If I had a million dollars A.K.A Maybe I should not have a million dollars

  Every once in awhile I read a verse of scripture that I can not get out of my mind.  I will be walking down the road and it comes to mind (I don't walk down the road that much though).  I will be taking a shower and it comes to mind, eating and it pops up, playing a video game and it sneaks back in.  When that happens I usually need to write about it or preach it or  I will never be able to move on, so here you go, if you stumbled on this you get to hear about a passage of scripture that has been working on me for a few weeks now.

   "See that you also excel in this grace of giving.  I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 7b-9

  I'm not quite sure yet why this verse has stuck with me, its not the first time I have read it, but for some reason this time the idea that Christ, even though he had everything he could possibly need or want, gave it all up to walk around with us broken sinful people for 33 years has really hit me hard.  I think one of the reasons is because God is really working on an ugly idea that I have had in my heart and mind for many years now.  The idea goes something like this, "Why don't those people just do it themselves?"

    Do you ever think like this?  It is a pretty popular mindset among people, but the problem is if we claim to be followers of Christ it does not fly, and in fact I would go as far as to say that you can not claim to be a Christian and have that attitude.  Here is how God is breaking this out of me.

me- "Why doesn't that guy just get a job?"
God- "Jonathan, though Christ was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that Jonathan through Christ's poverty might become rich."

me- "That is ridiculous, how in the world do you expect me to to give money to her? She is probably just going to spend it on __________anyway"
God- "Jonathan though Christ was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that Jonathan through Christ's poverty might become rich."

me- "I have already given all of my time to Church stuff this week I am not giving any more time or money or effort, today is my day off, they can do it themselves."
God-"Jonathan though Christ was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that Jonathan through Christ's poverty might become rich."

    What it really boils down to is this.  What if Christ would have had the mindset towards me that I often have towards those who are in need of my time, money, and general resources?  Somewhere a long the lines I bought into the idea that people who are well to do are well to do because they worked hard, and people who are doing poorly are doing poorly because they have not worked hard enough.  You know what?  Even if that is a true statement, as a Christ follower it does not matter.  We are not called to judge why someone is in the situation they are in, we are simply called to show the humility of Christ to others.  What if we applied 2 Corinthians 8:8 like this?

   "For you know the grace of (insert your name here) that though he or she was rich, yet for your sake he or she became poor so that you through (insert your name here) you might become rich."


    This is not a popular idea at all.  Christian's a lot of the time like the idea that God has blessed because of how good, and spiritual, and stylish we are, but here is the truth.  In God's eyes everything we do is dirty, broken, and poor.  It is only because we have been clothed  in the righteousness of Christ do we appear before our Father as rich in grace in mercy.  


  So how does this apply practically?  Here is one way I think it could.  We are all aware of the debate that is raging right now about the idea of government run health care.  There are arguments on both side that seem to make sense to me.  There are people who are dying in this country from stupid disease's that could easily be cured if they were caught quicker, and the only reason they are not is because they can not afford the coverage.  On the other end I can see what can happen when government has too much influence in an arena such as health care.  I have also heard the stories of other countries that do run their health system this way, and a lot of people are not happy about it.  So where do I land on this issue in light of 2 Corinthians 8:8?  It's pretty simple.  I think both sides are wrong, convenient right?  Really though, think about it.  According to the teaching of scripture who should be in charge of caring for those who can not care for themselves? THE CHURCH!  Who should be caring for the sick, the homeless, the poor, and the oppressed? THE CHURCH!

    Let me make my point very simple, I believe that if every Church as a whole was doing its job in the area of caring for the sick, hungry, poor, and oppressed  the debate over health care would not even be happening because we would not need it.    Now I know that I am young and idealistic, and there are some of you reading this shaking you head saying, "thats too simple."  I would agree with you to a point, it is too simple, because for far too long the Church has shunned one of it's greatest responsibilities and opportunities in this world.  All I know is this.  My stomach hurts anytime I ever hear a Christian say the phrase, "that's not my responsibility."because I always wonder to my self, "than whose responsibility is it?"

