For those of you who have continued to visit this site even after months of no posts, thanks. :-) I think it's probably time to put this blog to rest. Since starting this blog, I began a new one, which I where I have spent most of my blogging hours in the past several months: http://health-rights-faith.typepad.com/
Again, thanks for visiting this site. God has been good to my family this past year. After one year in Georgia, we have seen God answer many prayers, and we look forward to what he has in store for us here.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Speaking vs. living my faith
"Maybe our preference for social activism reveals a more basic problem: that we don't really believe our neighbor's deepest need is to be forgiven and reconciled to God."
This is a statement expressed by an author in the January edition of Christianity Today, in which he argues that Christians today seem to have lost their desire to share their faith, over social engagement.
As one working in the secular world and as one interested in social engagement, the topic of the author's article caught my attention. These issues of living vs speaking my faith are ones that are not uncommonly on my mind.
How do I balance living my faith with giving more explicit expression to it? Is speaking my faith better (more effective?) than simply living my faith? Is a decision to emphasize living my faith vs speaking my faith “the easy way,” as some have suggested? Does my desire to make a difference in this world blind me to my neighbor's eternal destiny? (as the author of the CT article states.)
It may be easier these days to recruit believers to help with humanitarian-type projects than to get them to travel downtown to do one-on-one evangelism. But, I disagree with the author’s thought that this is somehow about a generation of believers who are shy about sharing their faith. Isn’t it possible, I thought as I read the article, that this may be more about people who are tired of words--who have found words empty? Or, about people who have tried the words, and whose unbelieving friends have found them empty? Isn’t it possible that emphasizing action over words is simply about trying to find a balance of real or practical faith?
Some suggest that we have not done our Christian duty until we have explicitly shared our faith (with words). But, when I look at the Bible, these are some of the key words or ideas that jump out at me related to our primary purpose: “blessed to bless;” “love God;” “love others;” "be salt;" "be light;" “make disciples.”
I can’t find an instance in the Bible in which everything is distilled to “convert people” or any examples in which speaking one’s faith is more important than living it. In fact, “blessing” others, “loving” others, and “making disciples,” etc. involves far more than merely preaching or speaking one’s faith—it would seem to require action as well. And, in fact, the life of Jesus on earth was filled with many examples of his providing practical and physical help to the people around him.
This issue of speaking vs living my faith is not one that I have mastered, and, again, it is one I frequently think about. And, there is probably a healthy tension between the two. Certainly we are not called to hide our faith, so living a double life in which I make no mention or provide any outward indication to my unbelieving colleagues/friends of my faith is not right. But, a genuinely lived faith can be a powerful example to those around us, even if we are not explicitly sharing the gospel.
This world (and the church) is desperately in need of Christians who care about the world and the people in it. Simply speaking our faith, without actions, won’t do much for people who need to see the practical application of faith in a real and painful world. If Christianity is about life to the fullest, life the way it was created to be, it will need much more than simply words to back it up.
This is a statement expressed by an author in the January edition of Christianity Today, in which he argues that Christians today seem to have lost their desire to share their faith, over social engagement.
As one working in the secular world and as one interested in social engagement, the topic of the author's article caught my attention. These issues of living vs speaking my faith are ones that are not uncommonly on my mind.
How do I balance living my faith with giving more explicit expression to it? Is speaking my faith better (more effective?) than simply living my faith? Is a decision to emphasize living my faith vs speaking my faith “the easy way,” as some have suggested? Does my desire to make a difference in this world blind me to my neighbor's eternal destiny? (as the author of the CT article states.)
It may be easier these days to recruit believers to help with humanitarian-type projects than to get them to travel downtown to do one-on-one evangelism. But, I disagree with the author’s thought that this is somehow about a generation of believers who are shy about sharing their faith. Isn’t it possible, I thought as I read the article, that this may be more about people who are tired of words--who have found words empty? Or, about people who have tried the words, and whose unbelieving friends have found them empty? Isn’t it possible that emphasizing action over words is simply about trying to find a balance of real or practical faith?
Some suggest that we have not done our Christian duty until we have explicitly shared our faith (with words). But, when I look at the Bible, these are some of the key words or ideas that jump out at me related to our primary purpose: “blessed to bless;” “love God;” “love others;” "be salt;" "be light;" “make disciples.”
I can’t find an instance in the Bible in which everything is distilled to “convert people” or any examples in which speaking one’s faith is more important than living it. In fact, “blessing” others, “loving” others, and “making disciples,” etc. involves far more than merely preaching or speaking one’s faith—it would seem to require action as well. And, in fact, the life of Jesus on earth was filled with many examples of his providing practical and physical help to the people around him.
This issue of speaking vs living my faith is not one that I have mastered, and, again, it is one I frequently think about. And, there is probably a healthy tension between the two. Certainly we are not called to hide our faith, so living a double life in which I make no mention or provide any outward indication to my unbelieving colleagues/friends of my faith is not right. But, a genuinely lived faith can be a powerful example to those around us, even if we are not explicitly sharing the gospel.
