Lay Down Your Pride: more fragments

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Now that we know who we are in Christ and have our heads on straight, we can start to deal with laying down our sin. We’ll begin exploring this more broadly next week, but today we start with one sin in particular: Pride.

Every act of pride is an act of rebellion. We’re not talking about taking pride in your work or being proud of your kids—we’re talking about the kind of pride that says, “This is mine and only mine. I am right. I, and I alone, deserve this.” Or it may fly the other way. We might be so filled with self-hatred that we say to God, “You can’t help me. You can’t love me. No-one can. I am alone and I will stay that way. Because at least that’s mine.”

Now, most of us don’t actually talk this way—we don’t want to seem proud, after all—but think about your last angry or bitter reaction, whether anyone saw it or not. How does it stack up against our thoughts above? How did you say or think it? For that matter, think about why we shy away from discussion on religion or politics—or bully our way right through. Because our way, our beliefs, are threatened.

But God is not threatened or intimidated. God can take care of Himself—and us. But we must lay down our pride and let Him.

**********

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit – O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject” (Psalm 51:17, NET). Repentance is not just turning back; more importantly, it is starting over.

Again, if change is only in our heads, it’s a short-lived change at best. But when our hearts and spirits change, our bodies (and heads) follow. Our “sacrifice” becomes something we do joyfully instead of grudgingly. When we lay down our pride and become willing to change, our desire to put ourselves above others drops. Through humility, we put ourselves in the same boat as those we used to separate ourselves from, and we no longer desire to see that boat sink.

Lay It Down Today

Find a mirror, and then take a good five minutes to look at it—or rather, at you. Don’t fix anything. Don’t primp. And don’t make faces. Just look. At you. Spend enough time looking that you’re no longer comfortable with what you see. Or, if you already hate looking at yourself, spend enough time that you’re able to see the person God created—the person behind what you see. Either way, take the time now to see yourself differently—from God’s perspective.

Then, pray. Ask God to help you not forget the person you are in His eyes. Ask Him to give you the strength to lay down your pride and live out the word He’s given you. Take some time tonight (or tomorrow night, if it’s already evening) to “reflect” on how God uses you in the next 24 hours. May God bless you as you live out His life today.

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Shawn Vander Lugt Is AWESOME!

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Carl Simmons

No, this blog hasn’t been hijacked. Just thought I’d make today’s Other Voice a little more personal. And besides, he makes the same claim on his blog this week: http://shawnvanderlugt.com.

What’s more, he lives out his claim. By day, he’s mild-mannered, laid-back Shawn. His former employee photo, however, betrays him, as he boldly pulls his shirt open to reveal the emblazoned “S” underneath.

(I was hoping said photo had somehow leaked out there on the web, but it was not to be. FWIW, my own earlier employee photo was a takeoff on that, only  intended to instead reveal a “God Went Bowling” t-shirt. The results, suffice to say, were nowhere as pretty.)

Anyway, I worked with Shawn for more than three years, and had things gone differently we’d be likely working together making adult/small-group resources a safer product to buy. But this, also, was not to be. But he is an experienced writer and editor who specializes in youth and has also handled children and adult resources with aplomb (see his About page for more details).

And the aforementioned blog never fails to be interesting. Mixing personal vignettes with beartrap reformed theology is always a tricky proposition to begin with, but it’s one Shawn handles admirably.

So go check him out. And throw him work if you’ve got some, to help keep him in Loveland, Colorado. After all, the mountaintops are finally melting down and  there’s plenty of hiking left to do here this summer. 🙂

Tomorrow: Back to Laying It Down….

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How good is your news?

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Go find an old newspaper—the older the better, but week-old is probably enough to make the point. Go ahead; take a few moments to look it over. Do you recall any of the stories you’re reading? Do any of them appear to be relevant to your life right now?

Next question: What’s a “big story” you do remember, where now you think, “Why did I get so worked up over that?” How did you (and others) respond to it at the time?

In the words of the late Peter Falk, “Just one more question…”: The word “gospel” means “good news”—in fact, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the best news of all. Do you still treat it like news, or more like…. well, like the newspaper you’re holding? Why?

It’s been said that we may be the only gospel some people may ever read. If our own sense of what Jesus has done for us—and is doing in our lives right now—is like our newspapers, it’s easy to understand why no-one’s buying. What would help us treat the gospel of Jesus Christ like it’s still “breaking news”—for us and others?

Let’s look at one eyewitness account of that good news, and go from there. Each time you come across a sensory word—“heard,” “seen,” “touched”—pause for a few seconds. Think about what was just read; imagine what John and his readers must have actually experienced as they read or relived what’s being described here:

“This is what we proclaim to you:  what was from the beginning,  what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life – and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us). What we have seen and heard we announce  to you too, so that  you may have fellowship  with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). Thus  we are writing these things so that  our   joy may be complete” (1 John 1:1-4, NET).

