. Do they report the pastor for his alleged wrongdoings? Any complaints they take to the new church members could just be seen as bitterness toward the recent church split. Do they just let bygones be bygones? But this runs the risk that he could make the same mistakes again.
When the one who led you to Christ walks away, it can be devastating.
“The information that was left out of our announcement is that I have undergone a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus. The popular phrase for this is ‘deconstruction,’ the biblical phrase is ‘falling away.’ By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian. Many people tell me that there is a different way to practice faith and I want to remain open to this, but I’m not there now.” – Joshua Harris
When anyone walks away from the Lord Jesus Christ, it is a devastating thing.
When a respected leader who wrote books, pastored a large church, and who led many people to Christ does it, it can be all the more devastating.
But when it is a respected leader whom God used, not only to help someone grow spiritually, but who led them to Christ, it can prove to be earth-shattering.
One of my closest friends in the world was in a bathroom in Seoul, South Korea, crying his eyes out as he was reading Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris. Right then and there he asked the Lord to save him and to give him a new heart. He was saved a few years ago and now this week, Joshua Harris, the man God used to save my friend said the above-mentioned quote at the top of this blog post.
Joshua Harris is a guy who wrote several top-selling books, preached countless sermons, and pastored a large conservative gospel-preaching church in Maryland and has now told the world that he no longer considers himself a Christian.
There are countless stories like this. I know many people who were led to the Lord by someone who now has walked away, and one of the main questions that they wrestle with is: what now?
There are so many questions that can swirl up when people face this difficulty, so I’d like to give you five reminders for when the one who led you to Christ walks away.
When the one who led you to Christ walks away, remember that God is the one who saves you.
“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (2 Timothy 1:9).
God is the one who saves, not because of our works, and not because of the works of others, but simply of His own purpose and grace. And it is important to remember that He planned this before the beginning of time.
When the tool God used in our lives turns out to fall away, we must remember that God had saved us not through our works, but also not through the works of others. God has saved us entirely by His own purpose. If we trust in the works of others, we are still trusting in works. No man can convince us to leave our sin and follow Christ. It takes a miracle of God, and that’s why when the one who lead us to Christ walks away, our faith stays strong, because it wasn’t a man who convinced us, it was God himself.
When the one who led you to Christ walks away, remember that God can use a donkey.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16).
The power of God is in the Gospel, not the person! We love to exalt people and call them a powerful preacher, an anointed servant of God! A clearly gifted individual. But while God has gifted certain men and women in a special way, we must remember that they have no power. All the power is in the message that they preach. That’s why God can use a donkey to accomplish His mission, or as Jesus said, the rocks could cry out in the place of men. The reason is clear, God doesn’t need humans, and God doesn’t need “saved humans” to accomplish this task. I’ve heard of God using Mormon tracts (the Scripture in it), Joyce Meyer, and other unorthodox means to bring people to true repentance. Your salvation is not based on any human, but rather on the God who made every human and who only holds the power to save.
When the one who led you to Christ walks away, remember that no one can snatch you out of His hand.
“…and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).
Because salvation did not depend on you, or on anyone else, it cannot be taken away. The one who holds you in His hand will not allow anyone or anything to snatch you out of His hand. It is impossible. He not only chose to draw you to Himself, but He chose the means, which means that He ordained that as well before the foundations of time. No one can separate you from the love of God and no one can undo your salvation, including when the one whom God used to draw you to Himself walks away.
When the one who led you to Christ walks away, remember that we don’t believe based on reason or persuasion.
On what basis do you believe the Gospel? None of us is smart enough to reason ourselves to God. None of us is a Christian based on the evidence, or based on the persuasion of any one man or woman. If that is so, then we are not Christians.
If we are Christians based on reason, then something might occur in our lives that makes Christianity no longer so reasonable to us. Whether it is personal tragedy, sickness, or any host of trials we might incur, if we have reasoned ourselves to God then we can very easily reason ourselves out of it. But our salvation is not based on reason, it is entirely based on repentance and faith. And both of those things are miracles that God does on our hearts and minds. We must remember that there is nothing that could cause us to give up our sin we so desperately loved holding on to except for a miracle that the Lord did to us through the Gospel.