This world (and the church) is desperately in need of Christians who care about the world and the people in it. Simply speaking our faith, without actions, won’t do much for people who need to see the practical application of faith in a real and painful world. If Christianity is about life to the fullest, life the way it was created to be, it will need much more than simply words to back it up.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Incarnation
I was re-reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer recently, and I appreciated some of what he had to say on the topic of the incarnation.
"To be conformed to the image of Christ is not an ideal to be striven after. It is not as though we had to imitate him as well as we could. We cannot transform ourselves into his image; it is rather the form of Christ which seeks to be formed in us. We must be assimilated to the form of Christ in its entirety, the form of Christ incarnate, crucified and glorified.
Christ took upon himself this human form of ours. He has become like a man, so that men should be like him. And in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God. Through fellowship and communion with the incarnate Lord, we recover our true humanity, and at the same time we are delivered from that individualism which is the consequences of sin, and retrieve our solidarity with the whole human race. By being partakers of Christ incarnate, we are partakers in the whole humanity which he bore. ...that new nature we now enjoy means that we too must bear the sins and sorrows of others. ...The 'philanthropy' of God revealed in the incarnation is the ground of Christian love towards all on earth that bears the name of man. The form of Christ incarnate makes the Church into the Body of Christ.
...It is only because he became like us that we can become like him. It is only because we are identified with him that we can become like him."
"To be conformed to the image of Christ is not an ideal to be striven after. It is not as though we had to imitate him as well as we could. We cannot transform ourselves into his image; it is rather the form of Christ which seeks to be formed in us. We must be assimilated to the form of Christ in its entirety, the form of Christ incarnate, crucified and glorified.
Christ took upon himself this human form of ours. He has become like a man, so that men should be like him. And in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God. Through fellowship and communion with the incarnate Lord, we recover our true humanity, and at the same time we are delivered from that individualism which is the consequences of sin, and retrieve our solidarity with the whole human race. By being partakers of Christ incarnate, we are partakers in the whole humanity which he bore. ...that new nature we now enjoy means that we too must bear the sins and sorrows of others. ...The 'philanthropy' of God revealed in the incarnation is the ground of Christian love towards all on earth that bears the name of man. The form of Christ incarnate makes the Church into the Body of Christ.
...It is only because he became like us that we can become like him. It is only because we are identified with him that we can become like him."
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Immigration: What's your position?
Do you ever get the feeling that, in all of this discussion about immigration, we're talking about your neighbor, your co-worker, the person riding on the train next to you....?
That has recently happened to me. I've recently been struck with how personal all of this discussion about immigration must feel to millions of people living here in the U.S. Ultimately, the outcomes of these debates (perhaps even the debates themselves) may affect the lives of literally millions of immigrants in the U.S.
I'm not sure what to do with all of this. I appreciate that nations have a certain duty to protect and enforce their borders, but I'm also left feeling that, as a Christian, the discussion can't end there. Perhaps for a believer, in the end, the issue is ultimately about the person. In other words, no matter a person's opinion on the larger debate about immigration, they (we) can't forget that we are talking about people, like you and I, made in the image of God. It feels like that realization should bring a different perspective to these discussions for me.
I'm still processing these things and probably will for some time, but it's almost as if I can't (shouldn't) be drawn into the debate within the small box in which it usually exists. That, for those of us who are Christ followers, we are obligated, perhaps, to think about this with a different perspective.
That has recently happened to me. I've recently been struck with how personal all of this discussion about immigration must feel to millions of people living here in the U.S. Ultimately, the outcomes of these debates (perhaps even the debates themselves) may affect the lives of literally millions of immigrants in the U.S.
I'm not sure what to do with all of this. I appreciate that nations have a certain duty to protect and enforce their borders, but I'm also left feeling that, as a Christian, the discussion can't end there. Perhaps for a believer, in the end, the issue is ultimately about the person. In other words, no matter a person's opinion on the larger debate about immigration, they (we) can't forget that we are talking about people, like you and I, made in the image of God. It feels like that realization should bring a different perspective to these discussions for me.
I'm still processing these things and probably will for some time, but it's almost as if I can't (shouldn't) be drawn into the debate within the small box in which it usually exists. That, for those of us who are Christ followers, we are obligated, perhaps, to think about this with a different perspective.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thankful for Jehovah Jirah...the Lord who provides
The title of the message we heard this weekend was, not coincidentally, Jehovah Jireh.
In our continuing effort to find a church home, we went to a new church this past weekend, and we were truly amazed at the community we experienced. Like nothing else we have experienced in the three previous (and very solid) churches we have spent many weeks at since we arrived here in June, from the time we walked into the church to the time we left, people were talking with us.
Not only did they talk with us, but we had a college student volunteer himself and 2 friends to help us move! (we close on a home on Dec. 3), and a father told us about one of his daughters who would be willing to babysit for us in the future!
A few other things that caught our attention at this church were solid Biblical teaching and cultural diversity--at least two things that are priorities for us.
In several specific ways this weekend, we saw some prayers answered. We are thankful for a God who provides.
In our continuing effort to find a church home, we went to a new church this past weekend, and we were truly amazed at the community we experienced. Like nothing else we have experienced in the three previous (and very solid) churches we have spent many weeks at since we arrived here in June, from the time we walked into the church to the time we left, people were talking with us.
