Book Review: The Hole in Our Gospel

I never did like writing book reports in school, so I'm hoping to keep this from sounding like one.  

The newest edition of book reviews here is The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns.  Stearns is the President of World Vision, a Christian Humanitarian organization that has made a significant impact in the third world over many years.

Stearns uses this book to tell his story and lead others to asking questions about their own lives.  It's a story that I've heard several times over, from ordinary lay-folk, but it never seems to get old.  It's a story about a successful businessman that is approached about doing something radical for God.  In Stearns' case, it's resigning from a prestigious job selling silverware to take the President's office at World Vision.  It wasn't solicited on his part and he spent quite a bit of time trying to avoid it.

In order to get a recruiter off his back, he agreed to an interview.  One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Stearns was wrestling with God's call on his life.  Ultimately, and gratefully, he left Lenox and began to travel a part of the world that was far from fine china and polished cutlery.  He went to places like Uganda where he met a 13 year-old, orphaned by AIDS, left to raise his two younger brothers.  His heart was touched and he began to come to a realization.

That realization, and the book, summed up, is "that the belief that being a Christian, or a follow of Jesus Christ, requires much more than just having a personal and transforming relationship with God.  It also entails a public and transforming relationship with the world."

As some of my colleagues like to say, "That'll preach!"  Stearns gets it.  Our world, and sadly many of our churches, teach that having Jesus in your heart is enough.  What the devoted always discover is that your faith is much stronger, deeper, more meaningful if you're living your life for the advantage of the world.

This is a good book.  Buy it.  Read it.  It may lead you to ask certain questions about your own life, or it may even lead you to help someone else ask those questions.  Someone you're close to might just be the next Richard Stearns.  

Brain Dump

I woke up in a funk today.  Even my daughter's abundant cuteness and immense sweetness couldn't crack my shell.  I was snapping at everybody and I knew why.  A late-into-the-night set of meetings left me in a funk that carried over, affected my sleep, and probably caused the overcast skies this morning.  Things sometimes just don't seem to go right and I was feeling it today.

I hate (love) when God uses me against myself though.  As a church, the people of Mt. Bethel are reading through the Gospel of Matthew over the next 7 weeks.  We started Monday and we'll wrap up at the beginning of March.  Today we're on the third chapter, but I'm ahead - reading the fourth.

In Matthew's fourth chapter, Jesus calls his first disciples and promises to make them fishers of men (people).  One commentary I'm reading comments that if Jesus had been talking to farmers, he probably would have said, "I'll make you planters of the seeds of faith," or to a carpenter, "a builder of the community of faith."  This is a reminder to us that first, Christ chooses us before we ever choose him and second, that our work is that of evangelism and reaching out.

I've been bogged down in some major distractions.  We're going through major staff changes, a process I can't say I enjoy, and we're dealing with property issues, a process I enjoy even less.  On both issues, everyone has an opinion on the matter and, without any general consensus, everyone feels VERY strong about their opinions.  Throw on the annual obligation to complete end-of-year reports and I can currently find the cloud to any silver lining.

I'm praying over what I'm reading and studying.  I'm suddenly reminded of the other conversations I've had over the last week:  a young man that wants to discuss faith openly and deal with his own skepticism, a fairly new believer that is working through a call to lay speaking ministry, another friend that is sharing his faith openly for the first time and is seeing results in his "fishing", more people sharing their faith in word and deed and asking, "what do we do now?", a couple emailing to tell me that their specific prayers were answered by a children's sermon I gave last week, and several new visitors to the church with an interest in not only becoming members, but becoming active members.  

As I fill out my end-or-year reports for 2010, I find that the system has flagged a large number of my responses because of significant increases over 2009 - increases in worship attendance, bible study participation, professions of faith, and stewardship.  There is much to be thankful for and here I am, allowing money, mold, and personalities steal my joy.

So here it is...Lord, forgive me for screwing this up.  Forgive me for being cross and stubborn.  Forgive me for not thanking you.  Forgive me for being distracted.

Thank you for blessing me and blessing this church.  What can you and will you do now?  I'm ready and watching.

A Spark

When I was growing up, I remember causing trouble for myself with the way I would speak when I was angry.  "It's not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it," my parents would tell me.  These lessons have helped me, in many cases, to tame my own tongue.  Even when I am passionately opinionated, I've learned that my rhetoric is just as important and influential, if not more so, than my position or logic when arguing.

In our world, the advice to "watch what you say" is often met with the response, "It's a free country, I'll say what I want to."  Sure, we enjoy this freedom to express ourselves, sometimes to our own self-destruction.

James wrote (James 3:5-12):

"...the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

This week, as tragedy struck in Arizona with the senseless shooting of Senator Giffords and those around her, pundits were quick to point out that there is the possibility that the way our politicians speak could have fueled the fire for this violence to take place.  Jon Stewart had a serious moment on his show Monday night as he addressed this possibility:

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Others responded, stating that each individual is responsible for his or her own actions and that no amount of political rhetoric could be, in any way, responsible for this kind of violence.  Sarah Palin accused Democrats and Liberals of committing "blood libel" (she borrowed the term from Glenn Reynolds, who borrowed it from the Jewish community).  [FOX Coverage] [CNN Coverage]


Did Palin and others pull the trigger?  No.  Did they play a role in inciting someone with violent tendencies who was also mentally unstable?  They certainly didn't do much to help the situation.  I grow weary how regularly we give people the platform to spew hateful language as though it accomplishes anything or even provides some level of entertainment.


I may be young, naive, and still learning how to be a better leader, but I have realized that the way I speak from the pulpit, the way I speak when counseling others, the way I speak to my wife and my kids, all has a profound effect on those lives.  


How do you speak around others?  How do you speak of others?


I recently spent some time with a family that has dealt, and is dealing, with a lot of turmoil.  It isn't the kind that's thrust upon a family.  Nobody lost a job, became the victim of a crime, or anything like that.  These tribulations have been brought on by the way that these people love and speak to each other.  


Have you ever been around someone and found yourself exhausted after listening to them talk for a while?  That person usually has an endless supply of things to complain about and they want you to know every detail.  In this particular family that I mention, one of the parents has this ability to complain ad nauseam.  In addition, whenever this parent speaks to the children, even in regular conversation, it has an air of trouble to it.  The children's names are rarely called in love or with a tone of kindness.


What's the result?  The members of this family can't ever seem to get along and they are good at making those around them miserable as well.  Misery loves company, I guess, but it sure seems to alienate those who are perpetually miserable.  Do you know anybody who's never happy unless they're unhappy?

So how do you speak when others are listening?  What kind of fires does your tongue spark?  Do you build up or tear down?

Jesus (Matthew 5:43-48) -

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.