Jesus Wept

Jesus Wept: Statue located at Oklahoma City National Memorial

Jesus wept. It may be the shortest sentence in the bible, but I also find it one of the most powerful. What does it take to bring the Son of God to such emotion? How can it be that a Savior, who in just a few moments will bring a dead man back to life, would be in such a grievous state of sorrow?

We may not fully understand the meaning of Jesus’ tears as he stood, outside the grave of his friend Lazarus, weeping, but we can fully understand his emotional pain. The nation finds itself in mourning this week after the brutal and evil murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The question on everyone's lips - why? The debates rage over the cause and the cure. We argue over gun control, mental illness treatments, government restrictions, and the list goes on. Everyone has an opinion and an accusation. The argument that I am having the most trouble with, however, is that the government is to blame because it has kept God out of schools. The most reprehensible of comments came from the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer...

“Here’s the bottom line — God is not going to go where he is not wanted, We kicked God out of our public school system. I think God would say to us, hey, I would be glad to protect your children but you gotta invite me back into your world first. I’m not going to go where I’m not wanted. I am a gentleman…. Back when we had prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments in schools, we did not need guns.”

Mr. Fischer is not the only one to make this argument to me; others are just as adamant that if prayer and the bible were taught in public schools then these horrific events would not be happening to our children. I am troubled by this argument for many reasons. 

First, "God is not going to go where he is not wanted, We kicked God out of our public school system." This argument requires us to believe that the government has the power to control the very presence of God. Let me assure you, there is no government on earth with that kind of power. 

Second, "I would be glad to protect your children but..." This argument requires us to believe in a God that punishes innocent babies by withdrawing from their presence. This stands in stark contrast to a risen Christ that assures us he will always be with us. It also indicates a God that is petty and vengeful and immature. This would be the kind of God that said,  “If you aren’t going to play my way I will take my toys and go home” rather than the God who says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6) 

Third, "you gotta invite me back into your world first." This argument removes all concept of Grace from God's character. The greatest tenet of grace is that it is unmerited and undeserved. As a United Methodist, I believe in what John Wesley described as "Prevenient Grace" - the grace that "comes before." Our belief is that God first loves us, before we even have any concept of that love or even the ability to return that love. When we are still sinners, still lost, still unbelievers, God loves us and is at work in and around us to draw us closer and bring us to a place of recognition and acceptance. To argue that God will protect our children only when God is "invited" into our lives is not fitting with the God of such grace.

Fourth, "Back when we had prayer, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments in schools, we did not need guns.” I'm not even sure I understand the "need for guns" statement but as for the context of the statement - It is just flat out not true that when we had prayer, the Bible and the Ten Commandments in school that we were any more protected from harm. There have always been bad things happening in the world and in our schools and those bad things did not all center around a need for guns.

Fifth, this argument that the schools are responsible for the religious instruction of our children is greatly problematic. Public schools are institutions meant for academic instruction. Religious instruction should be carried out by families and by churches. I personally am not offended by the removal of teacher led prayer in school. My daughter was once forced by a teacher to read a bible in class because the teacher was trying to convince her to reject our faith and embrace the faith of the teacher, a Jehovah's Witness. I don't want my child's teacher having that kind of religious influence. I am completely in agreement that our children are not learning what they need to learn about God, about faith and about morality, but the fault and failure doesn't lie in our teachers, our schools and our government - it lies in our family priorities and in our churches. It is not my government’s job to instill values in my children; it is mine. It is not the schools job to teach the bible to my children; it is mine and church's.

The events at Sandy Hook and other similar atrocities are indeed a wake up call for all of us as Christians. We have a responsibility in how the world knows and understands God. We are God’s witnesses and proclaimers in this world and we must be very careful of that responsibility. The world (and our children) needs to know that God is with us – it is the very proclamation of Christmas – Emmanuel (God with us). We cannot let them believe that God’s presence is fickle and unsure. We cannot leave them to understand that if they don’t please God that they will be subjected to a murder’s bullet. We must do better than that.

In the face of evil, Jesus weeps. Evil happens in this world and it comes in many forms but it does not come with enough power to block out the presence of God. God was in Sandy Hook Elementary school to comfort and welcome those babies into a new life where such pain and terror need not be known. To deny God's presence there is to deny they were loved and accepted by him…and that I will never do.

Our Christmas proclamation is that the birth of Jesus brought God into the world as never before. Our Easter proclamation is that God's presence is inseparable from ours - not even death can tear us apart. That is the lesson our children need to know - the lesson the world needs to know - especially as we weep.

