Make A Fist

Further reflections on Mark Driscoll's session at ReFocus

I really resonated with Mark's introduction and his conclusion:
Liberalism leads to vague spirituality which is actually spiritism (aka demonism). Fundamentalism leads to religion because it is about what we can do to please God. This leades to despair because we can't measure up or pride because we're doing a better job than the people around us. Both are reactions to pluralism - Liberalism embraces it and says that all are religions are basically equal; Fundamentalism is threatened by it and retreats to the plains and the trenches. (BTW - I heard a great take on fundamentalism - not enough fun, too much damn and too little mental).
This makes a lot of sense to me. I guess the issue is that in the end, I felt like Mark was more of a fundamentalist than he maybe wants us to think. The truth is that most people (especially liberals) would look at me and define me as a fundamentalist. I wonder if the the best place to be is when liberals call me a fundamentalist and fundamentalists call me a liberal. I just think that even fundamentalists are going to label Mark as one of them. And this leads me to my thoughts on his conclusion...
I really like the image of the closed fist and open hand and the idea that there are somethings that we need to hold in a closed fist and defend with our lives and there are other things we need to hold with an open hand. I just don't agree that the role of men in ministry belongs in the closed fist along with the divinity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, the resurrection, the Trinity, the innerrancy and authourity of Scripture, etc.
The danger is that we will use the closed fist to beat people. Just because I place something in my closed fist doesn't mean it can't be talked about and debated.

How you say it is as important as what you say

Here are some random thoughts on Mark Driscoll's session (you'll find it on www.willingdon.org/refocus/ then follow the links to main session videos)

1. There was a lot of good things that he said. I believe that if we were to evaluate our ministries it wouldn't take much to realize that generally the church is geared way more toward women than toward men. The teaching style, the decor, etc. However, what is a decor that men would like? (And if they notice the decor right away, does that make them less of a man in Mark's eyes?) Would we have to make our churches look like mini stadiums? Rock concert venues? Pubs?
2. I'm not sure that I'd put men as the second priority after Jesus and before the church. It seems to me that Jesus was pretty sold on the church as being one of his top priorities and there is very little teaching (comparatively) on men.
3. It is hard to evaluate biblically with Mark because he doesn't appeal to many passages of Scripture. It seems like the evaluation and discussion have to take place on a philosophical level but Mark takes the discussion to a theological level and then makes it impossible to debate (and even discuss) at that level because he doesn't provide much (any?) Scripture backing for what he says. But lets take it down to a philosophical level for a moment (and much of the credit for this thinking has to go to Pastor Steve): Mark argues that if you get the men, you get the rest. Couldn't the same argument be made for making women the priority? Women are the primary nurturers and care-givers of children so if you get the women you get the children. Women primarily control the household budget so if you get the women you get the money...
4. Where are the poor in Mark's priorities? If there are 2000 verses in the Bible about our treatment of the poor, you'd think they might be one of God's priorities and if they are one of his, then they should be one of ours.
5. I am drawn to Mark's view of the exalted Jesus. In some others speaking I've heard him do he camps on this quite a bit and, while I am not a fan of his style (again, he becomes offensive to make his point, just like he did to worship pastors in this one), his point that Jesus is not a wimp is a good one for us to remember. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords and the vision John has of him in Revelation is certainly not of a weak Saviour but a Warrior in the order of the Spartans (except it seems like he wears more clothes!).
6. I am also drawn to Mark's challenge for us to be intentional in ministry. This makes sense: let's evaluate strategically where the message of the kingdom of heaven will have the most impact on our culture and then go like crazy to spread the message there. Let's stop huddling in the plains and start taking back the cities.
7. This was a huge lesson for me that while my points might be valid, I need to present them in such a way that they don't be come invalid because of my presentation. My content and my delivery must both work together to exalt Christ. My content (if it is biblically sound and glorifying to God) should not get lost in the delivery.
8. Mark is not so much willing to be martyred for the cause of Christ as he is hoping to be martyred for the cause of men, especially of men only in ministry. Because he didn't examine the passages in his message that might support this view, I can't evaluate his thinking on them but I do wonder if men only leadership is the cause that the apostles died for...

