Jesus Christ Superman?

To demand from strength that it does not express itself as strength, that it does not consist of a will to overpower, a will to throw down, a will to rule, a thirst for enemies and opposition and triumph, is just as unreasonable as to demand from weakness that it express itself as strength.
Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, First Essay

According to Nietzsche, Christianity is an attempt by the weak and powerless to control the strong and powerful.

The original morality was the morality of the noble. These are the elite people, the people who naturally rose to the top in society. They were powerful, courageous, happy, energetic, optimistic and confident. They considered everyone like them to be "good." The others, they viewed as "bad."

These people were "bad" because they were weak, timid, fearful, pessimistic, and resentful. They saw themselves as victims.

Because there were more of the weak people than the strong, the weak banded together to promote a new "slave morality."

This was their attempt to make life better for those who suffer. And it also served as leverage against the powerful.

The weak defined themselves as the "good." The powerful now became "evil."

The virtues of this new morality became

• Patience
  
• Humility
  
• Love
  
• Forgiveness
  
• Compassion
  
• Equality
  
• Submissiveness
  

This morality is used to keep the powerful in check:

The practice of judging and condemning morally, is the favorite revenge of the intellectually shallow on those who are less so, it is also a kind of indemnity for their being badly endowed by nature, and finally, it is an opportunity for acquiring spirit and becoming subtle—malice spiritualizes. They are glad in their inmost heart that there is a standard according to which those who are over-endowed with intellectual goods and privileges, are equal to them, they contend for the "equality of all before God," and almost need the belief in God for this purpose.

But this morality is against nature. It becomes the enemy of life. It focuses on an "afterworld" and resigns itself to suffering, to trying to make the best of a bad situation.

According to Nietzsche, egoism is the very essence of a noble soul.

The hope for mankind is to be found in the Übermensch, the Overman or Superman.

The Overman lives for the earth, not some future life that may or may not arrive. He makes himself, not depending upon anyone or anything. He is confident, optimistic and strong-willed. He is not afraid to take risks. He creates his own values, not submitting to the mores of society.

Nietzsche sees Jesus as someone who came close to becoming an Overman. He was his own person. He did not bow to the current cultural norms. He was confident and self-directed.

But he had a serious flaw.

He depended upon God—and called for others to do the same. He talked about love, forgiveness and humility. He sacrificed himself for the "kingdom of God."

According to Nietzsche, the weak deserve what they get. The strong have an obligation to take over. The future of the earth depends upon the success of the elite. (Think Hitler.)

The morality of Nietzsche has more influence in modern culture than people generally recognize.

• Donald Trump embodies the attitude of the Overman and has encouraged a "take no prisoners" approach to business.
  
• We applaud sports figures who use subterfuge and deception in the name of "doing what it takes" to secure victory.
  
• We admire celebrities who Did It [Their] Way.
  

Even in the Church, we covet power, wealth and influence. In fact, Nietzsche considered the church of his day to be a parody of itself. It preached the "slave morality" but lived by the "master morality."

Nietzsche was right in his assessment of the Church. Far too often the institutional church has failed to live by the very principles it expects its members to practice. And he is partially correct in his distinction between slave morality and master morality.

But he is wrong in at least two particulars.

• The morality of God (not necessarily that of religion) is life affirming and optimistic. It is the selfish morality that in the end is deadening and pessimistic.
  
• The way of Jesus (the way of the cross) is the way only of apparent weakness and apparent defeat. It is through his "weakness" and "defeat" that Jesus Christ overcame the powers of evil and oppression.
  

So here's the question: Are we going to follow the teachings of Jesus or the teachings of Nietzsche?

Jesus said, "Bless those who curse you."

Nietzsche said, "It is inhumane to bless when one is being cursed."

Nietzsche writes:

What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power in man, the will to power, power itself. What is bad? All that is born of weakness. What is happiness? The feeling that power is growing, that resistance is overcome (The Antichrist).

Jesus said:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25–28).

What do you think?

Here are some questions you might wish to answer:

• What are some examples of a "morality" of resentment?
  
• In what ways do the presidential campaigns appeal to "slave morality"? To "master morality"?
  
• How has the institutional church denied the teachings of its founder?
  
• What positive insight can the followers of Jesus Christ take from the criticisms of Nietzsche?
  
• In what ways are the teachings of Jesus life affirming?
  

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Christian Political Action

As followers of Jesus Christ, what should be our role in politics?

Jesus called us to be in the world but to avoid becoming part of it. The way of Christ is the way of the cross—victory through weakness. The accumulation of earthly power seems contradictory to Christian discipleship.

Yet we are called to participate in the advancement of God's kingdom, seeing his will done on earth as it already is in heaven.

In a series of lectures in Bangalore, India, given in 1941, Lesslie Newbigin asserted

I do not see how the Christian can avoid concerning himself with politics. Love to men, and the fundamental obligation to seek everywhere to create true fellowship, cannot be made effective except over a very small range of life, without invoking political means. Lesslie Newbigin, Signs Amid the Rubble: The Purposes of God in Human History, p. 53

He reminded the audience that the kingdom cannot be produced by human effort. It can only come by God acting in history. But we have been given the privilege of participating in that kingdom.

While political participation is necessary, it is not without its difficulties.

