Author's Posts

Bible interpretation is not something Bob the bloodhound always agree with me (Tim) on. He sometimes doesn’t like what I say on the subject of interpreting Holy Scripture. In fact, there are times I get under his skin (which isn’t very hard to do – Bob has lots of skin).

The matter of bible interpretation is an important discussion. No matter which Christian tradition we come from, there is disagreement as to how to deal with certain Bible verses. Even most parishioners within the same local church do not agree on how to treat particular passages of Scripture.

The Real Issue of Bible Interpretation

Just so you know, I was trained in a seminary that largely looked through the lens or the starting point of biblical authority, as if we had the right view on it all. Biblical authority, however, is not really the issue, in my opinion. Before you pick up stones, hear me out. The issue, as I see it, is this:  

No matter who we are, we pick and choose what Bible passages are authoritative, and which are not. 

Although Christians say the Bible is authoritative, we all have what I would deem as “boss verses.”  That is, verses which control other verses. For example, I take Matthew 28:18-20 as “boss verses” that control other verses. The words of Jesus from those verses help me interpret and view other Bible verses. Because of this, I am not willing to concede that the mission of the church is primarily about something other than making disciples.

An Example

Okay, you might be with me so far. So, let’s pick a hot potato: LGBTQ+ folks and the Church. When it comes to same-sex relationships, it seems to me that there are those who take seven verses out of the over thirty-one thousand verses in Scripture and make them boss verses.

Even if we camp on verses where the word “abomination” shows up, it only ends up talking of same-sex relations once. Things like worry, procrastination, and gossip are addressed much more in Scripture and are also much more prevalent everywhere. But we do not make “boss verses” out of these, so we pretty much let them slide.

I’m not seeing Christians, Churches, or denominations talking about biblical authority and sins of the tongue in the same breath; or, looking to bring discipline to gossipers; or, getting upset about chronic whisperings behind others’ backs. Instead, we mostly just live with it. We wish it were different, but it doesn’t make our blood boil. If gossip began to take away our power or authority, then I am sure it would make it to the floor of denominational meetings and annual congregational meeting scream-festivals.

Who or What Is in Control?

All Christians hold to biblical authority. To me, this is not the issue. The real issue is which Bible passages call the shots for us. 

Until we are able to confess this bible interpretation practice of particular verses controlling other verses, it seems to me we will get nowhere.

So, in the meantime, I would rather be looked at as a friend of gays. Because that controls my thought and practice more than injunctions from the book of Leviticus.

I take loving my neighbor as a boss verse, so this determines how I speak and act more than whether I speak in tongues or not. I will choose to go out of my way to emphasize that all people are made in the image of God, because I take the Bible’s reference to God’s creation of humans as a boss verse. This does not mean I ignore other verses; it just means I have identified which verses of Holy Scripture I believe control other verses.

Let’s Be Honest about Our Bible Interpretation

I am really not trying to stir the pot (Bob differs with me on this!). I am simply making a plea for us to be honest about how we handle the Bible.

And if we have never read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation (and more than once) then it seems to me we are thin ice to make pronouncements about what are to be the boss verses or what is the clear teaching of Scripture.

If you need to go pet your own dog after reading this, I understand. I hope he or she is lot more furry than Bob. Please just do me the respect to think about these things without jumping to conclusions or condemnation.  After all, I believe that grace and love are the boss of everything in the Bible, and control how we ought to do our bible interpretation.

Read more

I (Tim) need Jesus. Bob the bloodhound does, too. The Bible’s New Testament is convinced of it. Bob just looked at me with a tilt of his head, letting me know it’s time to talk about how much everyone needs Christ the Savior and Lord of all.

“I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)

Yes, we have many troubles in this old fallen world. And, yes, there a lot of things we need right now: healing from disease and damaged emotions; economic stability; solutions to the awful human issues conditions that beset us, and more. We need relief, guidance, and wisdom.

So therefore, Bob and I declare with conviction: Out of all the great needs which surround us, the greatest need is for Jesus.

I don’t just need his teaching. I don’t only need to imitate his model of loving service. I don’t need to merely be a fan of his. I need Jesus himself!

The Lord spoke to his disciples in the Upper Room on the night before his crucifixion. He told them he was leaving (dying) and that it must be this way.

The disciples were understandably troubled. Thomas was worried about what was going to happen and how he and the others were going to deal with an uncertain future. (John 14:1-14)

I will tell you how millions of people have dealt with their past difficulties, their present troubles and their worries about the future: The Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Way

Christ is the way to deal with our current concerns and anticipated anxieties… he himself. The way is not merely through:

  • A program of self-improvement
  • A fake-it-till-you-make-it approach
  • An ability to articulate well-crafted words or through being able to answer with certainty every question of faith
  • Finding just the right plan or system

The way of rescue, the road to a life of harmonious peace and settled rest, even when the world is going to hell around us, is Jesus. He is our connection with God. To trust Christ is to give up the personal delusion of control and to walk with him on his terms.