There is a weird blessing that comes when the one who led us to Christ has fallen away, and that is that our confidence in God’s salvation should grow because we realize that the miracle that occurred in us did not come through the messenger but through the one who sent him or her to us.
When the one who led you to Christ walks away, remember that we love Jesus more than anything or anyone.
The final question we must ask ourselves is whom do we love more? Of course, our heart is crushed when our loved ones walk away. But we must ask ourselves a simple question, do we truly love Jesus? If we do, then we realize our salvation does not depend on whether others love Him, too. There must be a simple conviction in our hearts that says that, though the whole world rejects Christ, I will not, because He died in my place! I love Him because He first loved me!
How gracious of God to save you through the lips of one who would later deny Him! Though you are saddened that the one who led you to Christ has walked away, you can be thankful that God used them to draw you to Himself and cause you to love Him above all things and people, including the one who led you to Him.
A final reminder is that all it takes is a simple step to come back to the Lord. Life is long in this respect. You can take thousands of steps away from the Lord, and all it takes is one step to come back to Christ.
Though the words they say now and the actions they take might make restoration seem impossible to you, I think it is your duty to pray to God for their repentance. In your eyes, their feet should still be beautiful (Isaiah 52:7) since they brought you the good news, and so, pray in faith that God will work in their life and that they come back to the One they used to profess!
Pray for the one who led you to Christ. Who knows, God might use your prayers to lead them back to Himself.
This article about when the one who led you to Christ walks away originally appeared here.
Stories keep coming about churches partnering with RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit on track to eliminate $1 billion of debt by year’s end. The latest, featured on NPR, involves a team of Chicago-area congregations that’s raised $38,000 since summer—enough to wipe out $5.3 million in medical debt for almost 6,000 community members.
The Rev. Traci Blackmon, an executive with the United Church of Christ who also has a nursing degree, helped jump-start the pre-holiday campaign. Congregants were especially excited “about the opportunity to bless someone anonymously,” she says. The hope is to create a “ripple effect,” with beneficiaries eventually giving to others. But zero strings are attached to the debt forgiveness. “It’s not a recruitment ploy,” Blackmon says. “It’s just what we believe it means to be church.”
Buying Debt: The Story Behind RIP Medical Debt
Craig Antico and Jerry Ashton, co-founders of RIP Medical Debt, are former collection agency executives who became inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement. In 2014, they started buying debt from medical collection agencies for pennies on the dollar. “Our only goal,” Ashton says, “is to see that that debt is taken off the backs of our fellow Americans.”
Medical expenses factor into about two-thirds of bankruptcies and contribute heavily to homelessness and poverty. Effects can be swift, Ashton notes: “You could walk in [to a hospital] having a great job, perfect credit, lovely home, and eight months later, you could qualify for charity.”
Ironically, one reason for RIP Medical Debt’s effectiveness is the overwhelmed collections system. There’s only one collector for every 8,000 hospital accounts, so by the time debts go to collections, recovery odds are low. Agencies, working on contingencies, are happy to receive even a portion of the total. “It’s an amazing windfall for them to get cash on accounts that have already been through four, five, six collection agencies,” Antico says. “That’s where the debt buyer comes in.”
RIP Medical Debt uses data to ensure they help “deserving” individuals, Antico notes. This includes people spending more than five percent of their gross income on medical bills, those making less than two times the federal poverty level, or those with more debts than assets. By using information for good, he says, the organization acts as “a predator giver.”
Adding Grace to the World
In 2019 alone, RIP Medical Debt has already partnered with more than 70 faith-based organizations. The non-profit—and contributing churches—sometimes hear back from overjoyed recipients. “We know we’re affecting people,” Ashton says, “and we’re grateful to our donors.” RIP Medical Debt is now working with universities on an economic-impact study of debt forgiveness. They’re also studying the issue’s mental, spiritual, and emotional angles.
