Six Months of Soul, Part 2

Here’s something else I have been pondering for the last six months or so: the difference between certainty and confidence. Many times our world doesn’t make a distinction between the two – if we are confident then we must be certain of our goals and direction in life. Or if we project a sense certainty to others, that must be a sign of inner confidence. But the Bible approaches this issue in a very different way.

Though our world seeks certainty in news reports, market trends, and sports statistics, the Bible says there’s little value in our ability to judge the certainty of anything in this life. Success or failure. Winners or losers. Everybody already knows this…but it doesn’t stop us from acting as if there’s a “connect-the-dots” lifestyle that promotes success and happiness. In fact, much of our pomp, hand-waving, and posturing is simply to give credibility to something everyone already knows we don’t possess: certainty. This is the point of James 4:12-14:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Now, confidence is something totally different. While certainty has to do with circumstances, confidence has to do with identity.  I love Paul’s approach to ministry and relationships in 2 Corinthians 1:12-14:

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now.

Those Christians who are confident in who Christ has made them to be are comfortable in their own skin. Notice some of the emphasized words in that passage. Paul is confident that he is living sincerely before God. He allows God to lead his decision-making processes. He has conducted himself with honor to the best of his ability and has been straightforward with no double-speak. And here’s the best part: though circumstances may not make sense and people may not understand him, he trusts in his relationship with God more than the “questions” that may hang over his head. He’s not certain…but he’s confident.

Sometimes confidence comes across as naiveté or hubris…simply because there’s no reason to be quite so optimistic about life. But confident Christians have figured out something that eludes most people trapped inside the quest for certainty: God thinks we’re okay. They are just simple enough to believe such a preposterous assertion. Any of us can discard the fake notion that we are certain of anything. We can rest in the truth that we are accepted by God and that this truth (and this truth alone) determines our focus in life.

Six Months of Soul, Part 1

I took a break from blogging about six months ago to get some material written for our church start and give more attention to transitions in our home. But I didn’t stop thinking about stuff. So, the next three post are topics that I have spent significant time thinking about during the last six months. I thought I’d share my thoughts about them with you. First up:  shame. Sounds riveting, right? Actually, it is one of the more important spiritual issues of today and the reason people are leaving the church in droves. Shame is the “quiet motivator” in our churches for everything from good behavior to political positions to social issues. The worth we assign to ourselves and to each other determines how we treat others. We just don’t see it unless someone exposes it.

Shame is a sense of worthlessness or inferiority that plagues all of us at some level. Those who live with chronic shame feel inadequate, unwanted, rejected and often engage in self-contempt through negative talk. They never feel “good enough” for anyone. It’s also our own sense of shame that causes us to turn on others or engage in addictive behavior. It’s a horrible cycle – one that I have struggled with at times in my own life. Maybe you have as well.

The Bible has some really important things to say about shame and our relationship to it. It starts in the book of Genesis (2:25, 3:7). In chapter 2, we find humans comfortable with who they are. They are open, vulnerable, and sincere in their relationship with each other and with God. But by chapter 3, we find them hiding from God. Now, at that point, they we guilty of sin…but God did not shame them for their decision. They internalized their guilt as worthlessness and hid from God. Kinda like we still do today.

Guilty? Sure. But worthless? Hardly. Most people still can’t tell the difference.

Sadly, for many, their experience with religion has heightened their sense of shame. Their worthlessness is bantered around in sermons and liturgy every week that invite them to grovel before God’s feet. What’s worse, the church often “talks dirty” to get the attention of the shamed, rejected, and unwanted. But the church never addresses the deep inferiority people feel by giving them the acceptance they truly need. People need more than pardon. They need healing.

It’s important for people to know they are forgiven. Hebrews 10:22 says we are not only forgiven but cleaned from a “guilty conscience.” But something even deeper happened on the cross – God healed our shame. Luke 18:32 says that Jesus was specifically treated “shamefully” when he was crucified. In that moment of abandonment, Jesus carried the deepest and most pervasive emotional scar that any human can carry: shame.

