Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday: Perfect Church?

Frank

***Originally posted a year ago when I was doing a book club on Michael Spencer’s book, Mere Churchianity. I warn you in advance, this is a long one.***

I’ve been on board with Michael Spencer through eight chapters of Mere Churchianity and I’ve enjoyed every part of the ride. But I had to get off the train at chapter 9 (though I’m going to jump right back on at 10). In chapter 8, Accepting the Real Jesus, Michael drew a line in the sand delineating the Church consisting of disciples of Jesus and the institutional, religious church filled with Christians. But it seems as though in this chapter he forgot the line was there.

I agree with Michael that you cannot keep “church shopping” hoping to find the perfect church because you never will. I also agree that many people’s spiritual journey to be Jesus Shaped will lead them “out of the church as they have known and experienced it.” (pp 109) I can personally testify that this can be the case. In fact, I do believe there is a perfect church worth going after. But I do not believe everyone Michael describes in this chapter has found it.

Let’s begin with the perfect church. What does it look like? Michael listed several flavors of church he experienced trying to find it. Someone commented yesterday that it would be great if we could combine each of these into one. I’ve always felt that the perfect church would have the reverence of the Catholic/Orthodox church, the worship of an AME church, the emphasis on Biblical survey of the Calvary Chapel, the outreach of a foreign mission, and the doctrine (personal bias) of the Restoration Movement. But I haven’t found that yet, and I don’t think I ever will. But that does not mean I cannot create it.

You can browse the titles of Christian books, search the themes of Christian bloggers, and find the most followed Christian tweeters and it won’t take long to notice that many are on the same quest to find the elusive perfect church. There was a push not long ago to “restore the First Century Church” even though that is not described in the Bible. The best we have to go on are the sparse writings of the Early Church Fathers and the Didache. Right now we see the “Acts 29 Church“, or as I like to say “the next chapter”. Catchy name. I pray they are successful in creating authentic community and a Jesus Shaped church. I’ve also seen “the Acts 2:42 Church”, but there is very little written in the New Testament, and even less in the book of Acts, for “what” this perfect church should look like outside of a few anecdotal examples.

But there is plenty written on “how” this perfect church should function. For the sake of our discussion, I’m going to stick with Ephesians 4. Here Paul gives an outline of how Christ’s church should grow up in unity. (And remember that Jesus prayed for unity amongst His believers the night before he was betrayed.) First, the perfect church is up to us. “[L]ive a life worthy… be completely humble and gentle…bearing with one another… make every effort to keep the unity…” (v 1-3) And later, “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it… It was he who gave some to be… to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (v 7, 11-13) In other words, the perfect church is up to us, doing our part, “From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (v 16, emphasis added)

Of course, we are all human. Our pride and selfish ambitions will get in the way of what Paul describes above. Over time religiosity, legalism, and false-doctrine will set in. And the church we thought we were a part of will become unrecognizable. But, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” (1 Peter 1:24-25) We can always turn back to the Word and return to what is right. I do believe that in this sense, the Church is undergoing constant revival as each generation comes to it seeking to be Jesus Shaped.

But the description above isn’t the approach Michael Spencer takes. Instead he takes an ecumenical broad-brush and (practically) declares that everyone who is doing good work in Jesus’ name is part of this true church. Yet Jesus himself said, “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” And it continues, “only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) This is consistent with what Michael wrote in chapter 8, but appears to abandon here. It is also interesting that when Michael declares “There are thousands of Christians where I live. They express their faith through how they serve…” (pp 111), he then lists off several brand-names of churches as if they are all equal. But he does not mention the Mormon Church. I would expect that many Christians, and most Evangelicals, would not consider the Mormon Church to be Christians, yet I challenge you to find any group as focused on their communities and on their families as this church. According to Michael’s description of the “true church” in this chapter, they have to be included in the discussion. Unless he applies an unwritten doctrinal line.

There is a written line in Ephesians 4. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (v 4-6) Which brings us to the “One Church”.

