Prayer for new Christian fellowship

What was prayed? Something like: THANKS GOD revealed in Jesus, who is the rescuer now in charge. These folk trust Jesus and love those he has claimed because they now see that the most important treasure for them is stored in the unseen realm. They heard this truth, like so many, and are growing just like all different sorts of people who hear about the powerful generosity of God. These people heard it through a guy named Epaphras, (we love that guy) and he is the one who told us how real, and supernatural (Spirit led), their love is.

Then Paul wrote to the Colossians to tell them what he prayed:

Colossians 1:3-8 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, (4) since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, (5) because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, (6) which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, (7) just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf (8) and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

What can we pray when we hear of a new Christian group?

Thanks God! (Not just any God, but the one revealed in Jesus as our Father). We heard about these people trusting you and caringly loving for others who trust in you. They do it because they believe that the best is protected for them in heaven. This is the same story that is happening in every nation imaginable, where real change and growth takes place. Someone actually was faithful and obedient in Christ to tell them, and they then reported about how real spiritual love is showing up in this new group.

…

Colossians

Paul is in prison and he is checking in with a new church plant. He wants to give them some encouragement and direction, but first he needs to show how he is connected with them. He will introduce himself, explain his understanding of the Good News they share in common, and then tell the church how to live life. So, the first bit: building trust with the Colossae community of believers (the church) by describing the Good News:

Colossians 1:1-4:18 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, (2) To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

(3) We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, (4) since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, (5) because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, (6) which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing--as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, (7) just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf (8) and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

Paul introduces himself, and Timothy and connects their work to the Colossians via Christ, the one who graciously gives peace with God their Father. The description of prayerful gratitude is now aimed at showing how a faith community works: hope. "…because of the hope laid up for you in heaven". A HOPE, a conviction about where GOOD is to be found, gives these people the ability to confidently trust Christ and to love others who also align with Christ. Christ solves the problem of life needing connection back with our source and our destiny. His solution not only connects us, it does so with reason to believe that what is wrong will be right (physically,relationally, spiritually) and that love is a worthwhile risk.

(9) And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, (10) so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (11) May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, (12) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (13) He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 The link Paul is praying for is understanding so people can make good, active decisions which lead to an experienced awareness of God. His prayer is that God will in some way respond to requests given by people (like him) so that other people (church at Colossae) will 'get it' in relation to God, man, spirits and stuff. By 'getting it' the people will live out appropriate decisions on how to act. This will be productive in what they do and how they in turn know God better and better. To do this, there is also a need for energy not to give up doing what is good. A way has been opened, (thank God), for a life that is defined by light and not dark. Forgiveness and empowerment make it possible to live differently. This was accomplished through Christ.

 

When we say "Christ" what do we mean?

 

(15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (16) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. (17) And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (19) For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, (20) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Head over creation, both physical and spiritual. He is the source (past), the purpose (future) and the sustenance (present) for everything; everything. Not only that, he is the head over the growing list of people who submit their lives to God in Christ, specifically because he leads the way in 'new creation', resurrection. All of God-ness in him and all of creation reordered to God through him and his ultimate choices and actions (sacrificialdeath).

(21) And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, (22) he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (23) if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

 How does this affect the readers? They used to be outsiders. God was not a meaningfully approachable reality and subsequently people were ruled by other forces in their lives. The hope, that Christ really is the solution to our failures, hurts, loneliness, and mortality; is what has the power to progressively bring about change. That is what must be focused on. That is what Paul does:

 

(24) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, (25) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, (26) the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

Paul is happy about his purpose, even when it brings pain and hardship, because he is carrying out the purposes Christ started with creating the community of reconciled people. By explaining things in such a way that people come to be set free in Christ and get to grow, Paul is fulfilling his purpose and destiny.

(27) To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (28) Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (29) For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (2:1) For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, (2) that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, (3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

(4) I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. (5) For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Paul really wants these people, and others connected to them, to trust him so he can help them grow up in their faith. That is everything to Paul. He is convinced that all the good available to these people is ultimately found in Christ. He also is concerned that they will be fooled by poor substitutes; ideas which seem to make sense but aren't real and won't satisfy. He is glad they seem to be on course.

