Somewhere in the middle, maybe?

Somewhere in between

Caught in the middle is not normally a place anyone wants to be.  Especially a Christian.  We think in terms of white and black, right and wrong, good and bad.  And in most cases, that’s good.  Morality IS a matter of absolutes.  Right and wrong exist.  But that is not the point of this post.  Recently, there have been a plethora of articles discussing the high number of young Christians leaving the church, the causes behind it, and what we ought to do about it.  Normally, I hate to chime in just because a specific topic is currently vogue, but in this case, I feel the need to say something.

In case you haven’t been following the recent developments, the current state of the Church of Jesus Christ is as follows: lately, and in mass quantities, young Christians are leaving their traditional, Evangelical churches, and youth coming to Christ are doing so outside of normal church life/not joining a fellowship.  The question being raised: why? and what should we do about it?  The popular answer to this question is that young people either feel alienated from the traditional crowd, or feel that they just do not fit into the structure of the traditional church.  “I love Jesus, but just not organized religion” - this is the rally cry of the demographic in question.  Another undercurrent is the feeling of having to keep up a facade in church - don’t ask questions, pretend life is just fine, don’t doubt, pretend, pretend, pretend - keep your mask in place.

I’ll admit, I feel for these people. I know what it is like to feel as though I have to wear a mask, and to feel the fear of asking questions, to reveal doubt inside.  I agree that the church needs to be a safe place for people to question, a safe place to be real, to be transparent.  And in this respect, I applaud the Christian bloggers and authors drawing attention to this.  What I disagree with, or rather, am cautious about, is the largely reactionary way in which the current state of the affairs is being handled.

The general solution offered is that the Church needs to be less rigid, less “defined” if you will.  That the church needs to reach out to those on the “fringe,” like Jesus did - welcoming the lost, broken, the “non-churchy” people.  And up to this point, I am totally and completely on board.  Yes, the Church needs to remember that Jesus embraced those that the “good church people” would never have accepted - eating with tax collectors and prostitutes, and welcoming fishermen into His inner circle.  He patiently allowed those around Him to ask questions, and even though he called some out on their lack of faith, He never did so in a condemning manner.  It is completely safe to run to Jesus with questions - He can handle it.  In Isaiah, God even says, “Come and let us reason together.”  Also, yes, the Church needs to let go of trying to fit everyone in the same mold.

However, in an attempt to make more people feel welcome in Church, we have reacted almost too far - we are in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  It is as if in making the Church “safe” once again from judgmental glances and dismissive attitudes, we now run the risk of dismissing the notion of “sin” once and for all. We want people to feel comfortable, so church has become a place to feel good and hang out.  We don’t want people to feel judged, so we tell them they are welcome to come as they are and apparently, welcome to stay that way.

THIS is where I hop off the bandwagon.  Because, while Jesus accepted the sinners without judging them, He NEVER invited them to continue in sin.  Jesus accepts everyone just the way they are, but He loves them too much to leave them that way. (thank you Max Lucado, for pointing out this important distinction.)  We need to love people wherever they are at in life, but we need to be willing to lovingly challenge sin as well.  The difference is this: we need to carefully examine what Scripture calls out as sin, and what just happens to clash with our personal preferences.  For example, if a young person comes to Christ, and likes to skateboard, that is not a “sin” they have to give up.  Just because someone doesn’t wear “the right clothes” to church is not a grievance that needs to be addressed.  If someone is living a lifestyle contrary to Scripture, then YES, that needs to be lovingly addressed.  Coming to Christ can be done “as you are,” but giving one’s life to Christ is a decision that will completely and radically change a life.

In terms of the second issue, the Church also needs to be a safe place to question things.  My mom used to tell me, “If you ever find yourself in a church where you can’t ask questions, get out; that’s a cult.”  Beloved brothers and sisters, we need to listen to the questions of those having a crisis of faith, without freaking out and assuming that questions =committing heresy, or that falling apart = not enough faith. If we overreact to questions and devalue difficult circumstances, the message being sent is “you don’t fit in, but don’t ever let anyone know.  If you are going to belong to Christ, check your brains at the door, wear your mask, and don’t ever let anyone see you fall apart.”  If this is the message we’re sending, is it any wonder people leave the church in droves???

