Sacred Cow: Baptism

Frank

Yesterday, the Southern Baptist Convention approved a resolution affirming the use of the Sinner’s Prayer. In my previous post, I turned to David Platt, Paul Washer and Francis Chan to refute the doctrine. Interestingly, it was Platt’s talk at the Verge Conference this year that motivated the resolution as well as a counter to increasing Calvinist influence in the SBC. Eric Hankins, who wrote the resolution said invitations to the Sinner’s Prayer are accompanied by calls to repentance and costly discipleship. Unfortunately that last part isn’t in quotes in the Christianity Today article, because I’m genuinely interested if he really said that. In fact Platt’s and Washer’s criticism of the use of the Sinner’s Prayer is specifically because it usually lacks the command to take up our cross, give up everything, and follow Christ.

So what is necessary for salvation? The obvious answer, which the Sinner’s Prayer addresses, is faith in Christ alone. But if you dig into the Bible, you’ll find that salvation is more nuanced. In fact the word that we often point to in scripture as “saved” literally means delivered. So context is very important to discern from what we are delivered and if saved in that context actually refers to our eternal salvation. With that in mind, a quick survey of “saved” scriptures leads us to either inconsistencies or contradictions. One cannot simply cherry-pick a single scripture to justify their position. And if you take each scripture reference as being true and not contradictory, then you get what looks like ingredients, if you will, for salvation. These ingredients are hear the Gospel, have faith in Christ, repent from your Christless life, confess (or call on) Jesus as Lord, and be baptized. It is not one or another, it has to be all the above.

A friend of mine and I were talking recently how the Churches of Christ and Baptist churches have always been “at war” and the battle is fought over where in that sequence above one is saved. The problem with the Sinner’s Prayer is that it only addresses three parts of this: hearing the Gospel, responding with faith in Jesus, and responding to an invitation to call on his name. Hankins above quickly notices this discrepancy and notes that the Sinner’s Prayer is followed by calls to repentance and costly discipleship.

It is here that we diverge. “Costly discipleship” includes baptism because Baptists argue that one is baptized out of obedience, which puts baptism on the same level as other “fruits” of discipleship such as practicing hospitality, forgiving others, loving your neighbor, etc. Yet I read in the Bible that the “alter call” from the very first sermon preached was to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 2)

So the Baptists have planted their flag on “faith alone” while Churches of Christ planted their flag on baptism for the forgiveness of sins. And sadly, just as the Sinner’s Prayer does not include every ingredient for salvation, the dogmatic adherence to baptism by some in the Churches of Christ has come at the cost of the other ingredients. This brings me to my next “sacred cow”, baptism.

One problem is that the symbolism and significance of the act is not frequently taught (Romans 6 and 1 Peter 3 are good places to start). Because of this Jeremy Myers, blogging at tillhecomes.org, wrote a whole series on how and why baptism needs to be reconsidered. He starts from the right point, in my opinion, but comes to the wrong conclusion. He argues, in essence, that since we no longer know what baptism means or is about that we need a different, culturally relevant, ceremony to signify our conversion.

I would argue instead that we need to renew instruction on the whats and whys of baptism in the New Testament while looking back on the covenant relationships in the Old Testament. (for more, see the comments on Jeremy’s post “Buried in the Trees and Sky“)

Baptism can also easily become a box that one checks to make sure they’re doing everything right without the heart being behind it. It is then used as a measuring stick for church growth and effective ministry. Baptism is no longer a means to salvation, but the ends of a church’s or ministry’s effort. Some argue that baptism is a “work”. It is. When it becomes the central focus of your church as the ends and not the means, then it is in fact a work as our faith is no longer placed in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross, but in the water and ceremony of our church’s tradition.

Yet if submissively allowing yourself to be dunked in water is a work, then isn’t also the alter call and Sinner’s Prayer? Are not those also “efforts” expended in order to be saved? Don’t we also count how many “accepted Jesus” at a rally or crusade? I believe the line to be drawn between surrendered humble obedience and a salvation of works is who the emphasis is on. With the altar call and Sinner’s Prayer “I” invite, “I” accept, “I” pray Jesus into my heart. While in baptism I allow someone else to do the work for me. Yes, a preacher, minister, father, spouse or friend may be doing the act, but if my faith is not in the water nor in the one baptizing, then I am literally drowning myself to die and allow God to raise me up into a new life.