So what have we seen so far? Paul says that he has an appropriate place in the life of the Colossian people following Christ because he was sent by Christ. He now has information for them to understand that there is no way to overestimate the significance of Christ; he is everything. He recounts the story of what Christ has done, including how Paul is now sent to help explain things, for the following reasons:

 
 

(6) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (7) rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (8) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

(9) For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, (10) and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

(11) In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, (12) having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

(13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, (14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

(15) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Receiving Christ means believing that he is the one to reconcile Heaven and Earth, including us. Other efforts at making sense (or avoiding) heaven and earth reconciliation issues (what's the purpose of life,etc.) are dangerously wrong. Why? Because Christ is God revealed. He is also the fulfilment of the long story of Promise given through the Jews. Since He is 'all that' and we are 'in him' we are alive in acceptance, peace, shalom with God. Not only that, but he details that being 'in Christ' also means we don't need to fear religious rules or bullying by spirits. 

 

(16) Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. (17) These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. (18) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, (19) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. (20) If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations-- (21) "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (22) (referring to things that all perish as they are used)--according to human precepts and teachings? (23) These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

 If we understand what we have in Christ, we don't need to get sidetracked with weird rules or weird stories of the supernatural. Besides, they don't work in our battle against directing our body to submit appropriately to our will.

 

(3:1) If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (2) Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (3) For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (4) When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

This is the key bit of advice Paul has been trying to communicate. Shifting from whatever one used to trust in, to trusting in God revealed in Christ, means that life is totally defined by Christ. By realizing this and focusing on this makes all the difference. Life=Christ eventually, our relationship with Christ should = ife now.

(5) Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (6) On account of these the wrath of God is coming. (7) In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. (8) But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (9) Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices (10) and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (11) Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

 On the other hand, that which is against Christ, pursuit of satisfaction without real reconciliation with God, is idolatry; worshipping creation instead of Creator. This is THE essential problem with the cosmic order. Creation rebelling against Creator. The Self in us does whatever it can to get what it wants. This is the problem. One wrong begets another and so on. The decision for Christ is supposed to be against selfishness. That is the biggest challenge, practically speaking, in daily living. That is also why we look at people, ourselves included, based on the groups they belong to. The challenge is realigning our identity relative to God first, not our earthly culture or any other lesser identity.

 

(12) Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, (13) bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (14) And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (17) And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

What we should be actively investing in is a way of life that is restrained by mercy and forgiveness and empowered by love. This is what we receive in Christ and accordingly what we should extend from being in Christ. Again, the investment of understanding 'what is' guides us in know 'what to do'. Here it is unity from the heart with gratitude, informed by the word of God shared in expressive ways so that everything we all do is consistent with Christ. What does that look like? Examples are given:

 
 

(18) Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

(19) Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

(20) Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

(21) Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

(22) Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. (23) Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, (24) knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (25) For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

(4:1) Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

(2) Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (3) At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison-- (4) that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

(5) Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

(6) Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

 The idea, again, is that the 'mystery' is everything. Understanding it and sharing it, in deed and word, is what we should be about. That is exactly what is happening with… all the people mentioned below.

 

(7) Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. (8) I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, (9) and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. (10) Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions--if he comes to you, welcome him), (11) and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. (12) Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. (13) For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. (14) Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. (15) Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. (16) And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. (17) And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord." (18) I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Summation? Creation trying to satisfy itself is what is wrong. We don't naturally understand that. We generally realize the problem with selfish living and indulgence, we just can't seem to figure out how to move beyond it. We try different rules and secret knowledge and such. We also try grouping people as 'good' vs 'bad' along ethnic or economic lines. This doesn't work. We still end up grabbing and struggling to get what we want or need and can't figure out what is wrong.

What we need is real peace with our real creator. This is done by our creator doing for us what we could not do. As a human he suffered the curse of human rebellion but did it with loyalty. That is the massive great mystery, the same one that stumps the smart people and rings true to the humble people. Somehow God fixed man's wrong by suffering man's wrong and extending God's right. That is Christ.

If that is true, that is everything to us. Everything we interact with us ultimately defined by Christ (God in man reconciling creation to its proper order and goodness). So, our thinking should be restructured away from the common way and toward the peculiar Way. That practically means doing right regardless of what we seem to miss out on or get mistreated for. It means doing that right with confidence that is where freedom is found. Lot's of people, including those listed in the letter, and loads of people since then, really do reorder their lives around Christ.

Should I?

How I became a Jesus follower...

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007

Ken’s curiosity about “the story of what moments or events led you to Christianity”

Ken is one of those friends you make in life that just sticks. I haven’t heard anything from Ken (or him from me) since we were marines in the ‘80s. He is now in New Mexico. We recently reconnected via the web and were interested in who each of us have become in the last couple of decades. I sent this blog address and a brief description of life with Karla (http://www.marinekar.blogspot.com/) in reply. He responded with starting his own blog http://theluskreport.com/ . He also shared that he was “curious about the story of what moments or events led you to Christianity”. Friends are awesome. No fears, just ask. Ok, friend, here is the straight up account as I remember it. I will write it in a series to keep it in short, readable bits.

