Wisdom Literature in the Bible

Too often, people refer to the Bible as a single book.  And that makes sense, as most of us use a Bible that is bound together as one volume, and we even call it "The Holy Bible".  But even as we look to the "Good Book" to inspire our hearts and challenge our minds, we need to keep in mind that the Bible is actually a collection of many books!  These books are written in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek), span more than fifteen hundred years, have different "authors" and use very different methods of communicating to us.  In literature, people use the word "genre" to describe different types of writing, such as mystery or biography.  When we talk about the Bible, we can use this word "genre" to describe different kinds of books in the Bible to help us read them better.  And since our focus currently is on the wisdom of God, let's look at wisdom literature in the Bible.

So other types of writings in the Bible include: law (such as Leviticus); narrative (like Samuel or Luke); poetry (Psalms, for example); prophecy (Isaiah or Amos, among others); epistles (the letters written by the apostles); apocalyptic literature (fantastic visions like in Ezekiel or Revelations); and finally, wisdom literature.

Wisdom literature is found predominantly in the following books:
  --Book of Proverbs
  --Book of Job
  --Song of Solomon
  --Book of Ecclesiastes
Wisdom literature is also found in bits and pieces in the rest of the Bible as well, such as:
  --Psalm 23
  --Jesus' parables

Wisdom literature focuses on the existential questions of humanity.  Who are we, and why are we here?  Who is God, and what does he desire?  What is righteous, and what is sin?  The deepest, most nebulous, and intangible topics are all included in the wisdom literature in the Bible.  Due to this, wisdom literature can be some of the most difficult parts of the Scripture to interpret and understand.  So how can we best try to read it fruitfully?  The following is my pastoral advice on how Christians might go about reading the wisdom literature a little differently than other parts of Scripture:

1. Read small sections at a time.
   Normally, I advise people to read larger sections of Scripture at once in order to gain a sense of the greater context.  But this is not as true with wisdom literature (although Job might be a bit of an exception).  I know that when I try to read five chapters of Proverbs, I cannot repeat a single one back!  That's because wisdom literature is very dense and intangible, and is largely not designed to be read all at once.  It is, however, meant to be taken piece by piece.  I would advise reading no more than one chapter at a time, and then reviewing that chapter several times over a period of days or even weeks in order to truly gain a sense of its message.  You could even choose as few as two or three verses to study at once!  There is no shame in taking in the wisdom literature slowly.  (And this is the primary reason why I don't usually advocate reading the Bible in one year for the average busy American!)

2. Focus on transformation, not education.
   We are taught in schools to read for knowledge or understanding.  We read in order to learn, such as in science textbooks.  My wife, a teacher, says that "students really need to learn to read in first and second grade because in third grade they will need to be able to read to learn".  And I agree that this is a critical skill!  But the problem with wisdom literature is that its purpose is not to "teach" us content in the way we've been educated.  Even by learning or even memorizing Scripture, it doesn't help us to learn the Scripture if we aren't transformed by it.  Wisdom literature is especially prone to being quoted and learned but not allowing transformation.  This is why I don't emphasize memorization, although I think that's great!  What's most important is that you are willing to allow Scripture to change you into a new person, little by little, through its message.  If you are reading for knowledge and memorization, you will miss the whole point.

3. Visualize the Scripture's words and imagine the situation in modern-day life.
   This sounds difficult--let me explain.  Let's use a random verse as an example: Proverbs 10:26: "like vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so are the lazy to their employers".  Can you imagine your employer drinking vinegar and putting his or her head over a fire pit?!  It's kind of funny, and it makes us laugh.  Imagine the situation in real life, placing yourself in both the role of the employer and the "lazy".  This will help you visualize and understand the emotions, situations, and even humor that the wisdom literature offers us.  Remember, wisdom literature helps us understand the bigger concepts and existential ideas in our world, but often doing so through everyday, mundane examples and metaphors to effectively communicate to all people.

4. Don't be overly literal.
   Have you heard the phrase, "I told you a thousand times...!!"?  When we say this, it does not mean that we literally have counted the number of times and they equal exactly one thousand; it emphasizes the high frequency at which we have repeated ourselves, so much that it is too much to bother counting!!  Being overly literal would focus on one thousand individual instances, which is not what you're trying to communicate.  Rather, you're trying to communicate your frustration and anger because this person isn't hearing you!!  Likewise, instead of focusing on the literal words of wisdom literature, focus on the actual meaning behind it.  So in the above example, "like vinegar to the teeth...", lazy employees do not taste bitter and salty when you bite them!!  That would be a ridiculously literal interpretation (albeit hysterical).  It means that like vinegar, lazy employees cause their employers to cringe, leaving a bad taste in their mouth and a sour impression.

