Leaning Forward

One generation

Writer, historian, and philosopher Will Durant said, "From barbarism to civilization requires a century; from civilization to barbarism needs but a day." Though not as abbreviated as Durant's observation, the Bible affirms the short life-span of truth that is not perpetuated generation to generation. It's a significant biblical concept, the responsibility of one generation to teach another the precepts and precedents of faith. Just the same, the history of Israel, though thousands of years distant from our cultural milieu and without the advances of the information age, affirms the role of generational influence in preserving the traditions that guide nations.

The legal code of the Israelite nation included detailed instructions to teach their children the events of the national epoch.  The historian wrote God's reminders to the nation as a guard against their forgetting His guidance during their wilderness experiences. So, they were commanded to "Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign to your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).  It was the stuff of the oral tradition, the fireside chats of father to son that kept the miracles of the Exodus alive in their hearts. Then, it was celebrated in the Psalms, "One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4).

But, there was a breakdown. It's a haunting passage now, the documented history of a people losing their national identity in just one generation. So, read about it in two sentences. "That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10). Incredibly, after being warned of the implications of forgetting and instructed in how not to forget, it was all lost in one generation. The final verse of Judges startles us today with it's blunt assessment: "In those days there was no King in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted" (Judges 21:25). There was no worship, celebration of faith, rule of law, or social decency. One generation.

Educrats and philosophes take the high road in liberal thought and tell us nothing like this could ever happen in an enlightened world like ours. Of course, a central thesis of a secular worldview is the deconstruction of religious principles and revision of historical precedents. As a result, postmodern ideology downplays the lessons of history, just like the Israelites did, and assumes that the American dream, as it has been valued since our founding, would be the preferred choice of all the generations to follow. That, of course, is a bad assumption. Especially in postmodern America.

Still, most of us sit silently and docilely on the sidelines as our history is altered, the system of government that our founders brilliantly devised and implemented is maligned, and our Christian faith is marginalized in public discourse. Sadly, the salt and light influences Jesus envisioned are tasteless, invisible breaths barely detected in the marketplace of ideas. Worse, our children aren't learning about the miracles of the revolution or the weather changes in World War II or the principles of the Protestant Reformation or any of the other events or people that have shaped us.

If Durant was on point or close, barbarism can happen in one day, or in this case, one generation. The converse is equally shocking: a century or many generations to bring us back to civilization as we know it. Well, yes, that is if humans are managing this stuff. But, the God of miracles and spiritual revival can change things in what we know as a twinkling of an eye.

This shoud be our prayer. But, even more, it should define our lifestyle, our worship, our service, our work, our family, life, what we teach our children, and even how we vote. If we're assuming our progeny will learn our history or faith values or national identity by osmosis, then we're naive.

And, Jesus expected more of His people. He wanted us to be as wise as snakes.        

Spoken words

Well, yes, in fact, we are to be doers of the Word and not merely hearers. There's a strong emphasis in the New Testament to equalizing our actions and word. Our Lord scolded the Pharisees, even calling them a brood of vipers, because they didn't live up to the fine print of their legalistic faith. So, when Francis of Assisi made the pictured quote, if indeed he did actually make it, it should have been with an asterisk or footnote.

Like many catch phrases and spiritual simplisms, the quote sounds good enough. It's kind of a greeting card sentiment long on feel good and short on Biblical accuracy. It may look good on a t-shirt or coffee cup or one of those attitude adjustment pics.  There's no doubting the Scriptural expectation that the Father has put us on display and that we're to live according to the biblical worldview that ought to define us. Just the same, the Good News of Jesus, and the hope that marks the Christian life, are meant to be spoken. 

Just so, not one of us lives a life sufficient to the perfection of the gospel. Sure, He did entrust the Truth to people in jars of clay and our imperfections ooze out our pores all the times. That's perhaps why God inspired the writing of the Bible. Human stuff, even recorded history, is flawed and insufficient in portraying the truth of His life, death, and resurrection. So, throughout the canon, we are commanded to speak His Word, to declare the gospel, and to explain the hope that is in us. My poor old human nature just won't always live it with authority. 

