1/12/18 Morning Musing: We Damage His Name…

After reading another story about another woman being sexually assaulted by a man and it not coming to public knowledge for decades and hearing her disparaged and minimized because she “waited too long” or because it was “decades ago”…I just can’t be quiet any longer. (This time, it was Andy Savage of Highpoint Church in Tennessee.) It’s late and my heart hurts so be patient with me as I try to make coherent points.

I can not understand how “waiting so long” is supposed to negate the victim’s reliability or the truth. People in power have gotten away with abuse of the ones without that power forever…and unfortunately, it is also true in churches. But unlike outside of the church, we Christians should be held to a different standard…not because we are better than anyone else…not by a long shot. We should be held to a higher standard because we have intimate understanding of Jesus’ example of giving a voice to the voiceless…of bringing justice to the marginalized…and giving dignity to the broken or hurting. This intimate knowledge of our God and his heart means that we can not continue to ignore injustice and abuse of power while representing our Lord accurately because each time we do, we aren’t just lying…we aren’t just hurting the individuals being denied justice…we are also damaging the name of our God.

We damage his name when we continue to turn a blind eye to abuse.

We damage his name when we refuse to see other people…other image-bearers…as valuable.

We damage his name when we give racism or sexism (or any other ism) a pass by remaining quiet when we know we should be speaking up.

We damage his name when we refuse to enter into honest and respectful dialogue about topics that matter. (This contributes to the trend of people seeing the church as obsolete.)

We damage his name when we defend abusers and judge victims based on whether or not we align with them politically, denominationally, etc. (Yes, I just went there.)

We damage his name when we push for male leaders in church to receive funds for their ministry, appropriate pay and title, and continuing education while denying it for their female counter-parts.

We damage his name when we beat people up with our religion instead of listening to them and loving them.

We damage his name when we applaud what is wicked and criticize what is good.

We damage his name when we deny others the freedom that we simultaneously demand for ourselves.

We damage his name when we judge others instead of remembering how we have been forgiven.

We damage his name when we mistreat each other in the name of “witnessing.”

We damage his name when we abandon the needy, weak, marginalized, aged, or hurting.

We damage his name when we refuse to own our sins and, instead, justify our ugly behaviors or minimize them by using more palatable wording so that we can feel better about ourselves.

I could go on and on forever with this. At some point, we must quit tolerating the abuse of power. If we are the ones with power, God’s blessings are not limited…there is no need to try to hoard it. If we are the abusers, yes there is forgiveness…the gospel is not too small for any sin…but that doesn’t mean that accountability is void. If we are the survivors…and hear me on this…please hear me…our pain is not to be wasted! It can become a beautiful place that will allow us to minister to others and understand the hurts of others if we allow it. If we are the ones without power, our God is the God Who Sees us (El Roi) so he clearly sees the power-mongers and they will be held accountable.

How are you doing with this? Did any of these points make you wince a little or bring a specific incident to mind? Is there some way that you can pursue a more truthful and authentic way of living this out? Is there someone that you feel you should apologize to? Is there forgiveness that you can extend to someone regardless of whether or not they have asked for it?

My prayer for us tonight is that we would simply love each other better. I am praying that instead of constantly grappling for power or position or status or whatever, that we would see the truth of what is important and life-giving and pursue it with abandon. I am praying that we would try to squeeze every bit of living out of this life while we have it instead of pursuing the things that lead to our physical, emotional, and spiritual death. I am praying that we would also learn how to receive love when offered by others.

Much love friends,

Beks

9/22/15 Morning Musing: It’s Only Bravery If We are Scared

In about a month, I am giving a talk in my marriage class. It shouldn’t be a big deal…I’m outgoing and never (ever!) have trouble talking with folks (whether I know them or not and whether they know that they want to talk or not)…but having a conversation is different from holding a microphone and talking from the front of the room. I have incredible anxiety around these kinds of situations…any situation where I feel like I am having to “perform.” The subject area is right up my alley: Fun and Connectedness. (I mean, c’mon! This practically has my name written all over it.) So what’s the problem?