Jesus is the way for the church everywhere – fellowship, encouragement, acts of loving service, teaching, and strengthening of faith all center around Christ because he is love incarnate.

The way of the Lord for the world is in serving neighbors and nations, advocating for those who are mistreated and victims of injustice, and tackling the dozens of world problems which oppress humanity.

Jesus is the Truth

Christ does more than speak truth; he is truth incarnate. Truth is more than abstract ideas and personal perspectives. What is true about God has its ultimate expression and demonstration in the person of Christ.

“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, CEB)

To see the face of Jesus is to see the reality of Truth. God’s character and attributes expressed through creating, loving, sustaining, healing, and providing has its highest expression in Christ.

Jesus is our truth. When troubles abound, Christ is the ballast of truth we can rely upon, the rock of our salvation, and the anchor of our soul.

Truth within the church resides in the person and work of Christ. All teaching, mentoring, and instruction points and centers in him. Guidance and direction – whether in family, work, school, or neighborhood – all flows from Christ. To merely dispense homespun advice falls short if there is no Jesus.

Christ is truth for the world. Proclaiming him is more than a verbal activity; it is embodying truth. (Luke 4:16-19) Followers of the Lord embody truth by looking for ways to be Jesus to the lost, the least, and the lonely in acts of basic human compassion and advocating for their justice. (Luke 19:10)

Jesus is the Life

“Life” and “death” in the Bible are relational terms, not just physical references. When Adam and Eve fell into disobedience, they spiritually died without being physically dead. They originally enjoyed the connection of life with God; then, after the Fall, experienced a separation from God by being cast out of the Garden.

Jesus is our life. He is the person in whom Christians have their identity. Instead of connecting myself to a narrowly expected outcome, I tether myself to Christ because he is my connection, my life.

The church’s very life is in it’s head: Christ. Christians experience life as their prayers and their praise are directed toward him as both the subject and the object of worship. (John 4:23-24)

The Lord is the life of the world. The good news of Christ’s redemption – incarnation, earthly ministry of teaching and healing, death, resurrection, ascension and glorification – is good news for everyone. There is forgiveness of sins deliverance from guilt and shame, and a life connection in and through Christ.

Concluding with Christ

Our problems, concerns, and troubles on this earth are not sufficiently addressed by simply acknowledging Christ’s teaching. I need him! For he has the power to give life.

“Salvation can be found in no one else. Throughout the whole world, no other name has been given among humans through which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, CEB)

“I need Jesus!” is the affirmation and declaration that Bob and I proclaim. He is the way to live my life instead of trusting in my own power and ability. He is the truth I choose to bank my life upon. Christ is the life graciously given for which I can say with boldness that I belong to God.

Christ is the midpoint of history, the center of life, the subject and object of the New Testament:

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is the King of Kings with authority to back it up.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is the Deliverer of humanity and all of creation.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is the Son of Man who relates to us and is attentive to humanity.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is the Word become flesh, the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life, Living Water, and the Light of the World.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus is Lord, the risen and ascended Christ who will come again.

In Romans, Jesus is the Son of God, securing our union with God, justifying us according to his mercy and grace.

In 1 Corinthians, Jesus is the Wisdom and Power of God, despite the foolishness of the cross.

In 2 Corinthians, Jesus is the Reconciler, the One who has brought forgiveness and reconciliation to the world.

In the book of Galatians, Jesus is our Substitute for sin.

In Ephesians, Jesus is the Victor, the One who has subdued all the dark forces of this world.

In Philippians, Jesus is the Humble Servant, having submitted himself to death on a cross for our deliverance.

In Colossians, Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

In the First letter to the Thessalonians, Jesus is the Coming King and will soon be here!

In the Second letter to the Thessalonians, Jesus is the Glorious Lord who makes us partakers in God’s glory.

In the book of First Timothy, Jesus is the Savior of sinners of whom I am chief.

In Second Timothy, Jesus is the Righteous One who will come to Judge the living and the dead.

In Titus, Jesus is the Redeemer, snatching us from the realm of wickedness and godlessness.

In the little book of Philemon, Jesus is Good, and therefore, every good thing we have comes from him.

In Hebrews, Jesus is the Pioneer of Salvation and our faithful High Priest.

In James, Jesus is the Wise Teacher.

In First Peter, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

In Second Peter, Jesus is the Divine Power that allows me to live a godly life.