5. Look for examples of your life and the world around you that could be transformed.
   So now that you've spent time with a small portion of Scripture, you are willing to be transformed, you visualize the Scripture's situation and allow it to speak its meaning, you are now ready to apply the Scripture to your reality and have it transform your mind and heart!  Looking for areas of your personal, professional, or domestic life, etc., that reflect some of the issues in the wisdom literature will help you steer those areas into a new direction, inspired by Scripture.  Also look for these examples in the world around you, or in the lives of your loved ones.  See reality as it presents itself, and then envision what it might look like if it were transformed by the wisdom of the Scripture.  With our example above, if we have noticed that we are indeed lazy employees, but we are harboring hatred for our boss out of spite, then this Scripture might speak to us and help us understand what's really going on.  Perhaps our boss is not such a judgmental or stern manager; but who wouldn't get at least a little upset being forced to drink vinegar?!  Because that's what it's like to have to deal with a lazy employee.  The Scripture isn't necessarily judging the boss or the worker; oftentimes wisdom literature is just stating things the way they are and allows us to come to realization of God's will through presenting the obvious.

6. Pray.
   Remember that God is the source of all wisdom, because it was through wisdom that he has created and ordered the cosmos.  You are not able to create wisdom, nor work by wisdom unless you become endowed with it by your Creator.  Prayer will help you to align yourself better with God's will, to be humbled before God and to focus your thoughts away from your own wisdom.  Perhaps the biggest threat facing us as we seek to interpret wisdom literature is that we all too often read our own wisdom into it, soiling and ruining God's pure wisdom and creating all kinds of principalities in this world. 

I hope that you will find this compelling and practical as you continue studying Scripture, seeking God's wisdom.

Job and God: A Chat

Last week we discussed in our sermon how God created the universe through his wisdom.  The universe is what God created and wisdom is how God ordered it.  We studied Proverbs 8:22-36 and learned about God's wisdom in creation.

Another passage of Scripture that highlights God in his role of Creator is Job 38 and forward.  So far in Job, to oversimplify the situation, God has taken everything away from Job to see what his reaction would be, as Job was a righteous man.  Job unsurprisingly becomes bitter and questions God's actions and intentions.  Elihu, a young but wise man, rebukes Job just before God steps in to respond to Job directly, which is where we are in chapter 38.  [In our devotional today, we're not going to dive into questions like "why would God do such a thing?" because that is really not the focus in the text, especially not in chapter 38.  If you ever have questions, you are welcome to email me or place a question in the comments section below and I'll be happy to respond as soon as I'm able!]

If you want to get a deeper understanding of Job's actual complaints against God, you may read Job 29-31.  These are the final three chapters where Job is speaking.  Chapters 32-37 are Elihu's response, and then God begins in 38.  What's interesting is that Job's complaints are not formed in a list of specific accusations; rather, Job is talking poetically and in circles making casual comments that allude to his complaints.  He regrets all that he has lost and insists that he was a righteous man, insinuating that he ought not to have lost everything by God's hand.  To put it simply: Job claims that he did a really good job with his life and does not deserve this suffering.  Even though we live in a very different situation than Job, how many times does this also cross our minds today?  How often do we complain about our situations, however good or bad, and question why God doesn't provide, given that we are good people?!

One of the themes of Job is self-righteousness.  One of the problems with Job's logic is that he believes that he, on his own doing, is basically a good person and does good things.  Why should bad things happen to good people?!  Well, his logic is flawed!  Our society's logic is flawed!  Scripture teaches us that we are essentially sinful and prideful people who advance our own kingdoms whenever given the chance, and that only through great wisdom and discipline from God are we able to instead seek God's Kingdom!!  [Side note: Just because we are fallen into sin does not mean that we aren't beloved by God; it also does not mean that we don't have access to forgiveness from that sin.  But Genesis 3 is clear in our bent to sinning and our desire to exercise our own wisdom.]

Out of Job's self-righteousness comes the next issue, that Job essentially believes that he is deserving of all the riches and power he possessed.  He talks at length about all of the good things he's done, and insinuates that his wealth and power are simply the fruit of his labor, that he has earned it.  Well, his logic is flawed!  Our society's logic is flawed!  Scripture teaches us that worldly wealth and power are not the fruits of God's spirit!  If they were, then Jesus Christ would have been the wealthiest and most powerful person in human history.  The world may say that you work hard and earn your wealth, but that is society's wisdom, and not God's wisdom, not God's intended order for our universe.  God's wisdom says that everything you have and are is a gift from God, including the skills, intelligence, energy, health and even existence that allow you to acquire wealth, power, or whatever it is you possess.  You do not "earn" it; you steward it.  And now that God has taken away all of Job's wealth and power, Job no longer has to worry about managing all of that stuff!  His responsibility to steward much has been reduced, and now he can take a deep breath and relax.  But is that how he reacts?