A scripture that really helped me come to terms with this was 1 Peter 3 where we read that baptism is a “pledge of a good conscience” (v 21) The NIV footnote says pledge can be replace with response, but I believe that also misses the point. The Greek word eperotema is translated by the English Standard Version and Holman Christian Standard as “appeal”. That makes the whole tone of this verse more passive. In baptism, we appeal to the grace of God- it is not us doing the work, but Christ in us.

I could go on and on, but I encourage you to study this out for yourself. The latest issue of New Wineskins has many articles this month on baptism that are well worth the read. I also want you to honestly go back to Francis Chan’s video that I posted yesterday. He goes further in this video below:

Sacred Cow: The Sinner’s Prayer

Frank

This week, the Southern Baptist Convention will be voting on a resolution to “commend” the Sinner’s Prayer as sound and biblical. (h/t to David Croom who blogged about it here) The Sinner’s Prayer has become the centerpiece of salvation for some Baptist churches and many in the Evangelical movement. For the record, I am not Baptist. In fact I am the polar opposite, fellowshipping with an offshoot of the Church of Christ. So I come at this with a certain degree of hostility.

So rather than jumping on my soapbox, I’ll let others do that for me.

David Platt:

Francis Chan:

Paul Washer:

Kingdom Dreams

Frank

One of my good friends was just hired on to the full-time ministry staff of my congregation. This has been a long-time dream of his, going back to his days leading a campus ministry almost twenty years ago.

Twenty years. That’s a long time to hold on to a dream. But when I made the decision to follow Christ, I did so with the dream of shaping my character and my lifestyle to be like Jesus, knowing full well that I would never achieve this dream this side of heaven. But that does not mean this is a dream to put off or take for granted.

One of the first books I read as a baby Christian was The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz. Its premise was straightforward: Paul gave a list of qualifications for elders, deacons and overseers in 1 Timothy and Titus and since there is no separation between clergy and laity when it comes to aspiring to live Christ-like lives, it follows that everyone should emulate the character traits of ministry leadership regardless of our “position” within our church. An elder, pastor, bishop, or deacon are no different than you or I; we all aspire to live as Christ. After all, the word “christian” means “little Christ”, hence to be Christ-like, and “disciple” means “student” or “pupil” in the context of disciples in the days of Jesus giving up everything to follow a particular rabbi. And those labels are true for everyone who declares Jesus as Lord.

So by that same token, shouldn’t we all also have aspiration to ministry? Even if we are never in a paid or formally defined ministry position, should we not approach our lives, our jobs, our families as our own personal ministries? And if so, then shouldn’t we strive to live, pray, and study like a minister?

Matthew 6:33 instructs to “seek first the kingdom…” This scripture can be used for everything from justifying mandatory meetings of the body to vaguely desiring to accomplish the will of God. But what if it meant to seek first doing ministry? Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3 that, “…our work will be shown for what it is…” In context, Paul is talking about our personal responsibility and what we choose to do (build on) with the Gospel (the foundation) we have received.

I always find myself going back to Ephesians 4 where it reads, “…as each part does its work.” The idea of “church” as we apply it today was foreign to the first century disciples. The division between ministers and congregants did not exist like it does today. Yes, there were leaders and specific instructions were given to them. But all disciples of Christ had the same responsibility to obey the commands of Jesus; to use the unique gifts God has given to build up the church.

So would it be crazy to desire to “go into” ministry? Is it strange that I think about church planting, the missional movement, and building effective discipleship communities? Am I weird to daydream about visiting some impoverished Third World community to do missions work? Or should I be “normal” and settle for just showing up on Sundays, knowing full well that it is unlikely I will ever do any of the above?

Yet don’t I do all the above in my own personal ministry? Do I not plant the church in people’s hearts when I share my faith? Aren’t I being missional as I seek new ways to serve in my community? Am I not building community when I open up my home to dig deeper into the Word? Isn’t my neighborhood, made up of multiple ethnic groups and varying degrees of affluence my own personal mission field?

So in the context of right where I am, I am a church planter, missional community builder, serving diligently on the mission field. If that’s the case, when do I get paid?

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

Eternal Praise

Frank

A friend of mine once told me that she didn’t want to go to heaven because the thought of sitting on a cloud for all eternity strumming a harp sounded boring. I don’t know exactly what heaven will be like- we’re told of mansions and streets of gold- but when you look at it that way, it doesn’t sound that appealing, does it?

But we cannot avoid it.

We are promised in Revelation that every nation will ultimately worship the Almighty. And Paul tells us that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, whether we want to or not. Standing in the presence of infinite glory, we will be overwhelmed by worship.