Politics never allows us to choose exactly our own way, but compels us to decide between a very small number of politically possible alternatives. This means, therefore, that Christians taking part in politics always find themselves working with people who are not Christians and [who] do not share their motives or their ultimate aims. It is this that creates the extreme tension which is always involved in Christian political action. That tension cannot be avoided. Lesslie Newbigin, Signs Amid the Rubble: The Purposes of God in Human History, pp. 53–54

This means that we can never align ourselves with a political party, or even a political candidate.

We must never lose sight of our true goal. We are not seeking to establish a human-centered utopia. All those efforts seem to end in tragedy and exploitation. Our true goal is the perfect community of the New Jerusalem.

Our goal is the holy city, the New Jerusalem, a perfect fellowship in which God reigns in every heart, and His children rejoice together in His love and joy. To that we look forward with sure hope, and for its sake we offer up to God all that we do in response to His invitation to love our neighbor as we ourselves have been loved. Lesslie Newbigin, Signs Amid the Rubble: The Purposes of God in Human History, p. 55

At the same time, we realize that the goal will never be accomplished by us. This true community always remains just out of our grasp. In fact, the forces of evil seem to grow in strength at the same time that God's kingdom spreads.

And though we know that we must grow old and die, that our labors, even if they succeed for a time, will in the end be buried in the dust of time, and that along with the painfully won achievements of goodness, there are mounting seemingly irresistible forces of evil, yet we are not dismayed. We do not need to take refuge in any comfortable illusions. We know that these things must be. But we know that as surely as Christ was raised from the dead, so surely shall there be a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Lesslie Newbigin, Signs Amid the Rubble: The Purposes of God in Human History, p. 55

But this does not lead us to despair and passivity. On the contrary, we act with hope and purpose.

A Christian is one who, through Christ, has been reconciled with God who is the King. God's rule is operative in his heart, through gratitude to Christ. If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. His gratitude impels him to acts of love towards men, but he also acts in hope—hope of the final completion of God's Kingdom in a perfected fellowship. Even though his actions may all seem to be failures as far as visible effectiveness is concerned, he commits them to God as his thank offering. In the sure hope that they will not be lost. And by faith, the substance of things hoped for, he now possesses in his heart a foretaste of the joy of that perfected Kingdom in which God's purposes shall be complete. Lesslie Newbigin, Signs Amid the Rubble: The Purposes of God in Human History, pp. 52–53

Christianity is not a private, personal thing. It is public and universal. It is good news for all people everywhere. At is very core, Christianity is political. The claim, "Jesus is Lord," has distinct political implications. As followers of Christ, we participate in his war against the "powers."

But we must never forget that it is God's kingdom and his mission.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

You’re Fired!

So it turns out that I'm not the only voice crying in the wilderness. It seems that someone else has a problem with the idea of a pastor as CEO (HT: Darryl Dash).

Backyard Missionary asks "Where on earth did we ever get the idea that the 'Chief Executive Officer' was an appropriate biblical expression of leadership?"

Have we really become a commercial enterprise where the strong survive and the weak get fired?

I don't believe the CEO has any place in the 'family' of God.

I also get the impression that our natural evangelical pragmatism has caused us to ask 'how can we do this thing better?' which is a good question, but the answer has been to adopt business principles and then bring accountability to bear on those in positions of leadership for whether they manage to implement the strategies and goals of the company. Even if the things we want to do better are often beyond our control we still appoint someone with the responsibility to do them… and fire them if they don't pull them off.

Maybe I'm not losing my mind after all.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Do We Believe in Grace or Not?

In the church we like to talk about and sing about grace. But do we really believe in grace?

• If we really believed in grace, we would quit acting as if everything depended upon our performance.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't hold people's past sins against them once they had repented.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't write people off as beyond redemption.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be filled with pride that we are not like "them."
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be too proud to admit our shortcomings and struggles.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be putting our trust in money, fame and power.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be such jerks when we're driving.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be preaching sermons that are designed to get people to "try harder."
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be so consumed with anxiety and fear.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would be looking for the ways that God is already working among us instead of begging him to bless our grand strategies.
  
• If we really believed in grace, other people would be able to tell by the way we live.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would be living lives of love, joy and peace.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would value people more than our theological system.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would be grateful for the abundant goodness that God showers upon us.
  

I think I believe in grace. I want to believe in grace. I need to believe in grace.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto IV

What are the criteria for "success"?

If the focus is not on results, then how do we measure success? We certainly cannot measure it according to the standards of the business world.

The lure of success is seductive. Its siren song causes many people to uncritically ascribe so much authority to high-profile leaders, platform speakers and megachurch pastors…. In American measurement, Jesus' human life was a failure because it ended in the shame and disgrace on a cross with all his followers abandoning him.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 11

When numerical growth is taken as the criterion of judgment on the church, we are transported with alarming ease into the world of the military campaign or the commercial sales drive.

Leslie Newbigin, The Open Secret, p. 127

The fruit of effective ministry should first of all be evident in the life of the minister.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23).

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a high-profile leader in the Church is generally not peace, patience, kindness or gentleness. In fact, these qualities are often lacking.

Christians are routinely taught by example and word that it is more important to be right… than it is to be Christlike. In fact, being right licenses you to be mean, and, indeed, requires you to be mean—righteously mean, of course.

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, p. 238

What matters is not what we are doing and how much we are accomplishing but the kingdom character with which we conduct our business and how we treat people in the process.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, pp. 101-102.

The other measure of "success" is faithfulness.

