Too Messed Up for Church

Below is an excerpt from my latest newsletter.

Too Messed Up for Church

A few weeks ago while on a walk with Shiloh down University Way, I came across a guy who I will call Joel. I used to see him often around Scum, but lately not so much. I said that I missed him and asked how he was doing. When he responded, it was quickly evident from his words and breath that he was a bit intoxicated.

 

In this case, though, it turned out for the better. Alcohol, especially enough of it, seems to lower people’s guard and impair their filters. I’m sure we’ve all seen this take a destructive turn in someone’s life but I was actually thankful for how it gave me a deeper glimpse into the life of a man who is usually more reserved and distant.

 

He shared, “Man, I’m too messed up for church. I try to be good, but I just can’t do it. I also got locked up again, which is why I haven’t been around. And when I was in jail, I lost my scholarship to school, and the place I was living. Can’t go back. So, yeah, it doesn’t really make sense for someone like me to be in a church.”

 

So I told him, “You know, though, from what I know of Jesus, he’d probably prefer to spend his day hanging out with you than me or most of the folks at Scum who are doing ok right now. Jesus compared himself to a doctor, who isn’t there for the healthy people, but the sick. Church isn’t a group of perfect people, but a group of people who understand they need God’s help.” I told him that I loved him, and urged him to come back that night to get some warm food, dry off, maybe take a nap on a couch.

 

And he did come that night. But I was real bothered by that conversation with Joel, and I still am. What a heart-breaking, humbling thing to hear! He helped me to realize 1.) We are not always communicating in our words and life together what we thought and hoped we were. 2.) Even a name like Scum of the Earth isn’t going to communicate on its own that Jesus loves imperfect people. We can’t rely on our name to copout of our responsibility to love one another as Jesus loved us.

 

Pray for us in this. I sincerely believe that Jesus is good news for all people, but especially people who are poor, oppressed, lonely, etc.

 

Subscribe to future Scum of the Earth Church newsletters here.

Why we love COPS, Braveheart, Settlers of Catan, and the Super Bowl

As you may have seen in previous posts, I’m delving into the realm of spiritual warfare. While studying, I came across the following (interesting) paragraphs. The author is onto something here about the underlying reasons we love the Super Bowl, I believe

Who doesn’t enjoy watching a good movie, a fast-paced TV program, or curling up with a gripping book? Or how about the excitement of being in the stands at a closely matched sporting event? Almost everyone loves the unfolding of a story or the staging of a competitive challenge. We invest a great deal of time and money watching actors pretend to be something they’re not. We burn with indignation when the villain crushes the innocent. We hold our breath for the good guys and cheer when the hero vanquishes evil. We also shout in victory when our team tramples the other team to score a goal.

Whether through fiction or sports, there is something deep within that derives vicarious pleasure from seeing two forces meet in battle. Why do we have such a tremendous desire for these forms of entertainment? We long for conflict, adventure, and excitement because we were created to be actively involved in the ultimate conflict – the battle between good and evil. Our nature demands that we take sides in any fight, and root for one side or another. God intended us to be involved in conflict, fighting for righteousness. We were meant to be actively destroying those things that would hinder or corrupt the Kingdom of God, pushing back the powers of darkness.

We can enter into the greatest battle of all, the greatest adventure. We can see good triumph over evil and prisoners set free. This is not the plot of a book or the theme of a movie. It is is exactly what God intended us for. It can become reality when we learn how to engage in spiritual warfare.

We love COPS, Braveheart, Settlers of Catan and the Super Bowl. It’s clear these things elicit deep passion that leave us crying in the theaters, flipping board games in frustrated outbursts, buying team jerseys and going bazerko at a game-winning touchdown. Might they be scratching a God-given itch of a deeper longing? This is a fascinating proposition.

I wonder if our King smiles on our passion, yet prays and hopes for redirection toward his purposes. 1 John 3:8 says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” And as his people, we are called to join battles of eternal significance: battles of spiritual oppression, physical oppression, hunger, injustice, good news for the poor, liberty for the captives, recovery of sight to the blind.

• Does this resonate with you?
• What other examples do you see in life that indicate we are designed for a deeper/spiritual war?

(To clarify, I don’t think the author is advocating for legislating morality, or burning Buddhist temples. Remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).)

(the quote is from the book Spiritual Warfare, Dean Sherman, page 18-19)

Sit down and shut up, Jesus

Hypothetical situation: I invite two friends to my house for a meal, a game, and to catch up on life. As they arrive, my buddies greet each other warmly, to my joy. I wait for my hug, but they pass into the other room where dinner waits to fill their growling bellies. With the exception of a token nod or word in my direction, they eat, play, and talk in such a way that leaves me no opportunity to participate (without elbowing my way in, which I won’t do). They even spend a significant time talking about me, my life, and how much they value my friendship – yet rarely acknowledge me (all in my own home). What is even more confusing and painful? They seem blissfully content for me to be present in the room though functionally excluded.  Spending time with friends who I love while being gagged, tied, and overlooked brings grief.*

The title above no doubt betrays my underlying focus. But what inspires the story above? “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” We find these words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 18:20.