This is a dangerous doctrine. Not because it is unbiblical, but because of our human nature to corrupt everything we are a part of. The Restoration Movement began when a Reformed Baptist and a Presbyterian got together, examined their doctrines in light of Scripture, and chose to go another way. They strived for One Church, unifying the divisive denominationalism that still exists today. Because of the emphasis on One True Church being defined solely on Scripture, the church they founded, the Churches of Christ, have been turbulent with division ever since. I think the Scripture says this, you think that, therefore we cannot agree and you are no longer part of “my” One True Church. Yet Paul said he doesn’t care  so long as the Gospel is being preached and Jesus said no one can do a miracle in his name one minute and curse his name the next. You see the slippery slope?

So what does that mean for you and me and our quest for a Jesus Shaped church? First, we have to look to the Word of God to measure the state of our church, not our feelings, not the latest bestseller on church growth, and absolutely not traditions. Next, we have to examine ourselves by the same standard. Are we “doing are part” as Ephesians 4 instructs? Finally, and this goes back to the thrust of Mere Churchianity, we need to keep Jesus as our focus.

Is there a perfect church out there? With our sinful nature, sadly not until Jesus returns to claim His Kingdom. Is there a Jesus Shaped church out there? There are likely many and as Michael describes, there is no shortage of people striving towards it. Is there One True Church? Yes there is, and it is defined by God’s own Word, not by the walls we construct. I pray one day we can worship there together.

Flashback Friday: What Are Your Church’s Strengths?

Frank

***Originally posted 8/30/10. Reposted to fit in my present series on the church.***

I’m reading Transformational Church by Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer as a compliment to my reading of Michael Spencer’s Mere Churchianity. Chapter two introduces the “Transformational Loop” of properties present in Transformational Churches. It is a loop because each area feeds into another and no one property can stand alone in a strong, transformational church. The areas are Discern, Embrace, and Engage and the properties present are a Missionary Mentality, Vibrant Leadership, Relational Intensity, Prayerful Dependence, Worship, Community, and Mission.

Reading through the description of each of these, it quickly became clear where my fellowship is strong and where it falls short. The recommendation for a stagnant church to become a transformational church is to identify your strengths and use them to build the other properties. For example, if your strength is worship, use that to build community, and so on.

I’ve been wrestling for some time with why things don’t seem to be clicking in my fellowship. We have our strengths and weaknesses just like any other congregation. And I don’t expect us to be perfect. But I just get the feeling that a piece is (or pieces are) missing. This loop helps me to identify what we need to build on and grow in.

My fellowship’s strengths are mission and community. We have a strong evangelistic focus, taking on the mission of Jesus to “seek and save the lost.” We build community through small groups for accountability, personal growth, and to facilitate evangelistic activities. These communities forge life-long relationships.

However these strengths ebb and flow. We take our strengths for granted and grow complacent. I believe this is because our strengths do not have deep roots and this loop bares that out. We are strong in mission, but lack a missionary mentality. We are strong in community but lack relational intensity. So our strengths are what we do, not who we are.

I am also convicted personally because I lack in prayerful dependence. I’m not a prayer warrior, though I need to grow in my prayer life. But I look around and I don’t see many prayer warriors around me either. I admired an Elder we had who would pray “without ceasing.” Ask him a question and he would pause, consider it, and then pray about it. Without fail, every question. But I don’t see that as my church’s culture.

I also admire one of my best friends who is strong in worship. He lives it, studies it, and teaches it but being worshipful has only rubbed off on a few. And our Sunday services are better for it!

So the pieces are there to build, despite my negativity. I’m sure if I looked around I could find individuals who are strong in one or more of these properties. The trick however is spreading those strengths through the congregation until it becomes part of its culture.

Given that background, what would you say are your church’s strengths?

What are your strengths and do they feed into your church’s?

Would you describe your church as “transformational”?

Flashback Friday: When is it OK to Walk Away?

