Month: February 2009

Facebook is all the rage these days. I am sure that some of these young whippersnappers resent the invasion of the Baby Boomers to the social network scene. Deal with it. I am enjoying catching up with old and new friends.

One of the things I love about Facebook are the status updates. Some people ponder really deep and thorny issues like this one from my friend Robin.

Why PopTarts, why do you only come in non-resealable pkgs of 2? Shouldn’t I have the choice to eat just 1 Tart w/out sacrificing the freshness of others?

That is just one example of the inequities of life that need to be addressed and only a few men like Robin have the courage to ask those tough questions. Shouldn’t a country that can put a MAN ON THE MOON be able to package PopTarts in freshness saving single packages? Why isn’t there outrage over this injustice?

Some use the status updates for mundane reports about going to work or doing laundry. Some status updates are funny.

Jeff is doubling the recipe and setting the oven to 700 degrees.  That actually makes sense to a guy. The same friend recently wondered this.

Jeff is wondering if you have ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations? 

Think about it. Not quite right friend John posted this after waking up from minor surgery.

John is back up again after his anesthesia reboot. Noticable changes: I can list all the players for the 1937 Cleveland Indians, but I can’t say the word “spiquet”. 

Hopefully John will have a full recovery and will be able to say spiquet again very soon. If not I am sure he will have a community of friends to help him say that often used word. 

But my favorite Facebook moments are when friends share a slice of life that is real and sweet. High school friend Yolanda shared this moment yesterday in her status report.

(Today is a beat down travel day. Please accept this iPod Devotional rerun compliments of the house.)

Welcome to the experiment known as the iPod devotional series. Here is how it works. On the old iPod is a “shuffle songs” feature. You hit the button and the iPod randomly picks a song.  I am writing a blog about whatever song the device selects on that day from the 1,000 plus songs on my iPod. My music list will further confirm my status as a Christian who makes others feel superior. My music goes from Al Green to the Youngbloods. Beatles to U2. Old hymns to modern praise music. Toby Keith to Frank Sinatra. Oldies to the soundtrack from Monty Python’s Spamalot. This could be interesting.

I mentioned in the introductory paragraph that you might find some Toby Keith on my iPod. The shuffle confirmed that today as a tune from the Oklahoma country singer was the first one called up. Earlier I had expressed some concerns about this series. One of those fears was that the randomly selected song would:

• Offend more conservative readers of these humble ramblings
• Unite the cyber spiritual hall monitors into a self-righteous frenzy of condemnation (a really easy thing to do)
• Confirm and cement the title of this site…Confessions of a Bad Christian

I believe today’s song will accomplish all of the above. It is with great hesitation that I reveal that today’s song is “I Love This Bar” by Toby Keith.  There is a reason why “I Love This Song”. If you will hang with me to the end before launching the email barrage I think you will at least see my point. In my oddly constructed brain I listen to this song and dream of what church should be while realizing what it too often is not.

We got winners, we got losers
Chain smokers and boozers
And we got yuppies, we got bikers
We got thirsty hitchhikers
And the girls next door dress up like movie stars

Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

We got cowboys, we got truckers
Broken-hearted fools and suckers
And we got hustlers, we got fighters
Early birds and all-nighters
And the veterans talk about their battle scars

Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

When I listen to the dynamic of that song I can’t help but think of the description of the early church in Acts.

And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity– all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.  (Acts 2 , NLT)

I see that body of believers in Jesus resembling the motley crew that Keith outlines in his lyrics. We were created to be in community. A community of believers that accept and embrace those different from us because of Christ. That is what makes church dynamic to a person who experiences grace and acceptance for the first time. And that is why church can be devastating when the congregation becomes selective, judgemental and legalistic. When we become “professional Christians” something seems to happen. I call it “Stained Glass Syndrome”. That is defined as the tendency to lose touch with our former brokenness and sinfulness.  I wrote about my dream of the Sinner Sensitive Church to replace the seeker sensitive approach in When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.     Here is an excerpt from that book.

