progressive christianity

God helps those…

/ JJS / 4 Comments

wasntme

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 51; 148, Isaiah 61:1-9, 2 Timothy 3:1-17, Mark 10:32-45

“God helps those who help themselves.”

Many people throw this proverb around like a Bible verse. It was popularized by Ben Franklin in Poor Richard’s Almanack, but versions of it have been around for centuries. Its sentiment – that we should be self-sufficient where we can – is innocent enough, but it has also been corrupted to rebuff those who ask for help. Does it ever seem like we put more effort into making excuses why we shouldn’t help people, than for finding reasons why we should?

Some people learn to be so self-conscious about asking for help, that they won’t even ask others to pray for them. And like the disciples who grew angry when James and John had the nerve to ask Jesus whether they could sit on either side of him in glory, they aren’t comfortable with other people asking either. Jesus reminded the disciples yet again that those who would be great must become servants to all, but he didn’t fault James and John for asking. Servants don’t just do, they depend – on each other and on those they serve. Asking for needed help is no weakness, and we shouldn’t resent it in ourselves or others.  Often when, out of pride or shame, we “don’t want to be a bother” we end up causing more work, inconvenience, and/or injury than if we’d asked for help in the first place.

On the other hand, Jesus didn’t simply hand James and John everything they asked for. He told them they didn’t know what they were asking; could they follow in his steps and suffer his fate? When they said yes, he told them they would but what they asked was not in his power to grant. When we ask for something, we shouldn’t get upset if someone then in good faith questions whether we’ve already done what we can and should. An invitation to further conversation is not a rejection.

Whether we’re doing the asking or being asked, we are called to the same attitude of humble service. The least we can do … is the least we can do.

Comfort: You are allowed to ask for help.

Challenge: When you need it, ask for help.

Prayer: Source of mercy and grace, give me the heart of a servant. Amen.

Discussion: Have you ever been that person who won’t ask for help, then needs twice as much help later? If so, did you learn anything from it?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Stupid and Senseless Controversies

/ JJS / 1 Comment

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Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 97; 147:12-20, Isaiah 60:1-22, 2 Timothy 2:14-26, Mark 10:17-31

“Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.” – 2 Timothy 2:23

In our age of instant global communication, Paul’s advice to Timothy is more valuable than ever. The boundaries between social media, entertainment, marketing, and journalism  have eroded to almost nothing. Constantly connected to this content stream, we feel personally involved in local, national, and even international controversies created solely for the purpose of getting us to watch, click, and share.

With endless information coming at us from infinite directions, and with that information digitally curated to tell us what we’d like to hear, it is easy to be fooled into thinking we are feasting on a banquet of ideas when we are really being force fed slop. The opinions we form, based on this non-information, are little more than products we didn’t consent to buying. When it comes to trending stories and controversial “news,” it’s almost always a safe bet to assume we know less than we think we do.

It’s perfectly acceptable – even desirable – not to have an opinion on everything, particularly things that don’t involve us. Whether in person on online, we should resist the urge to quarrel about with equally uninformed friends and family. We are also free to not respond in kind (or at all!) when provoked. Humble uncertainty injects peace into situations where others are more invested in finding offense than common ground.

We have only so much physical, emotional, and spiritual energy to expend. A juicy scandal may offer to entertain us, but in the end will leave us diminished.

The world has always schemed to distract us from our own best interests, but we don’t have to let it succeed. There are real controversies and injustices – the kind Jesus spoke about and addressed and which still exist today – that merit our attention. Poverty. Hunger. Violence. Distancing ourselves from celebrity gossip, fake news, partisan spin, and topics that are simply none of our business also frees up our resources for these worthier pursuits.

Controversy is an unavoidable part of an authentic life. Let’s engage wisely.

Comfort: Feel free to not have an opinion.

Challenge: When someone says something you disagree with, pause before reacting and decide whether you need to react at all.

Prayer: God of peace, teach me to be a peacemaker. Amen.

