January 27th:
I have been living in a delusion.
I have always said (mostly to myself) that I am too sensitive to do the work that I do. I take everything personally. Complaints and criticism make my stomach roil. I am always ready to quit on Monday. All of these things together had me thinking that I was unsuited for the work I do and I had begun to wonder why God had called me to this particular service.
Then, some years ago I read an article that suggested that Mondays were the most natural day for pastors to take-off because, doing what they do on most Sundays means that on Mondays, they are going through adrenaline withdrawal. The symptoms include physical exhaustion and depression. So, apparently the Monday “thing” was a “natural” drug induced state of dissatisfaction. Who would have guessed?
And then I began to realize that when we decide to care we also decide to be disappointed and dissatisfied and discontented. It happens like night follows day. It sounds redundant (and it is) but if I don’t care then I DON’T CARE. People can do whatever they want, believe whatever they want and act out in whatever way they choose and it will mean nothing to me. But, on the other hand, when I care, then I CARE and it hurts when people hurt themselves and others. It hurts when people manipulate and abuse the people around them. It hurts when people walk away from a God who has loved them. It should hurt.
Years ago, I was trying to minister in one particularly difficult congregation and every day I had to deal with complaints and criticism. In the midst of this turmoil the Staff-Parish Relations Committee chairperson said to me that I should just learn to not care so much. My response was, “Do you really want a pastor who doesn’t care?” The answer should be obvious.
At the time, the pain of those personal attacks was so constant that I missed the obvious lesson. Anyone who really cares will risk the possibility of being hurt. This is not “bad,” it just is. This is not “pleasant,” it just is.
I decided that I have to choose. I can either care (with all of its attendant pain) or I can protect myself and let people go to hell (literally and figuratively.) I choose to care. Which means that I won’t always be happy and I will never be satisfied with my performance. Let’s call it “holy discontent” or “compassionate dissatisfaction,” but let’s recognize that it is indeed the cross we have been called to bear.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Holding Each Other Accountable
January 23rd:
I don’t want to sound like I’m picking on John Edwards but hearing his “revelation” got me thinking about our cultural attitudes toward commitment.
In the church we use the word “covenant” which is a term that has become somewhat passé in 21st century North America. In secular society we use the word “contract” and these two terms (covenant & contract) are similar but there is a subtle distinction that I want to explore.
Technically, both words describe a “formal agreement.” The difference for me is that a “contract” can be between two people, but a covenant almost always involves at least a third. Let me try to illustrate what I’m thinking.
The God of Israel called His people into a “covenant relationship” with Him. There were expectations for both sides and promises were made. But, the final piece of this “covenant” was circumcision (now we’re talking commitment). Circumcision became the visible expression of the covenant. The whole nation of Israel was supposed to carry with them a physical symbol of their agreement and everyone was a witness to it. Let’s move on…
In a wedding, couples make promises to each other in the presence of both God and witnesses. Then they exchange rings. The rings are (as the ceremony says) the “outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” In this way, the whole world is being given the opportunity to witness this “covenant commitment.” I often say that we are sending newly married couples out into the world to be “evangelists” for commitment.
When we join a congregation (Church with a big “C”) we are often asked (and rightly so) to make a public testimony to our faith in Jesus Christ. This is because we are entering into a covenant relationship that involves us, our God and all those people we call the “church” (church with a small “c.”) The church (and the Church) are supposed to hold us accountable to this covenant promise. The whole thing is reflected in the words of Jesus when he said that our two obligations are to “love the Lord our God” and “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”
Here’s where I’m headed.
What I often see reflected in the modern Church is a desire for a relationship with God that has room for only two. I think we’re missing something. I admit that I may splitting hairs here, but it seems to me that what we have been offered is a personal relationship with the living God that is made real because of our place in God’s family. It has to run in both directions. If we want to be the best we can be and if we want to be all that God wants us to be we have to be willing to be covenant people.
I don’t want to sound like I’m picking on John Edwards but hearing his “revelation” got me thinking about our cultural attitudes toward commitment.
In the church we use the word “covenant” which is a term that has become somewhat passé in 21st century North America. In secular society we use the word “contract” and these two terms (covenant & contract) are similar but there is a subtle distinction that I want to explore.