When’s the last time you shared your experience of Jesus with someone else, or when someone else observed your faith and responded to it in some way? How did sharing your faith affect them? How did their responses affect you?

If you’re having trouble answering this, let’s step back. If you can, turn the lights out in your room, and reflect on this question, then turn the lights back on when you’re done:

When have you felt “in the dark” and disconnected from Jesus—even if you were already a Christian? (It happens, you know. Admit it.) What happened to finally turn the light on (or back on) for you?

OK, lights back on? Good. Think about your reaction to those lights coming back on. How can we help peoples’ eyes adjust so they can see the light of Jesus? What do we need to change in ourselves to help that to happen?

And again, just one more question: What holds you back from “letting your light shine” more than you do right now? Honestly?

Maybe it’s fear of catching flak, or worse. Maybe it’s fear that you don’t measure up to the message you’re sharing. But that’s part of the good news, too: None of us do. And yet, we have been forgiven and called to follow Jesus anyway. Living in that truth—not just treating it like old news but seeking to live in that in every moment, despite how hopelessly short we might come at times—is what speaks volumes to those around us.

So ask God to help you to have the courage and wisdom to truly “let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NET).

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Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Carl Simmons

“We are prevented from following in another’s footsteps and are called to an incomparable association with Christ. The Bible makes it clear that every time that there is a story of faith, it is completely original.”—Eugene Peterson, Run With the Horses

Most of us have experienced the following from one or both ends: Think about a time one of your children started kindergarten or college, or moved out. If you don’t have kids, think about your own experience leaving for school or leaving home, and how your parents reacted. How did that experience change the way you saw your child (or parent)?

Last Monday, we explored when it’s time for us to let go and let others help. Today, we’re going to look at a different kind of letting-go—that point when the person you’ve been pouring your life into is growing and ready to get on with what God has for him or her, and you have to step aside and let it happen.

It might not even require you seeing less of that person, but you know there’s been a shift in the relationship—and that you have to let that person take those next steps on his or her own. You know it’s a good thing, but it can still be painful to let someone you love and shared life with move forward without you.

And let’s not forget: It’s tough for the other person, too. It’s not easy to give up the safety of a spiritual friendship—the security of relying and depending upon someone you know is there for you—and venture into the unknown. And if you’re on that side of the equation, the good news is, you’re bringing the best part of the other person with you as you head forward.

Sometime you’ll be the one who initiates that change; sometimes it will be the other person. But when that time comes, hopefully you’ll both recognize it for what it is and take joy in it, despite the sadness that comes along with letting go. So let’s examine what that time of transition might look like, and how to make that time as joyful and beneficial as possible for both sides.

You’ve probably seen the climactic scene in the original Star Wars. If you need a reminder, or just need to see a good light-saber fight, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kpHK4YIwY4&feature=related. A big theme of the movie is Luke Skywalker’s apprenticeship to Ben “Obi Wan” Kenobi; this scene represents a major change to that relationship, as Obi Wan confronts a former apprentice gone terribly wrong, Darth Vader. Think about it:

• When have you had to step aside so someone else could take a positive step forward?
• Were you able to let go as peacefully as Obi Wan Kenobi did, or did it feel like you’d been repeatedly run through with a light sabre? And for that matter, did the other person scream “No!” (at least figuratively)?

So with that, let’s look at an example of Jesus letting others go—his own disciples. As you read, think again about Jesus’ own context here. He’s not only about to leave His disciples; He knows He’s hours away from being arrested, tortured and crucified. And He knows what His disciples are about to face as well. And yet… well, let’s see what “yet” looks like…

“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life  for his friends.  You are my friends  if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves,   because the slave does not understand  what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything  I heard  from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you  and appointed you to go and bear  fruit, fruit that remains,  so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you….

“But I have told you these things  so that when their time  comes, you will remember that I told you about them. 

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. But now I am going to the one who sent me,  and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ Instead your hearts are filled with sadness  because I have said these things to you. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate  will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you….

“Look, a time  is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home,  and I will be left alone.  Yet  I am not alone, because my Father  is with me.  I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering,  but take courage  – I have conquered the world.” (John 15:11-16, 16:4-7, 32-33, NET)

• What’s changing in Jesus’ relationship with his disciples here? Come up with as many things as you can.
• What’s Jesus’ attitude? Why?
• How does knowing that Jesus chose to free us—but that we’re still connected to Him no matter what—help us become who God’s created us to be?
• How does knowing this help us stay connected to those we might need to let go of?

“Simply making disciples is not enough; your disciples must also make disciples, or the commission has not been accomplished. In a very real sense, your final exam is not to be taken by you, but by another person.”—Neil Cole, Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference

So, how can you encourage and celebrate with those who are ready to take their “final exam” and graduate—and how you’ve each made this moment possible? And how can you continue to “be there” as they move forward?