So I guess my point is this: the answer to making people feel welcome at church is neither to insist on continuing to do everything as we have been, but nor is it to swing completely to the other side.  The answer lies somewhere in the middle.  Perhaps we need to take a closer look at Jesus, and at Scripture.  Jesus is described as one who is appointed to bring good news to the poor, sent to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed, to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies,to give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair (Isaiah 61).  He is close to those who mourn and compassionate to those who are falling apart.  The only people Jesus attacked were those considered the “church leaders,” crushing people under extra-biblical expectations.  

Beloved, we need to lead people to Church with the intention of leading them to Jesus, lovingly guiding them through sorrow, doubt, questions.  We need to be a church that challenges people, yes, but we are exhorting them, not condemning, encouraging, not just pointing out failures.  

In short, we are to help people conform to the image of Christ, not insist they conform to our image.

From "Hate to Wait" to "Willing to Wait"

If ever there was a theme to describe my life, it would be...waiting.  I hate waiting.  I hate things happening outside my carefully constructed time-frame.  I hate it when I have to wait and others don't.  Confession: I am a selfish control freak.  So, it shouldn't surprise me that the process God brings me through again and again is one of waiting.   All of my life, especially the last few years, God has brought me through a seemingly continuous cycle of me complaining about waiting - to brokenness - to a willingness to wait on Him and trust His timing.

This process has perhaps never been so painfully evident in my life as it is right now.  One of my dearest friends has just announced her engagement to the love of her life, and I, against all intentions otherwise, have allowed myself to slip into envy and self-pity - because she has now what I want now. (Dearie, if you are reading this, please know that I am overjoyed and couldn't be more thrilled or excited for you as your wedding approaches, it just turns out that.... I'm human. ;)  I found myself thinking, "It's not fair.  I've been waiting longer; I want this part of my love story now, I, I, I; me, me me.

Well, praise the Lord He is able and willing to bring beauty from the rubble of my humanity.  A popular song by Anthem Lights seemed to sum up my feelings nicely:

Feeling like I've got a front row seat

To watch everybody be happy

Can't even paint a smile on my face

It's so hard to not complain.

Gotta try not to say,

"Oh God, what about me?"

Because I know that's not the way

that I'm supposed to be

As God (through trusted friends and His precious Word) has begun to bring my heart back into alignment with His, the next part of the song becomes my prayer:

Get me outta my mind

and into Your heart

It's not about me

It's not about me.

So I'm gonna start 

Playing my part

In Your design

Now is the time.

Get me outta my mind.

Oh brothers and sisters, the enemy of our souls knows where I am weakest.  But praise God that His strength is perfect in my weakness.  Learning to wait on God's timing, learning to trust, is where the enemy knows I am weak - but God knows it too.  He knows the deepest parts of my heart, for He formed it. And He offers His strength where I am weakest.  I believe He brings us through trials that make us weak, because it reveals HIS strength in our lives.  It is in those weak, worn, tired moments that He draws us unto Himself, to His presence, and fills us with peace, joy, and contentment only He can give. He never fails to show me time and time again that His timing is more perfect that I could have ever imagined or planned for. And for this, I am eternally in love with my precious Savior.

So, I may never like to wait, but, with His strength and mercy, I can say I am willing to wait.

Spies?....or Ambassadors?

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore you: be reconciled to God." ~1 Corinthians 5:20

"We are ambassadors, not spies." ~Lecrae

Ambassadors, not spies.  What a wonderful, eye-opening comparison - one I have been reflecting on the last several months.  Too often, as Christians, we are living in the world and trying to fit in, as if our job is to infiltrate and secretly watch and observe the world's behavior.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Paul speaks endlessly about shining like stars in the universe, proclaiming the gospel fearlessly, being untainted by the world.  John writes that we are not to love the world or anything of the world.  Jesus commands us to be salt and light, a city on a hill.  Call me crazy, but none of that  sounds like "fitting in," "going with the flow," or "relevance."  Seems to me we are called to stand out!

The very word "ambassador" is fraught with meaing.  We are ambassadors here, and our citizenship, the country we represent, is in heaven.  An ambassador's job is to represent and advocate the interests and intentions of his or her country in the foreign country he or she resides in.    It is obvious to those living in that foreign country that the ambassador is not one of them - indeed, it would be odd if he/she tried to fit in and be like one of them.  It is necessary, of course, for an ambassador to socialize with people of that country, for how else could he/she effectively promote and advocate for his/her home country?  He/she needs to be aware of cultural norms and adjust somewhat to communicate, but her own country's expectations and laws must come first!  Love of country and steadfast committment to its agenda muust always be priority one.

