Archive for Bible
Pursuing Demonstration
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One of my kids reminded me recently of a phrase I learned years ago from a previous colleague. Speaking of sales, he would share, “Presentation without demonstration is just conversation.” While I found this to be true in sales, I also believe it to be true when communicating our faith.
Some months ago some long-time friends joined us for a celebration. After everyone else had left, they remained to talk about parenting. They wanted to know how they could get their children to obey and show respect like our children. We were honored by the question which gave us an open door to share with the self-proclaimed atheist husband that what we have learned about how to rear children is all from the Bible. He continued to express interest in learning how to be a better parent and was willing to participate knowing that the information would be from the Bible. We have met together weekly for several months now and discussed at length both marriage and parenting. This week they proudly shared with us about a recent trip to visit family. They received praise from grandparents, parents, and siblings for their children’s behavior. They also enjoyed a peace in their relationship that they had not experienced on a vacation trip in some time. They have begun to see the tranformational power of the gospel even though he has yet to embrace the One who transforms.
Paul writes that we are to “be imitators of God.” This is consistent with his letters where we derive much of our theology and praxis. Usually in his letters he will devote a significant amount of space to understanding who God is and the supremacy of Christ. Then the second portion of each letter deals with how we are to practically live our lives because of our proper thinking about God. Understanding our Lord is key to being transformed as we set our “hearts on things above…and set our minds on things above.” The demonstration of the truth of God’s Word is that we are different from the world internally, in how we react to others, in our relationship with our spouse, with our children, and in our work relationships. Paul even ups the stakes stating more than once that others should, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” While this does seem daunting, the reality is that if we are followers of Christ we should look more and more like Him. His transformation of our lives should allow the world to see a radical difference in us. We are to be walking demonstrations of the transformational power of Christ that is consistent with the presentation we are anxious to share. If people do not see a changed life, then our presentation is just conversation–theory rather than practice. (Eph 5:1; Col 3:1-2; 1 Cor. 11:1, Phil. 3:17; Rom. 12:1-2)
Confidently Un-oriented (part 3)
Posted by: | CommentsDisorientation -> Reorientation -> Meaningful change
The intensity of a disorientating experience may vary significantly. Some may be confronted with a near-death encounter, others may be captured anew by a sunset. The intensity of the disorientation is not the determining factor to dictate the extent or lack of the change. Reorientation is the process that will determine change.
A contrast in disorientation intensity may be found when considering Lydia and the Philippian jailer. Lydia believes while hearing Paul the first time. We read that “the Lord opened her heart.” On the other side of the spectrum, the jailer is ready to take his own life thinking that the prisoners had escaped following the earthquake. Upon learning that all are still present he runs in and falls to the ground shaking. His next response is then the same as Lydia’s. He believes. (Acts 16)
For both characters mentioned above, their reorientation was a complete paradigm shift. A radical worldview adjustment. They would never see things the same again. Not long after that we see Paul writing one of his most encouraging letters to the church that had been planted in the city of Philippi by most likely Lydia and/or the jailer. Here the reorientation was radical, the change was substantive and lasting, but the disorientation experiences could not have been more different.
When Paul addresses the sages in Athens, the responses are multiple. There is change for all: some sneer; some believe; some want to hear more. Paul offers a message that is completely unfamiliar to them. The disorientation is equal for all in the story, but the reorientation and the resulting change has eternity as the variance. (Acts 17)
These three posts on disorientation have strong correlations to someone’s understanding of and response to the gospel. And church. And mission. And missiology. And life. And…?
Confidently Un-oriented (part 2)
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Ironically, shortly after I posted part 1 to this piece, a person in my Facebook network posted: “Today during language I realized how much I don’t know a little bit more than I usually do. It freaked me out.” This is disorientation. It can be a little scary, but it can also be very rewarding. The question for people, like Timothy, when they enter this state, is “how will I respond?” “Now that my wrong assumption has been obliterated, what do I do with my newfound insight?”
Jesus spoke of both the man who became disoriented and the man who remained confidently un-oriented. The Teacher tells a story of two sons. The younger crashes and burns and then says to himself, “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” He was desperate for change because things had not turned out half as well as he had first envisioned. This was the beginning of his disorientation. Phase two kicked in when he gets close to his childhood home and is greeted and embraced by his father. Dad drives the point home for him: “Quick! Bring the best….he was lost and is found.” Then the party began. (As an aside, I think it is great that Jesus was in favor of a good party at the right times.) The older brother does not seem to rethink things. He is confident in his own goodness: “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.” He continues to be resolute in the shortcomings or the lack of wisdom of the father: “Yet you never gave me….” (Lk 15:11-32)
A profound example of disorientation is in the story of Habakkuk. In the first part of the story Habakkuk tells God that he, Habakkuk, is getting tired of waiting for God to fix things so that the Israelites would not continue in severe persecution. He says: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save.” Once again, here is a man starting a discourse while confident in his ignorant wisdom. God responds in a way Habakkuk never would have guessed: “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians…to seize dwelling places not their own.” Habakkuk replies with a highfalutin version of ‘God are you crazy?’ He says: “O Lord, are you not from everlasting? …Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.” But then Habakkuk gets smart. He seems to prepare himself for disorientation. He says, “I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.” God then lays out a plan of destruction because of the sin of Israel. Through all of this, God reveals the truth of the gospel: “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by faith….You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.” Disoriented and changed, Habakkuk replies: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy….Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” At this point Habakkuk understands the sinful behavior of his people. This now makes sense to him through the span of history as he has a new, deeper understanding of the holiness and majesty of God. (Hab 1-3)
The rich young ruler, a final example for this post, came to Jesus seeking affirmation of his own goodness and right standing. Confidently un-oriented he replied to Jesus instruction about keeping the last 6 commandments: “All these I have kept….What do I still lack?” When told that his wealth kept him from obeying the first four commandments, the man was profoundly disoriented. This was not at all the way he expected this encounter to unfold. He left sad with his riches having a little less luster than before, but eternal life not being opulent enough to pursue change. (Mt 19:16-30)
Disorientation does not automatically equal meaningful change. It is a prerequisite, but not a guarantee. The wayward son and Habakkuk changed through their disorientation process. The older brother and rich young ruler did not.