Peace and Love

Ephesians 6:21-24

I see two sides to Paul: there's Paul the revolutionary who speaks the truth boldly and stirs up trouble and riots in every city and then there's the gentle relational Paul who shows very intimate care and concern for the disciples of Christ. The gentle, relational Paul is the Paul I see here in these verses. He knows that the Ephesian church is interested in his well-being and ministry and he is sending someone (probably carrying the letter) to tell them.
I want to be that kind of pastor: the pastor who is not afraid of truth but always speaks it in the context of loving relationships. I want my staff and students to know that I care about them very much (because I do) and I am very concerned for their well-being and ministry. If I want the closing words on the letter of my life to be "Peace, love and grace to you through God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ" then I need to be speaking peace, love and grace in everything that I do and say - both up front and in personal relationships.

Fearless

This was done April 12 but I couldn't post until today.

Ephesians 6:18-20

Pray for me! Pray will all kinds of requests and prayers! Just pray! It seems like Paul’s strategy for an offensive against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms is to pray. He doesn’t differentiate between any kinds of prayers but just urges his reader to pray. There’s a sense of urgency to his imperative.
Paul also realizes that he is in the middle of a spiritual battle whenever he witnesses for Jesus and speaks on his behalf and so he asks for prayer: first that he would be given words to make known the mystery of the gospel and secondly that he would declare those words fearlessly.
Pray for me that I would be given words to make known the mystery of the gospel. Pray that I would not make the gospel to simple so that it loses its mystery. Pray that I would not reduce the mystery of the gospel to a formula. Pray for me that I would also speak fearlessly. I desperately want people to like me so pray that I would not be held back by that desire but would speak fearlessly the truth in the context of loving relationships. Pray for me that I would be aware of the spiritual battle that is being waged for the souls of our students. Pray that not one more student in Lethbridge would be lost (I’m tired of losing them!) to the kingdom of darkness. Pray that I would be protected as I begin to engage this battle. This is war. Pray for me.

Hold!!!

Ephesians 6:10-17

This reminds me of every war movie I've ever seen: Dig in. Hold fast. Stand firm. Over and over, Paul entreats the reader to stand: "take your stand against the devil's schemes" "stand your ground" "after you have done everything, to stand" "stand firm"
Paul reminds us that our struggle is not against people but against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. I think I need to remember that people as individuals and people as groups are not the enemy. They have been affected by the curse of sin just like I was and while they may be fighting against everything that I love and think is important (seeing me and Christianity as the enemy at times), my job is not to fight against them but fight against the spiritual forces that are blinding them to the reality of the gospel of Christ. I think it is ok to debate ideas and philosophies because sometimes ideas and philosophies are what Satan uses to blind people to the truth but I always need to keep in mind that the person I am debating is not the real enemy. It is not my job to crush them or defeat them but to show them the way to the kingdom of heaven.
What I do need to remember is that my work as a youth leader (and yours as youth leaders) is a spiritual battle. Satan is trying to keep their eyes blinded to the fullness of God in Christ. This means that I need to pray like crazy... but I'm getting ahead of myself. That's tomorrows verse.

Learning Obedience

Ephesians 6:1-9

Paul now addresses the child-parent and slave-master relationship. I believe this still falls under the heading of "submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" and "how to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."
The thing that is interesting to me is that Paul uses a relatively large amount of words to instruct slaves to treat their masters with respect (compared to the number of words that he uses to instruct masters on their treatment of slaves). Paul doesn't address what we would call the unjust structure of slavery. He is not attempting to break the yoke of slavery and set the oppressed free. He simply addresses the slave and tells them to how to behave as a follower of Jesus in slavery. Either slavery in that day and age was not injust or there is a great issue than oppression here.
Not having any children of my own and not being a slave or a master (although I do have people work for me who I do not pay... does that make me a slave master?), there is still a principle that I can take from this: all people have been created in the image of God and are owed my respect based on that alone. Part of my role as a follower of Christ is to spread the image of God (or the kingdom of God) where ever I can. One way that I can do that is to treat all humans with respect, acknowleding the image of God in them. This means that I, as an employee of the congregation, owe them my best work during the hours that I have said I will work for them and the hours which they are paying me to work for them. That is one significant way that I can show them respect. This means that I need to honour and shepherd and equip and lead my volutneer staff - not as a slavemaster but as a fellow shepherd - to do the work that God is calling them to do both in the youth ministry and in the rest of their lives. This is how I show them respect. In doing that I show respect for the image of God in them.