Well, I guess my problem is two-fold:

First, there is the performance thing. I am the girl who would vomit before tests in school…from seventh grade all the way into grad school. And even as an adult, I would get performance anxiety around testing for taekwondo. (I’m sort of ashamed (and sort of proud) to admit that I was known as the lady with the fun flask at testings and tournaments. I would arrive early and pour vanilla rum into Dr. Pepper and voila! It was a yummy Vanilla Dr. Pepper from Sonic…but more fun.) I mean, c’mon! I’m an adult! (at least chronologically if not otherwise.) And…I am paying a lot of money for these judges to judge me…but I was so afraid that they would also “judge” me. *shudders* As a deeply-died-in-the-wool-people-pleaser, that thought alone can make me freeze up and just shut down. (And yes, I know all of the reasons (Biblically and otherwise) why I should not care what anyone thinks of me…it’s my blood pressure, stomach, and brain that have the absolutely terrified and paralyzed disconnect.) **Warning: Digresses to a story: When I first started board breaking in taekwondo, I got all gummed up in my head at testing because I knew my board-holders (Mr. Scott Mischke and Mr. Nevels.) Nicest guys in the world…but I knew them. When mentally preparing myself for this testing, I had faceless board holders…but these guys…I knew! And I liked them! Ugh! Well, as it would go, I was all amped up and kicking it wrong for the first two tries. When I got to the last possible attempt, the thought occurred to me, “If you throw up on them, you will have to quit because it will be too embarrassing to ever return to class.” Well…that’s just great! I knew then that vomiting was eminent and I had to do the last kick (pass or fail) before the vomiting happened or I was just screwed. So, I managed to throw a terrible, ugly, embarrassingly bad side kick…and accidently broke the board…with my calf. What the-? Hold on, I used to be a science teacher…I have taught physics…that isn’t supposed to be possible! And in my confusion and disbelief, I passed my test. I stood there stunned and saw the stunned and amused faces of Scott and Kevin looking back at me as I thanked them and wandered away somewhere. (I’m still not sure what I did or where I went after that…I sure hope I wasn’t driving.) The only thing that made sense to me was that I was so pathetic that God had mercy on my and broke the board for me. Honestly, it’s the only thing that I can think of.**

The other problem for me, where this upcoming talk is concerned, has to do with my long-held belief about women being quiet in church (1 Tim 2.) And while I have this settled in my mind after extensive study (I am happy to have a conversation about this if you want,) there is still something that nags at me…some insidious voice that tells me that I am being a “bad girl” (and not in the fun way…just in the disobedient-to-God way) and that gives me heartburn. It gives me pause and it opens me up to doubt. This nagging thought is the reason that I have denied my Spiritual giftedness for so long…but I simply can’t deny it anymore: Pastor/Shepherd, Teacher, Prophecy (Counsel), and Exhortation (Encouragement)…these gifts define who God made me to be and the story that he has chosen for my life to tell. So, every time I consider doing this, I have to go through the entire exercise of re-studying in order to make sure that I am in humble obedience to God and not in some sort of rebellion. It can be exhausting.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I guess it’s for a couple of reasons: First, I’d love prayer support. Ever since making this decision, I have honestly felt attack. My time has managed to become over-loaded with stuff that I don’t like or have a passion for (soul-sucking tedious stuff like updating websites and dealing with rosters and stuff) and have been denied the deep conversations with actual people’s faces (in person) about real ideas. I have been unable to muse although it is one of the only things I want to do. So, I am asking for prayer as often as God brings it to mind to think about. (And thank you in advance.)