It starts with a simple observation. Life hurts. It hurts because we sense it should be beautiful and wonderful, and in fleeting moments it is more beautiful than we can describe. But those moments only make the other moments, moments of frustration, misunderstanding, emotional and physical pain, tedium, anxiety and general dissatisfaction so much more painful. Why do we have such a longing for beauty and such a hard time satisfying that longing?

This question, along with many others, set me searching. Ken, when you met me I was testing a possible answer. “We long for beauty because we were gullible to stories told by wishful thinking people.” I went into the USMC in part because I believed life had no meaning and nothing really mattered. Beauty had ceased to be my hope. I was willing to just try living on adrenaline. It didn’t work. The question of beauty and belonging would not leave me alone.

Part 2 to follow…

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2007

Ken’s Q2 – the Man

So, Ken, the story brought me to Spain. I lived for adrenaline, like partying in general, running with the bulls in Arcos, getting in bust ups with CBs at El Rancho’s. When there was no adrenaline I used cynicism and sarcasm to hold me over to the next fix. Occasionally it made for great stories; some quite funny if the people in them would have just been cartoon characters. Too often it was just lumpy and unsettled. I don’t mean to betray the past; I just can’t forget the toxic side of it all.

1985 in Israel things started changing. There were personal things that were my fault but also my pain. There were also events that made me more aware than ever. We were going to the sigint for a hostage rescue. While deployed the Israelis hit the PLO in Tunis with a surprise air raid. That made things tenser. During that time I was able to travel down from Haifa (Mt. Carmel) to visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Jordan River and more. The whole Bible shifted in my awareness. Suddenly the question was not about religious people I had met; it was about Jesus the man. Even if the Christians were wrong about who he was, he still was somebody. Who was he? Why was such a poor, unimpressively educated, politically dodgy character such a big deal so long after his death? That got me willing to learn about the man.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2007

Ken’s Q3 – the messengers

Recap:

KenQ1 – atheism did not account for the craving for beauty and meaning

KenQ2 – being in Israel got me thinking: Who was this man Jesus, really?

Now, the messengers to me were quite diverse. Do you remember Deon Stauffer? He was big as a tank and gentle as kitten. He used to talk with people about God and all during mid watches. I loved to give him a hard time and ask him complicated questions I had developed back at Catholic school. He would just smile real easy and say something like “Russell, that’s a tough question. I don’t really know how to answer it right now. But I do know this, Jesus has meant everything to me and he loves you.” That was frustrating, and a little uncomfortable. I didn’t let on that it affected me, but it did. It kind of rattled around inside me, but I worked hard to ignore it and get back to the Cruzcampo.

As I was getting out of the Corps I had a couple of weeks leave so I took off for Amsterdam. Karla arranged to meet me up there a bit later, so I just kind of wandered around enjoying the improved beer. It got weird, though. Everywhere I went people stopped me to talk about Jesus: rednecks from Arkansas, Asians, African; even people from places that don’t start with “A”. I tried to ignore them, pretended I couldn’t speak English, but they were everywhere, even singing on the tram cars! I later found out that it was the Billy Graham world evangelism conference and I was one of gobs of people with encounters like that.

Then there was Greg. I got back to Texas and saw him right after he graduated with a degree in anthropology. He talked about going to church and I couldn’t believe it. He was a black belt in some really hardcore off brand Japanese martial arts, wore clothes like an Arapaho and played guitar in a surf-punk band downtown. Didn’t seem like a church guy. I challenged him as a scientist (anthropology degree and all) about Noah’s ark and all that stuff. Surely he couldn’t be serious. But he was. He basically said he had some good answers but to those questions, but he had a better question. What should be done with Jesus? Well, that depends, what does Jesus really mean?

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2007

Ken’s Q4 – the message

Ok Ken, sorry for the delay. I am traveling in China right now, but that’s not what is holding me up in answering your question about how I became a Christian on mission. The problem is that I became more conscience of the fact that I am speaking through you to a variety of audiences. I imagine you knew that since I am using a blog instead of e-mail. The point is supposed to be to have a greater responsibility of integrity by being public and open. Actually, that is the cause of the delay.