So, today we're talking about apologia, the biblical reminder that we should always be ready to defend our faith, that is, provide a rational affirmation of the hope that is in us. Yes again. Faith is a mysterious miracle that defies total understanding and therefore explanation. Yet, we are commanded to be able to explain why we're so hopeful. In preparation for the MY HOPE AMERICA with Billy Graham crusade next month, we're challenging everyone to be prepared to explain their hope.

Living out the essence of our faith is important. But, it doesn't nullify the importance of being able to verbalize it. You see, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Amen.

Sensory deprivation

Sight. Sound. Smell. Taste. Touch. The senses He wired into the human body to give us identity and the ability to communicate with the world around us. They are His precious endowments so we can participate in and experience life's sensory joys. Imagine it without them.

But, there's more.  Today scientists tell us there are at a minimun of nine senses and perhaps as many as twenty one. Being personally deprived in scientific knowlege I cannot debate magnetoception or thermoception or where certain impulses fit into the sensory system. If you're curious about any of that stuff, take a minute and read through this dissertation. Go here. You may expand your brain power some. Whether that's about any of the senses, you decide.

In all of our delicacy however, it seems we fail to enumerate two primary senses. It could be the results of the sexual revolution and our being ruled by the flesh these days. Somewhere in the science of human development our enlightened brain power has forgotten what are perhaps the two most enduring senses, the ones that make life more bearable, the ones that help us live when the others are depleted by age or tragedy. So, what happened to common sense and the sense of humor?

The loss of common sense is tragic. If you don't believe it, just read the warning labels on common products that can be purchased at the local Wally World. On a name-brand steam iron is the warning not to use the iron on clothes you are wearing. Look at the computer pop-up illustrated in the above picture. Some genius penned this thing and it doesn't make a lick of sense. Last Christmas Harriet sent me out to pick up some Christmas lights. The warning said: only for indoor or outdoor use. I mean, what else is there? And, good grief. Why would a manufacturer need to warn about ironing clothes that someone was wearing? That's easy. Some idiot tried to iron a shirt while wearing it and singed the hair on his chest.

Life is funny at times and some of us need to learn about the humor thing too. One Sunday a couple of years ago I walked out to preach with my pants zipper gaping open. Frank Reeder tried to signal me but in my movement I just keep on rolling and the opening just got wider. Finally , during the welcome segment, my wife told me, I zipped up, and we all had a good laugh. Why pretend it didn't happen? At the door that day one old goat told me I was frivolous in God's house and was going to you know where. I guess the stuff about a merry heart being good medicine didn't apply that day. Ooops!

Hey, these are strange times. We need to wake up and smell the coffee, no doubt about it. But, we need to think straight and get a life too. Today, I'm thankful to have sight, smell, taste, touch, and a little sound working these days. More than that, however, I'm thankful my parents taught me to laugh and think.

A sense of humor and comon sense matter too.      

Does He really know? Yes.

When the worst happens everyone wants to help! Their eagerness and intent is often eclipsed by a genuine discomfort in wanting to make the right moves, speak appropriate words, and somehow ease the pains of crisis. In many cases the tragedy is multiplied by awkward greeting card platitudes or Bible thoughts solemnly spoken out of context. Usually, in those clumsy times we've learned to thank and embrace their kindness. You know it! Love covers a multitude of sins.

Yes, I know Matthew 6:8 and the assurance our Father knows what we need. But, yesterday, I had one of those special AHA! moments when a Bible verse I've read and even preached a number of times registered in a profound way. In fact, it was the central thought in my LIFE IN THE XTREME devotion for Tuesday. That it came from the heart and pen of Simon Peter gives it an even greater urgency for me. I mean, he is the soul mate of us impulsive types. He wrote, "Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered  little" (1 Peter 5:10). 

