Walk as Children of the Light

The startling crack of a branch in the deep darkness of the woods stopped me in my tracks. I was halfway down the trail toward the lodge without a flashlight. Darkness had long engulfed me after leaving my cabin. I was trusting the feel of path beneath my feet and the presence of the tree trunks to guide me where I needed to go.

I could hear my heart pounding. It was trying to keep up with my racing mind. Funny how the mind creates all sorts of scenarios when partial information needs the cracks to be filled up! I had only heard the day before that a prisoner had escaped incarceration from a nearby prison. Of course, not knowing whether or not that person had been apprehended, my mind just knew that the escapee was nearby in the pitch-black, mysterious darkness just out of my reach.

Vulnerability and fear reached up and grabbed me by the neck. I was momentarily immobilized, not know which was to go…either forward or backward! A decision had to be made quickly. Was the trip forward worth it, or was it wise and prudent to retreat?

Originally, my main reason for going to the  main lodge was just to check in and interact with the other counselors after a long hard day. It had been a Friday, after a long week with 5^th and 6^th grade boys, where we capped everything off with some pretty fun stuff. Like water balloon fights. Like pie eating contests. And then, late evening swinging of newly cut grapevines over the ravine behind our cabin.

Was my reason for going to the lodge strong enough to make me push through my fear? No! I sheepishly retreated back to my cabin. I noticed that with my first glimpse of the porch light at my cabin, my fears began to subside proportionately to the steps I had left in order to make it there! Fortunately, the boys in my cabin were asleep and I did not have to answer any inquiries about where I had been and why my trip had been so short.

After this episode I really appreciated the picture or illustration used by the apostle Paul when he encourages disciples of Jesus “to walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Simply put, to walk this way means to imitate God and Christ in one’s life.

How does one imitate God? How does one imitate Christ? Pretty tall order, don’t you think?!

This life of imitation (walking in the light) means that I learn to love as God loves. It also means I am careful how I talk to others and about others. It means I do not walk with others and follow others into the darkness.

I remember one time as a young person hearing my grandmother say, “Nothing good happens after dark!” It was a way of making sure we would be in the house before dark. Under cover of darkness things happen that should not.

Why should I strive to walk in light? Here is Paul’s rationale: “for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:9).

Good. Right. True. What a wonderful trilogy! But this three-fold fruit of virtues is not easily won. Paul is clear here: it comes from spiritual discernment. Am I able to make a clear and decisive choice in my life about what is good? What about what is right? And, what about those things that are true?

Good. Goodness. Light is good! It certainly was good for me at during that late-night scamper back to the cabin. Such “goodness” is also identified by Paul as a fruit of the Spirit. There is a tendency by those who are short-sighted to make fun of anything good. But goodness is at the heart of a daily way of life that keeps God at the center!

Right. Righteousness. This is the work of God on our behalf and through us. We become the flashlight of God’s presence in a world of darkness where people are lost and cannot find their way back to their cabins. If I am living “right,” then I am a living, tangible moral GPS for others who need directions. The way the apostle Paul talks about righteousness is to make sure we know it is a process and direction.

True. Truthfulness. Authenticity. We find out that grace and truth come through Jesus Christ. The astounding thing about Jesus as risen Lord is that he embodied what was true. Philosophers for centuries have debated about truth and its nature. Jesus was and is truth in his very nature. I want to be true in my relationship commitments, and I want to be truthful in what I say. This kind of faithful and authentic life of commitment is what our society is starving for!

I especially think of how our society is starving for transformational Christian leaders who take this stuff seriously. Leaders who are good. Leaders who are right. Leaders who are true. Where have they all gone?

Leaders who are good. Actually the word “goodness” (ἀγαθωσύνῃ) is  used which is a noun. We are not talking about a description of leaders (“good” in this case would be an adjective describing some characteristic of a leader). We are talking about a state of being, the essence of leaders. That “goodness” comes from God. Leaders who are God-centered, God-focused, God-caring and who understand the sovereign activity of God as a “Heart-knower.” Transformational leaders above all things are concerned with matters of the heart!