The simple answer of the message is in fact Jesus. Not that helpful of a statement by itself, I agree. Let me expand. Life felt like (and still does frequently) a nauseating crush between the Ideal and the Real. I want to live in beauty, hope, nobility, fascination, energy, joy, etc. That would be the ideal. Reality? I eat more than my body needs. I get confused but hide it by being more assertive (or just withdraw). I have to make a living. There is traffic. My body is moving toward death and my mind can’t quite figure that out. The Ideal and the Real intersect, but not in satisfying ways. The message I locked onto was that in immediate and ultimate ways Jesus is the hope for bringing the Ideal and the Real together. In him Heaven and Earth, Justice and Mercy and all things real and wonderful meet and arrive at shalom.

I wish that cleared everything up J! So, why not just spell it out? Religious complexity and social complexity. Some ‘insiders’, fellow Christians, are full-time quality control freaks (I am a recovering one). If I say part of the message, but not in the right words, proportion etc., they will lose it. Sorry religious control freak friends! But the social complexity is the cliff on the other side of the road. If I am clear and say what I really believe, that Jesus is uniquely the Lord that integrates the Ideal and the Real in legitimate ways, my out of control stay broad control freak friends will lose it. Fact is I hold to a narrow road. But, here goes.

Starting point: We were created by a Creator to be in the Creator’s image: creative. That is why we love art, or if we are unable to love art directly, we love sports. Sports are an accessible form of art. The creativity of motion, expression, drive etc. excite us. Why? We are created by a Creator.

Enter the problem: But nothing is ever enough. Beauty and wonder excite us but fear and irritations incessantly invade us. Some would deny this, but hey, read your e-mail again, anyone. We all have struggles in relationship (giving and receiving appropriate love) and in general well being (money, health, etc.). The creation is broken. We are broken. We need help.

Intro of solution: Religion is the basic old story of frightened humanity looking for hope and escape. As prosperity and sophistication developed thinkers arrogantly deride that fact. Western positivism and and scientific/economic confidence has led us to a world of Realism that guts the hope of any Ideal. “Get REAL” ends up ringing in my ears as: there is no Ideal. But what if we are frightened and really do need hope? Moreover, what if there really is a way of hope that provides escape from despair and entrance into wholeness? Well, that would make sense out of our (humanity’s) chronic striving for spirituality. But how do we know which solution is a solution and not just wishful thinking? What I came to pay attention to was the idea of the prophets of old.

The Hebrew prophets stand out among spiritualists. As one who has lived in the far East for over a decade, I have to say that most prophets outside of the Hebrews are more Ideal than Real. Kongzi (Confucius) is the exception but he was all about pragmatism with no transcendent Ideal to offer, by his own admission. No offense to Hindu friends intended but the essence of their thought is that the Real is in fact Not-Real. Everything we struggle with, mucked up relationships and irregular health and well being, they are all an illusion according to Hindu based thought. Hmmm. I don’t see an integration of Ideal and Real, I see the Ideal smothering the Real.

The solution revealed: The Hebrew prophets point to the need for life to work and that the answer will come in a man. This man will show how life works and pronounce judgment on what is broken and salvation (rescue) on what was intended to be. The message I got hooked on was that Jesus was/is that Man. He was so much an integration of the Ideal (Kingdom of Heaven) and the Real (the creation) that he even blew the minds of those waiting for him. He was tricky. He showed power and grace in ways that were so very other to what spiritualists often went on about and he did it with people tangled in very immediate, real problems: insanity, sickness, chronic bad choices and more. All the while dealing with individuals Jesus proclaimed a view of how life should be shifted back to understanding that the Creator never left the creation, the creation has gone blind and worships among itself as if the Creator were absent. Jesus’ message: Change your view of reality, God is actually in charge here and now. He developed that message with what you may have heard more often.

The solution executed: Jesus proclaimed the victory of the Ideal Reality over the less-than-ideal realities of this world. That is the cross and beyond. Here is how it works. Broadly, religion (the priests who conspired to kill Jesus) and politics (the Empire who expediently gave Jesus a dose of reality) were confronted head on. Jesus asserted that he was the Ideal (contra religious control systems, Hebrew or other) and that he was the Real (contra human efforts to control this life). Familiar saying of Jesus: I am the way, the truth and the life. The religious (human effort at controlling the ideal) and the political (human effort and controlling the real) set to prove him wrong. They humiliated him, tortured him and killed him. The cross was the human rejection of Jesus as the hope of the Ideal and Real.