At the cross, God said to every person that would listen, “I want you. I’ve always wanted you. You are unconditionally loved and accepted by me.” God’s heart breaks for his abused and shamed children. They are made in the image of God but they refuse to believe it. Shamed people don’t need a more acute sense of their own sin. Instead, they need a sense of just how loved and accepted they are by their Creator.

Though God gives us final value and esteem, each of us can choose to be agents of grace to those around us. We can give others small amounts of value in each conversation and act of kindness we display. You have the chance to help heal another person’s inadequacy, inferiority, and rejection. To help heal their shame. Or, better yet, we can embrace what God really thinks about us and allow him to heal our shame, worthlessness and rejection. After all, those are our feelings, not God’s.

Faith’s Missing Element

Following up on my last post…

I hate the word “missional.” I also hate the words “attractional, invitational, and incarnational.” Alright. I don’t hate them. I just think they are unnecessary. It’s like a bunch of Christians got in a room together and said “Ending words with ‘-ism’ is so passé. Let’s change it up a bit and use something that sounds more hip. How about we create buzzwords with “-al” at the end?” I apologize for being facetious. But I do find the jargon  bandwagon a little cramped these days. So, how about I don’t get on.

I had coffee with a friend last week and we were talking about Christians finding practical ways to serve their communities. Buzzwords ( ending in “-al”) make little impact. Sharing with and serving others is difficult for church people. We often lack the faith required to put action to our beliefs. So, we find convenient ways to serve or give or love. Because we are obsessed with materialism, we usually throw money at a problem…in the form of an offering or a purchased item that seems to be lacking in someone’s life. In our economy, giving money to a problem (whether it’s abroad or in our backyard) is not as easy as it used to be. But it is still fairly easy. So, when we raise money to build a building in another country we are honestly doing the least mount of work. And if we send a group to do international missions, we are still leaving behind the majority of people in our churches who feel they have done their work by dropping a small offering in the offering plate. Don’t get me wrong – I’m a fan of mission trips (we have some excellent missions work going on right now at our church)…but it only involves a few people.  It rarely involves the whole church. I place the blame for this at the feet of ministers just like me. We tell people what to support, what to publicize, and what ideas to champion. When we do, we create a bunch of bobble-heads with wallets…

I believe there’s a missing element to faith in our churches today. That element is creativity. When thinking of ways to impact the world around them, people no longer think for themselves. That’s why I believe creativity is the largest barrier to faith. Rather than being led by the Holy Spirit to find unique ways to further the kingdom of God, we fall back on conventional methods of programming that impact many but often involve few. The most creative ways Christians are living out their faith usually involve little money and are extremely simple ideas. But these ideas are their own. Things get complex when we create programs to do what people who love God do naturally: meet each other’s needs in simple, effective, and inexpensive ways.

The church doesn’t need more money or publicity. It needs to free people to be creative in how they express their faith to others. Creativity creates ownership and a sense of purpose. People are already “missional.” We need to spend less time convincing them of that and more time creating a culture where no idea is off limits regardless of how small, inexpensive, or insignificant it may seem. It’s in those small details that that church will continue to grow. Mustard seeds grow into something much larger.

I’m still thinking through all of this. What do you think about it?

Evangelism Is Dead

I was driving to speak at a men’s conference about two months ago when I saw a church marquee that caught my attention. It said:

What would you need to see on our sign to get you to come to church?

Hmmm. Now, granted, it was a more traditional church with no inkling of forward motion in a while. But the sign angered me. It essentially said to the unchurched in the area: “Come to us. We’re not coming to you.” Or maybe we could put it this way: “We have the truth. If you’re seeking it, you should probably show up here at our predetermined service times. This may inconvenience you. But the truth is worth your inconvenience.” What would someone need to see on that sign? Nothing. Because the message of that sign speaks to a bygone era. The cold hard fact is that the days of “propositional” evangelism are gone.