In the Epistles of John, Jesus is Love, demonstrating God’s grace and mercy through the cross.

In Jude, Jesus is the Holy One who keeps us from falling and presents us faultless before God.

Finally, in Revelation, Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

I need him, the Son of God and Son of Man; the Lord and Judge of all, the Redeemer and Savior of humanity, my Healer and my Friend.

Read more

Be a Good Citizen

Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So, live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.

Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That’s why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it’s the right way to live.

That’s also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders. (Romans 13:1-7, The Message)

Deportment Is Expected

Good citizenship, historically in America, was a normal part of conversation. It received a great deal of attention.

Back in the day, when I was in elementary school, every student received a grade on their report card for “citizenship.”  Way back in the day, my Dad’s report cards had grades for “deportment.”

Both “citizenship” and “deportment” were words used by the public-school system to gauge how well individual students behaved in the classroom. The grade was based upon the following:

  • The student’s attitude toward the teacher’s authority
  • The behavior of pupils with their fellow students
  • How students handled the responsibilities of their studies

It was a grade given for the overall obedience and submission of students with their duties and obligations, or the lack thereof.

Since we no longer give grades on citizenship and deportment, Bob insists a careful consideration of good citizenship is in order.

Good Citizenship Is Responsible and Fair

Advocating a favored political philosophy is part of the American democratic system. What’s not part of good citizenship is:

  • Ignoring or avoiding a rival party
  • Having constant bad attitudes about government
  • Being uncivil and disrespectful
  • Digging in with disobedience

That’s all poor deportment and will earn an “F” from God on the report card of life.

Picking-and-choosing which laws I will obey and which ones I will not is very far from biblical teaching. Rebellion against laws I do not like only results in punishment from the principal for being shortsighted and stupid.

On the other hand, blind and unthinking adherence to a government is irresponsible and can be unethical.

Unjust leaders and immoral laws champion certain people and not the common good of all. Such leadership needs to be dislodged and dismantled. When one simply says, “I’m just doing my job,” or “I don’t want to get in trouble,” in the face of unjust laws and leadership, then we are complicit in the perpetuating of the evil person or system.

Blind obedience keeps abusive people in the classroom.

Vigilante-ism is a form of “recess justice.” It’s a refusal to accept what is taking place. It takes matters into one’s own hands.

“Do not take revenge but leave room for God’s wrath…. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19, 21)

There is no place for vigilante justice in the kingdom of God. At its basest form, vigilantes are resisting God’s justice and being extremely impatient with the divine plan.

The Good Citizen Is Just and Obedient

Submission is a choice.

The word “submit” in the New Testament means “to place oneself under authority.” In other words, to submit to another person, group, system, or government is a human volitional choice.

Obedience through coercion, as in totalitarian regimes, is not submission – it is oppression.

Good citizenship begins with humble submission to governing authorities. There are good public servants who are trying to do their best and have everyone’s best interests at mind. They enact responsible laws which benefit the common good of all. Most parents and school boards would do well to remember that.

Justice is primarily about provision, not about being punitive.

Many people, if not most, use the term “justice” in the penal sense – wanting convictions and incarcerations when someone has committed a crime against the state and/or humanity. Although this is an important work of government, the biblical sense of justice is about provision – giving people their rights to life and liberty.

Justice ensures that we all exist in an equitable form of union together as one people. It ensures that people don’t fall through the cracks of bureaucracy. Justice provides what they need to survive and thrive.

Only paying attention to constituents who agree with me is an injustice. Many people need a remedy sooner than later – without unjust leaders putting it off to another election cycle.

So, put the spanking paddles of shame away (yes, kids at school got the paddle in my day) and instead find ways to uplift and support one another.

Submits to Authority Characterizes Good Citizenship

Responsible citizens exhibit proper deportment. They submit of their own volition. Good citizens conscientiously give proper payment of taxes for the benefit of all. They provide due respect to public servants.

Keep in mind that the Apostle Paul originally wrote about how to conduct ourselves with government smack in the middle of the Roman Empire. The Romans were often fickle and careless about the rights of Christians, Jews, and others.

We submit not because we must, but because it’s the right thing to do. To do otherwise is to not only violate the law, but also our consciences.

Our conscience needs to be clear about the need for justice in this old fallen world of ours.

A Good Citizen Seeks to Love All

Christians have a continuing and outstanding debt to love one another. Having justice for some and injustice for others is not going to cut it with a Just God.

Our Creator and Sustainer desires that every single individual on planet earth – regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, or any other human contrived social construct – have their needs met without prejudice, favoritism, or cronyism.

God’s original plan for the world includes an egalitarian society. So, we must be careful to remember and work toward the ideal. At the same, we need to deal graciously and resolutely with the realities of injustice all around us.