Technically, both words describe a “formal agreement.” The difference for me is that a “contract” can be between two people, but a covenant almost always involves at least a third. Let me try to illustrate what I’m thinking.
The God of Israel called His people into a “covenant relationship” with Him. There were expectations for both sides and promises were made. But, the final piece of this “covenant” was circumcision (now we’re talking commitment). Circumcision became the visible expression of the covenant. The whole nation of Israel was supposed to carry with them a physical symbol of their agreement and everyone was a witness to it. Let’s move on…
In a wedding, couples make promises to each other in the presence of both God and witnesses. Then they exchange rings. The rings are (as the ceremony says) the “outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” In this way, the whole world is being given the opportunity to witness this “covenant commitment.” I often say that we are sending newly married couples out into the world to be “evangelists” for commitment.
When we join a congregation (Church with a big “C”) we are often asked (and rightly so) to make a public testimony to our faith in Jesus Christ. This is because we are entering into a covenant relationship that involves us, our God and all those people we call the “church” (church with a small “c.”) The church (and the Church) are supposed to hold us accountable to this covenant promise. The whole thing is reflected in the words of Jesus when he said that our two obligations are to “love the Lord our God” and “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.”
Here’s where I’m headed.
What I often see reflected in the modern Church is a desire for a relationship with God that has room for only two. I think we’re missing something. I admit that I may splitting hairs here, but it seems to me that what we have been offered is a personal relationship with the living God that is made real because of our place in God’s family. It has to run in both directions. If we want to be the best we can be and if we want to be all that God wants us to be we have to be willing to be covenant people.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Confession Is Good For The Soul
January 21st:
Here’s the headline that caught my eye this morning:
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards finally admitted Thursday he fathered a child during an affair before his second White House bid, dropping long-standing denials…
Was anyone really surprised? Most of us read all of the details of this story months ago while we were standing in the checkout line at the local grocery store. Some of us were convinced at that time that the story was true. Some of us were assuming (or hoping) that what we were reading would be better grouped with the stories about alien abductions.
I was one of those people who was hoping all the stories were just rumors. Infidelity (marital disloyalty) is sad enough but when you add in a wife fighting cancer, grown (and not so grown) children, another woman and a baby named Quinn it becomes contemptible. I wasn’t being naïve about the possibility. I’ve seen it all before. I was just hoping.
I am always fascinated with the popular assumption (even held by many believers in God) that as long as no one has a picture and there is no “money trail” that somehow we have gotten away with something.
The truth is that we have a tendency to act as if our God is both blind and deaf or that He sees and hears but doesn’t care. I choose to believe that neither of these propositions is true. In fact, one of the great promises of the Christian faith is that our God knows all about us (even our secrets) and He loves us anyway. He is not blind to our infidelities (our lack of faith) and he is not deaf to our disloyalty. He simply sees within us the possibility that (with His help) we can be better than we ever dreamed.
Let’s face it, we all mess it up from time to time. We all make bad choices. We all speak without thinking. We all find ourselves in situations where we are willing to sacrifice other people’s best interests for our own self-interests. We live broken lives. What we need to recognize is that we’ve already been caught.
The really good news is that Jesus came to heal this broken world and all of its broken people. It’s a healing that begins when we are willing to trust Him to transform our lives. This journey to new life begins when we admit that we need what only He can provide. We call it “confession.”
The fact that John Edwards has finally gotten to that point where he is willing to admit to his failure (for whatever reasons) could be a good sign. Knowing you’ve been caught is the hardest part. Let’s hope and pray that the rest of his journey can bring some healing to all of those involved.
Here’s the headline that caught my eye this morning:
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards finally admitted Thursday he fathered a child during an affair before his second White House bid, dropping long-standing denials…
Was anyone really surprised? Most of us read all of the details of this story months ago while we were standing in the checkout line at the local grocery store. Some of us were convinced at that time that the story was true. Some of us were assuming (or hoping) that what we were reading would be better grouped with the stories about alien abductions.
I was one of those people who was hoping all the stories were just rumors. Infidelity (marital disloyalty) is sad enough but when you add in a wife fighting cancer, grown (and not so grown) children, another woman and a baby named Quinn it becomes contemptible. I wasn’t being naïve about the possibility. I’ve seen it all before. I was just hoping.
