Shining Our Light Out Where It Can Be Seen

THE LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS OUGHT NOT ONLY BE ON OUR TREE OR HOUSE:

I just read about what looks like an interesting book, The Evangelicals You Don't Know, Introducing the Next Generation of Christians, by Tom Krattenmaker.*  Tony Kritz, a friend of Krattenmaker, writes about his friend in CT Pastors (I'm not sure if the link will work for nonsubscribers, but hereit is).  He describes Krattenmaker as one who does "not identify as a Christian, he most closely aligns with Unitarians and is unapologetically secular and progressive." While Krattenmaker has not been "converted," the way he looks at conservative Christians has changed. There was a time that, when Tom looked into the conservative Christian world, he saw mostly darkness. However, just as when one stares into the darkness of the night sky, the longer you look, the more you can't help but see the stars. Yes, Tom now sees the twinkling stars in the once dark world of evangelicalism. He's seen the side of us that many spiritual foreigners haven't—the signs of Christian life and light that shine God's life to the world. That's what piqued my interest about the book.  Kritz's comment comes from Philippians 2:15.  The NIV says that Christian people are (should be) like stars shining in the sky.  I was the lead pastor of a small church for forty years.  I continue to be active in several ministries.  I have often heard, and done my share of, bragging about how bright "our" star is shining.  On only a few occasions have I heard  someone who is on the outside comment about the light we are shedding.  Of course we have an explanation for that.  "The world is opposed to what we are doing, they are blind, and unwilling to acknowlege the benifits we bestow on our surroundings."  No doubt true, at least partly, but is that all? Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).  Both He and the Apostle Paul seem to indicate that the nature of a Christian life well-lived will be such that others, outside of our group, will notice and be the better for what they see. Could the problem be that far too often we are guilty doing exactly what every Sunday School child know we aren't supposed to do--hiding out light under a basket?  Jesus points to the foolishness of such activity.  Matthew 5:16 indicates that good works ought to be done out in the open, so people can see them.  This isn't talking about better publicity.  It is speaking of a different kind of good deeds.  We ought to be doing good deeds in line with what we call the Golden Rule.  Our thought should not be what makes me look good, but what will truly help my neighbor.  Indeed Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, that good deeds, properly done (see Matthew 6) will result in glory to God, not self. Quickly, here are two examples from my observation: A friend of mine lives in a place where he is able to be the chaplain to ahigh school football team.  Not everyone on the team share's my colleague's faith.  He is not reluctant, nor apologetic, about his Christian faith.  More effective, though, than the devotionals he offers is the friendship that he provides to the team and coaches.  He commends positive action.  He encourages virtues that are shared by folk who don't share our faith, things like hard-work, courage, discipline, respect, and teamwork.  Not a boy on that team can say "Nobody cares," because my friend cares about each of them.  Not everyone on that team is, or will become, a Christian, but every member of that team knows that not all preachers are guys who don't care, and say things we can't understand.  They know my friend cares, and because they know that, they are more likely to care about what he knows, and says. My church is once again presenting a Live Nativity to our community.  We do it without cost to those who attend.  No arms are twisted.  The event is put on by cops, factorty workers, retirees, nurses, teachers, business-people, homemakers, foresters, computer techs, kids, and teens.  I'm proud of the people who do it, because instead of just railing about the excesses of the Christmas season, they have asked, "How can we shine a light, not in our building, but down in a public place, so others can see?" Shine on!  This Friday on a high school gridiron, the week after in a park, near many of you, and many other places TBA.  It's STTA.