In the same way, brothers and sisters, we are called to be Christ's ambassadors here on earth.  Our job is to tell those of this country, this world in which we are strangers and aliens, about the wonderful country of our citizenship.  We are to fearlessly proclaim the wonders of the love of Christ, His forgiveness, and the hope that all can have through believing in His name.  The country that we are living for, the kingdom of heaven, is so much richer and higher than anything this world can offer its citizens.  So why, why are we TRYING to fit in?!?  Think about it: why would we WANT to settle for what this world has to offer when we have something of eternal, limitless value to offer?  Its like settling for someone's button collection (in order to fit in) when you can offer a collection of precious jewels.

Yes, we have to be aware of cultural norms and be able to communicate the gospel in a way that those of our culture will understand, but we must not water down the message of the gospel.  Just because someone may not like the message of the gospel, doesn't mean they can't grasp its meaning.  If we try to become too relevant, we will blend in so well that people won't be able to see the difference in us - and it is that difference - Jesus- that is going to set them all free! (Thank you, Casting Crowns, for pointing this out to me).

So, brothers and sisters, rise up and be ambassadors!  Implore the world, as the apostles did: Be reconciled to God!

Not A Situation Change - A Perspective Change!

Do you ever look around at the way unbelievers live and envy them? Come on, be honest - even a little bit? They get to party, enjoy all the "pleasures"of life, get drunk, carouse, make lots of money, be important, etc. Do you ever think, "As a Christian, what do I get to do? Live righteously, work for the Lord, not to be rewarded by men, be humble, be a servant to all, deny myself overindulgences, be wise..." It all sometimes can seem a little boring. Oh, it wouldn't be nearly so bad if, in return, we get to live carefree, always be happy, free of trouble, and live in abundance. But it seems sometimes that those of us who live to please the Lord face more trials in life. Seriously?!?!?!? I'll admit it, I've been tempted to feel like living according to God's word is pointless.

I was meditating on Psalm 73 the other day, and realized the Psalmist is dealing with this same dilemma.(It's nice to know that people a few thousand years ago had the same problems as this 21st century girl). As I read, I realized the answer lies not in a circumstance change, but a perspective change (I've also been blessed to have wonderful Christian mentors over the years who have pointed this out to me in one way or another). Measured in terms of this life, the temporary, it appears that pure living is pointless, that the world has all the fun. Yes, those who earnestly desire to follow God will have times of trial and tribulation (2 Timothy 3:12). The devil wants the hope we have to be as unattractive to the world as possible, so he seeks to pull our focus from eternity onto our troubles. God wants us, through His strength, to rise above the trials of this life, our eternal hope shining like a beacon to the world.

For, at the end - those who don't know God die, their pleasure comes to an end and they face eternity without God. And at the end, those of us who belong to God die as well - our earthly lives come to an end, and so do our problems and pains. Temporary life gives way to glorious life everlasting - joyous eternity in the presence of God!!

The author of Hebrews wrote: "By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. It's all about perspective - the pleasures of this life ARE attractive, and sin looks like fun (and is indeed so in the moment), but it is fleeting. To choose the fleeting pleasures of this life over the glory of eternity would be similar to a man, given the choice between $100 now, and $100 MILLON 2 years later, chosing the $100 now. We would call that man crazy, foolish, blind. So much so are we when our perspective is skewed.

In conclusion, I challenge you, beloved brothers and sisters, seek Christ and live for Him - ask God to change your perspective. Yes, those around you may not understand, but that does not matter. For in the long run, we are treasuring what seems useless but will one day prove to be of greater worth than gold. Just think of the man, ridiculed for treasuring and protecting a lump of coal buried deep, under pressure. He knows it looks worthless in the moment, but smiles knowingly in the face of the mockers and says, "Just wait and see." :)

Below is a paraphrase I wrote of Psalm 73; I encourage you to read it for yourself from Scripture as well.

Yes, God is good to His people,
to the pure in heart, who follow His ways.

