Today's readings: Ps 75, 76; Est 2:5-8, 15-23; Acts 17:16-34; John 12:44-50
Some churches approach evangelization like a marketing campaign, while others consider this tactic crass. Demographic analysis and ad campaigns may not seem spiritual, but they can get butts in the seats. Prayer groups and one-on-one meetings may seem more spiritual, but risk becoming insular activities that impact only existing members. Trite as it may sound, a healthy approach lies somewhere in the middle.
Paul knew a thing or two about marketing. When he spoke to the Athenians, he used familiar phrases from Greek poets and philosophers (Acts 17:28) to support his position. When modern churches try to appear relevant by co-opting the latest trends, they aren’t as far from Paul as we might think. In Paul’s Greece, a person’s choice of philosophy was a social statement as much as a system of thought, so Paul knew to keep his references culturally savvy. He chose to “speak their language.”
Critics of Christian culture – including many Christians – often point to “relevant” marketing efforts as a sign of desperation or insincerity. If Paul is our example of effective evangelism – and if he isn’t, who could be? – such critics might want to temper their judgments. On the other hand, a packed house does not indicate a successful church, at least not by Christ’s standards of success. A large congregation means nothing if its members are not challenged to fully live the Gospel because to do so might negatively impact the collection plate or the head count. Conversely, a small congregation is not by default virtuous or successful, especially if it isn’t reaching out to the greater community.
A successful congregation is one that shares the Good News in ways people can understand and are attracted to, without compromising its message. The primary goal is never numbers-driven. Some churches also run the risk of speaking “Christianese” – insider language which may be meaningful to members, but leaves outsiders feeling excluded. Think what “slain in the spirit” sounds like to a non-Christian. A church should not resemble a club with a secret password. If we follow Paul’s example, we will see that presenting the unexpurgated Gospel message in a sincere but relatable way is the only marketing plan we need.
Comfort: Some of the best evangelism is simple truth, plainly spoken.
Challenge: Check your church’s promotional material for “Christianese.”
Prayer: Compassionate God, teach me to share Christ’s message.
Evening reading: Ps 23, 27
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 93, 96; Est 3:1-4:3; Jam 1:19-27; Matt 6:1-6, 16-18
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
That's It?
Today's readings: Ps 61, 62; Job 41:1-11; Acts 16:6-15; John 12:9-19
This is what we’ve been waiting for: the penultimate chapter of the book of Job, wherein God is about to conclude his explanation of all Job’s suffering – and maybe the explanation of all our suffering. He’s told us about the majesty and wonder of creation that he alone is capable of. He’s made it clear we as mortals can never be righteous or wise enough to comprehend all he has seen and done. His final words of wisdom to Job and those present… are thirty-four verses about what may or may not be a super-crocodile. Huh?
That’s it, folks. That’s all the author(s) of Job had to offer. Perhaps, in the end, the subject matter was beyond anyone’s ability to address. Maybe there simply is no good justification for a God who devastates someone’s life to win a bet. Maybe – and this is a conclusion about the book’s portrayal of God, not necessarily our own understanding – God is an all-powerful jerk who couldn’t just say “Sorry, that was a rotten thing to do to you.” No matter what the explanation, we can’t help feeling God just sidestepped the whole issue.
And some of us may be asking, “Did I just waste my time? Why is this book in the Bible anyway?” Well, we haven’t wasted anything. We’ve spent time pondering the human condition. We’ve been appropriately outraged about injustice, and equally outraged by inadequate – even unloving – efforts to explain it away. We have inquired into the nature of God, and found the conveniently packaged answers lacking. In other words, we’ve done what serious Old Testament scholars have done for years: wrestled with our faith. With its lack of a satisfying resolution, Job may seem like the world’s first post-modern piece of literature, but – intentionally or not – it does its job (no pun intended) by leaving us with more questions than answers.
We are always and will always be seeking meaning in our lives. The characters of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, Job and even God represent points of view we work through in our search. Like Job, the best answer we get in life may be: “I’m God – you’ll never really understand.” And we’ll keep searching, because the search alone holds meaning.
Comfort: The mystery of God is worth exploring our whole lives.
Challenge: Write your own response to Job’s questions.
Prayer: Compassionate God, thank you for your comfort when I suffer.
Evening reading: Ps 68
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 72, Job 42:1-17; Acts 16:16-24; John 12:20-26
This is what we’ve been waiting for: the penultimate chapter of the book of Job, wherein God is about to conclude his explanation of all Job’s suffering – and maybe the explanation of all our suffering. He’s told us about the majesty and wonder of creation that he alone is capable of. He’s made it clear we as mortals can never be righteous or wise enough to comprehend all he has seen and done. His final words of wisdom to Job and those present… are thirty-four verses about what may or may not be a super-crocodile. Huh?
That’s it, folks. That’s all the author(s) of Job had to offer. Perhaps, in the end, the subject matter was beyond anyone’s ability to address. Maybe there simply is no good justification for a God who devastates someone’s life to win a bet. Maybe – and this is a conclusion about the book’s portrayal of God, not necessarily our own understanding – God is an all-powerful jerk who couldn’t just say “Sorry, that was a rotten thing to do to you.” No matter what the explanation, we can’t help feeling God just sidestepped the whole issue.