The Debate, Our Decision:

Decision:

Jim Denison asks an interesting question, "What would God say about last night's debate?"  He's not assuming the mantle of a prophet, but looking at what God has said in the Bible, and applying that to what he heard.  His bottom line conclusion is that God would be grieved because of the division of our nation.  Quoting Lee Drutman of the New York Times, Denison points out that "Rather than being one two-party nation, we are becoming two one-party nations." It might even be worse than that, but before I comment on that, consider the tendency we have to cherry-pick an event like last night's debate.  We come into the room looking for "facts" that make the other side look bad, while we listen for that which supports our prejudice.  Interviews I heard this morning confirm that "confirmation bias" is alive and well. Actually, our situation might be worse than two one-party nations.  Out in the realm of those who had no place on the stage, are the voices who say neither of these candidates represent us.  Considering where the current political system has led us, their complaint has merit.  "Is this the best we can do?" is a question that has been heard a lot lately.  One man I heard in an interview spoke of being apathetic, add to that crowd the apoplectic, and there are a lot of folk filling in the spaces between the candidates. We as Christ's followers are called to be "salt and light."   In our current situation I think that has less to do with the political process than it does with the process that leads to the political process.  God's people need to be thinking based on a Biblical worldview.  We need to do so so effectively that others around us will see that way of thinking as valid.  This is in no way an expression of defeatism.  I have read the book.  In the end my side wins.  What I'm suggesting is that we ought to have a greater focus on my platform, as compared to any platform of any political party.  How can I affect my family, my friends, my community.  The early church was completely disenfranchised, yet they changed the world.  I'm not recommending abandoning the political process.  I am suggesting that putting too much hope in it is not wise. It's STTA. Click here, to find out about what Christ has done for our world.

Where?

Something To Think About Where:

You've had the experience.  Especially when you are spending the night in a strange room.  You awake disoriented.  The question rises,accompanied by the bitter taste of fear.  Where am I?  It's an important question.  If you don't answer it quickly enough, or if you give yourself the wrong response your big toe will pay the price when it hits the corner of the dresser that isn't there in the place where you thought you were.  From Alice in Wonder Land to theTruman Show people have explored this idea of location.  It involves not only where I am in God's universe, but where I am in the world of my mind. Right now I'm in a region of the world that will be my home, Lord willing, for about about a third of the year.  I'm watching palm trees blow in the breeze--a breeze that will soon become a gale, here, where I am.  Here, things that would merit a slight, "Oh, I should pray about that." where I generally live take on far greater importance. Like John Donne, and Thornton Wilder before me I am coming to answer the question, "Where am I?" in much broader terms than I used to.  I'm not an Island.  Though I live in a tiny spot in God's world, my address is not limited to a fifty-foot wide spot on Carpenter Drive.  I am part of the City of Covington, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nation known as the USA.  I am a citizen of the world and beyond that I exist in the mind of God.  (Here) As is true with so many things in my life at this time I am struggling for balance. I am somewhere.  Wherever that is, I need to ask the question:  "What can I do right here to make a positive impact.?"  I should strive to make my place better.  I should be salt and light. I may not be where I can be of the most use.  My ancestors found within their hearts an urge--maybe it was motivated by fear, or a desire to do better--to cross the Atlantic and settle in the "New World."  My Father, and many in his generation reversed that journey to deal with a threat that was global in it's implications.  My world is better because they did. Where am I? Where do I need to be? We need wisdom. In the midst of my musings I find great comfort in a profound Theological truth expressed in very simple terms:     "He's got the whole world in His hands."   I find great challenge in the reality that there is no person, anywhere on this globe who shouldn't hear the truth of John 3:16. Lord, I am here.  May I be fully engaged, and make a difference on this spot. It's a big world.  Give me the right concern for those for whom You gave Your Son. I pray that I will hear the beat of Your heart for this world where I am. Amen   It's Something to Think About.   Find out about how the message of Christ's love is able to change all people here. My church,Covington Bible Church, is putting on a event that remembers, and celebrates the great event in when the Son of God came here.  I hope you'll attend out Live Nativity.

The direction the refugees are going says something.

