It Takes A Church...

Astonishing Generosity

In the middle of my sabbatical, while reading through a wonderful, thick tome on the ministry of Jesus by  N. T. Wright, I stumbled across two words that were used to describe a key characteristic that Jesus’ expected of his followers: “astonishing generosity.”  I liked the phrase.  I rolled it around in my brain.  But I also found myself disturbed by it.  It seemed almost impossible.

The quote itself was a reference to Matthew 5:38-42, when Jesus tells his followers “to turn the other cheek” when struck, “give their cloak” when asked for a coat, or to carry a load an “extra mile” when a person makes you haul something for one.  He is saying in effect, that even when people use or take advantage of you, they in the words of Bishop Wright, “must be met with astonishing generosity.”  (Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God, p. 290)

I underlined the phrase and even typed it into my sabbatical journal.  Through the next days, the word astonishing stayed with me.  It’s not enough to be generous, Jesus was saying.  But our generosity must astonish the people around us, leaving them dumbfounded for an explanation, flabbergasted for a rationale.  It’s not enough to be good to the people who are good to us, if we are going to be his followers are generosity must flow to the very people who we DON’T want to be generous.

At the same time, I was intrigued and challenged by the phrase and began to noodle on it some more.

First of all, why? Why does Jesus ask this of his followers?  There was a long-standing principle of tithing or giving or being charitable to those in need.  Of course, the people of God should give, but why generously, and why should that generosity be “astonishing”?

Two hundred pages later I found my answer.  In a section on how so many religious leaders of his day, thought that the only way the world would change would be through violent revolution, Wright tells us:

“Jesus summoned his hearers to the real revolution, which would come about through his people reflecting the generous love of God into the whole world.” (p. 507)

Ah, that’s it.   
• This is not just a strategy for adding some kindness to the world.  It’s a strategy for changing the world.  (It's a revolution strategy!)
• It’s not just about making the world better, it’s about making the world new. 
• Generosity is not just about making people think we are good nice and kind, it is about helping people see that God is good, compassionate and responsive to their cries.

It is a central activity of the followers of Christ to reveal God to the world. 

Our generosity is to remind people of God’s generosity.  Our generous forgiveness of those who fail us, giving to those in need, of openhandedness to those who were clinging so hard to the scraps of life, and welcome to those who are without a place in this world would be nothing more (and nothing less!) than a reflection of the “generous love of God into the whole world.”

And how abundantly, astoundingly, astonishingly generous God is! 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3:16

He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Romans 8:32

…God, who gives life to all things… 1 Timothy 6:13

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…James 1:17

God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.  2 Corinthians 9:8 

For the next few weeks in a sermon series at church, I am going to be teaching on becoming people who reflect God’s astonishing generosity. (You can download the first sermon here.)

If you want to follow along I’ll post links to the sermons here.  Perhaps you could start letting it roll around in your heart and mind, too.  And if you know of any stories of generosity in the name of God that took the breath away from the people, then please let me know. 

What would it mean to be lavishly generous, astonishingly generous people? 

Astonishing generosity. 

What would have to happen in your life for those two words to describe you?

Ranger Rick Goes to a Christian Camp

As a child, I loved visiting National Parks (I still do, but more on that another post).  And National Park Ranger naturalists were my heroes.  I read “Ranger Rick” Magazine and enthusiastically traveled with my family and I traveled through the great parks of the west. I marveled at Rangers: these fit, rugged and highly-educated and intelligent souls who knew about every tree, could hike for days and could so winsomely teach lessons for respecting and caring for nature. “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints,” they would say.  Don’t litter, don’t graffiti, stay on the trail, and be willing to clean up and fix up where others may not have adhered to these simple “rules” of courtesy and conservation.  In short, the goal was simple: “Leave every place better than you found it.”

And I never once heard any of them so much as mention God or a Creator at all. They were likely all biologists that assumed a naturalistic view of the world.  I just thought they were cool. 

Later as a teenager who camped at the foot of many granite rock faces before a day of climbing, or who on some memorable occasions backpacked into the wilderness to spend the night under a starry sky, those few rules became a means for serving the God whom I had come to know “proclaims his handiwork” through the heavens (Psalm 19), “covers the heavens with clouds” (Psalm 146:9), and “names the stars.” 