Frank

***Originally posted a year ago while doing a group book discussion on Michael Spencer’s Mere Churchianity. It is my most spammed post (still today) so I figured I’d clean it up, update it some and repost. Plus it’s a good lead-in to some posts I’m hoping to get up next week.***

[A year ago] Pope Benedict XVI visited Great Britain for the first Papal visit in centuries and in the face of the ongoing child abuse scandal. Some demonstrators were so bold as to say that the Catholic Church “murdered” their souls. Despite this, they still identified themselves as Catholic: “I am a Catholic, but my faith is in God, not in those church officials who have covered this up,” one of the demonstrators said. Valid point, but why stay committed to that church?

At the same time, we have the audience Michael Spencer is writing to in Mere Churchianity; those who have left their churches and in some cases Christianity altogether because of abuse, hypocrisy, luke-warmness, and countless other reasons. Last week, I listed some specific examples. Each of these had valid reasons to leave, but I think just as importantly, each have a valid reason to return: the church is not Christ and Michael continues to hammer this point as we continue through his book. [Important distinction here. The big-c church is the Body of Christ. When we try and make it anything else- biggest, showiest, best-selling, most entertaining, most seeker-friendly, most missional, most… it is no longer Christ, but a group of like-minded people. It might as well be a fraternity.]

Let us consider these “sins” of the church: abuse, hypocrisy, luke-warmness. You could add neglecting its mission, being polluted by the world’s values or even other religions. If this sounds familiar and you find yourself shouting, “preach it brother!” recognize that this isn’t anything new. In fact, these are the same claims Jesus himself brought against the church in Revelation. In other words, the Church has been screwing up since it was founded. Not that that makes it ok. In fact, Jesus had some very harsh words to those churches. So today we continue to re-vector our programs, our polity, our preaching to make sure our eyes are “fix[ed] on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)

[At the same time, we cannot practice Christianity by ourselves. We can focus on Jesus all we want, but if we don’t include others in our lives, we’re not really modeling Jesus’ life or instructions. The arguments that “my faith is personal, between me an God” or “I believe in Jesus, I don’t need a church for that” are bad theology.]
Keep in mind, there are 51 “one another” instructions (some are more strongly worded as commands) to the Church found in the New Testament. Many of these cannot be followed outside of an authentic church community. One specifically, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) Yes, you could argue that you can still have an authentic Christian community and not call it “church”. But then I’d just turn around and call you a “house church”. I guess whatever form it takes, we need each other for encouragement, for sharpening, for instruction, and for worship.

And this still doesn’t address the countless numbers who have walked away from the Church for any and every reason.

Keeping in mind Jesus’ own words to forgive not seven times, but “seven times seventy” times (Matthew 18:22) and to leave any offering to the Lord and first “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:23-24) yet “It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” (Luke 17:2) Add to that Paul’s instructions to “submit to every authority” (Romans 13:1 and also Hebrews 13:17) and to “not put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way” (Romans 14:13, but really the whole chapter applies). And finally going back to Hebrews 10:25 above and the example of abused Catholics at the beginning of this post, [we see that the state of the Church is each of our own responsibility.

The onus is on us to live peacefully, to forgive, and to serve. Then, “as each part does its work” the Body of Christ is “built up in love” (Eph 4:16). This cannot happen if people walk away just because they don’t like the children’s Sunday School program, don’t like the style of preaching or worship music, or don’t get along with someone in particular.(To list extreme examples. To be fair, serious abuses of authority, tolerance of sin, and departures from the Word of God as the standard of belief are all valid reasons to walk away. The line isn’t the same for everyone, but if everyone put into practice the above scriptures- including those in leadership- then we shouldn’t have those problems.)]