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
 
 
‘Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.’
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
 
 
‘Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.Amen!'”
(Revelation 7:9-12)
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,  
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:9-11)
To be honest, I am jealous of professional Christian musicians. As I struggle with expressing my faith in the day-in day-out routines, all I have to do is turn on my radio and hear them praising God through song. It is almost as if they don’t have to do anything to share their faith because their faith is continuously being broadcast over the airwaves.
Of course I know that for for every one artist who is successful, there are probably a hundred who didn’t make it. (I know many who have aspired to be professional musicians who sell insurance, teach, or are unemployed; to name three.) And I also do not know what their day-to-day looks like. It is not as if whenever their song comes on that they instantly are behind a microphone singing praise. I am sure they have their usual struggles; that “life happens” to them too.
But I ignore the reality and wish it were that easy for me to praise God. That same part of me wishes Jesus would come back today so I could just automatically worship him without having to put forth any effort.
That’s just my sinful nature talking. In truth, I know I must go out and live my life as an expression of praise and worship to my Creator. That does not mean I break into song on a street corner, or shout hallelujah after every sentence I speak. What it does mean is that I live my life faithfully, with integrity, and giving credit where credit is due. And if I persevere doing this every day, even when it is hard I don’t feel like it, I am promised an eternity where living such a way will be easy.
“…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
(Romans 12:1)
This post is part of Duane Scott’s blog-carnival, “unwrapping his promises”. Click the button below for more.

Prayer Warriors Don’t Fight Alone

Frank

When passing milestones, it is a good time to look back and reflect. Remembering old friends, the late-night talks about nothing and everything, the struggles and hurts, and the victories that followed. Wednesday night my congregation had a prayer service. It reminded me of the first midweek service I attended out here, a little more than ten years ago when I can out to interview for my job. That service was also a prayer service, where everyone was given an opportunity to pair up, get on our knees, and lift up our voices to God. It was moving to me then, and it moved me Wednesday night.

“If you believe, you will receive anything you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 22:21)

I cannot say I am a prayer warrior. I go through periods where I am “on”, when my heart just pours out and I am left feeling so refreshed. But then I go through dry spells as well, when it is all I can do to even whisper, “please, Lord, help me.” I have found that one of the best ways to get out of these ruts is to stop thinking about myself and pray only for others and their needs.

But the other night reminded me of a better way to get out of those ruts: to pray with someone else. As I prayed with one of my best friends, and then later with a brother whose wife is battling cancer, something different moved within me. I did not once pray for myself, yet I felt the weight of the world that I have been placing on my shoulders lift. I was one of the last people to leave as another brother and I opened up about some sin in our lives. And I was refreshed.

It’s funny, as I look back over the years I have called myself a disciple of Jesus I can point out a few single times, single events, that stand out as memories that mean something special to me. But what I seem to remember most were the times I wrestled in prayer with someone else. I remember praying with a stranger who would later become one of my best friends as we watched a sun rise. I remember going with my roommate on a prayer walk that I didn’t want to go on, and yet probably praying one of the most vulnerable prayers I ever had. I remember just a couple of years later, praying with this friend right before his wedding. I remember an elder who used to be here, and if you asked him what the weather was like he would first pause and pray about it before giving an answer. I remember praying non-stop the days before I was baptised, wrestling over a new conviction that turned my religious upbringing up side down. I remember my wife and I praying on our knees every night before bed; only a memory because we have since allowed our lives to wear us down and distract us from what is most important.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

How awesome it is that because of the sacrifice of Jesus we can enter into the presence of the Creator of the universe, that he loves us so much that he listens as we ramble on like little children, and that in his infinite wisdom he answers our prayers. That awe, that refreshing, that faith is forgotten when I neglect the power of praying with someone else.

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Are you in a rut spiritually? I encourage you to find someone else and make time to pray together. Even if it is someone you do not know who sits on the other side of the fellowship every Sunday morning, there is nothing better to break the ice than to pray together. So who is someone you can call up today to pray?

Ten Years Gone

Frank

Ten years ago I packed up everything and headed into the great unknown. Fresh out of college (roughly; I was waiting tables at Bennigan’s for almost a year) I was moving to a place I had only read about before to begin my career.

In that time, I have logged more than 20,000 hours at my desk, in meetings or on the road to support my work. I have commuted 200,000 miles and spent 3,750 hours doing so.