Discussion: What’s the last stupid quarrel you were in?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Flip

/ JJS / 1 Comment

20170208_175756-01.jpegToday’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 89:1-18; 147:1-11, Isaiah 59:1-21, 2 Timothy 1:15-2:13, Mark 10:1-16

We can all struggle with decisions. From dinner to voting, sometimes we just get stuck. A friend once advised that when we find ourselves spinning our mental wheels, we should flip a coin. The result is not binding: if it lands and we feel satisfied, let it ride; if we think, “Maybe two out of three…” make the other choice. When we go to friends for advice, they often tell us, “You know what to do.” At that point we’re not seeking advice so much as a nudge in the right direction. When we are determined to do something we know is a bad decision … those are the times we don’t seek advice at all.

Sin is that last type of decision: we deliberately turn away from God and conscience. Isaiah promises God’s arms are not too short to reach us, or His ears too weak to hear. Rather, we erect our own barriers through sin. Isaiah describes sinners who weave webs to snare others and clothe themselves, but find no shelter in them. He talks about the serpent eggs they hatch to poison others. Webs of lies. Hatched plots. Such sins cover us in barriers of shame, fear, and guilt that can make it feel almost impossible to turn back to God. Always there, he can’t offer forgiveness we don’t seek.

Jesus tells us to receive the Kingdom of God like little children. Children are shameless. They can grind peanut butter into a shag carpet and still ask for the jelly with a smile. We raise them to understand consequences, but spend little time training them to accept forgiveness. To stop reaching for us and to start obeying us – or hiding when they don’t. To see God that way. Tearing down those barriers built by sin means trusting that God will forgive us. That’s a lot of unlearning, but we don’t have to be defined by our bad decisions; Christ practically begs us to make the one good choice which restores us to wholeness.

We don’t need to flip a coin; we just need to flip an attitude.

Comfort: God is always waiting for you to seek His face.

Challenge: Learn to ask for forgiveness, even when you don’t feel like you deserve it.

Prayer: Thank you loving God for the gift of your grace. Amen.

Discussion: What conditions do you put on yourself (or others) before you can forgive?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Saltiness

/ JJS / 1 Comment

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Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 42; 146, Isaiah 58:1-12, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Mark 9:42-50

In our current political climate, both left- and right-leaning Christians are working hard at shaping the law of the land to better resemble their idea of the Kingdom. Of course this shape is not clearly defined anywhere in scripture. Instead of definitions we get parables comparing it to everything from sumptuous banquets to lost sheep. So we have some Christians who want to impose more rules, some Christians who want to reduce discrimination against people who don’t follow those rules, and a whole lot in the middle left wondering how we can disagree so strongly.

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, written from prison, he tells his young protégé not to be ashamed that the empire has jailed him, but to join him in suffering for the Gospel. He doesn’t tell Timothy to try to force the empire to change; rather he understands he resides in a Kingdom which is not defined by walls, laws, or empire. Neither he nor Timothy will submit to laws that run counter to the Gospel, and they understand there is a holy penalty to be paid for their behavior.

Are we Christians called to transform the world? If we are, we must do it like Paul did, by transforming ourselves into models of Christ, who submitted unto death. The empire’s tools of persuasion are the sword and spear, but we transform them into the plowshare and pruning hook: the threat of death versus the promise of life. Paul expanded the Kingdom without passing a single law or firing a single shot.

Jesus warned his disciples that once salt had lost its saltiness, it could not be seasoned again. We might have some small success seasoning the empire to align more with our tastes, but in the end we are a small ingredient caught up in a recipe for disaster. We can’t change the empire by force, and insisting on doing so eventually dilutes our essential identity.

We should be less concerned with whether we see the Kingdom when we look around, and more with whether strangers can see it when they look at us.

Comfort: We travel the Kingdom of Heaven from the inside outward.

Challenge: Salt in the pure form we enjoy does not lose its saltiness, but in Jesus’s time salt was not nearly as pure. Read up on it here.

Prayer: Lord of Heaven and Earth, I will do my best to be recognized as an ambassador of your Kingdom. Amen.