Flashback Friday: Trip Planner

Frank

***Originally posted July 20, 2010 as part of my Virtual Small Group on Summer. What are your summer plans? Last weekend my family kicked off the summer taking the kids to the aquarium. Now we’re on our way to go camping (as soon as I can get packed!). Anyway, enjoy the long weekend!***

Last weekend my family decided to take a last-minute spontaneous road trip to the beach. One of my best friends growing up was in the neighborhood, i.e. the same state, camping on the beach and invited me to stop on by to say hi. How could I refuse? The problem however, was that I’m not good at acting spontaneously. I get wound up and stress out too easily when things aren’t planned out in my head. These plans also conflicted with plans we already made, nor did it really fit in our budget, rocking the boat even more. But we persevered, hitting the road at 3:00 when we were shooting for 11:00. Despite saying several words I shouldn’t have, and stressing out far more than necessary, it was completely worth it. It was the first time my son was brave enough to play in the ocean. Plus my friend has a son roughly the same age and they hit it off right away. As I posted on Facebook when I got home, I’ve never seen my son have so much fun.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? (and are willing to share online)

As much fun as that was, however, I still prefer to have a plan. Normally when we road trip as a family and aim to leave at 11:00, we get out the door at around 1:00. That’s even with a plan. In other words, I need to be a better planner.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD‘s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

Are you a good planner? What’s your secret? (really, I need all the help I can get!)

Every long holiday weekend is filled with “news from AAA that more people are planning on hitting the road for vacation than last year…” combined with news about gas prices, drunk driving arrests, and of course lists of the most popular destinations. The same news can be heard throughout the summer. Kids are on vacation, the weather is great, and highways are… under construction.

You have to go into the summer with a plan. Where are you going? Which weekend? Will the family you plan on visiting actually be home then? Will you be back in time for so-and-so’s wedding? Is there a baseball game in town while you’re there (actually this is usually the first thing I check)?

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

What are your priorities when planning your vacation?

Our spirituality should be no different. We need a plan. I mentioned yesterday how we need to plan out our spiritual work-out regimen. Too often we close a book not knowing what to read next or rely on flimsy verse-of-the-day calendars to guide our spiritual growth. And we wonder why we get stuck nursing on milk? Planning a whole season is an even greater challenge. What books to read? What topics to cover? What specific prayers to pray? It helps to enter into the season with a plan. You can’t go on your road trip without a map.

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)

What are your spiritual plans for this summer?
If you don’t have a plan, now is the time to build one. If you can’t think of any plans, ask for input (Proverbs 20:18). Don’t let this season pass without a measure of growth. Look back at your vacation photos with no regrets.

Flashback Friday: Origins

Frank

To make up for not being online hardly at all this week, I’m offering a two-for-one special: a Flashback to my very first post plus a little more about me.

Believe it or not, this blog started as a chain email. You know the kind: “the world is going to hell in a hand basket so forward to 100 people or you don’t love Jesus!” Honestly, I was tired of getting those. The straw that broke the camel’s back (or caused my inbox to exceed its limit) was one I had received a dozen times already about not praying at school being the reason our country is in the state it’s in.

I thought about that for a moment. Is the lack of prayer in schools the problem with our country, or is the problem the hundreds or thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of so-called Christians who think their religious duty is limited to showing up on Sunday (when there’s not a game on or the kids don’t have a soccer tournament) and forwarding religiously-themed emails? I was amazed that I had received this very same email so many times from so many different people.

So I wrote my own, complete with “forward this or make baby Jesus cry!” I wrote about how is it that 85% of Americans call themselves Christians yet… divorce rate is greater than 50%, more people are in prison per-capita than any other industrialized nation, x-number of abortions a year (I should know that number off the top of my head, does that make me a bad Christian?), more children are born into homes with a single parent than are born to two-parent homes (recent stat, but seriously???), and on and on.

I was curious if I’d ever see that email forwarded back to me. Honestly I doubt anyone I sent it to forwarded it on. Too much fire and brimstone. But it got me thinking how the internet could be used as a ministry tool and how individuals were empowered to voice their message to the faceless crowd. I thought a lot too about what kind of message that should be. I had just started following a couple of blogs and saw the community created around the shared convictions and open discussion. Maybe there was something to this. So what’s the message?