Another reason I’m writing about this is that I think that big things are happening in the Church (universal…not just the one I attend) where biases (gender as well as others) are concerned. As long as we are unable to put ourselves in someone else’s circumstances (gender, race, socioeconomics, orientation, up-bringing, etc.) it is crucial that we talk with people to gain their perspective. I would be willing to bet that very few male pastors in the Bible Belt have struggled against feeling like they are a willfully disobedient Christ-follower for speaking truth in church. Considering that many of us spend time with others who are like us, it stands to reason that we lack exposure to many perspectives that could allow us glimpses of God’s truth and character that we don’t currently see.

Finally, I’m writing this as an encouragement. I don’t think that there are many worthwhile things in life that don’t require some work to accomplish. For example, if public speaking were easy for me, I might be prone to thinking that I was doing it through my own strength…I might forget my need for God…and then I’d miss the entire point of why I do this.

Time to flip the tables: How are you doing with this? Is there something that you should be doing but aren’t because you “aren’t good at it?” (For me, it shows up as recurring thoughts that make me go “Where did that come from? I don’t wanna do that!”) Are you surrounding yourself in “holy huddles” and not exposing yourself to other perspectives? (We are each a PART of the body…not an entire body on our own…we are meant to be in community with people who are different from ourselves (different body parts.) Who can you ask to enter with you into a healthy exchange of ideas? How can you grow in your understanding of God and the story that he would like to use your life to tell?

My prayer today is that we would be obedient to our Lord regardless of whether or not we like what he has planned for us to do. I am praying that we would honor him with a gift-offering of being willing to lean into our discomfort instead of fleeing from it. And finally, I’m praying that we would respect him and those he loves by allowing them to share stories about their experiences with God with us.

Much love friends,

Beks

6/25/15 Morning Musing: Dear Christian…

I was cringing…just cringing and praying…”Lord, please make it stop. Quiet his mouth. Allow a distraction. Something. Just make it stop.” But it continued…and I was stuck. No, I am not talking about some sort of physical torture…I’m talking about being in a situation where I was hearing someone say some things that weren’t true. Actually, it’s more than that…he was carrying on in a way that indicated that I (and everyone else in the room) would agree with him when I simply do not. In fact, I was in such disagreement that my soul was grieving at his words because they seemed contrary to our common faith (Christianity.) And there were so many people around! I couldn’t call him out on it without causing a scene which would ultimately destroy our already-fragile relationship. So, there I found myself in a situation where I had to be false and pretend to be in agreement, absent by repeatedly removing myself from the situation, or (seemingly) combative which isn’t where my heart is for this person. Spoiler: I ended up doing all three in some form that evening and I still don’t think that he ever got the point because my instinct is to use finesse and nuance while this person generally takes more of a “sledge-hammer” approach. So, in my current state of feeling like I lost an opportunity but also still not knowing what I would have done differently, I write these words:

