Community

I've just started reading a book by Francis Chan called "Letters to the Church" in which he talks about his own grappling with what the Christian church should be versus what it is today.  Having started a church that grew into a "Megachurch" he's now working to set up smaller churches in a network called "We Are Church." So far the book is pretty neat as he tries to get back to what the church was originally intended to be. He also touches on how in some ways some of our churches have lost their focus and maybe need to get back to basics.

I've been very fortunate to be the part of some very cool churches.  They were all places where I felt loved, encouraged and part of a community. During our time in Overland Park, Kansas we were members of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Having moved from Texas and not knowing anyone it was wonderful to get to know people there, many of whom are still lifelong friends. Similarly during our 18 months living in Perth, Australia, we were part of Subiaco Church where we joined an awesome small group that helped us grow spiritually and still today we are good friends with several people there halfway around the world!  And now here in Pearland, Texas we joined Lifepointe Fellowship just a couple of years ago and quickly got to know several awesome people who obviously love God and the people that visit there.

In my previous blog I mentioned that we are relational beings. I think we're missing this in our Western culture where many of us go to work, then go home and watch TV, or - increasingly - surf the internet on our smart devices for hours on end.  We never really connect with others except in superficial ways and it can be lonely doing life on your own.  When they function well, such as the ones I've experienced, churches have a strong sense of community. You can be part of an extended family that helps you with spiritual matters and the day-to-day stuff of life.  You can belong.

Back to Francis Chan's book and he emphasizes that God's plan to bring us together is sacred.  Beyond us simply going to a venue to experience something, or to do our duty, the idea of the church is to be Jesus's body.  His people (not the building) become His temple and somehow we connect with Him and with one another in a truly marvelous and mysterious way. I'm intrigued to read more of what he has to say (maybe a review in a future blog!!).

So, if you want to belong to a loving community, connected to one-another and connected to God, then that's another good reason to believe.

Relationships Restored

Number 5 in my "Reasons to Believe" is a tough one for me to articulate. I'm not a pastor nor a sociologist: I'm an engineer!  So talking about relationship type stuff is not my natural bent.  But, that said, the older I get, the more I realize that relationships - family, friends, coworkers - are way more important than work, titles, acclaim and almost anything else this life has to offer.

God is relational and the restoration of our broken relationship with Him is at the heart of the Christian message. Perhaps the most famous parable that Jesus told on the topic was the story of the prodigal son.  Here's my take on it with a modern twist...

Prodigal Daughter
A story inspired by Luke 15

A young woman couldn’t wait to leave home and see the world. Just days after her high school graduation, she packed up her few belongings into the car her parents had bought for her just the year before and headed off across the country to a new life, new experiences and freedom. At first things were great. She worked hard and partied harder. Boyfriends came and went; friendships too. Then came an economic downturn. She lost her job and with it the ability to pay rent. She found herself sleeping on the couches of friends when they’d let her, or in her car when they didn’t. She found part time work here and there, but nothing permanent.

One morning after a restless night trying to sleep in her car she thought “What am I doing here? Back home I had a room and food. I had friends, family and parents that loved me. I should go home and maybe Mom and Dad would let me stay with them for a while, just until I get back on my feet.”

She scraped together enough gas money to drive back home, wondering all the way what she would say to her parents. They’d had such hopes for her and here she was, a failure and big disappointment to everyone. They might not even let her through the door and she wouldn’t blame them. She’d hardly spoken to them in months and when she had she always pretended everything was fine. How could she tell them the truth? She was ashamed. Still, they loved her, right? She hoped. She drove.

As she pulled around the corner of her parent’s road, her mother happened to be in the driveway, about to get into her car.  She thought she recognized her daughter’s car approaching, but what would she be doing here? The mother’s puzzled look seemed like a scowl to her daughter as she drew closer, but as soon as she realized it was indeed her daughter, she immediately ran to meet her. The daughter could barely shut off the car and get out of her seat before her mom pulled her into her arms, crying and laughing.  Just behind her, the daughter’s father had stepped out of the house to see what was going on.  He too ran over to his daughter and threw his arms around both of them.  “Mom. Dad. Can I stay here a while, just until I get back on my feet?” she asked.

