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Cakes Sacrificed to Idols

Frank

Last week the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake supporting a same-sex wedding (for the record, he didn’t refuse to bake them a cake, he simply declined decorating a cake specific for their wedding).  While on the surface, that announcement looks like a solid win in the over-hyped culture wars, the decision itself was intentionally narrow, focusing not on the action of the baker but on the state civil rights commission.  Reading between the lines, it could be taken as a win for both sides.  I recommend reading this take from Skye Jethani that sheds some light onto this issue that might be missed in the usual media reporting.

I want to approach this from a different angle however.  This past semester I took a course titled Paul and the Gentile Mission.  The class focused on Paul’s missionary journeys, his letters, and the specific cultural issues the early church faced in an otherwise pagan culture.  Early in the year the professor gave us the example of Pergamum, one of the Seven Churches in Asia addressed in Revelation.  Its architecture and city layout that was typical of the Greco-Roman cities Paul would have visited.  What was noteworthy was just how pervasive pagan religion would have been.  If you wanted to purchase food in the market, you would have done so in the shadow of an enormous statue to Zeus.  To come and go from the public square would require passing by temples, shrines, and altars dedicated to several different gods.  Education would have been in a lecture hall either devoted to a particular deity or philosophical/rhetorical school.  Receiving medical care would have been done in the name of Asclepius.  And that doesn’t even mention the public baths, theaters, or gymnasiums.

All that to say, identifying as a Christian in such a multicultural and multi-theistic environment would not have been easy.  Every public act would force an either/or decision that could potentially compromise one’s conviction.  That’s why Paul spent so much time talking about syncretism (cultural conformity) in his letters, especially to the church in Corinth.  And that includes eating meat sacrificed to idols.

It’s not an obvious link, but I think Paul’s message regarding what we eat is relevant today to the debate over homosexuality and gay-marriage.  A quick summary of Paul’s argument from 1 Corinthians 8: food sacrificed to idols aren’t any more ‘holy’ than food that is not because mature Christians know the idol is meaningless.  But not all Christians are mature in this sense, so we must be careful with the choices we make to not make weaker Christians struggle.

Applying that to this debate, my logic goes like this- if a devout Christian is so opposed to gay-marriage that he or she cannot be a vendor of services to the ceremony, then it follows that this person believes the marriage isn’t recognized in the eyes of God.  If that’s the case then the “sacrament” of marriage would be invalid, in other words it wouldn’t count.  So it’s just like meat sacrificed to a god we know isn’t real- if it doesn’t count, why should I be offended by it?  If, on the other hand, the Christian believes the marriage is still sacramental, just sinful, then they need to apply the same standard by not supporting any second (or third, or fourth…) marriages, weddings between believers of different denominations (for example, imagine an Evangelical wedding planner working with a Catholic and Mormon who are getting married, oy vey!), and all weddings involving non-believers or all non-religious ceremonies.  (Do you still get a cake if you’re married in a drive-through by Elvis in Las Vegas? Asking for a friend.) If that vendor cannot apply their objection so broadly, then maybe they shouldn’t be in the business in the first place.

The counter argument, going back to Paul, is that supporting something he doesn’t believe in, in this case a homosexual marriage, would cause weak Christians to struggle because it implies endorsement.  But in every one of these cases that I’ve read about (disclaimer: I am not a lawyer), it seems to me that the conscious being violated is their own – the baker, the photographer, the florist – not the “weak Christian” whom they should be concerned about.  I don’t mean this lightly or pejoratively, but to me that makes them the weak Christian.  In this sense, the Supreme Court got it right, the government can’t compel the weak Christian to violate his or her conscience.  One solution obviously would be for the oppositional Christian to become “mature”, but I think that’s asking too much and the government cannot assume this will ever happen.  The alternative then, is to expect this Christian to continue to be “weak”, so he or she really needs to consider if they’re in the right line of work.

Participating in commerce is a choice.  In the 1st Century, it was a choice that put Christians right in the middle of idol worship, emperor cults, mystery religions, and philosophical schools.  Selling cakes would have placed one right in the marketplace under the shadow of Zeus.  Participating publicly in a trade would imply membership in trade guilds or voluntary associations that had their own religious ceremonies and rituals (think Kiwanis, or the Elks Lodge but where membership was expected depending on your trade; e.g. the silversmiths in Ephesus (Acts 19:24-29), or the group of tent-makers where Paul met Pricilla and Aquila(Acts 18:2-3)). 