Bob, always the tongue-in-cheek sidekick dog, says we all need to attend a human obedience training school.

I wonder what grade Jesus would give America on this Independence Day for our citizenship…?

Read more

Captain Obvious here: Bob has stinky feet. It’s Spring. Bob the bloodhound has Spring fever. That means I (Tim) have the job of cleaning Bob’s muddy paws every time he comes back into the house. It’s a thankless job. But Bob reminded me on this Maundy Thursday in Holy Week, that for Christians everywhere, stinky feet (and paws!) ministry is anything but a lowly job.

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 

Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So, he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow.

Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

(John 13:1-17, New Living Translation)

Bob and I often come in from the muddy outdoors and sit down together to read the Bible. One of our favorite ways to reflect on our reading is the S.O.A.P. method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). Here is our “S.O.A.P.” for today….

Scripture

John 13:15 – Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Observation

Jesus Christ loves me just as I am, and not as I should be. He loves me even with my dirty stinky feet, my herky-jerky commitment to him, and my pre-meditated sin. Jesus loved even Judas and washed his stinky feet.  Jesus serves people because they need his love, and not so that they will love him back.

I recently read about a man who lives in Paris. His wife has Alzheimer’s. He was an important businessman, and his life was filled with busyness. But he said that when his wife fell sick, “I just couldn’t put her into an institution, so I kept her. I fed her. I bathed her.”

“Through the experience of serving my wife every day, I have changed. I have become more human. The other night, in the middle of the night, my wife woke me up. She came out of the fog for a moment, and she said, ‘Darling, I just want to say thank you for all you are doing for me.’ Then she fell back into the fog. I wept for hours to know this grace.”

Application

Sometimes Christ calls me to love people who either cannot or will not love me in return. They live in the fog of some sort of disability, depression, poverty, or just plain spiritual blindness. As I serve them, I may only receive brief glimpses of gratitude.

Jesus loves me in the midst of my sporadic spiritual confusion by graciously washing my stinky feet. So, I desire to continue loving others by washing their stinky feet, as they walk through whatever fog they’re in.

Anything that doesn’t have to do with the love of God through stinky feet ministry has no meaning for me. I can truthfully say that I have no interest in anything but the love of God which in Christ Jesus.

If God so wants it to be, my life will be useful through my both my words and my actions. If the Lord wants, my life will bear fruit through my prayers, my service, and my love handling people’s stinky feet.

But the usefulness of my life is God’s concern, not mine. It would be indecent of me to worry about that. I simply desire follow my Lord’s example of washing nasty stinky feet.

Prayer

Loving Lord Jesus, how shocking it was on this Maundy Thursday for your disciples to be served by you in such a humble manner. But I cannot be spiritually cleansed unless I allow you to love me in an almost embarrassing fashion. Help me not to be so proud that I neither refuse your humble loving service toward me, nor neglect to offer that same kind of service to others.

May love be the word, the idea, and the action that governs my every motivation and movement in your most gracious Name, I pray.  Amen.

Read more

The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish. (John 1:14, The Message)

Christmas Eve

Bob the bloodhound and I are curled up in our favorite places tonight in front of the fireplace. Yet, we are mindful this night of the many people throughout the world. Many will be acknowledging the birth of Christ, the Word become flesh, in very different environs than us.

A Lowly Christmas Eve

In the largest cities of the world, like Mexico City, Mexico and Manilla, Philippines, there are huge garbage dumps that cover several square miles. On top of these heaps of waste there live hundreds of families who have made this their home.

Each day they send their kids out to forage for scraps so they can have something to eat and survive.  Few others tread where these families are.  Yet, there are Christian believers who make the journey. They try to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to such a place.

The First Christmas

As incredible and sad a situation that this is, it doesn’t compare to the journey from heaven to earth that Jesus made.  God became flesh. Christ descended to earth. Jesus Christ came to the sin-soaked dump of this world – to us who were living on a heap of garbage – and entered our lives to save us from our wretched and pitiable condition.

The late Eugene Peterson’s simplistic translation, a paraphrase of the Apostle John’s words, communicates the essence of Christ’s gracious and cataclysmic entry to this earth on our behalf. It’s as if Jesus moved into the garbage dump and was born on the heap of waste so that God might be present with us.

Jesus did not just appear to be human, but actually became like us and lived with all the same things we face from day to day.  He “tabernacled” with us, using the imagery of God’s presence with the ancient Israelites.  God is with us!

Christmas Is for Believing

Bob just reminded me that John and the other gospel writers were evangelists. They wrote in order that people might believe in Jesus. That they might see what God has done in joining them in this sinful world.  The four Gospel writers’ purpose was to be a witness of Jesus to others. They testified to the truth that Christ came to rescue us from our terrible condition.