I am always fascinated with the popular assumption (even held by many believers in God) that as long as no one has a picture and there is no “money trail” that somehow we have gotten away with something.
The truth is that we have a tendency to act as if our God is both blind and deaf or that He sees and hears but doesn’t care. I choose to believe that neither of these propositions is true. In fact, one of the great promises of the Christian faith is that our God knows all about us (even our secrets) and He loves us anyway. He is not blind to our infidelities (our lack of faith) and he is not deaf to our disloyalty. He simply sees within us the possibility that (with His help) we can be better than we ever dreamed.
Let’s face it, we all mess it up from time to time. We all make bad choices. We all speak without thinking. We all find ourselves in situations where we are willing to sacrifice other people’s best interests for our own self-interests. We live broken lives. What we need to recognize is that we’ve already been caught.
The really good news is that Jesus came to heal this broken world and all of its broken people. It’s a healing that begins when we are willing to trust Him to transform our lives. This journey to new life begins when we admit that we need what only He can provide. We call it “confession.”
The fact that John Edwards has finally gotten to that point where he is willing to admit to his failure (for whatever reasons) could be a good sign. Knowing you’ve been caught is the hardest part. Let’s hope and pray that the rest of his journey can bring some healing to all of those involved.
Monday, January 18, 2010
What About Haiti?
January 18th:
Let me take a stab at a difficult question. You should never try to do theology in 500 words or less, but I’ll give it a shot.
The day after Haiti was devastated by a massive earthquake the Rev. Pat Robertson made the following statement:
"They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal."
I have never thought of Rev. Robertson as much of a theologian. He has a history of making statements that seem to be based on nothing more than private revelation. Private revelation is a part of the process, but it always needs to be tested. I’m not sure he feels the need to go to that next step.
Anyway, his statement has raised a couple of questions that many people ask after disasters like this one. “How did this happen?” and “Why did this happen?” The two questions always seem to be connected.
Rev. Robertson implies that this earthquake was the direct action of the almighty God (that’s the “how”) and that it was a punishment for the behavior of the Haitian people (that would be the “why.”) This is actually a fairly popular assumption, just not on this scale. There are a lot of people who expect that God will (or should) reward them for their behavior and since they see themselves as basically good they are expecting a nice, three bedroom ranch in heaven, after a long, fulfilling life, which ends with them slipping away peacefully in their sleep. So, then if they don’t get what they expect, the assumption is that God didn’t come through. So, anything short of our expectations becomes proof that God hates us.
Most people are a bit repulsed by the idea that the same God who is supposed to reward might decide to punish. However, no matter how unnerving it might be for us, knowing that God cares enough about our good behavior to take notes, assumes that he will be making note of our bad behavior as well. I guess what we want is a God who cares about the nice things we do and ignores everything else. That doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Having said all of this let me offer a slightly different model for all that we have seen happening around us.
Let’s picture God as our heavenly Father. He wants the best for us. He wants us to choose to do the right thing. He could (but won’t) choose for us because it would make us into puppets and any love or faith we might express would be a sham. So, he gives us a certain amount of control over how we live our lives. He could take it away at any time, but because he loves us he lets us choose and then holds us accountable for the choices we make. What He wants most of all is for us to trust Him. He offers us a relationship with Him that is built upon trust.
This Father doesn’t need to micro-manage every wind that blows or storm that comes. This Father has set up a system that is, for the most part, self-sustaining. Why do I say that? Because, it is observable. He “could” micro-manage if He wanted to but if He stepped in and changed the rules every time he felt like it, we would all go nuts, literally crazy. So, we live in a broken world where, sometimes, continental plates shift and the earth moves, buildings fall down and people get hurt.
This heavenly Father wants us to know Him. To know that no matter what happens around us He will love us and sustain us. This heavenly Father wants us to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” Which means that when the earth moves and people get hurt it should move us to do all we can to care for them.
Ok, 700 words or less.
Let me take a stab at a difficult question. You should never try to do theology in 500 words or less, but I’ll give it a shot.
The day after Haiti was devastated by a massive earthquake the Rev. Pat Robertson made the following statement:
"They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal."
I have never thought of Rev. Robertson as much of a theologian. He has a history of making statements that seem to be based on nothing more than private revelation. Private revelation is a part of the process, but it always needs to be tested. I’m not sure he feels the need to go to that next step.
