Avoiding the Wastelands

     Every day, it seems, our minds want to lead us into the wilderness, a place in Scripture that is portrayed as a dry and barren wasteland. It is the place that the Scapegoat, Jesus Christ, was led into for 40 days and nights. It is the place of temptation and confusion and desolation.
     If I have learned one thing over the past few years it is this: We must renew our minds (Romans 12) and be transformed spiritually. We cannot settle for the wastelands, but instead must ask God to renew our minds and, in turn, our spirits and our lives.
     I get discouraged sometimes as I think about the moral course of our nation and even the Church (my denomination, anyways). It is disheartening to read how the Supreme Court's is going to decide on federal court rulings in San Francisco concerning gay marriage, because I know how decisions have been trending lately. I grow frustrated when I read about how the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s ecclesial courts turn a blind eye to pastors who are blatantly violating our church's constitution.
     Things appear to be careening into the wastelands, at times, particularly in what we teach about the definition of marriage and all things "family." I feel at times like there is no redeeming it, that God has withdrawn his hand. My defeatist attitudes steer me into the same wastelands. And then I remember the unique place I am in to teach and preach the Scriptures and God's Word.
     Each of us is in a position to follow God's plan for our lives. If we are living and breathing, then God can use us. I prefer to stand alongside others, because I know I cannot do it alone, but I am still here. You are still here. We are still able to seek renewal and not cross over into the wastelands.

Off the Google Grid

     I am shocked.
     I just Googled the name of a historical person that a standard Google search knows nothing about. I didn't think this was possible.
     Go ahead. Try it. The guy's name is Rev. John Fleetwood, a Bible scholar from the 17th or 18th centuries who wrote the book, "The Life of Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Google his name and tell me if you can find any historical information about this guy. The only results I get are book distributors trying to sell old copies of this book.
     I want to know about this man. You see, somebody just gave me an 1863 copy of this book as a gift. It will need to be restored professionally, but I would like to know more about what I am having restored.
     Aside from being more than a little curious about this man, I am excited to know there may be uncharted territory out there in cyberspace. It's not exactly Columbus in search of the Indies, but it's got my pioneering blood flowing this morning.

Life in the Slow Lane

     I just had lunch with an older friend of mine. He drove a whopping 30 miles per hour the whole way to the restaurant, and he opted to stay in the "fast" lane of traffic.
    Other drivers weaved their cars around us, so they could arrive at their destinations more quickly. My friend, well, he was oblivious to the aggravation he was causing neighboring drivers. He continued to drive at his own pace, while the world raced on around him.
     And then there was lunch.
     I powered through my hamburger, fries, and salad in short order while he took his time, cutting each piece of medium-rare steak methodically, taking about one bite every five minutes. More important to him, it seems, was our time together and stories well-told. Me, I was completely interested in what he had to say, don't get me wrong, but I was constantly thinking about the ticking seconds and minutes left in my work day.
     Lunch today was a  positive exercise, not only because it was delicious (and free) but because my friend forced me to slow down for things that need to be taken more slowly: eating, friendship, conversation, and yes, driving.

Life as a Spiritual Camel

     I am what you call a spiritual camel. When my tank runs low, I drink wide and deep from spiritual water sources (watching video sermons, reading books, connecting with old mentors, extra prayer time, extra time in Scripture, etc...). My day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month disciplines, however, leave room for improvement. What I need is a sustainable, spiritual life as a follower of Jesus Christ, a life that visits spiritual oases on a daily basis.
     Yes, pastors need to "get a life" (a spiritual one) just as with any other disciples. We like to double-dip from our preparation time for sermons and Bible studies. In other words, we oftentimes count the time we spend preparing a message or lesson for other people as time alone with God. I do not discount that we reap spiritual blessings and insights performing this work for the Church, but I don't think it really counts as personal devotional time with the Lord.
     This past week, I have reconnected with old pals in the faith, guys that will pray for and encourage me in my faith and guys that I can pray for and encourage. I am gorging right now on video sermons, and reading theological articles out the wazzoo. The key to an ongoing life of spiritual health for me, though, is continuing these daily and weekly practices once my tank is again full.
     In the meantime, I will enjoy the water.