I know it sounds like Sunday School talk, but the thought of the Father personally restoring, establishing, strengthening, and support me during a trial had just drifted past me every time I had read, taught, or preached it. Sure, the Heavenly Father who knows me by name, knows what I need, and even knows how many hairs are on my head, will personally coach me through the crisis of our son's death. Two years later we're still counting on the peace that He promised in another of Peter's verses. You know, in "due time" (1 Peter 4:6).

But, the "personal" thing drove me further into the Word. That's when the idea of His personal care became bold print on the screen in my head. One was at the baptism of Jesus. Matthew wrote it this way, "And there came a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son; I take delight in Him" (Matthew 3:17). Mark and Luke said essentially the same thing, but personalized it, "You are My beloved Son. I take delight in you" (Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22). Later, at the transfiguration of Jesus, God spoke in the same way about Jesus (see Matthew 17: 5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35).  Jesus was His beloved Son who died.

Move past the simplisms often quoted during tragic hours. Follow the thought. God does know everything. In this particular instance, the death of a son, He knows the this loss in a more intimate way. Surely the Heavenly Father loved His only begotten Son at least as much, more likely much more, than Harriet and I loved Brian, or any precious loved one in this life. In my warped mind this translates to a personal care and intimacy that I had never considered.

Even more, our confession of His omniscience must be understood absolutely. Either He is or isn't omniscient. There can be no asterisks or footnotes or exception clauses. If He knows this pain and can personally guide us through it, how can we doubt or gloss over His knowledge of every personal crisis.

OK, here's where this whole thing rubs me today. Why did it take a personal tragedy like this to convince me that He really does know? King David, writing Psalm 139, in the Bible that I consider totally authoritative and infallible, wrote, "Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up" (verses 1-2). Is that not sufficient enough for me to affirm His knowledge of all things?

Our cynical times question everything. Our obsession with being real and authentic and bleeding in public may just create doubts about the inerrancy of His Word and the providential care of the Creator. I shouldn't have to walk through the valley of death to know that the Shepherd will guide me through it. You know, it's the walking in faith and not sight thing again. 

Does He really know? Yes. And, I pray you don't have to experience some horrible tragedy to know it for certain. If you do, you'll know it without a doubt.

Because I said so? No. Because He said so.

The private place

Faith is a dynamic admixture of the public and the private life. Evidently there's a dark night of the soul dimension that we can only experience in a quiet, solitary fellowship with the Father. Who can imagine, however, life without the corporate expressions of our shared faith? To be surrounded by God's people in times of trial or personal crisis, to know the joys of a worshiping, serving community, is to grasp our deep dependence on one another as members of His body. Still, there must be a time and place for the private life, personal moments with Him, away from the embrace and voices of His people when what is in our hearts is also on our lips and we can express our inner selves with-out fear of causing another to stumble or doubt.

Jesus certainly knew such times. Mark inserted a brief glimpse into our Lord's most private communion with the Father. He wrote, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there." (Mark 1:35). Luke added another when he wrote, "He often withdrew to deserted places and prayed" (Luke 5:16). Still more, the Gospels record event after event when Jesus went off alone to pray and listen, apart from the crowds, even away from His most intimate followers. Even in His teaching he mentioned the prayer closet and the occasion of private devotion. Surely there is a public aspect of our faith experience. Then again, there must be more intimate times just between us and Him.  

Authenticity is the deal now, a need for us to be real and genuine in the practice of our faith. When our son Brian was murdered two years ago, many people, especially the younger believers, wanted our grief to be public, lived out in the open, what one person said, "raw". Over and over some people wanted us to be angry at God, maybe a little confused about the horrible events that rocked our world, questioning Him because this tragedy had happened to us. Some people thought we were fakes when we announced that our faith was intact, our trust in the mysteries of God affirmed, and our comfort in His providential care a sure guide through the stages of grief.  Of course, we've prayed for His peace and know that He will give it. We sought to be as transparent publicly as we were privately.