“Stay as long as you need to my love,” her Dad replied. “Welcome home. This will always be your home.”

God loves us. He loves me. He loves you. He longs to restore our relationship with Him.  That's why Jesus came to the earth: to live and die and rise again from the dead, so that we could have a relationship restored.

Hope

One Bible lexicon defines the Greek word for hope (ἐλπίς) as a “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” In his letter to Roman believers, St. Paul adds to this definition: “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” And then in his letter of encouragement to Titus he speaks of “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

So the Christian meaning for hope goes way beyond vague wishful thinking (“I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow”) and is grounded in a deeper sense in the certainty of what Jesus promises us if we put our faith in Him. 

We are all mortal and one day we will die. The Bible teaches us that humans were intended to live with God forever, but because of our stubborn pride we rebelled against Him and are separated from Him physically (can't see Him) and spiritually (can't know Him).  When Jesus came to Earth He provided the way for us to be reconciled to God. We need to recognize our own sin and separation from God, realize that Jesus provided the way to deal with our sin by dying on the cross, and put our trust in Him.  If we do this Jesus says that after we die we will live again with Him.  That's the Christian hope.

In essence, hope is the ultimate reason for believing.

Peace

This is the third installment in my “10 Reasons to Believe” series. In the introduction to the series I mentioned that the Bible talks about peace in a very broad and holistic way using the word “shalom” which covers more than just physical safety from harm, or the lack of fighting. Rather than unpacking why we all seek this kind of peace, here are some lines I wrote to try and convey it:

Peace 

Against the wars and fighting, give us peace
Against anger and violence, give us peace
From oppression and fear, free us
Give us peace 

Against an uncertain future, give us peace
Against the unknown, give us peace
From worry and fear, free us
Give us peace 

Against quarrels and strife, give us peace
Against hurtful accusations, give us peace
From misunderstanding, free us
Give us peace 

Against my selfish pride and greed, give us peace
Against my own destruction, give us peace
From my scarlet red sins, free us
Give us peace 

Oh Prince of Peace, give us peace
Precious Lord Jesus, give me peace.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Peace with God and peace with those around you are very good reasons to believe. That’s what Jesus offers if you’ll accept it.

Joy

The United States Declaration of Independence includes this very famous sentence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I’m not sure if it needs to be stated, then, that pretty much everyone wants to be happy and that it’s natural to seek happiness. Unless you’ve had a truly terrible life with a messed-up perspective on reality, happiness is something we all want. Indeed when life is beating us down and it feels like the world is on our shoulders, we might cry out “I just want to be happy.”

Happiness and joy are closely linked, but in Christian circles we make the distinction that joy is something that comes from within and is not necessarily predicated on external circumstances. It’s a fruit and a feeling that comes from who you are, and not what is being done to you.  Now you can for sure feel joy and happiness when good things are happening, but when things turn bad, happiness disappears in a moment. Joy remains. Joy endures.

Another way to think about joy versus happiness is in your perspective on life based on what you give versus what you can get out of it.

Get the Most out of Life

The modern philosophy of life is pretty self-focused and all about how you as an individual can feel the best you can.  There are many self-help books and articles providing guides on how you can be more fulfilled and happier in your life.  Not to knock this kind of “pursuit of happiness” too much, but I’m not sure it can deliver on it’s promises. No matter how “mindful” you are or how much you try to use “positive psychology” when life gets tough, I don’t think these ideas have the staying power many people are seeking and ultimately are not fulfilling.

Life Giving Spirits

I once heard the teacher Robert Lewis state that men have a choice to either go around sucking as much out of life as they can, or, alternatively, seeking to be what he called “life giving spirits.” This was part of a series called “Men’s Fraternity” that has since spun off the “Authentic Manhood” movement.  This idea clicked with me wanting to be a person who seeks to be the source of joy, rather than being the one that consumes happiness.