But in a moment of weakness, I nearly forgot this,
I almost lost my firm foothold on the truth.
Because I looked around and saw how easy the wicked have it!
I was jealous of the prideful - I wished I could be like the world:
They are never sick, never weary, always having abundance!
They have it so easy; they enjoy life, carefree.
Because of this, they are prideful and violent;
they mock those trying to follow God, and invent new ways to do evil.
They oppress others, claiming to be high and mighty,
speaking against heaven, and acting like they own the earth!
And - what's worse - people flock to them, want to be in their crowd, to be like them!
They say, "Who is God? What does He know? He won't do anything!"
They say these things are yet they still prosper and have easy lives.

If this is what the lives of the wicked are like, then I thought in my heart,
"I have kept my heart and life pure for nothing!
Doing what is right is pointless and futile - because even though I live right,
 I face trouble - doubt, fear, poverty, pain - all the time!
Every morning I am punished and disciplined!"
If I had broken down and spoken this against You, I would have betrayed Your people - Betrayed all who have taught me, and all those I have taught!

When I tried to understand it all -
why the wicked get away with everything and yet the righteous suffer -
it was too much for me and troubled my heart,
until I entered the presence of God, and saw from His perspective.
I understood what eventually becomes of the wicked.
You place them on slippery ground and cause them to come to ruin.
They will not get away with their evil deeds - they will face destruction.
As one forgets a dream after waking, so they will be utterly gone!

When I was bitter and hurt and confused within,
I spoke without any understanding or wisdom;
I was senseless as an animal before You.
Despite all this I know: I am always with You,
You lead me by the hand and guide me with Your wisdom,
And one day I will be with You in glory.
With this as my perspective, I see You are my supreme desire in heaven,
and how could I want anything more than all of You on earth?
My flesh and my heart are weak, and will not sustain me,
But God is my strength and all that I need.
For now I see: all who are far from you and unfaithful to You will perish and end in destruction.
And now I understand: I choose to be near God -
it is the only good in the long run! It is worth it all!
You will be my refuge in this life and I will praise you for all You have done!

"Blessed are the..." Say WHAT?!?!?

Jesus opens His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 with the oft-quoted Beatitudes. "Blessed are the..."
While attending college, a chapel speaker did a sermon series on the Beatitudes. The Greek word translated "Blessed" is "Makerios" (Not sure I spelled that right, you at least you can pronounce it this way...). This word, "Makerios," he told us, can also be translated "fully satisfied."

Read the Beatitudes again, substituting "Fully Satisfied" for "Blessed." (Matthew 5:3-12)

"Fully satisfied are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fully satisfied are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Fully satisfied are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Fully satisfied are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled
Fully satisfied are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Fully satisfied are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Fully satisfied are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
Fully satisfied are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Fully satisfied are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."

We live in a world fully of people searching for satisfaction. Those without Christ, (and sadly, even some who claim Christ) seek satisfaction in money, power, acceptance, laughter, "experience," thrills, etc. They seek it with all their heart, and find none. They do not find what they are looking for because they search for it apart from what He says will bring satisfaction.

Fully satisfied are:
- The poor in spirit
- Those who mourn
- The meek
- Those who desire righteousness
- The merciful
- The pure in heart
- The peacemakers
- Those persecuted for Christ's sake
This list is precisely the opposite of what the world tells us will satisfy. They look at those who seek such things with bewilderment & disbelief, if not outright scorn and derision.
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (1 Corinthians 1:18,27)

Beloved brothers and sisters, we are called to embrace what the world calls "foolishness" in order to be wise
Seek to be poor (humble) in spirit
- instead of pride
Seek to mourn at the wrong in the world, and mourn at the foot of the cross
- instead of drowning it out in revelry
Seek meekness
- rather than power
Seek righteousness
- rather than embracing the lusts of the flesh
Seek mercy
- rather than revenge
Seek purity of heart
- instead of "experience" or "being wise in the ways of the world"
Seek peacemaking
- instead of insisting upon your way
Seek to be persecuted for Christ sake
- rather than inclusion and acceptance

For you see, in seeking after these things, you seek to be conformed to the image of Christ. It is only by seeking not to have more of the world, but more of God, that we can find joy and satisfaction. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there." Those things the world seeks cannot give satisfaction - those things only serve to make them more aware of their emptiness. So seek Christ, seek to be all He calls you to be, and there be fully satisfied.

Revealing Christ

We, as Christians, are the light of the world - filled with Christ and spreading His light and truth in the darkness. (Sound familiar? You're probably thinking "Didn't she JUST write about this in the last post? - Yes and no, just work with me here :)

In my last post, a passing comment I made got me thinking late into the night last night, and after losing a few hours sleep, "Voila!" A new post! I was mulling over the idea of shining brightly in the darkness, and I realized: it seems as though some Christians shine brighter than others - and in a way, it's true.