There is no room either for anxiety about our failure or for boasting about our success. There is room only for faithful witness to the one in whom the whole purpose of God for cosmic history has been revealed and effected, the crucified, risen, and regnant Christ.

Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, p. 125

But what about the situations where nothing seems to be happening?

For those who lead and reason "in the flesh," suffering is a sign that something is wrong, that something is failing, that we should go in a different direction.… For those who learn to lead in the Spirit, we come to recognize that suffering and struggle are often signs that we are on the right road, that we are heading in the right direction, that we are kicking a dent in the darkness.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 66.

"Failure," rather than being a sign that something is wrong, can be an asset.

If we are not very successful in ministry, in whatever way we measure success, then God does not have a hard time getting us out of the way. . . . The burdens of office may have become so heavy that we welcome being bumped aside by Jesus.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 25

Suffering is not the enemy of ministry. It is through suffering and weakness and "defeat" that God accomplished his victory in Jesus Christ. God does not work in spite of our weakness. He works through our weakness.

The way of the cross sometimes leads us into those places where all we can do is hold on. We can't see our way forward, we are confused that God isn't doing what we expect, and we can't see any meaning for all the pain and frustration.

Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi, Kingdom Come, p. 170

We must always do what we know is right and true before God even if it doesn't seem as if it produces results.

Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi, Kingdom Come, p. 172

We must never forget that the path of the cross lead to and through the darkness of death, not around it. Yet the God that we follow is the God of resurrection. We must hang on and stay faithful for as long as it takes.

Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi, Kingdom Come, p. 173

Faithfulness is not a dodge to avoid responsibility. Faithfulness is not a cover for laziness. Faithfulness is not taking the easy way out.

There is a world of difference between being productive and being fruitful, between striving to build Christ's church and allowing Christ to build his church through you.

Stephen Seamands, Ministry in the Image of God, p. 92

When faithfulness is replaced with mere success, we have failed in our obligation to our Lord.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto III

What is the "job" of a pastor?

These ideas about leadership lead to misguided notions about what the role of a pastor should be. These notions are rooted in culture and are based upon value systems that are contrary to the gospel.

In North America the culture of the strong leader has pushed aside a proper, biblical understanding of the role of a pastor.

A pastor is not a CEO. Yet pastors are encouraged to follow the "take no prisoners" strategy of strong leadership. Because we have turned the mission of the Church into a to-do list and have lost our theological moorings, our pragmatism quickly degenerates into an "ends justify the means" mindset.

A casual observer may more easily compare much of what masquerades for Christianity with Nietzsche's power ideal than with Jesus' focus on vulnerability and service and Paul's conviction that God's power most often shows through our weakness.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 83

Some pastors suffer from the messiah complex. They need to be needed. Others buckle under the weight of "responsibility." But this is not a responsibility placed upon them by God. Others mindlessly follow the model of business leaders and sports heroes. As "quarterbacks" it is their job to "take control of the huddle."

We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for.

Henri J. M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, pp. 43-44

To be truly effective, pastors must give up the idea that they are the key to success. They must avoid the temptation of thinking that God needs them.

Our strategies, action plans, pastoral resources and entrepreneurial church revitalization techniques have become not the solution but the problem. Our ministries need to be crucified. They need to be killed off.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 10

If anything of any lasting value happens in the Church, it is not because of the skill, effort or dedication of a pastor. The only way anything worthwhile will come about is through the work of the reigning Lord Jesus Christ.

Everything that we "know" about pastoral ministry has to be rethought.

Ministry is not a matter of a minister working hard, preaching relevant sermons, being a super-efficient congregational administrator, attending those who are sick, downcast, grieving and lonely, all the while growing the congregation and charming the people with a winsome and attractive ability to relate warmly.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 119

All that we think we should do and can do and are doing in ministry must be put to death.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 13

So is there nothing for a pastor to do?

There is much important work to be done by pastors. At its heart, the work of a pastor is primarily theological.

The work of theological reflection in a profoundly changing culture must be reintroduced into the daily practices of pastoral life.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 170

The Christian leaders of the future have to be theologians, persons who know the heart of God.

Henri J. M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, p. 68

Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Theological reflection requires fluency in the Scriptures, personal knowledge of God and a deep understanding of the culture. Doing theology should not be left to those in academia. It is not a luxury reserved for those who have extra time. A pastor should never say, "I'm not a theologian."

Theological discernment is the primary skill we need. Regardless of our therapeutic skills, without theological discernment pastoral care does not happen. God undoubtedly is up to something, but it will be in spite of us if we are not focused on the present ministry of Jesus Christ.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 131

The task of pastoral interpretation is through and through theological, always asking the key question Who is Jesus Christ for this person, and what does this mean for faith and faithfulness?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 137

Doing theology does not mean memorizing the propositions of some dead thinker. The work of theology is more narrative than it is propositional. The content of the Old Covenant is the story of God's interaction with his people to deliver them from slavery, oppression and their own faithlessness. The New Covenant is likewise a story, a continuation of the previous story but with several surprising twists.

At its core, pastoral work involves bearing witness to the joining of two stories, the parishioner's and God's. Who is Jesus Christ specifically for this person amid the particularities and exigencies of her current life experience?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 128

Proclamation is an important part of the role of pastor. Preaching is not about tips and techniques for a better life. It is not about selling tickets to heaven. It is not about mobilizing volunteers.