As a young Christian I often went river trips and skiing excursions, rock-climbed, attended Christian camps in the mountains.  Many times I heard speakers use the starry skies or majestic mountains as reminders of God’s goodness and glory.  Many breathless mornings, thoughtful evenings, and prayerful nights were spent in the middle of the beauty God has made.

Looking back I realize that there was both a continuity and discontinuity between my childhood tutoring at the feet of the Rangers and my adolescent discipleship from Christian speakers in beautiful places.  In both cases, there was a love for nature and genuine awe for all around me, but while the “naturalist” Rangers (for whom faith was never part of the topic), were inspired by nature to teach conservation, the Christian teachers never mentioned it.  They pointed to the Creator well, but never taught what creation requires of us, the "glory" of God's creatures. It was all about worship, not stewardship, about debating evolution, not protecting the environment. 

And very often later as a young youth pastor, I noticed a troubling disconnect with the kids whom I took into beautiful places.  Very often, Christian kids who wanted to worship God on a mountain look out, would cut the switchbacks of the trail causing erosion.  Some years ago, our own church youth group had a most troubling reputation for leaving the beach awash with litter after a campfire and sing-along.

Christian camps taught me to look to the stars of the heaven and consider in awe and wonder how a great God even considers a small mortal like me (Psalm 8)  But it was very human (even humanistic?) mortals who taught me how to respond to the Creator in the most responsible, practical ways. 

As a pastor I have been thinking more and more about how to bring together worship and stewardship, how we learn demonstrate that we belong to our Creator by serving HIM in our care for creation.  How we witness to the glory and goodness of God, even amidst those who turn nature into idolatry or an expression of pagan beliefs.  It seems to me that whatever the outcome of the long debate over global warming, no matter whether those who share a love for the environment share our love for God, and whether or not everyone concerned shares the same worldview, we all share the same world.  And as Bible-believers, we have deep convictions about both the Creator and the creation our primary responsibility as human beings, and our ultimate purpose as God’s new humanity.

If nothing else, we could bring together “Ranger Rick” and Christian camp lessons with one simple idea:  “Leave this world better than we found it…in the name of Jesus, to the glory of God.” 

Toward a Greener Theology: What Gets Saved?

Quick Quiz:
What’s more important?  Savings souls or saving the planet? 

Oh.  I couldn’t fool you, could I? You got it right didn’t you? You said, “Stupid question, Tod. It’s a false choice.  God isn’t saving either souls or the planet.  God is saving the world.”   

Good for you. 

But for those who don’t quite get it, let me go over this one more time.  Because, you see, while most of us want to think of ourselves as being kind to the planet, sometimes our theology gets in the way.

Once again, the good news is NOT that the souls of those who believe in Jesus will go to heaven when they die.  The good news is “the Kingdom of heaven has come near,” that God’s loving rule has come into the world.  And “world” means more than souls.  World, “cosmos”, means everything. 

You see, in the Scriptures, the purposes of God are about all of creation, and the unique and wonderful thing about humans is that we have the great gift and privilege of being both recipients of God’s grace and partners in his purpose to bring all things under his reign through the work of Christ bringing all things under his reign (1 Cor 15:28).   

This is why Romans 8 says that all of Creation is still longing for the day when the saints will be revealed, when all the “children of God” will be adopted, when Jesus returns in resurrection glory.  Revelation 21tells us that someday God will create a new heaven and a new earth and all who trust in Jesus Christ will inhabit that new Creation with God for eternity. 

The gospel is not about souls on a cloud, but God’s creatures in a new Creation.  There will be both continuity and discontinuity with this world and what we do here counts there.  (1 Cor 15:58)

Now it is important to get this right, because if we don’t we can—even unwittingly—begin to view the things of this world, like mountains, the oceans, Labrador puppies and sea turtles as nothing but ornamentation for the stage where God is working on saving the souls of people.  The rest of this, well, it’s nice and everything, but it is not necessary.  It may even be commanded of us (Genesis 1 and 2 for starters) but really it’s not nearly as important as the great commission of Matthew 28 (and even that we have reduced to “soul winning.)  So, eventually what happens is that  of stewardship of the earth is seen as a tangential issue, at best a second-class issue, kind of like the way earlier evangelicals thought of social justice: “It’s nice if you have time for it, but it shouldn’t get in the way of sharing the faith.   