In contrast, in the same amount of time I have spent 1040 hours sitting in church on Sunday mornings, driving 7280 miles back and forth from my home. If I add board meetings, leadership meetings, and other ministry activities I could triple these numbers and still fall well short of the time I have devoted to my job.

Assuming I had an hour quiet time every day in that span (regrettably, not a safe assumption), that is still only 3650 hours spent in prayer and Bible study. Still not close to those 20,000 hours.

So based on these numbers alone, can you tell what my priority in life is?

That is why it is so important to live out our faith in every corner of our lives. We cannot limit our Christianity to time spent in the pew on Sunday mornings because that is wholly inadequate. But not only must we be active in our faith while punching the clock, we must also ask the hard question whether our jobs themselves bring glory to God.

And after ten years, given the numbers above, I wrestle over that question every day.

“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

“Be very careful then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Defeating Death

Frank

Today, I’m continuing my Avengers theme with a post that has been percolating in my head for a long time. Warning, there be spoilers ahead!

So far I have covered Iron Man and the Hulk. But today I want to key in on possibly the most powerful character to appear in ‘The Avengers’ movie. Did I mention there would be spoilers?

I figure just about everyone has seen the Avengers, having grossed more than a billion dollars, so you’ve had your opportunity.

At the end of the first credits sequence (the animated one, not the traditional scroll) we are introduced to a character who is warned that to take on Earth and the Avengers is to “court death.” The character then turns and smiles at the camera. No, it’s not Hellboy or the Red Skull as those in the audience less nerdy than me speculated (hey, Marvel, just seeing the reactions online tells me you need to do some work post-processing to make this guy purple, not red!). But is instead the character Thanos.

That name doesn’t mean much to the casual fan, but to those of us who have been paying attention, we have been anticipating his introduction since 2010 when the Infinity Gauntlet was shown off at the San Diego ComicCon as one of the Marvel movie props. The Gauntlet later showed up in the movie ‘Thor’. So even though I knew he would be making an appearance in ‘The Avengers’ I still got chills when I heard those words, “court death,” because I knew exactly what that meant. You see, Thanos has an obsession with death, even “courting” a woman who is the personification of death in the comic book universe. Thanos also makes sense as an adversary in the movie universe because his first story in comic books involved his pursuit of the Cosmic Cube (called the Tasseract in the movie). He later rose to fame in the 90’s through the mini-series The Infinity Gauntlet and its many spin-off stories. For more on Thanos, check out this write-up from Comic Book Resources and also his wikipedia page.

So far, we know that he won’t the villain in either Iron Man 3 (who will be the Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley- seriously, how cool is that!) or Thor 2 (who has not yet been identified, but execs have been explicit it will not be Thanos). So Marvel studios have their work cut out for them to introduce this character and give him a meaningful arc.

Which brings me back to the Infinity Gauntlet and the real subject of this post. (for more on the Gauntlet, check out the wikipedia page) You see, there isn’t yet a character in the movies who can stand toe-to-toe with Thanos. The Silver Surfer was instrumental in taking down Thanos in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, but the rights to that character are still owned by Fox because of his appearance in ‘The Fantastic Four’. So that leaves us with the Surfer’s partner in that story, Adam Warlock. (The golden person behind Thanos with the red cape above; again, check out his wikipedia page) Will he be somehow introduced into the Marvel movie universe? I sure hope so.

So what does Warlock, the Surfer, and Thanos have to do with the subject matter of this blog (“Public Christianity” in case you forgot)? Well personally, I have always been intrigued by Warlock’s character, from his introduction as a man-made “perfect human” called simply “Him” all the way through his first death (more on this in a minute) and up to his adventures following his defeat of Thanos. About that first death… Adam Warlock has a bit of a God-complex. So much so that in order to save the people of “counter earth” he allowed himself to be crucified. By the power of the Soul Gems (one of the baubles on the Infinity Gauntlet- see how this all ties in?) he rose himself from the dead and a cult religion would later rise up to worship him (and try to take over the universe, but that’s another story).

In my comic reading peak in the 90’s, I loved to read both Warlock and the Silver Surfer. They complemented each other perfectly. Though the silver sentinel was conceived as a Christ-like cosmic figure when he was introduced in the 60’s, he is written in more of a philosophical tone. Warlock, on the other hand, because of his background is written as much more theological. So when paired together to take on some cosmic foe, this often led to very deep and worthwhile conversations.