Everything else we might do is an addition to speaking of God. Because God is means God acts, we must speak of the God who has acted, does act and will act in time and space in, through and as Jesus Christ. Everything else we do is secondary, no matter what its seeming institutional, programmatic or administrative importance.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 132

Commit yourself again to ever more deeply becoming a careful preacher of Christ. Don't preach to grow your congregation; preach to bear witness to what the Lord is doing, and let him grow your church.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 44

The primary task of the pastor is theological reflection and proclamation. To that the pastor must add the ability to "connect" with other people.

No matter what your theological skills, if you do not know how to relate to another person, your pastoral work will not get off square one.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, pp. 130–131

The effective pastor cares for people, not in the abstract but as individuals. The effective pastor has empathy. The effective pastor knows how to put others at ease and just be with them.

I would argue that in today's society, any attempt to model your life on the life of Christ must include a genuine attempt to hang out regularly in third places. Genuine incarnational living demands it.

Michael Frost, Exiles, p. 59

Incarnational ministry is not about goals, agendas or schedules. Incarnational ministry is simply being with people redemptively. Incarnational ministry is the "enfleshment" of God's love, mercy and grace.

Ministry is no longer about us and our skills. It is now about the real presence of Jesus Christ, whenever and wherever in his gracious freedom and love he is Emmanuel, God with us.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 16

Incarnational ministry is impossible if the focus is on results. When we start to press, we begin to rely on our skills, commitment and effort. The ministry stops being about the presence of Jesus Christ and starts to be about "closing the deal."

All our instincts and training tell us that we should do something. Our sense of responsibility makes us feel guilty that we are not trying "hard enough." But, if we give in to these impulses, we lose our long-term effectiveness, and possibly our souls as well.

To live and minister in light of these truths [of the gospel] you really do have to have a lot of peace in your heart. That comes from the realization that you don't have to make it happen. You just have to be truthful, follow your studies, stay with your fellowship with the few who are close to you, and just keep going. Because, truthfully, what we need is a revolution, but revolution is always very dangerous. And human revolutions always devour their children. And so what we need is a revolution that is actually conducted by Christ. And that means that we have to be content not to make things happen.

Dallas Willard, "New Age of Ancient Christian Spirituality" www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=95

The issue is not How does Jesus get in on our ministries? Instead, because he is the living and reigning Lord, the issue is now What is he up to, and how do I hitch a ride on whatever he is up to?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 12

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto II

What is leadership?

The style of leadership taught by Donald Trump on his Apprentice TV show has found its way into the boardroom of many American corporations and into the pastor's office of many churches.

There is considerable debate whether this style of leadership is effective in the business world. But there should be no debate whether this style of leadership is appropriate within the kingdom of God.

Jesus told his disciples, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:25–26).

Even in the business world there has been significant interest in "servant leadership." But too often in the Church, the talk of servant leadership is little more than lip service. Or it is seen as a technique to wield power more effectively.

Church leaders seem to covet the same power, fame and clout as the ego-driven business leaders. But leadership in the Church is not primarily about getting things done.

Leadership is not so much about task effectiveness, management ability, vision casting or time efficiency. Leadership is about modeling life in Christ.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 100

God does not need our programs, long-term goals and strategies. What he wants are people who have learned how to depend upon him.

What we need from our leaders and in our churches is not new principles, new ideas or new buildings. What we need is a renewed dependence upon God, to be renewed in the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 29

Leadership is primarily about discipleship, discipleship of the leader. The leader must learn to recognize what God is already doing. The leader must learn how to depend upon God's power and resources. The leader must learn how to help others follow him or her in this process.

Too much of what passes for leadership in the Church is ego-driven manipulation with a spiritual veneer.

To accomplish spiritual results we do not create the future by visioning it or by mobilizing people to create our picture of what the future will be. I am directly criticizing a predominant teaching among Christian writing and leadership seminars that promote the importance of vision. My criticism of them is they do not use "vision" the way the Bible does, and their teaching tends to promote flesh acts, not Spirit-led leadership.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 159

Before long we no longer need God except as a magic charm to give us "good luck." These are our plans, our ideas, our vision. We go through the ceremony of having God bless them, but they remain ours.

For too long, church leaders have been obsessed with the search for the program, tactic, or strategic plan that delineates a goal, sets out a path, and aligns people in moving toward and realizing a predetermined future.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 145

Church leadership seems to have borrowed the worst of "leadership" in the business world.

Whole systems of church life are being formed on the basis of the CEO leader who takes charge, sets growth goals, and targets "turn around" congregations much like a business CEO who comes in to lead a failing corporation.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 27

Not only is there a theological problem with this approach, but (ironically) there is a practical problem as well. When the "strong leader" becomes the model, the "followers" tend to become passive.

We have been so captivated by hierarchical, top-down conceptions of leadership, be it that of bishops, superintendents, pastors, and CEO-type leaders, that we have inadvertently blocked the power latent in the people of God.

Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways, p. 163

But the real problem here remains the theological one. Our methods and models deny the message we proclaim.

Our theology says that we should lead from below, but all our models say we should look and act successful.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 190

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto I

This is the first installment of a four part series looking at the Church from a missional perspective.

What is the Mission of the Church?

After his resurrection, Jesus said to his disciples, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19–20). But this "commission" has been understood in many different ways.