If we want to make the world a safer place for our children then make religious instruction in your home a priority. Find a church that takes the religious instruction of children seriously. Make church and faith a vital part of your life and your family's life and invite their friends to join you. Mentor in the schools - go ask a guidance counselor or social worker who the loners are and volunteer to mentor them. We can sit and play blame all day but only with love and commitment will we turn the tide of evil and heal the wounds of brokenness. 

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

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Becoming a "Home Depot" Church

Words...phrases...campaigns...mission statements...they look great on paper don't they? Words meant to inspire us with a common goal. Phrases and campaigns to rally us around a unifying theme. Mission statements to make clear the belief we have in our purpose. Words are important, but what good are they if they stay words on a page?

I have been preaching a sermon series from the book of James in which he implores his readers to be more than hearers of the word but instead to be doers of the word. When it comes to Scripture, those words are mean to come alive into activity. This past Sunday, Bishop Larry Goodpaster delivered a sermon to the newly formed Yadkin Valley District of the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church. He used words from Luke - who used words from Jesus - who used words from Isaiah...

Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 

Bishop G went on to explain that Jesus took apart this old scripture and put it back together again in a new way - creating a new kind of mission and mandate for those that would become His followers. Our mandate is to Follow Jesus - Love God - and Love our neighbors in the way that Isaiah describes. Do we see who those neighbors are? The Poor - The Captives - The Blind - The Oppressed. We could spend all day unpacking who those folks are in our neighborhoods: the working, single parent that cannot earn a decent wage that will put enough food on the table for the family; the young adult captivated by a world of addiction; the person who cannot yet see that their actions are creating terrible consequences and hurting themselves and others; the one who is not allowed a chance to become more and earn more because they live in a society that says they are not worth our effort.

Words matter - Jesus' words matter - Isaiah's words matter - so do those of us who hear those words and those for which those words were meant to inspire love and assistance. We must notice, however, that Isaiah's words were action words - bring...proclaim...release...recover...go. Isaiah's plea is not an idealogical one - it is mean to be lived out, not simply thought out.

Bishop G compelled us to remember the words of scripture are meant to be lived out in action but they are also meant to be proclaimed. As we do the good in the world we are called to do, we must SPEAK the good news of Jesus Christ to those we encounter. Our help of the poor, the captive, the blind, the oppressed is material and temporary if we do not take the step to introduce them to our Jesus who is the only lasting solution to their real need: salvation. With that, he invited us all to become "Home Depot" churches.

At first I thought he meant offering a wide variety of tools to fix a wide variety of problems - but then he pointed us toward Home Depot's advertising catch phrase, "More Saving - More Doing." (I wonder if James is in heaven saying, "Why didn't I think of that?"). Bishop G went on to say the church doesn't have a mission, it IS a mission. Our mission lies in DOING the words of our faith - and in SAVING the souls of the lost by inviting them to hear about Jesus.

Words matter...not just speaking them but doing them. In Luke's Gospel Jesus tells the story of The Good Samaritan - a story inspired by the question "Who is my neighbor?" In the story an injured man is passed by two people who most would expect to offer aid, but they had not. Instead, it was someone from outside the social barriers of the day - a Samaritan. It was the Samaritan that acted in mercy and treated a complete stranger, and potential enemy, as a neighbor. "Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." 

Go and do....More Saving - More Doing. Let's get started shall we?

For the Love of Christ...

The ritual of going through the leftovers of someone's life is a mixed bag of emotion. There is the sadness of realizing traditions will end and new memories will not be made. There is also, however, some laughter and joy when a treasure is uncovered that you never knew about, or had perhaps forgotten existed.

Last night while visiting my sister-in-law she was showing us a book she had come across belonging to my father-in-law, Jim. It was a book one of the grandchildren had given him in which he could journal about his life and then someday return the book to them as a gift of treasured memories.  (Fantastic idea!)  She was reading random passages to us when she came across a great story - on how he and Peggy fell in love.

Thursday would have been their 60th wedding anniversary, had they not passed away within seven weeks of one another earlier this year.  So it seemed fitting on the day after their anniversary to read a part of their story. Jim wrote that he fell in love with Peggy on their third date, and so on that date, while driving down the road he said to her, "Peggy, I love you." To which she replied, "Yea, I've heard that before." - which sent us all into fits of giggles. How so perfectly Jim and Peggy - he the brazen romantic and she the cautious pragmatic.  He said he never asked when she had heard it before or from whom she had heard it, but I think it is obvious to all who knew them that he spent the next 60 years proving that he, above anyone else, meant it.