Leaders who are right. Actually the word “righteousness” (δικαιοσύνῃ) is used which is a noun. We are not talking about a description of leaders (“right” in this case would be an adjective describing an essential characteristic of leader who makes right choices). We are talking here about a state of being, the essence of leaders. This “righteousness” has to do with our right standing before God. It is not based on our performance nor is it based on our behavior. It is based on the gift of Christ as the cross who paid it all for us. “In all righteousness” means God’s work in the leader’s life.  Transformational leaders above all things are concerned with their and others’ standing before God and how Christ has made it right!

Leaders who are true. Actually the word “true”( ἀληθείᾳ) is used as a noun. We are not talking about whether a leader is true or a fake (“true in this case would be an adjective describing, once again, an essential characteristic of a leader who is trying to be authentic). Rather, we are talking about Christian transformational leaders who embody the truth of Jesus. Jesus’ early claim in the gospel of John that “I am the way, the truth, and the life” was a claim that astounded everyone around him. Philosophers, religious leaders, etc. had all been on a search for the way, the truth, and what life was all about. However, Jesus embodied all three. Any and all searches end with him. He is the truth. Christian leaders in a deep and authentic way are indeed the embodiment of truth as much as is humanly possible.

When my oldest daughter was very young (probably around 4 or 5), one evening she wanted to accompany me to my woodshop where I desperately needed to finish a project on time. As we walked out the back porch to head in that direction, I noticed that the back porch light was out. We were going to have to make the trip to the shed in the dark. My daughter instantly grabbed my hand, and looked up at me and said, “I am not afraid, Daddy, I am holding your hand!” The wood project in the shop was overshadowed by a powerful lesson to my heart that was “out of the mouth of babes!”

May we walk as children of the light, Christian transformational leaders,  trying to discern what is pleasing to the Lord! In this kind of walk, we offer light to those in darkness.  We are, through Christ, walking in the light wherein is all goodness, righteousness and truth!

In Christian love, Curtis

APPLYING CHRISTIAN FREEDOM

I have been reflecting lately on the practice of Christian freedom. It is both highly prized by Paul and misunderstood by millions since Paul. On both ends of a spectrum of understanding, it cannot mean the freedom to do whatever I want on one end and demanding that others see things the way I do on the other end. The understanding and practice of Christian freedom is between these two polarities. This is precisely because it brings into tension my free will and the free will of others. It brings together my singular will and my communal responsibilities. This is why it is so hard to conceptualize, discuss in a civil way, and even to put into practice. Allow me to offer a few suggestions on this vital topic.

          First, Christian freedom allows me to say “no” to something, not because of a legalistic requirement, but because of brotherly love and agape. Paul indicates that if I “grieve” someone because I choose to exercise my freedom and flaunt it in that person’s face, then I am “no longer walking in love” (Romans 14:15). I see this as a universal Pauline principle for fellowship: whatever my Christian freedom allows me to do, it must do so in the posture of “walking in love.”

          Second, believe it or not, there are some priorities and values in the kingdom higher than Christian freedom.  Conscience issues and making someone stumble have to be uppermost in my mind. Guess what some of those priorities are? According to Paul, they are our pursuit of “what makes for peace and for mutual up-building”(Romans 14:19).

Third, whatever position we take on an issue because of our Christian freedom to do so, whether we engage in something or refrain from it, we do so to honor the Lord, and we give thanks to God at the same time (Romans 14:6). Each one of us has to give an account of ourselves to God in the end (Romans 14:12), so we must allow each person to work their own personal freedom out with the Lord.

Fourth, in exercising our Christian freedom,  we need to remember that  the apostle Paul admonishes us  not to despise the one who cannot share our freedom of choice (Romans 14:3). It is so tempting to look down upon and despise someone who is not at our place of understanding. Neither despising nor passing judgment on others is our Christian duty toward one another.  We have to learn how to be responsibly free with our Christian freedom.

Application for Transformational Leadership…many times leaders have had more experiences and greater insights to Christian freedom. Consequently, they may feel more “liberated” and not as bound to many of the traditions among which they lead and serve. However, the four things mentioned above have tremendous implications for Christian leaders who intentionally want to function as transformational leaders.