Some like to emphasize "go" and use it as a mandate for world missions. Others interpret "make disciples" as evangelism or getting people signed up for heaven. Some see "baptizing" and "teaching" as representing evangelism and discipleship respectively.

But the first problem here is the assumption that this is our project.

It is somewhat misleading to talk about the mission of the Church. It is God's mission that he has invited us to participate in. This distinction is crucial.

Mission, then, is not essentially a human activity undertaken by the church and its leaders out of obligation to the Great Commission, gratitude for what God has done for us, and the desperate plight of the world. It is God's own mission in which we are invited to participate.

Stephen Seamands, Ministry in the Image of God, p. 161

This doesn't mean that this mission begins as God's mission which he then eventually turns over to the Church.

It is of the greatest importance to recognize that it remains his mission. One of the dangers of emphasizing the concept of mission as a mandate given to the Church is that it tempts us to do what we are always tempted to do, namely to see the work of mission as a good work and to seek to justify ourselves by our works. On this view, it is we who must save the unbelievers from perishing.

Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, p. 117

We can't save people or convert them. We can't even convince people that they should allow God to save them. All we can do is demonstrate the life of discipleship and create an environment where individuals can hear and recognize the call of God.

The Church's job is not to save people but to shape the space in which God calls them to Himself.

Earl Creps, Off-Road Disciplines, p. 145

The mission of the Church is more about being than it is about doing. The Church is the embodiment of God on earth. This is what the Bible means when it calls the Church the Body of Christ.

And Jesus didn't charge his disciples with making converts. He called them to make disciples.

The primary function of the church is not evangelism, but to be a place for the dwelling of God on the earth. This requires that people grow and receive God and occupy their place with God. That would have a natural effect of evangelism. What we want is not just evangelism that makes converts. We want disciples... and if you are intent on making disciples and keep on that track, evangelism will take care of itself.

Dallas Willard, "Rethinking Evangelism" www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=53

The Church is a "place" where the reign of Christ is a present reality. The Church is God's agency for announcing the claim of the risen Lord to a world filled with imposters. The Church is one of the instruments used by God to extend his kingdom and to assert his authority over the forces of evil.

The Christian mission is thus to act out in the whole life of the whole world the confession that Jesus is Lord of all.

Leslie Newbigin, The Open Secret, p. 17

This requires deep knowledge of God and more than a passing familiarity with the culture in which a particular congregation finds itself.

The business of the church is to tell and to embody a story, the story of God's mighty acts in creation and redemption and of God's promises concerning what will be in the end. The church affirms the truth of this story by celebrating it, interpreting it, and enacting it in the life of the contemporary world.

Lesslie Newbigin, Proper Confidence, p. 76

When the mission of the Church is reduced to a particular activity, the focus shifts to the means and methods used to perform that activity. Pragmatism quickly becomes the primary concern.

Overemphasis on technique can undermine solid missiological thinking. There is a lack of theological depth in much of the contemporary church planting and church growth movements because these are movements of techniques, paradigms, and methodologies without genuine biblical and missiological convictions.

Ed Stetzer & David Putman, Breaking the Missional Code, p. 184

The mission of the Church is about being. There is much that can and should be done, but that always grows out of who the Church is and especially out of who Jesus is.

A local congregation is a subversive community that lives in submission to the true Lord and refuses to bow down to the pretenders to the throne. It lives with courage, confidence and compassion. It embodies love, joy and peace in a world where people live without God and without hope.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Evangelicalism’s Magic Eyeglasses

When Joseph Smith "discovered" gold plates buried in the side of a hill in upstate New York, he used magic glasses (or a "peep stone") to translate the unknown language (later "identified" as Reformed Egyptian) into English. This "translation" is known as The Book of Mormon.

But the Mormons are not the only ones who use questionable means to interpret Scripture.

Reverend Russell Rathbun (HT: Maggi Dawn) lists some "rules" that Evangelicals use to apply the Bible. Here's my adaptation of his list:

1. Everything in the Bible is addressed to me and is about me.
   
2. Everything in the Bible is about what I should do and what I should not do.
   
3. The Bible is a collection of principles and timeless truths that are to be discovered and applied according to rule #2.
   
4. The Bible means what I think it means.
   
5. The Gospel is about getting people signed up for heaven.
   
6. Grace is a good concept, but for everyday life we need clear rules.
   
7. Holiness is a good concept, but God doesn't really expect us to be that way.
   

Maybe it's time to take off our magic eyeglasses and let the Bible speak for itself.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Is Jesus Dead?

Much of what happens in churches today is little more than what you might get if you combined an AA group, a Rotary Club, and a positive-thinking seminar.

Jesus is important, but he is important mostly as an idea.

Even in very conservative churches, Jesus is little more than a person who once did something that benefits his followers today. The really important event was his crucifixion. The Resurrection was a nice bonus, sort of an "in-your-face" to Satan. And the Ascension is virtually ignored.

Of course, if you asked these people they would say that they believe Jesus lives in heaven.

But it is well established that what people say they believe is often very different than what they actually believe.

Let's face it, most of what happens in churches doesn't need Jesus to be alive.

The worst offenders are pastors.

We act as if everything depends upon us. We want God to bless our work, but it is our work. We may ask God for advice from time to time, but it is up to us to perform our ministry with faithfulness and to produce results for the kingdom.

• We go to school to be trained how to be effective ministers.
  
• We read books about becoming better leaders.
  
• We go to seminars to learn how to cast our vision.
  
