Intentional Faith

There’s a difference between reading to just know more, and to know God.

Most Christians aren’t able to read the New Testament in Greek. But I assume most do read the Bible with the hope of actually understanding it. So what is the role of biblical scholarship for the average Christian trying to find God through the Scriptures?

The reality is we are vastly removed from the context of the Bible. It’s nearly impossible to read anything with complete objectivity. Our assumptions, perspectives and experiences drip onto the pages and coat the words we read. It’s vital to seek ways to move past ourselves as we read the Bible. If we don’t, we will likely misuse or simply miss the very truths we are trying to get at. We need to apply some degree of scholarship to our handling of Scripture.

Strength in numbers

The simplest way is to study the Bible in the context of a community. Every person who has anything to say about the Bible is ultimately issuing an opinion; an interpretation. The more interpretations we can collect, the more likely we are to move toward a clear understanding. I try to operate with the base assumption that there are people who know way more than I do. I seek out those people (whether in person or from a distance) and try to learn.

I was once listening to Rob Bell teach about Abraham and Isaac. That story always troubled me. I couldn’t reconcile the idea that God would ask Abraham to stab his son. Even though God already had a substitute in mind it seemed like a cruel test. But then I learned more about the context of that story. Bell explained in that religious atmosphere, one would have had no reason to question a deity who demanded child sacrifice. His interpretation was that God brought this instruction to Abraham and allowed him to believe He was just like gods of his fathers. But then God intervened and provided the substitute snagged on a bush. In this act He set Himself apart from the false gods that occupied Abraham’s life.

In this case, my understanding of the nature of God was at stake. I believe I was holding a misinterpretation. In other cases, we may not have a false interpretation but may be missing the magnitude of the text. For example, Jesus told His friends to take up a cross and follow Him. When we read that with only a vague mental image of what the cross was, we lack the context to allow this teaching to completely wreck us the way it should. In his book The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey suggested this statement would have leveled the first people who heard it. These people were not removed from the practice of crucifixion. They had certainly walked down roads lined with bodies pinned to wooden stakes; spectacles set out by the Romans to remind the people they were occupied. The invitation to carry a cross was and is far more weighty than we would think without knowing this context.

The risks of scholarship

Having affirmed the importance of biblical scholarship, there is another side to this discussion. There is a risk in all of this. It is possible to dissect a text so thoroughly that we can completely miss that which is beautiful, simple and even obvious. One can easily kill a poem by treating it like a specimen. There are some truths that can only be accessed by the heart.

The goal of our scholarship should be to know God more fully. Sometimes our motive lies elsewhere. Jesus’ words may be difficult to put into practice, but they are not usually difficult to understand. If I am seeking out various theological interpretations of His instruction to love my enemy, it may not be because I am looking for a deeper knowledge of God. It is more likely because I don’t want to love the person who belittled my career, insulted my religion, stole my possessions or worse. Often, our theological discussions can become a way of sidestepping the things God is asking us to do.

There is another false motive that is perhaps even more devious. For some of us, the desire to obtain biblical knowledge is driven simply by a desire for knowledge. Allow me to explain: Some of us do not study the Scriptures for the purpose of knowing God. We study them for the purpose of knowing more. We harbor a degree of superiority and pride in the fact that we are more knowledgeable than most. We seek to correct the interpretations of others, not to help them see God, but to establish our own authority. And if this is our motive, we are not likely to ever find God. For Jesus said: “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40, NIV).

It seems instead that God reveals Himself to the humble. Because Jesus also said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25, NIV).

Yes, the study of Scripture is risky. It’s a journey littered with fine lines and gray areas that invites a community to know a mysterious God. But it’s a risk always worth taking.

Amen, Eric Swenson from Indy. Amen.

Just had to share these words from Tyler Charles, a Christian from Ohio.

Sometimes I wonder what people from other countries might assume about American life based on today’s most popular television shows. Is it fair to base one’s assumptions about a country upon the television programs it produces? Probably not. Television should not be the barometer for our culture … but then again, in a way, it sort of makes sense.

We’ve probably all drawn conclusions about our parents’ generation based on the popular TV shows from their day. After I watched re-runs of The Andy Griffith Show and I Love Lucy, it was clear they grew up in a time that was a little more modest, more reserved. Life was slower. Blander. Black and white.

Before you start thinking it (because you probably will), I’m really not a prude. I’m not averse to watching something that’s a little edgy or off-color. Two of my favorite television shows are Family Guy and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, neither of which will ever be lauded for its moral fortitude. So maybe, based on my own viewing habits, I have no right to question the merits of, I don’t know, all the programs airing on VH1 or Bravo … but there’s something about our preoccupation with reality TV that just makes me wince.