Imagine with me if you would a scenario.  A woman wakes up one morning and is sick, she has been sick for several weeks and it is not getting any better so she needs to go to the Dr.  There is a problem though, this woman is poor, she can not afford a Dr. and she knows that if she goes she will be paying the hospital bills for years to come.  What if instead of going to a hospital she could go to a Church that happened to have a hospital inside of it?  What if she could go to a building and find not only a professional staff of Dr's but also a professional staff of Dr's that follow Christ and administer what ever health needs she may have, completely for free!  The Dr's are Christians, the nurses are Christians and they take to heart the words of 2 Corinthians 8:8 and simply heal because that is what Christ would do.  What if those Dr's and nurses were being funded by the tithes and offerings of people like you and me who have no medical training at all, but realize that the words of 2 Corinthians 8:8 apply to us as well. If that scenario ever became a reality on a global scale a lot of debates that are going on right now would be silenced, and a lot more people would see the reality of the Kingdom of God here and now.

So how about you?  How do you apply the words of 2 Corinthians 8:8 in your daily life?  What steps is your Church has a whole taking to battle the problem of sickness and healthcare in your community?
    

Is Jesus a sissy?

    There is an idea that has been disturbing me for awhile now that I want people's opinion's on.  Actually I don't want your opinion, I want someone to be able to show it to me in scripture.  Can some one please show me the phrase "Having a Relationship with Jesus Christ."  Now I know that the idea is there.  I know that through Christ's sacrifice on the cross he has enabled us to come into relationship with God and be called his children (Galatians 4:1).  What I mean is the actual phrase, "relationship with Christ," is one that I can not find in Scripture, and I have been looking.

    Some of you may be asking, "Jonathan, why have you been looking for this phrase in scripture?"  Well I'm glad you asked because I want to tell you.  Every time I hear the phrase "having a relationship with Christ." I can not help but think, "That is not in the Bible," and  "Saying it like that really does a disservice to Christ and what he wants and desires for our lives." There is an aspect of Christianity that has really been bothering me lately and I want to blame some of it on this idea of "a relationship with Christ."  It seems to me that Christianity has become, for lack of a better phrase, really sissified.  Now before you throw up your defensive walls I really just want you to consider it for a moment.  How much of what we do as a Church is girl centered?  We walk into a sanctuary that has been decorated more than likely by women, we pass around shiny plates, we sit quietly and watch pretty backgrounds move around on the screen as the songs we sing about Jesus talk about him being beautiful, and lovely, and how he wants us to climb up in his lap and pet his beard as he gives us a big hug and tells us everything is going to be ok (not an original idea, for more on this listen to Matt Chandlers sermon entitled "Sanctification in Marriage" on the Village Church Podcast.)  When that is all done we sit down again and listen to a guy tell us about how much Jesus loves us and views us as a bride and how he wants to marry us have us live with him forever.  Am I the only guy that has an issue with this? 

  Yes I understand that the imagery of the bride of Christ is biblical, but I believe that as a whole we have done a great disservice in portraying this imagery, and because of that I really do think we have painted a picture of Christ and his Church as a very effeminate and sissified community.  Something happened in history that took the Christ of the Bible, the Christ who got angry and drove an entire group of people out of a temple with a whip, hung around with rough and tough fisherman and other various rough necks, was beaten half to death and still had the strength to carry a cross all the way up a mountain knowing full well we was going to be nailed to it, and replaced him with a permed haired, robe wearing, flower picking wimp, and I don't like it!  