• We develop goals and plans to make the most use of our time and our abilities.
  
• We may even go to retreats to learn how to depend more upon God in what we do.
  

But in the end, it is our work and our ministry.

In effect, we have killed Jesus all over again.

This is not our church, our work, our ministry. It is his Church and his ministry.

The issue is not How does Jesus get in on our ministries? Instead, because he is the living and reigning Lord, the issue is now What is he up to, and how do I hitch a ride on whatever he is up to?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 12

What we do as pastors is not determined by a market survey. It is not determined by a skills assessment. It is not determined by an oversight board's idea of what should be done.

The first and central question in thinking about ministry is Who is Jesus Christ and what is he up to?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 13

Our normal approach to ministry is the problem.

All that we think we should do and can do and are doing in ministry must be put to death.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 13

Everything we "know" about pastoral ministry is wrong:

Ministry is not a matter of a minister working hard, preaching relevant sermons, being a super-efficient congregational administrator, attending those who are sick, downcast, grieving and lonely, all the while growing the congregation and charming the people with a winsome and attractive ability to relate warmly.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 119

This is the primary purpose of pastoral ministry:

At its core, pastoral work involves bearing witness to the joining of two stories, the parishioner's and God's. Who is Jesus Christ specifically for this person amid the particularities and exigencies of her current life experience?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 128

Pastoral care is not primarily about the minister's care. Neither is the minister a professional for hire who is paid to care. His or her primary mission is to bear witness to Jesus Christ. The specific skill that is brought is theological rather than functional.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 144

The thing we must do is bear witness to the Lord who always gets there, wherever there is, ahead of us with his healing, saving, blessing, renewing, restoring, raising, forgiving, comforting and kingdom-bringing ministry of God's grace, love and communion.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, pp. 133

Go to Amazon now and buy The Crucifixion of Ministry.

Jesus is Lord. Act like it.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Walk This Way

In the movie Young Frankenstein there is a classic comedy scene where "Igor" (Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) to "walk this way." This scene inspired the hit song by Aerosmith.

There is a similar misunderstanding in the church, which would be hilarious if it were not so tragic. Congregations try to mimic "successful" churches and end up without either success or anything resembling a church. Reverend Russell Rathbun writes (HT: Maggi Dawn):

Nothing is sadder than to see a beautiful congregation of fifty member that has been around for a hundred years in a small town in rural Iowa turn them selves inside out chop up their organ, spend what little money they have on technology (cordless mic.s and keyboards are favorite starters, then on to the projector and the power point) all because one of the board members attended a Willow Creek training and bought the "How To" book at the sales table on the way out.

The church ends up having to watch kindly Mr. Sundquist fumble with the sound system, able to get from it only ear piercing feed back, while the forty nine year old volunteer youth director tries to rap.

He likens this to trying to wear someone else's clothes. The book of Acts, he argues, is not a "how to" book. We shouldn't try to mine it for the "biblical principles" for growing a successful church.

The only thing worse than wearing someone else's hip new clothes, is wearing someone else's old clothes.

But this is not only true for the early Church in the book of Acts. It is also true for the "seeker-driven" model of Willow Creek and Saddleback Church. Not only are the strategies and methods a poor fit for most congregations, but the days of the church service as a late-night talk show or as a rock concert are over.

So what do you think?

Why are church leaders so eager to copy the methods of others? Why are new churches trying to become megachurches "right out of the box"? Why do small churches have such an inferiority complex?

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

No More Biblical Principles

You can find people offering "Biblical Principles" for just about any subject:

• Biblical Principles for Marriage
  
• Biblical Principles for Business
  
• Biblical Principles for Raising Children
  
• Biblical Principles for Spanking
  
• Biblical Principles for Finances
  
• Biblical Principles for Time Management
  
• Biblical Principles for Conflict Resolution
  
• Biblical Principles for Fitness
  
• Biblical Principles for Government
  
• Biblical Principles for Church Organization
  
• Biblical Principles for Leadership
  
• Biblical Principles for Sex
  
• Biblical Principles for Education
  
• Biblical Principles for Church Music
  
• Biblical Principles for Vegetarianism
  
• Biblical Principles for Bible Study
  
• Biblical Principles for Prosperity
  
• Biblical Principles for Economics
  

So what's the problem?

The problem is that these "biblical principles" do not all agree and are often more an expression of culture than they are of any clear teaching of the Bible.

Just because something is stated in the Bible that doesn't mean it is a "biblical principle."

Some things are clearly presented as biblical principles, especially statements by Jesus. When Jesus said, "Bless those who curse you," he intended for it to be a guiding principle for his disciples.

But a passing statement in the Old Testament should not necessarily be turned into a "biblical principle."

The book of Proverbs is a collection of general truths. These are not "biblical principles" as the phrase is generally used. The precepts collected by Solomon and others require wisdom in their application. Some are even contradictory:

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself (Proverbs 26:4).

Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes (Proverbs 26:5).

Notice that these contradictory statements are found right next to each other. They were never intended to be "biblical principles."

The book of Psalms is a collection of Hebrew poetry. It is not a theology textbook. It is not a collection of "biblical principles."

Here is one of the milder imprecatory psalms:

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man (Psalm 10:15).

Surely that statement was not intended to become a "biblical principle."