I am a frequent critic of the modern evangelical persecution complex primarily because it so ignorant of history.  The same is true here.  Christians didn’t stop participating in the culture where they lived.  Rather they were given warnings to guard against allowing that culture to influence their own actions and values that are demonstrated within the church.  Much of what Paul wrote was about how believers were to behave when in fellowship with one another, not how to navigate the culture wars of their time.  Paul wasn’t concerned about a Christian’s participation in commerce out in the world, rather he was concerned about how that participation affected the Christian’s relationships within the church and their ability to practice hospitality.  As he wrote in Romans, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

I heard a quote on the radio from the baker in this case, Jack Phillips, basically asserting that if the state can force him to bake a cake it is forcing him to forsake his relationship with God.  I say baloney, and so would Paul.  God isn’t that petty, and the baker isn’t forsaking anything.  The history of the church demonstrates that the culture-warriors today are making an argument that just didn’t matter to the earliest Christians.  And it shouldn’t matter to us.  I don’t wish Jack Phillips ill.  I don’t even wish he’d get out of the baking business.  What I do pray is that he, and others like him, can become mature in Christ and recognize that a commercial enterprise is not a religious endorsement (ahem, Hobby Lobby) understanding that the kingdom of God isn’t about what you’re selling, but about your personal righteousness, your peace in Christ to navigate a culture contrary to your ideals, and taking joy that the Holy Spirit has matured your heart so that these disputes no longer matter (liberally paraphrasing Romans 14).

Uninviting

Frank

Have you ever uninvited someone to church? No, I don’t mean you called someone up and actually asked them not to come. But rather have you ever acted in such a way that made your life, your church, your Jesus uninviting?

One of the emotional heart-strings to pull when it comes to evangelism is to imagine standing in line like sheep and goats waiting before the judgement seat of Christ. You are there alongside neighbors, coworkers and friends. And they, in tears, ask you, “why didn’t you tell us? Now it is too late!”

Ideally our lives should stand out in such a way that is both attractive, bearing the fruits of the Spirit, while at the same time foolish by the world’s standards. But it is just as likely that the way we conduct ourselves in public is unattractive- that even if we would have “told them” they would probably reject the invitation.

How well to manage your temper? When you are stuck in traffic or when someone cuts you off, how do you respond? The person in the car next to or behind you might just be the next person you are reaching out to.

Are you patient? When you are in line at the grocery store are you agitated, anxiously checking your watch while grumbling under your breath? If you shop at the same store frequently, and most of us have our routines, then the person behind you in line has seen you before and your actions and attitudes leave an impression.

How do you conduct yourself at work? Do you participate in workplace gossip, laugh at inappropriate jokes, talk down about rivals or competitors? Face it, you spend more time at work than you do anywhere else.

What does your family look like in public? Are your children always fighting, are you always yelling, or are you spoiling them by giving them everything they are asking for? Do you talk back at your spouse, argue in public? Again, people notice.

What do your Facebook posts say about you? Do they reflect worldly values, are they caught up in political debates, are they boastful? What is the reason you post what you do on social media, to glorify God or yourself?

We can have non-stop evangelism programs, discipleship workshops and outreach campaigns. We can knock on doors until our knuckles are bloody. We can stand on street corners loudly proclaiming the Gospel. But if our lives don’t show it, we might as well just asking others not to come.

The Glory of God in Secular Work

Frank

“Nor will that old serpent the devil take all this lying down. He will be there in the cab or at the desk or in the field to remind the Christian that he giving the better part of his day to the things of this world and allotting to his religious duties only a trifling portion of his time.” -A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Do you ever feel like you’re wasting your time? Do you sit at your desk at work watching the clock tick by until you can call it a day and go home? Do you ever go home with the weight of the world on your shoulders wondering if it is all worth it?

I calculated not too long ago that I’ve spent more than 20,000 hours at my job and have commuted 200,000 miles in the past ten years at my job. Meanwhile, at best I’ve spent 3650 hours in prayer and 1040 hours sitting in church.