Some things we say “no” to regarding our own practices and personal preferences precisely because we know we are leading others who not as mature and would be offended or hurt by our practice of freedom. The principle of “walking in love” applies to everything we do in our servant-leadership capacity. We are sensitive to others’ consciences. We must allow those we serve the space to work out their own issues. And, we must not look down upon or reject others because they are not where we are in their understanding and practice.

May God grant us wisdom as we seek to individually live out our Christian freedom in the collective body of Christ that is filled with others also trying to understand and work out their own Christian freedom. May we always “walk in love” and pursue “what makes for peace and mutual up-building.”

In Christian love, Curtis

You did not so learn Christ!

In Ephesians 4:17-24 Paul points out to his readers that he knows where they have come from, and how hard it is to change one’s life. He utilizes “put on” and “put off” imperative language to challenge his readers to take this conversion process seriously.

          To describe their lifestyle, the apostle Paul uses the literal word “to walk around.” He admonishes them to no longer walk around (live) as the Gentiles walk around (live). “Gentiles” was a pejorative term, and almost a slur, against people who were not Jewish and were an example of just letting their passions rule their life.

          This describes many of Paul’s Christian friends and their past life in Ephesus. What was the “Gentile” past life like? Paul uses four participles (verbs with “-ing” endings) to describe it in the fullest of pictures.

·       Having been darkened in their understanding

·       Having been alienated from the life of God

·       Having (being) ignorance in them

·       Having given themselves up to a life of sensuality

These four descriptions indicate why it was so hard for many of his readers to “walk worthy of the calling with which they had been called”(4:1).

All of this was being done “in the futility of their minds”(4:17). This refers to their thought-world being so empty of anything with real purpose that they were drifting through life aimlessly. There was no thought of consequences related to their daily choices. This way of living was labeled by Paul as the “old man.”

When Paul indicated that they had no so learned Christ, he is actually pinpointing the process of “unlearning.” Part of conversion is the initial unlearning replaced with learning. The former way of life is being exchanged for a new way of life. This is the miraculous power of the Good News of Jesus!

In this Pauline pericope what catches the ear of the transformational Christian leader is the process of putting off the old man and putting on the new man. It is both a divine and  human process whereby the mystery of transformation occurs.

Christian leaders who care about others and their Christian growth are reminded of the following realities of life that Paul addresses here:

1.     It takes a long time for people to change their thought world.

2.     A former way of life, being alienated from God, is being exchanged for a new of life where a new relationship with God is being established.

3.     We can never under-estimate the ignorance of individuals coming to the faith.

4.     A life of sensuality can make a person calloused and unfeeling toward others. Re-awakening the conscience in this area will take time and patience.

5.     Our role as leaders is to continually keep before others the model of Jesus, teaching and embodying life-changing truths that others need to see.

All of this make a huge difference—the difference between a life of emptiness or a life of holiness! May God give every Christian servant-leader a “renewal in the spirit of our minds” (4:23) such that others may see the truth of Jesus living in us!   

In Christian love, Curtis

The Winsome Way of Seeing Others

Pastoral leadership is inherently endearing. This means that Christian leaders are servants who hold their fellow Christians in highest esteem. This is demonstrated by the language one uses to identify the body of Christ. I am fascinated by John the Apostle’s use of two terms in 1 John chapter 2. He designates his readers as “My little children,” and “Beloved.”

          “My little children”—what a winsome way to refer to his fellow Christians. The assumption is that he is referring to fellow believers who are  young in the faith. Either John himself or another apostle or strong Christian leader has most likely led these believers to their lifetime commitment to Jesus. I wonder what difference it would make if all of us who are Christian servant-leaders viewed others in the body of Christ for whom we have a spiritual stewardship as our “little children?”

          This implies a tender feeling and response to their tenuous, early attempts at taking their early steps in the Christian walk. “My little children” falter and wobble in that step, and yet we rejoice because they are taking one step after another trying to follow Jesus.