But, there's been a private place in all of that, times when Harriet and I were alone to express our heartbreak and sadness, moments when we cried before the Lord, when we expressed our loss to Him, and when we waited for Him to speak to us. It wasn't a two-faced public and private persona, the hypocrisy of pretense or hidden emotions. More, it was usually the words and tears of one flesh reaching out to the one God for the love and comfort that we knew only He could bring.  

He continues to teach me the value of the private place. Sometimes when I am there I read through Job 23, that wonderful passage where Job said, "Today my complaint is bitter. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His throne. I would plead my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn how he would answer me and understand what He would say to me" (Job 23:1-5). But, of course, I know where to find Him, and am aware of His many promises, and know, as a person who trusts His word, that I will make that circuit of questions, and end where Job ended---"Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things to wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:3).

Life is a practicum and not simply a lecture. The lesson here? To know that faith is public and private, and that it isn't disingenuous to reserve some things for that private place with Him.

Baby steps

It's still a question that puzzles me at times. Why would an old, established Baptist church take a chance on an unprepared, untrained, and untried pastoral candidate like me? When Harriet and I walked through the new Woodland Baptist Church facility yesterday it was a question that seemed a somewhat clearer. Walking through a modern, growing church, it made a little more sense.

For much of its history Woodland was a small rural congregation with limited growth potential. They were open to newcomers and welcomed them when they moved into the area, though it was rare. They were mission hearted, participated in the life of the local volunteer fire department and community center, and were eager workers in associational and state convention projects. Still, in that setting, specific mission was elusive. So, over time they became a congregation noted for helping young men and women take their baby steps in ministry. Six miles from the campus of Wake Forest College, and then Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary when the college moved to Winston Salem, N.C., Woodland morphed into a training laboratory for men and women preparing for Christian ministry. Something very unique in the spiritual psyche of this wonderful church gave them the willingness, patience, in some cases endurance, to encourage, assist, and support individuals attending the seminary.

When Woodland Baptist Church ordained me June 1, 1980, I was truly an infant in ministry. My resume was scant---never preached, never baptized, never served communion, never officiated a wedding, never conducted a funeral service, never directed a choir or led congregational music, never planned a church calendar, never met with the senior adults or WMU circles, never prepared a church budget, never asked for tithes or offerings, never led a church council or deacons meeting, never counseled families, never conducted a children's sermon, or anything else in the varied motion of church life. So, what in the world would possess a church to call a pastor with no developed pastoral skills?

It came into focus yesterday. Now, thirty years later, the family lands surrounding the church have changed hands and subdivisions, upscale housing developments, and suburban encroachment has turned the serene rolling pastures to teeming neighbor- hoods and communities. Now, as they grow and expand, as they meet the challenge of reaching the suburban sprawl, their need for seasoned leadership to guide local outreach and mission will be more central. God has prepared them for this season of church life by teaching them to prepare others. They took in an eager candidate like me because it was their mission to do so. They were equipped with the heart to help someone like me fulfill the calling God had placed over my life. Today, where would so many of us have ever learned the essentials of serving apart from the gracious and generous people in churches like Woodland.

Yesterday, as we admired their new worship center, nursery and children's areas, and adult classrooms, I rejoiced in the blessing of Woodland Baptist Church. They have been a blessing to so many of us, and have been immensely blessed in the process. All over North and South Carolina are pastors, church staffers, professors, missionaries, and many servants who are the product of their gracious care. Now, God is blessing them in visible and tangible ways. He is blessing them because they have been faithful in blessing so many others.

Baby steps. Some churches aren't very skilled in helping God's men and women take them. But, some are. Some of them know it as part of their mission. And, I'm one pastor who is thanking God every day that they let me take those first steps with them. Since then, I've heard them yelling, "Run, Forest, Run"---their encouragement to grow and succeed.