Dear Christian, I love you deeply…and while I want to add the word “but” to that statement, I won’t…because those four words are a complete statement.
Dear Christian, I may disagree with your words but that is not because I see us as being in opposition to each other. As a matter of fact, it is because I believe we are united in our beliefs that I disagree with your words. At your core, I think even YOU disagree with your words…you just don’t yet see the contradictions you are presenting.
Dear Christian, I am all for having a right to your opinions. (God knows that I sure have a ton of them) But when you make generalized statements that only allow two options (agreeing with you or disagreeing with you) it creates a situation where I am forced to be false, absent, or combative. False isn’t an option for me because I have lived in that prison before…I will not go back there. So, when I am left with only absence or combativeness, which would you have me choose and not fault me for? Do you mean to draw a line in the sand where God has not?  
Dear Christian, If we want to honor God, we will adopt his characteristics not sully his name with our worst ones. Our Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He does not divide…he unites. He does not create unnecessary conflict…he ushers in peace and safety. He does not harm his own…he protects. Looking back at your own words, would you say that their message lines up with the characteristics of the Good Shepherd?
Dear Christian, when you are careless with your words, it makes you seem small which reflects poorly on the one after whom you are named. Do you mean to make the gospel seem too small and insignificant to be of any value? I don’t think you do…but when we become unloving on small points…the gift of the gospel begins to look like no gift at all.
Dear Christian, Instead of only pointing out our differences, wouldn’t it be more constructive to determine what we have in common? In my view, our commonalities are rooted in something (someone) so enormous that he shadows our differences to the point that they become microscopic.
I could go on and on with this topic…In fact, I think most people could. I was raised by a pastor/seminary professor and when I would reveal my denomination to people, I would always get an ear-full about how someone of my denomination had injured them. (I won’t lie…I know that I have been guilty of this in the past myself.) It bothered me for a long time until I looked at the word denomination (the root literally means “to divide.”) That was when I started referring to it as a flavor instead. (Nobody has ever shared with me how chocolate or vanilla had injured them and caused them to move away from God.) Now, I don’t claim a denomination or even a flavor at all. I believe in the Trinity and the Bible and the fruit of the Spirit…and if anyone wants to know more about me, I will make it difficult for them to sum me up in one word like Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, etc. because I would rather enter into conversation about it than quickly categorize or be categorized.  
So, how are you doing with this? Are you drawing hard lines in the sand where God has not? If you are (and think that it is good) would you please consider evaluating those lines by asking yourself if you tend to draw them in such a way that you get to be with the “in-crowd?” What does that tell you about your lines and your motives? Or maybe you tend to find yourself excluded from the “in-crowd.” Are you holding the exclusions and pain that you have experienced against God? Was it God who drew those lines or possibly well-intending-but-poorly-executing-Christians?  
Again, my prayer this morning is that we would learn to love each other well…that we would stop seeking out division and differences…that we would represent our Lord well and bring healing instead of further injuring others. Much love friends,
Beks

8/15/14 Morning Musing: Unintentional Kindness is Still Kindness

It hit me like a punch right in the stomach: I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I knew every word she said was true. Let me back up a bit…I briefly had a roommate in college that was not a Christian. I would go so far as to say that she was an antagonist to just about every belief that I held as a Christian. The event that I am referring to is the moment she called me out on my legalism. See, back then, I had lots of head-knowledge about Jesus and the Bible…however, I didn’t have the experience that I think is necessary for that head-knowledge to move into the heart-space. I didn’t truly understand grace because I had never really required it…I was a pretty good kid and didn’t get into much trouble. I kept my nose clean and kept my rebellion contained within certain, carefully-crafted parameters. I drew lines in the sand for what was “going too far” and I made sure not to cross those lines. But within those lines…well, I did anything that I damned-well pleased…so you can imagine the state of my heart and how I treated people…I was one of those Christians that makes people cringe: arrogant, judgmental, hypocritical, and I behaved in a way that reflected my thoughts: “If what I say or do causes you pain, it’s due to your own weakness…you should probably deal with that.” Yeah, I was just…lovely. Anyway, the moment that I am talking about is when my roommate, whom I held in a place of disdain and to whom I am sure I had condescended to, called me out on my bulls#!*. She did it to my face and only to me…there was no crowd assembled to watch my ego take this hit…she was to the point and did not exaggerate…and she was dead on. I wanted to debate her back into “her place” and I couldn’t because every single word she said was true and hit the mark. I haven’t seen her since that night but I have often thought about her over the years since then because she caused my life to take a completely different path…and I owe her gratitude for that.

There are several things that I learned from this girl; I’ll call her Mindy. First, Mindy spoke directly to me about the issue she had with me. She didn’t go behind my back and get a committee assembled to talk to me in a “safe group.” She spoke directly to the offender in her life…unfortunately, it was me. Secondly, Mindy did not exaggerate her points in order to make her side “more right.” I see this a lot when people fight/argue…we exaggerate things in order to show a larger difference between us and the enemy. Mindy didn’t do that…she kept her emotion out of her statement and stuck to only the facts. (I have since tried to emulate this when I have a disagreement with someone…if you don’t exaggerate or “amplify” what happened, then you are able to maintain your legitimacy when disagreements occur…exaggerating can cause you to be disregarded as easily as straight-out lying.) Finally, she didn’t compromise who she was…she simply stated who I claimed to be and how it conflicted with who I was being…and those two people were not compatible…in fact, they were in stark contrast.