Let me explain what I mean. Propositional evangelism is the idea that sharing the gospel with someone involves  reciting a series of facts that others are supposed to believe simply because you have informed them. A couple of things are wrong with this. First, this type of evangelism assumes that information changes someone. And some information does change us and our perspective on life. But spiritual truths run deeper than a pamphlet or the “Roman road.” In the U.S., the idea that you can share the basics of Christianity with someone and they will smack their forehead and said, “Oh!  I had no idea!” really doesn’t exist anymore. The second issue revolves around truth. In our postmodern age, there are truth claims that compete against each other…and no longer is Christianity held as the highest pinnacle of truth attainment. In every area of society, we now live in the “marketplace” of ideas – a giant supermarket full of ideologies that are all marked half-price.This makes those who are into propositional evangelism extremely angry… because they have no leg of established credibility to stand on since their “market share” is the same as everyone else’s.

What does exist is relational or trust-based evangelism. Since no one has to “buy in” to the Christian paradigm anymore, people come to understand more about Jesus through their relationships with others and the slow and steady trust built through long-lasting friendships. People are certainly interested in ultimate truth – they always will be. But the doorway to speak to others about that truth has nothing to do with the accuracy of truth claims. Those with the relationships will ultimately be granted the opportunity to answer questions about truth. This is bad news for many of us in the evangelical camp… because we are lazy.  We’re not used to having to work at relating to others simply because we assume that everyone will be enamored with our wisdom. They’re not.

I heard a quote several months ago by a pastor named John Lynch. He said:

Truth is never received unless it is given in the context of trust.

That doesn’t mean the truth is up for grabs. But it does mean that the method by which it can be relayed as changed drastically. Only when I have earned someone’s trust based on friendship and service am I able to share with them what I believe about God. After all, that is  the message of the gospel. Jesus scrapped all his positions and titles to live amongst us (Philippians 2). And by living with us, he showed us how to live.

 

Book Review: Kissing Fish

I just finished a really interesting book yesterday. It’s by Roger Wolsey and it’s called Kissing Fish. The book is somewhat of a spiritual manifesto on a movement that is taking shape in America: Progressive Christianity. Notice I didn’t say liberal Christianity or modern or postmodern. I said progressive. Roger is an extremely approachable guy. He’s ordained Methodist and ministers at the Boulder campus of the University of Colorado – a place not exactly known as a bastion for conservative Christianity. And that’s what I like about this book: it gives real and practical thoughts about ministering to a generation where they are, not where we think they should be.

Roger puts it this way in his opening chapter: “I discovered the disappointing gap between idealistic notions of what the Church can and could be – and the decidedly non-ideal, petty, political, conflicted, dysfunctional beautiful messes that most of them are” (45).  Hopefully, that doesn’t put you off…particularly since Paul Tillich voiced similar sentiments in his History of Christian Thought: “…the gap between its claim and its reality.” Anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski has said the same about primitive religions. So, Roger is in good company.

Progressive Christianity seeks to develop a something other than a religion about Jesus. It focuses on the religion of Jesus: “his actual beliefs, practices, and lifestyle” (58). Sanctification is at its core: the slow gradual growth towards Christ-likeness in individual piety and social justice. Not one of the other. Both. Progressive Christianity is more tolerant for the sake of inclusion, reconciliation, and healing. Along with that is a level of inclusivism for other religions and alternative lifestyles and a blending of religious traditions that may make conservative evangelicals nervous.  That’s okay. The label “progressive” appeals to a different demographic. And as a wise woman told me a few weeks ago, “alternative” is quickly becoming “mainstream” where religious preference is concerned.

For the first half of the book, Roger works his way through a loosely knit systematic theology, tweaking it as he goes. He says gems like “…what Jesus talked about most wasn’t himself…”(161) or “”[Progressives] concern is more upon living and loving in God’s Kingdom right now and faithfully helping to manifest it all the more” (177).  These quotes don’t sound progressive to me – they sound like accurate notions of biblical Christianity. Even in the deep South (where I live), people are whispering similar phrases in dark alleys where it’s safe.