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Lay Down Your “Head”

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Carl Simmons

There’s a popular adage out there; it’s been the chorus of a few good songs, in fact. And it goes like this: “Everything you know is wrong.” That’s not entirely true, obviously (I hope), but there’s still a lot of truth to it.

On one hand, we put way too much stock in our own opinions and experiences, however true they might or might not be. On the other hand—and sometimes even simultaneously—we allow ourselves to become paralyzed by our lack of knowledge, lack of wisdom, or just plain lack of confidence. And by doing so, we end up acting in a way that betrays what little real knowledge we do have.

So with all this in mind, allow me the grace to put an absolute statement out there anyway: Just about everything you know might be wrong. In fact, most of what we know is some entangled mess of right and wrong. But God is never wrong.

And now, allow me to undercut even that: Because of our own fallenness and self-deception, we often don’t even get our understanding of God’s will fully right.

If all of this sounds confusing, it should.

A big part of the problem—but also, the solution—lies in the connection between our minds and our hearts. There’s a refrain in Jeremiah that captures this well—“the imagination of their own heart” (Jer. 9:14, et al.). In fact, Jeremiah often throws in “evil” before “heart,” to make sure we don’t miss the point.

So often, we believe what we want to believe because we want to believe it, as if our desire by itself makes it all right. Or even more often, our pride. God is far more offended by our arrogance than by our “going off the deep end,” but both miss the mark badly. Because both are about us.

So where to we turn to get it right? Facts? Nope. Facts are good, but facts aren’t always truth. Surf between news channels on any given night, and you can readily see how easily different channels bend the facts to fit “the imagination of their own heart.”

Conscience? Better, but not perfect. Our conscience testifies that something’s wrong, that we’re somehow already disconnected from God, even as it potentially points us in the right direction. But though our conscience might alert us correctly, we often do wrong things in response to it. We take short cuts. We run the other way. We do everything we can to avoid the problem we know is there. We ease our conscience without ever really addressing the disunity in our souls that it’s correctly perceived.

So, to cut to the point: Our conscience tells us something’s wrong; the Spirit tells us what’s right. But to reecive what the Spirit’s telling us, we need to lay down our “head”—our thought life—before God. We need to humble ourselves enough to let God work, and to allow our convictions—or lack thereof—to be replaced by His.

Romans 12:2 is my life verse. In fact, it was my life verse even before I came to know Jesus. Here’s the King James version I first read it in more than 30 years ago: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

There’s so much packed in that verse, but space doesn’t allow for it to be unpacked here. Maybe my own pre-Christian experience with this verse will help illustrate: When I first read this as an I-believe-in-God-but-I’ll be-anything-but-a-Christian 30 years ago, I immediately sat down and wrote an essay on the power of saying “no.” And there was truth to that. But it wasn’t the whole truth. I had locked squarely into “And be not conformed to this world,” and was on board with “but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,” but “that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”? Who cared? I didn’t. Not yet. But without it, the little truth I genuinely knew was as good as a lie.

Again, our lives are no longer our own. The key to a renewed mind is the willingness to lay down our thoughts in order to learn God’s. As we let go of what’s “ours” and take hold of what we do know to be God’s, our minds begin to be purified. The Spirit begins to untangle truth from untruth, the wheat from the weeds. God’s will becomes less of a mystery, even as God Himself remains a never=ending mystery. Even when we can’t immediately see or understand where God is leading us, He honors our spirit of submission and our resolve to stay in submission, and leads us there anyway.

“Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul” (Prov. 2:3-6, 9-10, NIV).

To know yourself better only makes you more like you. To know Jesus more is to become more like Jesus. And that is what God has desired us to become since the day of creation. So lay down your head, and be transformed.

Lay It Down Today

What’s your “life passage”—or at least a passage from God’s Word that’s spoken to you recently? Take 15 minutes now, and let it speak to you some more. Sit quietly before the Lord and simply meditate on this passage. Then close your time in prayer. Here are a few guiding questions to to help you process:

• Why is God bringing this passage to my mind? Why now?
• What’s the one thing that most needs transforming in my life—that God wants me to lay down right now?
• How can I invite God deeper into that part of my life and let Him work?

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What Are YOUR Re-Reads?

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Consider this one light and personal. Or a mandate to get into some heavy reading. Or an excuse to mutter, “He clearly has too much time on his hands.” Your call.

Anyway, since it’s Thursday (i.e., Other Voices Day) I’m going to have a little fun here—at least what I consider fun. But since you’re here, it’s reasonably safe to assume that you’re a fairly voracious reader as well.

