Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
August 30, 2008—Pentecost 16
Romans chapter twelve begins the practical section of the book. Paul’s letters usually have two main sections. The first is typically doctrinal then follows the second practical section that is based on the first. These kind of practical exhortations are called parenetic teaching. This two main genre pattern (doctrinal & practical) is one of the most characteristic things about Paul’s letters.
Paul bases his parenetic teaching on what Christ has done for us, that is, because Christ has redeemed us, we should live in this manner. For instance, in Romans 12:1 he writes, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God... Paul’s appeal to live as Christians begins with the reason we should obey. God shows mercy to us in Christ so we should respond in obedience. Chapter twelve of Romans deals with how Christians should live with other Christians. It is how we are to act toward fellow believers.
OK. We understand. This should be pretty straightforward. We have all read and heard such passages as this before. There is very little argument about the rightness of Paul’s parenetic teachings. Just look at our text for a moment. Christian virtues such as love, zeal, hope, patience, prayer, generosity, hospitality, harmony, returning good for evil, peace—I mean—who could object to such things. These kind of virtues describe what a Christian is like.
So as we read or listen to such passages as this one, our minds go on autopilot. We know what to expect. We know what the right response to these verses should be—Yes, Amen. We all agree with Paul’s teaching. Who would deny that this is God’s will for the Christian? We are about to turn the page and go on. Then, a moment of hesitation, a second moment of thought.
Let me go back and read that again.
Let love be genuine... An unsettling doubt begins to rise up in my heart. When has my love for other Christians been entirely genuine, without hypocrisy, without playing a part? How many times have I winced inwardly because a difficult person ties to corner me about something? Oh no, here we go again. I cringe and try get away... Is this genuine love?
Suddenly I am gripped by the fear that I might be a failure at being a Christian. Am I a phony, saying one thing and doing another? I read on and my fear grows. I do not hate every evil as I should. I hold on to the good rather lamely. I am lazy when I should show zeal in my service to God. I would rather turn on the mind numbing television than read or study God’s Word. I would rather hang out with my friends than help someone. How many times have I held on to my billfold as if my life depended on it? Please God, don’t ask me to talk to that poor person—I can’t afford it right now. O God, the last thing in the world I want to do is have them over for dinner. I laugh inwardly when that jerk gets his “come-upins.” I can’t get along with him! I’ll show him that he can’t do that to ME!! Heap burning coals on his head, with pleasure!!!
Paul’s words condemn me. Rejoice in hope? Patient in trouble? Constant in prayer? Yeah, right!
In disbelief and shock, I think, Paul must be a madman. This is so unrealistic. Who can do all this? Oh we might try—even try hard. But no one really acts like this. Not really. Not always. But—God expects really and always. Who am I to question God? This is the Christian I should be.
A sick feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me that I am doomed. There is no way that this sinful man can ever measure up to this long list of expectations. Call them what you will, they are all law and death to me. They kill me with their rightness and their goodness and their kindness.
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips.
But then, a faint echo from Paul’s letter stirs something in me, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God... The mercies of God! Mercy means that God doesn’t kill me outright for my sinful ways. Mercy means that he still calls me his child when I am rebellious and willful. Mercy means he shows me love when I am hateful.
But how do I know he is merciful to such a sinner as I am? He has proven his mercy when Christ took MY penalty of death for MY sins. Unlike me, Christ set his mind on the things of God and willingly went to the Cross. Unlike me, Christ gladly gave up his life so that I could live. He paid for all my sins—even my failures at being the Christian I should be.
Perhaps I should read the text again. Has anyone ever truly lived like this? Genuine love—Jesus did. Hate evil, cling to the good—Jesus did. Be zealous—Jesus did. Fervent—Jesus did. He served God. He gave himself for all of us needy sinners. He welcomes all who come to him—the poorest, the rejects, the unlovable, even enemies like me.
He rejoiced in hope—Jesus for the joy that was set before him...
He was patient in trouble—Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame...
He was and is constant in prayer—Jesus is at the right hand of God, always living to make intercession for us.
Jesus is the Christian I should be.
So Paul isn’t a madman. Paul understood.
We have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God.
We have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. And the life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us.
The mercies of God! Jesus died for me. Jesus lived for me. Yes, He is the Christian I should be—for me. So, Jesus lives for me and prays for me. I now read this text with new eyes. I see Jesus there. And in seeing I live, free from condemnation. And in my life, daily, as I die and rise again with Jesus, He lives out the Christian life in me. So that even in my imperfect obedience, God sees Jesus in me—really and always. Amen.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Snake Oil and Used Cars
I know I have mentioned previously that I was formerly a pentecostal. Because of this I know something about religious hucksterism. I have seen the religious fads come and go and have heard the sales pitch of some of the best religious pitchmen. I can smell snake oil a mile away. I know that smooth sounding engine will begin to smoke and stall just a short time after it leaves the lot. No matter how enthusiastic the pitchman might be, or how much he raves about his product, it is still snake oil medicine or a lemon of a car.