The Rev. Matt Fitzgerald, whose Chicago congregation participated in the recent drive, knows how “miserable” it feels to dodge collections calls. “Sometimes it seems there is very little grace in the world—or at least, we don’t give each other much grace,” he says. “What joy to open a letter saying, ‘Your debt has been forgiven,’ instead of a letter saying, ‘We’re coming after you. Pay up.’”
The Rev. Otis Moss III, who helped coordinate the Chicago-area efforts, says, “We see Cook County as our parish. And our job is to ensure that you, in some form or fashion, will experience the compassion, the love, the care and the generosity that flows from God’s heart.” He adds, “You will receive debt forgiveness whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, humanist, secular, agnostic, atheist, whether you’re black or you’re white. The only criteria that we laid out is that we want to make sure the most vulnerable are in line. Or as Scripture says, ‘The last shall be first.’”
Officials demolished a Chinese Christian church building in Anhui province last Friday, interrupting the members in the middle of a worship service. Authorities also detained the church’s pastors, Geng Yimin and Sun Yongyao.
“This is yet another clear example showing the escalation of religious persecution today by the Chinese Communist regime,” said Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid. “The total disregard of religious freedom’s protection as enshrined in the Communist Party’s own Constitution tells the whole world President Xi is determined to continue his war against the peaceful Christian faithful. This campaign will surely fail in the end.”
Increasing Pressure on the Chinese Christian Church
The church building that was destroyed seated 3,000 people and, according to ChinaAid, was government-approved. Officials did not produce any paperwork ordering the demolition of the building, although they did have detention notices for the pastors, who were suspected of “gathering a crowd to disturb social order.”
Such attacks on religion in China are not isolated incidents. Last week, a report surfaced that Chinese authorities had demolished the True Jesus Church in Henan province in July. When members refused to surrender their building so the government could convert it into a nursing home, 1,000 government employees showed up at the church at 3 a.m on July 26th. The employees then forcibly removed congregants who were guarding the church throughout the night, injuring two elderly church members in the process. After searching the church and removing a few items, authorities began demolishing the building.
The government’s other recent attacks on Christians and people of other faiths include the censorship of Chinese textbooks, the sinicization of the Bible, and the persecution of churches such as Early Rain. And this is not even to mention the gross human rights abuses the government is committing against the Uighar people.
Do we really need to keep singing hymns? When I say “Hymn,” what comes to mind?
Dusty cloth covers concealing musty yellow pages?
Archaic words coupled with monotonous music?
A cherished part of your past?
An obligation in your present?
A remnant of the lifeless religion of your parents?
Nothing at all?
Growing up I attended an Assemblies of God church and didn’t know hymns existed. Later we attended a little country church where I heard my first hymn. Confusion soon followed. In High School I helped at a Lutheran church and hymns began to intrigue me.
Now I’m a worship pastor and I have to decide for myself how I feel about hymns. Do we really need to keep singing hymns? I think so. And my first reason may surprise you.
The Noise We Live In
Teens and twenty-somethings of the ’60s and ’70s wanted something new. “Don’t give me the stale, lifeless songs of my parents.”
Teens and twenty-somethings of the late ’90s and early 2000’s wanted relevance. “If I come to church I want the music to sound like Coldplay and the pastor to look like he walked out of Abercrombie and Fitch.”
It’s changed again. Young people today (I include myself in this group) aren’t looking for something new. They aren’t looking for something relevant. We’re looking for something true. Something ancient.
The lifespan of a trend – a song, a style, a social platform – is getting shorter and shorter. The all-consuming cloud of the new is suffocating. New thoughts and ideas. New books and movies. New albums and genres. New technologies. Something new used to mean something fun and exciting. Now it’s just a shooting star. We barely enjoy it’s flash before it’s gone.