Thus, I thought I’d share the following…. These are books that God has spoken to me through big-time, so much so that I keep coming back to them for more, and discover something new every time as I do. They’re that good. I occasionally add new ones and drop ones I’ve “read out,” but as of June 23, 2011 these are the ones that’ve stuck. Some are classics, some are fairly recent—a few, in fact, have already been reviewed in these first fledgling months of this blog. But I read one of these every month, on top of whatever else I’m reading. It’s my way of helping God help keep me in line. 🙂

The list below also follows a sequence; there is a method to my madness. Specifically, these books cycle through in a way that reflect the scope and sequence of Growing Out—a spiritual-formation book, a character-formation book, a gifts/calling book, a mentoring book, a leadership book, a personal-mission book, and then back again. I also put space between books by the same author. All of it’s my way of maintaining balance.

Yes, I am way too organized. But some people think that’s my charm.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this list. Use it to fill in your own gaps. And help fill in some of mine, too. Post here about your re-reads. Tell me what books God has spoken to you through, over and over. Look forward to talking more….

So, starting with the book I’m re-reading right now….

Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander—Thomas Merton
Desiring God—John Piper
Power Through Prayer—E.M. Bounds
Organic Church—Neil Cole
The Knowledge of the Holy—A.W. Tozer
The Cost of Discipleship—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Divine Conspiracy—Dallas Willard
Spiritual Mentoring—Keith R. Anderson & Randy D. Reese
The Crucifixion of Ministry—Andrew Purves
Finding the Groove: Composing a Jazz-Shaped Faith—Robert Gelinas
Prayer: Finding The Heart’s True Home—Richard Foster
Second-Guessing God—Brian Jones
Future Grace—John Piper
Life Together—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Spiritual Leadership—J. Oswald Sanders
Dark Night of the Soul—St. John of the Cross
The Pursuit of God—A.W. Tozer
Simple Spirituality—Christopher Heuertz
Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship & Direction—David Benner
Restoring the Soul of Leadership—Ruth Haley Barton
Life After Church: God’s Call to Disillusioned Christians—Brian Sanders
Renovation of the Heart—Dallas Willard
Changed Into His Likeness—Watchman Nee (I’ve probably read this one a dozen times now; blows me away every time.)
Whole Life Transformation—Keith Meyer
What Jesus Demands From the World—John Piper
The Irresistible Revolution—Shane Claiborne
Prayers for a Privileged People—Walter Brueggeman
Celebration of Discipline—Richard Foster
Praying Successfully—Charles Spurgeon
The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship—Dallas Willard
With Christ in the School of Prayer—Andrew Murray
Reflections on the Psalms—C.S. Lewis
Christianity for Modern Pagans: Pascal’s Pensees, Edited, Outlined & Explained—Peter Kreeft
Freedom of Simplicity—Richard Foster
The Gift of Being Yourself—David Benner
The Spiritual Man—Watchman Nee (This one’s a monster. I give myself 2 months each for this one and The Divine Conspiracy.)
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change—Paul David Tripp
Outgrowing the Ingrown Church—C. John (“Jack”) Miller
Too Small to Ignore—Wess Stafford
Hearing God—Dallas Willard
Of the Imitation of Christ—Thomas a’Kempis

So again, what books does God use to keep speaking to you through? Bring ’em on in….

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The Battle of Your Life

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Carl Simmons

“My dear brothers, never forget, when you hear the progress of enlightenment vaunted, that the devil’s best trick is to persuade you that he doesn’t exist!”—Charles Baudelaire, “Le Joueur Généreux”

This is a long one, but it needs to be, as this is both an easily misunderstood and easily abused subject. So let’s ease our way in….

Were you ever picked on or harassed by a bully growing up? What things did you do to keep him or her from bothering you? How successful were you? What advice would (or do) you give your own children about dealing with a bully?

I pretty much faced that every day between grades 4 through 9. Fighting back didn’t work. Not fighting back didn’t work either. I will attribute a whole lot of verbal repartee, and a penchant for cursing I’ve never particularly broken, from that time. Honestly, that was the only thing that seemed to have any effect at all (although it inspired others to want to kick my butt even further).

This time last week we explored how we can let the Holy Spirit work through our lives. This week we’re going to look at other spiritual matters—but not the same spirit. We’re going to consider another, better-known bully: Satan. A lot of people have different ideas of who the devil is—or if he even is at all. But the Bible assures us that Satan is very real and that he’s determined to oppose us, whether we acknowledge it or not.

More important, we’re assured that even though we’re in a battle, Jesus wins. More than that, the Bible shows us how we can live in that victory more and more each day. Let’s break down the best-known passage on this topic, which appears in Ephesians 6:

“Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle  is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,  against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.  For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground  on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13, NET).

So, what’s your reaction to Paul’s statement that we are fighting “against the world rulers of this darkness,  against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens”? Does it make you frightened and insecure? challenged and really pumped? skeptical? something else?