On the surface, God's response seems strange.  For multiple chapters of Scripture, God responds to Job, not by addressing Job's subtle but clear complaints--he responds to Job by saying (38:4), "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?  Tell me, if you have understanding."  Then for verse after verse, God continues describing the complex world of our creation, from sea creatures to rocks deep in the earth.  God essentially gives us another narrative about his creation, a narrative that sounds like Genesis 1 put into greater detail.

Job is not unusual; he sounds a lot like we do.  We humans complain to God incessantly, applying our own wisdom to the world and questioning his wisdom, his motives, the work his hands do, because it wasn't what we were anticipating.  God's response?  You did not lay the foundations of this world; you did not order the universe and the world according to true wisdom; and now you question my wisdom, the very wisdom which gave you life, the very wisdom which brings salvation and restoration to all people and all creation? 

Well, when you put it that way...

Retreat and Refresh

As many of you already know, the conference required that I attend a retreat the past three days.  It is a retreat designed for new ministers (in our first three years) to get to know one another and to learn ways to properly rest, especially when ministry becomes really hectic!  While it was three hours' drive away, I am thankful for this time to relax and reflect.  I wanted to talk about retreating for our devotional this week, and look at how Jesus would use this discipline of retreat in order to center and ground himself upon the Lord.  I don't have to say it, but busyness is certainly one of the top problems in American society today, and one of the key reasons that more and more people are foregoing regular church participation and a relationship with Jesus Christ.  We are just too busy!!

In the Gospel of Mark, John the Baptist has just been killed, and the disciples took his body and laid it in a tomb, presumably for a proper burial of respect.  Then, in Mark 6:30-32 it reads: "The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.  He said to them, 'Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.'  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.  And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves."  Soon after this retreat, they encounter crowds following them, which leads to the story of the feeding of the five thousand.  But we shall focus on the intention of Jesus for the disciples to retreat and rest with him.

Jesus instructs his disciples to come away to a deserted place...but not just any deserted place, one where they would be the only people around!  This makes me recall the first night of my retreat, on Sunday, when a gentleman in our group was checking into the hotel at Paris Landing.  He said to the staff, "I only live thirty minutes from here; I don't know why they're making me stay overnight!"  There is something about a retreat which Jesus insisted for his disciples that they would be alone, entirely by themselves, and not bring all of the concerns of home.  Surely we can think of every Sunday morning as a mini-retreat, as worship is a setting where we are able to leave our worldly concerns at home and focus on heavenly matters.  But it is crucial for the spiritual, mental and physical rest of our bodies that we get away from the busyness of our lives as fully as possible at times, and spend that time solely with Jesus.  A vacation is not a perfect synonym for a retreat; a retreat allows restoration of the whole self, and includes a focus on Christ.  That could very well appear to be a vacation in the eyes of the world, but often our vacations include more busyness than we even had at home!!  Jesus is calling his disciples to rest from their daily lives, a full rest, not partial or half-hearted.

Secondly, it's interesting to see what prompts Jesus into declaring a retreat.  In Mark 6 before our text, we have the gruesome story of the murder of John the Baptist, a dear friend of theirs, which caused significant emotional distress and mandated all sorts of work in consoling, burying and dealing with the drama around his arrest.  Jesus is prompted to call his disciples to retreat after they tell him all about the craziness of their lives.  How delightfully simple yet utterly profound!  Jesus recognizes his disciples' fatigue at an especially exhausting time, and invites them to rest with him away from the commotion.  He doesn't stop them in the middle of the action, but waits for an appropriate time after everything settles down.  But life is still going on; even though it's slowing back to normal, we as humans need more than just a normal pace to recover from such a crazy one.  Perhaps we too ought to consider a re-centering retreat now and then, particularly after busy seasons, claiming that we are finite, cannot handle everything on our own, and should give in to God's will for our own restful benefit!?

These words of Scripture help us to place ourselves, in the 21st century, into the text still more profoundly: "For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat."  I'm not suggesting all of Scripture isn't applicable to us in 2016, but how many verses of Scripture can so accurately and poignantly describe our world, two thousand years later?!  If we had to take one verse of all the Bible and use it to define 21st-century America, in my opinion, this would be it!!  I cannot tell you how many times I have had friends and family tell me that they skipped lunch or even a beverage while they were at work, whether at a paid job or on a project for the home.  Scripture is pointing out something about human nature that is terribly common, that we as human beings are willing to work ourselves to the bone--or work others to the bone on our behalf--without even taking the time to eat, drink, and rest properly.  I wonder why that is?  Perhaps it is because we feel that if we just work hard enough we will have everything we've ever wanted?  Is it because through our busyness we have greater control over our situation and world?  Please, allow Scripture to guide your mind on this matter--Jesus acknowledges your work ethic and yet calls you to rest, recuperate and take care of yourself, because he has the whole world in his hands--and you don't! 

