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I appreciate the Chronicle’s attempt to report happenings in the churches of Christ. It appears that the new issue of the Christian Chronicle will be devoted to promoting the discussion of the issue of fellowship in the c.o.c, and the christian Churches.

1906 marks the 100 year anniversary of our official split. Some leaders in both camps are encouraging brethern to come to the table and talk, not so much for either side to lose its disctinctiveness, but to see unity in a new and needed light.

There are questions that need to be answered. There are relationships in both camps that needed healing. The Church needs to guard against further fracturing. Historic times demand for historic action. What will be the role of the local church in this 100 year anniversary. How tragic that what started out as a unity movement has a history of division.

Some questions I would like to throw out there to those whose influence is larger than mine, but maybe just maybe will be asking the same questions?

1. What picture do we send to the un-churched, the lost, etc., when they see us fighting and bickering with each other?

2. How do we define fellowship, and who is really in the family of God.

3. Can someone be sincerley wrong, have the right motives, the wrong doctrine and be a child of God?

4. What do those who share a restoration heritage really want from these discussions?

5. What will the church look like when my grandchildren are my age?

I am sure more questions could be asked. I hope more questions are asked. Before we any of us come to these meetings, let’s start on our knees repentant and heart broken for the mixed messages we have sent each other and the world.

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From the last post, you may have gathered that I was a little down in the dumps. I admit that my outlook was a little gloomy. I am not quite sure I have fully recovered from the stinging rebuke I received last week.

And in this past week, in the day to day of reality, my wife has needed me, my daughter has vied for my attention, and at best I have been a detached mass of flesh and blood reeling over this rough encounter. I know that conflict is a part of life, and in the church conflict can be healthy and promote spiritual growth. But, on this side of conflict, when negativity sets in, and focus and passion are lost, it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. I know that I will get over this “thing” and that life will resume, but at what cost? A week of wasted of opportunities, because I have been to afraid to step out and walk by faith, a week of wasted time with a 19 month old who needs her daddy, cold reception to a wife, who hurts and cries when her husband hurts and cries.

It’s in this imperfect reality of the body, the church, that life will go on. Tomorrow, we will assemble to worship our Father and the Savior of our souls. Hopefully, wounds will receive the healing ointment of grace, hard hearts will be softened by the wine of Christ’s blood, faith in the unchanging victorious God will be restored. Un-forgiveness will collide with these words of Christ, “21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matt 5:21-24). So where does that leave us, where does that leave me, in need of only what the cross makes available. Will we accept Christ’s payment for our sin, and allow the Holy Spirit’s fire to burn within us?

Discontent in the camp…

Sometimes in ministry it can seem the whole world is against you, or the whole church might be more aptly put. But, in some cases, and I am sure you have heard story after story of a minister and his family being put on the firing squad by another family.

Sometimes God’s people stink. Do we cease loving them because they express discontent, or disagree with our ministry? No, we love them, “fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith” and keeping on running the race laid out before us.

We won’t make everyone happy. I have known this for a while, but one of my shepherds reminded me of this other day, when he shared some insight his father had given him, “son, you can’t please everyone, and if everyone is happy, then something is wrong.”

I was reading through Numbers today, and I came to chapters 11-14. Boy did I need this chapter this morning! The Israelites in the first ten chapters of Numbers obey God without question, but the time we get to Numbers 11, and just three days into thier journey, the winning begins, and the grumbling starts and the Lord’s anger burns against his people. Butt he grumbling doesn’t stop there, the next three chapters are full of discontent in the camp. Numbers 12, Moses’ own brother and sister complain about Moses’ leadership, and God rebukes these two for thier disregard for the Lord’s annointed. Numbers 13 and 14, Moses sends out 12 spies to investigate the Promised Land, and 10 of the 12 come back and express and complete lack of faith and spread a bad report through the camp, which results in 40 years of desert wandering and the passing of an entire generation. In Numbers 14, I thought it was interesting that God mentions the ten times that the Israelites put him to the test. This picture I get from Numbers 14 is of a caring and loving parent who has had it with his children’s constant nagging and bickering, and he lovingly disciplines his stubborn children.
Check out these ten times of testing:
1. Ex. 14:10-12
2. Ex. 15:22-24
3. Ex. 16:1-3
4. Ex. 16:19-20
5. Ex. 16:27-30
6. Ex. 17:1-4
7. Ex. 32:1-35
8. Nu. 11:1-3
9. Nu. 11: 4-34
10.Nu. 14:3 (as a result of Numbers 13)

Conflict is a part of life. It can be handled destructively or constructively. I always hope that I land on the constructive side of any conflict. God is faithful through all of our conflicts and will continue to be.