Like that tired “either/or” distinction, I believe that it is time we corrected the faulty theological assumptions that lead us down paths that inevitably take us away from all God calls us to do.  I believe that is time for Christians to step up and lead the rest of humanity in the charge given to all of us: To care for the world in the name of the Creator.  I want to say more about this next post, but I believe that as we fulfill this task as the “image of God” we will reflect back to others the character of the Creator who is at work saving everything he possibly can. 

The Green Brand

I want to spend some time on the way our theology shapes our actions (and in this case our actions toward God’s world) in my next post, but I feel the need to offer a clarifying post before I do. So here is the point (that has already been confirmed by several comments to my earlier posts): The main obstacle to getting Christians to more faithfully and consistently care for the environment as part of our Christian commitment is not theology but politics.

In doing some combing of the web in the wake of the recent PBS Bill Moyers’ series “Is God Green?”, I was surprised to see an article by Rev. Jim Ball of the Evangelical Environmental Network that criticized Bill Moyers.  Ball and the EEN are the group who put together the famous and highly controversial “What Would Jesus Drive?” campaign aimed at guilting SUV owners to reconsider their gas guzzling choice of transportation.  I naturally assumed when I opened the article that Ball would be heaping praise on Moyers.  But he didn’t at all.

Last year, Moyers gave a speech laying out his belief that conservative dispensationalist (read “Left Behind”) theology was behind the lack of environmental conviction amongst evangelicals.  This theme has of course been picked up over and over again and while it has some small degree of merit, it is also, Ball said, dramatically overblown. 

The idea, Ball says, that evangelicals are unconcerned about creation because they believe that someday we are going to be “beamed up” out of here is like saying that evangelicals don’t take care of their bodies because someday God will give them a new one.  There may be some of that neo-gnosticism at play here, but not much.  And Moyers’ line of reasoning is both insulting to evangelicals and frankly naïve.

No, Ball says, most evangelicals get the fact that they SHOULD care about God’s creation.  That indeed, it has been mandated to us.  Most evangelicals today read the key scriptural passages like Genesis 1 and 2 identically: Humans have been given responsibility to care for the world.  The problem first and foremost is not in interpretation but in identification.  Our first problem isn’t WHAT, but WHO.

Most evangelicals have not turned their backs on the environmental movement because they believe in the rapture, they are against the environmental movement because they believe the environmental movement has become co-opted by theological and political liberals.  In the words of some of my friends who are in marketing, "the environment has already been branded as a 'liberal' cause."

Which is Rev. Ball's point exactly:
The main reason many evangelicals have not been as engaged in caring for God’s creation as the Bible calls them to be is because in their minds “environmentalists” are liberals who hold beliefs (e.g. pantheism) and values (e.g. population control) that can be harmful and lead people astray. Indeed, becoming an environmentalist could lead one to become a full-blown liberal, and thus turn away from conservative Christian values and those who hold them. Some evangelicals are also concerned about what they regard as liberal solutions to environmental problems: big government and oppressive regulations.

Because environmentalists are perceived to be liberals, anything tagged as an “environmental” concern must be liberal, too. There is an unfortunate guilt-by-association dynamic at play: if something is liberal, then evangelicals should have nothing to do with it.

I think Ball is absolutely correct here.  Whenever I talk about the need for Christians to care for the environment, people assume that I am going to walk out the door and start a voter registration booth for the Democratic party.  Even more, the most distressing comments in the Moyers’ show were from evangelical leaders who assumed that everything put forth by Richard Cizik and the NAE was little more than the result of liberal puppeteers pulling strings or unconsciously manipulating.

But Cizik, a pro-life, pro-Bush conservative has famously said that his biblical consistency has led him to political inconsistency.  And he seems to me to be trying very hard to work out  the ramifications of a biblical conviction in a deeply divided political arena (and the NAE is a political lobbying effort.) But for most of the rest of us, this isn’t the issue.  We don’t have to figure out what it means to care for the Creation in Washington, but in our own hometowns. 

My friends let’s not allow our politics to pollute our Christian practice.  Until we realize just how profoundly our political convictions end up shaping our theological convictions and biblical practices, we will be unable to articulate a clear biblically-rooted course of action. (Yes. I realize this has implications for lots of areas, so, bloggers, have at it.)

