Comments on "Bad Religion", part 2

The prologue of "Bad Religion, How We Became A Nation Of Heretics" introduces the topic of "A nation of heretics". Not only have we seen a growing political and economic mess in America, it has become apparent that our culture has declined. Ross Douthat doesn't take sides politically. He clearly and comprehensively uncovers various religious theories about what has brought on the decline; and why religious institutions have lost so much influence over the culture.

Whether it is a voice from the right that says America started as a Christian nation and, having moved away from its Christian principles, has lost God's favor, or a voice from the left that says America is in decline because it is too religious, both are inadequate explanations. Douthat says "America's problem isn't too much religion, or to little of it. It's bad religion: the slow-motion collapse of traditional Christianity and the rise of a variety of destructive pseudo-Christianities in its place."

These distortions of traditional Christianity don't have the full stream to draw from--only self-indulgent truncated copies that in the end don't have the power of the real thing. Interestingly, Douthat says that the various "experiments" or "heresies" in American Christianity's history have not been all that bad. They have been good for traditional Christianity because the push and pull of innovation versus orthodoxy have served to strengthen the orthodox stream and make the faith broader and able to serve more people.

Freedom of religion in America has in the past made the orthodox stream stronger. "In America, because orthodoxy couldn't be taken for granted, orthodoxy came alive."

The problem today, though, is that the stream itself is weaker. The so-called "mainstream denominations" have declined in membership and influence. Many, having moved themselves out of the stream of orthodoxy, are now simply ignored as irrelevant by the cultural elites who set the memes of the news cycle.

Meanwhile, although the explosion of the tributaries shows that Americans are not less religious, the don't have the unity or collective power to affect the culture in a positive direction. Instead, we're a collection of individuals who each has his or her own "choose your own Jesus" that meets the requirement of providing some personal benefits without a sense of corporate responsibility.

Douthat wrote his book with the hope that things can be turned around. "Both doubters and believers stand to lose if religion in the age of heresy turns out to be complicit in our fragmented communities, our collapsing families, our political polarizations, and our weakened social ties." He will argue for a renewal of faith in and a return to the 2,000 year old stream. And, in spite of the pessimism of much of the book, he has hope that renewal can come.

I will write my comments with that same hope. Perhaps some readers will pick up the book themselves and read along. Perhaps others will simply rethink their own relationship to the religion that forms the roots of our culture and seek some answers in those churches where the gospel message is still being taught and lived.  After all, even heretics are not beyond the reach of God's grace.

Comments On "Bad Religion", part 1

I've started reading "Bad Religion, How We Became A Nation Of Heretics", by Ross Douthat.  It is so intriguing that I've decided to write a post on each chapter to share it with my friends.

Douthat traces the decline in influence of religion on American culture since the optimistic years following WW II. He sees the problem not as too little religion nor too much religion, but as what he calls "bad religion".

From the preface comes this illustration. "A chart of the American religious past would look like  a vast delta with tributaries, streams, and channels winding in and out, diverging and reconverging--but all of them fed, ultimately, by a central stream, an original current, a place where all the waters start. This river is Christian orthodoxy."

There has always been a struggle between the stewards of orthodox Christian belief and practice and those who seek to adapt to new circumstances by experimenting with, adding to, or deleting from that orthodoxy. America, with its lack of central authority, its melting pot of cultures, and its enshrined freedom of religion has been a fertile ground for these experiments.

These "experimenters" typically have taken one aspect of the multi-faceted (and sometimes seemingly contradictory) Christian stream and emphasized it, resulting in a tributary that at first is connected, but eventually departs dramatically from its origin. The result has been a collection of "choose your own Jesus" movements. So, we have become "a nation of heretics"--still religious, but with declining influence in the American culture.

Journey Into The Unknown, part 15—Journey’s End

Since December 4, 2011 we have been on our Journey Into The Unknown. This week as I was talking with an old friend and mentor, he said “It sounds like your journey has led you to a new home.” Indeed.

Today we joined Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church, our new church home.

In the “Connect Luncheon” after the late service, I was talking with those at our table and shared a remarkable fact: I had expected that our journey would take us to several different churches from which we could eventually select the one that was most compatible; but CCPC was the only church we even visited.

We went there first because a friend whom I had known since college days in Boulder convinced me that I ought to try his church. Both of us came from Baptist backgrounds. We reconnected at University Hills Baptist Church almost 30 years after we last saw each other. When he left that church, he went to CCPC. I had left previously and joined Calvary Baptist Church in Denver.

Just as the Lord was leading us to leave Calvary Baptist on our journey, I had lunch with my friend Tom. One of the primary things the Lord used to lead us to CCPC was Tom’s enthusiasm for his church. Tom was excited, even evangelistic about inviting me to his church. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that in any church where I’ve been a member.

We discovered why Tom was excited about CCPC. The music, warm atmosphere, and the excitement the members seemed to have about Jesus kept bringing us back. The fact that several people we already knew from our Baptist past were members there made it easier to consider making the move.

Our enjoyable hour and a half visit with the Pastor, the 5-week class for new members, and the multiple signs of a conservative, evangelical theology were some of the other factors the Lord wove together to let us know the journey was over. We had indeed found our new home.