Now, let me make sure and get this in. I have rebelled against the True Ideal and the Genuine Real by being foolish. That’s what sin is; being spiritually stupid and mean. I have made fun of people who needed kindness. I have grabbed for what was not mine. I have shut myself off where I should not and imposed myself where I should not. I have done nice things, and I’m certainly not the worst guy to ever live, not even close. That’s not the question for me, though. My question was: How can I enter into the Hope if I am always undermining the Hope by my selfishness? The short answer: Jesus not only did the macro-thing, he was also extremely personal. What I came to understand from the Scriptures was that he died with my foolishness on his soul and received the just punishment for my abuse of the heart, mind, soul and body the Creator entrusted me with. Translation: Jesus died for my sins.

The Ideal is Real: Dead Jesus meant that even his followers needed to try and find another hope (or just give into despair or delusion). But Jesus stunned everyone by showing the he was the Ideal and that he was Real. He came back from the dead, not in some ghostly way. He walked, talked, ate and made it clear: we have not been crazy to dream that there is an Ideal that could overtake our Real. There is HOPE. Jesus told his disciples: It has begun. Now carry it forward to others. Relive the story of the Ideal invading the Real by being vulnerable, rejected, but amazingly victorious in actual (real) success of hope. That’s the missionary thing. Talk with people about the Ideal/Real question and explain how I believe Jesus is the answer to that question with words, yes, but most importantly with reenactment of the way of love over selfishness in the Name of the Creator.

The Real will be Ideal: Where does it end? I used to have a view pretty much like the famous/infamous “Left Behind” series. I don’t anymore; too much speculation. I believe that Heaven (the Ideal, the reign of the Creator) comes to earth (the Real, the visible creation) and things will work better than even our wildest spiritual gurus have imagined. I believe that Jesus is the way to that reality (and will be revealed in his own time) and that he is the Lord of that Ideal Reality, the Kingdom of the Heavens right here among us. Not so sure about all the details but sure enough to invest my life in that direction.

That is my effort at explaining the message this morning. Lots of room for clarifying; so feel free to ask, add, challenge etc. (on the blog or in e-mail: russellm@pobox.com).

May the Shalom of the Ideal, the God the Hebrew prophets promised, be yours in Christ!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 01, 2008

Ken’s Q 5 – the Mission

That is my account of how I became a Christ follower, and a bit about what I understand his message to be. The final part of your question was regarding me being missionary about my faith. I am on a mission, but I don’t know as much about it as I wish I did.

When we started off signing up for the Marine Corps we were converts to the Marine way. We were hooked on the idea of being the best, the toughest and so on. I remember showing up in Rota and being hit with cynical Marines. The dream and the reality weren’t working out so well for quite a few. To some degree I became like that. I enjoyed being the short-timer with the stick of dog tags at the end of my term reminding the retention NCO that not all of us were buying into the whole story: once around the block was enough.

For many in the US Christianity has been like that. It may have been a broad part of cultural understanding, or even a very strong part of childhood. And then, somewhere along the way, the vision lost its allure and we turned our backs on finding any meaning and fulfillment down that road. To some extent that happened to me very early (13). But, as I shared, I really caught the vision for Christ in a way I had never previously understood when I was 21. That vision has been matured, even battered a bit, but it has strengthened through adversity. I am more convinced than ever that God revealed in Christ is the answer to the mystery of life.

Since I want to live out the mystery of my life well, I keep plunging forward in decisive times, plodding forward in others. I have not maxed out the depths of wisdom, beauty, justice, mercy and hope found in the life of Jesus yet. So, part of my mission is to live in such a way as to learn and grow more. That is usually through service.

What service do I have to offer? My specialty is in asking the fundamental questions about life:

Where did we come from? – origins

Why are we here? – purpose

Where are we going? – destiny and the afterlife

How can we know? – epistemology

I find that there are people everywhere who are either asking these questions or looking for questions like these to ask. I listen to what they have discovered and I tell them what I have discovered. I offer my understanding of the answers to these questions. When people want to learn more about the answers as I see them, I train them in reading Scripture and at reading their life and the world in which they live. I invite them to journey with me and others who see Jesus as the Hope worthy of our full confidence.

Practically that has meant forming small communities. In Dallas I formed a church for Spanish speakers who were trying to get a better life. We shared life together. When in need we shared food, found work together, had celebrations, prayed, learned and lived. The same happened when I moved to North Carolina for graduate studies; this time with migrant workers. I came to Asia and did similar things with communities without access to the way of life in Christ. We have seen a decade’s worth of changed lives as people have learned Christ’s way of love and peace, the Shalom of contentment through serving others.