I have often thought about that moment: my breath caught in my lungs and…for once, I had no quick-witted and harsh response. I could feel my face getting hot and I knew that I was turning red. I felt my fists clench at my sides and I could hear my rapid heartbeat in my own ears. My throat closed up. I could not have said something even if a retort had come to mind. It was as if she had held a mirror up directly to my face and I had to stare at the person that I truly was…and I did not like what I saw…what I saw was ugly…what I saw was the person that I was showing others…what I saw was a nasty mis-representation of “Christian”…and it reflected very poorly on the Jesus that I claimed to follow. That day, this girl who did not love Jesus, was a better representation of him than the girl who claimed to love him and be changed by him. “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭15‬ NIV) Mindy did this…and it changed me…and I owe her a debt of gratitude for it.

My point? Glad you asked. I think that we often over-estimate our place in the world and under-estimate people from whom we can learn. Mindy was the last person in the world that I thought would help set me on a path to grow closer to God…but all these years later, I am still thankful to her for doing just that. I am grateful that she held an unbiased mirror to my face and made me take a look at the nasty reality of my life. I am grateful that she still took the time and energy required to invest in me in a way that I didn’t deserve…even if she wasn’t doing it for my good…even if she was just trying to knock the wind out of my over-inflated sails…good came from it. God can redeem absolutely anything and anyone for good and he did that night. I will forever be thankful to Mindy for allowing herself to be a tool in the hands of God that day.

So, how are you doing with this? Have you ever had someone hold a mirror up to you for you to get an honest and clear look at who you are? Did you like what you saw? Is there someone in your life that you need to learn from but your pride is in the way? Is there someone that you are called to hold the mirror for (maybe in a more gentle way than I described here so that relationships can still be salvaged?) What can you be doing to build into those around you? How can we better be tools of refinement for each other? What quality about you has God laid on your heart as an area for you to work on?

I’m praying for us to get honest looks at ourselves today…not so that we can become self-obsessed and ego-centric…not so that we can be falsely humble or self-deprecating…but so that we can be a better example of Christ and his love for the broken all around us…and sometimes, the broken is the person staring at me in the mirror. Much love friends,

Beks

7/2/14 Morning Musing: Reformed Habanero

I know it’s weird, but I’m going to share this with you anyway. I eat my emotions so it stands to reason that I also think of different people’s personalities in terms of food. Stan, for instance, is chocolate. He gets along with everyone and people always seem to be glad he’s there. You can mix him in with nuts, other sweets, or even savory and he will get along just fine. I, on the other hand, am a work in progress. I used to be habanero…people either loved me or hated me. I had a very harsh way of speaking and didn’t pull any punches which sometimes left those closest to me battered. I felt that if I injured someone with the things that I said that it was their fault for being weak. Yeah…that was me…there has been a lot of change in me (at least I hope there has been) in the last decade or so. I would say that now, I’m more like cilantro…people still either have a taste for me or not but I’m not as offensive as a pepper that will smack you before you know what happened. Some people find me refreshing and some people don’t care for this flavor but it’s less offensive now.