The book of Job is a drama composed of speeches by Job, three of his friends, another guy who just shows up without explanation and God. God takes issue with what Job says. He repudiates the speeches of the three friends. And he ignores the comments of the other guy. There important theological lessons to be learned from Job's story. But be wary of any "biblical principles" that are based on proof texts from Job.

Statements made by God to Jeremiah (1:5) or through Jeremiah to the Israelites going into exile (29:11) are not "biblical principles" applying to Christians.

Actions taken by biblical characters are not necessarily templates for "biblical principles" to be applied to business, leadership or government.

Evangelicals seem to prefer a black and white world. They seek rules that they can blindly apply to every situation.

But being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not a paint-by-number project.

Let's have a little less talk about "biblical principles" and a little more focus on living as apprentices of Jesus Christ.

Jesus clearly avoided simplistic answers in his earthly ministry. Why would he want his followers to reduce his teaching now to simplistic rules?

Jesus did not call potential disciples to a code of conduct. He called them to follow him.

As a pastor, I must repent for all those sermons I preached when I said, "This is what the Bible says you should (not) do."

It's not my job to teach "biblical principles." My job is to say along with Paul, "Follow me as I follow Christ."

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Thinking Out Loud

Disclaimer: The following thoughts are offered to stimulate further thought. If you have anything to add (positive or negative) please leave a comment.

Many of the ideas people have about what God must be like come from Greek philosophy rather than from divine revelation. The idea that God cannot change in any way comes from a philosophical assumption about perfection.

The reasoning goes like this:

• Change involves getting better or getting worse.
  
• If God gets better, then he was not perfect before.
  
• If God gets worse, then he is no longer perfect.
  
• But God is eternally perfect.
  
• Therefore, God cannot change in any way.
  
  

But this is not the God of the Bible. This "god" is simply a philosophical construct that cannot have anything resembling a relationship. Such a god certainly cannot be acted upon or be affected by the actions of any other being. But he could not even "act" except in the sense that his being emanates eternally into some form of "action."

This "perfect" god could not plan out the creation of a universe. Even hypothetical actions in his mind must be perfect without any false starts. The whole "plan" must exist perfectly formed "all at once." What is more, that plan must have existed in his mind from all eternity. A god who devises a "plan" to create a universe is superior to a god who cannot do so or who hasn't yet gotten around to doing so.

Neither can this god enact his perfect plan. To do so would make him superior to a god who can't or hasn't. The "actions" of a "perfect" god would not be actions at all. They would be products that automatically and eternally result from his perfect eternal nature.

Yet the God of the Bible expresses

• regret (1 Samuel 15:35—The Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.),
  
• frustration (Exodus 4:14—Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses.),
  
• disappointment (Jeremiah 3:7—I thought that after she [Israel] had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.),
  
• outrage (Ezekiel 5:13—Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside.),
  
• delight (Deuteronomy 3:9, 10—The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands.), and
  
• joy (Zephaniah 3:17— The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.).
  
  

It is because of the philosophical view of God that he is assumed to be "outside" time. If he is "perfect" (according to the Greek view) then he cannot change in any way. To participate in time is to change.

If we imagine some hypothetical being who never changed in any way, it would be exactly the same at every point in time. If it is exactly the same today as it was three years ago, how can it be said to have participated in time in any meaningful way? Without some change in knowledge, feeling, attitude, intention, experience or some other property, there can be no involvement in time. Such a being could not have a relationship with a time-bound being anymore than a statue could have a relationship with a human being.

We say that God is "outside" time. But in order to interact with humans, God must participate in time in some way. Certainly the Incarnation was an instance of God "entering" time.

If Jesus is fully God and fully human, it seems unavoidable that God (in the Second Person of the Trinity) must be different in some way than he was before the Incarnation, before the coming together of the divine and human in the person of Jesus Christ.

That God is not bound by time seems beyond dispute. Time appears to be a property of creation. When God created the universe, he created time. But not being bound by time is not the same thing as "timeless."

When we try to conceptualize timelessness or eternity, we tend to image some sort of a steady state—an unchanging condition. In such a situation, nothing interesting happens. (No wonder that many people think heaven will be boring.)

But if that is the nature of God, creation could never have taken place. The only option would be for some kind of pantheistic world that eternally emanates from the divine being.

Timelessness does not allow for "before" or "after." But if God created the universe, there had to be a "before." There had to be a "time" before God had the idea to create the universe. After he had the idea, he "developed" his plan or strategy. He chose from among all the possible worlds he could have created to fashion this particular one. Did all this just pop into God's mind fully formed? If so, in what sense can it be said that he planned it or designed it?

(It seems that a distorted view of God's "sovereignty" logically results in a God who is also ruled by his own kind of determinism.)

If God is going to have any sort of a relationship with human beings, he must be able to interact with time. The Incarnation of Jesus is evidence that he has done just that.

The timeless god of Greek philosophy cannot do that.

But what about the biblical assertion that God does not change?

Let's look at a few of them:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
James 1:17

This statement follows an argument about the nature of temptation. James says that no one should accuse God of causing temptation. The reason is that God is good and that only good comes from him, because his goodness does not wax or wane.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19

These words are from the oracle of Balaam, who was hired by a king to pronounce a curse on the Israelites. What he is saying is that because God has already blessed them it is impossible to curse them. Once God has made a promise, he does not go back on it. Essentially Balaam is saying that God is a "man" of his word.

