American Idol Christianity

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6: 1-4

Reality television programs are everywhere, and on every channel. They have become the pre-eminent sign post for our "look at me - and love me" generation. Our culture is filled with people who crave the spotlight and the public adoration that comes with it, and they all seem to find their way on to our digital airwaves. American Idol is probably the biggest of all of these shows: aspiring singers primp, strut, gyrate, and even sing for the judges in front of them and in the homes of America in the hopes that they will be affirmed and adored. Everyone wants to be celebrated and famous - even if it means the possibility of being publicly shamed and berated by the Simon Cowell's of the world.

I wonder how much these shows have infiltrated our cultural fabric and our thinking. I mean, our sinful nature has always been selfishness and self-idolatry at its core. By nature, all humans have a natural tendency to pride and self love over and against humility and love of neighbor (and God). These shows have subtly given us the permission we crave to pursue the spotlight in all we do in life. How often have you found yourself craving the spotlight, or an undo amount of attention and affirmation for others? How many times have you done things for the applause of others?

On the flip side, I wonder if these shows have also subtly turned us into a nation of harsh critics of performance rather than intent. Do we all not subconsciously turn into Simon Cowell when others "perform." I've often suspected that many of the "worship wars" running rampant in the church today are symptomatic of this tendency to critique harshly. How often have we sat in a worship service and not liked the song (for whatever reason) and thought..."absolutely horrible." I mean, we judged their outward performance rather than delighting in the presence of God and the gifts that He has given them.

Being a disciple of Christ in this culture, who seeks to live a life of righteousness is difficult at best. On the one hand, we have a cultural tendency to want to shine a spotlight on our godliness. We want everyone to see how good of a Christian we are. Yet on the other hand, we live out our Christian witness in the gaze of a harshly critical public eye just looking for a reason to knock us down a peg. So how are we to life a life of discipleship in this day and age of American Idol Christianity?

Jesus tells us "to be careful not to do our righteous acts before men in order to be seen by them." Our acts of mercy, our life of piety, our spiritual disciplines ought to be done in humble service to God, and not for the approval of those in our culture. To do any type of christian living for the applause of humanity is to try to bring the glory on ourselves and not to our great God. The reward of a faithful christian life is not the fame and celebrated applause of human culture, rather it is the simple pleasure and joy of serving a loving and faithful God.

Be God's, Scott
ps. remember, no blog's on Sundays :)

Sin and Flying Turkeys

"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, and You only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." Psalm 51: 3-4

"As God as my witness...I thought turkeys could fly." This line (by Arthur Carlson), was my absolute favorite line from one of the funniest episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati (back in the day). Some of you might remember the thanksgiving episode where the cracked promotions department decided it would be good business to give away turkeys for thanksgiving. The only thing is, they decided to do so buy throwing live turkeys out of a helicopter - to disastrous results http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iafzqOCaxA4. (I think it's OK to laugh during lent ;) Clearly turkeys cannot fly, they were designed to do so, even though it looks like they should be able to - they are birds after all, and they have wings...but they cannot. Doing something that you were not created to do, will often necessarily lead to disastrous results.

The simple biblical truth I'd like us to think about today, is that humans were not designed nor were they created to sin. Though by all outward appearances it may seem as if we were well designed to sin (we do sin a lot after all) - the truth is that we were created to be holy and in relationship with a holy God. Humanity's chief function is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. So you see, when we sin, we are doing something that we were not created to do, and it will necessarily lead to disastrous results.

The consequences of sin are evident in our world - just turn on the evening news: death, pain, societal breakdown, hatred, war, famine, pestilence, jealousy etc. Clearly the sinfulness of humanity (from the smallest to the greatest sins) has consequences for the humans involved. It affects both the sinner and the ones sinned against, because sinning was never God's intention for us.

King David takes the consequences of sinning one step further though - as he humbly confesses his sin of adultery with Bathsheba to God. When we sin, ultimately, we sin against God. When I lie to my friend - I sin against God. When I think lustful thoughts - I sin against God. When I cheat someone in business - I sin against God. David hits on a really simple theological truth here - since God made us to be holy and to enjoy Him forever, anytime we sin (no matter how great or small) it is an affront to the one who made us. We reject His perfect design. Like Adam and Eve, we are telling God that His design and plan is not good enough, we know a better way. Bottom line here...no matter what the sin is, it is a huge problem of eternal consequences.

Thanks be to God, that He sent His Son to die for us turkey's and our futile attempts to fly. That He loved humanity enough, to restore in us to ability to be holy and function as He had always intended us to.