Why am I talking about food and abrasive personalities? Well, I’ve noticed over the last few days how divided people are (once again) over happenings in politics. While I believe we should be informed about decisions in our government, I don’t think that it gives us the right to lose our humanity with people who disagree with us. Gentleness is a characteristic of God and people who follow him closely:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, GENTLENESS, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22-26 NKJV)

To the Christians who are reading this, please understand that you are a Christ-follower first and foremost. Don’t let your connection with a political party, club, group of people, work-place, or anything else cast your connection with Jesus in the shadows. I’m not saying that you should boast more about your religious affiliations…I’m saying that you should boast less and, instead, live out your religious convictions. If you are a Christ-follower, the verses above describe what should be flowing out of you…not unkind things about people’s character. I seriously doubt that people on either side of this debate “hate women” or have “zero respect for life.” I don’t believe that the two sides of this debate are as polarized as we would make this out to be. I believe that both sides of this debate truly believe that what they are pursuing is ethical and upright…but they are looking at it from different perspectives. When we imply that anyone that disagrees with us is morally bankrupt and thus is against God, we are making very strong statements on God’s behalf…that is very serious and I think that he takes that very seriously. When we make those statements absent of the fruit of the Spirit flowing from us, we are the hypocrites that drive people away from Christianity and Jesus.

The point? Simply that we all represent what/who we stand for. Let’s make sure we are representing accurately. If someone represented you incorrectly, you would get pissed. Let’s not do that to God please.

Praying for kindness and gentleness for all. May we all pursue a better flavor in our lives. Much love friends,

Beks

5/30/14 Morning Musing: Big Enough

I’ve encountered a lot of people who have been burned by Christians and the Church and now avoid churches and religion at all cost and I’ve been thinking lately about the things that Christians tend to be known for: anti-abortion, anti-gay, being judgmental, and hypocrisy. It makes me so sad to think that this is what the name of Jesus has come to mean to the world…and the world has a legitimate reason to believe that this is true of Christians and, by extension Christ, because this is the message that they hear screamed out and acted upon by the Church. I wonder if this incorrect message is being portrayed because the motivations of Christians have gotten wonky.

First off, I think that we should be known for what we stand for…not against. I know many of you have heard this thought before…but I want to break it down a little bit for those who haven’t. Regardless of your stance on subjects like abortion and homosexuality, Jesus is not pro-hate. Jesus loves everyone and it is his wish that every single person on Earth, regardless of where they are in their spiritual growth or state of sin, would enter into relationship with him. Every single person. Soak that in for a second. That means that he loves and pursues the liars, cheaters, adulterers, murderers, rapists, child-molesters, gossips…he pursues caucasians, hispanics, asians, africans, and every other people group or mixture of groups, he pursues women, men, children, cross-genders, and every sexual orientation…he pursues EVERYONE and he does it because his love is BIG ENOUGH for everyone. That is why he is a God worth worshipping…He is BIG ENOUGH to handle our stuff. So, as a follower of Jesus, my love should also be big enough for everyone and that should be my motivation when I interact with anyone.

Secondly, we’ve all heard “Love the sinner…hate the sin.” Well, yeah, there is truth to that…but we don’t tend to study what that might look like. First off, every person on Earth is a sinner. So, again…all inclusive here. But what does hating sin look like? Well, for one thing, it is understanding what sin actually is…it’s not a list of “wrongs.” Sin means, basically, missing the mark. Think of a target and the goal is to land your arrow in the bullseye…sin is when the arrow lands anywhere other than the bullseye. God has a perfect plan for our lives…a plan that leads to life and growth and beauty. When we veer off of that plan…either by doing something harmful or neglecting to do something beautiful…we have missed the mark. Human nature is to categorize those sins or weigh them…and if we are honest, we try to minimize the weight of our own sins and maximize the weight of the sins of others so that our stance looks better…but truth is, missing the mark is missing the mark…whether you are an inch outside of the bullseye or aiming in the wrong direction all together. So, what does hating sin look like? I think that it looks like loving the sinner (read every person you interact with including yourself) so much that it breaks your heart to see them receive anything other than God’s very best for their lives. Hmmmm…the motivation is a bit different than hating something isn’t it? I do this with my kids all the time…I tell them “I simply love you too much to let you do things that will harm you or others in the long-run. I love you too much to let you continue down a path that is dangerous for you…so I must speak and demonstrate truth and love into your life.” Hating sin does not mean standing in righteous indignation while looking down your nose at someone else…because your sin is just as big and God’s love has to be just as big to cover your sins as it does to cover anyone else’s sin.
(So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (John 8:7, 10, 11 KJV))
Understand, Jesus didn’t tell the woman to continue in her sin…of course he didn’t…it wasn’t a healthy path of life full of beauty…it was a damaging and painful path…he simply loved her well and encouraged her to pursue God’s best for her life instead of continuing to pursue brokenness. Also note, Jesus did not enter into debate about whether the woman was participating in sin…deep down, she knew…she didn’t need those un-loving people to tell her it was sin…she knew…and we know…we know when we feel distant from our Lord and we know that we are the ones who choose the distance. So, what does hating sin looks like?…it looks an awful lot like loving the sinner.