The sinner-sensitive church (SSC) is my proposal for a new church movement toward making everyone feel welcomed and loved. The SSC would model nonjudgmental attitudes. Issues like having tattoos, body piercings, weird hair, or ugly shoes would not necessarily denote demon possession. The SSC would pledge not to gossip because we would realize that it is only by the grace of God that we are not the current targets. The sinner-sensitive church would value every spiritual, physical, and financial gift, no matter how big or small. This church would appreciate but not elevate the person who built the new wing with the large financial endowment. The SSC would make it a practice to reach out, touch, and care for one another sacrificially because we know that we all fall down in life and in our Christian walk. At the SSC we would have executives holding hands in prayer with laborers and not thinking twice about it. Blacks and whites and Hispanics and others would break bread together because we are all sinners in the eyes of a color-blind God.

The sinner-sensitive church would give freely out of profound gratitude to a God who somehow saw fit to give us an undeserved chance. The sinner-sensitive church would practice the prodigal son ministry, running to welcome those returning from mistakes and bad decisions and sin. Our members would get involved in other people’s lives. We would hold our brothers and sisters accountable to godly standards. Marriage would be cherished. Families would have a community of support during problems and trials. The congregation of the SSC would not be so self-centered that we would demand the undivided attention of the pastor at every little crisis. Other believers would help meet many of those needs that we now prefer to leave to the “professional Christians” on staff. The people of this church would come with hearts ready to be fed but also realizing that God has provided resources beyond any available in history to meet our spiritual hunger. And should we walk out the church doors still needy, we would know we can draw from the marvelous resources of Christian books, music, radio, video, tapes, Internet, and studies to meet our needs. Any one of us could be filled to overflowing if that were our desire.

The sinner-sensitive church would also delight in the company of other spiritual travelers and make it a priority that no one ever felt alone. We would make each other feel valuable but, on occasion, a little uncomfortable. Being comfortable in church is not the primary goal. I am not always comfortable at the dentist’s office. I often arrive in pain because I have neglected to do what I should have done. The staff always makes me feel welcome and even cared for. Then the dentist confronts me with the truth: “You have let this go too long, and I must hurt you (a little) in order to heal you. You will have to pay a financial price and spend time recovering before you are completely well.” Those are the facts of my dental hygiene sin. The sinner-sensitive church would not back off the truth either. Decay in the enamel or soul must be addressed. We will tell one another the truth and explain that the process might be a little painful. We would participate in ongoing preventative maintenance and help one another deal with problems as soon as possible, before they become even more painful and expensive to fix.

The SSC would worship with enthusiasm, whether singing hymns or praise choruses, because God is worthy of that praise. The sinner-sensitive fellowship would have a sense of profound reverence because we have received God’s grace, the most amazing gift ever offered. The sinner-sensitive church would be so excited about this grace that the incredible news of the gospel would be as much a part of who we are as our jobs and our families.

Sinner sensitive was the ministry style of our Lord. He was always available to people who realized their need. Merely being a seeker did not necessarily merit His time. The wealthy young man came to Jesus seeking what he lacked to receive eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22). However, the jarring truth of Christ’s answer to sell his possessions and give to the poor revealed to him that he was not ready to follow Christ. But when sinners came with a humble confession of need and a willingness obey God, Jesus never turned them away. The church of Acts was sinner-sensitive and functioned much in the way I have described above. (I’m not sure about the praise choruses, though.)

Frankly, sometimes we try a little too hard to “attract” the unchurched. A church that functioned like the one described above would be such a societal miracle that you couldn’t keep people away if you barred the doors. And while the majority of my idealism has been beaten out of me, I still believe that such a church will be possible when we finally reach the point of actually wanting it and realizing that only total dependence on God’s grace can make it so. That will not come until we decide we are willing to pay the price for such a church. The harsh reality is that most of us are afraid to commit to this radical type of fellowship because we aren’t sure what it would require of us. My own natural reaction is “Praise the Lord but keep the Lexus!” I’ll hazard a guess that you are the same.