Let’s go to another movie illustration, this time from Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Two of our heroes, Gandalf and Aragorn, urge King Theoden of Rohan to ride out and meet the evil forces of Sauron. Theoden, who has just been released from what well could be called demonic possession and learned of the death of his son,  refuses, giving what seems like sound reasoning, “I would not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war.”

Aragorn, having already encountered the enemy and knowing his intent, informs Theoden, “Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not.”

So, let me ask: Do you really believe “open war is upon you”—that you’re already in a spiritual battle? I believe we’ve all experienced it in some form, whether we’ve acknowledged that fact or its source. Think about it:

• When have you felt a heaviness you knew wasn’t just about you—whether you’d’ve called it temptation, the pull of an addiction, depression? What have you learned from those struggles?
• Did (or do) you ever consider taking a “shortcut” or doing something that’s “less than God’s will” to lessen the pain of those experiences?
• What makes it so hard to fight through these kinds of battles, whether you consider them spiritual or not? What helps you stay focused on God and His desires for you during those times?

Let’s move from the reality of spiritual warfare to the tactics. How does Satan actually go about trying to mess us up? And how should we respond? Two of the best-known “Satan stories” in the Bible give us a clue.

“Now  the serpent was more shrewd than any of the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Is it really true that  God  said, “You must not eat from any tree of the orchard”?’  The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat  of the fruit from the trees of the orchard; but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, “You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.”‘ The serpent said to the woman, ‘Surely you will not die,  for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know  good and evil.’

“When  the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food,  was attractive  to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it.  She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it” (Genesis 3:1-6, NET).

“Then  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit  in  the wilderness, where for forty days he endured temptations  from the devil. He  ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Man does not live by bread alone.”

“Then  the devil  led him up to a high place and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world. And he  said to him, ‘To you I will grant this whole realm—and the glory that goes along with it, for it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. So then, if  you will worship  me, all this will be  yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “You are to worship  the Lord  your God and serve only him.”

“Then the devil  brought him to Jerusalem,  had him stand  on the highest point of the temple,  and said to him, ‘I  you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,” and “with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”  Jesus  answered him,  ‘It is said, “You are not to put the Lord your God to the test.” So when the devil  had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a more opportune time” (Luke 4:1-13, NET)

Let’s break this down:

• What parallels do you see between these two accounts?
• Look at the strategies Satan uses in each of these passages. How do you see these same kinds of strategies used today? What do they look like to you?
• Why is it sometimes easier for us to believe the lies of Satan rather than Jesus’ promises? What can we do to counter that?

Let’s circle back to Ephesians, so we can better answer that last question:

“Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist  by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, by fitting your  feet with the preparation that comes from the good news  of peace,  and in all of this,  by taking up the shield  of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation  and the swordof the Spirit, which is the word of God. With every prayer and petition, pray  at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:14-18, NET).

Paul refers to several spiritual weapons here. Which of these weapons do you rely on the most? In what ways? Which of these spiritual weapons could you use an “upgrade” in?

And now that we’ve looked at where each of us is most susceptible to attack and where our defenses are weakest, what’s one thing you can do to more effectively fight your spiritual battles?

Here are some ideas to walk this out in your life. Pick one, or if God’s pointing somewhere else, go there….

Live It—Where have you been most susceptible to attack? Sexual temptation? Addiction? The need for “stuff”? Commit to avoiding situations where temptation is most likely, and to praying for that area of your life daily. Also find someone who’ll hold you accountable. Remember: You’re in this together.

Share It—Who do you know who seems to be under a great deal of spiritual pressure? Maybe he or she is facing some kind of harassment, encountering more than the usual amount of temptation, or simply going through a very difficult time. Be sensitive to ways you can support this person, whether it’s encouragement or personally intervening on his or her behalf—and whether that’s with God or with other people.

Go for It!—Follow Jesus’ example; serve a friend. If your friend compliments you for your good deed, simply thank that person for his or her kind words, and leave it at that. But don’t just dismiss the compliment—it can be an act of humility to accept praise from another person, too.

Do It Together—As discussed in our last entry just below, there are victims of sin everywhere, whether by choice or not. Address one of those needs as a group. Volunteer at a crisis-pregnancy center, to help mothers overcome the fear or rejection they might be facing. Or raise funds and supplies for a group like Justice for Children International (jfci.org), which works toward the elimination of child exploitation and human sex trafficking. Check your heart, then let God move you forward.

And may He bless you in whatever He puts upon your heart to do.

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Help! (or, You Can’t Do It Alone, Part II)

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Carl Simmons

There’s a great series of scenes in the movie Walk the Line, which portray Johnny Cash trying to kick his drug addiction and face the demons that drove him there, especially the tragic death of his older brother when he was a child. It also shows the degree to which the Carter family, especially Johnny’s friend and future wife June, intervene to help Johnny get clean.