We must own the fact that we as humans are unable and insufficient to solve all of the problems of this fallen, broken world.  If we could, these problems would no longer be here.  No matter how hard we work ourselves, God's Kingdom is inevitable, and will restore everything to its fullest potential!  No matter what you accomplish in life, the end result is exactly the same!  And what God values is not the bank account you bequeath to your children, not the number of plaques dedicated in your name at organizations around the world, but a real relationship with you and the rest of his children.  The only thing we're called to build up in this world is our connection with God.  Yes, that will include plenty of work and busyness; but Lord knows we can't keep it up forever. 

If you have not thought about rest, retreat and Sabbath in a while, or ever, I challenge you to read Deuteronomy 5, which contains the Ten Commandments.  Notice that the longest commandment, according to the text we have, is the commandment on sabbath!!!!!!  I encourage you to pray about how you might live into rest and restoration more in 2016 for you and your family.  Just remember that sabbath is not just a vacation to Disney Land; it is an intentional time spent away from your daily distractions that includes reflection and prayer to God.  If God is left out of your retreat, then it is merely a time of vacation, devoid of the true restoration God so generously desires to provide.

2016 Resolutions

Hello everyone!  Our first devotional of the new year will appropriately focus on the topic of New Year's Resolutions!  This is something common in American culture, as well as other cultures in the world, to begin the new year with a decision--a resolution--to change one's habits in life for the better.  Some of the most common resolutions are health-oriented, such as exercise and weight loss; others are financial, such as spending less money or putting money away in a savings account; still, others involve taking up a new activity or hobby, or perhaps quitting an old one that soaked up too much of one's time.  However you resolve to live in 2016, let's discuss how New Year's Resolutions can be either helpful or problematic for those who wish to live in accordance with the Christian faith.

First, it is important to note that having New Year's Resolutions is neither necessary nor problematic for the Christian.  If you did not make a resolution for this year, beginning on January 1, don't panic!  There is no biblical requirement for such action.  However, Christians are called to live holy lives, to love others more than ourselves, and to allow our lives to be centered upon God's will rather than our own kingdoms.  This means that as Christians we are constantly in need of change to better conform to the likeness and witness of Jesus Christ.  We continue to live in sin, although we're forgiven, and we continue to de-prioritize spiritual growth and self-denial.  So hopefully there will be times in our lives when we will open our eyes to some of these issues and seek God to help us "resolve" the problems.  It's more than just eliminating specific vices in our lives; it's also taking charge of our time, wealth and skills to utilize them to the maximum good for God's Kingdom by loving others.

Secondly, it is important to note that historically, Christians have had one major event per year when they would undergo a significant change in order to come closer to God.  This is known as Lent, which begins Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10 this year) and ends with Easter.  Lent is traditionally observed to build discipline and encourage self-denial in preparation for the annual commemoration of Christ's death and resurrection.  While this is somewhat different from a New Year's Resolution, as often we give up something only for the 40 days of Lent rather than forever, there is a great deal of similarity between the two, particularly for the Christian.  A New Year's Resolution can be thought of similarly to what we give up for Lent, that it is a discipline that builds our relationship with God and others.  In fact, for the Christian, it would be most appropriate to make a resolution in 2016 that puts God at the center of our affairs.  So if our resolution is to become healthy, then it would be wise to include spiritual health with the eating right and exercising.  Or, perhaps overeating is a major difficulty for you, and including God, Scripture reading and Christian accountability can help you with that resolution.  The key for us as Christians is to put God at the center of everything we do, including resolutions at the beginning of a new year.