Before the riot erupts, let me make it clear that I’m not impugning all reality TV. American Idol, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, Amazing Race and The Biggest Loser all get a pass from me (I don’t watch them, but I understand the appeal).

But an increasing number of reality shows are being devoted to celebrities (again, refer to VH1’s lineup)—including pseudo-celebrities who gain their fame from these reality shows (think The Hills). In other words, they’re famous because they’re famous—but the only thing they ever did to actually earn their fame was show up at a casting call and act ridiculous enough to convince an executive that people would watch their antics.

And we do.

Even when we don’t watch these shows, the pseudo-celebrities still infiltrate our lives. I’ve never watched Jersey Shore, but for some reason I know who Snooki and “The Situation” are. And why is it that I can name half the cast of The Hills even though I’ve never seen it? (Actually, I blame The Soup and Joel McHale for that.)

What does the success of shows like this say about our willingness to digest whatever garbage is marketed to us? What does it say about us that they can keep coming out with a new edition of the Real Housewives of … Wherever? Do that many of us really care about the lives of these real housewives?

And then there’s TMZ with its crew of paparazzi-journalists, waiting at airports with video cameras hoping to find a celebrity to harass—and then calling these encounters newsworthy. And we actually watch this. Why?

Why is it that the path to stardom for more than one celebrity can begin with the “leaking” of a sex tape—followed by the debut of their new reality show, which people invariably watch.

Speaking of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, do people in other countries wonder who they are and why we’re so concerned with “keeping up” with them? Because I still haven’t figured it out. And why should it be difficult to “keep up” with a group of people who aren’t really doing anything?

Everything I just wrote above, ditto for Paris Hilton and any of her television shows.

For those of you who think I’m just singling out a few of the most atrocious shows on television, I’m actually not. I’m just pointing out some of the atrocious shows that are popular. Otherwise, you can bet I would have mentioned Flavor of Love by now. Or I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here, For the Love of Ray J, Bad Girls Club or Bret Michael’s Tour Bus Full of Women Searching for a Father Figure and/or Attention (or whatever that spectacle was called).

Even the term “reality TV” has become disconcerting. Because it suggests the events are real or at least realistic. But reality TV isn’t real. And we all know this.

It pretends to be real, and we play along. So when one bachelor emerges from the limo and twenty-some women fall in love with him instantly, we watch and cheer for our favorite, hoping she will “win” the love of her life (along with the corresponding cash prize).

We might even tune in for the extravagance of their televised wedding a couple months after the finale. By the time they’ve separated six months later, we no longer care … because the next season has already started and we’re already consumed by the new faces, new twists, new controversies—and more of the same drama.

We tune in to a lot of different types of reality shows. Some are redemptive (like The Biggest Loser or Extreme Makeover: Home Edition); others manage to be entertaining without being completely sleazy (Survivor or Last Comic Standing, to name two). But many reality shows are just disasters—and that attracts us, too. It’s the same appeal that prompts us to tune in to the early weeks of American Idol just to see all the hacks who are convinced they can sing. Let’s be honest, it’s our interest in disasters that draws us to TMZ, Jersey Shore, The Hills and the destruction of what was once Jon & Kate Plus 8.

Even though I avoid a lot of this stuff, I’m not innocent either.

About a year ago, when the Tiger Woods scandal was still breaking news, I was driving in my car when the guys on the radio started sharing the latest details about his alleged indiscretions. I reached up to change the station … and then I stopped.

Did they just say they were going to play the voicemails he left for one of these women?

Sure enough, that’s exactly what they were about to do. So I reached out my hand again … and turned up the volume. I thought, There’s no way I’m going to miss this!

But when we get immersed in things like the Tiger scandal and reality shows that highlight and glorify our basest instincts (and our narcissism), when we’re infatuated by the intimate details about the lives of celebrities (and pseudo-celebrities), we’re like kids playing in a dumpster. Sure, it might be entertaining. It might be fun. But in the end, we end up covered in filth.

The shows my parents watched might seem bland to me. But I can’t imagine sitting down with my kids (assuming I eventually have some) in 20 years to watch re-runs of Jersey Shore, The Hills or Keeping up with the Kardashians.

I’d much rather be accused of watching something that seems slow than sleazy.