Anyway, his statement has raised a couple of questions that many people ask after disasters like this one. “How did this happen?” and “Why did this happen?” The two questions always seem to be connected.
Rev. Robertson implies that this earthquake was the direct action of the almighty God (that’s the “how”) and that it was a punishment for the behavior of the Haitian people (that would be the “why.”) This is actually a fairly popular assumption, just not on this scale. There are a lot of people who expect that God will (or should) reward them for their behavior and since they see themselves as basically good they are expecting a nice, three bedroom ranch in heaven, after a long, fulfilling life, which ends with them slipping away peacefully in their sleep. So, then if they don’t get what they expect, the assumption is that God didn’t come through. So, anything short of our expectations becomes proof that God hates us.
Most people are a bit repulsed by the idea that the same God who is supposed to reward might decide to punish. However, no matter how unnerving it might be for us, knowing that God cares enough about our good behavior to take notes, assumes that he will be making note of our bad behavior as well. I guess what we want is a God who cares about the nice things we do and ignores everything else. That doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Having said all of this let me offer a slightly different model for all that we have seen happening around us.
Let’s picture God as our heavenly Father. He wants the best for us. He wants us to choose to do the right thing. He could (but won’t) choose for us because it would make us into puppets and any love or faith we might express would be a sham. So, he gives us a certain amount of control over how we live our lives. He could take it away at any time, but because he loves us he lets us choose and then holds us accountable for the choices we make. What He wants most of all is for us to trust Him. He offers us a relationship with Him that is built upon trust.
This Father doesn’t need to micro-manage every wind that blows or storm that comes. This Father has set up a system that is, for the most part, self-sustaining. Why do I say that? Because, it is observable. He “could” micro-manage if He wanted to but if He stepped in and changed the rules every time he felt like it, we would all go nuts, literally crazy. So, we live in a broken world where, sometimes, continental plates shift and the earth moves, buildings fall down and people get hurt.
This heavenly Father wants us to know Him. To know that no matter what happens around us He will love us and sustain us. This heavenly Father wants us to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” Which means that when the earth moves and people get hurt it should move us to do all we can to care for them.
Ok, 700 words or less.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
What About The Hungry? Part 3.
I was thinking about how to continue this conversation and I was re-reading some of what John Wesley had to say on the subject. I decided to include it here.
John Wesley on Giving: Serving God with Mammon
John Wesley's wisdom for hard economic times: EARN all you can, SAVE all you can, and GIVE all you can.
A Sermon on Luke 16:9
"'The love of money,' we know, 'is the root of all evil;' but not the thing itself. The fault does not lie in the money, but in them that use it. It may be used ill: and what may not? But it may likewise be used well: It is full as applicable to the best, as to the worst uses. It is of unspeakable service to all civilized nations, in all the common affairs of life: It is a most compendious instrument of transacting all manner of business, and (if we use it according to Christian wisdom) of doing all manner of good."
"It is true, were man in a state of innocence, or were all men 'filled with the Holy Ghost,' so that, like the infant Church at Jerusalem, 'no man counted anything he had his own,' but 'distribution was made to everyone as he had need,' the use of it would be superseded; as we cannot conceive there is anything of the kind among the inhabitants of heaven. But, in the present state of mankind, it is an excellent gift of God, answering the noblest ends. In the hands of his children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked: It gives to the traveller and the stranger where to lay his head. By it we may supply the place of an husband to the widow, and of a father to the fatherless. We maybe a defence for the oppressed, a means of health to the sick, of ease to them that are in pain; it may be as eyes to the blind, as feet to the lame; yea, a lifter up from the gates of death!"
"It is therefore of the highest concern that all who fear God know how to employ this valuable talent; that they be instructed how it may answer these glorious ends, and in the highest degree. And, perhaps, all the instructions which are necessary for this may be reduced to three plain rules, by the exact observance whereof we may approve ourselves faithful stewards of 'the mammon of unrighteousness.'"