"Walking Together – The LCMS Future, Proposals and Possibilities for Consideration and Discussion, Presented by Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance" is just the latest in a long list of ideas whose time should never come. There is already a lot of discussion about the particulars of these proposals on the web. Many are already commenting on the manner in which it would concentrate even more power SPK's hands. The high sounding language hides the nasty little secret--or maybe not such a secret--that this is a power grab. With such power comes potential coercion and with coercion comes bondage.
Walking together? Hardly. Walking away from the Synod's original raison d'être. Walking away from the Synod as a servant of the churches. Walking away from sound doctrine and practice. Do we really trust the firm that brought us such wonderfully thought out products as Yankee Stadium or Ablaze? Will Synod Inc. truly help us walk in the truth of God's Word and the Lutheran Confessions?
Walking together means we value the same things. Should we value SPK's leadership thus far? Mmmm? Should we wish to give him even more power and less accountability? Mmmm?
Well, if that is how things are then maybe we had better walk away. Snake oil won't cure us. That lemon won't get us there. God's Word and the Confessions show us how to walk together. The founders of this Synod truly valued them and relied on them. With those who value the Word and Confessions we can walk.
"Walking Together – The LCMS Future, Proposals and Possibilities for Consideration and Discussion, Presented by Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance" is just the latest in a long list of ideas whose time should never come. There is already a lot of discussion about the particulars of these proposals on the web. Many are already commenting on the manner in which it would concentrate even more power SPK's hands. The high sounding language hides the nasty little secret--or maybe not such a secret--that this is a power grab. With such power comes potential coercion and with coercion comes bondage.
Walking together? Hardly. Walking away from the Synod's original raison d'être. Walking away from the Synod as a servant of the churches. Walking away from sound doctrine and practice. Do we really trust the firm that brought us such wonderfully thought out products as Yankee Stadium or Ablaze? Will Synod Inc. truly help us walk in the truth of God's Word and the Lutheran Confessions?
Walking together means we value the same things. Should we value SPK's leadership thus far? Mmmm? Should we wish to give him even more power and less accountability? Mmmm?
Well, if that is how things are then maybe we had better walk away. Snake oil won't cure us. That lemon won't get us there. God's Word and the Confessions show us how to walk together. The founders of this Synod truly valued them and relied on them. With those who value the Word and Confessions we can walk.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics--Ablaze(?) Disrobed
The title for this blog post is from a famous quote by Mark Twain: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” This jibe has been used often when someone is critiquing the misuse of numerical data which has been used to prove a point, tweak an image, propose a program, maintain a direction, adopt a strategy, and so on.
Statistical analysis is a mine field. The variables which effect data are so numerous that even the most well designed studies often prove to be in error. We have all heard reports in which further analysis has disproved a previously held opinion. This danger of error is often ignored by those who use statistics carelessly with a presumptive outcome in mind.
Why would any organization use faulty and carelessly acquired data to prove some desired point? There must be an agenda beyond the mere reporting of facts.
This illegitimate of use of numbers is the point of Twain's quote. Such statistics are worse that damned lies because the are double lies. They lie as to the facts. They lie as to their nature. Numbers used in this way are inferring an unassailable status as truth. You "can't argue with the numbers" -or- "numbers don't lie." But the people who misuse them do!
In the decades since the 1970s various church bodies have promoted world-wide evangelistic outreach programs (partly inspired by the Lausanne Congresses on World Evangelism, partly inspired by marketing strategies and Church Growth Movement theories). I have personally been witness to more than one of these campaigns. Usually these programs have a target goal by which they urge adherents to action. Sometimes they have a countdown, to-date, thermometer indicating their progress toward their goal. As the numbers rise it serves to encourage others to get on board and be part of the victory!
Oh, this sounds so good. Look at the scoreboard. We are on the winning side. We are doing something for God. It is something people can get excited about. It feels so right. It looks so good. It must be God's will.
The LCMS is one of the latest churches to adopt this strategy. They have named the campaign Ablaze. Their own web page declares the goal of reaching 100 million unreached and uncommitted people with the Gospel by 2017 (see http://www.lcms.org/pages/default.asp?navid=5247 ). Their own countdown thermometer indicates 8,664,671 people reached in 2509 events. This is an average of 3453 people per event. Wow, the day of Pentecost happened at 2509 events! [These numbers as of 8/12/08.]
