Sorry for the delay...it seems that Life has been happening to me over the last several days, but I wanted to get up a couple of posts before the weekend.
One the greatest challenges for the Church in America as it attempts to "Bring Love to Town" is that we are, at times, so clean, sanitized and separated from the pain which is so prevalent in other parts of the world.
We saw a video on Sunday which challenged us to consider helping our brothers and sisters in Thailand. They desire to be a light on the mountain top. There goal is to be light of Jesus which pierces the darkness in their very dark world.
Sunday the nameless and the faceless where given a name and a face and thus have become hard to ignore. If I am honest, I think this is when and where real and lasting life-change happens. When you and I no longer turn a blind eye to the plight of those around us. When we stand up and contend for others. When we lock eyes with them and no matter how much it hurts, we choose not to look away.
Sometimes when we go through times of pain we, "Try not to think about it." I have heard that strategy from many Christian and it is true that the Bible tells us not to anxiously obsess (I will try and put this in context later) but the reality is this, if Christ followers choose to keep looking away from sin, its manifestations and effects, in the lives of people we love just because it hurts us too much we are not doing what Jesus would do.
Don't look away. Seek justice more than comfort. Put a name with the face. Stop and talk. Look for opportunities. Pray for open and receptive hearts. Reach into the septic tank because you can't leave them in there. Dad loves them and wants them to come home.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Prejudice and the People of God
OK...here we are coming up on the end of the week and, hopefully, you and I have been allowing the Holy Spirit to search us and see if there is indeed any wick way(s) in us. No doubt the process has been, and continues to be, difficult but the hope that we hold is that as we begin to allow the Holy Spirit free reign to do His divine surgery in our live and on our heart that we will find ourselves growing in grace and strength.
Now for the second part of the challenge from Sunday. Not only are we to love (which can only be done as He empowers us) but we are also called to love our neighbors as ourselves. So...how are you doing? How am I doing? I know we say the right stuff but does my heart, does your heart, beat according to what your mouth confesses?
German Philosopher Has Georg (yes there is no "e" on the end) Gadamer defines prejudices as nothing more than pre-judgements. In essence he says that we all, at times, make assertions regarding a person, place or thing and then allow our assumptions to drive how we interpret the information we receive.
It should not take us long to see that Jesus' confirmation of the second greatest commandment (love your neighbor as yourself) and his example of who is a neighbor (the good Samaritan) shows us clearly that Jesus is challenging the Pharisees to suspend their pre-judgments regarding themselves and the others.
Notice what Jesus does to expose the prejudices of the Pharisees by uncovering their assumption that people who are like themselves are superior.
Are you ready for the second step? If the first step was to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to do divine surgery on your heart, soul, mind, and strength regarding your love for God then the second step is to ask God to expose for you your pre-judgements regarding your neighbor.
Identify - First we must identify those against whom we are prejudiced. Is it a color, creed, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, sex, orientation, education, vocation, class or something else I have not even thought of?
Image Bearers - Agree with God that the person whom you are pre-judging is made in the image of God and is worthy of your love, care and concern.
Repent - Acknowledge that when we are prejudiced we are sinning and confess it as such to the Lord and then consciously choose to turn from it.
Personalize - Put a name and face on the nameless and faceless prejudice. If we only surround ourselves with folks who are just like us then we will never see those whom we pre-judge as persons. They will just continue to be caricatures and ideas and we will fall back into the comfortable patterns of not loving our neighbor.
Now for the second part of the challenge from Sunday. Not only are we to love (which can only be done as He empowers us) but we are also called to love our neighbors as ourselves. So...how are you doing? How am I doing? I know we say the right stuff but does my heart, does your heart, beat according to what your mouth confesses?
German Philosopher Has Georg (yes there is no "e" on the end) Gadamer defines prejudices as nothing more than pre-judgements. In essence he says that we all, at times, make assertions regarding a person, place or thing and then allow our assumptions to drive how we interpret the information we receive.