"The first of these is (he that heareth, let him understand!) 'Gain all you can.' Here we may speak like the children of the world: We meet them on their own ground. And it is our bounden duty to do this: We ought to gain all we can gain, without buying gold too dear, without paying more for it than it is worth. But this it is certain we ought not to do; we ought not to gain money at the expense of life, nor (which is in effect the same thing) at the expense of our health." …
"Having gained all you can, by honest wisdom and unwearied diligence, the second rule of Christian prudence is, 'Save all you can.' Do not throw the precious talent into the sea: Leave that folly to heathen philosophers. Do not throw it away in idle expenses, which is just the same as throwing it into the sea. Expend no part of it merely to gratify the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life." …
"But let not any man imagine that he has done anything, barely by going thus far, by 'gaining and saving all he can,' if he were to stop here. All this is nothing, if a man go not forward, if he does not point all this at a farther end. Nor, indeed, can a man properly be said to save anything, if he only lays it up. You may as well throw your money into the sea, as bury it in the earth. And you may as well bury it in the earth, as in your chest, or in the Bank of England. Not to use, is effectually to throw it away. If, therefore, you would indeed 'make yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness,' add the Third rule to the two preceding. Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then 'give all you can.'" …
"I entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, act up to the dignity of your calling! No more sloth! Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might! No more waste! Cut off every expense which fashion, caprice, or flesh and blood demand! No more covetousness! But employ whatever God has entrusted you with, in doing good, all possible good, in every possible kind and degree to the household of faith, to all men! This is no small part of 'the wisdom of the just.' Give all ye have, as well as all ye are, a spiritual sacrifice to Him who withheld not from you his Son, his only Son: So 'laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that ye may attain eternal life!'"
The full text of this sermon (The Use of Money, Sermon #50) appears in the United Methodist archives: http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/
John Wesley on Giving: Serving God with Mammon
John Wesley's wisdom for hard economic times: EARN all you can, SAVE all you can, and GIVE all you can.
A Sermon on Luke 16:9
"'The love of money,' we know, 'is the root of all evil;' but not the thing itself. The fault does not lie in the money, but in them that use it. It may be used ill: and what may not? But it may likewise be used well: It is full as applicable to the best, as to the worst uses. It is of unspeakable service to all civilized nations, in all the common affairs of life: It is a most compendious instrument of transacting all manner of business, and (if we use it according to Christian wisdom) of doing all manner of good."
"It is true, were man in a state of innocence, or were all men 'filled with the Holy Ghost,' so that, like the infant Church at Jerusalem, 'no man counted anything he had his own,' but 'distribution was made to everyone as he had need,' the use of it would be superseded; as we cannot conceive there is anything of the kind among the inhabitants of heaven. But, in the present state of mankind, it is an excellent gift of God, answering the noblest ends. In the hands of his children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the naked: It gives to the traveller and the stranger where to lay his head. By it we may supply the place of an husband to the widow, and of a father to the fatherless. We maybe a defence for the oppressed, a means of health to the sick, of ease to them that are in pain; it may be as eyes to the blind, as feet to the lame; yea, a lifter up from the gates of death!"
"It is therefore of the highest concern that all who fear God know how to employ this valuable talent; that they be instructed how it may answer these glorious ends, and in the highest degree. And, perhaps, all the instructions which are necessary for this may be reduced to three plain rules, by the exact observance whereof we may approve ourselves faithful stewards of 'the mammon of unrighteousness.'"
"The first of these is (he that heareth, let him understand!) 'Gain all you can.' Here we may speak like the children of the world: We meet them on their own ground. And it is our bounden duty to do this: We ought to gain all we can gain, without buying gold too dear, without paying more for it than it is worth. But this it is certain we ought not to do; we ought not to gain money at the expense of life, nor (which is in effect the same thing) at the expense of our health." …
"Having gained all you can, by honest wisdom and unwearied diligence, the second rule of Christian prudence is, 'Save all you can.' Do not throw the precious talent into the sea: Leave that folly to heathen philosophers. Do not throw it away in idle expenses, which is just the same as throwing it into the sea. Expend no part of it merely to gratify the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life." …
"But let not any man imagine that he has done anything, barely by going thus far, by 'gaining and saving all he can,' if he were to stop here. All this is nothing, if a man go not forward, if he does not point all this at a farther end. Nor, indeed, can a man properly be said to save anything, if he only lays it up. You may as well throw your money into the sea, as bury it in the earth. And you may as well bury it in the earth, as in your chest, or in the Bank of England. Not to use, is effectually to throw it away. If, therefore, you would indeed 'make yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness,' add the Third rule to the two preceding. Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then 'give all you can.'" …
"I entreat you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, act up to the dignity of your calling! No more sloth! Whatsoever your hand findeth to do, do it with your might! No more waste! Cut off every expense which fashion, caprice, or flesh and blood demand! No more covetousness! But employ whatever God has entrusted you with, in doing good, all possible good, in every possible kind and degree to the household of faith, to all men! This is no small part of 'the wisdom of the just.' Give all ye have, as well as all ye are, a spiritual sacrifice to Him who withheld not from you his Son, his only Son: So 'laying up in store for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that ye may attain eternal life!'"