I realized, looking around at the Christian-consumer landscape, that generally Christians have isolated themselves on social islands. They like what the Christian marketplace tells them to like (Fireproof!) and vote for who they are told to vote (Palin!). Now that’s a broad-brush and not really fair, but that’s how I felt at the time. Add to that the divisions between churches (I’m right, you’re wrong and going to hell for it!) creating other islands in this ocean of culture, and I choose to write about that. Current events. Politics. Even throw some Bible in there. Of course, it’s evolved since then, but here I am almost five years later still shaking my head at what I see out there (while thankfully spending more time concerned about what’s going on in here, plank in my eye and all).

Something else, since it keeps getting asked, here’s the story behind “fatha frank”. I was raised Catholic, for one, and was almost guilted into going into the priesthood. When I was baptized in a campus ministry, I was in grad school, making me one of the oldest students in that ministry (older than our campus minister, in fact). Between those two I got dubbed “Father Frank” by a few friends. When I set up my accounts and online identity, I wanted to keep the name, but I didn’t want strangers (since I was going to post openly to anyone on my blog) to think I was an actual priest, so I changed it. In fact, a friend and I came up with it at the wedding reception of another friend of ours. So blame him.

So now you know a little more about me, tell me something I don’t know about you.

And for entertainment purposes only, here is my very first post:

What the World Needs Now

Is another religion/politics blog, like I need a hole in my head! (sung to Cracker’s, “What the World Needs Now” [ed note: actually the song is called “Teen Angst”) So why me? Why this blog? And if you’re here because of a blog search, I’m sorry! There’s not much content yet, but I’m working on it.

A couple of years ago the world was introduced to a new term, “values voters,” a segment of the population that (gasp!) voted their conscience. It didn’t take long before this “new” segment of Americans became commercial, worldly, co-opted by special interests, and the new pop-culture buzzword. Since the ’04 election some ministers have become politicians, ministries have become special interests, and being a Christian became more about how you vote than how you live. Now we’re on the dawn of mid-terms, and both sides are fighting to capture the value vote.

So what makes me different? After all, aren’t I buying into the system by becoming yet another religious/political blog? That’s exactly why I’m doing this. To be different. While I’m not ashamed of this being political, I want the dialogue (or would a blog be more of a monologue?) to be more deep and broad than, “W sux!” or, “W rox!” I also want this to be more than just politics, but also how religion ties into pop-culture and what we can learn from what’s going on in the world.

The links to the right are a work in progress. So far “resources” are related to the topics I post about, while “blogs” are brothers in Christ whom I respect that post on their convictions and their life. You might notice some of the links look like they don’t belong (ACLU????). But I’ll talk about that next time. So please come back!

Flashback Friday: Flight of the Navigator

Frank

***Originally posted June 10, 2009 after Air France flight 447 crashed into the ocean on its way from Rio to Paris. Reposted as the second black box was found and details begin to emerge. The most chilling detail so far: the plane stalled and literally fell out of the sky in 4 minutes before crashing. 4 minutes. That’s a long time to think about your fate.***

“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of carelessness, incapacity, or neglect. ” -Anonymous

I first read the above quote in one of the many articles I’ve read on the Air France disaster. Sadly, this event reminds us just how unforgiving flying can be. Yesterday, airlines replaced the speed sensors suspected to have been the cause of the accident even though the “black box” hasn’t been found and there’s limited information from data sent from the plane prior to its crash. These are experts in aviation however, who have reached this conclusion. So I trust they know what they’re talking about.

And I can understand, even relate. Imagine you’re the pilot of this plane: you’re flying over the ocean, you can’t see any landmarks and you’re surrounded by blue, above and below. Your sensors then give you conflicting readings of your speed. You’re cruising, not climbing, so you don’t have a physical sense of how fast you really are going. There’s nothing on the ground or on the horizon to relate your speed with. You have no choice but to trust your instruments.

This had to have been extremely difficult for the pilot. I was once handed the controls of a plane and had the pleasure of experiencing aviation beyond the textbook. We were approaching a mountain peak when the guy I was with told me to climb to a certain altitude. I thought the peak was a long ways off, but sure enough, by the time I reached that altitude I could tell the peak was right there. It’s very difficult to judge distance, and therefore speed, from the air.