Tap out

Ephesians 5:21-33

I don't think men should be allowed to read verses 22-24. All it does is stoke the fires of selfishness and pride. Ok, I should probably also say that women shouldn't be allowed to read v. 22-28 because it seems to do the same thing.
Why is it that when we read instructions about how someone is supposed to treat us we become blind to the instructions about how we are supposed to treat others? Why is it that the (mostly male) editors of Bible translations always placed the heading break "Wives and Husbands" or something similar AFTER the verse "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ"? Did they think that by doing that they could minimize the notice of that verse and people would give more notice to "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands..." (like we needed the help to overemphasize that!)? Why is it that men traditionally have wrestled their wives into submission and women have had to make their husbands love them? It becomes a huge selfishly motivated war which lasts until someone taps out. We could avoid the whole thing if we would just submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Me loving my wife like Christ loved the church is part of me living a life worthy of the callling I have received (4:1).
So how am I supposed to treat my wife? I am supposed to show her my love by sacrificing my life to make her shine. I am supposed to put aside my own interests and invest my whole self in her interests, emotions, needs and wants (sounds suspiciously like submitting...). I am supposed to be willing to lose my identity, my goals and even my life for her sake because I am supposed to love my wife like Christ loved the church. If I can be honest, and I believe I can; I don't love my wife this way. I am still selfish and full of pride. Christine is so often willing to support me and to give of her time and energy, sacrificing her own, for me and I am very willing to take advantage of that.
Lord, give me the love for Christine that you have for the church.

Questions for Paul

Ephesians 5:15-20

I get the first 3 verses of this passage: because the days are evil, we need to be careful to make the best of every opportunity (good doesn't cut it anymore, we need to make the most of it). It's like Paul is saying: "There's no time to fool around anymore! The days are evil and we need to make the most of of every opportunity to do the Lord's will."
After an intro like that, I'm expecting these grand pronouncements about what the Lord's will is. And... (drum roll, please!)... "Don't get drunk!"
What? This is how we make the most of every opportunity? I guess it sort of makes sense that we can't be doing the Lord's will and making the most of every opportunity if we're drunk but it seems a little out of place here. It also seems out of place when I look at what Paul asks me to replace getting drunk with (I realize that sounds like I get drunk. I don't.): being filled with the Spirit. This is another interesting comparison. Strip off drunkeness and replace it with the Spirit. Drunkeness leads to all kinds of selfish indulgence and the Spirit leads to... singing? Really?
While I might not understand the comparison that Paul is making, I do understand that our concept of corporate worship is way off. Usually we see it as a chance to get together and worship God in a crowd of individuals. Paul (and Christ) have a way higher calling for corporate worship - we are supposed to be speaking to each other in song. When you sing in a service, you are not just singing to God but you are preaching to me. You are building me up by the words you sing, the expression on your face and your posture of worship. When I look across from the youth section and see you pouring your praise out to God with your whole heart, that tells me that God is worthy of worship and worthy of everything I can give him (and more). Your song is your sermon and when I join with you we get to preach it together.

Light 'em up!

