Who do you work for?

*a re-run for Labor Day!

Then, there’s Monday! How do you feel about it?  Depressed about getting back to work? Eager to reconnect with friends? Dreading that first long meeting? Thankful that you have a job? Most of us feel mixed emotions about work.  We’re glad to be employed, but wish we found more fulfillment in what we do.

Christian, the Bible says that our work matters to God!  How we work is of concern to Him.  That’s not just true about those of us who are ‘church workers.’  God cares about how you drive a truck, lead a project, string wire, manage an office, or care for your family.  "Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work." (Colossians 3:22-25, The Message) That word was not written to people pursuing their passion in the arts or those receiving high wages in fair working conditions!  The Holy Spirit spoke it originally to household servants who had come to Christ.  Yes, it was written to people who had no rights, who worked long hours, who did hard, menial, manual labor. 

Think about what it would mean to work for Jesus.  He would not overlook your best efforts or be fooled by attempts to appear more diligent than you actually are. He would not play politics, favoring someone who does less but who has a pretty face!  He would be fair in both compensation and advancement, basing them on real effort, not seniority or connections.  He would protect you from the one who tries to marginalize your value to the team and He would see the petty digs you plant about your rivals.  

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

No matter where we work, no matter what we do,  our attitude and effort reflects on Christ Jesus, our Lord. So, let’s choose to honor Him by doing well! 

There are two misconceptions that poison our ability to work well and for Christ.  

First is that work is part of sin’s curse.  Some mistakenly read the opening chapters of Genesis and think that work onl entered the human experience after Adam’s Fall.  Eden’s paradise was work-free, or so some think.  God sent Adam to work from the moment of his creation.  “Tend the Garden, name the animals, manage the earth,” was the directive.  The entry of sin into the world did not bring the idea of work, it caused work to become toil!  Where once work had produced results, now it was frustrated by weeds, sweat, and difficulty!  Our work will include frustration, but work itself is not a curse, it is a means of being productive.  

Second, some divide life (and work) into that which is sacred (part of God’s realm) and that which is secular (part of this present world only).  This artificial divide causes them to think that what they do to ‘earn a living,’ is less important.  For the Christian, every part of life is sacred. Our lives, in totality, belong to God!

Change up Monday mornings. Take Jesus to work with you. He will make a difference – in you, in your workplace.

Are you 'mad as hell?'

Warning – this is not an easy read. “Civilization” is a relative word, isn’t it?  Humans can be as brutal as any beast. Last week, we were stunned by the news report about three teenage boys, bored on a summer afternoon, who took a rifle and shot a young man jogging on the street, just to watch him die. This week, we saw the horrifying pictures from Syria. The military allegedly took chemical weapons and used them on the people, killing mostly women and children in a horrible way.  In our own military, female soldiers are subject to rape, with up to 20% reporting (how don’t report?) sexual assaults!  Then, there are the millions of cruel words, acts of revenge, and petty ‘get even’ plots that keep families in turmoil.  Yes, there are lots of things about which we can get angry. What can we do? For many the answer is bigger guns, stricter laws, and longer prison sentences.  Do they work? I will let you draw your own conclusions.

The question that more interests me is – how will I respond to cruelty that comes my way?  How will I deal with insults, slights, and meanness?  Jesus says, “You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it.’ But I say, don’t resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too." Matthew 5:38-40 That requires grace, doesn't it? When I am tempted to uncover my claws and bare my fangs, the Spirit challenges me to an entirely different response: Love!

Please remember, that does not preclude feeling anger! If we refuse to acknowledge our anger, it ferments into a toxic brew of resentment inside of us.  God’s Word tells us that we re-direct the anger: "In your anger do not sin.” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Another translation says, “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you.” (Ephesians 4:26, NLT) Charles Stone, a pastor who faced the struggle to survive people's criticisms, writes about his misunderstanding of Jesus' demands, his inability to express his anger because he thought the emotion itself was wrong. The result he says was that "My anger festered into an emotional, poison-filled boil on my soul. I could deceive myself, pretend that all was well, and wait for things to change for the better. Or I could squarely face the disappointment and attempt to lessen its toxic effects."