It should not take us long to see that Jesus' confirmation of the second greatest commandment (love your neighbor as yourself) and his example of who is a neighbor (the good Samaritan) shows us clearly that Jesus is challenging the Pharisees to suspend their pre-judgments regarding themselves and the others.
Notice what Jesus does to expose the prejudices of the Pharisees by uncovering their assumption that people who are like themselves are superior.
Are you ready for the second step? If the first step was to ask and allow the Holy Spirit to do divine surgery on your heart, soul, mind, and strength regarding your love for God then the second step is to ask God to expose for you your pre-judgements regarding your neighbor.
Identify - First we must identify those against whom we are prejudiced. Is it a color, creed, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, sex, orientation, education, vocation, class or something else I have not even thought of?
Image Bearers - Agree with God that the person whom you are pre-judging is made in the image of God and is worthy of your love, care and concern.
Repent - Acknowledge that when we are prejudiced we are sinning and confess it as such to the Lord and then consciously choose to turn from it.
Personalize - Put a name and face on the nameless and faceless prejudice. If we only surround ourselves with folks who are just like us then we will never see those whom we pre-judge as persons. They will just continue to be caricatures and ideas and we will fall back into the comfortable patterns of not loving our neighbor.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Heart, Soul, Mind, or Strength?
Yesterday we looked at Luke 10:25-37 and saw that the greatest of the Bible’s commandments, the ones on which all other commandments hang, are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
This week I would like give some practical Spiritual Formation tips for us to engage in with the hopes that the Spirit of God would do a transforming work in us. Today I want to challenge you to consider what part of you (your heart, your soul, your mind, or your strength) needs to encounter the love of Almighty God. We will be asking God to do some identifying so that we can start unlearning some of the things which we broken and sinful patterns which we have learned. Think of it like house cleaning.
Today I want to walk us all through the first step in our journey, a process of by which we might allow the Holy Spirit to help us identify our prejudices and then begin the process of allowing the love of Jesus Christ to flow into us and thought us so that we can be holistically changed into His likeness.
This week’s process is simple but it is not simplistic or magic or necessarily once-and-for-all. It will take time and effort on our part and it requires, more than anything else, intimacy with God, honestly with ourselves, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Ok…here is the first step of the week:
Read – If you don’t know where to start you might want to read the passage we looked at this week in service, Luke 10:25-37.
Pray – Ask God to show you where your unloving, unfaithful, or prejudice unctions take root and manifest themselves. Is it your heart (emotions), your soul (will), your mind (intellect), your strength (body)? After you ask God to show you where you fall short take time to stop and listen for His answer.
Listen – One of the most neglected aspects of prayer is listening. If we are to be changed then we must listen to what the Lord has to say regarding our unloving actions, thoughts, intentions, or feelings. Let Him tell you where to start. Ask God to show you what part of you is in greatest need of transformation? Is it your heart? Then begin by allowing the Spirit of God to bring to your mind all of the ways in which you have been unloving or harbored prejudice in your heart and then in repentance tell God that you are turning toward Him and from your sin in repentance and ask for His help to do so.
Respond – Ask the Lord is bringing these unloving things to your mind then take a few minutes to write down what has come to your mind. Where does He want to start? Is it your soul, your mind, your strength or your heart that is out of whack? (Maybe it is more than one area but what area is in the need of the most urgent attention) Now think of a few examples of when and how you are not loving God with your heart, soul, mind and/or strength and then commit that part (or those parts) of yourself in prayer renouncing your right to control yourself and ask Him to help you love Him more effectively.
Thanks for taking the time to open yourselves up to the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will all allow God to continually and consistently rescue us from drowning in our anemic Love-life as we seek to love Him more.
I was a sailor, I was lost at sea
I was under the waves
Before love rescued me I was a fighter,
I could turn on a thread
Now I stand accused of the things I've said
When Love comes to town I'm gonna jump on that train
When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before love came to town
(Verse 1 and Chorus of: When Love Comes to Town, by U2)
This week I would like give some practical Spiritual Formation tips for us to engage in with the hopes that the Spirit of God would do a transforming work in us. Today I want to challenge you to consider what part of you (your heart, your soul, your mind, or your strength) needs to encounter the love of Almighty God. We will be asking God to do some identifying so that we can start unlearning some of the things which we broken and sinful patterns which we have learned. Think of it like house cleaning.