Next, we should probably talk about what kinds of resolutions we are seeking and ask ourselves, "is this really something I'm doing with God at the center?"  Exercising and eating well can be something we do with God at the center--or not!  What good do you plan on doing should you succeed in your resolution?  One of the biggest problems of the New Year's Resolution is that we don't have any real follow-through plan for success.  This is probably the biggest reason that most New Year's Resolutions end up in failure by February!  Not only does visualizing and planning on success in our resolution help us to succeed each day by giving us a goal, it allows us to think about the purpose and outcome of our actions.  As Christians we are called to make God the purpose and outcome of our actions, especially when we change our habits and ways of life.  What kind of life are you seeking with this resolution?  Will these habits be for good or bad?  And where will you go once you succeed?  Think about the weight loss example.  Imagine someone who is 150 pounds overweight, then resolves to lose it, and succeeds!  This can go in multiple directions.  The individual could then use his or her experience to judge others who are obese, claiming "it just takes hard work, and I did it, so you have no excuse"!  Weight loss is not only different for everyone, but obesity is not a reason for us to judge anyone else.  (Nothing is, in fact.)  This individual could use his or her new slim body to fall into a myriad of sexual sins, such as adultery or promiscuity.  Do you see how something that can be so positive can be spiritually devastating?  I would encourage any Christian seeking to lose weight first recognize that you are beautiful and God loves you just the way you are; that second, you need to know that your life is going to change a lot by losing weight; and that third, you prepare for those changes now, before you undergo the journey.  Imagine how people will view you differently, how you will view yourself differently, and how you will be physically capable of new and exciting possibilities.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if Christians who lost a lot of weight could help to encourage others, share recipes, exercise with buddies and speak openly about the emotional roller coaster of a life of obesity?  This is the kind of attitude and end game we're looking for that makes New Year's Resolutions so meaningful for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't take time out to discuss Scripture.  Scripture is the source of inspiration for us as Christians, and is an incredible source of wisdom.  In Proverbs alone, the trait of discipline is regarded in high esteem and is a topic of frequent discussion.  Of all of the spiritual fruit, self-control is listed lastly, unsurprisingly.  One of the biggest reasons people resolve to change their lives, yet fail to do so, is from a lack of self-discipline so coveted by the words of Scripture.  I would propose that anyone who is undergoing such a resolution can benefit greatly by allowing Scripture to inspire and lead him or her along this journey of self-discipline.  Discipline is a gift of the spirit and is not easy to come by.  But with a daily dose of Scripture feeding your soul, you will be one step closer to meeting your goals for 2016.  Even if reading the Bible isn't your New Year's Resolution, I believe that you will find it to be very helpful in your pursuit.

Finally, I want to emphasize that it is never too late to resolve to change your way of life for the better.  You may have not yet chosen a resolution for 2016, or maybe you've even stumbled already!  What's important is your desire and plan to envision your future in a new way and live into it.  The exact timing is not so critical.  In fact, you're probably better off planning for your resolution and thinking about how you will incorporate it into your life rather than just jumping in head first.  Consider many areas of your life, and which of those might be most fruitful now.  And when deciding a resolution for New Year's, Lent, or any other time of the year, don't forget that most Americans are overly busy and could benefit from deleting something from our schedules to free more time and resources to other priorities.  Less is more, and if you find yourself struggling to add to your crazy schedule, perhaps a Sabbath from the busyness of life is just the discipline you need in the future.

Advent and Christmas: The Coming of the King

The season of Advent is upon us, the time each year when we reflect on what it means that God has come to be with us in the form of a human being in Christ Jesus.  Already we have begun to prepare for Christmas, the day where we celebrate Christ's birth in Bethlehem, and a lot of people have strong feelings about Christmas as it is celebrated in the United States.  Without getting too political, I'd like to talk about what Christmas does--and does not--mean for us today in the 21st century.

First, we cannot make it to Christmas day without experiencing Advent, the time of waiting for the Messiah to arrive.  It wasn't enough that God would come to earth; first, we had to be prepared for the arrival.  This meant that God would first establish his covenant with Israel, speak through the prophets and provide us with a set of Scriptures to guide us along the way.  Christ's birth is the natural progression of God's work which came beforehand.  This means that we as Christians are indebted to the centuries of preparation and dedication of the Jewish people, preserving the Scripture and keeping the covenant, however irregularly.  Generation after generation waited and longed for the day that the Messiah would arrive, and even when he did come, many were none the wiser, and even Jewish Christians would take a few more hundred years before sorting it all out.  Today when we experience Christmas and its fullness, we do so because so many before us spent so much time waiting and praying for that day to arrive.  We must not forget this truth, which is why we observe four weeks' of Advent each year prior to coming to Christmas day.  Christianity and its practice today is indebted to the Israelites who came before Christ.

Next, we need to know some of the historical facts around December 25th.  It is true, and no problem for our faith whatsoever, that Christ was probably not born on this exact day.  Rather, his birth was likely in the spring.  The ancient Christians knew very well what they were doing when they established December 25th as the annual celebration of the Incarnation; they moved it to this day as part of the calendar each year with Easter as the central event and day.  Too often Christians in America today place more emphasis on Christmas than Easter, the day where we celebrate the resurrection of Christ.  And while Christmas is extremely important, the resurrection is the singular event upon which our faith rests.  It was in the resurrection that we received salvation and came to the understanding of how far God would go to be with us forever.  Christmas was moved to another part of the year so as not to interfere with Easter, more than likely.  Also, December 25th was chosen to coincide with pagan holidays as a form of outreach and mission to Roman citizens.  Are we so willing as to change our entire calendar and tradition just to reach out to new people for Jesus Christ?!