Looks impressive, right? Wrong. It is deceptive. I ask once again, why would an organization use statistics in this manner?
The way in which the numbers have been acquired is questionable. They are obtained from reports by pastors and districts. As a pastor holds Ablaze events he reports the numbers for his events. Now these pastors want to look good so the temptation to inflate the numbers is is always present. Numbers are so important to show that a pastor is busy "growing the church." District presidents want to look good. Perhaps the numbers are further inflated. "Our district wants to be seen as a progressive district." The Synod wants to look good so they may "fudge" a little more, ad naseum. Self promotion is the dirty little secret behind the facade.
The basis of the numbers is a bigger problem. What constitutes an Ablaze event? What constitutes whether a person has been "reached"? The entire assumption behind the idea of "reached" is problematic. How can one measure this? One might ask what are the numbers concerning baptized and catechized believers as a result of these events? If one must "measure" success numerically why not use measurements that indicate relatively accurate results rather than some nebulous, ill-defined "event"? Reason--it wouldn't look as good.
Paul ran into a similar mindset. There were people who preached better than Paul, looked better than Paul. In my mind's eye I see a little, bent over, extremely nearsighted, Jewish man with a weak voice and a thick accent. Not your typical CGM leader. Yet he took the Gospel to the Gentile world and led a revolution by preaching nothing among them but Christ Jesus and Him crucified! He did not worry about image. He did not tickle ears with the sweet siren song of the latest fad. He preached the clear, unvarnished truth of God's Law and the Good News of forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ. Read the following quote from Paul:
2 Cor. 10:10-12 [ESV] For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
Paul hits at the core of this wrongheaded thinking. They are evaluating themselves by the wrong standards. Anyone can make himself look good. Simply pick a standard of measurement that can be manipulated to make the results look good. The Pharisees did this by easing the requirements of the Law. The CGM does this by counting the crowds. Damned lies and statistics! Exactly where does God command us to evaluate ourselves, our success, with numerical data whether numbers of people at our events, numbers of commandments kept, numbers of events held, or numbers of purposes fulfilled. His own standard is different, faithfulness. His own standard is His Son Jesus Christ, perfection. We are far from his standard; a 10% improvement on nothing is still not 100%. God help us!
What is the sin at the heart of this mindset? We do these things to build up our own self image as individuals and our public image as organizations. Look at me! I'm a success! Image is the goal and the problem. What is an image? It is another word for an idol. We like to stroke our egos. We like to have our egos stroked. Mmmm, feels so good. Look at me! You like me, you like meee! From the pulpit to the board room the common factor in each of us is our own little stinking idol, Me-Myself-I. We can hide it behind all kinds of high sounding rhetoric. We can whitewash the building with holy words. We can polish it with PR. It is the same stinking idol.
We need to get over ourselves. We are sinners. Without the graciousness of God our Father for the sake of Jesus his Son we are doomed. Our lofty opinions of ourselves and our programs need a reality check. Christ Alone is our hope! His gifts given to us in Word and Sacraments are God's means of life. His life lived through us in our vocation of loving service to our neighbor in the world is God's method. These are the spiritual tools for reaching the world.
2 Cor. 10:3-5 [ESV] For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. . . .
Our programs, our damned lies, our statistics won't help us. God considers only One, the Righteous One, Jesus as a success. Apart from Him we have nothing. In Him alone are we given the victory of forgiveness, life, and salvation!
Amen.
Statistical analysis is a mine field. The variables which effect data are so numerous that even the most well designed studies often prove to be in error. We have all heard reports in which further analysis has disproved a previously held opinion. This danger of error is often ignored by those who use statistics carelessly with a presumptive outcome in mind.
Why would any organization use faulty and carelessly acquired data to prove some desired point? There must be an agenda beyond the mere reporting of facts.
This illegitimate of use of numbers is the point of Twain's quote. Such statistics are worse that damned lies because the are double lies. They lie as to the facts. They lie as to their nature. Numbers used in this way are inferring an unassailable status as truth. You "can't argue with the numbers" -or- "numbers don't lie." But the people who misuse them do!
In the decades since the 1970s various church bodies have promoted world-wide evangelistic outreach programs (partly inspired by the Lausanne Congresses on World Evangelism, partly inspired by marketing strategies and Church Growth Movement theories). I have personally been witness to more than one of these campaigns. Usually these programs have a target goal by which they urge adherents to action. Sometimes they have a countdown, to-date, thermometer indicating their progress toward their goal. As the numbers rise it serves to encourage others to get on board and be part of the victory!