This life, this world, can burn us and leave us cynical to the point that when we hear of the joyous good news of Christ's love for us, all we can muster is a mild enjoyment while thinking, "Yea, I've heard that before." And yet, if we will remain cognizant to God's presence in our lives, we will no doubt learn that this time it is the real deal.  Christ does love us, he never tells us that flippantly or casually - for Christ, love is a matter of life and death.

Scripture refers to the church as the bride of Christ - which means we have moved beyond the "Yea, I've heard that before" and have accepted the true and precious love which He has offered. It is a promise not only for the corporate church but for all her individual members.  Jesus loves you! This you can know, this you can stake your life on.

To Meekly Go Where Only the Bold Dare to Tread

"But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity." 

 Psalm 37:11

"When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness."         Acts 4:31

The bible, it seems, is full of contradictions at times...one minute calling for faithful followers to be meek and then later proclaiming that God's presence upon His followers evokes boldness.  So which is it? Are we to be meek or bold?  The answer is "YES"


We tend to be a people of extremes, going through scripture and picking out the things that resonate most with us - either because they are easy for us to do or easy for us to stand against. Therefore, there is a tendency to read scripture with blinders on...only seeing the portions we wish to see.


In ministry I find myself running around putting out fires that I didn't start, watching others walk away to leave me standing in the smoldering ruins of a dream destroyed, praying I have enough resources to rebuild.  It occurs to me that most of those fires are caused when church leaders read scriptures with one eye closed...missing out on important guidelines of our faith.  For example, there are some leaders who proceed with much boldness, which, according to Acts, is a great thing to have.  And yet, they become more like a steamroller or a wrecking ball - moving so boldly that anyone in their way is knocked aside or  trampled.  There are other leaders who proceed with an attitude of meekness, much like the Psalm calls for. And yet, they move so timidly that they must be taken by the hand and led every step by someone else.  They don't dare to move on their own and so others get frustrated when progress is slow or so much assistance is needed to get the job done.


Does the Bible contradict itself? No, in this instance I do not believe it does. I believe the lesson of that Scripture brings to us is that we are called to be well-rounded individuals who are not extremists, but instead, are balanced and strive to be the best of every-thing we can be.  


What the church needs is more meek folk who will walk boldly and more bold folk who will walk meekly! If we could only accomplish that I believe most of our internal bickering and snipping would come to an end.  It really is simple...think about someone other than yourself and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.  Hmmm, haven't we heard that somewhere before?


Imagine with me a church full of people who meekly go where only the bold dare to tread...a church where, with gentleness, kindness and compassion, folks walk boldly into the land proclaiming Christ to the lost.  Just imagine...

A question of making the right introductions

Networking has been a big buzz word in the business world. The concept being that you want to be introduced to the right people that can help you further your goals.  Too often, Christians and sadly, even our ministers, have a tendency to treat the church as if it is a business. Meaning that evangelism has seemingly become a form of Christian networking. Our thinking seems to be that if we can just meet the right people and make the right introductions then BAM! Goals will be met and our churches will be full.  Not a bad concept I suppose but something has been bothering me about it...something is off and I'm really been struggling to define it but in the past new weeks I think I have narrowed it down.  It is all about the purpose of the introduction.

The question I would like for us to consider is this: When we evangelize, are we doing it so that we can introduce people to church or are we evangelizing so we can introduce people to God?  A friend reminded me this week that we should never get the two confused - Church and God are not synonymous.  God is God and the church is a servant of God.  So, when we say we are "reaching out to the community" or "evangelizing the neighborhood" what do we really mean?  Are we providing them with chances to see what a great church we have and hope they will join us on Sunday morning? Or are we providing them with a real opportunity to meet God, to learn and experience God's love and provision in a real and life-altering way?  I think there is a huge difference between to two.

Programs, events, parades, picnics, festivals are good and fun things to do occasionally but last time I checked the great commission said, "Go and make disciples" not "Go and rent a bouncy booth for the neighborhood kids to enjoy."  I look at my community and what I see are lost and hurting people who have plenty of entertainment opportunities at their disposal but they do not know that a new and vibrant life is available and waiting for their embrace.  

Have you ever gone out with a friend and had the opportunity to meet someone important, but your friend dominates the meeting and you never even get introduced? Frustrating isn't it? God is here and waiting for the church to make the introduction to the lost and least - but the church seems too busy introducing themselves to point out that God is there.

The right introductions are important for success.  The question is, whose success is more important - your church? Or God's Kingdom?