"And", not "But"

I remember when I first went to a Passion conference and heard Louie Giglio speak (for those of you who don't know what Passion, it's a conference/music movement with worship greats David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Chris Tomlin, and Matt Redman). Mr. Giglio said, "I used to think that Jesus died upon the cross for me. I used to think that when Jesus was up on the cross, that he was just thinking about me. I was taught that he was probably whispering my name as he hung from the cross, and one of his first words as a baby might have been Louie..."
And then Louie did something that makes sermons exciting. He used the word "But". He had set everyone in the room up with a thought with which they were all familiar. And then he uses "but" to indicate that there is a better, more exciting thought that will superseded everything he just said. He went on to say, "But then I realized that Jesus died for the glory of the God. Jesus' death was not about me. It was about God." True, all true.
However, I spent the next year or so scowling whenever a preacher would talk about Jesus dying on the cross for me. And it wasn't until somebody quoted Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," that I realized that the first part of Louie's sermon was still true. Louie's new revelation about Jesus' death didn't have to cancel out another truth. It could have just added to it.
I think it's important that when we speak, that we use the word "and" to describe new bits of thought or revelation instead of "but". That way we can include what we learned before as we embrace a potentially new or shocking idea. During the next few blogs, I will be exploring various places where people have used the word "but" instead of "and". Hopefully in the process, I can use the word "and" instead of "but" to express my ideas.

Why I Don't Like the Word Platform

Some of you may not be familiar with the the word "platform" as it is used by missioners all over the world. The basic idea is that you go into a country where you are not allowed to be a missionary, and so you do something else to get a visa so that you can be in the country and tell people about Christ. On the surface, it seems like a good idea. However, there are many people who are only concerned with the proclamation of the gospel, and consider whatever work they are doing for their visa as a side-job... hence, it is a platform for the "real" reason that they are living in the country.
I would advocate for a different mindset when doing work overseas. Generally, countries are open to organizations coming in and doing legitimate work that benefits their society. These kind of activities are inseparable from Jesus' command to spread the good news of the kingdom. Doing good community work, or working with integrity in the business world, or establishing a solid NGO are all part of the heart of God. We begin to see our work as less of a platform and having worth in and of itself. In the midst of these environments, we build relationships, and the share our faith.
I say we get rid of the word "platform" and have a more healthy understanding of the wholistic nature of our faith.

Shane Claiborne - the Simple Way

I went to listen to Shane Claiborne tonight at Bel Air Pres. I was impressed by his calling to live in community and to give our lives to the poor. He heads up a community called "The Simple Way" in Philadelphia. The only challenge is that he seemed to romanticize working with the poor. I work with the poor daily, and I have been cussed out, verbally abused, manipulated, and cursed by many, many people. Some days are rewarding, but other days are just like any other profession or lifestyle... mundane. And to top it off, I came home tonight to a wife distraught by one of her abusive clients. Being involved in the lives of the poor is clearly the calling of Christ in our lives, but I fear that people might gravitate towards it to get some kind of reward or some kind of good feeling. When Jesus encouraged us to have a banquet, he said that we should invite those who could never pay us back. Unfortunately, when we throw big banquets for the homeless, we expect a "thank you" and a good feeling, and maybe even a picture for the church website. All of the above might happen, but we must make sure that our calling to the poor is truly for the sake of others, and not an attempt to pat ourselves on the back for our seeming charity.

What's your focus?

As I have thought about various strategies for kingdom-planting in an overseas context, I have asked various leading Christian thinkers about how to incorporate justice and evangelism into an effective kingdom ministry. I have gotten two very different answers. I remember eating lunch with Doug McConnell, Dean of the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller, during my last quarter at Fuller, and he told me that when I was doing justice ministry, I would be immersed in the community. These relationships that I would build would be a perfect place to begin planting a church, and it would almost happen naturally. I have asked others, though, who have more of a church-planting focus, and they have told me that when you are overseas sharing Christ with people, you can't help but see the needs of the people and want to meet them. So the question still remains, "What is your focus?" Do you focus on justice and let evangelism happen simply because you have built relationships with people in the community? Or do you pursue evangelism and assume that your heart will be moved to bring justice to the people? I haven't really decided yet what I'm going to do. All I know is that from my experience, it is challenging to maintain a balanced focus on both of these important areas of ministry. And from the answers I've gotten from missionaries and Christian thinkers, it seems that most of them have a hard time balancing these two issues as well.

Sex Trafficking... On the Heart of God

Some "kingdom" problems seem so big that people choose to do nothing. We might choose to watch inspiration movies on social problems, like "The Constant Gardener" as it pertains to problems in Africa, or "Trade" for sex trafficking, but often we choose to do nothing about these issues because we feel they are too big. We are thankful, though, for a God that came and touched our lives individually, even though there is a whole world full of sin that he could have left alone because the problem seemed too big. There are some people who are full of kingdom passion and realize that even a small dent in a huge problem is still a dent. This includes a life group started by my wife and Pearl Esau. They are hosting an event this Friday about sex trafficking, a chance for people to learn more about this important issue and how to get involved. If you're interested, check out this invitation All are welcome.

I'm back...

So I have a new goal... it's to post to this blog at least once a week. I find myself having thoughts throughout the week about the kingdom, and it's time to start consistently posting them to this blog. So get ready for this.

My most recent thought occurred while I was talking to a friend, and the conclusion of our conversation was this: "True transformation cannot happen apart from Jesus Christ." As we seek justice and transformation of our communities, as we work to bring the poor out of poverty, to find reconciliation between people who have previously been at odds with each other, to counsel the hurting, we seek change. We want to see communities look more like God's kingdom. However, there is a limit to how far this transformation can go apart from people having a personal encounter with Jesus Christ . I think of some of the clients at my shelter. I want to see them get permanent housing, I want to see them get jobs. And ultimately, I want them to submit their lives to Christ, so that they can experience the full freedom that only He can bring. How to offer that transformation to individuals within the context of social services, I still haven't figured out. But at least at this point, I know that it's important, I know that my work is only partially complete apart from people submitting their lives to Christ.

It's Gotta Be About the King

In my studies this morning, I was reminded about the fact that God must be at the center of everything. I was listening to worship music, and reading verses that talked about bowing our knees before the Father. In the midst of my stream of thoughts, I began to wonder, "What does this have to do with seeking justice and telling people about Jesus?" Then I remembered the whole purpose of this blog. It really comes back to the kingdom. If we are seeking His kingdom, then we are seeking that everything in this world be subject to the King. But in our efforts to seek the kingdom of God, we must make sure that we do not lose sight of the King, that we don't forget that this Kingdom has a King at its center. Sometimes we get so busy in giving money to the poor, or in forming groups around a cause, that we forget the King at the center of this kingdom.