So, this is the last post of this series. Our Journey into the Unknown is over. Our destination is known—at least for this part of the journey. No Christian journey of faith is over until we cross that final river into our ultimate destination. That’s when faith will become sight and we shall see Him face to face. Our life of faith continues—in our new church home.

Thank you Lord for your leadership and your presence along the journey to this point. We’re excited about what lies ahead. You know it, of course; and by now we know that you will let us know when the time is right. Lead on!

My Journey Into The Unknown, part 14

I mentioned that in order to join Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church we had to answer 5 questions in the affirmative. Those 5 questions are:

1. Do you acknowledge yourself to be a sinner in the sight of God and without hope for your salvation except in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the savior of sinners, and do you receive and depend upon Him alone for your salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
3. Do you now promise and resolve, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do you promise to serve Christ in His Church by supporting and participating with this congregation in its service of God and its ministry to others to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and to the spiritual oversight of this Church Session, and do you promise to promote the unity, purity and peace of this church?

The first three of these questions are a different way of presenting the gospel we read in the “Steps to Peace With God” booklet, as a part of the class. There are many ways to help someone know how to become a Christian, and many ways for the gospel to be presented. This booklet is only one. We are very pleased to be part of a church that takes special care to ensure that every member has at one time heard the gospel and responded to it.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons the members seem more willing (and even eager) to share their love for Jesus with others. Note that the five questions didn’t ask whether we agree 100% with every doctrine the church promotes. Like any church, members fit within a range of acceptance of doctrinal beliefs. The main thing is not absolute conformity but one’s relationship with Jesus Christ.

The church’s emphasis on “The Essentials” (mentioned earlier) and its latitude concerning “non-essentials” is fine with me. I can agree with their Essentials and I can answer the five questions affirmatively. Beyond that, I’m willing to dialogue.

My Journey into the Unknown, part 13

It appears that the Lord has His reasons for leading us to our new church. I still don’t know what all those may entail, but I’ve found one—and it is more than sufficient: the Lord is drawing me closer to Himself by placing me in surroundings that nourish and refresh my soul.

One example of this is the way members talk about their love of Jesus and are thankful for His grace. In relative terms, it’s as if I’ve been led through the wilderness and now am made to lie down in green pastures and led beside the still waters. I’m encouraged to wait on the Lord and let Him restore my soul.

It’s probably just a “coincidence”, but Sunday as we went to get a cup of coffee before our last new member’s class, I picked up a book on an end rack of the church’s library shelves that spoke directly to me. It is “The Prodigal God”, by Timothy Keller.

It’s a short (133 pages) treatise on what we generally call the parable of “the Prodigal Son” from Luke 15. In the chapter on “Redefining Lostness” the Lord spoke to me in Keller’s descriptions of the two brothers, showing me how I need to focus on the Father’s lavish and extravagant grace instead of myself. I may write more about that later.

In all, it is encouraging to hear men and women sharing their own stories of how Jesus has lavished His grace on them. And, as part of becoming a member, we each had to personally share our testimony of accepting Jesus as Savior in a one-on-one session with an Elder.  New members can come to CCPC from any denomination and with whatever past experience of baptism they have had, but they aren’t automatically members just by asking to be one. They must have made a personal commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord, and share that story with someone in authority in the church. I like that.

We made the commitment to join Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church last Sunday; and this coming Sunday we will be presented to the church as new members. In order to join, we had to both share our testimony and answer five questions in the affirmative. More about this in the next post.

Journey Into The Unknown, part 12

How is it that I came to the position that I might join a church that has a different view of baptism than what I have held all my life? There are two answers. First, I agree with the EPC concerning their distinction between essential and non-essential doctrines. Baptism is not essential for salvation, so even if we hold different perspectives, we can still worship and work together. Second, I’ve been studying and dealing with the issue of baptism for quite a long time.

I grew up and matured in Baptist churches and held a fairly strict Baptist view of baptism—that it should be “believer’s baptism” and that biblically it should be administered by immersion. 

In the Navy, in college, and later as an adult I came to know other strong believers from various denominations who had experienced different modes of baptism either as an infant or an adult. They were Christians just as I was. In some ways, I had the experience Peter had in Joppa (see Acts 10) where the Lord had to show him that others from different backgrounds were also part of the Kingdom.

I pastored a church, baptizing new believers (by immersion) and dedicating the new babies of my church members (asking the parents and the church to help bring up the child in the knowledge of the Lord).

I witnessed babies being “baptized” in a Methodist church, and being “dedicated” in an American Baptist church in almost the same exact manner, but without the water.

To explain the membership requirements for our former church, I wrote a brief article about baptism and the church’s previously adopted policy that it would only practice believer’s baptism by immersion but would accept as valid a new member’s prior baptism from any other Christian denomination. It was similar to the position I had reached a few years earlier in a piece I called “Baptism From A Pastoral Perspective”. [for more on this subject I encourage you to see G.R. Beasley-Murray's book, "Baptism In The New Testament".]

Both of those pieces were written from the standpoint of welcoming a Christian from a different background into a Baptist church where I, as a pastor or leader had some responsibility for helping others see baptism from a Baptist perspective.