This leads us to our third point, that Christmas is originally a Christian celebration that has now transformed into a cultural event.  Simply put, there is a big difference between Christian Christmas and the Christmas celebrated by our culture.  Most people in America celebrate Christmas, even though most people do not attend church, and only about half of them claim to have a serious connection with Christianity.  American/European Christmas is celebrated by Jews, Hindus, atheists and agnostics every year.  But the form of Christmas is different; the only reason we celebrate Christmas in the church is to celebrate God coming into the world by sending his only begotten Son.  All of our activities that have this at their core are part of the Christian Christmas--activities such as feeding the poor, comforting the sick and anxious, worshiping God, and evangelizing.  All of our other activities, I'm afraid, are part of the cultural Christmas.  Now there is nothing inherently wrong with celebrating the cultural Christmas in our world, but we need to adamantly draw a line between the two.  Christmas trees, Santa Claus, gift exchanges and gingerbread houses are fun!  But they don't really have a whole lot to do with the "true meaning of Christmas".  Rather than being offended when people say things like "Happy Holidays", let us realize the truth, that for a lot of people around us celebrating Christmas, it is merely a cultural holiday with little to no connection to the true meaning.  It doesn't really matter whether people say they celebrate Christmas or not, because many of them simply aren't interested in celebrating Jesus Christ.  But we love them the same, as they are God's children.

And I would be irresponsible if I didn't mention just a little bit about our culture of materialism.  Black Friday and the days around it are a clear indication of how our society has moved to becoming one of mass consumption of luxury goods, placing more importance on this than any other single venture.  For the most part, Black Friday events are held in preparation for Christmas Day, where we give one another lots of presents and receive many in the process.  But accumulating material goods, particularly those we don't need, is not a wise way to prepare for Christmas.  I don't have a big problem with showing love for others through gift-giving, but we often go so far overboard that in January we are deeply in debt and exhausted from so many holiday sweets.  I wonder what Jesus would say to us today if he were to arrive once again and see our culture of mass consumption during the Christmas season?  Would he feel that this was part of his message of salvation and healing to the world?

We have an alternative in celebrating Advent.  Advent is a time of devotion, dedication and preparation for the Son.  It is a time for us to read the prophets in the Old Testament.  Start with Isaiah or Jeremiah, or the twelve minor prophets at the end of the OT.  It is a time for us to give more to those in need, particularly timely as winter approaches those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.  It is a time of witnessing to others, that we are not truly interested in getting wrapped up in worldly desires, but rather focusing heavenward and doing Christ's work as his hands and feet in this world.  Advent is a time for us to look up and pay attention to God's Kingdom rather than our own.  Advent is the alternative option to the one our world gives us, and is life-giving and restorative in the process.

I encourage us all to focus more on the Kingdom of God rather than our own world, allowing its anxieties and obligations to fall by the wayside.  In doing so, you may experience a whole new way to celebrate the holidays, but I assure you that, soon enough, it'll be beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Welcome vs. Invitation

This past Sunday in church we discussed how God is deeply intentional about inviting his children to be in relationship with him, all of them, regardless of who they are.  The text version of the sermon can be found at www.bellsprings.org, in case you missed it!  Just click on "Worship" and go to "Sermons".

Today for our devotional I wanted to build on this idea.  Too often as a church we have the idea that we are a welcoming church, and indeed we may be; but simply offering welcome to others is not the idea.  Christ does not come breaking all barriers on heaven and earth simply to be available for us to approach.  Yes, Christ is approachable, because he chose to be; but he goes another step further to invite us to approach him and enter into relationship.  Too many churches feel that their goal is to be a welcoming presence, but that people will wander into worship all on their own, uninvited.  Statistics show that most people will not enter a church without receiving a direct invitation from someone they know and trust, and only then if they are assured that this person will be present.  If this is the only thing stopping people from coming to church and entering into relationship with God, then what is stopping us?!

First, we must throw away our old assumption that people are likely to wander into our churches.  This is simply not the way our world works in 2015.  Some people will, but they are not the majority.  They may, however, be the majority of new members in your church, and that is because your church is not actively inviting anyone into its doors!  So often people will cite the evidence that all of their new members wandered in on their own, but this is a false example.  Churches will spike in attendance and participation if only their members will invite others to come.

Second, we cannot assume that most people have a church.  Statistically in the US, fewer than half of all Americans will go to church even once this year.  Are the stats better in the Southeast, here in the Bible belt?  Surprisingly, no!!!!!!!  Let's use Bell Springs UMC's community as an example.  In a five-mile radius, there are seven churches with a total attendance weekly of about 300.  And there are 4,500 people living in that radius!!!!  Did you know that 4,500 people live within five miles of our church in Noah, TN, which appears to be as rural and remote as one can get?!  Just because we have beautiful, quiet scenery does not mean we are a sparsely populated community.  And in our community, people are not going to church.  Yes, we have statistics to demonstrate this as well.

