Are you a believer?
Justin Bieber has his Beliebers. "Believers" have been known in some countries as groups fully committed to a cause, often one of anarchy and anti-government. The Monkeys crooned that seeing a woman's face made them believers. Christians have long identified themselves as believers. But what does this "belief" really mean? Where does it lead?
Seminary lends itself to plenty of opportunities for questioning belief and answer questions with more questions. After three blitzkrieg months of lectures, papers and readings a person could pull out whatever hair remained and move on to another career or school just for a break. So the greatest question before a seminarian must be, "Why are you here? Why are you in school for three years of graduate work? Why not something else? Why not a different school?"
Today our professor in Church History put it to our class this way: If you don't believe the Bible, and ultimately religion, has the power to change lives, then go to law school or business school to gain advantage in the areas where worldly power lies. If your religion and your religious education is your way of gaining advantage and power for yourself you are wasting your time at seminary. Power in the world is wielded through money, law and politics. If your goal is power, advantage and control, you are better suited for law school or business school.
So, are you a believer? Am I a believer? Do we really believe the Bible has the power to change lives? Have we actually experienced a change through our search of the Scriptures and our religious education?
No, our religion cannot be grounded in experience. It must be grounded in something unchanging (i.e. the Word - Scripture/Jesus). But, interaction with the Word means simultaneous experience or action. Bonhoeffer writes, "In the gospels the very first step a man must take is an act which radically affects his whole existence." (The Cost of Discipleship, p. 65) A change must occur (immediately, according to Bonhoeffer) or the "interaction" is one-sided and pointless.
Now to stop avoiding the question...am I a believer in the Word, in His ability to change me, in His power to change others?
Some days I want to believe more than anything else. Other days I don't want to believe because of what I think it will mean for my life. There are days full of total surrender and commitment to God's plan, but there are days of personally dictating what God should and shouldn't plan. Yesterday I may have relished the change in me through the Word and today I resent it.
The Word declares itself an active change-agent. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4:12) "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16,17)
Jesus, the Word of God in human form, is active. He is dividing the holy from the natural and preparing it for the righteous work on earth. He is looking into what we really are, reading our thoughts and intentions, determining our motives and correcting us, pouring a foundation in the immovable Word and teaching us to search for the everlasting Kingdom of God first of all.
I am not a Be-lieber (sorry, Rich). I am not an anarchist. And though my wife's face does stir up powerful emotion and feeing, it is only Christ Himself, the Living Word, that qualifies me as a believer today. And He must everyday.
Are you a believer?
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
The True Fan
Long ago I was a "true" baseball fan. The Chicago White Sox were my favorite team with Robin Ventura at third base, Ozzie Guillen at shortstop, Ray Durham at second base and Frank Thomas, my favorite player, at first base. Living in Kansas City meant I like a division rival. (In reality I liked the White Sox just to annoy my all-KC-fan friends.) I knew statistics and followed box scores. I dreamed of playing for the White Sox and even winning the World Series wearing the white and black pin stripe jerseys.
A fan is "a person who has compulsion toward" something in particular. (reference) Thesaurus.com shows similar words: buff, devotee, enthusiast, fanatic, freak, nut and junkie. This certainly described my love of baseball, and especially the White Sox, when I was 8-11 years old. As I grew older my loyalties morphed and I've become less fanatical for specific teams and more appreciative of the sport. In the mind of the "true fans" out there, I would most likely be seen as a turn-coat or lazy fan. Maybe I'm seen as a bandwagon fan.
Where does your devotion to Jesus rank on the Christian "fan-dom" scale? Much like my evolving baseball enthusiasm my devotion to Christianity and Jesus ebbs and flows. Admittedly my commitment waxes and wanes from day to day and moment to moment. There are times I can name the players on God's team with confidence and pride. Other times I couldn't care less. And though my wavering allegiances to baseball teams means little in the long run, I recognize the importance of choosing Christ's "team" and sticking with it.
It can be difficult to look around the bench (in church we call them pews) and wondering how we could possibly win a single game, let alone a championship. Our uniforms don't match or look like their from another era. Our signals are crossed and many players seem uncoordinated or uninterested in the action on the field. In short, we are screwed. But if watching sports comeback movies has taught me anything it's that the manager makes a huge difference.
Jesus Christ has a plan for this eclectic line-up of players in His dugout. He knows where each one fits. We cannot expect to win being fair-weather fans (or players). God's long-term quest for an eternal championship will be realized. Do not cast aside your confidence in your Manager. Keep showing up to the game, playing for the right team and waiting for Jesus Christ to bring in the greatest closer of all-time.
A fan is "a person who has compulsion toward" something in particular. (reference) Thesaurus.com shows similar words: buff, devotee, enthusiast, fanatic, freak, nut and junkie. This certainly described my love of baseball, and especially the White Sox, when I was 8-11 years old. As I grew older my loyalties morphed and I've become less fanatical for specific teams and more appreciative of the sport. In the mind of the "true fans" out there, I would most likely be seen as a turn-coat or lazy fan. Maybe I'm seen as a bandwagon fan.
Where does your devotion to Jesus rank on the Christian "fan-dom" scale? Much like my evolving baseball enthusiasm my devotion to Christianity and Jesus ebbs and flows. Admittedly my commitment waxes and wanes from day to day and moment to moment. There are times I can name the players on God's team with confidence and pride. Other times I couldn't care less. And though my wavering allegiances to baseball teams means little in the long run, I recognize the importance of choosing Christ's "team" and sticking with it.
It can be difficult to look around the bench (in church we call them pews) and wondering how we could possibly win a single game, let alone a championship. Our uniforms don't match or look like their from another era. Our signals are crossed and many players seem uncoordinated or uninterested in the action on the field. In short, we are screwed. But if watching sports comeback movies has taught me anything it's that the manager makes a huge difference.
Jesus Christ has a plan for this eclectic line-up of players in His dugout. He knows where each one fits. We cannot expect to win being fair-weather fans (or players). God's long-term quest for an eternal championship will be realized. Do not cast aside your confidence in your Manager. Keep showing up to the game, playing for the right team and waiting for Jesus Christ to bring in the greatest closer of all-time.
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