The second half of the book is a more practical outworking of these ideas. Roger starts off this way:

As the old Swing era hit put it, “‘It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing” and brother-sister, love is that swing. You can meditate and pray, go to church, get baptized and take communion, light candles and burn incense, read sacred texts, chant, fast and do yoga, and even help out at soup kitchens, but if you aren’t doing them with love, it’s all a bunch of vapid, empty horse apples. I know what I’m talking about. I’ve got a shed full of them (250).

See why I like this guy?! He then spends several chapters unpacking the practical nature of love in action. He covers everything from practical acts of kindness to the spiritual discipline of “centering prayer.” Now, what’s great about that is usually we lean to one side of the other: we focus on Christianity as meeting the needs of others or meeting our own needs. Roger holds them in tandem…just like God probably designed to begin with.

This is good book. Particularly if you’ve never read something from this paradigm before. I have one drawback: it could’ve been shorter and had the same impact. The word “redaction criticism” should’ve never made it in this work simply because those concerned with hermeneutics won’t be reading it. Still, it’s a fun, personal and engaging book. I liked it. Roger tells you in the postlude that’s he’s not saying anything new…and that’s true. I would add the names, Richard Rohr, Dallas Willard, Henri Nouwen, John Wesley, and (my theological hero) Horace Bushnell to the list. But what Kissing Fish  does represent is a growing ensemble of voices originating in places other than what some would call “left field.” There was very little I disagreed with in this book and I consider myself to be a “post-conservative” evangelical. Roger may use the word “progressive” but what he is describing is very quickly becoming the norm. And for that, Kissing Fish is worth the read.

The Way, Pt. 3

Okay. So here’s one final idea about Jesus as “the way.” After we see Jesus as the way to understand God and after we surrender to Jesus as our salvation, we can then see Jesus as our way to action. Sometimes we get this backwards and start here instead of with the first two points. We plunge people into service at church when they are really struggling to connect with God on a personal level. That’s too early. It’s only when we find our bearings in relationship with Jesus that service to others flows naturally.

Now, lots of people think they have to do something “special” for God. Christians say stuff like that pretty often. Do I think God has specific things that he wants us to achieve as his sons and daughters? Sure. But there’s a flip-side to that equation. What I think God really wants from each of us is to live a life daily that reflects him. It doesn’t have to be super-impressive. It doesn’t have to be amazing or conspicuous. The Christian walk needs to be only two things: consistent and true. The responsibility of the Christian is to live life consistently in each of life’s scenarios. Through each season of life. Here’s why. You only get the chance to do something for God that will be categorized as amazing our life-changing in life once. Maybe twice. And even then that doesn’t mean anyone will recognize what you’re doing. But if we live life consistently in regards to our families, finances, occupation, and relational choices, then we will be in a position to risk something out of the ordinary because the other areas of our life will be stable.

You don’t have to be a Bible scholar. Simply start by memorizing a Bible verse or two. If you desperately want to raise funds for missions, try paying off your credit card first. Guys, if you want to be the world’s greatest dad, start by simply leaving the office earlier each night. And if that goes well, then start emptying the dishwasher without any fanfare. Want to do something amazing for God? Do the basics. Draw your sword, raise your battle cry, and charge up the hill to conquer the obvious and the insignificant. Small is the new big.

Jesus did things for others that were radical and counter-cultural. But he also did them simply and effectively.  And that the true mark of Christian service: simple acts of grace and kindness that reflect the love of God for others. Simple acts of generosity that bring much attention to God and very little attention to us. One of the best ways to do this is in a small group. Or in your Sunday school class. Find out what God is leading your group to do. Here’s how you know: it’s something that comes up over and over in conversation.  God may be teaching your group about mercy or faith or financial responsibility. And then think of simple ways that you could impact someone’s life for the better. Nothing over-the-top. Just something simple that reflects the heart of God.