Ephesians 5:8-14

Not only are we supposed to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness (I like that phrase!), we are supposed to expose them. We, as children of light, are supposed to shine the light of Christ on the futile, empty and shameful things of this world. It reminds me of a Bruce Cockburn song:"Kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight."
Not only are we supposed to shine our light, we are supposed to change the very character of darkness into light: "Everything exposed by the light becomes visible - and everything that is illuminated becomes a light." I know that it is not technically "we" who change the character of darkness but it is the power of God but I also know that God has chosen to use his children working in the power and under the direction of his Holy Spirit as his primary method to bring light to the darkness in this time. He is committed to this method and rarely will he make an exception. He has given us the responsibility to be his witness and take his light to all nations and all people.
I had a prof at BBC (Hindrager) who would get students who fell asleep to stand and read v. 14. It was quite funny! The student was usually in such a stupor that they didn't get the joke but the rest of the class sure did. The truth is that it is time for me to wake up and allow the light of Christ to shine on me, exposing the darkness in me and turning it into light and to allow the light of Christ to shine through me so that the darkness of this world may be exposed and possibly, through the grace of God, turned to light.

Be careful little tongue what you say...

Ephesians 4:29-5:7

I've often used Ephesians 4:29 as a verse to prove that swearing is wrong. Looking at it in the context, I don't think that's what it is saying. I think Paul is talking about when someone speaks in public, they should be certain that the things they are saying are true and helpful for building up those who are listening. This is a good challenge for me as I prepare to speak this Sunday - my job isn't just to entertain or have people appreciate what I say. My job is to build them up according to their needs. This might mean pointing out errors in their thinking or living or it might mean encouraging and praising them for choosing righteousness. Part of my job is to determine what they need (not what they want necessarily) and to meet that need through the Scriptures.
Paul is continuing his list of things that we should strip off and things we should put on instead. Change out of unwholesome talk and put on what builds up others. I think this applies beyond just public speaking. I think this means that we should be careful with our sarcasm and joking and our conversations in general. Does what I say build others up? Paul gets back to this in 5:4 - strip off obscenity, foolish talk (that's a pretty broad category...) and coarse joking and put on thanksgiving. This seems like a pretty unusual replacement - it isn't obvious that thanksgiving would replace obscenity, etc. But when I think about it, most obscenity comes from feeling put out or from feeling like something unjust has happened to me. The best thing to switch from feeling "robbed" is to cultivate thankfulness for all I have been given.
There's lots more that could be said from this passage but I think I'll leave it there for now.

Strip!

Ephesians 4:20-28

Sensuality, impurity, indulgence and greed are not the way of the disciple. We learned a different way of life when we were taught the truth of Christ. We are supposed to put off the old life which has been corrupted by sin and put on the new self which is purified by Christ. Basically Paul is teaching that when we were saved, we were changed into the person that God originally intended at the creation of the world before sin entered the picture. Even though this new self is a creation of God and a gift from him, there is still a responsibility on my part to take action: to take of the old and put on the new. Without God change or transformation is impossible but there is still something that I have to do: strip up the old, dirty, corrupted clothes of sin and put in the shining, new, perfect clothes of Christ. Randy Stonehill (now I'm dating myself) has a song about this: I'm packing up my old clothes with my old and foolish ways; they just don't seem to fit me anymore...
Paul then goes on to tell us how to do that practically: strip off lying and put on truth, put off sinning in anger and put on righteous anger (ok, I'm reading into that a bit), and finally (the one that seems a bit weird), put off stealing and put on an honest day's work and genorisity to the poor. That one stands out a bit because the others seem so general: everyone lies, everyone gets angery but there's not a lot of people who steal, is there?
If we look at a biblical definition of stealing, maybe Paul's admonition isn't so strange: stealing is keeping back any of your tithe from God (Malachi), stealing is not looking after the marginalized (James), stealing is not giving to God what belongs to him (Jesus) and stealing is taking anything that doesn't belong to you or keeping for yourself what is owed to another. Traditionally this means that you give your employer, your customer, your spouse, etc. everything that they deserve or expect. If they are paying you for 8 hours of work, you give them a solid 8 hours. I wonder if this is exactly what Paul had in mind since he remedies stealing with working in this passage.
When I look at it this way, I am a thief. Personally I think I work pretty hard but honestly I often steal from my spouse to give to my work. I need to remedy that!