You see, brothers and sisters, how brightly we shine in this dark world depends not on personality, or speaking ability, but on how completely we imitate Christ. Picture a human body - as we become more like Christ, dying to self, pieces of us "fall off," and Christ in us shines through more radiantly. Perhaps a better metaphor is in order.

Imagine a window, painted over. If you paint a window black, very little light from inside will be visible outside. Sure, there will be a faint glow, but not enough to pierce the darkness. But if you were to slowly chip away that paint, light begins pouring out the window, making the contrast more pronounced. So it is with Christians. As we die to self: give up the desire to fit in, to keep up with today's so-called "intellectualism," to have power, or whatever it is that keeps us attached to the world rather than to Christ, we stand in greater contrast to this dark world. And this is as it should be. We do not belong to the world - Christ has called us out of it! The world will not love us as it's own, because we do not belong to the world. If you fit in well on this earth, something is wrong! As pieces of self are chipped away as God works in us "to will and to act according to His good purpose," more of Christ, who is our life, shines through. Quite simply: He increases, we decrease (John 3:30).

When the world looks at me, I don't want them to see Kcenia's desires, Kcenia's dreams, Kcenia's ambitions, I want them to see Christ, and His profound work in my life. I want them to see He is above all, my complete satisfaction, and all the other things in my life are blessings that He has given to cause my cup to overflow! I want my life be not about fame, popularity, money, or things, but about Christ! I don't just want to be a lamp, I want to be a beacon! Because I'm human, because I am so prone to failure, the only way this will come about, the only way I can become more like Christ, is if I constantly ask for His help in letting go of the things of this world. Lord, purify me; I want more of You, less of me.

"Holy fire, burn away
my desire for anything
That is not of You
but is of me.
I want more of You
And less of me."

"Agh! Mom! Turn the Light Off!"

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." - Matthew 5:14

As Christians, we are called to be the light of the world; Jesus Himself said so. Not only are we the light of the world, we have also been called out of it. ("We are not of the night nor of darkness..." 1 Thess 5:5b). That we are called to be separate from the world, separate from the darkness, is no surprise. After all, the statutes and ways of Christ are diametrically opposed to the ways of this world. So we, filled with hope, joy, truth and LIGHT head eagerly into the darkness to offer the life of Christ, and hope eternal. The problem? We find that nearly the moment we head out, we face staunch and harsh opposition - people laugh and mock, scorn and obstinately refuse to listen. This often leaves the Christian feeling disillusioned: if the light of Christ is so beautiful, so good, why, then do people reject it so vehemently? I have wondered this very thing many times.

"This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20

People are comfortable: they either know they are evil, or they are blissfully unaware that they are dead - living in utter darkness. This world continues to get darker. The darker the darkness, the brighter the light. This is both good news and bad news. The good news is: the light we shine, Christ in us, is so visible to the world - so visible against the backdrop of utter black and despair. But, the harsher the contrast, the more resistance we face. Allow me to illustrate:

When you were a kid (or maybe even in college, if you lived at home), did your parents ever wake you up for school by turning on your bedroom light, flooding your dark, sleepy, comfortable room with obnoxious, bright, painful light? Mine sure did - all the time. And I hated it. All I wanted to do was sleep, stay under my warm covers. I didn't want to put my feet on the cold floor and get ready for the day. Later, I was thankful, because getting up meant I got to do all sorts of things I would never have had a chance to do had I merely stayed in bed. But in that moment, when Mom and Dad turned on the light, I HATED the light and LOATHED Mom and Dad.

It's similar with the light of Christ. The world is sleeping in darkness, and while we know that the light Jesus offers is better, the world is perfectly content right where it is. When we, full of the light of Christ, the light of truth, burst into a world of darkness, the contrast is harsh, overwhelming, and unwelcome. The truth is, by nature, offensive - the light reveals all that is wrong. But take heart, O Christian. What we offer the world in Christ is far better than they know. Don't be discouraged by opposition and resistance. Let Christ's Spirit do His work in the hearts of men. We are the bearers of the light, but it is the Holy Spirit who works in men's hearts.

So, don't be afraid. Get out there and TURN ON THAT LIGHT!