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” -Martin Luther King

Spiritually, it’s also very difficult to judge not only how fast we’re going but also where we’re going. How do we know we’re doing alright with our relationship with God? How do we know we’re making the right decision when given choices? How do we know we’re honoring God when we seize opportunities and not honoring ourselves? We can’t trust our own instruments. If we do, we’re likely to crash. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9)

Thank God we don’t have to rely on our own navigation. He gives us a guide, a navigator. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'” (Is 30:21) We can trust the Holy Spirit when our instruments fail. I pray that as many as possible on that flight had a navigator they could trust.

Flashback Friday: Call Your Mother!

Frank

***Originally posted right before Mothers’ Day 2009. I think I’ve called my mom at least once since then. 🙂 ***

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. -John 19:25-27

Even in Jesus’ most trying time, he remembered to take care of his mother. Even after being arrested, humiliated, beaten, and crucified his mother stood by him to the end. Thank God for moms.

Happy Mother’s Day

Flashback Friday: It’s the End of the World as We Know It

Frank

***Originally posted September 10, 2009 when the Large Hadron Collider became operational. Reposted because of news this week that the “God Particle” aka the Higgs boson may have been found. To save you from digging out your old physics textbook (surely you still have it) the Higgs boson is the subatomic particle that is theorized to give objects their mass. In layman’s terms: it’s what all the fuss in Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons was about. But maybe we shouldn’t get our hopes up quite yet. I wonder if this discovery will be confirmed before the actual end of the world which we all know is going to be May 21. (And I need to remind everyone of this scripture: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. -Matthew 24:36)***

It’s the end of the world as we know it… and I feel fine.

I’m behind my posting, but I had to get something up because today is the end of the world. What, you didn’t hear? No I didn’t get this information from someone locked away in a commune in Idaho or from a guy on a street corner holding a sign and asking for change. In fact, I don’t have any religious reason for saying this at all, rather purely scientific. You see, today scientists turned on the Large Hadron Collider, a super-collider in Europe that is intended to create subatomic particles and replicate the big bang.

So what does that have to do with the end of the world? Well some are so afraid of the science behind it that they believe small black holes will be created that could eventually swallow the Earth. They’re so afraid in fact, that they’ve tried to sue to keep it from operating. Not exactly how my Bible describes the end of the world. On the other hand, if they can create a singularity, and wormhole theories hold true, then maybe after the Earth is swallowed up our promised “new Earth” will emerge on the other side. Of course, that would require Jesus to have already come back and depending on which-millennialist doctrine you subscribe, another 1000 years or so to pass. So maybe today’s not the day. But I’ll be keeping oil in my lamp.

Flashback Friday: Reading is (still) Fundamental

Frank

***Originally posted March 2, 2010 for Read Across America Day. Reposted last October after a Pew Forum poll showed atheists and agnostics are more knowledgable about religion than most Christians. Reposting yet again because we’re heading into the weekend before Easter and it worth checking out the books at the end to help us focus on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.***

Today is National Read Across America Day. Celebrated on the birthday of Dr. Seuss, events are held all around the country to “motivate children to read.” A worthwhile event and a noble goal.

The American Christian Church needs something like this. Maybe not your priest/pastor/evangelist dressing up as the Cat In The Hat for the Sunday sermon. But something needs to be done in the Body of Christ to encourage reading and studying. Charles “Tremendous” Jones has often been quoted saying, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Reading was so important to the Apostle Paul that he asked Timothy to “come to [him] quickly” and bring his “scrolls, especially the parchments” while he was believed to have been in prison (2 Tim 4:9,13) While this most likely at least included Scripture, it was just as likely it included Rabbinic teachings given Paul’s education. Paul also taught that the Bible is “useful… so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Our reading shouldn’t be limited to the Bible however, though as a Body we sadly fall short in this area. The number of Christian books are limitless, some of course better than others. I encourage you to find a niche that appeals most to you- history, biographies, theology, apologetics, etc and dig in. Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide lists 166 different categories of books. If you can’t find something you like, well you’re not really trying. It is important to remember though, that books should compliment, not supplement, your Bible study. This is a lesson I have had to learn the hard way a year ago as I felt myself spiritually withering away even though I was reading about a book a month. I was convicted listening to a lesson that reminded me that spiritual books should never take the place of the Word of God. So I have recommitted myself to my Bible study and any book I read is intentionally tied to a specific Bible study.