Now my kids are growing up and I am looking at the world and seeking to see my place in it. The common phenomenon of aging is happening to me like it happens to most: the more I learn the more I realize how much I don’t know. I am still on a mission. I want to know Christ and do that by seeking to live more and more like him. I want to be appropriately loving toward God and people, and I am prayerfully considering how to do that next. As I discover what is next I will let you know.

The LOVE passage and the Story

The yearning for love being lived out wisely is repeated often at weddings:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

But the Story helps explains why it

is only a partially successful experience:

1 Corinthians 13:9-13

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect (teleion/complete) comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Column 1 = love focused. God is love, creates man in his image, and creation is good.

Column 2 = the loving order is broken through rebellion and creation stands between humanity and the Creator.

Column 3 = the Creator demonstrates his love in Christ suffering death, and in the victory of the resurrection.

Column 4 = humanity still only sees God incompletely and indirectly. We have spiritual gifts to compensate for our separation, but they only exist until the separation is over.

Column 5 = love restored and matured; completed; made perfect.

We are created for love, to give and receive it wisely. We can and should love, but we cannot do it directly and completely like we sense wee should. We, and our world, is out of order. Love is out of alignment and struggles to drive a straight course. Spiritual gifts can help us in our efforts, but ultimately we need a complete overhaul: a re-ordering of the cosmos in relation to the Creator.

That is what we do in church (help one another to keep realigning toward God and the genuineness of Love) and to invite others in to understand the urge for love and the hope that it can be done.

the tale from gethsemene *(tentative title)

you came to me in an eclipsed world

where the memory of the sun

still burnt but faded

turned under the weight of years

into a fantastic thing, a child tale

a dream talk and a fool's hope

you came in the greys of the day

like a neighbor who has been traveling

far beyond the arm of the familiar

and so I recognized you and did not

for behind the face of the next door over

beat the strangeness and it was hungry

for me and i for it

but afraid because it was so strong

and burnt in your eyes like a passion

it flooded your skin and arced through your movements

and the tastes of it i found

in the words from your tongue

were sweet and bitter

stinging my tongue with its bristling courage

and soothing it again in its glow

and how hungry i was for it

for the whole from which your words flowed

i could be content no more with the fruit

but must have the seed myself

you were so hungry to give it

that once reaching out my hand you took it

and carried me across the grey streets

up the grey mountains along the grey streams

i was not tired carried as i was

and upon the mountaintop you set me down

i was crying for the hunger

the need you had awakened in me

you stood tall upon the mountain top

and carful as Atlas beneath the earth

spread your arms wide and cried out

and the sun came bursting through

an explosive wave that struck like a shout

sweeping through me and carrying me away

lighting me up through my skin

you gave me the world as it should be

as it once was

i have tasted this love and it is good

-HMM

Creation to Creator declaration

Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, (12) training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, (13) waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (14) who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (15) Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

 

Saved from – ungodliness and worldly passions = rescued from creation oriented life

Training to renounce = clarified loyalty

Godly lives in this present age = being loyal to Creator over creation in spite of the seeming rule of Creation

Blessed hope = the invisible Creator is no longer invisible; he appears

Why? To complete the redemption (buying from obligation to dying creation and rebellion) so that we belong to the Creator and are useful, diligent.

That is what to declare fearlessly.

• = - = - =
  

The problem is Creation in rebellion to Creator vs redeemed people trained in effective loyalty to the Creator even while waiting for his final restoration of God/Man/Creation where eager productivity/service will be done.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper in The STORY

Actions make sense in relation to a story. Sports are that way. When you watch your kid play a sport, every movement is meaningful. Why? It isn't necessarily because kids' athletics are such high quality entertainment in and of themselves, it is because it is part of the story of their lives. You see them facing their fears, expressing themselves; all a continuation of their story, which you know so well.

The same is even true of professional sports. To really enjoy a game you almost need to know some of the back story of the teams, the players, the coaches and the decisions and expectations leading up to the match. Then the drama of every effort is so much more than just watching athleticism; it is watching people live life in an encapsulated environment.

Religious stuff is that way too. Sometimes the mechanics of religious acts are thought to be significant directly, but they shouldn't be. Their significance is relative to the story of which they are a part. The Passover is an obvious example. Eating the Passover meal is a way of remembering a past story and connecting one's current life, and even future, to that story. The same is true of Christian baptism and the Lord's supper.