But maybe nothing will have changed between now and then. Maybe our kids will be watching the 35th season of Big Brother. Maybe the Kardashians’ kids will have their own reality show (and our kids will be trying their best to keep up with them). And maybe TMZ will be camping outside the houses of all the newest pseudo-celebrities with their cameras at the ready.

I sure hope not.

Television shows might not be the most accurate portrayal of our society, our culture, our generation. But what we choose to watch—what attracts us—says something. And we already have enough to be ashamed of. Let’s not share that shame with the next generation.

Alise Wright offers a new perspective on all the hype of Tebow after this last victory:

Tim Tebow brought the pain to my boys in Black and Gold this week, beating them in overtime with a huge 80-yard bomb that made it the quickest ending to an NFL overtime in history. And when it was over, he knelt down and prayed a prayer of thanks.

And that act probably caused more arguments on Facebook than the actual outcome of the game.

On one side, you have the folks who point to Tim Tebow’s success as proof of the sovereignty of God. Who see any criticism of his playing form as a criticism of his faith. Who trot out the "if he was a Muslim" argument, generally from the same people who pair "radical" with Muslim far more liberally than necessary.

On the other side, you have the critics. The folks who hate that Tebow uses his platform to proselytize. The ones who toss around Matthew 6:6 ad nauseam. The ones who seem just a little too eager to see him screw up.

Either way, we end up creating an idol. And idols are for one thing – to serve as a replacement for the god they represent.

It’s easy to see how the fans do that. His faith has become the stuff of legend. A Saturday Night Live skit becomes an example of religious persecution. Tim Tebow is the picture of all that is good and right and just. All praise Tebow.

And it’s the same from the critics. Tebow is every Christian that has ever been kind of a jerk. Any praise that he receives is strictly because of his over-the-top Christianity, not because he might actually be pretty good at his job. He represents all that is phony and shallow and annoying. All hate Tebow.

The thing is, Tebow is just this guy, you know? He plays a sport well. He wins some games; he loses some games. He goes to church. He uses his money to support various causes. He probably likes pizza. Someday, he’ll probably do pretty well on Dancing with the Stars. He likely sassed his mom at some point growing up.

He’s not the embodiment of anything; he’s a dude who plays football. Most of us don’t know much more about him than that (I tried to find information about the pizza thing, but came up empty. I’m just guessing, based on pizza’s extreme popularity, that he likes it.)

Turning people into idols or caricatures is really easy for us. We do it all the time. We do it with politicians. We do it with writers. We do it with pastors. We do it with any group or person that we don’t know. We elevate them to a position that they never asked for, and then we either worship them or knock them down.

In the meantime, we don’t even know if they like pizza. Or community. Or cats. Or flannel. Or piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

If we don’t know that, we certainly can’t know every nuance of their character. Which makes them a poor representation of God, no matter how virtuous they are or are not.

God has provided us with one accurate representation of himself. If we want to start kneeling, let’s bow down to him. I’ll take a spot right next to Tim on that.

As long as he likes pizza He’s not the embodiment of anything; he’s a dude who plays football. Most of us don’t know much more about him than that (I tried to find information about the pizza thing, but came up empty. I’m just guessing, based on pizza’s extreme popularity, that he likes it.)

Turning people into idols or caricatures is really easy for us. We do it all the time. We do it with politicians. We do it with writers. We do it with pastors. We do it with any group or person that we don’t know. We elevate them to a position that they never asked for, and then we either worship them or knock them down.

In the meantime, we don’t even know if they like pizza. Or community. Or cats. Or flannel. Or piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

If we don’t know that, we certainly can’t know every nuance of their character. Which makes them a poor representation of God, no matter how virtuous they are or are not.

God has provided us with one accurate representation of himself. If we want to start kneeling, let’s bow down to him. I’ll take a spot right next to Tim on that.

As long as he likes pizza.

Most Americans have first-hand experiences in churches or parishes. What happens, if anything, in the hearts and minds of those who attend? To explore this matter, Barna Group surveyed Americans who have attended a Christian church sometime in the past and discovered what they say about their experiences in these congregations.

Connecting with God
Connecting with God is perhaps the most important outcome facilitated by churches. Most people (66%) feel they have had “a real and personal connection” with God while attending church. However, that means one-third of those who have attended a church in the past have never felt God’s presence while in a congregational setting. Also, when asked about frequency, most of those who have attended church describe these encounters as rare. One-third of all adults in the country report connecting with God at least monthly (35%) via a congregational setting. Among those who attend church every week, 44% said they experience God’s presence every week and 18% do so on a monthly basis.

