Viral Faith

"Is this all there is?  Is this what church is"   Chery Dulaney, member of New Hope's ministry team (www.newhopefree.org) This morning, I began to re-read the book of Acts.  For those unfamiliar with the Book of Acts, it is the chronicles of the development of the early church immediately after the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Its an amazing read as we see a movement that literally began with about 120 adherents explode to thousands in several years. The movement of Jesus followers had an explosiveness or dynamism that endured persecution, crossed cultural barriers, and overcame civic opposition.  All of this without programs, nice church edifices, or a dominating clergy class. Among pastors, there is this aching and haunting reality in many of our churches: Our churches do not look or feel anything like the dynamic movement of Jesus followers in the book of Acts.  Yes, there are programs, and new buildings, and increased staff, but no revi...

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (Philippians 2:1-2, ESV) There is to be unity among Christians.  In fact, according to Jesus, one of the cardinal signs of the authentic church is to be unity (John 17:21-22).  However, Christians have allowed political affiliations and ideologies to trump theological considerations.  Christian's, unfortunately have allowed to their alliances to political parties and conservative/liberal agendas to shape their commitments to Jesus Christ, as opposed to the commitment to Christ defining their political reality. As I see candidates from different sides of the political spectrum seek out support for the Christian vote, I want to make the following observations: 1. There is a tendency to oversimplify political strategies and realities . ...

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 The essence of the Christian faith is radicalness.  The very language that Jesus uses to describe that nature of our relationship with God, through faith is countercultural and in opposition to the cultural norms of the day.  He challenged his listeners to understand their priorities and loyalties by describing  the relationship in terms like Kingdoms and followership.  There is a tendency to domesticate faith.  There is a tendency to fit it into our current values and priorities.  We want a reasonable faith.  We want a decent faith, but are intimidated by a dynamic one.  We are tempted to select a faith that affirms our goals, instead of one that defines and directs our dreams.  Jesus calls his adherents to an "all or none" type of commitment.  He states that unless his followers are willing to give up everything, they should rethi...

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 The youtube video above is called "Why I hate religion, but love Jesus" and has been virally spreading all over the web over the past several days.  Its a powerfully done spoken-word on the difference between authentic, living faith and a rigidly constructed rules oriented set of beliefs that many see as religion.  I have listened to the video several times as links were sent from friends and I agree with much of what this talented young man is saying. What he is saying is not new but a creative expression of the realization of many that Jesus came to develop a rich connection with us and among us, not a set of rules and regulations inwhich to live by.  It would also be wrong to think that Jesus came to simply send people to heaven and had no sense of accountability or ethics.  Jesus came to transform people ...

He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Isaiah 2:4 It is clear from the plain reading of scripture, that God's intention is to end war and its brutality as the means in which nations, peoples, and tribes relate to one another.  From a Christian perspective, one of God's aims through Jesus Christ was unity of all people, not based upon ethnicity, nationality, culture, or families, but based upon the person and work of Jesus.  This is the remarkable thing about the good news of Jesus, is that it radically sought to demolish the divisions and fractures that have defined humanity since its inception (Ephesians 2:14-16). Its interesting that when we talk about allowing Christ to work through us to accomplish Kingdom goals, we rarely see ending war and warfare as one of ...

"We always love, but not always properly" Attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux I love New Years day as it is both a time of reflection and a time of hope.  It is the recognition of how blessed we have been as well as losses we have incurred.  We identify opportunities that we have both seized and ignored.  We gather these sentiments together and propel them into the next year, where we hope to keep momentum from the good, and make changes to the bad.  Interestingly, New Years Day calls us to make choices and define our values. I have been wrestling for several months with the concept of idolatry.  Even writing the word conjures up ideas of bowing to bizarre statues and chanting incantations while smoking hallucinagenic herbs.  Yet, idolatry is much more subtle, even sublime.  It is so common that we often think of it as normative.  I wish I could say that idolatry was foreign experience, but God is dealing with me and the community in which I...

A spirit of prostitution leads them astray;  they are unfaithful to their God.  Hosea 4:12 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages Revelation 17:15 The book of Revelation has to be the most misunderstood book in the entire Bible.  With its incredible images of judgements, bowls of wrath, trumpets, scrolls, beasts, scorpions, armies, cosmic war and worship, it is often difficult to understand the message.  The book of Revelation is written in a style of literature described as apocalyptic.  Other books of the Bible like that are the book of Daniel and the book of Zechariah.  Apocalyptic literature uses symbols and metaphors to instill hope regarding the current and future interventions of God. Now, what in the world does the book of Revelation have to do with Christmas?  Christmas on one hand seems to be so joyful (I can hear a chorus singing "Joy to World" in my ...