One of my favorite stories from church history revolves around this idea. There’s this Roman historian named Tacitus who said something interesting about Christians around 100 a.d. Rather than calling them “Christians” he named them “Chrestians.” Now, that may look like a spelling error but when we find our way back into the original languages of the Bible it makes something very clear. Chrestotes is the Greek word for kindness, benevolence and goodness.

You see, the first century Christians were known for two things happening when they were around: something miraculous and something kind. When a Roman historian wrote about the early Christian movement, he was much more impressed with the generosity and simple acts of goodness than with their theological accuracy. Now, know that the theology was sound and that their beliefs were strong. But what interests me about that is how a deep relationship with Jesus can translate into a wide-ranging impact for good in a community.

When Jesus is the “way,” he not only meets our individual desire for relationship with God, he also empowers us to reach people in a profound and meaningful way. I confess that sometimes I find myself back at the first point: still trying to understand God by understanding Jesus. And other times, I end up at the foot of the cross overwhelmed by the revelation of God’s love for me in the sacrifice of Jesus. And then, the love of Christ compels me to do what I can for others as the Holy Spirit leads me. All are essential to the Christian walk. And they all flow from the strong son of the living God: Jesus Christ.

The Way, Pt. 2

Here’s another idea about Jesus as “the way”: Jesus is the way of salvation. Jesus exchanged death for life on the cross. Paul says in Romans 5 that it was while we were still sinning left and right with little regard for what we’ve done that Jesus dies for us. It’s through the blood of Jesus and in the power of his resurrection that we are even here at all.

Sometimes we forget this. We treat the sacrifice of Jesus like it is some math equation…you know, sin + sacrifice = eternal life. As if we only get in the restricted area if we punch in the right “code.” But it’s more than that. It’s a revolution in how we approach God and how we live life. Part of the Christian walk is understanding that giving Jesus our heart means more than filling out an attendance register. It means more than working to better our community. It means more than dropping some money in the offering plate. It means completely turning over our lives to honor God.  Of course, those other things follow but they are not the goal. Surrendering to Jesus is the goal.

Now here’s something we need to talk about for a minute: what exactly is salvation? Well, it’s more than simply joining the church. It’s the decision to allow God to have access to every area of your heart. A lot of folks think that salvation is the end. But really, it’s just the beginning of learning to walk out life “Jesus-style.” It’s important for us to remember that we are on a journey towards sanctification. That simply means that the longer we walk with Jesus by surrendering our lives to him, the more we begin to look and act and think like him. That’s what abiding in Christ is all about: Jesus living life “in” us and “through” us on a daily basis. So, salvation is not a one-time event to be forgotten or placed on a shelf – it’s the constant process of turning our face toward God and saying, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Now, we are a socially conscious group of Americans…and rightfully so – it’s our responsibility to meet the needs of our community and the world as best we can. But what I’m talking about here has little to do with anyone but you and God. If we are experiencing salvation to the fullest – the way God intended – our relationship will progress. We will see ourselves grow more comfortable with prayer. We will begin to desire to open the Bible simply to gain advice on how to live. We will carve time out of our schedule to be in God’s presence. Not because someone told us these are the things we are supposed to do…but because we want to do them! There should be something dynamic happening in our hearts regardless of the work that is done otherwise. One comes before the other.  God has to work in you before God can work through you. From the overflow of our relationship with God comes the ministry to our community.

The Way, Pt. 1

I like Jesus…so I thought I’d blog about him for a bit…

I want to talk for a while about what Jesus said in John 14 – that he is “the way.” Whatever that means. Sometimes when we are familiar with a passage of scripture we assume that we know what it means. But I’d like for us to try and unpack this verse and see if we can think about it in a way that we may have never done before – some way that can speak to us currently and practically.  What did Jesus mean? What does that mean for us? So, that’s what we’re gonna explore together for a few posts.