Experiencing Transformation
The survey also probed the degree to which people say their lives had been changed by attending church. Overall, one-quarter of Americans (26%) who had been to a church before said that their life had been changed or affected “greatly” by attending church. Another one-fourth (25%) described it as “somewhat” influential. Nearly half said their life had not changed at all as a result of churchgoing (46%).

Gaining New Insights
One of the most significant gaps uncovered by the research was the fact that most people cannot recall gaining any new spiritual insights the last time they attended church. Asked to think about their last church visit, three out of five church attenders (61%) said they could not remember a significant or important new insight or understanding related to faith. Even among those who attended church in the last week, half admitted they could not recall a significant insight they had gained.

Feeling Cared For
Another aspect of the research was to explore whether people feel connected with other human beings at church. The study revealed that nearly seven out of 10 respondents (68%) said when they attend church they feel “part of a group of people who are united in their beliefs and who take care of each other in practical ways.”

On the other hand, one-quarter (23%) of those with church experience selected the description that church feels “like a group sharing the same space in a public event but who were not connected in a real way.” One in 11 (9%) said they were simply “not sure.”

Helping the Poor
Finally, the study examined whether people believe their church prioritizes caring for the poor outside of the congregation. The survey asked respondents to consider the budget, activities, and encouragement of the church they usually attend and to rate how much of an emphasis is placed on serving the poor. In total, 40% of adults with church experience said caring for the poor was emphasized “a lot,” while 33% indicated it was “somewhat” of a priority.

Does Church Size Matter?
Many heated discussions occur about the optimal size for a church, but this data suggests that church experiences do not differ all that much based on the size of the church. For the most part, attenders of small, medium and larger churches described similar outcomes from their church engagement. Looking at moderate differences, attenders of mid-sized churches (defined as those with 100-299 adult attendees) were slightly less likely to report positive outcomes from church than were those attending larger and smaller congregations. Also, those attending larger churches (300+ attenders) were more likely than average to say they had gained new spiritual insight and understanding and that their church clearly prioritizes serving the poor.

Generational Experiences
Another noteworthy research finding is that older adults generally report the most favorable experiences at churches. This is not altogether surprising, but the level of disaffection of young adults is striking. The youngest generation—a segment Barna Group labels Mosaics, ages 18 to 27—is significantly less likely to describe positive outcomes while attending congregations. In particular, there were significant gaps between young adults and older adults when it came to feeling part of a group that cares for each other, experiencing God’s presence, knowing the church prioritizes assisting the poor, and being personally transformed.

Denominational Experiences
Barna also compared the experiences of Catholics, mainliners and non-mainline attenders. To control for differences in participation, the analysis of these data was limited to those who are “practicing Christians” —that is, those who go to church at least monthly and who say their religious faith is very important in their life. The research revealed that practicing Catholics generally had less positive outcomes in their congregational experiences than did Protestant attenders. Statistically speaking, non-mainline Protestants were only distinct from mainline Protestants in their likelihood of gaining a new spiritual insight at church.

Perspective on the Findings
David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, commented on the findings. “This research points to both good news and causes for concern. On the positive side, many churchgoers receive a diverse and rich set of inputs by being involved in a church or parish, most notably connecting with God and others.

“Yet, the research results are also a reminder that faith leaders cannot take these things for granted. Millions of active participants find their church experiences to be lacking. Entering the New Year, consider spending time thinking and praying how your faith community can identify, plan, and measure a deeper, more holistic set of experiences and outcomes so that people are not mere observers of ministry but genuine participants.”

We worry. We worry about the IRS and the SAT and the FBI.… We worry that we won’t have enough money, and when we have money we worry that we won’t manage it well. We worry that the world will end before the parking meter expires. We worry what the dog thinks if he sees us step out of the shower. We worry that someday we’ll learn that fat-free yogurt was fattening.

Honestly, now. Did God save you so you would fret? Would he teach you to walk just to watch you fall? Would he be nailed to the cross for your sins and then disregard your prayers? Come on. Is Scripture teasing us when it reads, “He has put his angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go”? (Ps. 91:11).

I don’t think so either.

In the Grip of Grace[1]

Steve Furtick offers sound wisdom for a new year.

I have one piece of advice for you as we start out this New Year:

Don’t put Jesus first this year.

Yes, you read that correctly. Before you label me a heretic, let me explain.

I imagine that many of you are going through a similar process as me right now of setting and resetting your priorities. Personally, I love this time of year. I’m a very goal-oriented individual, and I’ve found that reprioritizing and recalibrating your life is an indispensable activity if you really want to actualize your potential.