For those of you who have been injured by the Church or by individual Christians or be me specifically, I would like to officially apologize. I am sorry for the pain and brokenness. I am sorry for our lack of love and compassion. I am sorry for not identifying with your plight. Like you, I am still growing and still get it wrong. But I would love to walk this path of growth with you…I would love to continue to pursue Jesus with you…I would love to learn from you and with you. I would love to hold hands on this journey and, in doing so, help each other stay on our feet and keep our feet closer to the path of beauty and life and joy. So, how are you doing with this? Is there a group of people that you are unable to love well? What can you do to learn to love them better? What can you do to pursue God’s best for them? Do you find yourself entering into debates about whether or not something is sinful? How could you better approach things?

I’m praying God’s absolute best for all of you. Much love friends.

3/21/14 Morning Musing: Spewing Hate

If you have been injured by Christians or the Church in the name of God, I would like to apologize to you. I know that I have been guilty of this in the past and can only credit my own immaturity fueled by zeal and lack of compassion. Before you write off God or church or Christianity, please consider this: you aren’t signing up to be like other Christians when you decide to follow Jesus…you are signing up to be slowly transformed to be more like Jesus. Jesus is loving, gracious, compassionate, self-sacrificing, gentle, strong, wise, patient, understanding, tender, and merciful. He spoke against the religious elite who sat in smug judgement of “sinners” and then he died among sinners.

Jesus didn’t come to judge people, he came here in a breakable form to love well…not spew hate. He never ostracized…he brought in the marginalized people from society and gave them a sense of belonging and healing. The people that were most damaged by the “In-crowd” were the people that he gravitated toward and to which he opened his arms. Although Christians most definitely get it wrong much of the time, we represent (however poorly sometimes) a Jesus who never got it wrong. We are just in the process of refinement. We will screw up. You will too. Because every single one of us needs that grace that Jesus shows. And honestly, how are we to become more like Jesus if everyone around us is to act perfectly? I’m stealing and paraphrasing this question from a video that I listened to with Paul Washer, John Piper, and Voddie Baucham: “When are you more like Jesus? When your loved ones are perfect or when you are forced to forgive just like the God you serve?” (paraphrase…take a listen…it’s really good! http://youtu.be/ZACkRe_W4Gg) Of course, every time I act like a beast now, I tell Stan that I am just helping him to be more Christ-like. 😉

I think we need to be discerning of what we do in the name of God but we also need to be discerning of the actions of others. I have seen Christians use scripture to brutalize others, to bully others, to elevate themselves, and to exclude others. None of that is the work of God. Any words can be taken out of context and turned into something that it was never meant to be. So before writing off God or Christianity, please ask yourself if the offense that you have encountered truly represents Jesus. If it doesn’t, then my guess is that work is being done in that individual too. Refinement is a painful process and sometimes we don’t handle that pain properly. Instead of bearing under it gracefully, we want to focus on someone else’s “shortcomings” so that we are distracted from our own. Please forgive us.

Image taken from: http://toryshulman.com/4-steps-to-surviving-the-sucky-feeling-of-being-left-out