Not only did they talk with us, but we had a college student volunteer himself and 2 friends to help us move! (we close on a home on Dec. 3), and a father told us about one of his daughters who would be willing to babysit for us in the future!
A few other things that caught our attention at this church were solid Biblical teaching and cultural diversity--at least two things that are priorities for us.
In several specific ways this weekend, we saw some prayers answered. We are thankful for a God who provides.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Nursery rhymes or horror plots?
This has been a full and busy month, and I've not made much time for blogging. Some of the highlights from our month were visits from family, birthday parties, and the requisite cake, ice cream, and other goodies. A good full month.
Speaking of goodies, with Halloween right around the corner it seems appropriate to confess that I have been listening to some very strange, haunting even, nursery rhymes (those of you with young children may understand). As I've been paying attention to the lyrics more these days, I have begun to wonder what exactly the writers were thinking when they wrote these:
Rock a bye baby on the tree top....and when the bow breaks the cradle with fall and down will come baby cradle and all.
Sing a song of sixpence, four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie, when the pie was opened the birds began to sing....when down came a blackbird and peeked off her nose.
Three blind mice, three blind mice, see how they run, they all run after the farmer's wife, who cut off their tail with a carving knife...
Perhaps I'm just being too literal about these, but I find it funny each time I hear these sung (they are on a musical CD our kids enjoy hearing). A baby hurtling down from the treetops, birds pecking off a person's nose, a woman running after mice knife held high...somehow the words seem more appropriate for a Halloween plot than a bedtime song.
Hope your Autumn is going well.
Speaking of goodies, with Halloween right around the corner it seems appropriate to confess that I have been listening to some very strange, haunting even, nursery rhymes (those of you with young children may understand). As I've been paying attention to the lyrics more these days, I have begun to wonder what exactly the writers were thinking when they wrote these:
Rock a bye baby on the tree top....and when the bow breaks the cradle with fall and down will come baby cradle and all.
Sing a song of sixpence, four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie, when the pie was opened the birds began to sing....when down came a blackbird and peeked off her nose.
Three blind mice, three blind mice, see how they run, they all run after the farmer's wife, who cut off their tail with a carving knife...
Perhaps I'm just being too literal about these, but I find it funny each time I hear these sung (they are on a musical CD our kids enjoy hearing). A baby hurtling down from the treetops, birds pecking off a person's nose, a woman running after mice knife held high...somehow the words seem more appropriate for a Halloween plot than a bedtime song.
Hope your Autumn is going well.
Friday, October 5, 2007
For an old friend
RESURRECTION.
Moist with one drop of Thy blood, my dry soul
Shall—though she now be in extreme degree
Too stony hard, and yet too fleshly—be
Freed by that drop, from being starved, hard or foul,
And life by this death abled shall control
Death, whom Thy death slew ; nor shall to me
Fear of first or last death bring misery,
If in thy life-book my name thou enroll.
Flesh in that long sleep is not putrified,
But made that there, of which, and for which it was ;
Nor can by other means be glorified.
May then sin's sleep and death soon from me pass,
That waked from both, I again risen may
Salute the last and everlasting day.
ASCENSION.
Salute the last and everlasting day,
Joy at th' uprising of this Sun, and Son,
Ye whose true tears, or tribulation
Have purely wash'd, or burnt your drossy clay.
Behold, the Highest, parting hence away,
Lightens the dark clouds, which He treads upon ;
Nor doth He by ascending show alone,
But first He, and He first enters the way.
O strong Ram, which hast batter'd heaven for me !
Mild Lamb, which with Thy Blood hast mark'd the path !
Bright Torch, which shinest, that I the way may see !
O, with Thy own Blood quench Thy own just wrath ;
And if Thy Holy Spirit my Muse did raise,
Deign at my hands this crown of prayer and praise.
-John Donne (1572-1631)
Moist with one drop of Thy blood, my dry soul
Shall—though she now be in extreme degree
Too stony hard, and yet too fleshly—be
Freed by that drop, from being starved, hard or foul,
And life by this death abled shall control
Death, whom Thy death slew ; nor shall to me
Fear of first or last death bring misery,
If in thy life-book my name thou enroll.
Flesh in that long sleep is not putrified,
But made that there, of which, and for which it was ;
Nor can by other means be glorified.
May then sin's sleep and death soon from me pass,
That waked from both, I again risen may
Salute the last and everlasting day.
ASCENSION.
Salute the last and everlasting day,
Joy at th' uprising of this Sun, and Son,
Ye whose true tears, or tribulation
Have purely wash'd, or burnt your drossy clay.
Behold, the Highest, parting hence away,
Lightens the dark clouds, which He treads upon ;
Nor doth He by ascending show alone,
But first He, and He first enters the way.
O strong Ram, which hast batter'd heaven for me !
Mild Lamb, which with Thy Blood hast mark'd the path !
Bright Torch, which shinest, that I the way may see !
O, with Thy own Blood quench Thy own just wrath ;
And if Thy Holy Spirit my Muse did raise,
Deign at my hands this crown of prayer and praise.
-John Donne (1572-1631)
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