The full text of this sermon (The Use of Money, Sermon #50) appears in the United Methodist archives: http://gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/
Saturday, January 16, 2010
What About The Hungry? Part 2.
January 16th:
Jesus said…
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
So, what do we do about Phil? (Not his real name.) What do we do with the people I call “professional users?” Phil has been in and out of the court system for 20 years. He is a registered sex offender (convicted twice of misdemeanor sexual assault.) He’s not a rapist. He’s not a child molester. He’s been arrested for domestic abuse; he’s been sued for not paying his rent. Phil has spent most of the last 20 years hitting up anyone he can for a free meal or a few nights in a flophouse motel. It’s not his fault. He explains that to anyone who will listen.
What do we do with Phil? He is not easy to deal with. To say that his social skills need work would be an understatement. Phil has learned to use guilt like a tool. Truth has little meaning for him. He believes that God should fix his problems. What do we do with Phil?
Part of me thinks that Phil needs consequences. If he has to spend a night out in the cold maybe he will put some of his energy into changing his life. It should make a difference. Except Phil is a hard case. He has been dealing with consequences for the last 20 years. What consequences have taught Phil is that he has to work even harder trying to “button hole” someone new.
Part of me thinks that Phil needs compassion. If he just understood that someone really cared about him then maybe he would respond to that love and turn away from his empty life. But, Phil has learned to see compassion as a weakness that can be exploited. For Phil compassionate people are a resource.
All of me thinks that Phil needs Jesus. Jesus is the one who can transform even Phil’s broken and diseased heart. Jesus can change the way Phil sees his life and point him away from his slavery. Jesus can do this kind of work in Phil’s life, but Phil has learned to not listen to this message of hope. He’s been too busy surviving.
Having said all of this the question remains, “What do we do with Phil?” Does his dysfunctional past and our continual ineffectiveness mean that we don’t have to care about him anymore? Does the fact that he makes caring hard mean that we stop trying? I don’t think so. I don’t think that we’ve been given that option. Our resources are often limited, but our calling is clear.
We are called to love. How people respond to that love is not for us to decide. We can’t let the Philips in the world determine how we live out our relationship with the living Jesus. We can’t let those who will not hear keep us from speaking. We cannot let those who will not be changed keep us from offering the opportunity.
When it comes to Phil I have to admit that I don’t have answers. I cannot change him, but I can still determine to be faithful; to love and give and take on the hard cases. Sometimes being faithful is all we can do.
Jesus said…
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
So, what do we do about Phil? (Not his real name.) What do we do with the people I call “professional users?” Phil has been in and out of the court system for 20 years. He is a registered sex offender (convicted twice of misdemeanor sexual assault.) He’s not a rapist. He’s not a child molester. He’s been arrested for domestic abuse; he’s been sued for not paying his rent. Phil has spent most of the last 20 years hitting up anyone he can for a free meal or a few nights in a flophouse motel. It’s not his fault. He explains that to anyone who will listen.
What do we do with Phil? He is not easy to deal with. To say that his social skills need work would be an understatement. Phil has learned to use guilt like a tool. Truth has little meaning for him. He believes that God should fix his problems. What do we do with Phil?
Part of me thinks that Phil needs consequences. If he has to spend a night out in the cold maybe he will put some of his energy into changing his life. It should make a difference. Except Phil is a hard case. He has been dealing with consequences for the last 20 years. What consequences have taught Phil is that he has to work even harder trying to “button hole” someone new.
Part of me thinks that Phil needs compassion. If he just understood that someone really cared about him then maybe he would respond to that love and turn away from his empty life. But, Phil has learned to see compassion as a weakness that can be exploited. For Phil compassionate people are a resource.