So how do we turn the anger into something other than toxic bitterness that feeds a need for revenge?

First, we admit- to ourselves and to the Lord-  “I am angry.”   Because so many Christians think anger is sinful, they relabel it with many other names, but anger is anger, no matter what we call it. We're not 'just sad,' nor are we 'hurt.'  There are people who develop agendas to attack us and that makes us mad. Admit it, so you can and the Spirit can deal with it. Anger can be used as a powerful motivator for change: in ourselves and in our world.

Second, try to understand the cause of your anger.   Anger is often misdirected.  We’re disappointed about losing the promotion at work, but focus the anger on our wife.  We are frustrated by chronic illness and take it out on our kids.  God, the Holy Spirit, will help you (as will a good, honest friend) to understand the root of rage, but when He does, be prepared to work hard at change, starting with that person who stares back at you from your mirror.

Third, kill the fantasies!  Discovery Channel is much closer to reality than the Disney channel!   Wouldn’t we love a wonderful world where everyone was nice, all dreams came true, and people lived happily ever after? The sooner we kill the fantasies and deal with reality, the better our lives will be. People aren't perfect. Dreams don't always come true, no matter how hard you work at them. Acceptance of our limitations and of the situations in which we find ourselves provides great release from unnecessary anger. I am not suggesting that we give up on life, surrender hope, or stop praying for change.  But, we must ask the Spirit of God to help us to know the difference between our fantasies about a 'perfect' world and His dream for our life which He will equip us to fulfill.

Fourth, ENDURE! A friend who is in AA, reminded me of a basic truth that recovering alcoholics learn - "Send your body and your heart will follow!" In other words, sometimes we do the right things, just because they are the right things, not because we feel great passion, enthusiasm, or joy! Sometimes the very best method of dealing with anger is simply to determine to outlast your enemies and critics as you kill'em with kindness. That endurance is sustained by the realization that there is coming a day of just rewards for us all.

The Word says, "Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And a righteous person will live by faith.” (Hebrews 10:35-38, NLT) We will do more than survive!  With the help of God we will thrive, living in the abundance of His grace, praying, "May your Kingdom come, and Your will be done on the earth, as it is in Heaven." Amen.

I'm smarter than you are

The 12 year old in my household thinks he knows so much about life.  His ‘instructions’ can be humorous and yes, his certainty about things about which he is seriously misinformed can be irritating. Sometimes I unconsciously adopt a patronizing tone when attempting to correct some latest bit of 12 year old ‘wisdom.’  In response Ed will say, “You think you everything, don’t you?”  I hope I don’t give that impression! 

The Scripture teaches us that a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous, if it leads us to think we know more than we really we understand. 

The people in the church in Corinth were fighting over eating meat purchased from idol temples, portions left over from sacrifices blessed in the name of false gods. Many refused to go near meat from idol sacrifice.  Others were certain that it was perfectly acceptable to eat such meat since the idols were nothing to them. “Let’s look at this honestly,” they said, “these idols are nothing more than the products of man’s imaginations. Let’s eat the meat!”  Rationally, they were right, but that was not the heart of the issue, as we see in Paul’s instruction to them.  "Now let’s talk about food that has been sacrificed to idols. You think that everyone should agree with your perfect knowledge. While knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. But the person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for." (1 Corinthians 8:1-3, NLT)

You can be so right, you’re wrong!  

 The ex-idol worshippers in the Corinthian church were not just seeing a meal when their brothers ate idol temple meat. They were seeing an old way of life from which they needed to completely separate. There were emotions in play, inner conflicts yet to be resolved.  Paul appeals to a higher standard: “Love really builds up the church,” he said.  John reminds us of the same principle. "Anyone who loves other Christians is living in the light and does not cause anyone to stumble." (1 John 2:10, NLT)  I am responsible, not just for myself, but for all those who interact with me. If my ‘knowledge’ becomes something that blocks their light and makes them trip up in their Christian walk, I sin against them and my Lord.