That is my dream of what church should look like. And that is why Toby Keith’s song resonates with me.

[Chorus:]
I love this bar
It’s my kind of place
Just walkin’ through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain’t too far, come as you are
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

Does walking through the front door of your church put a big smile on your face? If not, what is wrong? Is your church come as you are or come cleaned up and acceptable? Why was the TV show Cheers such a big hit? Because all of us want a place where “everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came”. That is the appeal of the local bar or the local overpriced coffee house. We are made for community. The church needs to realize that it is not only a place of teaching and reproach but also a place of refuge and grace. A walk-in clinic for messy Christians and messy seekers.

No cover charge, come as you are
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

That is another message that we have communicated poorly. There is no cover charge to join the body of Christ. Admission has been paid by the Lord Jesus. Come as you are. Really.

With the amazing availability of teaching materials, books, podcasts, and other resources the American Christian doesn’t lack for instruction. What we seem to be missing is the fellowship that Toby Keith describes. A place where you can put a big smile on your face and proclaim that I love this church. And especially a place where you can come as you are and experience grace. That is the church I dream about.

I noticed a link today on MSN that touted the Top 10 Most Useless Body Parts. They had me at “useless” so I had to check it out. I could have guessed some of the parts they perceived as useless. Parts like tonsils, adenoids and appendixes. Many argue that those parts are, in fact, useful. But clearly we can live without any or all of them. Some parts on the list were surprising and a bit odd.

For example, I was not aware of my plica semilunaris. You may not know it, but you have a third eyelid. Pull open the two more noticeable eyelids and take a look — it’s located right in the corner by the tear duct. That explains why I want to take a nap every afternoon. It is tough to hold all three eyelids open after lunch. Also on the list are sinuses. My wife would agree that sinuses are useless except to produce patience and longsuffering. Doctors don’t really know much about sinuses — only that we have a lot of them. Possibilities for their function range from insulating our eyes to changing the pitch and tone of our voice. The article determined that the arrector pili are also pretty much useless. The arrector pili make our hair stand up and gives us goose bumps. Also on the list are wisdom teeth. Before we advanced dental care our teeth tended to fall out. Therefore, when those reserve molars, aka “wisdom teeth,” came in, they were welcomed. Nowadays, fluoride and dental plans have made them just a huge pain.

The list was interesting but unconvincing. It seemed to me that most of the list was at least somewhat useful but not critical to survival. I thought about how the Bible describes every Christian as being part of the body of Christ. Thankfully archaeologists have not discovered stone tablets with a list of ten useless types of people in the body of Christ. On the contrary, Scripture makes it clear that every part of the body of Christ is vital to healthy function of the church.

I was reminded how might look in practice when I attended a Christmas concert featuring Christian artist Michael W.Smith. Michael has more musical talent in one arrector pili than I have in my entire body. And I confess that I entertained a bit of envy in the early part of the concert. I always wanted to be a musician but I never was willing to commit to that whole practice and hard work thing. And that seemed to slow my progress as a musical talent. Right after I moved past my talent deficit envy I happened to notice (really notice) something that happens at every concert and stage event. At the end of a stirring song a stagehand quietly and efficiently moved onto the stage, set up two microphones and left without fanfare.

And it occurred to me that his small role in this gigantic production was enormously important. The next event was Smith reading the Christmas account from Scripture as a musician accompanied his narration. Because of the unnoticed stagehand the transition was seamless and the effect was powerful. No one applauded the stagehand. He might have felt unappreciated. He might have envied the acclaim that Michael W.Smith receives. He might have noticed that the audience applauded the arrival of the first chair violinist and the conductor. He might have wished for the rousing applause reserved for the other vocalists and the instrumental soloists.

But I kept thinking about the stagehand who carefully set the mikes in exactly the right place. I thought about the dozens of unseen technicians that made a magical evening of music happen. Incredibly vital people who did their jobs without a single moment of public adoration. And I think that is what Paul is saying when he talks about how the body of Christ should function. God always sees the stagehand that humbly does his part. God values the technician who makes the music happen without personal recognition. I believe that God would view that stagehand’s seemingly insignificant contribution as being every bit as important as the people in the spotlight when that small role is offered with worship.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians he wrote about the distribution of spiritual gifts.