The basic Story is God created and put man in charge of His creation. Creation lured man away from loyalty to the Creator and now things are out of order. Man is under creation instead of under God and over creation.

GOD/man/creation is seemingly replaced with God/CREATION/man

Humanity no longer relates to God directly, nor do we have healthy dominion over creation. Instead, creation stands between humanity and God. Now creation and man are fallen from their proper order and are deeply dysfunctional as a result. Everything is broken. Suffering, separation, sin, and death are all a result of a loyalty shift. Humanity became enslaved to the Satanic (adversarial) by being disloyal (untrusting) to God.

Experientially our slavery is self validating. We see a tragic world but we do not see God clearly. He is there, but we have allowed creation to stand in our way of Him. Now our created desires to worship our Creator don't make it past the creation. Humanity typically worships the creation instead of the Creator because that is what we experience.

The promise of God is that he would bring blessings to fallen humanity culminating in our liberation from captivity and restoration of the original order: CREATOR/humanity/creation. By faith (trust, loyalty), we accept his provision for our need. Abel trusted, as did Noah, as did Abram and so on. Our expressions of that trust are part of the story. Sacrifice shows the horror of our betrayal and its consequences, but that is not unique in human religion. Everyone seems to get the idea of portraying the horror of life as it now is via sacrifice. The difference is in loyalty. Sacrifice which God accepts is contrition, a heart that realizes the error is idolatry and that only the Creator can undo humanities sin which has led to enslavement to the creation (including the spiritual rebels who actively seduce humanity to direct idolatrous worship towards themselves).

What does this have to do with 'baptism'? Everything. Baptism is the act of declaring loyalty to the Creator and his redemption from rebellion. John the baptizer called people out East of the land to reject their acts of rebellion and declare their loyalty to God's rule.

Matthew 3:1-3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (2) "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (3) For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"

The way of the LORD = the return to rightful acknowledgment of YHWH, the I AM, the uncreated Creator. The crookedness, the perversion of our ways of thinking and acting, have obscured the reality that the creation is not the Creator. Our sin is always idolatry; refusing the honor and glory due the Creator for anything else (an image, a person, and idea, a spirit, ourselves… anything created).

John warned that God's wrath is coming against rebellion and the evil and suffering it has brought. He called people to actively decide against rebellion and for loyalty to God. Baptism was a declaration against idolatry/sin/rebellion and a declaration for worship the trust and obedience.

Jesus arrived and there was tension. Should Jesus be baptized? If baptism was zoomed in and perceived in the short story, it would seem inappropriate.

Sinful rebellious guy believes John's message, is sorry, wants to be loyal to God, gets baptized. Then another, then another… then Jesus. ???

But, if the bigger picture is kept in mind: rejection of idolatrous thinking and behaving is displayed in person after person, then Jesus' actions make more sense. The common action is declaration of what one is against and what one is for. Jesus numbers himself with the transgressors in declaring the need to reject rebellion and affirm loyalty not because he was rebellious but because rebellion was the human problem. Jesus fulfilled all righteousness by fully identifying with the cause: rejection of rebellion for fidelity to God.

When Jesus did get baptized, there was a temporary unveiling of the True reality = God/humanity/creation in the right order.

Matthew 3:16-17 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; (17) and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Then Jesus was put to the test like the first Adam had been. The difference? Adam and Eve gave into temptation, seeing that what was offered to eat was good, that they would not surely die and that they could become like God. Jesus rejected the food that was offered, did not test God to see if he would die and refused the enticement to worship the creation (e.g. Satan) in exchange for godlike privilege and pleasure.

Having endured the temptation, Jesus preached the same message John had preached:

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The gospel of Matthew then reveals Jesus confronting distorted ways of talking about and serving God that ultimately are still part of idolatrous control outside of God. He is faithful unto death and in doing so reverses the curse of humanity. He shows his resurrected life to his disciples showing them that sin, Satan and death have been defeated in Christ. He then tells them to make apprentices of this way of thinking and living, by immersing them in The NAME, the Triune Creator, and teaching them how to live with a Creator/humanity/creation pattern of life, like Jesus did. He reassures them that He is with them through it all.

When we preach the gospel, we are calling people away from the deceptive idolatry of turning to the creation for our hope and instead trusting the Creator for our hope. We only enjoy the creation by means of and for our Creator, we are not to indulge in what creation offers without reference to the Creator. We are to be loyal, grateful and trusting. We die to our old way (working the system to get what we want) and are raised to walk in a new life, the life of God/humanity/creation.