The lifespan of an expert is about as short. Everyone thinks they have something to say and will scratch and claw to build a platform to say it. Another bestselling author can rise in the time it takes to froth a Latte. And they’re gone before you finish your cup. Rich, thoughtful, timeless truths are so hard to come by.
How do we cut through the fog? Give me something ancient. Something that has stood the test of time. I want some of that.
Where Did I Come From?
This is a question that is burning in our current collective mind. The number of people who’ve paid for genetic genealogy tests is now in the tens of millions.
Globalization is a double-edged sword. It plants the seeds of flourishing economies, technologies, and connections while choking out the roots of heritage and culture. More than ever we long to connect with our past. Our people. Our place in this world.
Be Thou My Vision is an ancient Irish poem thought to be written in the 700s. The 700s. As in 1300 years ago! When my church sang this song a few weeks ago, Millennials in Monterey were connected to an Irishman 5,000 miles and 1,300 years away.
How Great Thou Art was originally written in German, then Russian, and finally translated into English in 1949. I’ve never been to Germany. Or Russia. But a part of them has come to me.
And then there’s I Surrender All, written by Judson Van De Venter in 1896. Venter grew up in Michigan and went to Hillsdale College. The same Hillsdale Michigan I grew up in. The same Hillsdale Collage my sister attended. The College where I used to attend fancy dinners with guest lecturers. Where I climbed under the bushes of the campus arboretum for hours on snowy winter afternoons. I haven’t been to Ireland or Germany but I have been to Hillsdale.
When I sing these songs I begin to know my past, my people, and my place in this world.
Several years ago, my wife (Carol) and I boarded a plane at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport and flew to Taipei, Taiwan, to adopt our daughter Lauren. She would be our first child after almost nine years of marriage. After landing, we discovered that our host didn’t show up, and we could not speak Mandarin. Carol glanced across the information desk and noticed the logo of our hotel. She pointed it out to a taxi driver, and we were on our way. The next morning we were greeted in the hotel lobby by social workers who placed into our arms our daughter. This fragile, beautiful child felt as if she weighed thousands of pounds; I had never felt the weight of responsibility of being a father. My joy was inexpressible!
In a few days, we boarded the plane for home. Family, friends, and the church I pastored waited anxiously to meet our daughter. I buckled in and prepared to hold our amazing, squalling infant for the seventeen-hour flight. The flight attendant handed me a bag of pretzels, and I began to snack away. My wife leaned over and calmly whispered to me, “I think I am expecting.” I began to cough and choke on the pretzels as the news sunk in. The tiny airline-sized can of soda did little to wash down my shock, delight, and amazement. “Could it be that God gave us this beautiful child by adoption and had planned all along to bless us with a birth child!” I said. Carol’s doctor’s visit after our return home verified that her suspicions were fact.
Eight months went by. I am sitting in my study preparing a message on the faithfulness of God and the phone rings. Carol is hysterical: “The doctor says we have to go to the hospital now!” After the pregnancy went to full term, our precious, red-haired daughter Julianne was stillborn.
Unbearable Grief
The grief that set in was unbearable. My father had to make the funeral arrangements for our daughter. I was surprised by the flood of emotions overwhelming me. I prayed, “God, I thought you were blessing us with an adopted daughter and a birth child! This was your plan after nine years of waiting! Why did you take our daughter from us? How can I comfort and support my wife? I am hurting too, Lord! I feel so guilty for mourning for this child because you have given us another precious child from the other side of the world! Help me, Lord.” We clung to the promise of 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”
Simultaneously, we were new parents and we were suffering the loss of a baby. Our family needed the support of our church more than ever. I discovered that as the pastor of the church, I needed the help and support of my church family. Frankly, that was a harsh realization for me.
I was a driven, self-sufficient leader. The church was launching a second campus and expanding our ministries. I was arrogant and proud, thinking that I always had to be the strong luminary—giving care but seldom receiving support. The staff had to push through the wall of pride that I built to minister to my family and me. One friend put his arm around my shoulders and said, “Pastors are just people too.”