Third, we must not assume that everyone who wants to go to church already does so.  This is another misconception as well.  People don't walk into churches anymore, but that doesn't mean they don't want to be invited.  Statistics again show that 7 out of 10 people have never been personally invited to church by someone they know and trust, and if they were, a surprisingly large percentage of them would likely attend at least once.  A lot of people think that America is becoming increasingly unreligious, and while that is true, it doesn't mean they want to be.  They simply want to be wanted, to be invited, to be part of a group that will treat them as a family.  More than 90 percent of Americans believe in God, and most of these unchurched people want to learn more about that God, but may be confused about that God.  Remember that while there are many churches of all backgrounds and denominations, many of them will preach a Gospel of a judging, damning God, which is simply not the case, and certainly not the United Methodist witness.

Fourth, we must overcome our fear that inviting people to church is "pushy" or manipulative.  Certainly, you could be pushy or manipulative--but that's not our goal.  We don't want anyone to participate in the life of the church against their will, because our God does not overcome our free will to choose to love him.  If that were the case, we would be robots, unable to make our own choices in life.  Now, attempting to shame or force people to attend church is definitely the wrong way to go.  But this is a far cry from inviting them in love.  You won't ruin your relationships with your friends, family, co-workers or neighbors; rather, they will most likely be receptive and appreciate your offer.  Those who are not interested will politely decline your offer, and those interested may as for more information.

Fifth, we must be prepared to invite people to church.  Your church's website should be committed to your memory, as statistics show that more than 8 out of 10 people visit a church's website before visiting the first time, even and especially after being invited.  If you can't remember the web address, then carry it with you at all times.  It also helps to know when worship begins, what ministries and outreach programs your church offers, and how we relate to the community.  At Bell Springs our House of Ruth outreach and Backpack program with North Coffee Elementary are two great ways to get others involved and excited about being a part of our family.  You don't need to know everything about these ministries; but giving people a feel for what we do as Christians is very important because they want to understand who we are and what our priorities are.

Finally, be willing and available to help incorporate new people into the life of the church.  Especially for those whom you've invited, help them out by introducing them to others in our church so that they feel that they know more people than just you.  It's helpful to introduce people who are similar in age, life stage or profession, so that they have something to talk about.  But don't stop there; invite new congregants to lunch or dinner along with another family from the church.  This one hour of sharing a meal will help solidify their place in our church.  They will feel like they are a part of our shared family, and will begin to feel ownership of the church and its ministries.  Finally, help advise your pastor of how the church can involve the new individual or family into the life of the church through its mission and discipleship growth.  You know these new congregants best; so your advice can prove invaluable, and will be cordially welcomed by your pastor, I can promise you!

If you would like some help inviting others to church at Bell Springs UMC, visit the Information Station table in the Fellowship Hall.  There we have recently printed flyers that give general information on our church; our House of Ruth and backpack ministries; and of course the pastor's business card, which has all of the church's pertinent information, like the website and physical address.  If you feel that you could use another resource which is not yet available, let me know and I will produce it for you!

Being a welcoming church is critical; but being an invitational church is the mission of God.  Let us never hesitate to invite others to join us at the table where Christ offers himself in the fullness of time for the restoration and redemption of the world.

Our Tabernacle

On Sunday we spoke about the Tabernacle, the nomadic dwelling built especially for the LORD as the Israelites wondered through the wilderness awaiting their destination at the Promised Land.  In the Book of Exodus, we learned that very specific instructions were given to the Israelites to construct this portable marvel, and we saw that the contributions to the Tabernacle were given by those who were quite eager and desired to so give.  The wisdom which God gave the Israelites to build the Tabernacle was given by God's spirit, the wisdom to construct, weave, and assemble.  "Wisdom" is not only cognitive but can be thought of as a trade skill or ability, something completed by one's hands.

Through Jesus Christ, we learned that no longer does the spirit of God dwell within one structure, the Temple, which was the more permanent replacement of the Tabernacle under King Solomon.  Now the spirit of God dwells within the body of his only begotten Son, who came to dwell and live among us in the flesh, who died and rose again and has made God accessible to people all over the globe.  Thankfully God continues to dwell with us today in Coffee County through our church, the group of people who faithfully gather at Bell Springs UMC, as merely one "Tabernacle" of God on earth.