Lately I’m compelled by the reality that He is living. Jesus is alive.

If Jesus is alive, and if he is with us when we gather, I wonder how he desires to interact and how we ignore him. What does Jesus hope for by being among us? What do we miss out on by carrying on without him?

If Jesus truly is among us, we need to restructure our gatherings (formal and informal) in such a way that allows the Christ to participate, and even more so, to lead. Let’s not just talk and sing about him, let’s talk and sing to him, and most importantly, let’s listen to (and obey) our good and worthy King.

*In the story above, I don’t mean to equate myself with Christ… But I find it helpful to put myself in Christ’s shoes to empathize with how I imagine Jesus feels sometimes when his friends & family gather in his name.

All or Nothin

I can’t sleep again. Tonight I find myself counting the cost anew.

[26] “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. [27] Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

[28] For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? [29] Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, [30] saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

[33] So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

(Luke 14:26-30,33 ESV)

While praying with church friends earlier this evening, the Lord asked me, “What are you sowing now?”

[7] Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. [8] For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

(Galatians 6:7-8 ESV)

I’ve been playing a computer game called Evony a good amount this last week and I enjoy it. And, I do believe if I continued to pour into it at this level I would be successful. But as God drew near to me this evening, I saw Evony as a fat pile of straw.

[12] Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— [13] each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

(1 Corinthians 3:12-13 ESV)

Not that playing Evony or other pleasures are evil…. but what would I ultimately have to show for all the time, energy, strategizing? I don’t sense God’s displeasure that I’ve been playing… In fact, I believe pleasure to be a gift from God. It’s more I feel I’m missing out on greater (not to mention real life) adventures with God by playing so much Evony.

Then I got home and saw my buddy post this on Facebook:

Pastor this morning: a lukewarm Christian is never happy. They have too much of Christ to be happy in the world, and too much of the world to be happy in Christ.

Which makes lots of sense and, of course, reminded me of:

[15] “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

(Revelation 3:15-16 ESV)

And also

[62] Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

(Luke 9:62 ESV)

As well as the classics:

[35] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. [36] For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? [37] For what can a man give in return for his soul?

(Mark 8:35-37 ESV)

[46] “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

(Luke 6:46 ESV)

The truth is, that there is a cost to following Jesus. When we do, we truly give up the rights to our lives. All of them. This affects not merely our finances but our lifestyle, decisions, reputations, identities, relationships. Everything is His. That’s why baptism is important… it is us dying to our old life, and rising to a new life given over fully to our King.

It’s times like tonight when my perspective seems clear that I want to see life like these men:

[44] “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

[45] “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, [46] who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

(Matthew 13:44; Matthew 13:45-46 ESV)

In each story the man sold all he had – how could that not pang?

But the cost is overshadowed by an incomparable gain – to the point that he sells all he has in joy!

Tonight I am aware that my life on earth is finite. My opportunity to live by faith is limited.

I don’t want to live my life (whether 60 more years or through tomorrow) so focused on the costs that I lose sight of the prize.

Though my follow-through has been less than admirable most times, I’m convinced of this: Life with Jesus is trading up no matter how excellent our life is now, or how much cost,

suffering, or sacrifice we experience following Him.

A Wee Luke 10 Nugget

I like to read books about how Jesus is building his church around the world.*

I am finding a recurring theme of people (Western and especially international, educated and illiterate, men and women) applying Jesus’ words in Luke 10:1-12 to see what happens today.

Some stories are so jaw-dropping they are suspicious – like 500 churches planted in a year**. Some stories are atypical in other ways – like a wheelchair-bound grocer who is dying of a degenerative disease seeing numerous churches bubble up throughout his relational network and beyond.

But should we really be surprised? After all, Jesus promised to make his disciples fishers of men if they followed him. And Jesus showed on at least two occasions that He definitely knows how to fish abundantly (John 21:4-8, Luke 5:1-11). It makes sense that we’d find church-net-breaking-abundance through obedience as well.

Anyway, here’s just one of my take-aways from studying Luke 10: The harvest is not only abundant (10:2), but it’s also urgent.

I conclude “urgent” largely because, among other things, Jesus essentially tells his disciples to keep moving if they are not received (10-11). There are more “persons of peace” in other towns waiting. It makes sense to focus your limited time and energy on people who want to know God…

…and respect those who don’t / aren’t ready. Is not this “person of peace” approach a loving contrast to battering-ram evangelism where you don’t stop till “your convert” relents?

So what are some of your observations as you read Luke 10:1-10? Anything goes.

More importantly, who of your friends would pair up with you to try this yourself? I’ll keep you posted how it goes with me…

*As examples, I’m currently reading Church Planting Movements (David Garrison) and An Army of Ordinary People (Felicity Dale) – both fascinating and encouraging.

** But to top that, here’s another one I read just yesterday about 4,000 churches in 3 years coming out of East Africa. If it weren’t for personal verification from personal friends on some of these, I’d most likely dismiss them as nonsense