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”  In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

I realize that I am prone to say it is all about Him and then get upset if no one notices me. So who is it really all about? If my service is for Him I am confident that God takes note. Should it really matter if anyone else does? I am the first to confess that such notice is nice and appreciated. But should it really matter?

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

I am not always glad when another part of the body is honored. How quickly I forget the unmerited gift of grace. If we really comprehended what that meant would we ever question what is in it for me? It is so obvious that I have been given so many gifts of grace whether I gain kudos or not. As I meditate on that today I pray that I will choose to praise God and be content even if He asks me to be the anonymous stagehand that no one ever applauds. My part (and yours) is vital even if it seems no one notices. The truth is that the most important observer does notice. So if you are feeling like a third eyelid or a goose bump just remember this. You are a child of God imputed with His righteousness. You are a saint and you have a new identity rooted in Christ Himself. With a bio like that your role should not define you.  

It is ironic that today’s song is about how quickly time passes away. I am paying for my traffic sin by taking a six hour online defensive driving course. I am four hours into six hours that I will never get back. Time is an odd commodity. This course seems to be taking two weeks while my life has passed by in a blink.

Today’s spin of the shuffle wheel pulled up a little tune from Willie Nelson. The song is titled “Funny How Time Slips Away” and it is one of his signature songs. I realize that Willie is, for some, an acquired taste. I do not endorse Willie’s recreational choices or his tax paying discipline. Although his IRS habits would qualify him for a Cabinet post now. But I digress. I do like his ability to make lyrics real. In this song he laments the loss of a love.

Well hello there my it’s been a long long time
How am I doin’ oh I guess that I’m doin’ fine
It’s been so long now but it seems now it was only yesterday
Gee ain’t it funny how time slips away

It is not really funny how time slips away. It is scary. I am now past the halfway mark toward becoming a centenarian although I have a much better shot at being a contrarian. It seems like yesterday that I was playing sandlot baseball as a kid. Moments ago I was in high school being ADD before ADD was cool. Just yesterday I met the stunning Joni Banks and somehow conned her into dating me. Couldn’t have been too long ago that I donned the hideous baby blue tux to wed my beloved. Wasn’t it just weeks ago that three adorable baby boys came into our lives? How is it possible that I am now directing the baseball exploits of athletes that were not even born when I started this gig?

Time does slip away. The best line on parenting I have heard is that the days are long but the years are short. Amen. I now am the father of a 30 year old, a 28 year old, and a 22 year old. When did that happen? Married 32 years. Are you kidding me?

I have had, if I may borrow the franchise of Frank Capra, a wonderful life. Not devoid of tragedy and trouble to be sure. I have lost a very dear nephew to leukemia, a daughter to terminal birth defects, my father and mother and many other family members and friends. My bride has battled cancer in recent years. But we are blessed beyond comprehension. And I believe that is because we have found our reason for being here. Rick Warren summed it up nicely in a recent interview.

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond, In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body – but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillion of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one or you’re getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life: The goal is to grow in character, In Christ-likeness.

If this is the warm-up act for my eternity gig on the main stage then all of this is merely preparation. Football players hate the two-a-day practices in the brutal heat. But they love the exhilaration of victory that the difficult preparation allows for later in the season. Sometimes the two-a-days of life seem cruel and without purpose. But my understanding of the God who made me and His purpose for me allows me to believe there is purpose and design. I don’t always see it. I love being happy and carefree. But if my purpose is preparation for my real gig then I had better be a little more interested in being holy. Paul wrote this in the book of Colossians.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. (Col 3, NLT)

The song continues…

I gotta go now I guess I’ll see you around
Don’t know when though never know when I’ll be back in town
But remember what I tell you in time you’re gonna pay
And it’s surprising how time slips away

The songwriter is correct. In time you’re gonna pay. But not in the sense that the lyric implies. And not in the heavy handed way that too many Christians threaten eternal damnation to those who oppose them. We are created to be in fellowship with our Creator and you will pay a price if you ignore that truth. You will pay a price of less fulfillment, purpose and joy during this life. And you will have made a choice to pay the price of eternal separation from God. Time is slipping away for all of us. Set your sights on eternity and enjoy the journey of preparation. We never know how many mile markers remain.