Now I am faced with the opposite situation—I am considering membership in a church where I would be the Christian coming from another denomination into a church where “believer’s baptism” by immersion is available but is not the norm. Now “the shoe is on the other foot”, and I am the one who is asked to accept their policy. Importantly, even if that policy involves a "non-essential", that does not make it insignificant to those who believe that entry into the covenantal fellowship via infant baptism is desirable.

Interestingly, in the "Creek Explored" class for potential new members today, the leader asked us to review the pamphlet "The Essentials" for next week. Then she said that most of the problems people have who decide not to become a member are among the "non-essentials", not the "essentials". I'm thinking that baptism is one of those stumbling blocks for many. Indeed, that's why I have done so much thinking, praying, and writing on the issue. Is it something about which I can say affirmatively, "I can live with that difference."

 I am only considering membership though. I’m not thinking of becoming a pastor who would be expected to administer infant baptisms myself. As a member, I can understand their policy on baptism, and since it is a “non-essential” (in their policy and in mine as well), I am at liberty to agree or disagree with it with charity.  I may disagree, but I can say, "I can live with that. It's not something I would do, but I'm not going to make a big deal of it."

If I were a pastor though, my personal beliefs about baptism would be involved, and I wouldn't be able to just say that I disagree. I would be making a non-essential into an essential for me. And that decision would affect others who would also be faithful members of the church. Thankfully, I don’t have to consider that question right now.

Thanks be to God that Jesus in Matthew 28:19,20 said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Jesus has the authority. He gave the commands. He will be with us to the end. He said baptism is to be “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I will leave it to Jesus and the local churches He has established to determine what the policies should be about how and when that baptism is to be administered.

My decision is whether I can agree with a church’s policy. If the matter is significant enough and I can’t agree, then I shouldn’t be a member of that church. I've been through that before on a different policy.

If there are some disagreements, but they are not significant (or “essential” in the case of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church as an EPC member), then I could be a member as I have been in every church in the past—in agreement on almost everything but still having the right to disagree on non-essential matters.

Happily in this situation, I am not coming without prior experience or study. My study (linked above) has prepared me to fit in well with the EPC’s position:

          In essentials…Unity

          In non-essentials…Liberty

          In All things…Charity

Journey Into The Unknown, part 11

In my last post I said that Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC) satisfies the five criteria listed in part 6 for what we are searching for in a new church home. In almost every significant area there is very little difference between Baptists and Presbyterians.

The one major difference is with baptism. I’ll explain the Baptist position later as I outline my own journey (of another kind) regarding baptism.

Presbyterians, like a number of other denominations, baptize infants. This rite is seen as welcoming the child into the covenant relationship of the church. It is compared to circumcision as the covenantal rite of inclusion in the Old Testament.

Since this baptism is not seen as a means of salvation, the focus is on the faith and commitment of the parents and the church to raise the child in the knowledge of the Lord. Then later as the child grows, he or she will hopefully profess a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

At CCPC I understand that sometimes by parental choice the infant is not “baptized” but the rite is instead referred to as a “dedication” and is performed without water. In these cases also, the focus is on the faith of the parents and their desire to raise the child in the church so eventually he or she will make an individual profession of faith in Christ. This “dedication” is no different from what is done in many Baptist churches.

This is where the churches affiliated with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) helpfully clarify matters for Christians coming from other denominations. The beliefs shared by churches in the EPC focus on what they call “The Essentials”. Built on the foundational belief that the Bible is the Word of God, the seven Essentials are those core Christian beliefs that the Church has taught for 2,000 years—the ones that are critical if one is to meet the traditional criteria for acceptance into the Christian Church.

Knowing that the various denominations within the worldwide Church differ on some matters, the EPC distinguishes the Essentials from “non-essentials”. One of those “non-essentials” is baptism—how it is administered (i.e. by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling) and when it is administered (in infancy or later when the believer makes a personal profession of faith). The point there is that since baptism is not necessary for salvation, good Christian people can differ about the particulars of baptism and still serve together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

I will outline my own personal journey of understanding about baptism in the next post. For now, I can join a church like CCPC that is definitely not a Baptist church with respect to its practice of baptism (although a youth or adult who accepts Christ will be baptized and may request baptism by immersion) and be confident that I am not sacrificing an “essential” doctrine.

Journey Into The Unknown, part 10

This journey has been “into the unknown” because when we felt it necessary to leave our former church home, we didn’t know where the Lord would lead us. Not being an active church member is not an option. So, we have sought the Lord’s leadership in finding a place where we could be at home and become involved.

Sunday’s experience was a confirmation that the place we’ve been considering is where we will join.

In part 6 of this Journey blog, I outlined the 5 things I was looking for in a church. This one meets all those criteria—it just doesn’t have the name Baptist attached to it.

The music was superb, and sitting close to the choir and singing the hymns in a sanctuary that has great acoustics for music literally gave me goose bumps. It is definitely the “The Language of Music” that speaks to me.

Through the sermon, the Lord spoke to me about what He expects of me. I took notes, and notice that someone in front of me was taking notes as well. I like exegetical sermons. They provide a superb opportunity to dig into the scripture and understand what God said to His people then and to us now.