          “Beloved” is the other winsome way that John refers to his fellow Christians. This is a fascinating word because it basically means being in the constant state of being loved by someone. And that state of being loved never changes. The one who is beloved can never become un-beloved! Interestingly, in Ephesians Jesus is identified with the same term as “Beloved.” Being a recipient of God’s gracious love and mercy stamps one as being “Beloved.”

          This implies an acceptance our part of one another, even in spite of our sinful selves. Cracked pots and warts-and-all define us in our humanity. Though we feel such insignificance and unworthy to be loved, Christian servant-leaders demonstrate love and acceptance toward others as always being “Beloved.” No mistake, no sin, no injustice, can erase the fact that we all stand beloved in Christ.

          What a way for Christian servant leaders to live! This winsome way of seeing fellow Christians as “our little children” and “beloved” radically changes the fundamental vision and practice of fellowship in the body of Christ.  These are spiritual terms of endearment. May we see others this way to the glory of God!

In Christian love, Curtis

Our Own Legacy of Life & Faith

Because of several factors, I have been drawn to the idea of what legacy of life and faith each of us will leave behind. Perhaps turning 62 does that! Perhaps losing one’s mother does that! Perhaps giving the eulogy for 3 funerals in less than two months does that!  Perhaps focusing on Christ’s resurrection as the hope of our destiny does that! Whatever may be all of the factors, I just cannot get it out of my mind, and thus it drives my thoughts today that I want to share with you.

            I came across an old hymn that has the following words:

“I would like to think when I’m nearer life’s brink

            That I’ve written some song that will live

And, living, impart some help to some heart

            And strength to the traveler give.”

[A Song! A Beautiful Song! Written and composed by L. O. Sanderson, Copyright, 1948]

I want to daily be aware of how close I am to my own death. We are adept at keeping death at bay. However, when funerals pile up on one another, and our peers begin to go the way of all the earth, we can no longer ignore the inevitable. There are two basic ways of viewing death. It can be a loss or a gain. If we have left God’s will out of the center of our life, and we have made choices over the years that have brought regret and heartache, then death would be viewed as a loss. However, if we loved God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves, then death can be viewed as a gain.

Men and women of faith understand that Christ’s resurrection and the hope of their own resurrection takes the sting out of death. Death is personal. It is not abstract. It will be the separation of myself from this world and the ones I love. This looming separation on the horizon informs my daily priorities. Sometimes we go through circumstances where we think we have been close to death.

I remember riding in a small Cherokee Piper airplane that had experienced some engine trouble. When we landed at the airport, the pilot reached down and touched the ground, and exclaimed, “We cheated death once again!” I hate to say it, but we will never cheat death. It is coming, and we need to have a healthy view of life that is lived in preparation of that certain coming.

I want to strive to leave the verses of my own song writ large on the hearts of others. This is a poetic way of saying that my life’s purpose was the joy of my heart. Each day lived for God and others provides me the “stuff” for writing each verse of that song.  I love to write poetry, and this composer’s imagery of writing a song touches my heart’s chords. They vibrate with possibilities and bring together the joys of living life to its fullest. The impact I make on the hearts of others will be because my heart build a caring bridge to their heart. Music and song are most appreciated when they touch us at the deepest level of our being and psyche.

 I remember (this dates me, of course!) John Denver’s famous song “Sunshine on My Shoulders.” The first time I heard that song was write after a cold winter, and I was driving down to Memphis through the back roads, going through Brownsville, Tennessee. On that early spring morning, the sun was on my left shoulder as I was headed south. I sang that song out loud to my eight track, envisioning the sunshine being God’s love. I vowed at that moment onward that I would try to bring a little of God’s “Son-shine” into the lives of others.

I want to strive to give strength and encouragement to others. Consequently, that inner vow has allowed the Spirit of God to help me give others strength and encouragement during tough times. My calling is to impart to others what God has vouchsafed to me. Because I have undergone three specific trials in my life that have called for the greatest resilience of faith in order to endure, I can offer that same solace and comfort that I received from God to others. Grave personal illness, suicide in the family, and job loss have carved caverns of sorrow in my heart where the rivers of joy could later flow.