Oh, this sounds so good. Look at the scoreboard. We are on the winning side. We are doing something for God. It is something people can get excited about. It feels so right. It looks so good. It must be God's will.
The LCMS is one of the latest churches to adopt this strategy. They have named the campaign Ablaze. Their own web page declares the goal of reaching 100 million unreached and uncommitted people with the Gospel by 2017 (see http://www.lcms.org/pages/default.asp?navid=5247 ). Their own countdown thermometer indicates 8,664,671 people reached in 2509 events. This is an average of 3453 people per event. Wow, the day of Pentecost happened at 2509 events! [These numbers as of 8/12/08.]
Looks impressive, right? Wrong. It is deceptive. I ask once again, why would an organization use statistics in this manner?
The way in which the numbers have been acquired is questionable. They are obtained from reports by pastors and districts. As a pastor holds Ablaze events he reports the numbers for his events. Now these pastors want to look good so the temptation to inflate the numbers is is always present. Numbers are so important to show that a pastor is busy "growing the church." District presidents want to look good. Perhaps the numbers are further inflated. "Our district wants to be seen as a progressive district." The Synod wants to look good so they may "fudge" a little more, ad naseum. Self promotion is the dirty little secret behind the facade.
The basis of the numbers is a bigger problem. What constitutes an Ablaze event? What constitutes whether a person has been "reached"? The entire assumption behind the idea of "reached" is problematic. How can one measure this? One might ask what are the numbers concerning baptized and catechized believers as a result of these events? If one must "measure" success numerically why not use measurements that indicate relatively accurate results rather than some nebulous, ill-defined "event"? Reason--it wouldn't look as good.
Paul ran into a similar mindset. There were people who preached better than Paul, looked better than Paul. In my mind's eye I see a little, bent over, extremely nearsighted, Jewish man with a weak voice and a thick accent. Not your typical CGM leader. Yet he took the Gospel to the Gentile world and led a revolution by preaching nothing among them but Christ Jesus and Him crucified! He did not worry about image. He did not tickle ears with the sweet siren song of the latest fad. He preached the clear, unvarnished truth of God's Law and the Good News of forgiveness, life, and salvation in Christ. Read the following quote from Paul:
2 Cor. 10:10-12 [ESV] For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
Paul hits at the core of this wrongheaded thinking. They are evaluating themselves by the wrong standards. Anyone can make himself look good. Simply pick a standard of measurement that can be manipulated to make the results look good. The Pharisees did this by easing the requirements of the Law. The CGM does this by counting the crowds. Damned lies and statistics! Exactly where does God command us to evaluate ourselves, our success, with numerical data whether numbers of people at our events, numbers of commandments kept, numbers of events held, or numbers of purposes fulfilled. His own standard is different, faithfulness. His own standard is His Son Jesus Christ, perfection. We are far from his standard; a 10% improvement on nothing is still not 100%. God help us!
What is the sin at the heart of this mindset? We do these things to build up our own self image as individuals and our public image as organizations. Look at me! I'm a success! Image is the goal and the problem. What is an image? It is another word for an idol. We like to stroke our egos. We like to have our egos stroked. Mmmm, feels so good. Look at me! You like me, you like meee! From the pulpit to the board room the common factor in each of us is our own little stinking idol, Me-Myself-I. We can hide it behind all kinds of high sounding rhetoric. We can whitewash the building with holy words. We can polish it with PR. It is the same stinking idol.
We need to get over ourselves. We are sinners. Without the graciousness of God our Father for the sake of Jesus his Son we are doomed. Our lofty opinions of ourselves and our programs need a reality check. Christ Alone is our hope! His gifts given to us in Word and Sacraments are God's means of life. His life lived through us in our vocation of loving service to our neighbor in the world is God's method. These are the spiritual tools for reaching the world.
2 Cor. 10:3-5 [ESV] For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. . . .
Our programs, our damned lies, our statistics won't help us. God considers only One, the Righteous One, Jesus as a success. Apart from Him we have nothing. In Him alone are we given the victory of forgiveness, life, and salvation!
Amen.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Deja Vu All Over Again?
[Issues, Etc. Blog of the Week, 8/15/2008]
All our idols fail us. Over and over again we see idols come crashing down. In America we have many idols--celebrities, financial and commercial giants, government and private institutions, politicians, leaders, sports figures. I am sure you could rattle off many others. In each category we have seen astounding failures. Corruption, sin, and law breaking by our own favorites fill our nightly news headlines with disturbing frequency.