I certainly believe that our theological convictions and our worldviews have a huge influence on how we view our obligations in the world.  (In fact, I would argue that a biblically tutored worldview SHOULD be the guiding grid for helping us determine our life choices.)  But for many of us, we can’t even begin to think about something like how we care for the environment until we acknowledge the degree to which our political concerns and the worldview they reveal are the tail wagging the dog.

In the future I’d like to write more about worldview and how we intentionally shape a biblical one.  But in the meantime, let’s put that "political" concern on the table. Let's acknowledge that the caring for the environment can be a political quagmire and then let’s do what we evangelicals do best.  Let’s go back to the Bible.  Let’s let the Bible guide us on what God has said, let’s work out the theological and ethical convictions that follow from that and then determine what we should and should not do.  Then let’s invite people of all political stripes to join us.

Bible first, theology second, politics last.  Now there's a "slogan" for a much better "brand."

Saturday With Scout

One of my favorite "creatures of our God and King."

Internet Monk Podcasts About The Lighthouse

My son and his middle school friends new on-campus Christian club were mentioned on The Internet Monk's podcast over the weekend. (The podcast is twenty minutes long, and he mentions The Lighthouse about 12 minutes in, but it also mentions a couple of other very interesting topics.) Michael Spenser, The Internet Monk, has a thoughtful blog that covers a very wide-range of subjects. I have added a link to him on my site and am a bit embarrassed that I took this long to do it.  Sorry Monk.  And thanks for giving props to the kids and thanks for the nice words about my blog,too. I'll try to write more, Michael, I promise.

On One Middle School Campus in One Little Town

We are so used to hearing disturbing stories coming from our campuses.  Let me share with you one that is absolutely bringing joy to my heart, TODAY.

Last year as a seventh grader, my son Brooks read an article in Ignite Your Faith Magazine (put out by Christianity Today/Campus Life) about kids starting Christian groups on their campuses.  He came to me and said, "Dad, I think I want to do this."  (Brooks had no idea that twenty years ago I worked for Youth for Christ running and starting Campus Life clubs on high school campuses.)  It was totally him responding to the nudge of the Spirit. 

He went to school and found out that in this day and age that even starting a student-run club is harder than it looks.  He talked to a teacher who said she would support him, but ultimately the district policies blocked the way.

But he didn't let it go.  He just kept praying about it.  For a year now, frankly.

Over time, more and more folks heard about Brooks' idea.  He let some of his friends from another local church in on the idea and they kept praying about it.  Some local members of the Moms-in-Touch group told Brooks they were praying for him. And Brooks thought it was time to try again.

So, Brooks made an appointment to go to the principal (by himself, mind you) and ask for permission.  I asked several people to quietly pray for this meeting.  Pastors in my covenant group, my Session at church, team members who went with Brooks and me to Malawi last year, a missionary from Africa, even a Vice-President at World Vision.  And they prayed. 

But the principal reiterated the policies.  No student run clubs unless they are directly affiliated with the school.  We were disappointed.  But we kept praying. Beth and I met the principal at "Back to School Night" and thanked her for meeting with Brooks. She was gracious and very complimentary of our son.  And we kept praying.

The next week, the principal wrote me back to tell me that when she went over the policies again, she found out that while the kids couldn't use a classroom, they could use the library.  And she suggested that they use a section of the library that is often NOT used during lunch--the research area.

Brooks wrote her on email and secured permission. He started a weblog to tell other kids about it.

So today, at lunch, The Lighthouse will have their first meeting.  A bunch of middle school kids all meeting for the purpose of learning about Jesus, "the light of the world" (John 8:12) and how they, as followers of Jesus can  "let their good deeds shine out for all to see" (Matthew 6:16) and make their school a better place.

Give praise to the God who answers our prayers and ask him to bless these young leaders as they seek to live out their faith for him. 

Update after school on Friday:  I met my beaming son after school. 15 kids showed up, the librarian had even reserved the tables for them (thank you to whomever got that to happen), he shared a scripture, they talked about the group and he led them in prayer to close.  It was a good day.  We celebrated with some frozen yogurt and he's already making plans to have a leaders meeting at our house. If you want the "teen version" of this report, you can find it at Brooks' blog.