There’s one scene in particular that’s hard to miss. Johnny tries to prove himself to his father, who’s belittling him in front of the Carters over Thanksgiving dinner, and instead winds up pathetically drunk and in the lake, along with the enormous tractor*** he can’t seem to get started. Embarrassed and at a loss, June gets ready to leave with the Carters, but Mother Maybelle stops her and tells her to go down to the lake and help Johnny.

“Mama, I am not going down there,” June says.

Maybelle responds, “You’re already down there, honey.”

Ultimately, though, June isn’t “down there” with Johnny alone. The Carters end up quarantining Johnny in his own house as he goes cold-turkey, and even chase away drug dealers at gunpoint to make sure Johnny gets clean.

Be honest: Would you have been able to make the kind of hardcore commitment the Carter family made to Johnny? (And if you have, take some time to reflect about that now.) Where would you have drawn the line?

The fact is, all of us have faced situations that were too much for one person to handle—that we were completely unequipped to deal with. Even if you’ve somehow managed to not face this kind of situation with a friend or family member, chances are you will at some point. And the point isn’t to bail when things get tough, but to acknowledge that the situation is something more than you can handle. Our role becomes to help that person get the help he or she needs—even as you do what you can do.

This isn’t only about when someone is caught up in a particular sin or addiction. It also happens, and even more often, when people are victims of sin. It can happen when they’re overwhelmed by the results of a fallen world—a death in the family, a long-term problem another family member is caught up in and can’t handle, or hurts they’ve received because of a messy situation like layoffs at work*** or a church split, and they just can’t seem to get past it. And it could be the results of sins far worse than these, which I choose not to detail but I’m sure you can do for yourself.

The issue here, for our purposes today, isn’t to discuss what speed people should or shouldn’t recover at—that’s not our call to begin with—simply what our roles should or shouldn’t be in that recovery process. Because ultimately, we’re all victims of sin, in need of recovery.

“Brothers and sisters,  if a person  is discovered in some sin,  you who are spiritual  restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness.  Pay close attention  to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride  in himself and not compare himself with someone else. For each one will carry  his own load” (Galatians 6:1-5, NET).

I’ll throw in this quote too, from Thomas Merton’s Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, because I just reread it yesterday and it still rings true: “Hence, you must know when, how, and to whom you must say ‘no.’ This involves considerable difficulty at times. You must not hurt people, or want to hurt them, yet you must not placate them at the price of infidelity to higher and more essential values.”

As discussed this time last week, we want to help people get unstuck. But we also need to remember that it’s never entirely up to us. But the Spirit has gifted others to do what we can’t—people who have resources and wisdom beyond what we can give. And we need to recognize when it’s time to let go of our need to be the one who “fixes” those we care about—or, for that matter, enables them to continue in the behaviors they need to get out of. So, play along with me here and think this through:

• Name a situation people face where friendship might not be enough to get them through.
• Now, put yourself in that situation you just thought of. When would you know that you were in over your head? What would that person need that you know you can’t give?

Let’s take our scenario one step further. Let’s say you knew someone who could help your friend or family member—your pastor, a counselor, a program, or just someone who’d been there—someone who had the time or skills or resources you lacked….

• Truthfully: What feelings would you have about “letting go” and letting that other person take over—not surrendering your love and/or friendship, just those responsibilities you’d been trying to carry? Why?
• What else would have to change in your relationship with your friend once you’d let go of those responsibilities?

Maybe you’ve already been in this situation. Maybe you’re in it now. Don’t try to deal with it on your own. Indeed, accept the fact that you can’t. Find someone you trust who you can talk it out with. Take the time to pray together, and ask that God would give you the wisdom and compassion you need to know how to hand over responsibility in that situation, without letting go of your friendship. And may you sense God’s presence as you open yourself up to the answers the Spirit is offering.

*** P.S. I really wanted to show a clip from the tractor scene from Walk the Line, but couldn’t locate it. I settled for a still-frame from the remarkable video for “Hurt,” since it reminds us that overcoming is ongoing, and that it’s not the same as forgetting. And because it shows the real June Carter Cash, still “down there” with Johnny and watching over him nearly 40 years later.

*** P.P.S. Due to events that have transpired since, I feel compelled to add that the basic text here was written a couple years back. I.e., don’t read too much into this. 🙂

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Lay Down Your Old Identity… part 2

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Perhaps the most difficult part of laying it down is the most basic—laying down who we’ve been, in order to become the people God created us to be. Many Christians today believe—or at least live as if they believed—that Jesus died solely to forgive them, and that because their messes are now cleaned up they can go on with their lives as if Christ had no further claims upon them. This is, quite simply, not true.