Then, in the Sunday School hour, we attended the first of five in a series of their new member classes. Looking over the material that will be covered, I am excited to become a member of a church where both the church’s doctrines and its openness about salvation by grace through faith are openly taught.

If someone who doesn’t believe the core doctrines of Christianity and who has never had a time when they personally accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord goes through these classes, they will either have a conversion experience or they will decide this church is not for them.

One resource that is used in the class is “Steps To Peace With God” from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The four steps outlined in this booklet are similar to “The 4 Spiritual Laws” that Campus Crusade for Christ uses. The first “law” or “step” is “God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life—abundant and eternal.”  That is a critical place to start sharing the Gospel, but it’s only one of four steps.

What frustrated me in another church was that they wanted to stop there—just tell people that God loves them—leaving out everything about the need for grace (because we are sinners) and God’s provision of grace (the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ), and the need to appropriate that grace (by personally accepting the gift God offers in Jesus).

Grace is free, but costly (just ask Bonhoeffer—oh sorry, you can’t ask him. He was martyred for his faith.)

To tell people that all that is needed is love and that to be a Christian is just to “follow Jesus” does people a disservice. They need to hear the truth of the gospel, including the parts where repentance, accepting Christ as Savior, and committing one’s life to Christ are required.

Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church meets the 5 requirements I posted in part 6 of this series. We’ll gladly worship and serve with them in the Lord’s Kingdom.

Journey Into The Unknown, part 9

The “Unknown” is becoming known—at least it appears that way unless the Lord intervenes and leads elsewhere.  The service at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church (CCPC) this morning was a confirmation that we seem to be on the right path. You notice the tentative nature of that statement. This is, so far, not one of those instances in which the Lord plainly reveals His will for us. We'll start the church's series of new member classes on February 5th, and after that make the final decision.

Having had a very good conversation with the Senior Pastor, and getting our questions satisfactorily answered, the major impediment to our joining the church is that of denominational identity. I never imagined that I would be a member of anything but a Baptist church.  

Maybe I’ll end up something like what one of my former students said about herself.  She grew up a Methodist. She was marrying a Baptist, and she joined his church and was baptized according to the Baptist tradition. Afterwards she was firm in saying to me, “I just want you to know that I’m not a Baptist, I’m just a wet Methodist”.   I may become a member of a Presbyterian church, but will I ever be anything but a Baptist at heart? That part of the journey is yet to be revealed.

Still, I do appreciate what the Pastor said about the difference between their “essential” and “non-essential” doctrines. I heartily concur with all of their “essentials”. I can live with some difference of opinion on their “non-essentials”. In part 6 of this Journey, I mentioned five things I’m looking for in our next church home. One of them was “a place where everyone knows your name”, that is, a Christian family. And in part 8, I said this is a place where we already have some friends. That makes a big difference. 

It’s hard to make new “old friends”, so to go to a church where we already have some makes losing the weekly contact with the friends we made at our previous church a little easier. We still want to keep the bonds of friendship strong with our friends at our previous church; but we are also not naïve. We know we will have to be intentional about keeping them alive. Thankfully, some of those friends are also reaching out to us to keep our relationships strong.

In the end, though, all of the factors in post #6 will influence our decision on joining a church, not just friendships. If friendships were the only factor, we would not have started on this journey.

Interestingly, at least to me, as I look back at the factors listed in post #6, none of them were specific to a certain denomination. Much like many others I've come to know over the years, denominational labels are becoming less important to me. I've known genuine Christians from every Christian denomination over the years.

The core Christian doctrines are critical for me: what they call the "essentials" at CCPC. I've come to see that the place where some churches get off the track generally centers on what they teach about Jesus Christ.

If a church affirms the traditional doctrines about Jesus (as in the classic creeds of the church), other doctrines will usually fall in line. If a church denies certain core teachings about Jesus (such as His divinity or His bodily resurrection), other core doctrines fall apart as well.

Does that sound strange--that a "Christian" church will get off track concerning their teachings about Jesus? It sounded strange to me too when I experienced just that phenomenon. When talking about Jesus only as a teacher, a model for life, and as one we should "follow" and never talking about Him as "Savior" is the norm, one wonders what it is about that Jesus that one would worship.

It is clear from the Scriptures (see especially I Corinthians 15) that without a conviction that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead, one's faith is in vain. As both Lindsey and I have often said, "If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, we might as well just be a member of some club like Rotary that does good deeds but doesn't require much else of you. Or, why not just get a tee time on Sunday morning instead of wasting it in a meaningless church service.

But if Jesus' resurrection was real...well, that makes giving Him my life the most meaningful thing I can do. That is exactly what I have done. I've given my life to Jesus Christ, and He has become my Savior and my Lord. That is what has given my life purpose, whether as a sailor, a student, a pastor, a Campus Minister, or even as a Realtor.

So, one thing is sure--the church which we will join will have very clear, traditional, Christian teachings about the core doctrines, and especially those about Jesus Christ. More to come about this after we've taken the classes.

Journey Into The Unknown, part 8

One never knows where a journey might take him, especially when the Lord is setting the itinerary. I still don't know whether the place we visited today will be an overnight stay, a short vacation, or a longer stop on the road to that unknown country.