Our church building is best described in biblical terms as a "Tabernacle" rather than a "Temple" because Christ's body is the Temple of the LORD, whereas our church building is a temporary, earthly dwelling which invites the presence of God when two or three (or more) are gathered.  When we think about how to care for our church building and how we should consider it within our ministries, we must take care not to confuse our building with the Temple of God, which is the body of Jesus Christ.  Instead, we should consider our real estate as one of many "Tabernacles".  So what do I mean to say by this?

Perhaps obviously, first we know that we do not have a monopoly on God.  Our church is one of many where God's spirit fills the air during worship on Sunday mornings, or other times during the week as we are assembled.  The one true Temple of God is Jesus Christ, who is present and available throughout the earth, which is good because that means he is available to us right here!  But if this is true, then anytime the church (that is, the people) are gathered, Christ is present.  This includes non-church buildings, such as your home, a restaurant, your workplace, or in an open field.  Christ's presence is not limited to a building, and definitely not to our building.  This is great, because that means when we are gathered to do God's work, to fulfill the mission in the community, Christ is present with us there just as strongly as he is in church.

This also means that the church real estate must have some other purpose than merely "storing up" the spirit of God.  Like the Tabernacle in Exodus, our church serves many functional and earthly purposes, as we are people with bodies who live in a three-dimensional world.  We have very real needs, such as shelter, in order to protect us from the elements so that we can focus on worship when we do gather on Sunday mornings, for meetings, and for other studies and missions.  The church building's purpose is very practical and tangible on one hand, because we live in a practical and tangible reality.  But on the other hand, the church building helps us to connect with God, the divine, as its sole purpose is to further and strengthen our relationship with Christ while we are yet on earth.  So the church building is like the Tabernacle, in that it functions as a cross-section of time and space where heaven and earth meet.  If we are the church, and Christ is the Temple, then the church building functions as an intermediary between the two.  Simply put: us --> church building --> Christ.  The church building is not a necessary step to encounter Christ, for sure!  But it acts to speed up the process, to eliminate barriers between the two, as a catalyst, if you will.  

So how should we appropriately understand the way to use the church building, if its purpose is to function as a catalyst and "speed up" or "make simpler" our relationship with Christ?

1. We must not think of the church building as the most important part of our church's ministries, although it must not be neglected either.  Many churches will sacrifice their mission in order to preserve their building; still others will allow the building to crumble into disrepair.  We cannot do either.  The most appropriate action for us is to recognize that the true work of the church has nothing to do with our building, but the building helps us to complete that work more efficiently over time.  The building is one tool among many which we use to come closer to God and draw others into relationship with Christ.

2. We must be flexible in how we use our church building in order to better fulfill our shared mission.  Too often churches (or individuals within churches) will resist any change to their church building, in an attempt to preserve a historical memory of the past.  We cannot forget the past, nor neglect the witness of the past, but the church building is not the best means for preserving our history.  With modern technology, we are able to take pictures, keep archives, and even produce miniature models of our church buildings in an attempt to keep the past witness alive.  The church building, however, is an epicenter, a Tabernacle, for the present and future witness of the church.  To that end, we must be willing to modify, expand, tear down, remodel or re-purpose our church building at any time in order to better fulfill God's mission in our church and community.  The way humans live and interact is always changing, and so too must our real estate in order to best function as that catalyst for bringing people and one another closer to God.  The attitude of preserving the church building to maintain the past and its history comes out of an honest desire to respect and love God, but in reality it is counterproductive for this purpose.  Such individuals must be encountered with love and understanding, not chastised for unwillingness to change, but at the same time, the church must understand that these attitudes can lead us down a path of irrelevancy and ineffectiveness.

3. Our church does not exist within the walls of the building; the building is most effective when the church (the people) is actively engaging in the community, every day, but draws people, resources and energy back into the building as an epicenter of ministry.  When we think about the church and church building as synonymous, we have crippled God's ability to work through us in the world.  Instead, we need to act as if the building is an epicenter, a Tabernacle, like the locker room for a football team or desk for a teacher.  It's a place to plan, strategize, be restored, learn, and weep together.  But it's primarily a place of preparation for leaving it and going out to do the real work.  All of our shared ministry ought to return to the church building for analysis, planning, healing, etc.  That means the people we meet, the resources we gather, everything we learn and even the baggage we pick up along the way, everything should be brought back into the church building, the Tabernacle, in order to better prepare for tomorrow.  The church building ought to be a sanctuary as it is the intersection of the earthly and divine.  But when churches begin to treat their building as the end to their mission in itself, the mission has been completely bypassed.

I pray that together we would develop or maintain a healthy understanding of our church building, not in order to tear one another down or argue, but so that we may be healed and made holy for the world around us, for the sake of the Gospel, for Jesus Christ, and for God's ultimate mission to restore and reconcile all things back unto himself.