If we have truly placed our lives and trust in Jesus, then we are also already under the same death sentence as Jesus. The tough part is living this out on a daily basis—or rather, dying it out. But that’s what Jesus calls us to do. “Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it’” (Luke 9:23-24, NET).

When we willingly lay down our old selves and serve God as best we know how, we testify—to God, ourselves, and to everyone around us—that we are not the same people we used to be. And God sees and honors that.

There’s any number of powerful stories in the Bible that illustrate this exchanging of lives. Sometimes even the names change. Going back to Genesis, we see Abram become Abraham, Sarai become Sarah, and Jacob become Israel. I want to start with another Old Testament example that comes soon after this, then jump almost 1,500 years forward, to another changed man with another changed name.

At 80 years of age, Moses was a fugitive from the law, “a stranger in a strange land” (Ex. 2:22, KJV). He had gone from being miraculously rescued and raised in Pharoah’s household to a rebel who murdered an Egyptian on behalf of a people who immediately rejected him. And now, he seemed destined to live out his days in obscurity in Midian. By most people’s measure, he was a failure and would die that way. But God had other plans.

In Exodus 3 God calls out to Moses from the burning bush. He calls him to lead an entire nation out of slavery and into the land He had already promised them. But before He gives this call, He asks Moses to do something: “Do not approach any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5, NET). Moses obeyed. He honored God. And his life—and the lives of millions—was forever changed because of that.

Fast-forward 40 years… to the man who completes the task of bringing the Israelites into the promised land. Joshua no doubt knew about Moses’ past, but all he’d actually seen was the man God had transformed Moses into. From that perspective, Joshua knew he was no Moses.

Then again, for 80 years, Moses had been no Moses either.

As Joshua approaches Jericho, the last big hurdle to entering the promised land, he too has an encounter with God: “Joshua bowed down with his face to the ground and asked, ‘What does my master want to say to his servant?’ The commander of the Lord’s army answered Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you stand is holy.’ Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:14-15, NET).

The places where we encounter God are holy. For me, that’s not only included both proverbial and literal mountaintops but also gas stations, empty meeting rooms and my own living room. You have your own experiences. And because we’ve encountered God in these places, they’re special, set-apart places for us.

But it’s not the location itself that’s inherently holy—it’s God’s presence that makes it holy. God is capable of making every place in our lives holy, and wants to.

And likewise, God calls us to come out of slavery—to our sins, our selfish desires, even the good things we have that are nonetheless only a shadow of the better things God wants to give us—and “enter the land” He has promised us. And He calls us to help others do the same.

Let’s fast-forward almost 1,500 years this time, to Jesus’ Last Supper with the disciples. In the middle of the meal, He does something unusual—He gets up, grabs a towel and a washbasin, and begins washing the disciples’ feet. (It’s safe to assume the sandals are already off this time.) Follow what happens next:

“Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet!’ Jesus replied,‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, wash  not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!’” (John 13:8-9, NET).

Simon—who Jesus renamed Peter—protested, because he knew who he had been, and who in many ways he still was. He knew how unworthy he was of Jesus. But Jesus knew that, too. Furthermore, He knew what would happen to Him later that evening. He knew how badly Peter—all the disciples—would fail Him. But more importantly, Jesus didn’t care. Jesus’ priority was not the disciples’ past, present and future failings. What mattered most of all to Jesus, at that moment, was that the disciples take off their sandals and be served—cleansed—by Him.

What Jesus says to Peter, and to all of us, is: It doesn’t matter who you’ve been, what you’ve done. It doesn’t matter how big a screw-up you are now—and no doubt will be in the future. What matters is: Will you hand over your life—all of your life, including the screw-ups—to Me, so I can begin this incredible lifelong reclamation project called Your Life in Me?

And in case they missed the point, and it’s likely they did, an hour or so later Jesus tells his disciples this: “No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (John 15:13-16, NET).

This is where a changed life really begins. Especially at first we want, and need, to make laying down about the “negative” stuff—the things we know we need to give up for Christ’s sake. And that’s where we’re spending most of this first week. But if we focus only on what we need to give up, it’ll probably never happen. We’re overwhelmed by the task. We know we can’t do it. Therefore, we must also grab onto what Jesus promises each of us if we’re willing to lay down everything for Him. We need to remember who we are, now—Jesus’ friends.

We want to justify ourselves before God, to make ourselves worthy. It will never happen. It can never happen. So let go of it. The good news is: Jesus has made us worthy us. He has cleansed us. He has laid down His life for us. Jesus has chosen us because He has chosen us. And because of Jesus, that is enough.

Lay It Down Today

Got shoes on? Take them off. (Or wait for a time when you can do this later on.) Reflect on those places where you know God has already met you, and thank Him for those encounters. Pray a prayer of consecration—something like, “Lord, You have created everything and everything was created to be holy, separated unto You. I want to honor you everywhere I put down my feet, starting in this place. Help me to let go of the person I’ve been, so that I might become the person You intend me to be.”