It's now been four weeks since we started on this journey. Last week Lindsey and I met with the pastor of the church we likely will join--that longer stop mentioned above. It appears to meet the criteria I listed in post #6.

One of the positives of this church is that we already have friends there, and they have enthusiastically encouraged us to come and join them. That's one of the clues that a business, an organization, or a church is doing something right--do its customers or members talk about it in such a way that others start to think it might be the right place for them?

Before accepting someone as a member, this church requires attendance at a new members' class, agreement with the church's essential doctrines (while giving some latitude on "non-essential" doctrines: those that are important but not essential for salvation), and giving one's personal testimony to one of the elders of the church. Once we've been through the class and have made a decision, I'll post the name of the church.

Journey Into The Unknown part 7

In my last post I wrote about what I'm looking for in a church. A pastor friend who saw it commented that my list would help anyone looking for a church. I hope so. That's why I write.

Another friend commented on his own journey--he and his family are also looking for a new church. Something I wrote him is also appropriate here: "...once having made the hardest part of the journey (deciding to leave a church) the rest of the journey is easy by comparison." It's still hard to find a church that fits. There are so many variables that to have them all fit together simultaneously is improbable. That's why it is important to not expect the "perfect church".

The hardest part, though, really is making the decision to leave. Others can't completely understand why their friend is leaving. Some relationships are broken. Some are strained. And some tend to just wither away without the regular weekly face-to-face contact. You know, "absence makes the heart grow fonder--of somebody else". Happily, though, some relationships endure. Typically they endure because the relationship is so important to both parties that they work at keeping it going.

Today we went to a new church. My experience there today was very encouraging. One thing I heard reminded me of something a member of the class I used to teach said when asking if I would be interested in teaching that class: "I want a teacher who knows more about the Bible than I do." (That was always a challenge because he is very knowledgeable about the Bible.) 

In the pastor's sermon this morning, I heard something that I didn't know. He was talking about the passage in Matthew 22: 1-14 where the king invited guests to a wedding banquet for his son. One of the invited guests was rebuked and cast out because he didn't have on "wedding clothes". The new thing I learned (and that opened up a whole new meaning for the passage) is that in that culture, it would be the host's responsibility to supply "wedding clothes" for guests who didn't have them. [The pastor displayed a garment provided to him for a wedding in Africa that he had been invited to.]

The reason a guest would not have on the appropriate wedding clothes was because he chose not to wear what had been provided by the host. Everyone was invited ("both good and bad'). Whether because of pride or just the desire to come on his own terms, exclusion from the banquet was because he refused what was provided, not because of the host's ungraciousness.

The point: we are to invite everyone to participate in the kingdom, and welcome everyone to the church. If they refuse to change and meet the Lord's standards (and thus be voluntarily excluded), that's their choice. We will have done our part to be obedient, and the Lord will have done His part in making the way possible.

Its relevance for our journey? This appears to be a church that reaches out to everyone and welcomes all who come, but recognizes that some people won't come to Christ or His church because they don't want to change. And, to come to the Lord's wedding banquet, righteous wedding clothes are required.

Journey Into The Unknown part 6

It's Christmas Eve.  An early gift book that I started reading last night helps bring this whole journey thing into perspective. It is "The Triumph of Christianity, How the Jesus Movement Became the World's Largest Religion", by Rodney Stark.

Just having read a couple of chapters, I can't give a good review of the book yet. I can say, though, that the church that grew from Jesus' small band of disciples into a movement led by those who saw him alive after his crucifixion and resurrection (see I Corinthians 15: 3-8) has been a great force for good in the world, in spite of some black marks. (I can also see in the book that a lot of myths about some of those black marks need exposure to the light of truth).

In any event, the Church, while contributing much to the world, has not been perfect. Somehow, I think Jesus knew that a gathering of disciples that included a traitor, a tax collector, squabbling brothers, and a hot-headed fisherman as its leader would not be perfect.

Now that we are looking for a new local church home, we acknowledge that there is also no such thing as a perfect local church. If there were one, that perfection would cease as soon as I joined it. Still, when looking for a church home, people tend to look for a congregation and a ministry that is as close to perfect for them as possible. We look for something where we are a good fit, something which as much as possible is an ideal church for us.
What I'm looking for on this journey is:

• A church whose focus is on a combination of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. We are to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:29-31), and that love should also be great enough to help our neighbors become disciples of our resurrected Lord and Savior (Matthew 28: 18-20). In other words, whatever ministries a church has to help others should include the goal of leading them to find their own Savior and Lord in Jesus Christ.
• A place where Lindsey and I can both exercise our spiritual gifts. (See I Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 for partial lists of how the Lord equips everyone with spiritual gifts for the benefit of the whole Body.) Both of us want to be full members of the church we belong to, and that involves more than just attending, listening, and giving.
• A place where theologically we are in sync with the rest of the church. Swimming against the stream may make one stronger; but after a while it also makes one weary.
• A place where we speak the same "language of music". For those our age, it's not that easy to find a place with music that "speaks to us"--that is, music that blends traditional hymns and more contemporary songs that will help us worship the Lord as we desire. For more about this concept of "The Language of Music", click on the link to see what I wrote about it more than 10 years ago. The short version is, we need to hear sermons in a spoken language we understand, and we also need to hear and sing music in a musical language that speaks to us personally.
• As much as possible, a place "where everybody knows your name", to borrow a phrase from a song. And as the song implies and the TV show "Cheers" that had the song as its theme showed, "knowing everybody's name" means that it's a place where people care about each other. So, we're back to the first item on this list of what I'm looking for on this journey: love, true friendship, a Christian family.