Wrestling with Apostolic Succession

     I have struggled with the doctrine of apostolic succession lately. Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians would claim legitimacy as the "One, True Church" simply because the pope can trace his role as the Vicar of Christ all the way back to St. Peter. The "keys of the kingdom," they argue, have been passed down from pope-to-pope -- regardless of how good or corrupt -- throughout the first 2,000 years of the church.
    Apostolic succession, rather, seems more about passing along the doctrines of the early church, and the Gospel message itself, from generation to generation.
    It is amazing how the message of the Gospel has remained intact for two millennia despite our best efforts to dilute and silence it. The Word of God has remained a bedrock while the world has been led back-and-forth by every wind of teaching.
     Like the long line of popes before us, the Church has sometimes proclaimed this message in its fullness; at other times not so much. We sometimes preach the Christian message "in spirit and in truth"; at other times we are absorbed into the culture around us or we swing toward harsh legalism.
    To the degree that we receive and pass along the true teachings of the Church -- proclaiming it in word and deed, in spirit and in truth -- we stand in the line of apostolic succession and stand as the One, True Church.
     It does not depend upon which tradition or denomination we come from. It does not depend upon how historic our church building is, or if we meet in a shopping center or gymnasium. It does not depend upon whether we worship God with praise music instruments or the organ. It does not depend upon whether we use liturgy in our worship or gravitate toward a bulletin-less service.
     Apostolic succession is all about the message that we proclaim (as a community of faith) with our words and our lives.
    O Lord, help us to be more apostolic.

Taking the Day Off

     It's good to know that when I have a Sunday off, the worship of God goes on.
     This is perhaps the most egotistical statement ever written, and yet it is important for a self-centered soul like me to remember. Last night was my wife's office Christmas party and I had a Sunday morning off from the church. No worship leading. No preaching. Just a whole lot of sleeping in on a lazy Sunday morning at The Magnolia, a fancy hotel in downtown Dallas.
    It's kind of nice to have a day off, now and then. But what is truly nice is when I called our worship leader, Brandon, at 2 this afternoon to check in on how the service went. It turns out we had several guests who visited. The Spirit of God was moving, he said, and generally speaking, things went just fine!
     Just fine?! You mean the worship of God does not depend upon my presence? My leadership? God, do you mean to tell me that you don't need me?
     Well, as it turns out, that is a true statement. God does not need me to do his work on Sunday mornings (or on any other day, for that matter), but He chooses to use me. It is a privilege to lead people in the worship of the living God on Sunday mornings and to preach God's Word. But it's so cool that God's work continues on in this little corner of His kingdom even when a pastor gets the day off.
   

Can't Go Back

     I just finished up a book that is my life in reverse.
   Rome Sweet Rome is the autobiographical account of Scott and Kimberly Hahn and their journey to Roman Catholicism. Scott was a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) pastor who, after much theological wrestling, found a new home in the Catholic Church. It took his wife years to follow him wholeheartedly along the same path, but she also experienced a seismic, spiritual shift that led her to Rome.
    Part of me is seriously drawn to his story. There are times I long for "Mother Church" (the church of my youth). I admire the way Roman Catholics have "stuck to their guns" as our cultural landscape continues to shift (on everything from Pro Life stances to their positions on divorce and sexuality).
     My denomination -- in an attempt to be culturally relevant at every turn -- continues to fall away from orthodox, scriptural teachings that have guided the Church for millennia.
    You see, I started off as a Roman Catholic, but after accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior in college, I landed in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). I also spent a few years in the Presbyterian Church in America.
     I don't forsee a time when I will land back in the Roman Catholic Church, but it is fun to read about how God worked in a person's life and led them in a completely different direction.
     But if the Church is bigger than one denomination or tradition, then maybe we are already a part of the one, true catholic church.