John saw Jesus interact with the families in the dump. John knew what was happening. God was coming to save the people.  The way to reach people, who are so concerned for scurrying about their business and trying to survive apart from God, is through the incarnation. Through testifying to what God has done in Christ, and through being sent, we ourselves, as little incarnations of entering into people’s lives.

Christmas Means God Is with Us

We are like the moon, not producing light ourselves. But in the middle of darkness, reflecting the light of the sun so that the earth may know that Jesus is coming.

The mystery of the incarnation, the Word become flesh, is that Jesus became human and lived among us.  May we rejoice and be glad in this reality. May it move us to be used of God to save those on the sin heap of this world.

May you have a blessed Christmas and enjoy peace with God and others in this next year.

Pastor Tim (and Bob!)

Read more

Today is the ideal time for considering the relationship between faith and work. And it is always the right time for us to reflect on the importance of our vocations.

Equipping People for Faith and Work

One of the things getting lost in the rig-a-ma-roll of church ministry is a need for pastors to equip people for facing their jobs with a Christian perspective and worldview. Reflecting on the nature of work and the worship of God is not an ancillary enterprise. It is a vitally necessary part of what the church can do for the world of business.

How do you view your job? Is it the same as the Bible views work?  In what ways might we connect our faith and our work?

The Positive Good of Faith and Work

Work itself is viewed positively throughout the Bible. Labor is part of the creation mandate (Genesis 2:15); and so, it ought to be respected (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15); and it is a service to God (Colossians 3:22-25).  In short, work itself is intrinsically good.

Our faith commitments and our workaday jobs are meant to be integrated into a seamless whole. They are not meant by God to be separate without one affecting the other. There are numerous and daily opportunities for Christians to live out their faith in the marketplace.

Ethical Challenges with Faith and Work

Every job has its ethical challenges. Not only are there decisions to make about steering clear of shady deals, avoiding cooking the books, and staying away from dishonesty; there are opportunities to help create policies that provide well for others, guides others into responsible work habits, and fosters positive relations throughout the organization.

The Mission of Faith and Work

Our faith and work is also our mission field.  God sovereignly has us where we are for a missional purpose. God desires to reach lost and hurting people, and so, wants to use us in compassionately restoring them to spiritual awareness and wholeness.

This is done in a myriad of ways, from speaking openly about our own faith commitment, to showing sensitive hospitality, to living above the fray of any company cultural muck around us. Reaching out is never forced because we serve a God who has given the Spirit to do the inner work that we cannot.

Creating Meaning through Faith and Work

Finding meaning and purpose in our own jobs and vocations is a must in today’s society. Job satisfaction is low throughout many American corporations and businesses.  A big reason for this is the paucity of interpreting our work through a Christian worldview.

To see our particular vocations as a real calling from God, just like any calling that a pastor or missionary has, is a must in today’s business environment.  Without this view, we flounder, and live for the weekends, with no connection to what God is doing, and wants to do, on the weekdays of work.

Being Transformed by Faith and Work

The work we do gives us the experience of personal transformation. Think the thought that your Christian sanctification comes through your work, then let it stay there and ruminate for a bit.

Working with a team of people in a common purpose in community and fellowship changes us for the better.  Learning new tasks, developing new relationships, and carving out new work disciplines helps foster personal change and brings fresh creativity to other spheres of life.

The Church’s Role in Faith and Work

Churches and Christian organizations help employees and employers by highlighting people within their groups who are doing good work. Feature such persons in a testimony about their work and what they do or interview them so that others can see how God uses them on the job.

We all need help with our vocations because there are continual challenges, frustrations, conflicts, and moral decisions which need to be made at every job, no matter what or where it is.

It only makes sound spiritual sense for us to bring our jobs to the fore and give them the attention they need.  Let’s all work from a Christian perspective so that the church is built up, the world is blessed, and God is glorified.

Be safe, strong, smart, and spiritual. We are all in this together.

Read more

The Bible as history means it is an historical book, filled with historical documents. The essence of Christian ministry is the ability to grasp the Bible as God’s special self-revelation. Then, use it to edify Christians and proclaim good news to all creation. (Matthew 28:19)

This may seem obvious or elementary, yet we need to be reminded of the Bible as history.  That is, it was written in history by actual historical characters. Yes, the Bible is a spiritual book. Yet, that does not negate or cancel the fact that it is an actual historical document.

Handling the Bible with Care and Skill

Glorifying God through properly handling Scripture is a skill that develops over a lifetime of following Jesus. Therefore, understanding something of the basic nature of the Bible as history is critical to the church and all believers.