Tomorrow we take our first step on this part of the journey--finding a new church. As always, the Lord who gave us the Great Commission said "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Thanks be to God!

Journey Into The Unknown part 5

In my second post of this series (on December 6, 2011) I mentioned the journey I began after the funding for my job was gone. That journey involved a change in careers, not just a change to a new job of the same kind. It was a difficult transition, as you might imagine, because much of one’s identity is bound up in answer to the question, “What do you do?”

We seek to get to know someone by asking about their family, but more often by asking about their work. For 19 years my answer to that question was “I am a minister”. Sometimes I was more specific, “Pastor, Campus Minister, etc. Suddenly I was thrust into a position where I was no longer in “full-time ministry”. That is, I wasn’t being paid to work for a church or denomination. Over time I would answer, “I am a Realtor”, but I still retained the expectation that at some future date the Lord would call me back into “the ministry”.

After several years, when I admitted that the Lord had put me in the work I was currently doing, and that He was probably not going to lead me back to work for a church, I borrowed a phrase from Caesar’s Gallic Wars which I remembered from high school Latin: “alea jacta est” (the die—singular for dice--is cast). When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River from Gaul (France) into Italy to return to Rome in defiance of orders to stay away, he knew there was no going back.

That’s how it was for me when I finally used that phrase to settle the fact that my future was in real estate (with voluntary or bi-vocational ministry to fulfill my calling) and not in full-time Christian ministerial positions. The dice had been cast. The decision had been made. Look to the future, not to the past.

I heard it years ago on TV, and I guess it’s a fairly common truism, “There’s no future in looking back”. That’s what I ultimately meant my adopting the phrase from Julius Caesar as my own motto. It helped me settle in and do the work I needed to do to be successful in real estate for the next 20 plus years.

It is applicable now, too. As we begin the search for a new church home, Lindsey and I are looking toward the future, not looking back. We still want to keep friendships strong, and in some ways the past always puts its stamp on future decisions; but our focus is on what we want our next church to be like.

That will come in the next post.

Journey Into The Unknown part 4

As more people hear that I am leaving my current church, some of them have sent messsages encouraging me--most just encouraging me on my journey, a few encouraging me to reconsider my decision to leave. The latter would like to see me and other conservatives stay and try to change things from the inside.

A friend I had lunch with today shared some germane advice his father gave him years ago about staying in a place to make a change from the inside: "To make a change in the status quo, there has to already be a climate of change or you have to create one."  The status quo in the church was just changed to something I don't agree with; and since the vote was so lopsided, there is not a climate to change it back to the status quo ante.  And, it's not my place to try to create one.

I do appreciate those who have encouraged me to stay. I value their friendship and I respect their decision to stay and work from the inside.

I also appreciate those who have encouraged me as I go, wishing me well and understanding that each person's decision is personal. I know some of the reasons that others have who are staying even though they agree with me on the issues. There aren't any simple choices here. Each person's decision is personal.

Yesterday was my last time to meet with the adult Sunday School class I've been teaching. It was not easy to leave them. I pray they will find just the right teacher for that class. Whoever it is, I know the class will be supportive and will help the teacher to grow--they've done that for me, and I thank God for them all.

Journey into the Unknown, part 3

This morning was my next-to-last time with the adult Sunday School class I’ve taught since September, 2010. They are a great class—inquisitive, affirming, and they like to participate in the discussion. I told the class this morning that next Sunday would be my last day with them.

It was serendipitous that the lesson for today was from Genesis 12 and 15 (God telling Abram to set out on a journey to “the land I will show you” and that he and Sarai, both beyond normal child-bearing age, would have a son). This lesson also followed a summer forum on faith in Hebrews 11 that I co-taught last August. I was able to connect the passages and say that when we step out in faith under God’s guidance, we can know that He will be with us on that journey.

Interestingly, Abram was a human being like you and me. He messed up badly by taking things into his own hands after God had promised to bless him. The fact that he obeyed God initially and set out on the journey, and that he “believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness” regarding the birth of a son, doesn’t negate his sin of not trusting that God would be with him along the journey.

His faith, like mine sometimes, was not always rock solid. Still, God blessed him when he obeyed, and granted him grace when he strayed. In saying that I am, like Abram, starting a journey into the unknown, I’m not claiming any special status or insight. I’m just doing what I believe the Lord is leading me to do at this time. May the Lord be gracious when I also blow it.

I had to tell my class why I was leaving. They knew that the vote to pass the “inclusion statement” last Sunday was connected; but I didn’t want them to think that I was leaving just because I was “unreasonably afraid of homosexuals” (the literal mean of “homophobic”—the pejorative term made up to demean those who disagree with the pro-gay agenda).