And some of us may be asking, “Did I just waste my time? Why is this book in the Bible anyway?” Well, we haven’t wasted anything. We’ve spent time pondering the human condition. We’ve been appropriately outraged about injustice, and equally outraged by inadequate – even unloving – efforts to explain it away. We have inquired into the nature of God, and found the conveniently packaged answers lacking. In other words, we’ve done what serious Old Testament scholars have done for years: wrestled with our faith. With its lack of a satisfying resolution, Job may seem like the world’s first post-modern piece of literature, but – intentionally or not – it does its job (no pun intended) by leaving us with more questions than answers.
We are always and will always be seeking meaning in our lives. The characters of Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, Job and even God represent points of view we work through in our search. Like Job, the best answer we get in life may be: “I’m God – you’ll never really understand.” And we’ll keep searching, because the search alone holds meaning.
Comfort: The mystery of God is worth exploring our whole lives.
Challenge: Write your own response to Job’s questions.
Prayer: Compassionate God, thank you for your comfort when I suffer.
Evening reading: Ps 68
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 72, Job 42:1-17; Acts 16:16-24; John 12:20-26
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Concerning Anger
Today's readings: Ps 24, 29; Job 38:18-41; Rev 18:1-8; Matt 5:21-26
Jesus had some strong teachings about anger. In the Sermon on the Mount, he introduces the topic of anger by way of murder. He says not only will murderers be judged, but so will those who are angry (Matt 5:21-22). Jesus consistently teaches us that sticking to the letter of the law is useless if our hearts are corrupt. Anger is a precedent to many terrible actions (up to and including murder), so holding on to anger corrupts our hearts. Jesus tells us we shouldn’t even make an offering if a brother or sister has something against us, but should instead set aside the offering until we can make things right (vv. 23-24). God desires a contrite and loving heart above any sacrifice.
Jesus is hardly the first prophet to remind the Jewish people that sacrifice without mercy is offensive to God. Prophets like Isaiah and Micah state this explicitly, and the idea is present in many Psalms. Psalm 24 describes people who are allowed to enter God’s temple, and it lists their moral (rather than ceremonial) qualities: clean hands, pure hearts, truthful souls, and truthful lips (Ps 24:4-5). A pure heart is not an angry heart.
Are we never allowed to feel anger? Of course we are. God would not make such an impossible demand of us. Denying anger is actually dangerous; we can’t deal with what we don’t admit, and what we don’t admit finds other, harmful ways to express itself. Jesus and the prophets expect us to deal with our anger in a constructive, loving way that does not damage the community. By saying we need to make things right, Jesus acknowledges that we will indeed feel anger, and at the same time teaches us we are responsible to do something about it.
While anger may be an unavoidable part of the human experience, it is not unbeatable. We have a choice about whether we allow anger to set in our hearts like concrete, or crumble through our fingers like sand. God knows we can be tempted to use anger to deflect other, more painful emotions, but this is not a healthy option. Anger, like all emotions, can be a useful tool. Usually it tells us something needs to change. We must learn to recognize when that something is us.
Comfort: God wants us all to have peaceful, loving hearts.
Challenge: The next time you are angry, ask yourself what needs to change.
Prayer: God of rest, help me lay down my burden of anger.
Evening reading: Ps 8, 84
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 56, 57, 58; Job 40:1-24; Acts 15:36-16:5; John 11:55-12:8
Jesus had some strong teachings about anger. In the Sermon on the Mount, he introduces the topic of anger by way of murder. He says not only will murderers be judged, but so will those who are angry (Matt 5:21-22). Jesus consistently teaches us that sticking to the letter of the law is useless if our hearts are corrupt. Anger is a precedent to many terrible actions (up to and including murder), so holding on to anger corrupts our hearts. Jesus tells us we shouldn’t even make an offering if a brother or sister has something against us, but should instead set aside the offering until we can make things right (vv. 23-24). God desires a contrite and loving heart above any sacrifice.
Jesus is hardly the first prophet to remind the Jewish people that sacrifice without mercy is offensive to God. Prophets like Isaiah and Micah state this explicitly, and the idea is present in many Psalms. Psalm 24 describes people who are allowed to enter God’s temple, and it lists their moral (rather than ceremonial) qualities: clean hands, pure hearts, truthful souls, and truthful lips (Ps 24:4-5). A pure heart is not an angry heart.
Are we never allowed to feel anger? Of course we are. God would not make such an impossible demand of us. Denying anger is actually dangerous; we can’t deal with what we don’t admit, and what we don’t admit finds other, harmful ways to express itself. Jesus and the prophets expect us to deal with our anger in a constructive, loving way that does not damage the community. By saying we need to make things right, Jesus acknowledges that we will indeed feel anger, and at the same time teaches us we are responsible to do something about it.
While anger may be an unavoidable part of the human experience, it is not unbeatable. We have a choice about whether we allow anger to set in our hearts like concrete, or crumble through our fingers like sand. God knows we can be tempted to use anger to deflect other, more painful emotions, but this is not a healthy option. Anger, like all emotions, can be a useful tool. Usually it tells us something needs to change. We must learn to recognize when that something is us.
Comfort: God wants us all to have peaceful, loving hearts.
Challenge: The next time you are angry, ask yourself what needs to change.
Prayer: God of rest, help me lay down my burden of anger.
Evening reading: Ps 8, 84
Tomorrow's readings: Ps 56, 57, 58; Job 40:1-24; Acts 15:36-16:5; John 11:55-12:8
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