For a number of years I was a pentecostal. Pentecostals have their idols. In pentecostalism one of the most important components of the movement is the charismatic evangelist. These men and women have been the hallmark of pentecostalism from its earliest days. People idolize these individuals and follow their activities closely. They are like rock music stars in their popularity among adherents. The charismatic personality really sets the agenda of the pentecostal and charismatic movements. It is rather ironic that these same charismatic leaders have been and are the focus of the most public failures. The moral and financial sins of Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, and Kenneth Copeland are famous examples.
Lutherans have their heroes also. Luther, Chemnitz, Walther come to mind quickly. However, the respect given to such men is different. It is their teaching, their doctrine, that sets them above many others. They are not "rock stars" in the same sense as the televangelist is among pentecostals. They are respected teachers of God's Word. So in modern Lutheranism the individual personality has not been nearly so idolized. Among modern Lutherans a greater emphasis is placed on the organization, the Synod. There is a reverence for the organization that is unlike anything I have seen before. For instance, despite the steady downward spiral of the two largest Synods in America, many people can not envision life without them. The ELCA is a few years ahead of the LCMS in is degeneration. But the LCMS appears to be on a similar path.
In any case I am wondering if there may be an underlying similarity among all these failures. Certainly individuals making sinful and foolish choices in behavior are common. Greed and abuse of power may also be shared issues. The one issue that might be most instructive, in my opinion, is idolatry. In pentecostalism and Lutheranism a very basic component of the makeup of the two groups has failed publicly. It is very unsettling to the adherents of the different groups. The thing upon which so much rests is shown to be sand, not the rock.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. Such failures confront us with the idolater who lives in our old man. He constantly wishes to worship something or someone other than God. It may be that God has allowed these public failures to take place in order to turn attention from that thing that has usurped His rightful place as God alone. Ex. 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me." If these failures turn us to God alone in repentance for our idolatry, good! If these failures refocus our trust on Jesus Christ alone, good! If these failures cause us to hold on to God's Word alone, good! If these failures cause us to rely on God's grace alone, good! We have been comfortable, even asleep, in our complacency.
Rom. 13:11-12 [ESV] Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Eph. 5:14 [ESV] Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
All our idols fail us. Over and over again we see idols come crashing down. In America we have many idols--celebrities, financial and commercial giants, government and private institutions, politicians, leaders, sports figures. I am sure you could rattle off many others. In each category we have seen astounding failures. Corruption, sin, and law breaking by our own favorites fill our nightly news headlines with disturbing frequency.
For a number of years I was a pentecostal. Pentecostals have their idols. In pentecostalism one of the most important components of the movement is the charismatic evangelist. These men and women have been the hallmark of pentecostalism from its earliest days. People idolize these individuals and follow their activities closely. They are like rock music stars in their popularity among adherents. The charismatic personality really sets the agenda of the pentecostal and charismatic movements. It is rather ironic that these same charismatic leaders have been and are the focus of the most public failures. The moral and financial sins of Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, and Kenneth Copeland are famous examples.
Lutherans have their heroes also. Luther, Chemnitz, Walther come to mind quickly. However, the respect given to such men is different. It is their teaching, their doctrine, that sets them above many others. They are not "rock stars" in the same sense as the televangelist is among pentecostals. They are respected teachers of God's Word. So in modern Lutheranism the individual personality has not been nearly so idolized. Among modern Lutherans a greater emphasis is placed on the organization, the Synod. There is a reverence for the organization that is unlike anything I have seen before. For instance, despite the steady downward spiral of the two largest Synods in America, many people can not envision life without them. The ELCA is a few years ahead of the LCMS in is degeneration. But the LCMS appears to be on a similar path.
In any case I am wondering if there may be an underlying similarity among all these failures. Certainly individuals making sinful and foolish choices in behavior are common. Greed and abuse of power may also be shared issues. The one issue that might be most instructive, in my opinion, is idolatry. In pentecostalism and Lutheranism a very basic component of the makeup of the two groups has failed publicly. It is very unsettling to the adherents of the different groups. The thing upon which so much rests is shown to be sand, not the rock.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. Such failures confront us with the idolater who lives in our old man. He constantly wishes to worship something or someone other than God. It may be that God has allowed these public failures to take place in order to turn attention from that thing that has usurped His rightful place as God alone. Ex. 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me." If these failures turn us to God alone in repentance for our idolatry, good! If these failures refocus our trust on Jesus Christ alone, good! If these failures cause us to hold on to God's Word alone, good! If these failures cause us to rely on God's grace alone, good! We have been comfortable, even asleep, in our complacency.
Rom. 13:11-12 [ESV] Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Eph. 5:14 [ESV] Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
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