The epistles show doctrinal explanation of how we were enslaved but now have been freed and raised to our proper position, without condemnation, so we can serve the purposes of God like we were created to do. Subsequently we are to actively put off our old self, the idolatrous, rebellious, sensual self, and put on the proper way of living wisely from the Creator in all things.

Simply put: Baptism is the rejection of rebellious idolatry and the acceptance of God as our rescuing Lord.

So what is the Lord 's Supper? It is the remembrance of how God brought us from slavery to rebellious creation to the freedom of our proper place as his royal representatives over creation.

How does that work out practically?

One hears the proclamation that they are living in an enslaving rebellious creation and they must renounce that rebellion and receive forgiveness and acceptance into the True order. The Story of God and humanity, focusing on Jesus and the rescuer, brings them to a decision. Will the break loyalty to their old ways and have loyalty from the heart, mind, soul and strength to the new way? If so, they get in water, confess their own rebellion and their rejection of that rebellion, their trust in Jesus as the loyal one who paid the price for their rebellion and their faith in his victory. They then show that by going under the water and back up from the water. They are visibly showing a new life that is loyal to Christ as Lord.

But what happens when old ways of thinking and acting sneak in? We have to choose. IF we confess that the Christ way is right: Creator/humanity/creation and we were wrong to be unfaithful, we are forgiven and accepted:

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we avoid dealing with our sin, there is a problem that must be faced. Those who are around us seeking to be loyal to God over creation try to help us. Starting as privately as possible, but adding clarity with more people as necessary, the choice to be loyal or rebellious is made more and more clear.

Matthew 18:15-16
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
(16)
But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

The goal is always restoration to the side of loyalty, by means of forgiveness when rebellion is confessed and renounced. However, if someone insists on rebellion, treat them like a rebel:

Matthew 18:17-20
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
(18)
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(19)
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
(20)
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

When those who have been immersed in The NAME unify around loyalty to God as King, the distinction of loyalty and rebellion is made clear. Paul has to deal with this very situation with the church in Corinth. A man claimed to be part of the church, the loyal to God, but he was rebelling against God's ways in a perverted sexual relationship. The church was told to practice what Jesus had taught. They were to call the guy to be clear as to whether his behavior was a failure to live up to his beliefs (confession and repentance) or if in fact the guy was committed to his rebellion (insisted on justifying or persisting in rebellious pursuit of his own desires).

1 Corinthians 5:4-8 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (5) you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (6) Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (7) Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (8) Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

The church is supposed to be a place of loyalty to God. The issue is not perfection, it is direction. When one fails are they willing to renounce it and seek what is healthy and right? If so, they partake in the celebration of the rescue done by Christ. If they are still trying to get the pleasure found in the old system, rebellion of getting desires met in creation without God, they should be treated accordingly: handed over to their own declaration of loyalty. The goal is to have defiance acknowledged and dealt with.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- (10) not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. (11) But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one. (12) For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (13) God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."

The problem is not a fear of 'naughtiness'. It is fine to associate with all sorts of sinful people; in fact it is our vocation! The issue is one of not ignoring someone's declaration of disloyalty to God.

Likewise, this does not mean investigation into people. The parable of the wheat and the tares should help us with that:

Matthew 13:24-30 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,
(25)
but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
(26)
So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
(27)
And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?'
(28)
He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'
(29)
But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
(30)
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

The mixed nature of our effective loyalty to God makes it nearly impossible for us to sort out who is struggling versus who is committed to rebellion. The issue of church discipline is related to explicitly rebellious people. Blatant rebellion can't be ignored.

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one. (12) For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (13) God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."

The implication is that church fellowship, ultimately expressed in the Lord's Supper, is not to be made available to those who will not renounce their rebellion. What happens if the confrontation cause the person to become adamant they do not want to be rebellious? What then?

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure--not to put it too severely--to all of you. (6) For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, (7) so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. (8) So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. (9) For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. (10) Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, (11) so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

The battle is between those who celebrate God as sovereign over creation according to His own ways vs. those who defy the Creator for alternative ways live. Our will, the ability to choose one action over another, was given by God to spiritual beings, including humanity. The redemption of our will, from slavery, is the stunning good news. It should be amazing to us, it certainly is to spirits:

1 Peter 1:8-25 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, (9) obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (10) Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, (11) inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. (12) It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (13) Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (14) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (15) but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16) since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (17) And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, (18) knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (20) He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you (21) who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (22) Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, (23) since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (24) for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, (25) but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.