Perhaps it is the depth of pain that provides the pathways for joy. Knowing how I survived and was supported by God and others, I intentionally turn around and offer that same support. I stood beside my mother’s bed and watched her decline and pass with a grave illness. Adult children need to know to whom they can turn when those type of losses occur. These kind of verses in one’s song contain both joy and sorrow. To demonstrate care with words of encouragement allows our words to create anew and offer new possibilities for excruciating pain.

I want to leave a path for others to follow after I am gone. I watched a fascinating episode of “Prospectors” on the Weather Channel the other night. One individual mining a claim up in the mountains was following an 8 mile path that wound up to the summit that was created by his grandfather. That one lane path took two and a half years to create with one bulldozer and one operator. The grandson kept singing the praises of his grandfather, and lauding the monumental task that was unthinkable. He kept the road maintained every year, not only in honor of his grandfather, but also because he needed the road to travel to the summit with his mining equipment. 

            What kind of path are we leaving for others to follow? The wise man Solomon once said, “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray”(Proverbs 10:17). We never want to be guilty of leading others astray. Not only do we model for others how to receive and heed instruction, but also provide the direction of life that leads others in the right direction.

            Nearly twenty years ago I built my own mountain dulcimer. I have written poetry and have had some of it set to music. I understand the process and value of writing and composing songs. I would like to think that I have written some song that will linger with its notes of joy in the hearts of others long after I am gone!

In Christian love, Curtis

Prayer for Strength with Power from God’s Spirit

 We often ask for strength to face difficult situations. But that strength cannot be viewed as coming just from self. In Ephesians 3:14-19 the apostle Paul bows his knees in prayer and desires that God grant his readers “to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” This desire on his part has the following 

purposes in mind…

• ·        That Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith
• ·        That they may be rooted and grounded in love
• ·        That they together may know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge
• ·        That they may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Paul’s main concern for his brothers and sisters in Christ was the condition of their inner being. That inner being needs to be strengthened with power from the Spirit.

Taking this cue from Paul, would it make a difference for one another in the body of Christ if we intentionally prayed for one another’s inner being? This relates to spiritual strength that enables each one of us to be able to experience the four purposes listed above.

Christ is dwelling in our hearts, and we pray for that for each other. We are rooted and grounded in love, and we pray for that very thing for one another. Together we comprehend the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, and we constantly pray for that. And, we pray that each other will be filled with all the fullness of God.

As children of the heavenly Father, we bow the knee for one another. How rich is this kind of prayer, and how extraordinary is this kind of family where such concerns are mutually shared!

As a "transformational leader" like the apostle Paul, we understand the vital importance of others being strengthened in their "inner being." We desire to see Christ in others; we desire to see them rooted and grounded in love; we desire that they experience the love of Christ in ways unfathomable; and, we desire that they be filled to the fullest extent possible with God.

These four purposes are necessary for inward spiritual growth and strength. Being part of the family of God, the community of faith, enables us to pray this powerfully and passionately for others! May God give each one of us called to be a "transformational leader" the desire to bow our knees like Paul every day for other members of God's family!

In Christian love, Curtis

Building Relationships to the Glory of God! Memories

 I witnessed Friday afternoon an extraordinary example of this kind of building. All six of us siblings sat at my mother’s dining room table sharing memories, asking for prayers and receiving assurances of love and forgiveness and acceptance. Some of my brothers and sisters needed to heal their relationships, and we all needed to pray for my brother Larry and his wife, Diane, who remains on a breathing machine.

            As I led prayer for all of us, we invoked God’s name and healing power to enable us to give and receive the gift of family, both the present and the past. I have come to realize more than ever the healing power of memories shared and sanctified.

            Jesus said of the woman who poured very expensive perfume on Jesus’ head, “ Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”(Matthew 26:13) This was a selfless act of using something valuable to anoint Jesus. He indicated to his indignant disciples that she did it to anoint his body for burial.