The Fast That I Have Chosen

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, you cover him, and hide not yourself from your own flesh? Then, your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you." Isaiah 58: 6-8

Throughout my years as a Youth Pastor I was always left invigorated and encouraged by the honest and earnest Christianity of teens. They really taught me a lot about a healthy and passionate spirituality that often defies the controlled conventions that we adults like to place around it. Teens are always ready to experiment with different forms of spiritual practice, and are not afraid to think outside the box. In fact, over the years, whenever lent rolled around, I would come across teens discussing what they were going to fast from over the Lenten season. Sometimes it was chocolate, or TV, or facebook, (though I haven't yet heard of anyone fasting from Text messaging...I'm sure there is someone out there doing that as well ;)

Whenever a teen shared with me their fasting strategy, I always asked them the same question - "Why on earth are you fasting?" Answers were mixed reflecting a desire for experimentation, being a part of the chic thing to do, and worship, but they always led us into a good conversation as to the importance of intent. Jesus, himself said regarding fasting, "when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting." Matt. 6:16 In other words God is looking for expressions of inner humility and repentance in fasting and not just a going through the motions outer display (particularly one that screams "Look at me! Aren't I holy!")

I think that fasting is a wonderful way to identify with Christ during this Lenten season. In self- denial not only does one acquire some empathy for the self-denial and humility of Jesus, but one also clears out some of the noise and clutter in ones own life, allowing a more honest self-reflection.

One thing in particular that God has been teaching me over the past few years is that Christianity is much more than just personal relationship with Jesus. It is far greater than me, doing all I can to grow closer to God. Beyond that, it involves me, being a part of a called out community, to partner with Christ in redeeming this world that He so loves. With this mind, I think Lent, and the fasting that comes with it, needs to be much more than a season or ritual that revolves around me and my relationship with God alone. Fasting is more than a mere exercise in personal piety. I think that's why I like this Isaiah passage so much.

Isaiah called out the Israelites who were fasting as a form of habit in a spiritual vacuum as it were. In God's eyes, fasting is not just eliminating something like food, but in fact consuming in its place redemptive justice and love. In other words we do not fast in order to be idle - our fasting should inevitably lead to identifying with Christ in our love for our communities and our world.

So for those of you who have chosen to fast in some way during lent (and for those of you who haven't...there's still time ;) may I challenge you this morning with the words of Isaiah as to the intent and purpose of your fast?

How are you undoing the heavy burdens of the oppressed and setting them free?
How are you sharing your bread with the hungry?
How are you sharing your home with the homeless?
How are you clothing the poor and naked?

As you contemplate these questions, may the Lord give you opportunity to live them out in love, in the place where God has called you - and as a result may your light break forth like the morning, your healing spring forth quickly, and your righteousness go before you.

Be God's, Scott

Ash Wednesday

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:5

I have always found Ash Wednesday to be one of the more interesting and challenging days on the Christian calendar. Not only is this day the onset of the season of Lent - a period of fasting and renewal for the disciple of Christ to identify with Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the wilderness - but I also like to think of Lent as the one day when we Christians come clean and get real with the rest of the world.

Many Christians over the years have traditionally worn ashes on their forehead for all or part of this day as a public declaration for all to see of their brokenness and their utter need for a redeeming savior - a visual confession of sin. Ashes, throughout the scriptures have been used as a symbol of our mortality, repentance and grief. In short, they have been used as a means of shouting out our own sinfulness and fragility, especially in contrast to the holiness and eternal nature of our God.

Job, when his senses were wholly confronted by the holiness of God, was absolutely convicted and made aware of his own failings. His sins were laid bare before him. In contrast with God's perfect nature, Job's sinful nature (as righteous as it may have appeared to outside eyes) shouted out an affront to God. He became aware of how far he had fallen away from God's holy standard - therefore he abhorred (or despised) himself and repented in dust and ashes. The ashes were the outward sign of the inner brokenness for all to see.

To wear ashes today is to brazenly display our sinfulness - a declaration of personal abhorrence if you will. Though I think it's important to note that this is done for the purpose of pointing all who see them, ultimately to the holiness and beauty of God. His greatness and goodness is seen all the more clearer in our brokenness and weakness. It shouts to all our utter need for a savior. As Christ said to Paul in 2 Cor. 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

Like I said earlier, it's the one day of the year when we come clean to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the rest of the year is predominantly spent telling them how right we are and how sinful they are. The funny thing is, that those outside the church already know that we are a bunch of sinners - the cry of hypocrite is commonly heard. To them the ashes are evident, and they only chuckle in bemusement at our own attempts to cover them up with some type self-righteous spiritual make-up. I think what the world needs to see is not our self-rightness, but rather our brokenness and the righteousness of Christ that joyfully shines in contrast.

I wonder what it would look like for Christians to wear ashes every day. Perhaps by having the same attitude of Paul, who responds to Christ with the declaration "therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Be God's, Scott

A Lenten BLOG: Introduction

I like to think of Lent as both a period of preparation and a period of self-reflection: preparation to once again confront the reality of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and self-reflection on how one is doing at identifying with the life of Christ in daily practice (ie. discipleship)

This BLOG will be a daily meditation throughout lent and provided for all those who seek to both prepare and reflect on Jesus Christ in advance of Easter.

On a technical note...I will try to get them on first thing in the morning, but please be patient if they are not immediately up - sometimes life happens.

May you wholly be God's as we journey forth together, Scott