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daddy and his daughter 

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Everyone is asleep, and I am taking a break from graduate homework, and so I thought I would drop by a blog a little.

I have been a “blogger” now for almost a year. It’s funny how popular blogging has become. I have read some wonderful blog entries, and have been not so blessed to read some not so good blog entries. I admit that at times I have contributed to the “not so good” category of “not so good blogs.”

March of this year will be my one year blog anniversary. When I started, I had in mind to blog for a year and see what happens. I have made the blog acquaintances of several brothers whom I have come to respect and certainly plan on continuing to read whether or not I continue to blog or not. So, I am a cross-roads if you will, do I blog some more or not?

I like the freedom that this medium allows me to question things. One of my favorite areas to question and dream is the Church and the expressions of beliefs that add variety to the body of Christ. I know there are others who I think do a better job at raising current issues and developing new and sometimes cutting edge approaches to ministry and church life in general. I have been influenced and am in debt to the following for thier writing and sharing those ideals on the web: Fred Peatross, Wade Hodges, Brandon Thomas, Mike Cope, Greg Taylor, Adam Ellis, Russel Heil, and the list could go on and on. You guys have been an encouragement to me and I know countless others.

So, the question I lay before those who have read any of the last several months worth of my thoughts, should I continue my adventure in the blogosphere or is it time to hit the delete button on this blog?

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I will probably be a little lax in my blogging the next several days. I am trying to stay afloat with graduate work, and my folks are in from Ohio. I haven’t seen them since October. It was really cool at the airport today, Rachel warmed right up to grandma and grandpa. She has lately been saying, “nana and pop-pop — Ohio,” it’s amazing how quickly toddlers pick up on things and the acqusition of language is incredible.

Update on the new baby:

Jennifer had a doctor’s appoinment earlier in the week, things are going well with this pregnancy. She is right at four months and is beginning to show. Please continue to pray for her and the baby for the duration of this pregnancy. We are nervous and excited about being the parents of two children.

Finally, I talked to Jeff Walling on the phone this evening. For real! I had ordered a DVD Bible study that he has put out at NCYM in Colorado Springs, and well I didn’t fill out my form correctly and he needed some more information. I called the number back on the caller ID, and he answered. I probably sounded like the biggest dork on the planet. Jeff Walling has been influential in Youth Ministry for a long time. His ability to share the gospel, and communicate a Christ inspired message not only to teens but to any in the audience is second to none.

I really admire and respect him, and I got to meet him finally in Colorado at NCYM, and he is a humble and gracious man, and he was on the phone this evening. Jeff Walling called my house. How cool is that?!

Somewhere between what we “know” and what we “see.”

We are caught between what we know, and all the this word implies and what we see. We go to church, listen attentively to the sermon, take notes, sing, attend Bible classes, shout amen. Sundays are a feel good day. Faith is strong and life is good. We know that the Son is large and in charge, but something happens Monday morning. Life appears chaotic. Tsunamis crush innocent villages, car-bombs reek havoc on unsuspecting soldiers, cancer ends dreams, new borns are born with deformites. In the chaos in the world around us, it hardly seems like the Son, the heir of all things, the one we declare to be King has got things under control.

Look at the tragic example, for heaven’s sake, he was weakened and humiliated at the cross. Ah, but there in lies the hope in the seemingly hopelessness we call Monday. “But we see Jesus, who was a made a little lower than angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one” (Hebrews 2:9).

There is more to what meets the eye.

“They eye may win for ‘a little while,’ but when all is said and done, it is the gospel heard through the ear that turns out to hold the full truth. Yes…Jesus did suffer. The whole world saw that. Yes, Jesus did exhibit the weakness of human flesh. Yes, Jesus did die, sharing the fate of all humanity. But those were only the pictures…Jesus was only ‘for a little while lower than the angels,’ and this descent into human history was for a distinct purpose. When one hears the full message of the gospel, one recognizes beyond mere sight the season of Jesus’ suffering was a necessary segment ofthe arc of grace that curves finally tothe place we cannot yet see, to the place of triumph where the Son is even now crowned with glory and honor” (Thomas Long, Hebrews. Interpretation: A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Lousiville: John Knox Press, 1997, p. 38)

Long goes on to share that in Hebres 2:10-18, there are three images that the Preacher of Hebrews leaves us…
1. Jesus is the “Hero”
2. Jesus is the “Liberator”
3. Jesus is the “High Priest”

Descending into our condition, tasting human suffering, experiencing human hurts, and human tears, Jesus behind enemy lines, fighting courageously to bring tired and weary souls home, by laying down his life willingly, making atonement for our sins we are left with an image of Jesus that ignites our hearts, demands our allegiance and rekindles weary faith.