Not only do we have Read Across America, but it is also almost exactly a month before Easter. If you observe Lenten fasts, you may have given up chocolate or Facebook. Some also add spiritual disciplines to their fasts. If you’re taking this season to dig deeper into your Bible study or read that spiritual book gathering dust on your bookshelf, amen! If not, don’t fret because there’s plenty of time. Many devotionals are written for a month’s worth of study so now is a perfect time leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
With that in mind, here are some recommendations keeping to the theme of Easter: Calvary Road by Roy Hession, He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado, The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey, Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler, Thirty Days at the Foot of the Cross edited by Tom and Sheila Jones, and Your Jesus is Too Safe by Jared C Wilson.
Happy reading!

Flashback Friday: That’s Just Jesus Being Jesus

Frank

***Originally posted June 23, 2009, right after Manny Ramirez’ first suspension under Major League Baseball’s new Performance Enhancing Drug policy. Earlier this week, Manny chose to retire from baseball rather than face his second suspension (and third total) which would have lasted 100 days. I guess that’s just Manny being Manny and I wouldn’t have mentioned it again if not for this post from GetReligion which includes the following quote from Manny when asked about his future plans: “God knows what’s best (for me.)” Huh? Meanwhile just for fun, head over to the blog Flip Flop Fly Ball to see just how much time Manny actually “played” for the Tampa Bay Rays.***

Today Manny Ramirez will begin a ‘rehab’ assignment with the Albuquerque Isotopes (I miss the Dukes, but love the Simpsons, so I’m conflicted) after serving a 50 game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s Steroid policy. For some reason, ESPN is going to give us each of his at-bats. As far as I know, this is the first time ESPN has had such media coverage of a rehab stint. But you know, it’s just Manny being Manny.

That’s a quote, from him speaking in third person, in response to criticism of his play with the Boston Red Sox. If you don’t follow baseball as religiously as I do, I’ll give you the quick summary. Manny Ramirez reported late for Spring Training and loafed for half a season in an effort to force a trade from the Red Sox last year. The Dodgers were the only takers. Even after he lead the Dodgers in a surge to the playoffs and a first round sweep of the Cubs (weep), the Dodgers were reluctant to re-sign him for this season. Contract negotiations dragged through Spring Training before being resolved and Manny played almost a month before being suspended for using Performance Enhancing Drugs. The other day I was in a local Wal-Mart and saw on many clothes racks t-shirts with the saying ‘Manny’s Back!’. Everybody loves him, even though everybody hates him.

But that’s just Manny being Manny. It goes to show that you are what you do. At work, someone could say of me, “that’s just Frank being Frank.” At home my wife could say the same thing. The question is though, is the “Frank being Frank” at work the same Frank as home? Is Manny being Manny the same Manny all the time? In both cases, it should be.

One of my favorite Proverbs is Proverbs 12:17 which reads, “A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.” It’s so simple it took a commentary to help me figure out what it means. It simply means our character is reflected by what we do. So Manny Ramirez is a cheater not just by baseball policy, but also in character (as evidenced by his departure from the Red Sox). So when I lose my temper at home, or slack off at work, that’s my character. And those parts of my character are in need of repentance. We should forgive Manny for being Manny, but we should not accept Manny for being Manny. Baseball fans are willing to forgive (see Jason Giambi) but ESPN wants to force us to accept. I’m sorry, but acceptance won’t change until the character changes.

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16) In other words, don’t say you’re something you’re not. Don’t call yourself a Christian and not act like it. If you’re truthful, you will be honest. And if you’re Manny, you’ll be Manny. I hope by the end of my life someone will say of me “that’s just Frank being Jesus.”