I think it all started when we began "having a relationship with Christ" instead of serving and following Christ.  I have to admit this is still an idea that is fresh in my mind and that I am wrestling with, but one thing I know for sure, for the most part men have a real problem with Church and I don't think its God's fault.  Now do not get me wrong, I am not a sexist nor do I believe women should have no part in Church.  I believe the beauty of Christ is that he is an individual who appeals to both men and women.  As you look through scripture you see a man who could lead other men, and be respected and loved by women. You see a man who could drive out the supernatural with his very words and yet at the same time was one of the most compassionate and loving individuals that has ever lived.  I believe that for some reason the Church focuses more on relationship than service, and the problem is women respond to relationship but men respond to service.  We have carved out the model of a sissy Jesus and men do not want to follow or serve a sissy.  We call men to relationship when we should be calling them to service.

    Men would never say out loud, if they attend Church, that they think Jesus is a sissy, but it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that The Church is lacking in the men department. God Bless our women who have stepped up and are working hard to advance the gospel, but it's time for men to start doing their job, and it's time for the Church to stop retarding that process. There is an amazing process that takes place when we rework the way we present Christ to men and I think it is even found in scripture.  I am struck that when Jesus calls the disciples to himself he does not say, "Come have a relationship with me," or "Come and get to know me better."  He says, "Come follow me I'm going to put you to work"(my paraphrase).   The disciples did not just sit around and listen to Jesus talk at them about how great his coming Kingdom was going to be, they were active participants in bringing that Kingdom to this world. Because Jesus gave them an opportunity to follow and to serve they grew to love him i.e. build a relationship with him, so much so that later all of them but one would die a horrible death for him. How many men in our Church's today would die a horrible death for Christ? 
    Men need a figure that thy can serve and follow.  Don't agree with me?  If your a man look at all of the men in your life that you admire.  Were they sissies?  Did they walk around and pick flowers and say nice religious sounding things?  I doubt it.  Look at the types of activities that you participate in.  Why do you participate in them?  Why do you follow certain sports figures, rock stars, and movie stars?  Could I suggest its because you see in them or in the activity a way to live out what it means to be a man?  I believe that Jesus was and is the ultimate personification of what it means to be a man.  He was strong, powerful, and yet loving and compassionate all at the same time, and if the men of our Church's could grasp onto that, amazing events would take place.

    Like I said earlier, this is an idea that is fresh to me.  I wrestle with it  a lot lately.  So I would love to hear your opinions.  What are you doing to engage the men of your Church for Christ?  Do you agree that we have sissified Jesus?  If so what do we do to restore the true picture of Christ?  I know one thing I am doing, I no longer ask people to have a relationship with Christ, I ask them to follow and to serve, I figure the relationship will grow out of that.

Its good to be reminded.

Sometimes when I get aggravated at how weird teenagers are its good to remind myself that I was one not too long ago.












Nice Necklace eh?

       

Is Modern Day Youth Ministry Harming the Church?

  I am a youth minister.  It's neat being a youth minister.  Sometimes when I am getting my hair cut and the lady (or gentleman whatev) is making small talk with me for a better tip I like to see the expression on their face when I tell them what I do for a living.  There are usually two responses #1 is "really? your a minister?" I never understand this response because when I look in the mirror I think I fit the typical minister mold, skinny, product in my hair, and a slight five o clock shadow.  I'm either a minister or I work for the Apple Store. Then there is the second response, "awww thats nice."  They are right, it is nice.  I have been a great respecter of men and women in ministry ever since I was a child.  I was not one of those people that thought ministry was something you did if you did not want to work, it was and is hard work and I knew it.

      I knew youth ministry was more than just pizza parties and wild concert trips to see Michael W. Smith.  In fact I viewed these types of events as perks to the job, not the job itself.  Granted there are some lazy dudes out there that use ministry has a cloak to hide behind so they can sit in their office all day, play farmville,  eat pork rinds, and drink Red Bull, but I like to think of my self as an optimist in this department and call them the exception not the norm.  I bring all of this up because I want everyone who reads the next statement, (according to my stats the whole five of you), to understand that I am both a fan and respecter of youth ministry.  With that being said I need to ask the question that has been bugging me for awhile now.  Is modern day youth ministry doing more harm than good for the Church Universal?