We can read about missionary heroes, or bold preachers, or successful authors and then ask ourselves, “why can’t I do that?” Then we look at our jobs and the responsibilities of life and answer back, “oh yeah, that’s why.”

But that is only Satan talking. God created this world and called it good. Before the fall, Adam and Eve tended to the garden- worked, if you will- together with God. And it was a good thing. After the fall, God promised that mankind would toil in labor- yet God’s creation and God’s design is still good.

My evangelist here once preached (paraphrasing), “of course work is hard- it’s called work! If it was easy and pleasant they’d call it something else. Like, I don’t know, Disneyland!”

Work is hard. It is tedious. It is toil. But that does not mean it is not good. And the best part is, we don’t have to work alone.

A friend of mine related it to apple orchards: if you allow an apple tree to grow up all on its own, it will bear fruit but it will likely be sour. But when you take the branches of another tree, even for another kind of apple, and graft it in with the tree then the fruit will be sweet. This is an example of God and man working together to gain a better result. God’s creation plus man’s innovation leads to the delicious fruit I pack in my lunch bag.

Maybe you view your work as too secular, that there’s no way for you and God to work together in that environment. Going back to the illustration of sweet fruit, you can exhibit the fruits of the spirit in your workplace: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Of course, you cannot bear those fruits without the Holy Spirit- so there are the two of you working together.

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

This isn’t impossible. Don’t listen to Satan’s lies trying to convince you that your labor is in vain. Smile. Be generous. Work honestly. Pray. And your work will be a fragrant offering to God.

This blog is part of a book club reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Please join the discussion here and at our hosts, Jason Stasyszen and Sarah Salter. Need a copy of the book? You can get it for free on Kindle.

The Burden of Worth

Frank

I keep all my books. I’m know it drives my wife crazy as the bookshelves overflow and every other nook and cranny is filled. But I like being able to go back and reference what I’ve read. Often circumstances, mood, or even just a different attention span will bring new insights to light.

So it was with this chapter of The Pursuit of God by A.W, Tozer. Had I reviewed it any other day, at any other time, this post would likely be completely different. You see yesterday I had a rough day at work. And as I was struggling to identify just what it was that put me into my funk I read:

“Think for yourself whether much of your sorrow has not arisen from someone speaking slightingly of you. As long as you set yourself up as a little god to which you must be loyal there will be those who will delight to offer affront to your idol. How then can you hope to have inward peace? The heart’s fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of a friend and enemy, will never let the mid have rest. Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become intolerable.” (pg 79, emphasis added)

Looking back, I realize that I have taken some circumstances at work, that really have nothing at all to do with me, personally. And this is a burden I’ve been carrying for far too long. I’ve let the atmosphere of funding cuts, budget slashes, and future uncertainty cloud my heart with insecurity. I’ve allowed what others think, or at least what I think others think, to define my worth.

My wife and I were talking about this not too long ago: the difference between value and worth. If you put something up for bid on ebay, that something is worth whatever someone else is willing to pay for it. But if you hold a reserve, it has a different value to you. Another way to look at it is if you have a precious jewel. It may be worth millions if you were to sell it. But it is more valuable to you so you do not. Worth depends on another’s opinion, but value is inherent to what it is. So when it comes to insecurities, we allow others to define our worth and forget our intrinsic value. Ironically, as we were talking, I was concerned with my wife’s self-esteem, and completely missed the opportunity to take this lesson for myself.

Tozer puts it this way: “He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own.” (pg 80) The “he” Tozer describes is him who understands what it means to be “meek” by allowing Jesus to take on his burdens and that his value is as a new creation in Christ.

I like this description best: “He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring.” (pg 80)

I will finish this week at work. Then the month. And soon the year. In that time I will come to terms with the fact that no one is out to get me. Prayerfully, my heart will lower its defenses and allow Jesus to define my value- not my job, not my successes (and failures), not my coworkers or colleagues. I pray that I will come to grips that the world will never see me as God sees me, and pray that I will stop caring. That simple quote may be the most important thing I’ve read in a long time.

This blog is part of a book club reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. Please join the discussion here and at our hosts, Jason Stasyszen and Sarah Salter. Need a copy of the book? You can get it for free on Kindle.

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)