So, first off, let’s do a little word study. The word “way” means more than just a particular direction. It means a natural path that is obvious to everyone. Have you ever seen a sidewalk that made right angles or took the “long” way around to get to a destination? What do people do? They make their own path…and as people wear down that spot in the grass (ignoring the “do not walk on the grass” signs) a path shows up. And then others take that path too because anyone with a lick of sense knows that’s the shortest route to their destination, right? Occasionally, you may see a person who likes to follow the rules stay on the sidewalk. But really, they are the exception, aren’t they? It’s like that Staples advertisement: we’re gonna punch the “easy button” if we can, right? We want an easy way to understand or navigate our lives. We are willing to follow directions…but more often we follow people. People we know and have relationships with. We follow crowds. We follow the leader. Once a leader has cut a new path, people are willing to follow.

And that leads me to the first point: Jesus is the way to understanding God. He cut a new path to understanding. You see, people in the Bible were having problems with this. Kind of like we do today. In fact, up until Jesus, the entire biblical story was the story of people struggling to understand who God was and the proper way to relate to him. In the books of Joshua and Judges, some related to him through military conquest. In the books of Samuel and Kings, some related to him through a king or ruler. In the book of Leviticus, people related to him through a sacrificial ritual. And all the while, you have the prophets screaming at the people that they are missing the heart of God. Here are some passages where God is pleading through the voice of the prophets. Listen to the frustration in their words:

Isaiah 29:13

And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

Hosea 6:6

I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.

Hosea 10:13

But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. You have depended on your own strength and the strength of your chariots and on your many warriors. 

Jeremiah 25:3-4

For twenty-three years, the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. And though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention.

So, what’s going on here? If the prophets sounds a little ticked off, it’s because they are! Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke sums up the Bible to this point nicely: “My friends what we have here is failure to communicate.” People were taking what they assumed God wanted them to do and turning it into something else. And that’s why Jesus is the “way.” He’s the final commentary on how God deals with us and how he expects us to live life in his name. Jesus shattered all the preconceived ideas of what God should look like and act like. He flipped the funnel. He said things like: “I’ve come to serve and give my life as a ransom for many.” He gave us a radically different description of power: “If you want to be first, be the servant of everyone you know.” Jesus is our way of understanding God.

More later…

A Nice Little Apocalyptic Bedtime Story…

So, I promised you a story in my last post – one that shows the interconnections between religious groups in history. Theology isn’t done in a vacuum and many of the groups that we assume are totally unrelated often have had a significant impact on the other. So let’s talk about how an 19th century Baptist farmer influenced a cult leader in Waco, Texas…

William Miller, upon returning from military service after the War of 1812, began to predict the end of the world. He was convinced of his findings by 1818 though he kept them private until the mid-1820s: the second coming of Christ will occur in 1844. By the 1830s, Miller’s prediction had created quite a buzz in the New England area and became a national phenomenon by 1840. March 21 was the date. It came and went and a new date was set for April 18. Nothing happened on that day either. At this point, Miller began to apologize to his followers. But just then, another Millerite came up with a new date: October 22. The thousands of Millerites rallied again for the new date only to experience the “Great Disappointment” at that time. Many became disillusioned and walked away from the church for good. Others split off into other groups while those faithful to Miller formed the Advent Christian Church.

Another group came from Miller’s followers: The Seventh Day Adventist Church. Hiram Edson, a former Methodist brought hope to thousands by explaining how Jesus could have “returned” without us seeing him – Edson spiritualized Christ’s return. Christ had come to cleanse the “Temple” by beginning the process of judgment in the heavens but had not yet come to earth. Eventually, prophetess Ellen G. White came to lead the group and placed emphasis on keep Old Testament laws, hence the name Seventh Day Adventist. The Seventh Day Adventist Church formally came into being in the 1860s.