October is a month that many designate to appreciate pastors and affirm church leaders. Churches will host dinners, present gifts and cards, and recognize ministers and their families for the sacrifices they make to serve the local church and advance the gospel. I support all of these efforts. By all means, do whatever you can to express your kindness to these anointed servants. “We ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who work diligently among you, who preside over you in the Lord and give you instruction” (1 Thess 5:12). My caution to you is that you don’t make your October pastor appreciation emphasis a “one and done.” Your pastors and church leaders need the ongoing ministry and support of the body of Christ.
All Year Round
With sincere gratitude, I wish to thank my church family for supporting me through one of my darkest seasons. God’s people displayed grace when the quality of my sermons dropped due to my emotional state. Faithful deacons stepped up financially to cover the cost of my wife’s medical exams and to pay for our child’s funeral expenses. Later, on my tenth anniversary, the leadership council of my church provided me with a much-needed sabbatical so that I could be refreshed and revived in the Lord’s work. The church understood that pastors and leaders need the church to give them grace, support their spouses, and lighten their load.
Find a way to honor the ministry leaders in your church this October. More importantly, remind the church family that your pastor and staff need others to carry their burdens during the entire year—not just in October. My desire for every pastor is that they will experience the kind of love and support that I did from my church family during my times of need. Pastors are just people too!
Pastors, hear me out. I am grateful for your strength and courage as a shepherd to your flock. However, don’t make the same mistakes I did. You are not omnicompetent or omnipotent. Be as vulnerable and authentic with your leadership as possible when going through significant struggles. Sometimes it is wise to reach beyond your congregation to a confidential biblical counselor or another experienced pastor. Reach out for the support you need.
Pastor, allow your church to minister to you. In doing so, you honor your people with the opportunity to fulfill the Word of God: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
I love Jesus. I love God. I love His Truth. I love people. But I don’t love packaged Christian answers. Those that tie everything up in a nice neat bow. And make life a little too tidy.
The Problem with Christian Answers
Because there just isn’t anything tidy about some things that happen in our broken world. The senseless acts of violence we hear about continually in the news are awful and sad and so incredibly evil.
And God help me if I think I’m going to make things better by thinking up a clever Christian saying to add to all the dialogue. God certainly doesn’t need people like me—with limited perspectives, limited understanding and limited depth—trying to make sense of things that don’t make sense.
Is there a place for God’s truth in all this? Absolutely. But we must, must, must let God direct us. In His time. In His way. In His love.
And when things are awful we should just say, “This is awful.” When things don’t make sense, we can’t shy away from just saying, “This doesn’t make sense.” Because there is a difference between a wrong word at the wrong time and a right word at the right time.
When my sister died a horribly tragic death, it was because a doctor prescribed some medication no child should ever be given. And it set off a chain of events that eventually found my family standing over a pink rose-draped casket.
Weeping. Hurting. Needing time to wrestle with grief and anger and loss. And it infuriated my raw soul when people tried to sweep up the shattered pieces of our life by saying Christian answers like, “Well, God just needed another angel in heaven.” It took the shards of my grief and twisted them even more deeply into my already broken heart.
I understand why they said things like this…they wanted to say something. To make it better. Their compassion compelled them to come close.
And I wanted them there. And then I didn’t.
Everything was a contradiction. I could be crying hysterically one minute and laughing the next. And then I’d feel so awful for daring to laugh that I wanted to cuss. And then sing a praise song. I wanted to shake my fist at God and then read His Scriptures for hours.
There’s just nothing tidy about all that.
But the thing I know now that I wish I knew then is that even Jesus understood what it was like to feel deeply human emotions like grief and heartache. We see this inJohn 11:32-35when Jesus receives the news that his dear friend Lazarus has died, “When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother [Lazarus] would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ‘Where have you laid him?’ he asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied. Jesus wept.”
Joby Martin joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss what happens when a church leader has truly been run over by the “grace train" and understands the profound love and grace of God.