Discussion: How can we influence change through love rather than force?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Career Advice

/ JJS / 1 Comment

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Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 5; 145, Isaiah 57:14-21, Galatians 6:11-18, Mark 9:30-41

If you’ve been on a job interview in the last fifteen years or so, there’s a good chance you’ve been asked: “Where do you see yourself five years from now?” Potential employers ask this question hoping to determine how well your goals and motivation fit the position. Imagine applying for the position of vice-president of a Fortune 500 company, and answering: “I’m hoping to be in an entry-level position in the mail room by then.”

That would be a pretty crazy answer – unless you were interviewing for the position of disciple. Jesus had some unorthodox recruiting techniques (“Hey, Peter and Andrew! Quit your jobs and follow me!”) so it’s no surprise his career advice was unconventional as well. When the disciples argued about which of them was the greatest, Jesus told them: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” When following Jesus, success means service.

This doesn’t mean we should suppress or hide our talents and contributions, or that we can’t be leaders. To the contrary, we should fully use all the gifts at our disposal to the glory of God. We can even apply for that CEO position, as long as in all things we are serving as Christ commanded. No matter how successful the world tells us we might be, God’s criteria for success include how welcoming we are to children or whether we give a thirsty person a cup of water. We can serve from a penthouse or a cardboard box, but we must serve.

Servant leadership costs us. Sometimes that cost is social standing and higher earning; other times it may be our safety. Paul bore the marks of servant leadership on his body in the form of scars from beatings he received for spreading the gospel. We don’t aspire to these hardships or offer them as proof of our superior humility, but if necessary we modestly accept them. They prepare us for a career of Christ-like leadership. If someone asks us where we want to be in five years, are we ready to say “last of all?”

Comfort: Serving in the spirit of the Gospel is pleasing to the Lord.

Challenge: Be sure to temper your ambition with your humility.

Prayer: Creator God, I will use the gifts you have entrusted to me to serve your people. Amen.

Discussion: What’s the difference between being humble and demeaning yourself?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Monday Morning Quarterbacks

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Good Game

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 103; 150, Isaiah 57:1-13, Hebrews 12:1-6,John 7:37-46

When we identify strongly with a team, we celebrate when that team does well and feel the loss when it does poorly. We call it “our” team and say “we” played great last night, even though “we” have never set foot on a professional field. The sense of community among fans may help us feel included and part of something larger than ourselves. These are good things, but we don’t want to lose sight of reality; after all, “fan” is short for “fanatic.”

Paul had many kind words for newer Christian churches, but he also felt the need to let the air out of their tires a little. Compared to some churches, they’d had it pretty easy. He reminded them: “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” It was wonderful to be on Team Jesus, but they hadn’t yet played under duress. None of us knows with complete certainty how we’ll react under pressure until we actually do. When newer churches hadn’t yet felt the squeeze of the Christian big leagues, Paul did have advice about how to prepare: “let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” In other words, if you want to be more than a fan – to be a real part of the “we” – put in the training.

Monday morning quarterbacks believe they could have played a better game. Are we ever Monday morning Christians?  After Sunday services, do we look at the world and believe we could do as well as, or better than, people who are struggling across the globe or in the pew next to us? Without being in their shoes, we don’t know. If we want to be more than fans of Christ, if we want to wear the jersey, we need to put ourselves through the paces until we sweat compassion and bleed forgiveness. Only then do we truly learn that judging doesn’t move us toward the goal, but supporting each other does.

Comfort: If you’re putting in the effort, God doesn’t make cuts.

Challenge: Rather than criticizing or gossiping about people who fall short, find constructive ways to help them regain their footing.

Prayer: God of mercy, teach me to be merciful. Amen.

Discussion: Academically gifted students are often called upon to tutor. Are you aware of any programs where students who are athletically gifted are called to do the same? If not, why do you think not? If so, what was that like?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Losers

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Veterinarian and volunteer treating a sea turtle with a shell damaged by a boat motor.