I have been doing this church thing for a lot of years. I have sung hundreds of songs over the four decades or so that I have been a follower of Jesus. Some songs have great meaning to me. Some lyrics moved me to deep worship of God. Some times I really meant what I was singing. Other times I was singing through the motions while thinking about lunch and when the kick off was going to happen. Gotta think that Satan loves the ADD brain.

One song that has always made me uncomfortable came up on the iPod today. The song was put to music by the legendary George Beverly Shea in 1932. The words were a poem written by Mrs.Rhea Miller in 1922. Shea recalled the moment.

At the age of twenty-three, I was living at home with my parents, continuing to work at Mutual Life Insurance and studying voice. Going to the piano one Sunday morning, I found a poem waiting for me there. I recognized my mother’s handwriting. She had copied the words of a poem by Mrs. Rhea F. Miller, knowing that I would read the beautiful message, which speaks of choice. As I read these precious words:

    I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause.
    I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause.

I found myself singing the words in a melody that expressed the feelings of my heart.”

Thanks to Mr.Shea I found myself going through a rather uncomfortable self-examination today.

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

What a timely verse for times like these. As I watch my worth dwindle daily can I really say that I would rather have Jesus than silver or gold? Maybe our economy will make that decision for me. Do I mean it when I sing that I’d rather be led by his nail pierced hand? Am I prepared to make Jesus more than an “activity” in my busy life? What would I have said if I was the young rich man described in Matthew? Here is the text from The Message.

Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”  Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”

 The man asked, “What in particular?”

 Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.” The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”

His response has always surprised me. I think I would have begged for mercy after that list. But the young man thought he was doing just fine. And then Jesus exposed his heart.

 “If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”

That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.

I have held on tight to a lot of things. As I get older I wonder why..

 As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”

 The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”

 Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

I can do that. I can trust God. I have no choice because I have a long and spectacular track record of not being able to live this journey on my own ability. The song continues.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

Given the sales of my books I am pretty safe from the world-wide fame snare. But I do crave men’s applause if I am not careful.

He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

Perhaps the uncertainty in the world will cause all of us to evaluate our dependence on Christ. I hope that I will continue to grow in my desire to echo Paul and his words to the Phillipians.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

So can I sing the words of this classic hymn and mean it? I can honestly say that I am getting closer every day.

The iPod shuffle today fell on one of my favorite Christian artists. Jeremy Casella writes amazing lyrics and is a talented singer as well. He has written a haunting and convicting song that draws from God’s warning to the church at Ephesus.

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. (Revelation 2, NIV)

The Church at Ephesus sounds like the kind of church that I would want to join. Clearly they had accomplished deeds, worked hard, guarded truth and even suffered. Sounds like they would be speaking at conferences about their effectiveness. Yet God is displeased because they forgot to love Him in the process. Casella writes these words…

You run with the wind in your face
You stand like a child of grace
And this blood on your hands
Is the wine on your lips
From whose body you’ve broken
And betrayed with a kiss

We live in a world that we stole
Just like thirty silver pieces we’ve bought and sold
So when you dream at night of what you love the most
Do you find yourself haunted by the Holy Ghost?
Because I swear I heard a whisper telling me what’s right
Saying we’re both sinners baby and I’m no Jesus Christ

I think of the church in the United States of America when I listen to Jeremy Casella’s song. While so many blame the culture, politicians and media for the decline in America I have a sick feeling that the real problem is me and you. I wonder if too many of us in the body of Christ in America have forsaken our first love? The church in America has had abundant resources and the blessing of freedom to live these truths. And we have too often forsaken our first love. Would the culture be in this state if the over fifty million Christians really lived and demonstrated the grace of God and the liberating power of the Gospel of Jesus?