God’s grace provides those who live in it great freedom. They are free to live without a lot of religious rules governing every move they make.  Accepting His great grace secures Christians in His love and allows them to be guided by the Holy Spirit. What a joyful way to live. However, it possible to abuse that freedom. In the context of the ‘idol meat’ dispute, the Word points out the principle this way: "But you must be careful with this freedom of yours. Do not cause a brother with a weaker conscience to stumble. You see, this is what can happen: Weak Christians who think it is wrong to eat this food will see you eating in the temple of an idol. You know there’s nothing wrong with it, but they will be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been dedicated to the idol. So because of your superior knowledge, a weak Christian, for whom Christ died, will be destroyed. And you are sinning against Christ when you sin against other Christians by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong. If what I eat is going to make another Christian sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to make another Christian stumble." (1 Corinthians 8:9-13, NLT)

Let’s take care not to be like a 12 year old, having a little knowledge, but lacking real understanding!  There are facts and there is truth.  Let’s search the Scripture, listen to the Spirit, and let love govern our every choice.  This will build a strong church.

"Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others." (Proverbs 12:15, NLT)

"Wise people don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their folly." (Proverbs 12:23, NLT)

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Mystery

Sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity.

Sweet Jesus Christ, my clarity.

Bread of heaven, broken for me,

Cup of Salvation held out to drink.

Jesus, mystery!

Christ has died, and

Christ is risen,

Christ will come again.

Celebrate His death and rising.

Lift your eyes proclaim His coming.

Celebrate His death and rising.

Lift your eyes, lift your eyes.

Sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity.

Charlie Hall

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Miley and Sex

Miley Cyrus put on quite a show at at the VMA awards on Sunday night. Her act had the press in a buzz.  This time around it wasn’t just ‘church ladies’ who were shocked. She went from entertainment to raunchy and beyond.  Lady Gaga performed as expected, with her usual sleaze compensating for her mediocre talent.  Is sex just part of a show, a way to be self-indulgent?  Does sex matter or is it just satisfying an appetite, as somebody said, “like enjoying a cheeseburger?” Adam Hamilton asks Christians to re-think the trivialization of sex.  I borrowed a a column from Ministry Matters for CWTW today.  I could say, ‘enjoy,’ but I don’t think that would be the right expression, so read on.

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The Trivialization of Sex  

Churches don’t often spend a lot of time reminding people of the beauty and importance of sexual intimacy. Conversely, society tends to trivialize and cheapen it. People talk about “hooking up” or having “friends with benefits.” From that perspective, sex becomes not the culmination of a deep, meaningful relationship, but instead merely an end in itself. It has become commonplace in our society to think that after a first or second date, a couple might sleep together. This trivialization of sex, far from liberating us, robs sexual intimacy of its power. The Bible uses an interesting euphemism for sex: to know. So when Adam was intimate with Eve the text says, "Then Adam knew his wife…" (Genesis 4:1) Some have thought the Bible a bit odd in its concern that one not reveal their "nakedness" to another.

But here was the idea. When you have shared your body with another, you have shared what others cannot see or experience. You are knowing one another. Here's the challenge with hooking up or friends with benefits: We’re simply not ready to reveal our innermost selves to another human being after one or two dates; the bonding that happens is premature. And when we pull away from one person and bond quickly with another and another, sexual intimacy eventually no longer bonds us, biochemically or emotionally, to our partner.

Are you a bad person if you’ve been with someone before you were married? No, of course not, you are human. We long for intimate touch and companionship. It requires extraordinary restraint and self-discipline not to experience sex before marriage. But it is a biblical ideal that many people choose to pursue. I was one of them and I continue to be grateful that the one person I've ever been intimate with is Avon, and the first time we were intimate was on our wedding night.

Within this ideal, a beautiful human story unfolds. You make a covenant with another human being, in sickness and in health, no matter what happens: “I am with you. I will love you and remain by your side. When you are old, when you start to sag and wrinkle, when you are not as physically beautiful as you are today, I will be there.” Then, after the two of you make this pledge, with your hearts pounding, you see each other naked, you embrace, and you become one flesh. It may be awkward and strange that first time, and you may not get it quite right, but somehow you figure it out together, and the intimate journey begins.