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 63; 149, Isaiah 56:1-8, Galatians 5:25-6:10, Mark 9:14-29

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote:

If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another […] Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ […] all must carry their own loads.

Doesn’t sound much like our culture, does it? There are no hit “reality” TV shows about people cooperating to arrive the finale together. Businesses – not content simply to provide quality products which benefit their customers and provide owners and employees with a comfortable living – embrace  a model that can see markets only as competitions. Rather than a system to serve the common good of a nation by sharing ideas, politics long has been a power struggle which exploits tribal ideologies to create winners and losers.

If we want to follow Christ, we must defy cultural expectations. That has always been true, but ever since Christianity became the empire instead of the underdog (some seventeen centuries ago), and we turned the Gospel from an invitation into an edict, we’ve been looking for ways to convince ourselves Jesus backs a winner.

What does it mean both to bear one another’s burdens and to carry ou r own loads?

It means putting the welfare of other people ahead of our own. It means balancing  a humility of word and deed with a steady call for justice. It means seeking ways to serve rather than to conquer. It means willing to be among the last – those whom Jesus calls first in the Kingdom of Heaven, but what many in our society would call “losers.”

In his humility and self-sacrifice, Christ defied expectations of what the Messiah should be: crucifixion was not for winners. As his followers, our triumphs are achieved not through force and fear, but through love and sacrifice. Our strength comes from open hands, not closed fists. When impose our need for victory onto the message of the Gospel, we rob it of the power to reveal itself. Let’s trust the message to be enough.

Comfort: In Christ, you are strong enough to be vulnerable.

Challenge: Look for ways to be more cooperative, especially with people you consider rivals in some way.

Prayer: Holy and loving God, lead your church to unity. Amen.

Discussion: Are you competitive in ways you don’t need to be?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Beautifully Broken

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Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 84; 148, Isaiah 55:1-13, Galatians 5:16-24, Mark 9:2-13

Christians have an image problem. Like any other group in the age of the 24-hour news cycle, our most extreme and attention-grabbing brothers and sisters make the news and tell our story … whether we’d like them to or not. When a tiny church comprised of a handful of family members pickets military funerals to protest homosexuality, they make national headlines for years. A “family-values” politician caught in an affair becomes a media spectacle and fodder for those who would point out Christian hypocrisy. These types of public relations problems are not unique to Christians, or even religious groups. The public is fascinated with scandals, especially when they involve someone who has portrayed him- or herself as a “righteous” person.

Paul seems to draw distinct lines between the drunken, quarrelsome fornicators who will not inherit the kingdom of God, and the joyful, generous peacemakers who will. We want to heed his words: for good or ill, the behaviors he describes do have consequences in our lives and relationships with God and each other. As Christians we can feel pressure to appear as if we have all the good qualities and none of the bad. In reality, we have the same faults and foibles as everyone else, and when we pretend otherwise, people can practically smell the insincerity. Humbly acknowledging our own flaws doesn’t diminish our witness. To the contrary it tells the true story of grace: not that we become perfect, but that we accept God’s love despite our imperfections.

Acknowledging our flaws doesn’t mean we should settle for them. As we grow in our faith, our behaviors and attitudes will reflect that growth. When someone is thoroughly grounded in her or his faith, other struggling people – believers and non-believers alike – feel comfortable enough with that person to be truthful. To love like Christ loves, we must recognize a person’s brokenness without defining them by it. Let’s do our part to fix that image problem by showing the world following Christ means being humble and truthful. As Christ’s broken body heals the world, our broken and contrite hearts do also.

Comfort: God loves you broken, but doesn’t leave you broken.

Challenge: Resist the urge to make yourself look good. Instead try to be faithful.

Prayer: Thank you God for the love, forgiveness, and healing found in your grace. Amen.

Discussion: Common wisdom says we despise in others the flaws we struggle with ourselves. Do you find this to be true?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group , visit comfortandchallenge.tumblr.com, or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

These Boots Were Made For Preachin’

/ JJS / 2 Comments

Public hanging

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 130; 148, Isaiah 45:18-25, Ephesians 6:1-9, Mark 4:35-41

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul created one of the most popular extended metaphors in Christian literature: the armor of God. He writes about the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. He also mentions shoes, but is noticeably less specific about them: “put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.”