A famous line from the old cartoon Pogo applies here.

“We have met the enemy and it is us.”

Of course the real enemy is Satan. But we have allowed this world to influence and neuter our message. But I am still a half-full guy. I still believe in the power of revival and the potential of grace to change hearts. The chorus of Jeremy Casella’s song gives hope. And it is real hope that cannot be found in the Nation’s Capital.

Is it ever too late to learn what the truth is worth?
Are we too far gone to return to what we loved first?
Because I want to go back to the place that I started before
I can see through the gate but I can’t take the heat of the sword

That is the awesome news today. It is not too late. Carl Bard once said this. “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.”

All of us have an opportunity to trust God for a brand new ending. Perhaps a good way to conclude is to remember Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus that was later reprimanded.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.  (Ephesians 3, NLT)

We can do this because of Christ. Let’s not forget our first love.

 

The iPod Devotional series has been an off and on feature over the years from your humble rambler. The concept is simple. I power up the trusty iPod, hit play and then push the shuffle button. The iPod randomly goes to one of my 1500 plus songs and I then write a blog about that song. It is risky business since my playlist is a bit eclectic. Today I decided to fire up the series again and the shuffle feature landed on a song by bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent. God has a sense of humor. The song is called “You Don’t Love God If You Don’t Love Your Neighbor” and the lyrics begin like this.

There are many people
who will say they’re Christians
and they live like Christians on the Sabbath day

But come Monday morning, til the coming Sunday
They will fight their neighbor all along the way.

{chorus}

Oh you don’t love God, if you don’t love your neighbor
if you gossip about him, if you never have mercy
if he gets into trouble, and you don’t try to help him
then you don’t love your neighbor, and you don’t love God

I am going to keep my judge’s robe in the closet and not overstep my pay grade by evaluating your heart and whether you love God or not. But I can say from uncomfortable personal experience that if you are living the lyrics of the chorus above you may want to spend a little time in confession, repentance and prayer. The hypocrisy of so many who claim the name of Jesus Christ is the most consistent complaint that I hear from my tens of readers. I hear it from those who are churched, unchurched and those who wish they had an option other than church. Books like unChristian and research by George Barna document the disconnect between doctrine and our daily doings. When Bad Christians Happen To Good People addressed this topic eight years ago. By the way, the author of that book is well versed in what it means to be a bad Christian. Trust me.

So why does this disconnect happen? I have spent more time thinking about that topic than most. In my darker moments I suspect that Will Rogers did not go to church or he would have had to change his slogan.

I think some insight that I picked up from my buddies at Truefaced.com helped me to understand the issue.

Knowing truth does not transform lives. Only trusting truth transforms lives.

We have lots of people who have logged a lot of pew time. They have heard lots of truth and tons of teaching. They have memorized verses and they can speak fluent Churchianity. Yet they demonstrate little or no difference from their neighbors who go to church on Easter and Christmas or maybe never darken the church doors. How can that be?

I think that for too many Christians they have not trusted the truth they know. I am learning to put my full weight on the truths that are foundational. That God supernaturally changed me at the moment I put my trust in Jesus for my salvation. I became a new person. So my standing in God’s eyes is not about what I do but about who I am. Do I trust that truth? Do you?

Do you believe that God’s faithfulness and loving kindness and grace will sustain you in whatever circumstance you find yourself in? Are you willing to give up control and trust that God has your back and your best interests in His eternal plan? Or do you fear that He might require you to go or do something that you really don’t want to do? Does that kind of thinking make sense in light of what Paul writes about Christ?

Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. (Romans 5, NLT)

Do I really think that a God that loved me like that would punish me with a bad assignment because He is displeased with me? Jesus did not say that He came so that I could have life sporadically. He promised abundantly. So I am choosing to trust the truths that I have known for many years. He is trustworthy. His Word is true. I am wasting my time if I don’t put my full weight on those truths. Slowly and often awkwardly I am learning to do that. And it is changing me.