Sex has far more meaning than our society supposes. I invite you, even if you have been intimate with another in the past, to reclaim the idea that sex is purposeful and meaningful, and it isn’t something to be trivialized.

excerpt from: Love to Stay: Sex, Grace, and Commitment by Adam Hamilton. Copyright©2013 by Abingdon Press.

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Thank you, Adam.  We need to do better than to just forbid intimacy or scold the Miley Cyrus types.  Christian, regardless of our age – 16 or 76 – we need to give thanks for our sexuality, celebrate what it means to be “male” or “female” and protect our minds and hearts from cheap, raunchy, or lewd expressions.  This will help us to give dignity to people as God planned, keep us from turning others into objects we desire only for the pleasure they could provide us, and help us to love in the way Jesus desires.

Here’s a word from the Word. I quote from The Message as that translation allows us to see impact of this Spirit-inspired wisdom on our age.

"There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.”

There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works.

So let people see God in and through your body. Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out." (1 Corinthians 6:16-7:4, The Message)

“So let people see God in and through your body.”  There’s a thought to ponder all day!

Slip, Sliding Away...

About a year ago, I was gung-ho for my daily visits to the gym. I was engaged with my trainer, ready to get this old body in shape, feeling the need to be conditioned. By mid-October, the enthusiasm faded along with the novelty. Yes, I still knew exercise was good for me, but the fun was worn off. Only real determination got me there. Then, in early November, I hurt my knee during a run on the treadmill. The pain was real and took me out of training, by doctor's orders, for at least a month. I have not returned! The motivation to go and sweat through a work-out routine is lost, all my best hopes for a conditioned body went slip, sliding away. Do I know I should make a better choice? Of course. Do I think about it? Yes, but less each day.

I wonder if my gym experience is parallel to church attendance for some people? In nearly 4 decades of pastoral ministry, I have seen hundreds of people show up in the congregation, get all excited, make all the right noises, talk about how much it means to them... and then, sometime later, go slip, sliding away. Many just disappear, without a word, leaving me wondering why they left. Others send a note, a few even come by my office to tell me they're leaving. The reasons are often much the same. Some say that no one was friendly or they did not feel welcomed. Others say they aren't being spiritually fed, which usually means they don't like the preaching. Some point to some incident with their kids where they feel the church did not respond well. Almost no one says, "I've just lost interest" but I'm fairly certain that's a reality in many cases.

When someone leaves the church, I mourn. Really, it hurts every time, even after all these years. It's personal to me. No, it's not just about a sense of professional failure, though that's part of it. I mourn for the leaver, too. Their choice has negative consequences. People who are most spiritually healthy and productive maintain a strong relationship with His Body. When a family is inconsistent in their attendance, or when they pick up and move on, the kids will be affected in the long term, even more than their parents are. No factor predicts an adult's choice to regularly attend church more than being taken consistently to the same church throughout his youth. I also know that 'leavers' almost always benefit from pressing through their issues with the church, whatever they may be, than by going to another church down the street. We grow into better people when we resolve conflict, wrestle through doubt, or deal with the desire to be served.

Some of you are wondering if I have confused church attendance with being a Christian. No, I have not. But, no one should believe that they will ever be all that God desires them to be, that their spiritual gifts will develop to full maturity, without being part of the Church. Christianity is a communal experience, never just about me, always about we. That's why the Scripture directs us to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV) One of the reasons I'm still not working out is that I never made friends at the gym. I did not meet somebody there who would encourage me when I lacked motivation, who would hold me accountable, in whom I could invest myself. That is one of the functions of being 'in church.' Those who are walking the highway of holiness with us laugh with us, cry with us, push us and pull us, argue with us, and steady us.

Are you thinking about leaving your church? Have you talked with the Lord honestly about your desire?

The better choice is to stick with it, to bring your whole heart to it, and in more than just Sunday worship, too. Invest time in the people that are there with you. Celebrate the connections. Will it always be perfect? No. Pastors are people who have good weeks and bad ones, too. Christians don't always get it right. But, together, in love, we are always better together, than we are apart.

So, here's the word from the Word. May it call you to Christ's Church, committed, consistent, faithful, and steady.

"I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, "Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?" It is all so meaningless and depressing.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, NLT)

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