Then, don’t forget you prayed this. Watch what God does with that prayer in the weeks to come.

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The Cost of Discipleship: megachurch edition

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Carl Simmons

Still waiting on that other new book. Fortunately, Keith Meyer (he of Whole Life Transformation) hooked me up with this new one in the meantime, and I’m glad he did. In some ways, it’s similar to the journey Keith took with Church of the Open Door, but frankly it sounds like this particular story has been more radical — or at least more difficult, as its subtitle readily implies.

Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken. Renovation of the Church: What Happens When a Seeker Church Discovers Spiritual Formation. Introduction by Dallas Willard. Softcover, 192p., $15.00. IVP Books.

The short version: Carlson and Lueken, co-pastors of Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California, share the 25-year history of what started as a seeker-sensitive church; then share in depth about the past 10 years, when leadership as a whole recognized the need for make spiritual formation the church’s central focus; then address the challenges the church faces to this day in getting the congregation on board and growing.

Carlson describes the dilemma, “Gradually, we began to get some clarity on a troubling truth: attracting people to church based on their consumer demands is in direct and irredeemable conflict with inviting people, in Jesus’ words, to lose their lives in order to find them.… We began to realize that our current church structure was actually working against the invitation of Christ to experience his authentic transformation.”

Lueken adds, “We had built a thriving church, but we were not becoming better people in whom Christ was being formed.”

One painfully visible consequence of this shift: What had been a “small megachurch” of 1,700 now stands at 750. The authors readily confess that this drop is largely due to their own inadvertent bait-and-switch—in Carlson’s words, “In order to help people follow Christ more fully, we would have to work against the very methods we were using to attract people to our church.”

So, that’s their story. How well does the book itself work? Depends on what you’re looking to get from it:

• Carlson and Lueken’s desire to change—and their reasons for it—are altogether inspiring.
• They’re also refreshingly honest about their mistakes and challenges—some variation on the phrases “we’re still working on it” or “we didn’t have an answer” comes up often.
• And they’re a bit frustrating in translating what they’ve learned into terms that could help the rest of us.

So let’s give some examples of those latter issues first, then work back up. Later in the book, the authors break down some of the current practices at Oak Hills especially regarding outreach and worship, but most of said practices don’t seem all that unique. Not that it makes them bad, obviously; it just makes it hard to visualize where the major paradigm shift is occurring, and how the clearly personal transformation among Oak Hills’ leadership has been inculcated into the congregation (although the shift in focus on quality of content over style of worship was helpful to point out).

Elsewhere, the authors mention a curriculum they use with their congregation… and then move on. I would have really liked to have heard more about that. There also was talk about the use of solitude and silence within the congregation; again, I liked the idea and really would have liked to have seen it fleshed out more here.

The one innovation, if you will, that did jump out and seemed immediately applicable was the “One Thing” small groups—a roughly year-long commitment where members are devoted to helping each other address one specific spiritual-formation/character issue in each of their lives.

Moving on… I appreciated Lueken’s confession that, as a result of this shift in focus from outward growth to inward transformation, “Evangelism is [now] the weakest part of our [once seeker-friendly] church,” then using that point to emphasize the importance of finding a balance between spiritual formation, mission and evangelism.

But as both authors point out, once the shift from seeker-sensitivity/performance to spiritual formation occurs, having all the answers and having them now isn’t the most important thing anymore. In probably the most insightful passage of the book, Lueken puts it this way:

“Perhaps our greatest lesson from the past decade is that it is spiritually formative to be dissatisfied and unable to resolve that dissatisfaction. In fact, there is hardly a better catalyst for transformation than to not get what we want. Sitting in the dissatisfaction, without frantically trying to resolve it, can do wonders for a human soul.

“When we don’t get what we want, we are more acutely aware of eternity. We are more apt to remember God. We learn what it really means to trust him.”

A big way of trusting God that the authors had tackle head-on was their own sense of ambition. Numbers meant accomplishment; sacrificing those numbers also meant relying on God. One practical step Carlson and Lueken took in addressing this issue was to become co-pastors (originally, Carlson was founding and senior pastor; Lueken had come on some time later as spiritual formation pastor after a failed church plant — another hard lesson about ambition). The story of their deepening friendship while working together as equals runs throughout the book.

And I personally enjoyed Carlson’s recount of the early days of planting Oak Hills—if “enjoyed” is the right word. Perhaps “brotherly groan of recognition” is better. I had to laugh when he said, “I hated [going door to door]. I can’t think of a person who came to our church because of all that door knocking.”

So that’s it, in a nutshell. I  leave it for you to discover the rest—not least of all, more thoughts about consumerism and God’s meaning of success. So go do it.

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