            Sharing memories of selfless acts of service really encourages the body of Christ. Since 2003 I have many memories of our brothers and sisters in Christ here at Highland View who have done selfless things in the name of Jesus, and these acts have been told and retold in memory of that person.

            Memories become the eternal cement of the blocks of our individual contributions to the house of God being built by faithful lives. These stories of faithfulness encourage and build each one of us up. 

            The Apostle Paul says it this way, “¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple”(1 Corinthians 3:16, 17).

Christian leaders who are transformational understand this quote from Paul. Helping people access and treasure their memories are a way of building the temple of God together. It may even be viewed as the mortar that holds the individual blocks together. 

          Precious memories, how they linger!

In Christian love, Curtis

The Boundaries of Our Community: Building Relationships in the Body of Christ [5]

The church has boundaries. It is inclusive and exclusive at the same time. Without boundaries we would not be able to identify the church. The apostle Paul identifies those outside of the church boundaries as “outsiders.” There are “insiders” and “outsiders.” What are the boundary markers for the church? “…The Christian ideal of the communion of saints and the congregation and the Eucharist [Lord’s Supper] as forms of community…” [Wendell Willis (2011-2012). “The Erosion of Community: A Challenge to the Church.” Christian Studies 25. Page 13).

          The assembled, baptized, communing believers in Christ make up the body of Christ. Three times in  his letters the apostle Paul refers to those outside the boundaries of the believing community. Look at each passage below and note why he brings it up:

·        Colossians 4:5

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”

          In our Christian walk we have to be very careful and wise in our dealings with outsiders because we want to make the most of every opportunity to be a good witness for Jesus. Wise Christian leaders are aware of their influence, and have the “eyes of opportunity” so they can see where a kind word, a kind act or kind gesture can make a world of difference!

·        1 Thessalonians 4:12

“…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

          Here Paul is very emphatic regarding the pragmatic way that Christians live. Sponging off of others and not pulling one’s weight in life, and depending on others when you could fend for yourself, will lose the respect of outsiders. A lazy, enabled, entitled way of life certainly does not comment itself as a way of life that honors God and respects others!

·        1 Timothy 3:7

“He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

          Bishops/elders must be careful about their reputation with non-Christians. They are a model of grace, and never want to be a disgrace or be ripe-picking for the devil. The power of their influence is immense! This is why Christian leadership should be taken so seriously.

           In the midst of being thankful for the boundaries of our community of faith, let us always and forever be aware of how we may impact and influence  those who are “outsiders.” May God grant us the wisdom to live and lead in such a way that many more “outsiders” may become “insiders!”

In Christian love, Curtis

Social Investment: Building Relationships in the Body of Christ [4]

       

          Eight years ago 68,000 Americans who attend church services were interviewed. The answers suggested that “Americans may select their congregations primarily because of theology and worship, but the social investment made within that congregation is what appears to keep them there” [Putnam, Robert D.; Campbell, David E. (2010). American Grace. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Publishers; pages 172-174.].

          This data suggests what I have anecdotally seen and suspected over the past 42 years of pastoral ministry. People remain in a congregation where meaningful relationships are established and maintained. Because of this dynamic, there a several “church-dynamic-truths” that are a corollary to this.

          First, relationships are meaningful in different ways. Different types of relationships are established among brothers and sisters in Christ. Consequently, those variety of connections carry different meanings of significance.

          Second, opportunities for healthy relationships to be established must continually be offered by the church. Small groups, Bible classes, informal groups that eat out together, service project groups, etc.—these all provide such contexts for relationships to occur.

          Third, maintaining healthy relationships in the body of Christ is hard, ongoing work. Relationships inherently mean conflict of some sort. But, those times of conflict provide wonderful opportunities for understanding and growth.

          Fourth, it takes a drastic change of theology or worship for a person to break off meaningful relationships to go elsewhere. When a person leaves a congregation they may either feel unimportant, or there has been a change of theology/worship so drastic they cannot process it or accept it. In those cases, it becomes a matter of one’s conscience being stronger than the relationships that have been forged. Such dynamic is rarely taken seriously in most congregations.