Today I want to walk us all through the first step in our journey, a process of by which we might allow the Holy Spirit to help us identify our prejudices and then begin the process of allowing the love of Jesus Christ to flow into us and thought us so that we can be holistically changed into His likeness.
This week’s process is simple but it is not simplistic or magic or necessarily once-and-for-all. It will take time and effort on our part and it requires, more than anything else, intimacy with God, honestly with ourselves, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Ok…here is the first step of the week:
Read – If you don’t know where to start you might want to read the passage we looked at this week in service, Luke 10:25-37.
Pray – Ask God to show you where your unloving, unfaithful, or prejudice unctions take root and manifest themselves. Is it your heart (emotions), your soul (will), your mind (intellect), your strength (body)? After you ask God to show you where you fall short take time to stop and listen for His answer.
Listen – One of the most neglected aspects of prayer is listening. If we are to be changed then we must listen to what the Lord has to say regarding our unloving actions, thoughts, intentions, or feelings. Let Him tell you where to start. Ask God to show you what part of you is in greatest need of transformation? Is it your heart? Then begin by allowing the Spirit of God to bring to your mind all of the ways in which you have been unloving or harbored prejudice in your heart and then in repentance tell God that you are turning toward Him and from your sin in repentance and ask for His help to do so.
Respond – Ask the Lord is bringing these unloving things to your mind then take a few minutes to write down what has come to your mind. Where does He want to start? Is it your soul, your mind, your strength or your heart that is out of whack? (Maybe it is more than one area but what area is in the need of the most urgent attention) Now think of a few examples of when and how you are not loving God with your heart, soul, mind and/or strength and then commit that part (or those parts) of yourself in prayer renouncing your right to control yourself and ask Him to help you love Him more effectively.
Thanks for taking the time to open yourselves up to the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will all allow God to continually and consistently rescue us from drowning in our anemic Love-life as we seek to love Him more.
I was a sailor, I was lost at sea
I was under the waves
Before love rescued me I was a fighter,
I could turn on a thread
Now I stand accused of the things I've said
When Love comes to town I'm gonna jump on that train
When love comes to town I'm gonna catch that flame
Maybe I was wrong to ever let you down
But I did what I did before love came to town
(Verse 1 and Chorus of: When Love Comes to Town, by U2)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
So...How do I do that
Don't you hate it when a preacher yells at you for 45 minutes (at least) to do something then leaves you on your own to figure out what it is that you should be doing?
After service today many of you approached me and thanked me for the message and it seemed clear to me that the Holy Spirit was really speaking to hearts, souls and minds today. One conversation in particular really stuck out to me. After the service I was talking with a few of you (Carl, Amy and June) about "What we should do with all of this," and someone said, "I wish you would start a blog to help us work out the particulars of the real life application of seeing the 'Love brought to town.'" And I thought, "THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!"
With that thought in mind, I will be blogging this month for the purpose of helping each of us apply what it is that we are learning on Sunday morning. I hope that these posts will help us to flex our spiritual muscles and grow in our ability to function out of love to those who are within our sphere of influence.
So, keep your eyes open. I will be making the first post tomorrow. Have a great week!
Dennis
After service today many of you approached me and thanked me for the message and it seemed clear to me that the Holy Spirit was really speaking to hearts, souls and minds today. One conversation in particular really stuck out to me. After the service I was talking with a few of you (Carl, Amy and June) about "What we should do with all of this," and someone said, "I wish you would start a blog to help us work out the particulars of the real life application of seeing the 'Love brought to town.'" And I thought, "THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!"
With that thought in mind, I will be blogging this month for the purpose of helping each of us apply what it is that we are learning on Sunday morning. I hope that these posts will help us to flex our spiritual muscles and grow in our ability to function out of love to those who are within our sphere of influence.
So, keep your eyes open. I will be making the first post tomorrow. Have a great week!
Dennis
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