Now I am anxiously anticipating how this may be handled on the silver screen, especially after (in my opinion) the Silver Surfer wasn’t given his full due in the Fantastic Four movie. And all the bluster about Loki pontificating about the weakness of humanity and the slavery of freedom, coupled with the writer’s open atheism, led some to denounce ‘The Avengers’ as anti-Christian and secular. So is it possible that the movies would dare take on a character whose main story arc involves being crucified, buried, and risen from the dead? If the Avengers have any hope of defeating Thanos, we better hope so.

Jesus Wears Rocket Boots

Frank

Last night as I was putting my son to bed, we were tackling all the hard questions in life. My son asked a question about the Bible that I couldn’t answer, so I simply told him that some things in the Bible we can’t explain. They are miracles and we have to take them on faith that they really happened. I said, “take Jesus walking on water. We don’t know how he did that, just that he did.”

“Oh! I know,” my son quickly interrupted. “Jesus was wearing rocket boots, like Iron Man!”

Ok, maybe we can explain everything in the Bible. I suppose when the sun stood still for Joshua, Superman was flying around the Earth so fast that it stopped turning. (It worked in the movie, anyway)

A child’s imagination allows for robot armor, light sabers, men who turn green when angry, and talking animals. There’s room in their little minds to accept raising people from the dead, driving out evil spirits, and.. talking animals. Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when he said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

As we grow older, we also grow more cynical and skeptical. It is harder to accept Jesus walking on water; and even if we can make that logical leap, no way do we allow for Peter to do the same. Feeding 5000 with just a few fish and a couple of loaves of bread? Turning water into wine? These are harder to accept. Driving out demons can be explained away with psychology. We no longer have the faith of a little child.

Yet we spend billions to watch “The Avengers” while eagerly awaiting the next “Batman” and “Spiderman” release and speculating online about what, exactly, “Prometheus” is all about. We go in to the latest blockbusters willing to suspend belief for two hours. And then expect the Sunday morning sermon to be preached from science and history books.

I’m not saying we  should check our brain at the door to our churches. But rather we should allow for our imaginations to do just what God intended them to do- grasp at the unknown, wonder in awe at God’s power and creativity, and maybe in some way be inspired to share our unique insights through art, music, or prose.

If we can be child-like watching our childhood heroes on the big screen, why can’t we be child-like, as Jesus commanded, learning about our ultimate hero in Jesus? Miracles cannot be explained. If they could, they wouldn’t be miracles. And as I had to explain to my son, rocket boots weren’t yet invented when Jesus was alive. But I suppose that would have been a miracle too.

This is my first time joining my friend Duane Scott’s blog-carnival “unwrapping His promises”. Click the button below for more.

The Pride of Superman

Frank

You have to have a certain amount of ego to be an elite athlete. You need to have confidence in yourself; that when you are holding the ball, you are better than the person standing across from you. Many celebrity athletes show this ego not only on the court or field, but also in their lives as they build for themselves personal empires made up of posses, fast cars, big houses and expensive clothes purchased with the staggering amounts of money these athletes make.

But sometimes the ego can grow a little too large, believing that not only are you better than the player across from you, but also your teammates next to you or even the coach trying to lead you.
No, I’m not talking about Kobe Bryant. I’m talking about Dwight Howard. (I promised he’d get his post, so here it is.) I admit I’m not much of a fan professional basketball, preferring college hoops. But when it comes to the playoffs, there are few things more exciting than the NBA. It’s too bad the Orlando Magic didn’t last long this postseason.

It’s not that I’m necessarily a Magic fan, but I’ve been interested in Dwight Howard’s career ever since I read about his Christian faith back when he was still a teenage phenom. So it made me sad when he got one of the Magic cheerleaders pregnant a couple of years ago. And it tore my heart when he started fighting with his coach, Stan Van Gundy earlier this year.

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

I would argue that Van Gundy’s job coaching the Magic the last couple of seasons has been anything but a joy and more than a burden. So maybe it’s a relief that the Magic fired him on Monday. Yet despite trying to appease their superman superstar, Dwight Howard still won’t commit to returning to Orlando next season.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

Back in 2004, Howard hoped his play on the court would “raise the name of God within the league and throughout the world.” He prayed about being the number one pick in the NBA draft. And planned on using the hardwood as his mission field. But the past two seasons have been anything but an effective Christian witness as the bickering through the media reached a crecendo earlier this year once word got out that Howard wanted Van Gundy fired, an accusation Howard would vehemently deny.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'” (Hebrews 13:5)

I hope Howard isn’t trying to get out of Orlando in search of greener pastures, or just more green. As a teenager, before receiving his first multi-million dollar contract, Howard declared, “I think I can make as much money or even more than LeBron. But it will be up to God for that to happen… I’m not trying to give glory for myself. I’m trying to give glory for Him.” I haven’t followed this story that closely, only knowing what the sports gossip blogosphere has been reporting, but everything I gather is that Howard simply wants a better environment to win. So is winning everything? Is that really what God wants from Howard? Or is it ultimately what Howard just wants for himself?

“whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Cog in the Machine

Frank

When asked what he does for a living, a coworker of mine usually replies, “I’m part of the bureaucracy.” A few years ago Monster had an advertisement where kids described what they wanted to be when they grow up. “I want to claw my way up to middle management” was one reply, followed by “I want to be a yes-man,” “yes-woman,” “yes, sir!”

Maybe you’re stuck in a rut at your job and you feel just like this. Part of the bureaucracy, a cog in the machine. I doubt many of us aspired to this and we wouldn’t describe our dream job this way. And so we come home exhausted, defeated, or burned out. We long for the weekends when we can literally take a break from the world and rest before we have to get in the car and go do it again.

Doesn’t sound ideal, does it? Have you ever looked at church the same way? Is it a drudgery to participate as you take repeated glances at your watch to see if anything has changed? This description might not be your first thought, but I bet you can relate. Just like if you’re stuck in a rut work, if you’re stuck at church maybe it’s because you’re not doing what you want to. Or better yet, what you’re meant to.

Isn’t that how it goes? You go blind staring at your computer screen at work knowing you were meant for more than this. Isn’t that what piles on to this feeling of frustration? Church is no different; as we fight off falling asleep during a sermon we think there must be more than this.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers [leadership roles], to prepare God’s people for works of service [service roles], so that the body of Christ may be built up…as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:11-12, 16) American church (TM) culture has convinced us that it is the few in front of the church, up on the pulpit, who are responsible for everything while the rest of us sit back and drop a couple of bucks in the tray to pay them. But the Biblical model of the church is not like this.

“As each part does it’s work.” Just like your job, well just like anything really, if you feel valued and are participating as part of something bigger you are more likely to derive satisfaction from your work. So we all have roles and it is just a matter of identifying what those roles are. Paul gives us samples here in Ephesians, but also in Romans 12 and twice in 1 Corinthians 12.

Of course, frustration also comes when we mis-identify our roles. At our jobs, we might think we’d be just right for that promotion but when we finally rise up, it proves to be too much for us. There’s this concept called the “Peter Principle” where one can only rise to the level of their own incompetence. What that means is that theoretically, you keep getting promoted until you can no longer do your job (and your weaknesses are exposed) at which point you’re stuck.

Other times it may not be the rise in position that we lust after, but a different position all together. Yet it might just be right where you’re at is where you’re supposed to be. This too can be frustrating. And it is no different at church. While there isn’t really any means of promotion, we can all feel like we should be doing something else.

For me, personally, I’ve been frustrated at church because I have mis-identified my role. I’ve called myself “teacher” and on this blog “writer”. I’ve considered that maybe I’m a “prophet” in the context of being inspired by the Holy Spirit to give a message in a specific context. But so long as I’ve been a disciple of Jesus people have told me, “you have the gift of administration!” and for the last twelve years I’ve been resisting that fact.

Back to work, the coworker I mentioned earlier and I have spent the last 4-5 weeks pushing paper, writing page after page, reviewing every word to make sure every i was dotted and t crossed. And as tedious as that has been, I’ve been good at it. Recently, I put together and hosted a meeting that was very involved and took up most of my time. I complained about how busy I was, but deep inside I could not deny that I actually liked it.

I’ve been on my church’s board of directors for the last six years. Some meetings go better than others, but when I am honest with myself I see that this is what I am good at. I am good at organization (which is ironic since I am so unorganized): putting people where they need to be to be most successful (at work) and bring the most glory to God (at church). I prefer to work behind the scenes and while I crave the spotlight for the sake of my own ego, I am not comfortable there. I’m an “idea guy” and spend a lot of time thinking about how-tos. This is who I am and I need to embrace that.

After this last big meeting we had a board meeting. And all this hit me. My gift is administration. I paused and prayed about it, thanking God for making me just like he did. And I felt a peace enter into me that has been missing for some time. I realized that much of my stress and frustration came from trying to be someone I am not. Peace came from thanking God for who I am. I am a cog in God’s great machine. And I am ok with that.

So what are you gifts? What do you aspire to?