Romans 12:12

This morning at family devotions we spent a few minutes reviewing one of our memory passages (from Luke 6) and then we discussed Romans 12:12- Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

It's a kind of summary of the Christian life- the attitudes we need to bring to our daily existence. It's not automatic, though- note the first word, "be," which is an imperative. The Spirit will certainly help us to do it, but we can't wait passively for it to happen- just some thoughts.

Modern Evangelism

Nowhere can I find in the four gospels any instance of our modern version of evangelism. No one was asked to pray a prayer and then told that he was "in." No one was asked to affirm a set of doctrines or propositions. All were judged on a single basis: Were they following Jesus, or not? (Gordon MacDonald in Midcourse Correction).

Strength and Submission

What are we to make of Amish women? Their acceptance of traditional gender roles, their overt submission to male authority, and their indifference to demands for the liberation of women would appear to put them squarely at odds with the objectives of feminism. Yet even the briefest contact with Amish women throws this conclusion into doubt. Their quiet self confidence, strength and clarity of purpose, and unassuming self-respect are all attributes actively sought by feminists. These attributes are nourished by the high regard with which women are held in Amish society. The level of recognition they receive in their unabashedly patriarchal society is still being sought by feminists in the society around them.

(from The Amish Struggle with Modernity, Donald Kraybill, ed.)

Laity Day

Yesterday was "Laity Day" at church. The pastor had the day off- he was there, but he got to play "pew potato" (just kidding). Instead of a sermon there were three personal testimonies- Diane, Dan, and April. All three did a marvelous job explaining in their own words how Jesus is changing their lives. It was all done in a most honest way- describing the struggles and stumblings as well as the victories. The changes they described were all simple, but all had the ring of the supernatural- the kinds of changes that happen only when God is allowed free reign. It was very encouraging.

Why Did Jesus Die?

Most people would answer that Jesus died so we can go to heaven. But...

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:15).

He also died so that we could be freed from the selfishness of living for ourselves, rather than for him- seeking our own good, looking out for number one.

The only "problem" is that this thought doesn't fit with our American culture- then again, maybe it's not a problem after all. Maybe the modern culture is the problem.

"We Don't Need No Stinkin' Badges!"

In the classic Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Humphrey Bogart, playing a gold miner confronted in the mountains by Mexican bandits posing as sheriffs, asks to see their badges. The leader of the bandits pauses blank-faced and then blurts out, "We don't need no stinkin' badges!" This is one of my all-time favorite movie lines.

Houghton College

We had a full three-day trip taking Em to visit Houghton College in western New York. It was a 450 mile drive to get there on Sunday and the drive went pretty well- minimal traffic and my son Evan helped with the driving, as did Carolyn. Monday was a full day with class visits, interviews, the 11 am chapel service, meals, etc. At 9 am we visited a Biblical Literature class. The professor started the class by praying. Having never attended a Christian college, it was quite an experience to hear a professor start class by praying. Especially since the atmosphere at most colleges is decidedly non- or even anti-Christian. The school definitely had a community atmosphere and everyone treated us like "people."

So, You Think Your Job is Bad?

The Vision- Newness

The second major element of the Anabaptist Vision was "newness of life" and "applied Christianity." By this they meant a commitment to personal holy living. They defined "holy living" as imitating the example of Christ and living in practical, daily obedience to his teachings. At the time of the Reformation, Protestant (and Catholic) local church membership included everyone who lived in a certain geographic area- all in that area were deemed to be Christians because of where they lived, not how they lived. Today, almost six-hundred years later there is a similar situation- where the term "Christians" often includes everyone who chooses to call themselves by that name. The problem is that the lives and attitudes and beliefs of so many "Christians" are no different from those around them- those who don't know Christ.

The Vision- Discipleship

In The Anabaptist Vision, Harold Bender explains that "first and fundamental in the Anabaptist vision was the conception of the essence of Christianity as discipleship." Reading the New Testament scriptures with that idea (the centrality and importance of discipleship) in mind, I have to agree. It's even stressed in Jesus' "great commission" to us (Matthew 28)- note verse 20.