Biblically, here is Paul’s recipe for social investment:

“Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.   And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians, 3:12-14 ).

          As Christian leaders it is our calling and responsibility to model “social investment.” Do we ourselves have a variety of social connections that demonstrate to others how crucial we believe body life is? Do we as Christians have a creative, imaginative way of providing all sorts of contexts in the church for body life to occur? Do we as Christians leaders demonstrate for others the hard work that must go into maintaining healthy relationships in the body of Christ? Do we as Christian leaders take seriously others who defect? Do we care enough to conduct exit interviews? Do we care enough to tell them we care?

          Transformational leaders who model authenticity in their Christian walk will take the above questions seriously. One final question remains here: when others think of us, do they immediately sense that we embody genuine care for others, and that we invest in the lives of others? It is this kind of modeling that will impact generations to come for the cause of the kingdom!

In Christian love, Curtis

Shared Commonality: Building Relationships in the Body of Christ [3]

For too long Christians have seen congregations form and disband because of divisive differences. These differences often define a “crisis of community.” With God’s help, there is only one way to defeat this strategy that Satan has so often successfully employed over the centuries. When Christians focus on their “shared commonality” this helps create the practical path of the Spirit’s power to create unity among God’s people.

            This “shared commonality” is made up of emotional bonds, like-mindedness, and symbols [Wendell Willis, (2011-2012). “The Erosion of Community: A Challenge to the Church.” Christian Studies 25: 11.;  Arthur P. Cohen, (1985). The Symbolic Construction of Community. Chichester, England: Ellis Horwood, Ltd., page 20ff.]

            Emotional bonds come from a deep heart of love for one another. Jesus promoted this kind of relationship with the following: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” [John 13:34, 35].

            Like-mindedness comes from a deep heart of respect and deference for one another. Paul says it this way:  “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” [Philippians 2:4]. The mindset of Jesus was always thinking of others first, giving up self and claims of superiority.

            Symbols help bring to visual and experiential level what the heart most embraces with others. This is behind Paul’s questions: “¹⁶ Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf” [1 Corinthians 10:16-17].

            As Christian leaders we model these three things: a deep heart of love for others with strong emotional bonds, a like-mindedness for others with respect and deference, and helping others to experience appropriate symbols that reflect the common faith.

            I remember years ago that a friend of mine reminded me that Christian leaders are living symbols of unity among God’s people. This is why it is so critical for each one of us to intentionally embody our “shared commonality.” This gets at the heart of authentic, transformational leadership. What is most real and life-changing is what we desperately need to be modeling for others. Anyone can boss. Not everyone can embody!

            May God give us a strong, shared commonality that finds its expression in the emotional bonds of deep love, a like-mindedness of Jesus, and participation in common symbols of our faith. What richness and depth this commonality brings to our relationships in Christ!

In Christian love, Curtis

Hungering for a Sense of God? Building Relationships in the Body of Christ [2]

Nearly a decade ago, Frederick Buechner in his book, Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons, made this observation about the church:

            “Much of what goes on in churches, I am afraid, is as shallow and lifeless as much of its preaching and as irrelevant to the deep needs of the people who come to church hungering for a sense of God’s presence that they more often than not never find” (p. 284).

            “Shallow and lifeless.” What a stinging rebuke to preaching and church gatherings! I once heard another person say that the spirituality of most Christians today is about an inch thick and mile wide! The opposite of “shallow and lifeless” is “depth and life!” What gives sermons and church gatherings “depth and life?”

            Hunger and thirsting for a sense of God’s presence is the place to start. I think that Dietrich Bonhoeffer was right when he maintained that the presence of the risen Christ among his assembled people was what made church gatherings different from any other kind of assembly. Do we really believe that Christ is among us? Do we really believe that Christ has and is providing “depth and life” to our preaching, praying, singing, giving and encouraging one another?

            If we as a congregation are not helping others in their hunger and thirst for God, then we are failing in our calling as God’s people. Jesus declared in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled”(Matthew 5:6). Both old and young alike are “leaving church” because they see it “too reflective of the American consumer culture” [Wendell Willis, (2011-12). “The Erosion of Community: A Challenge to the Church.” Christian Studies 25: 11.]