And, that's it. They were our spiritual and ministerial parents. WOW!    

Spiritual markers

Being on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC,  for the fall trustee meeting is a deeply reflective experience for me. Much of our forty year marriage, ministry, and family life have revolved around this small town and this seminary campus.

Wake Forest is Harriet's home town. This is where Harriet's family had to approve our marriage. Much of our first year of marriage was spent in Wake Forest after Harriet's mother was diagnosed with cancer. Later, when God called me to ministry from a business career, we returned with our children to Wake Forest to attend the seminary. In our first year of seminary we were called to Woodland Baptist Church, Route 3, Wake Forest, to be their pastor. Harriet, Liz, Brian, and I lived with them for nearly three years.

So, much of our marriage, parenting skills, financial management, theological education and formation, and then ministry experience was developed in Wake Forest, at the seminary, and with the wonderful people at Woodland Baptist Church. Every visit is to remember and reflect on the most significant spiritual marker in our forty year journey. Much of what we know about life was taught to us here. So, it is with profound gratitude that we thank Him for the privilege of serving as a trustee of the seminary now, in the final years of our service.

When Israel crossed into the land of promise, Joshua was instructed to erect stones in the Jordan River to memorialize their miraculous crossing there. Erecting spiritual markers is an important discipline for those of us traveling the road of faith. Each marker reminds us of His faithfulness and the certainty of His promises. They recall for us His call over our lives and His provision of what we need to heed that call.

So, today and yesterday, I am humbled and thankful to walk this campus, and reflect on His goodness to Harriet and me and our family, over these forty years. It is also amazing how He can use a place to influence and shape our lives.

Here we are, at SEBTS and in Wake Forest forty years later. They are vastly different that when Harriet was a child and our marriage and ministry were in infancy. He is the same, and His touch on the campus, and the town remains profound. And, we are grateful for His blessings, and for the way this place continues to bless us.

WOW!

Church of what's happening now?

Comedian Flip Wilson kept us laughing back in the seventies with his hilarious characters and insane sense of humor. Geraldine was considered his most lasting character. Still, he got a great deal of comic mileage in skits about The Church of Whats Happening Now, and its illustrious pastor Reverend Leroy. The popular catch phrases "What you see is what you get", and "the devil made me do it", originated in Reverend Leroy sermons.

Of course, genuine comedy echoes enough truth to make us laugh at ourselves. Flip Wilson tip-toed around the racial tensions of the early seventies and made us all laugh, and then recognize the stereotypes that marked the times. His portrayal of his own backstory took us all to the altar of our own prejudices and possibly helped heal some of the bias that has marked American culture for generations. To boot, He was really funny. The picture above is just one occasion of Rev. Leroy preaching. WOW!

Underneath the obvious humor and racial profiling, there was a statement about the church too. The scriptwriters, Flip Wilson among them, chose the title with great deliberation and care. The Jesus movement and sexual revolution of the sixties, and the church growth fad of the seventies marked transition points for local churches. The disconnect between the church and culture widened during these decades, and the church struggled to adjust to the rapidly changing environment. The choice of "The Church of What's Happening Now" as a name for the second most watched TV program in 1970-1971, was strategic. From one angle it was poking fun at a church trying any and every thing to accommodate culture on the move. It was a powerful jolt to churches and denominations trying to be relevant to the times. Superimposed over the entire thing was the question, how far will the church go to maintain it's place in America's market-place of ideas? We're still asking that question today.

The Church of What's Happening Now! is something of an enigma. Surely there's a contextual element to redemptive mission, a need to serve God in our generation (see Acts 13: 36) and, like the men from Issachar, to underdstand the times and know what to do (1 Chron. 12:32). One of the most significant issues facing a large per centage of evangelicals is staying connected to a world changing as quickly as this one. Many congregatons are organized for the 1970's, or earlier, and cannot keep pace with the technology and velocity of the times. The disconnect is real, and is often total. Thay fifteen Southern Baptist churches hold final services every week is a vivid testimony to how sharp the chasm between church and local communities has actually become.