(I'll return to my current "Green God" posts next time.  This news was too good not to share.)

Looking Good in Green

I turned on Moyers’ PBS special last night with a bit of trepidation.  I feared another hatchet job that would reflect badly on evangelical Christians.  So many stories like this look like a reflection in a fun-house mirror—recognizable but ridiculous; identifiable but distorted. 

What I experienced instead was a pretty accurate and hopeful picture of both the church in America and the way that we could be seen in much more positive and accurate light in the future.  The picture wasn’t perfect, of course, but it was like looking in a real mirror after a restful vacation, some good exercise and slipping into a new suit.  We evangelicals looked stronger and more attractive than I thought.

Frankly, we look good in green.

When I watched the impact that the Boise Vineyard had on the skeptical forest service workers because they put their faith to action replanting a forest that had been clear cut and mined…

When I saw the conviction of Richard Cizik who combines a pro-life, biblically centered moral worldview with a deep conviction of “Creation care” because of a desire to obey the Scriptures…

When I listened to leaders (including at the end, a report about Pat Robertson!) who have opened their minds to scientific evidence about global warming—all because of its effect on the people and the earth God loves…

I saw the reflection of a church that is striving to fulfill the scriptures, bring justice to the weak, open their eyes to a genuine crisis, and care for God’s world as good stewards in a manner that is positively surprising to a cynical world.  I saw a witness of word and deed that can "earn the right to be heard" again from those who have tuned us out.

Was some of this because the show reflected a positive “green hue” coming from Moyers’ own point of view? Certainly.  And the depiction of those who believe Creation Care is not essential to our Christian discipleship was far less flattering.  And certainly the ugly prospect of political maneuvering were front and center.

Whether we look good or not, is not the point of course, it’s what the Scriptures compel us to do that matters, regardless of political ramifications or public opinion. 

But it sure felt good to look so good. 

Next post: When Theology Misses the Big Idea

For more on this see this interview, this blog and this book...

A Green God

Tonight Bill Moyers will present a special called "Is God Green?".  The PBS website says that the show will explain the new "holy war" occuring within Christianity between those evangelicals who are arguing for greater attention to stewardship of creation and those--mostly staunch Bush supporters--who "adamantly support the Bush administration in downplaying the threat of global warming and other environmental perils." 

In addition to offering some more Kingdom observations that I have been working through at church, I would like to jump back into the blogging fray with some observations after I watch the show tonight.

In the meantime, can I just register a giant "SHEESH" at the use of the term "Holy war"? 

While there are no doubt, huge differences of opinions about global warming, large amounts of distrust on what has mostly been seen as a "liberal" issue, and more sarcasm than we should ever reveal about Al Gore (and Bill Moyers, for that matter), can we Christians at least begin with an acknowledgement that caring for the earth is part of the clear mandate God gave humanity? See Genesis chapter 1:26-28

While we certainly can benefit from good, healthy, honest debate on how to carry out the command of God to be stewards of the earth, need it become a "political hotbutton" let alone a dividing line, (and God forbid--a "war")

Two of my friends at church who are in marketing heard me talk about my convictions that Christians have been neglecting our responsibilities toward the earth and said to me, "Tod, the environment has a 'branding' problem with evangelicals. It has become 'branded' as a liberal issue and now people can't hear you talk about it without thinking that you are going to make it a political issue."

Granted.  So, let's see what we can do about "un-branding" it, lowering our weapons and considering again what our responsibility toward God's earth should be?  And let's make no mistake: the world is watching us. HOW we go about this discussion will greatly affect our witness to a world that is already tuning us out.

For those of you who'd like to read more thoughts from pastor who drives both a Prius and a 4WD SUV--one to preserve the environment, another to enjoy the environment--I point you to my earlier posts.

I also want to offer some observations along the way about how our MIS-reading of the Jesus' statements about the end times is a huge part of the problem.

Blogga Culpa

Okay, we got a new puppy, I went on a bike trip with some guys from the church, I am still adjusting to the excitement of being back at church...yada, yada...But I am back now.  Please tell your friends and neighbors.  The blog light is on and I'll be posting.

Thanks for your patience.

Tod