            More than ever, Christian leadership (pastors, shepherds, ministers, deacons, teachers, parents, etc.) needs to model “depth and life” in one’s Christian walk. Only when one’s walk has depth and breadth will the gatherings, whatever form they take during the week, be transformative. Christian leaders must be models of transformation that demonstrate with boldness “one has been with the Lord” (Acts 4:13).

            “Shallow and lifeless” or “depth and Life”—which shall it be for us? As we build relationships to the glory of God, may we help others to fill their hunger for God with depth and Life!

In Christian love, Curtis

Erosion or Cohesion? Building Relationships in the Body of Christ

          I want to begin a series of articles on the community nature of the body of Christ. I will be taking some of my ideas and cues from an article that Wendell Willis wrote with the title: “The Erosion of Community: A Challenge to the Church.” (2011/2012).  Christian Studies 25: 9-19.

          One important trend has been noted regarding the  nature of religious community. Even though researchers and sociologists agree that there has been a rise in the interest and practice of personal spirituality, the same cannot be said regarding how people identify with religious groups. One person notes that, “people do not belong to church the way they once did, even when they show up for religious services.”

          A deeply imbedded value has changed for many Americans. “…Recently Americans have tended to value institutions as support systems, without sensing any obligation that they may have to those institutions” [Willis, p. 10].

          What this has brought about is the religious phenomenon of church shopping and church hopping. Questions of taste precede questions of service. Where one chooses to attend religious activities too often is based on self-serving criteria.

          This erosion of personal commitment to a group negates a fundamental cohesion that is necessary to any form of group life. Perhaps there is some logical reason for this—the church has presented herself in the past as an unyielding institution where people are used instead of served. We will continue this discussion in the next few weeks. One parting thought…The church coheres when the body of Christ offers the heart of Christ with the hands of Christ! This has to be embodied by men and women of faith who are led by the Spirit of God. 

In Christian love, Curtis

A Biblical Basis for Small Groups in the Church

As far back as 1996 Darrin Kennedy offered the following caution in regard to small groups: “The church today should not have small groups simply because the early church had them”[Kennedy, Darin. (1996,  Third Quarter). “A Theology of Small Groups.” Restoration Quarterly 38.3: 175-183. He bases this caution on other simplistic attempts at reproducing the early church in the twentieth and twenty-first century with the practices of foot-washing, women having their heads  covered, etc.

We have to admit that it is not an easy thing deciding on what congregational life needs to look like in order to reflect the life of the church in the first century.

The thing I like most about Kennedy’s caution is that he follows it up with a solid biblical reason to have small groups that is based on two things: the biblical concept of community, and the biblical identity of election. This means that small groups are not pursued because it is the best pragmatic decision to make the church grow. Rather, small groups are offered as place to experience community and identity. I cannot think of a stronger case to make for the existence of and offering of small groups by a congregation for its members!

Small groups perhaps are akin to small house churches in the first century. Therein perhaps lies a potential disadvantage that seems to scare people off—being that close-knit means that too many other people are going to know about my business!

This fear does not come from a heart that is pursuing Jesus. Fear of being known is a radical, rugged individualistic value that is diametrically opposed to Christian community. The only way that I can grow spiritually is to let others know me as I am. After all, the basic stance of the Christian life is to be known by God (See Galatians 4:9). The natural outcome of that is to let each of us know one another.

Small groups are perhaps the best format to implement meaningful “one another” religion. We really do need one another to live out our life of faith. Paul greets his readers at the end of his letter to the Colossians by saying, “Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house” (Colossians 4:15).  It seems that the church met from house to house in many cities of the first century. In this context two things were solidified: community and identity.

May we all who claim to be small group leaders and coaches pursue those opportunities of community and identity where we seriously live out our Christian calling! Christian leadership is powerful when it provides a model of community and identity for others to emulate and imitate. What a high calling it is to embody the mind of Christ for others to follow! To God be the glory!

In Christian love, Curtis