Just the same, many churches, in order to maintain some semblance of relevance to a very secular culture, have jettisoned the many of the traditions and much of truth of Scripture in order to make that connection. Finding a way to stay solidly grounded doctrinally and biblicly and up-to-date at the same time has been a real challenge. Somewhere there must be a joining of The Church of What's Happening Now and The Church of What Happened Then. Like the believer's in the Book of Acts, we must be centrally focused on the skandolon of the cross, with a glance over to the changing world around us.

Of course the goal is to the the Body of Christ, now. Perhaps we should pursue an objective to be The Church of What Happened Then, Now.The power of Christ's redemptive work fast-forwards through all of God's story and His resurrection is the central them of our worship and mission every day. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension are events marked clearly in human history, dates on an actual calendar, real time sacrifice and atonement at God's perfect time in history. What happened then is the pivot point of all history. It's efficacy, however, extends beyond a date or place. Changed lives happen every day now because of what happened then.

And, nothing is more timely, and relevant, than the Good News of the Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. What is more, think about this. The truth about what happened then is still changing lives now, on every continent, in every language, among every people group, where that message is proclaimed boldly.

The reconnect is not a slick marketing strategy or mission statement. It is being The Church of What Happened Then, Now.

Jump start your week

The Gallup Polls people tell us that 70% of Americans who answered their recent survey questions indicate they either hate their jobs, or are completely disengaged while on the job. That's a sad stat, even if you only spend 40 hours/week at the job site. If you want to read the depressing article, go here.

On down the opinion survey list is the fact that one in seven people are married to the person that is not the love of their life. How dreary! So, if you're in a job you don't like, and you're just in like with your husband or wife, there's going to be a negative overlay over every minute of every day.

Maybe the pollsters just caught us on a bad day. Perhaps it just attitude check time. Why not jump start the new week. Here's the plan: (1) get the entire family up early, (2) eat a good breakfast with them (3) go to Sunday School and church, (4) listen to the message the the minister brings, (5) reflect on that message throughout the week.

Here's what you can expect. Your life satisfaction quotient will trend upward. Most everything about your life will register signs of approval. You will be a different person at home and at work. You may even fall in love with your work and fellow employees, and your spouse. You know, miracles do happen.

So, jump start your week. Go to church today!

Let's tighten your belt

So, the financial crisis means there's going to be some belt-tightening around here. Here's how we're going to do it. First, we're going to reduce the cable bill. So, from this point forward, there will be no HGTV, QVC, HSN, the Hallmark Channel, Nickleodean, Cartoon Channel, Disney Channel, health TV, CNN, or Discovery. ESPN and ESPN 1-5 are considered essential to national security so they'll stay, along with the Military Channel, History Channel, Fox News, NASCAR channel, Golf TV, and The Western Channel.

The food budget will be trimmed as well. Starting Saturday there will be no more brussel sprouts, kumquat, tofu, quiche, yogurt, decaf coffee, strawberry cola, or mint ice-cream. Some of the other frills will be sequestered also: manicures and pedicures will take a furlough, as well as baths every day, toothpaste, most make- up products, and there will be a moratorium on purchasing pocket books.

Because all of us most carry our part of the financial burden, I have decided to forego my gym membership, getting my gums scraped, eating spinach dip, construction of a new back deck, wearing deodorant, and taking my gas pills each day. We're all in this together and must make sacrifices toward the greater good. For this reason I have also decided to pass on our season tickets to the ballet and symphony, and weekly visits to the mall. It's tough, but someone has to do it.

All said in jest as Congress enrolls us in the health care disaster but gives themselves a pass. It's more of a joke that the cartoon pictured above, or my silly imaginings.

But, it is something to think about. So, think about it.

Then, call your congressman and tell him or her what you think. If you don't know how, go here. And, if you don't call them, stop whining.