Are you really a Christian?

“Are you really a Christian?” An alleged friend asked me. We were discussing whether or not “getting to go to heaven” is the primary goal for Christians to live toward.

I, of course, was against this idea. Jesus spent a lot more time teaching people how to access and live in the presence of God here and now than about where you go after you die.

This column is not about eternal destination, however. This column is about my friend’s question. Upon my disagreement with her on what is apparently a “deal-breaker” in her mind, she leapt to the conclusion that I might not actually be a Christian.

Had I any doubt about my relationship with God being secure, I would have felt threatened or, at least, offended. As it was, I felt pity on a person who had such a shallow grasp of the Christian faith.

If that weren’t enough, though, as I sat there on the receiving end of the doubter’s mind, I realized that I have spent many years on the other side. I admitted to myself that once upon a time I spent way too much energy doubting the salvation of others.

For those of you who might think I am digging myself deeper into the hole of liberalism or universalism, hear me out. I still accept that as Christians we are to share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone. Many will not hear unless we tell them.

What I have come to understand, though, is that this good news is not so much about acquiring a list of things to believe as it is about getting to know a person and following him.

Getting to know Jesus and following him is what really matters. Having it all figured out would be nice, but have you ever had an earthly relationship in which you “had it all figured out”?

Are you getting to know and learning to follow Jesus?

The more I know, the less I know

If you have everything figured out, don’t bother to read any further. Just tell everyone who asks that you didn’t need to read this column. There are much better uses of your time.

If, on the other hand, you still sometimes wonder if you really do have much grasp on reality, welcome to humanity! Even Bishop N.T. Wright, one of the leading theologians of our time, tells his students that he is wrong one-third of the time; he just never knows which third it is!

I sometimes provoke discussion on controversial topics by starting with the claim that “You ought to agree with me on this, because I am right!” On many of these same topics, I know my own understanding has changed over the years, sometimes even reversed itself. I handle this by saying “I am just more right now than I used to be.’

Honestly, one really can’t help but think one is right; it is impossible to make a claim about what one believes and believe it to be wrong at the same time. Therefore, my claims to “rightness” are really not egotistical at all, but merely an admission that I am, in fact, thinking.

The more I grow as a Christian, though, the more I realize I have yet to learn. Sometimes when I learn new things they fit well with what I have already come to know. Sometimes, though, learning new things tears down matters and patterns of belief that I thought were settled.

For the foreseeable future, I will be preaching Sunday mornings on paradoxes of the Christian faith. There are many things we don’t, won’t, and can’t entirely figure out. This used to concern me. Now I am ok with it, but I cannot rest from trying.

If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that we need one another to get things figured out.

Thanks, Willie

I was appointed pastor of the Abbott United Methodist Church in 1995, and was there until June of 1999. I remember those years fondly. Attendance varied from 15 to 21 on average, and I remember being excited because we had 54 there one Easter.

We used to eat every Sunday after worship at the Turkey Shop, the once and future icon of the tiny town of Abbott. Abbott also happens to be the hometown of Willie Nelson, who grew up Methodist.

The Abbott United Methodist Church closed on Saturday, May 20. I and other former pastors were invited back for the service. The sanctuary was full, we sang together, and then we each had an opportunity to share memories of that place. Mine were all good.

One of the first things I noticed as we drove up was a "For Sale" sign with a "SOLD" banner across it, standing in front of the church. The Rev. Reed Justus, pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Hillsboro, who hosted the service, shared the fate of the building.

It has been bought by its most famous member, Willie Nelson, and will be preserved.

Thanks, Willie.

like it used to be

“Remember back when you didn’t have to lock churches? The town was safe; people didn’t lock their houses at night. I tell you, the world is getting worse!”

Who hasn’t had one of those conversations? I catch them about once a week. Sure, there are things I miss about “yesteryear” or “back in the day,” but, let’s face it, we can’t go back.

I’m sure one of the reasons churches did not use to worry about locking their doors during the week was that they didn’t have thousands of dollars worth of audio and video equipment in them.

Here is the angle I hadn’t thought of on this topic. Since Churches used to remain unlocked and available, people could, at any time of day or night, let themselves in and pray. Churches are no longer available in this way. Is this contributing to the further downfall of morality and decency?

Should church buildings, especially the sanctuaries, be available for prayer and meditation for the passer-by, or for anyone who wants to find God’s presence?

My first reaction to this is to say that God is no more available in a church building than anywhere else. If the church has been presenting itself as the source and location of God’s presence, we need to adjust that.

A church building is not the location of the presence of God. God will (and wants to) meets you wherever you are.

On the other hand: Christians, we should take seriously that people around us somehow identify the place where we meet with the presence of God. Are we ready and willing to consciously carry the presence of God with us for others?