      Let me explain how this question began to surface.  As I look back on my years as a kid in the Church, I am struck by the fact that I was not apart of a youth group.  My home Church was simply too small to pay a designated youth minister to come in and work with what little amount of youth we had in the Church.  This means a couple of things.  One, I participated in a lot of "old people Church stuff."  I sat in service on Sunday morning, I went on trips with grown ups,  I ate fellowship meals with people who for the most part were way older than me.  Don't misunderstand me, I went on youth trips (usually with other churches), and I had a Wednesday night bible study that was with kids my age (taught by volunteers from the church).  Secondly, I spent a lot of time listening to "old" people teach, sing, and preach.  At the time I hated it.  I wanted so badly to be at a church that had a cool young dude that could play guitar and take me to Taco Bell when I wanted to go, I desired to be apart of a youth group.

      Looking back on it though, I am grateful for the time that was spent among my older brothers and sisters. I believe, that because of my time spent with these dear people I relate a little better as a minister with the older folks in my congregation.  Let's face it, how many horror stories have we heard about youth ministers butting heads with older folks in their congregation because of a lack of ability to work with them?  Could it be that were setting our future youth ministers up to fail, because of the constant emphasis we place on segregating age groups within our congregations?

      I have heard it said that Sunday morning is the most segregated day of the week in regards to Church, and I believe that is true, I also believe that statement applies to more than just skin color.  A trend began to emerge among Church folk, and I am not smart enough to tell you when it started, but I know it was in full swing when I was a teenager.  The mindset of this trend goes like this, "I don't like the music, chairs, decorations, and dress style of this Church so I'm going to go find one or start one that looks and sounds more like I think Church should look and sound."  These Churches began to pop up all over the place, young disgruntled 20-30 somethings began to start their own Church's and although they would never say it out loud the pervading mindset among these congregations was NO OLDS ALLOWED!  This is not to say that there were not a few trendy old folks sprinkled in among the crowd, but old traditions were gone.  No old music, no old way of doing communion, no old way of preaching, it was all going to be new and fresh.

      I'm a fan of new and fresh, and sometimes I think its needed, but as I look back on this trend and I see what has developed as a result of it, I begin to wonder if we have sacrificed something very important in the quest for new and fresh?  Let me be very clear, I have no problem with congregations that are predominately younger, but I do have a problem with congregations that segregate the elderly under the guise of progressive evangelism and trendy seeker sensitive programs.  So why do I bring this up?  Why does my stomach turn whenever in the past I have walked into a church building to find that everyone is wearing the same designer clothes?  I believe it is because as a youth minister I sometimes come in contact with students who have become a casualty of this segregation mindset.  Let me explain it this way.

    Those 20-30 something's that segregated themselves when I was a child have now become parents with teenagers, and those teenagers have been taught that if they do not like the way something is going in the group that they are apart of, they can just leave and find another group.  As a result youth ministers become circus ring masters.  We cater to the needs of those who whine and complain if something is not cool, flashy, fun, or interesting enough.  If something is not interesting to them (i.e. they have to hang out with old people, and sing songs that old people like, listen to teaching that old people have to listen to)  we develop program that pacifies, instead of teaching them to find the value and worth in the beauty that is worshiping together as a family of sanctified believers.  Somewhere along the line we bought into the idea that the youth at a church are the most important part of the community, this is a lie! Buying into this lie has resulted in youth ministers that spend more time pacifying whinny kids than teaching and developing strong Christian teenagers.

    Let me be clear about this, youth ministry is a vital part of our Church culture today, but youth and children's ministry that teaches segregation from the rest of the community is at best going to develop whiny shallow Christians and at worse going to fail completely.  When we fail to teach our students that there is value in the way that our elderly brothers and sisters worship, we fail to teach them about what Christ desired for his Church. 


So how about you?  As a minister or participant in a local Church how do you make sure that students are encouraged to be in community with older brothers and sisters?  What programs do you have in place to make sure they spend time together?  I would love some suggestions as I am struggling with this concept.