I serve as a church pastor and a hospital chaplain, and am a theologian and philosopher. I am also an historian with a few academic degrees to show for it. Even if a pastor or layperson is not credentialed as an historian, that person still does the work of an historian by handling God’s historical Word.

So, I cannot emphasize enough the need to approach the Bible as history with some common historical sense. If we don’t, we are in danger of misinterpreting God’s Holy Word for us today.  As contemporary people who seek to apply the Bible to our present needs and situations, the historians’ craft can help us in our quest.

Paying Attention to History

John Fea, professor of American History at Messiah College, has rightly explained that the historian’s first task is not to find something relevant in history, but to do the work of helping explain the past. The goals of the historian, Fea says, are:

  • To observe change over time.
  • To interpret the past in context.
  • To be constantly interested in the causes for an event.
  • To keep the big picture in mind by seeing how events are influenced by other events.
  • To realize the past is complex by resisting simplistic explanations that can be put into sound bites.

If we rip biblical characters from their historical context and roots; try and make them just like us; ignore their understandings and motivations; ask first what something means for us before asking what it meant for them; seek to selfishly use biblical persons as tools for our own propaganda in the present; then, we have done a disservice to the church, not to mention a disservice to the God whom we seek to honor.

Respecting the Historical Process

I insist we eschew cherry-picking from the past and the Bible. That practice is merely done to get positive accolades with the people for whom we minister to. The Bible as history is not to be used to get our point across. It is God’s revelation to us so that we can know the Lord better – and that we might grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. (2 Peter 3:18)

One needs not be a scholar to effectively learn or communicate Holy Scripture. Rather, I am pleading for some intellectual hospitality, some basic human decorum in handling the Bible. We need to learn and listen to both the characters of the Bible, and the people in our lives, with views that differ from our own.

Historical and Biblical Collaboration

Someone might argue that all we need is the Holy Spirit.  And I would argue that only narcissists believe they can independently handle the Bible, as if the Holy Spirit speaks only to individuals and not the community of the redeemed as a whole.

Let’s examine the Old and New Testaments – not to give ammunition to our personal and cultural agendas – but because it has the potential to change our lives and transform us for compassionate service in the church and the world.

May it be so, to the glory of God.

Be safe. Be strong. Be smart. Be spiritual. We are all in this together.

Read more

“Do not retaliate? What? Are you talking to me?” Yes, I’m talking to you. And Bob the bloodhound is barking at both you and me. Here is what Jesus said about non-retaliation:

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21). But I say to you that you must not oppose those who want to hurt you. If people slap you on your right cheek, you must turn the left cheek to them as well. When they wish to haul you to court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too. When they force you to go one mile, go with them two. Give to those who ask, and don’t refuse those who wish to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:38-42, Common English Bible)

We might read these words of Jesus and think he’s off his rocker. This is non-sense. “People don’t really live that way,” we believe, “and if they did, they would be stepped on and have their rights trampled!”

We need to take these words of non-retaliation to heart and live by them. That’s because living this way brings Christ to the world and embodies the gospel of Jesus as salt and light – it is the way of grace.

Jesus Didn’t Retaliate, Neither Did George

There was once a man, George (not his real name) who left work one chilly night in February. He headed toward the subway, not noticing the teenager lurking in the shadows. The young man stepped out with a knife in hand and demanded money. George pulled out his wallet and handed it over. As the teen began walking away, George did something extraordinary. He hollered after the boy, “Hey, wait a minute.  You forgot something. If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”

The awestruck teenager couldn’t believe his ears. And a few minutes later the two of them were sharing a warm meal together at George’s favorite diner. The youngster not only returned George’s wallet but handed him his holdup knife as well. The conversation was dominated by the young man’s questions as to why George was so nice to everyone. The answer is that George is a follower of Christ who takes the do not retaliate of Jesus to heart.

Jesus upholds the moral and ethical intent of the Old Testament by communicating that retaliation is not an option for his followers. Instead, Christians are to demonstrate grace through peace and peacemaking. Christians are not to work toward advancing their own rights in their own petty earthly kingdom. No, they work toward serving the interests of King Jesus in the kingdom of God. That means clothing ourselves with love and grace, not retaliation and judgment.

An Eye for an Eye

“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” (Exodus 21:22-25, New International Version)

This legislation is not meant to be interpreted as a literal giving back to someone what he did to you, as if it were all about retaliation or revenge. The passage continues with an example of what is meant by the “eye for eye” legislation:

“An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.” (Exodus 21:26-27, New International Version)

This calls for proper justice to occur. The punishment must fit the crime. This prevents an escalation where two parties get back at each other. The principle guiding this law was restitution rather than retaliation. The law was given to eliminate retaliatory practices such as blood-feuds and tribal warfare, in which groups of people seek revenge for a wrong done.