Things just aren't like they used to be

“Remember back when you didn’t have to lock churches? The town was safe; people didn’t lock their houses at night. I tell you, the world is getting worse!”

Who hasn’t had one of those conversations? I catch them about once a week. Sure, there are things I miss about “yesteryear” or “back in the day,” but, let’s face it, we can’t go back.

I’m sure one of the reasons churches did not use to worry about locking their doors during the week was that they didn’t have thousands of dollars worth of audio and video equipment in them.

Here is the angle I hadn’t thought of on this topic. Since Churches used to remain unlocked and available, people could, at any time of day or night, let themselves in and pray. Churches are no longer available in this way. Is this contributing to the further downfall of morality and decency?

Should church buildings, especially the sanctuaries, be available for prayer and meditation for the passer-by, or for anyone who wants to find God’s presence?

My first reaction to this is to say that God is no more available in a church building than anywhere else. If the church has been presenting itself as the source and location of God’s presence, we need to adjust that.

A church building is not the location of the presence of God. God will (and wants to) meets you wherever you are.

On the other hand: Christians, we should take seriously that people around us somehow identify the place where we meet with the presence of God. Are we ready and willing to consciously carry the presence of God with us for others?

Blast from the Past

Outside the AT&T Bricktown Stadium in Oklahoma City is this statue of Johnny Bench. As a catcher for 5 years of Boy's Club baseball in the mid 70's, I was a big fan of the Big Red Machine and especially Johnny Bench.

Thanks, Johnny, for the years of wanting to be able to do what you did on the field. While you're here, thanks also for: not running into the stands to beat up a fan; not holding out for 12 million a year because you refused to live on 4 million a year; and especially, for not pretending that being an All-Star Catcher and World Series Champ made you an authority on cultural and political issues.

What has God to do with Monopoly?

Normally I am a free speech kind of guy. But this bumper sticker has me re-thinking that part of the First Amendment. It said, “Get out of Hell free!” then, in smaller print, in added, “John 3:16.”

John 3:16 does not mention hell or getting out of it for free. Perhaps the most memorized scripture, it says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

While I can see how someone could construe that bumper sticker from this passage, I don’t think it is a healthy link. The other clear reference the bumper sticker makes is to Monopoly, that great old board game that includes “Get out of Jail Free” cards. It is Monopoly’s version of a trump card.

The way the card works, in case it has been a while, is the player who draws this card on his or her turn simply hangs on to it until such time as it is needed. If that player is sent to jail, for any reason, he or she simply pulls out this card, shows it to the other players, and no longer has to go to jail.

I am really disturbed that what Jesus came to offer us is presented like this! Jesus intention was not to gift is a card to carry around in our pockets in case we are faced with hell someday. Jesus came to invite all of us into a way of life that includes God all the way, not just at the end if we get in trouble.

John 3:16 offers eternal life. Eternal life, though, is not merely escape from hell; rather, it is the opportunity to welcome God’s presence into our lives all the way along. Jesus himself said, in John 17:3, that eternal life is simply “knowing God.”

If you want to get out of hell free, play Divine Monopoly. If you want a life full of the presence of God and his love for you, you won’t need a trump card. All you need is Jesus.

They Are All Jesus

Someone once asked Mother Teresa how she had the strength to love so many people. She replied that she loved them all because they are all Jesus.

Jesus told a story about the Kingdom of God that has the King separating people on the basis of how they treated him. Some, he said, fed him when he was hungry, visited him when he was sick or in prison, clothed him when he needed clothes. Others did not.

The ones who had taken care of the King hadn’t realized they did anything for him. Those who had not also did not realize they had skipped opportunities to help the King. Who wouldn’t help a King in need?

The King clarified. “Whenever you showed compassion on anyone, the least of all people, you showed compassion on me. Whenever you ignored or avoided them, you ignored or avoided me.”

They are all Jesus.

Our Church has just wound up a month of a food drive. We got word the food pantry here in McGregor was nearly empty. This was simply unacceptable.

Our Outreach Team created and oversaw the food drive. We had competition between Sunday School Classes. We placed tubs throughout the church in which people could deposit food gifts.

I thought about food drives I’d done before. I always contribute something because I always have plenty of canned food in my house that I will never use. Some of it I bought because it was on sale. Some of it I buy because I have dreams of becoming a cook. Some of it I buy, it would seem, simply to sit on a shelf.

That’s the stuff I used to offer to food drives. After all, people who might need a hand now and then ought to be thankful there is a food pantry. They shouldn’t be too picky about what kind of food is available, right?

If Jesus were the recipient of your “generosity” in a food drive, would it make a difference?