So how do you do that best?  I’d argue that in order to be that conduit of joy, you need to connect back with the ultimate source, who is God, as the Bible says:

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

So if you want to know God’s joy in your life and be a source of joy to others that sustains through good times and tough times... that’s a very good reason to believe in Jesus and trust Him.

Choose Joy

To wrap up this blog, I want to share this video. Sorry Pharrell, but I picked something a little more empowering than your well-intentioned and catchy sentiments. I choose...

If Jesus didn't die...

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins... 
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied...

If Jesus didn't die, then do whatever you want. 
If Jesus didn't die, then say whatever you think.
Live for yourself, or live for others. It doesn't matter
If Jesus didn't die.

If Jesus didn't die, then seize the day or stay in bed.
If Jesus didn't die, shoot for the moon or aim at nothing.
Just do it, or just don't
If Jesus didn't die.

If Jesus didn't die, make your own choice.
If Jesus didn't die, choose your own path.
Survival of the fittest or live by the Golden rule, even
If Jesus didn't die.

But He did, and He came back to life.  
So now what are you going to do?

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Love

I think it’s sad that the picture portrayed of Christianity is often one of judgmental people with a “holier than thou” attitude and wearing their “Sunday best” clothes who shun outsiders with hateful scowls. This is a gross caricature and the exact opposite of what Christ taught. At the heart of the Christian gospel is love.

I’m not very good at praying consistently and so I’ve developed the habit of using Bible verses to help my wandering mind to focus on what really matters. A scripture I pray often is this one from St. Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. It’s a bit long, but bear with me (emphasis is mine):

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:14-19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 In the middle of this prayer is the admonition to be “rooted and established in love.” As Christ’s followers, then, this is where we start. We start with love.

But what is the nature of this love from Christ? This same prayer includes two of its features: (1) it is immense, and (2) it’s impossible to fully wrap your head around it.

“How wide...?”

Jesus said "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." And so during His time on Earth he demonstrated His love through His compassion for the sick and the lost, loving on children and loving His disciples. The Gospels are full of these stories of His practical demonstration of God's love for them.  But He goes on to say "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." OK, so that's something more.  Paul expands on this in his letter to Roman Christians: "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows us His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." So here then is the breadth of God's love.  Though we turn from Him, hide from Him and rebel against Him, he still sent His only son to rescue us.  And the nature of that rescue? He had to die for us. Quite literally and horribly, He had to die for us. And He did it. That's the breadth of His love for us.

“Love that surpasses knowledge...”

But it's hard to comprehend this love fully, I think.

If you're a parent or have a very close friend, you can perhaps imagine putting yourself in harm's way to protect your loved one. That's a glimpse of God's love for us in Christ, but His love is much more. John said "God is love," that is to say, love is at the very core of God's nature. In creating the Universe in the first place; in bringing life into existence; in giving us life individually, He shows His love.  In giving us free will to choose or not choose to love him back; in sending His only son to die for us; in raising Him from the dead so we can have eternal life too, He shows His love. In painting a beautiful sunset; in the laughter of a child; in the company of friends or family, He shows His love. With the still small voice of His Spirit speaking to mine when I calm my mind and pray, He shows His love.

I'm still figuring out the height and depth of God's love and I'm quite sure I'll never fully get it.  But maybe that's the point. I don't need to understand it fully, but I just need to accept it.

So, in my top 10 Reasons to Believe, for sure this is number 1.  I might go as far as saying I personally don't need any other reason than this one, but I have another 9 to go, so we'll see!

A not so old hymn from when I first became a Christian in the 1980's, still speaks to why I personally became a Christ follower:

Amazing love, what sacrifice
The Son of God, given for me
My debt He pays, and my death He dies
That I might live, that I might live! 
By Graham Kendrick