Do Not Resist an Evil Person

In other words, do not retaliate when you’re personally insulted or degraded. Instead, be a peacemaker.

Jesus is not saying we stand back and be passive in the face of exploitation, oppression, or injustice. Nor is he saying we should have no police force, army, or judicial system. Pacifism isn’t the point (although Bob and I respect those who take such a stance).

People who perpetrate sexual assault, murder, and break the law need to come to justice by the laws of the land. The point, however, Jesus made is this: Do not take the law into your own hands through vengeance when you are insulted or violated. Don’t try to get even. Do not retaliate. There are times we need to confront another. Yet, its not our job to mete out the punishment. That is God’s job. The New Testament is clear:

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone.  If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody.  Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do.  “I’ll do the judging,” says God.  “I’ll take care of it.”  Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink.  Your generosity will surprise him with goodness.  Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. (Romans 12:17-21, The Message)

Do Not Retaliate: 4 Examples

First Example

“If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” A slap in the face is a gesture of insult. When we are personally insulted, avoid focusing on a perceived right to vengeance. Sins of the tongue (malice, lying, backbiting, arrogant whispering, false accusations, gossip, flattery) are ways of getting back at someone for something they said which offended me. Turning the other cheek is Christ’s way of saying to both refrain from vengeance and give back with something good.

“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” (Proverbs 15:1, New Living Translation)

Second Example

“If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.” The tunic and the cloak were what people wore in the ancient world. They didn’t have several outfits and changes of clothes. To take those two items was to leave most people naked. Jesus says it is better to go around with no clothes than to retaliate. He is saying that peacemaking is more important than possessions. So, how do you want to be remembered?

“A good reputation and respect are worth much more than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1, Contemporary English Version)

Third Example

“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” Roman law allowed soldiers to conscript Jews to carry their pack and walk one mile.  Jesus is saying to not only do this for a soldier without retaliation, but to go ahead and walk another mile. This was a terrible degradation to Jews, but Jesus says it is better to go than say “no.” For us, we are not to walk the first mile repeatedly with a bad attitude. Instead, we are to relinquish our perceived rights to our time. When someone doesn’t help another, it is typically because they don’t have time. Jesus wants personal retaliation to be replaced with personal sacrifice. People are not interruptions; they are providentially brought our way by God for us to extend our time and attention. People we don’t like are put in our lives by God to bring goodness and grace.  We will likely be frustrated and angry until we get ahold of this truth.

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:44-45, New Revised Standard Version)

Fourth Example

“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Jesus is saying it is better to give than to refuse. It’s good to lend without asking “what’s in it for me?”  Jesus is getting at our perceived right to our money. There is a difference between being frugal and being cheap, being wise with money and being a hoarder. The question is not how we will use our money, but how God wants to use his money through us.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24, New International Version)

Jesus is telling us to quit focusing on our rights and seek peace, not retaliation. Through four examples, Christ challenges the standard of rights and fairness we employ. He insists we do not have a right to vengeance, a right to hold onto what we have, a right to time so that we refuse to help, and a right to miserly hold onto our money.

Conclusion

Do not retaliate is an expression of grace. The big idea in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount is grace. Grace is extending mercy, goodness, and kindness to all, whether they deserve it, or not. Thus, grace doesn’t make any sense. It isn’t fair. And it isn’t based on merit. Grace cannot be domesticated. Grace is free, but not cheap. Jesus cares about grace. And here is how we show it:

  • Speak words of blessing to someone who curses you.
  • Give to the person who takes from you.
  • Spend time with someone who is your enemy.
  • Give money to whomever is in need, no matter who they are.

Do not retaliate. God is calling us to leave the realm of fear, revenge, and self-protective behavior. To step out by faith and be an agent of grace in the lives of all kinds of people, not just to those we deem worthy to receive it – because then it wouldn’t be grace.

So, may you know the God of grace, the Jesus who has extended grace to you, and may you spend your resources overcoming evil with good.

See you on the trail!

Read more

Being salt and light for the world is more than a nice idea. Being salt and light is a necessity.

Unlike Bob the bloodhound, who can smell his way through a lot of darkness, we humans need light. And much like Bob, salt makes a lot of food better. Although Bob and I will eat most anything without salt, it sure is better going down when there’s some flavor to it.

There is a world of people, in our sphere of influence, who need to see that Christianity is real and that it works. For the sake and the life of the world, we need to be salt and light.

The way this happens, for Christians, is through living the Beatitudes of Jesus.  The Beatitudes cause followers of Christ to stand-out in the world. Persecution is the effect of the world upon the Christian. Conversely, being salt and light is the Christian’s effect upon the world.