What is Unique in Christianity?

What is unique in Christianity? Is it the variety of “Christian flavors” available to us today? No. Is it the impressive church buildings that dot the landscape? No.

“That which is truly unique to Christianity is Jesus Christ. He is what was essential to its beginning and remains central to what it is” (Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity,p. 619, 2003)

Frank Cross makes an excellent observation:

“It is not the idea of redemption through suffering, but the ‘event’ of the crucifixion understood as the atoning work of God that distinguishes Christianity. It is not the doctrine of resurrection but faith in the resurrection of Jesus as an eschatological event which forms the basis of the Christian decision of faith. It is not faith that a Messiah will come that gives Christianity its special character, but the assurance that Jesus rules as the Messiah who has come and will come. It is not the hope of a New Creation that lends uniqueness to Christianity, but the faith that Jesus is the New Adam, the first of the New Creation. Finally, it is not a ‘love ethic’ that distinguished Christianity from Judaism — far from it. The Christian faith is distinguished from the ancient faith which brought it to birth in its knowledge of a new act of God’s love, the revelation of His love in Jesus’ particular life and death and resurrection” [(Frank Moore Cross, The Ancient Library of Qumran (London, 1958), 184, quoted in (Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity,p. 620, 2003)].

You can’t have one without the other…

A couple of days ago, I mentioned the danger in the Jesus story. Truly, claming allegiance to an unseen, crucfied moral teacher is an absured idea. Absured indeed, but the cross is central to the Christianity. It is the absurdity of the cross that excites me so, and has been the turning point of faith for many throughout the ages.

Christianity is not what it is without the cross. Without the cross, our humanity is lost in sinful oblivion. Without the cross, Jesus is just one more historical figure making absurd claims. Without the cross there is no hope in this world. The Divine meets the dregs of human sinfulness, and takes our place. In a moment unlike any other in the annals of human history, man and God trade places if for but a moment. A moment that separates human history.

A crucified God is ridiculous by casual glances. The implications of such an act are colossal, reaching the very moral fabric we are made of. A cross, blood-stained and real, demands my whole-hearted allegiance. If it were not for the cross, my sin is still my master, but no longer.

The danger of the Jesus story…

I am reading a wonderful commentary on the Book of Hebrews by Thomas Long. Today, I came across several passages that really resonated with me where I am in my walk. I hope they re-light a passion for the one who passionately pursued our lost and weary souls.

“What is so dangerous about the Jesus story? What is at risk in a discussion about incarnation? The peril lies in the fact that the incarnation, taken out of context, is a discouraging story of bitter defeat. ‘We had hoped, ‘ say the two disheartened followers on the Emmaus road, ‘that he was the one to redeem Israel’ (Luke 24:21)…Taken by itself, the story of Jesus is a mornful story of a victim overpowered by his enemies. Taken alone the narrative of Jesus from birth to the cross is moving but finally despairing story of one who courageously took on the powers that be but, in the end, was no match for them. We easily forget that the central narrative of the Christian faith is, on the face of it, a deep embarrasment. Often we have turned the passion story into harmless sentiment and the cross into a piece of costume jewlry, losing touch with what early Christians painfully knew, that Jesus died in shame (Heb.12:2) and that the cross is, to reasonable eyes, an inexplicable foolishness and a stumbling block to faith” (Thomas Long, Hebrews: Interperation, Louisville: Knoxville Press, 1989, p. 25-26).

He then goes on to ask, “So…what is different, worthy, or redemptive about the life of Jesus, which to all appearances was also brief, full of pain, and consumed at the end by death? (Thomas Long, Hebrews: Interperation, Louisville: Knoxville Press, 1989, p. 26). He goes on to talk about the danger to our enduring in the faith is the hope that we cannot see. Though we may not see the hope to which we cling, we like the congregation receieving the letter to the Hebrews, can hear the message of the victorious exalted Christ.

Last week, I challenged us to re-discover the story of Jesus. This magnificent story of Jesus is our story. When we unite ourselves with Him by faith and join Him in death, burial and resurrection through the watery grave we are joining his story. We are reenacting the gospel.

The cross may appear foolish to those who haven’t been transformed by the cross, but for those of us who have journeyed to the cross and have allowed ourselves to die there, we know that this story of Jesus is worth more than any worldly pleasure.