Something to Think About for September 11, 2015:

Something To Think About, The Shadow of the Cross:

A couple of caveats: America is not a Christian nation.  Europe certainly is not a Christian continent.  The New Testament presents a way of life that is counter-cultural.  "Christian nation" is an oxymoron. I speak as a citizen of the United States when I say, our record, and that of other so-called Christian nations, even our recent record, is not spotless.   With that said, I notice on this anniversary of 9/11 that thousands of refugees are boarding rickety boats and leaky rafts.  Some are getting into the back of crowded trucks or walking many miles.  Fathers are selling everything they own and borrowing everything they can, in order to take their families from one place to another.  Many are dying in the attempt.  Keeping in mind my caveats, it is still undeniable that the flow of these refugees is moving away from nations where there have been years, even centuries, of attempts to obliterate the influence of the cross, into lands where the cross still casts a long shadow.  The case can be made that "Christian" nations need to do more to welcome these folk in such great need.  Still the contrast is stark when one compares what these nations are doing with what wealthy Islamic nations aren't doing.  The heritage of the West to show kindness to those in need has developed under the shadow of the cross.  The influence of Christianity has led to protections for the weak, and freedoms for minorities.  While our history is full of grievous examples of "not living up to what we claim to believe," it is that system of ethics that flowed from Christian principles that led us to outlaw the evil of slavery, and take steps to recognize the value of all people regardless of race or religion. Even diminished as that influence has become over the last century, those who are desperately looking for a safe place to raise their families see lands where the cross of Christ still casts a shadow as a haven.  The Good News that changes people's lives, leads to a better world.   It's STTA.   On this page there are multiple options.  All of them point to how the message of the cross can change your life. Some of you wonder what you can do to help the refugees of Islamic persecution.  There are many good ministries.  Global Partners for Peace and Development has worked with those fleeing persecution for years.  Here is their website.

Protecting Those Who Protect Us:

Something To Think About, Angels:

It is hard to think about the murder of the two policemen in Brooklyn New York without using words like "senseless," "heinous," or "barbaric."  When those who protect us and enforce the law are attacked, not for anything they have done, but for who they are, it is a sign of trouble in our culture.  When people chant atpublic demonstrations that they want "dead cops," "now!" it is an indication that the rot is not limited to one deranged gun-man. The reality is that we live in a fallen world, and those of us who populate it are flawed.  One of the truths that the Bible puts forth is that in this world it is necessary that there be those who enforce the law, and hold lawbreakers accountable. In Romans 13 we read,  “. . . whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed the authority will receive condemnation upon themselves. "For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;” (Romans 13:2–3, NASB95).  Keep in mind who the Holy Spirit used to pen those words.  Paul was converted Jewish Rabbi.  He would eventually find himself a prisoner of the Roman government--not for doing anything wrong, but for preaching the truth.  I don't think there is any doubt that Paul knew there were problems with the Roman authority.  He certainly knew that not all Roman soldiers and officials were pure of heart.  In the First Century, as well as the Twenty-first, there were/are bad cops, but both Paul, Peter, and Jesus make clear that the default condition ought to be one of respect for, and obedience to authority (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2:13-17, Luke 20:25).  This isn't all that the Bible says on the subject, but this is foundational.  Those of us who claim to speak for the Lord need to make sure that we clearly make this point.  Maybe I'm prejudiced but I like the Apostle Paul's rhetoric, "Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same."  (Romans 13:3)  It may not chant well, and it might be too long for a sign, but it is what we need to hear. It's Something To Think About. Here are some thoughts I shared shortly after the violence in Ferguson MO began.  While I admit I don't understand it all, I, nevertheless, reinforce that we need sound and strong law enforcement, and a society that supports it.

Using our resources to make the world more beautiful:

Something To Think About, Adding beauty to the world:

I don't know much about Sainsbury's.  I did find that it is a large grocery retailer in the United Kingdom.  I do know that I am very impressed with the ad, or as they say over there, "advert," that they put out for the 2014 Christmas season.  I encourage you to take four minutes and watch it. I think you'll be glad you did. I look at this ad and think this is what we as God's people ought to be doing.  Most of us don't have a large advertising budget at our disposal, that would enable us to make a high-quality video like this, but each of us can do something that will make our world better.  One of the members of the church I pastor recently posted this on her Facebook page, "I am a servant of the Lord masquerading as a bus driver and cake decorator."  That is a paradigm that all of God's people ought to adopt.  Whatever I may do to earn a living, I am first and foremost a representative of the King of Kings.  Whatever I do, I should do for His glory. I don't know if the owners of Sainsbury's share my faith in the Christ of Christmas.  I certainly thank them for not only making the world more beautiful, but for challenging me to do so, as well. And, I hope, in a small way, I'm doing the same for you. It's Something To Think About. Here is a site where you can find out about Jesus Christ and His plan for you.  You'll find several opportunities to explore.  If we can help you, let us know.  covingtonbiblechurch.com

Somebody ought to do something.

It's one of those videos we would rather not see.  I know I certainly don't want to see it again.  A star football player is seen punching his fiance', now wife, and then dragging her out of an elevator. In classic dysfunctional form, the woman expressed remorse over her part in the incident.  Which means:  1) She had a part in the incident.  She was involved in some behavior that provoked the unjustifiable response, and/or 2) She has assumed the role of victim, including taking blame that should be placed on someone else.  It's broken, either way. "Somebody needs to do something!" Well, yeah. I'll leave the debate about what disqualifies someone from being a football player to others.  Should criminal charges be filed?  Perhaps.  Again, I'll leave that to someone else. The fact is, though, somebody is doing something, has been doing it for a long time, and will continue to do so, as long as opportunities present themselves.  When I talk about doing something, I'm not talking about staged outrage, scripted for the next news-cycle, or feel-good, knee-jerk reaction, tailored to pander to one constituency or another.  In fact what this someone is doing more proactive than reactive.  It certainly is more substantive than symbolic. The church of of the Lord Jesus Christ has done more to promote peace and stability in the family, and to protect the vulnerable than any other group in the world.  Take a map and color in the places where the church has had the greatest impact, and then color the places where women have been treated with the greatest dignity, then take one more pass and fill in places where kids grow up with the greatest opportunities and chance at a decent life.  You'll find that you are largely covering the same territory.  Every Sunday I look out on families that have been and are being reclaimed.  Eyes that once were blackened, glared with anger, or were made red with bitter tears, now shine with joy, because of the difference Christ has made, not only in individual lives, but in families. So, here is a recommendation.  Instead of searching the internet for another video of another derailed relationship, why not look for a church that proclaims the life-changing, family-redeeming message of the Good News found in Jesus Christ. It's Something to Think About.   Here is an interesting picture of what is wrong with the world (including families) and how God's message makes it right.

Displaying the Ten Commandments, #3:

Many Christians are quite passionate about maintaining our "right" to display portions of scripture and religious symbols in public places.  

The central symbol of Christianity has been a public symbol for two millennia.  Our Lord was crucified in plain view, and the early martyrs gladly owned the cross as they went to their deaths, some of them, like Peter and Andrew, even dying on crosses like their Lord.  The word of God, as well, ought not to be a private matter.  The book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament tells the story of how the early church spread the Good News from Jerusalem to the far reaches of the known world.  I don't see that the concern of those disciples was to get the Romans to let them hang copies of scripture in the Coloseums where they gave their lives.  Rather they made the Word known by lives that clearly demonstrated the power of God's word to change the world one life at a time.

There are good reasons why it makes sense to have a copy of the Ten Commandments displayed in a High School.  The sweeping secularization of our public spaces ought to be appropriately resisted, but far more important than a plaque on a wall, is the Word of God shining out from a life.  Perhaps the courts in our land will prevent the display of Ten Commandments in our schools and other government buildings. No power on earth can prevent us from living out the truth of those ten guidelines for Godly, sensible living.

The third of the Ten Commandments says that we are not to "take the name of the LORD [our] God in vain."  When I consider this with other passages of scripture that speak about my speech, like Ephesians 4:29 and 5:4, I see that what I say ought to display the fact that God is in control in my life.

When I open my mouth, what comes out? 
 

Stay tuned.

It's STTA.