Jesus used the two metaphors of salt and light to help his followers understand their role in society and their effect on the world. Here is what he said….

Matthew 5:13-16

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening-up to others, you’ll prompt people to open-up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (The Message)

Salt

In the ancient world, there was no refrigeration.  So, salt was used to preserve food, with the added result that it brought some flavor when the food was eaten.  Christians, therefore, are meant to be a preservative in the culture.  Without folks who embody the Beatitudes of Jesus, the world decays and rots.

Salt Is a Preservative

If you feel the temptation to complain about eroding morals in our world, sad situations in public institutions, or the declining value of religion among people, remember that we are the ones who can remedy the situation. Being salt in the world preserves the world.

Jesus says if we lose our saltiness, if we are no longer impacting society, we are useless to our surrounding culture. We then might just as well be thrown out into the street. Two-thousand years ago, there were no garbage dumps. The street served as the place where everyone tossed their garbage. The traffic of both people and animals trampled the waste into the ground.

The church does not exist solely for itself. Christians are on this earth to be the continuing presence of Christ in the world. We are meant to be a blessing wherever we are, and with whomever is around us. Believers have far too much going for them to be useless in this old fallen world.

Salt Is Flavorful

Jesus isn’t exhorting us to be salt because we already are salt. Rather, it’s a matter of allowing the world to taste us and find us flavorful.  It is okay to have some flavor in everything you do. A bland monotone person isn’t very appealing. Being salty and flavorful leads us to respond to circumstances differently, to view the world with compassion, not indifference or hate.

There was once a church that discovered a new housing project was going up behind their property. The bland and flavorless person said, “We need to build a fence so the kids won’t wander over into our property.” But the salty person, full of flavor, said, “Cool! Do we have enough money to build a sidewalk so the kids will wander over here?”

To drive his point home even deeper, Jesus used a second metaphor to describe what our relation to the world is to be like….

Light

In the ancient world, there were no artificial lights. So, when it was night, it was black. I grew up in the rural Midwest, far from any city lights. If you didn’t have a flashlight at night, you’d likely fall into a ditch, or something worse. In the pitch black, any light makes a real difference.

You might mistakenly think your life does not make that much of a difference. Yet, it does!  Being characterized by the Beatitudes of Jesus causes a person, and a church, to be visible. It shows the world who Jesus is, and what he is like. The issue is not being perfect in everything we do and say. Instead, it’s much more about being real, genuine, and authentic. We let our light shine, which means not trying to hide our flaws and imperfections.

Letting Our Light Shine

How can we let our light shine in this world?  What are some tangible ways to express the Beatitudes of Jesus? The following are what the church has always done throughout its history:

  • Taking in unwanted children. Infanticide was a reality in the ancient Greco-Roman world. And there have always been orphans and abandoned children. Foster care and adoption were first practiced by Christians wanting to be salt and light in the world.
  • Ministering to the sick and dying. During times of plague and disease, most villagers and townsfolk fled to avoid the epidemic. Christians, however, stayed. They cared for people. The afflicted did not die alone.
  • Visiting those in prison. For most of history, prisons did not provide anything to prisoners, including food. Prisoners were dependent on family members to bring them meals. So, Christians began providing food and companionship to those who did not have families. Otherwise, they would starve and die.
  • Extending help and kindness to the poor. The church was attentive to the immigrant, the stranger, and the widow, when no one else gave such persons the time of day.

It is important to take a proactive approach to being salt and light in the world. Simply having a reactive policy of waiting for needy people to come to us will not do. Rather, the light searches for lost people, identifies them, and meets their needs.

Letting My Light Shine

What can you and I do as individuals? Here are just a few things Bob and I have done:

  1. Using my giftedness, what I am good at, to do good works for others (all spiritual gifts in the Bible are either speaking gifts or serving gifts). Some examples: giving a book to young married couples who just had children; helping college students move in and out of dorms; spending time with the elderly; offering car and/or home repairs; or running errands.
  2. Developing new relationships and friendships. Join a virtual class or club. Do prayer walks around the neighborhood at the same time every day. I sometimes ask these questions of people: What do you think is the greatest need of this neighborhood? Why do you think most people stay away from church? If you were looking for a church, what would you look for? What advice can you give to someone who really wants to be helpful to people?
  3. Sharing my God story. Let others know what God has done for you, and what your life is like with Jesus. Be curious about another’s spirituality. Be judgment free.

In my experience, Christianity works. It is a cohesive and genuine way of living, that is, if we let it be that. Christians are meant to taste good to the culture, and be a gracious light, shining the love of Christ for others to see.

May we be salt and light for the life of the world. May it be so to the glory of God.

See you on the trail!

Read more