All of me thinks that Phil needs Jesus. Jesus is the one who can transform even Phil’s broken and diseased heart. Jesus can change the way Phil sees his life and point him away from his slavery. Jesus can do this kind of work in Phil’s life, but Phil has learned to not listen to this message of hope. He’s been too busy surviving.
Having said all of this the question remains, “What do we do with Phil?” Does his dysfunctional past and our continual ineffectiveness mean that we don’t have to care about him anymore? Does the fact that he makes caring hard mean that we stop trying? I don’t think so. I don’t think that we’ve been given that option. Our resources are often limited, but our calling is clear.
We are called to love. How people respond to that love is not for us to decide. We can’t let the Philips in the world determine how we live out our relationship with the living Jesus. We can’t let those who will not hear keep us from speaking. We cannot let those who will not be changed keep us from offering the opportunity.
When it comes to Phil I have to admit that I don’t have answers. I cannot change him, but I can still determine to be faithful; to love and give and take on the hard cases. Sometimes being faithful is all we can do.
Friday, January 15, 2010
What About The Hungry? Part 1.
January 15th:
Jesus said…
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
As followers of Jesus, we have been trying to take Him at his word. On the surface, it sounds like it shouldn’t be that hard. Those who have the money and the time to serve give a little of what they’ve been blessed with to care for those who are struggling. The hungry get fed and the homeless are provided with shelter. Piece of cake (no pun intended.) After all, it’s not that big of a sacrifice. If everyone would set aside a little (say 10%) of what they have been blessed with there should be plenty enough to go around.
But what happens if all of us get over extended? What happens if we get caught up trying to keep up with all the many things we’ve filled our own lives with? What happens if we don’t recognize how much we have been blessed? Then that little bit of time and that little bit of money never come. The hungry remain hungry. The homeless never find even a room of their own.
One of the problems that many of us have (we who have been so blessed) is that we don’t see the really needy. Our lives never take us to those places where the poor hang out. What that means is that it is easy for us to forget that the problem even exists. It’s easy for us to drop a quarter in the Salvation Army kettle and think that we have made a difference.
I might conclude this part of the discussion by saying, “something has to change” and (at least part of) that “something” is us. We have to open our eyes to see what is really happening in our world. We need a new heart for those who have been less blessed. We need a new willingness to sacrifice a little of what we have been given to make a difference in somebody else’s life. The Good News is that Jesus is in the “new eyes” and “new heart” business. He is the one who makes giving more of a privilege than a sacrifice. Let Jesus show you the way.
p.s. If you would like to help with the earthquake relief in Haiti, you can donate through the United Methodist Church at umc.org. 100% of what you contribute will go to the relief effort.
Jesus said…
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
As followers of Jesus, we have been trying to take Him at his word. On the surface, it sounds like it shouldn’t be that hard. Those who have the money and the time to serve give a little of what they’ve been blessed with to care for those who are struggling. The hungry get fed and the homeless are provided with shelter. Piece of cake (no pun intended.) After all, it’s not that big of a sacrifice. If everyone would set aside a little (say 10%) of what they have been blessed with there should be plenty enough to go around.
But what happens if all of us get over extended? What happens if we get caught up trying to keep up with all the many things we’ve filled our own lives with? What happens if we don’t recognize how much we have been blessed? Then that little bit of time and that little bit of money never come. The hungry remain hungry. The homeless never find even a room of their own.
One of the problems that many of us have (we who have been so blessed) is that we don’t see the really needy. Our lives never take us to those places where the poor hang out. What that means is that it is easy for us to forget that the problem even exists. It’s easy for us to drop a quarter in the Salvation Army kettle and think that we have made a difference.
I might conclude this part of the discussion by saying, “something has to change” and (at least part of) that “something” is us. We have to open our eyes to see what is really happening in our world. We need a new heart for those who have been less blessed. We need a new willingness to sacrifice a little of what we have been given to make a difference in somebody else’s life. The Good News is that Jesus is in the “new eyes” and “new heart” business. He is the one who makes giving more of a privilege than a sacrifice. Let Jesus show you the way.
p.s. If you would like to help with the earthquake relief in Haiti, you can donate through the United Methodist Church at umc.org. 100% of what you contribute will go to the relief effort.
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