What do we put on to make us ready to proclaim the gospel of peace? As a society we design and purchase shoes specific to a countless number of functions. Sneakers are now court shoes, cross-trainers, running shoes, walking shoes, water socks, driving moccasins, and on and on. We buy shoes specific to occupations, seasons, and recreational choices (a tip of the hat to all you bowlers!). Perhaps we really don’t need so many kinds of shoes, but each makes its corresponding activity easier, safer, and more comfortable. That may be a good model for proclaiming the gospel.

Not everyone is open to hearing the good news in the same way, so we might want to think about stepping into their shoes. Some prefer an intellectual approach. Others respond to a more emotional testimony. And others learn more from observing our actions than listening to our words. There are probably as many ways people hear the gospel proclaimed as there are people … or styles of shoes. Our natural tendency is to proclaim the gospel in a way that fits us most comfortably: “If I am touched by emotional stories, you must be too!” Sharing the gospel with someone in a way that does not speak them can be awkward and even painful. Just as we might check the weather before deciding on flip-flops or snow boots, we should take time to get to know someone rather than forcing an inappropriate (and ineffective!) style of witness on them.

We can each become a collector of “proclamation” footwear – it’s free, takes up no space in our closets, and the more we have the more we can spread the good news!

Comfort: Your favorite style is a good fit for lots of other people…

Challenge: … but not for everyone.

Prayer: Thank you God for the diversity of creation; help me to understand people as they are, rather than expecting them to be like me. Amen.

Discussion: What’s your favorite style of Gospel shoes to wear?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!

Pain Management

/ JJS / Leave a comment

Pietà – Michelangelo

Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
Psalms 135; 145, Isaiah 44:6-8, 21-23, Ephesians 4:1-16, Mark 3:7-19a

When a person sustain an injury to one part of their body,  they can do further harm if they overcompensate with the use of other parts. For example, limping for an extended period of time can strain the back and good leg and require additional treatment. Another example of the interconnectedness of our parts is the phenomenon of referred pain, which occurs when injury to one area of the body causes pain in a seemingly unconnected one. We could experience pain in an arm without realizing the injury was actually to our spine; identifying the proper diagnosis and treatment under such circumstances can be difficult.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul compares the structure of the body of Christ to the human body. He emphasizes the importance of each part, and the need for unity in a healthy body. For the body to grow in love, all parts must function properly. Sometimes, though, we may not be able to easily determine which part we’re meant to be. What then?

Our “diagnostic test” is this: do our actions (or inaction) contribute to the spiritual unity of the body? If we unnecessarily cause other parts to falter or carry an unfair share of the load, we may need to reexamine our role. However, any physical therapist knows pain in the cause of healing is sometimes unavoidable. When it occurs in the body of Christ, we must ask ourselves whether the pain is a price to pay for unity. After all, we are called to voluntarily carry each other’s burdens, and infirmity is no sin. If it is, the body will be stronger for enduring it; if not we must seek or offer relief. When the body is brought back into balance, pain for all members of the body is minimized and the use of our gifts is maximized.

Like physical health, spiritual health is not founded on quick fixes. A mature approach encourages healthy, balanced decisions benefitting the body, not just ones satisfying localized  whims and short-term comfort. We all depend on each other, and must provide and accept support accordingly.

Comfort: The Body of Christ is meant to be a healthy one.

Challenge: With people you trust, have a frank discussion about what pains the Body of Christ is experiencing, and what we can do to make them better.

Prayer: God of healing, teach me to bring your wholeness to the body and the world. Amen.

Discussion: Have you ever learned you caused someone pain without knowing it?

Join the discussion! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to join an extended discussion as part of the C+C Facebook group or follow @comf_and_chall on Twitter. You’ll  have the opportunity to share your thoughts with some lovely people. Or feel free to comment here on WordPress, or even re-blog – the more the merrier!