He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.
1 Samuel 15:29

These are the words of Samuel to King Saul, who has just been informed that God is revoking his appointment as king of Israel. In other words, Samuel is telling Saul that the revocation is absolute and that there is no appeal.

I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
Malachi 3:6

God is telling the Israelites that they have been faithless. And because of their faithlessness they should have expected to have been destroyed. The only reason that they haven't been is because Yahweh has remained faithful to his covenant even though the Israelites have failed to keep their part of the agreement.

Paul takes up the same theme:

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:11-13

God does not disown himself—change his basic nature. It is not possible for him to break faith.

This very characteristic of God often causes him to "change his mind":

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 3:10

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.
Hosea 11:8-9

Therefore the Lord was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them. Their enemies oppressed them and subjected them to their power. Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin. But he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; for their sake he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented.
Psalms 106:40-45

Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
Exodus 32:14

Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Joel 2:13

So the Lord relented. "This will not happen," the Lord said.
Amos 7:3

So the Lord relented. "This will not happen either," the Sovereign Lord said.
Amos 7:6

Did not Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek his favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them?
Jeremiah 26:19

(emphasis added)

Interestingly enough, one of the passages that proponents of theological determinism like to use teaches just the opposite:

Then the word of the Lord came to me:
"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."
Jeremiah 18:5-10

(emphasis added)

The Lord is announcing that he retains the flexibility to respond to the choices that people make. This seems to be anything but the impassive, imperturbable, immutable "God" suggested by Greek philosophy and deterministic theology.

• This is a God who has a real relationship with his people.
  
• This is a God who reacts and responds to the choices of his creatures.
  
• This is a God who is able to participate in time.
  
  

Make no mistake about it, Yahweh is perfect.

The point is that "perfect" doesn't mean what Greek philosophy has always thought it means.

The Lord is complete and lacking in nothing. But he is not the detached watchmaker of deism or the stoic deity of Plato.

He is the Eternal One who is perfectly revealed in Jesus Christ.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

God Kills Worshippers

This is the message of Peter Pike at Triablogue.

And he intends this to be a comforting thought.

According to Peter, God did this for a good reason known only to himself. Every specific thing that happens has been orchestrated by God before the creation of the world. All the seemingly free choices that people make have been predetermined by God. Everything happens exactly as God wants it to. God could have designed human history without people being shot at the New Life Church in Colorado, without planes flying into the World Trade Centers, and without millions of people being exterminated by the Nazis.

Peter writes, "I simply do not understand how anyone who is not Reformed could deal with this situation without falling into despair."

Let me explain.

God is sovereign. But he doesn't exercise exhaustive control over the tiniest of details. It is a rather impotent God who can only accomplish his purpose by rigging the system. He is on the level of a chess player who can win only by scripting the moves of his opponent.

Jesus Christ defeated sin, Satan and death, and God's ultimate victory is secure. I find it absurd that God would imitate his enemy in order to produce some good result.

The God of the Bible does not suffer from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. He does not create problems so that he can solve them and make himself look good.

God did not cause sin so that he could send his own Son to die a brutal death on a cross to satisfy his own wrath for something that he himself decreed must happen.

Peter writes, "Without the sure knowledge of the overall sovereignty of God, how can one rest in the promise of Romans 8 that all things will work for the good of those who love Christ and are called according to His purposes?"

If God exercises exhaustive control, then everything happens just the way he wants it to. It doesn't matter whether we believe that it happens that way. It doesn't matter whether we "acknowledge his sovereignty." It doesn't matter what we write on blogs. If Peter were right, then he wouldn't be trying to convince us that he is right.

This system has God saying, "Everything that happens has been orchestrated by me and will result in good for those who are fortunate enough to be among the called."

Instead, I hear Paul saying, "No matter what happens, God is resourceful enough to make it result in good for those who love him and trust in him."

Peter writes, "But if things can happen that God did not want, at some level, to have happen, how can we trust anything He has promised? How is He able to bring about His plan if events like this can thwart His purposes?"

Ah, here is where the logic fails. Just because some things happen "that God did not want" doesn't mean that they "can thwart His purposes."

Back to our chess player. Does a grand master need the novice to make any specific move in order to win the game?

Imagine the master saying, "Ah, I didn't expect that. Well, then I guess I'll move here."

Interestingly enough, the Bible is filled with God making several similar statements.

Yet the master wins the game. And God accomplishes his purposes.

Peter makes his biggest logical leap with this: "We [Calvinist] pray because we do believe in a sovereign God who can do as He pleases in His world. And we pray because we know that He will make all things work out for the good of His people, just as He has promised."

Let's get this straight. According to the Calvinists:

• God has predetermined the tiniest detail of human history. The movement of every molecule has been charted out in advance.
  
• There is nothing anyone can do to change a single one of these details.
  
• These people pray to this martinet of a God because he is going to do what he would have done anyway.
  

Not only is this illogical, it is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture.

Let me say plainly, God did not cause the deaths of those churchgoers in Colorado. God did not decree the massacre of millions of human beings for some greater good.

God will accomplish his purpose.

• But our choices are real.
  
• We can influence the shape of the future.
  
• Our actions do make a difference.
  

Don't be mislead by these caricatures of God that depict him as a selfish tyrant.

Don't be paralyzed by the evil actions of individuals thinking that they were predetermined by God for some hidden purpose.

Fight against evil in every form it takes. And you'll never have to worry about working against God or his purposes. Fight knowing that the final outcome is certain.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be."