And here’s what it usually looks like. We start by putting Jesus at the top. Then family. Then maybe career. And so on. So our priorities look something like this:

1. Jesus/God
2. Family
3. Career

Looks good. However, I’ve found that this isn’t very effective when you get down to the grind of everyday life. For example, what does it even mean to put Jesus before my family? Do I ignore my family to spend more time with Jesus? Or with your career, do you stop working to put Jesus first?

The essential problem with this approach is that it segregates the different priorities of life. You end up removing Jesus from where you spend the majority of your time and putting Him on an island by Himself. The biggest island maybe, but an island nonetheless.

I don’t think this is the way it was ever supposed to work. Colossians 1:15-20 repeatedly tells us that Jesus is first before and over everything. But it also says that all things were created through and for Him. That in Him all things hold together. That the goal of the cross was to reconcile all things to Himself.

So Jesus is first. He is first in order. He is first in importance. But He is so because He is the center of everything.

That’s what He should be in your life. And consequently, the thing that is at the center of your life is the thing that is ultimately first in your life.

This year, instead of worrying about putting Jesus first in your life, what if you concentrated on making Him the center of every area of your life? Not just the top priority in front of every other priority, but the top priority in every priority?

Not Jesus, then my family. But Jesus in my family.
Not Jesus, then my career. But Jesus in my career.

We’d probably be a lot more successful in actually keeping Jesus at the top spot on our list. And we’d be much more likely to do an exponentially greater job at accomplishing our other goals and maintaining our priorities

Remember that from how you treat your mate will come the majority of your happiness or misery.

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:10-12

Sing Something!

“But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in my day of trouble.” Psalm 59:16

Even if it is only in the shower or a hum, sing to Lord today. I can tell when my spirit is better when I catch myself humming a tune. Let your voice sing a little tune to the Lord for His enjoyment. Your day will be better for it!

There are now seven billion humans on planet Earth. In light of our burgeoning population, one can be inclined to feel indistinguishable amongst the masses; just a face in the crowd. But make no mistake, you are unique. You are special. And it’s not just your friends and family who say so; science does, too.

This wonderful truth begins with your amazing body. Nobody else has your fingerprints. Your skin’s epidermal ridges are patterned in a way that is unique to you. Nobody else has your eyes. The intertwined capillaries that supply your retinas with blood form such complex structures as to make your eyes one-of-a-kind.

Your brain is also remarkably distinct. Neuroscientist Gerald Edelman believes that there never has, and never will be, another brain quite like yours:

"…Every single brain is absolutely individual… [It] develops depending on your individual history. What has gone on in your own brain and its consciousness over your lifetime is not repeatable, ever–not with identical twins, not even with conjoined twins. Each brain is exposed to different circumstances. It’s very likely that your brain is unique in the history of the universe."

And don’t worry: though the world is growing more crowded, you will remain exceptional. UCLA researchers have found that in social species like ours, the larger the group, the more distinct its members. By focusing on alarm call vocalizations in eight species of social rodents, biologists Kimberly Pollard and Daniel Blumstein discovered that larger group sizes were strongly correlated to increased uniqueness. This made it easier to differentiate between individuals.

According to Pollard:

Nature has solved the "Where’s Waldo" problem by endowing highly social creatures with more unique features, which helps them find their pals in the crowd.

Our species is growing, but we are not moving closer to homogeneity. On the contrary, we are growing more diverse. It’s a comforting fact that we all can relish in. Our species is full of unique, special individuals, but there will never be somebody else quite like you.

…adapted from Ross Pomeroy

“He who cherishes understanding prospers.” Proverbs 19:8 NIV

We tend to suppress emotions. One day of stress and struggle after another leaves us feeling numb. To survive, we detach our minds and in doing so we detach our hearts as well. Strong feelings are a part of life and love. It is only natural that we feel these emotions when pressed by life.

Why am I depressed? Should I be this angry? Why do I feel so said? What am I afraid of?

We should not ignore our feelings but name them honestly. Putting those feelings into words [depression, sadness, anger or fear] came make the less intense. When we begin to understand all the emotions going on inside, we can begin to address the factors outside a little more effectively and fairly.

Prosper means ‘to thrive’. God stands ready to help you thrive by providing hope, patience, peace and even joy as you begin to come to terms with your emotions.

Dear Lord, help me to understand why I feel the way I do and to accept the emotions that well up in my heart. You will help me to find healthy was to express my feelings and find more balance in my life. Help me understand Lord so I can thrive. Amen.