Again, the statement adopted by my church is “Calvary welcomes and affirms all people as children of God from every cultural and religious background, sexual orientation, family composition, physical and mental ability, economic means, race, age and gender."

As I have told several people, if the two words, “and affirms” were removed from the original statement (which also didn’t have the words “as children of God”), I could have voted yes and stayed. I believe we are to welcome and extend God's love to everyone. That doesn't mean to have to affirm them if that means we have to agree that their behavior is OK with us and we cannot say anything about that behavior.

Contrary to what has been taught at the church lately, I do believe the Bible classifies homosexual behavior as sin. At the very least, there is no place in the Bible where homosexual activity is praised, spoken of positively, or “affirmed”.

So, if I am accused of being intolerant or unloving because I believe the traditional interpretation of the Bible is God’s word on the matter, then I’ll admit my mea culpa. I do wonder though, why those who would thus judge me as unloving and judgmental don’t see that their own judgment of me is unloving and judgmental.

I stated that I told my class why I was leaving the church. Here are the primary reasons:

(1) I cannot “affirm” behavior the Bible classifies as sin. My remaining there after the church voted to affirm that behavior would be a tacit endorsement of the statement.

(2) I cannot endorse or accept what I see as revisionist interpretations of Scripture—interpretations based more on P.C. reactions to cultural changes than on solid hermeneutics.

(3) Since I started as their teacher, my goal has been three-fold: to teach the Bible; to teach how to study and interpret the Bible (hermeneutics); and to seek to apply the Bible’s teachings to life today. That’s why I can’t stand by silently when faced with interpretations that “pull us from the future” and in the process throw overboard “the faith that was once for all entrusted to…(us)”.

(4) I have been swimming against the stream too long. I am conservative and traditional (small "o” orthodox) in my theology. The direction of the church’s flow is not one I want to struggle against anymore, and I can’t just go with the flow.

(5) And, there are some other reasons that I’ll have to get to later. For now, it was important for the class to know that although the homosexual agenda issue is there, much more than that is involved.

Journey Into The Unknown, part 2

In my last post I said that I'm starting on a journey into the unknown. It's not quite like Star Trek. It's not a place where I really haven't gone before. A number of times in my life, I've made a decision that led to changes I hadn't anticipated.

A few times the decisions have been made by others, and I've just had to respond to the situation as best I could. In 1985 I was the Director of Metro Baptist Campus Ministries in Denver. Then the organization that employed me ran out of money and eliminated my job, along with several others. I hadn't expected that. I was unprepared for a job hunt. I just said to the Lord, I don't know what you have in store for me, so I'll just have to let the search for a job be the way You reveal Your will to me.

It didn't turn out anything like I even imagined. Instead of leading me to another full-time ministry position, the Lord closed all those doors that I thought were open and He led me into real estate sales. It has turned out to be a way to support my family and to use the ministry gifts He gave me as well.

I am, in effect, practicing what I preached to college students from 1970 to 1985: "the Lord doesn't care where you get your check, every one of us is supposed to be a minister." I've been able to preach, teach, counsel, and be involved in a variety of ministries for which I haven't been paid. I often tell folks who ask about my background that Paul was a tentmaker to support his missionary work. I don't make tents, I just sell them (or houses, at least).

The situation which has put me on this journey is another of those times when I’ve had to respond to a decision made by others. This time it is related to my church, not my job. The church I’ve been a member of for the past 8 years voted last Sunday on a “statement of inclusion” (see below*). At a later point in this series I’ll address that statement in more detail. For now, I just want to say this:


(1) On the surface, who could object to a statement which is designed to show that the church “welcomes and affirms all people as children of God…” and then goes on to name 10 different groups which are to be included? It almost sounds churlish to object to that. Yet I do object to the statement.


(2) But my objection is not just with the statement. It’s also not just with the fact that the only reason for initiating the statement was to show how welcoming and affirming the church is to one specific group (the “LGBTQ Community”).


(3) I do have problems with the statement. But even more, I have problems with the interpretations of Scripture that were given to support the statement—interpretations that differ considerably from what Christians have taught for two millennia. I am, for better or worse, more conservative and traditional than the majority of the church.


(4) When the church voted by a 74% to 26% margin to adopt the statement, I could only conclude that I am not a good fit there. As part of the 26% minority, I seriously disagree with the direction the church is going. And, since my continued presence would not change that direction, it is better that I leave.


I don’t know where I will go. It is indeed a journey into the unknown. I do know that I need to step out in faith like Abraham.

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)

What will come of it, only God knows. I do expect that just as in 1985, the Lord will open a door and enable me to use the ministry gifts He gave me. I just need to be obedient to what I understand to be the Lord’s will for my life.

* "Calvary welcomes and affirms all people as children of God from every cultural and religious background, sexual orientation, family composition, physical and mental ability, economic means, race, age and gender."

Journey Into The Unknown

Next week in the adult Sunday School class I've been teaching we will look at Genesis 12 in which God said to Abram (later called Abraham) "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

We don't see all the dialogue that went on between God and Abram, and we don't see what went on in Abram's mind. We just see that at 75 years old he obeyed God and left for that unknown land.