Things rocked along for a while until the 20th century. In 1930, Victor Houteff wrote a pamphlet that criticized the SDA church. He also said that Christ was going to purge the church again by raising up another lineage of David. The number counted in this lineage? 144,000, of course. In 1942, Houteff and his followers broke away from the Seventh Day Adventist Church to form the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists. They founded a religious center named Mt. Carmel near Waco, Texas. Bored yet? Come on, you know this is interesting stuff…

In the next several decades, the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists experienced another miscalculated date for the end of the world and their leader, Benjamin Roden, was sentenced to an insane asylum. Around this same time, they changed their name to the “Branch” Davidians. Vernon

Howell showed up on the scene, changed his name to David (in honor of King David) Koresh and began to preach that Armageddon was near. It was…in the form of the ATF.

Interesting story huh? There was no way that anyone could predict that the date-setting attempts of a Baptist farmer in the 1840s would play a part in the origins of  one of the most sensational religious fringe movements in American history. That’s what’s so interesting about it. We can rarely predict anything much less the end of the world. And for every religious “river” flowing through our history, there are thousands of tributaries that flow from them. And then those tributaries turn into a river…as a movement, denomination, or sect – some famous and others infamous. No one group stands alone and the marginalized group of today could easily become the mainstay of the next century.

I hope you enjoyed your apocalyptic bedtime story. Goodnight, kids…

The End Is Near!

I had an interesting thing happen this weekend while at an outdoor concert. Actually, I was listening to this guy.While listening , a couple of women came up to the crowd and began passing out literature about the end of the world…next month. May 21, 2011 to be exact. Technically, May 21 is the “Rapture” and the end of the world occurs in October. The women were associated with a group called Family Radio, a formerly Reformed group whose main emphasis in the last decade has been numerology. Hence, the date-setting.

People have been setting dates for the end of the world for a long time. Sir Isaac Newton was a chronic date-setter using the Book of Revelation, Neoplatonism, and alchemy while establishing the laws of the universe. Charles Taze Russell used the square footage of the pyramids and Egyptian symbolism in his calculations. William Miller is probably the most famous with his followers experiencing the “Great Disappointment.” From the ashes of the Millerites rose the Seventh Day Adventist Church.  There are hundreds of others who have been fascinated with that pastime. Don’t forget Nostradamus and the Mayans while you’re at it.

Sadly, just the few interactions I watched often ended in Christians chiding these “doomsday prophets” for their beliefs and mocking their sincerity. Of course, this was for the purpose shaming them into realizing the error of their date-setting ways. I saw one prominent minister “defending Jesus” with great zeal. Sure, there’s a good chance they are totally wrong about May 21. But that has little to do with the fact that they are made in the image of God and deserve their dignity as much as they next person. No one asked them about their families or their upbringing or their favorite book or their hobbies. Their date was wrong…so they were wrong. Honestly, it ticked me off. So, I decided to talk to them, too.

I took their literature and said, “Looks like you are getting bashed pretty good for what you are attempting to share.” “Yeah, we are but I suppose that comes with the territory,” one of the ladies said. I told her I can’t apologize for everyone’s behavior (though I do that on occasion), but I admire them very much for what they are doing. “Really?” she said. “Yeah, I do. I am so impressed with your willingness to believe in something so strongly that you allow it to impact your choices and your willingness to tell others about it. I’m not sure about May 21, but I do wish all Christians had your passion for what they believed.”

I haven’t figured out much, but here’s something I think I finally understand. Right doctrine is important…but it doesn’t ignite a flame in your heart to where you adjust your life to fulfill that passion. And when I interact with people who have that passion, I know they are going to be okay. Why? Because the same passion that may drive them to a place of error for a time also makes them open to the correction of the Holy Spirit. Of course, that bothers us – after all, they may doctrinally “infect” someone or teach them “bad theology” that we must undo. But I’m okay with that. Here’s why. The longer I am alive, the longer I realize that what I attempt to control is really the Holy Spirit’s job anyway. I can point out date-setting “errors” but what I can’t do is instill the passion of God inside someone’s soul. And to crush that zeal is much worse than having an incorrect date for the end of the world. I’ve made a ton of mistakes in my faith journey and it was in the midst of those mistakes that God could do his most complete work.

Next post, I’ll tell you why William Miller was so important to David Koresh and the Branch Davidians.