I find myself in a situation similar to that which Abram faced. I am being led away from one place where I've been for over 8 years, and I don't yet know where this journey will take me. I only know that the Lord will not just tell me where to go; He will be with me on this journey into the unknown.

This space will once more provide a way for me to chronicle what I experience en route. Perhaps it will inspire some others to take a step of faith in their own life journeys.

In the next post--what prompted this new adventure.

“Portraits of Faith” Forum Series

A couple of months ago I was asked if I would be interested in leading a “Summer Forum” study on Hebrews 11 with a fellow member, David Beaty. The tentative title was “Portraits of Faith”. It turned out to be a 5-week study, so it expanded a bit over what I had originally thought it would be.

Dave and I started meeting weekly, and over the past 10 weeks we have had a blast getting to know each other and discussing what we would do in the forums.

The study, and my relationship with Dave Beaty, has taken me to places I haven’t visited in a while. The concept of faith as trust, obedience, believing something, being trustworthy and faithful, and holding onto “the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 1:3 NIV) challenges me to examine and reaffirm my own faith.

It’s not enough to study about faith and to teach about faith. The teacher, as well as his students, must have faith himself. Hebrews 11:6 says it clearly, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

The basic meaning of “Faith” is trust—a sense of confidence in another that allows a relationship between the two parties to exist and to continue. It’s what keeps a marriage together, what develops a sense of unity to develop in an army unit or sports team, what enables those in a society to live with each other in harmony, and what keeps order in a democracy—the trust that citizens have in their leaders. It’s opposite, distrust, is of course what causes anarchy, wars, a breakdown of unit cohesiveness, and divorce.

Our faith in God, then, is more than just believing that He exists. It is a relationship with God in which we trust His promises, rely on His presence, and have confidence that He will lead us and enable us to carry out what He asks us to do—be His witnesses and ambassadors in the world to bring others into His kingdom. For Christians, “…faith is primarily the relationship we have with God through what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection.” (William L. Self, Holman Bible Dictionary).

It is that relationship I hope to foster in myself and the students through this study.

Good News for My Treatment

My previous post had good news (as good as it can be with a diagnosis of cancer): the cancer is limited to my prostate.  It hadn't spread.

I had to wait until yesterday to meet the radiation oncologist and get his recommendation regarding treatment.  That too was good news.

I first watched a video that explained the three primary treatments that are used in low to moderate prostate cancer: hormonal therapy, radiation seeds, and external beam radiation. 

In the clearly moderate risk category (where there is some evidence of cancer outside the prostate but not affecting lymph nodes or bone) they might employ all three treatments.

In the borderline low to moderate risk category they often use hormonal therapy and the radiation seeds.

Even though mine is considered low to moderate risk, all the factors together led the radiation oncologist to say he thinks we should treat it as low risk rather than moderate risk.  That means no hormonal therapy.  Just the radiation seeds should suffice.  Yea!!

The procedure itself is a one-time insertion of 70-80 or more seeds, performed in an outpatient surgical center.  A day or two of limited activity and I should be able to get on with life and work.  That's good news to me.  If I have to have a cancer diagnosis, I'm blessed to have one that is curable with the least amount of trauma and side effects.

As I watched the video, I realized that the 45-minute or so procedure is only part of the process, though.  There will be a couple of things done prior to the procedure and multiple visits for the next few years to follow up.  That was new information, and it surprised me a bit. But that would be so with any of the other procedures.  I'm thankful that I'll be getting a one-time radiation treatment instead of 8 weeks or so of radiation 5 days a week.

Thanks again to all who have been praying and those who have called or sent notes of support.  I appreciate all of you and thank the Lord for you.

My Prostate Cancer

I appreciate the concern expressed by so many concerning my recently diagnosed prostate cancer. Some has come personally, some by phone call, email or cards, and some on Facebook. Many have prayed for me. Thank you. This email is to honor that concern by keeping you apprised of my situation.

When my urologist called to tell me the results of the biopsy, he said it looked like we caught it early (Stage 2) and that it should be completely curable. He wanted me to get an MRI and a bone scan to confirm that it likely was limited to the prostate and hadn’t spread.


Monday I had those two tests. I had an appointment set for today for Lindsey and me to see the radiation oncologist. At this appointment we were to learn the results of the two tests and hear what kind of treatment would be recommended for my condition.


Yesterday I got a call saying we needed to postpone the appointment until next Thursday because the doctor had a meeting scheduled that he needed to attend. We didn’t want to wait until next week to get the results of the tests, so I asked for a copy of the test results to be sent to me.


It was good news—the cancer appears to be contained within the prostate. The tests didn’t show evidence of extension outside the capsule of the prostate (nothing shows in the lymph nodes, other tissue, or bone). 
Lindsey and I were able to relax some. We still have to wait until next Thursday to determine what treatment will be used, but at least we know the treatment will be limited to the prostate. Whatever the treatment, it will not start until December (so the prostate can recover from the biopsy first).


Thank you again for your concern and your prayers.

Update: The urologist's nurse just called to confirm that what I saw in the report was true. It is localized to the prostate.