Who Are We Imitating?

I heard another song today. One that I hadn't heard before. In case you didn't know, I happen to love music. It has had a major impact in my life. That's been especially true of worship music and what I call "honest" music--the kind of music that tells things as they really are.

The song I heard today is called "My Jesus", by Todd Agnew. You can listen (and watch) by going here. Be prepared, though, the lyrics are challenging. Here are the lyrics:

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Chorus:
Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I'm tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I'm not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like my Jesus

Maybe I'm having a mid-life crisis (I am approaching 40), but those words really resonate with me these days. How do I answer the question that is put to me, "If Ephesians says to imitate Christ, why do you look so much like the world?" There is no answer that will satisfy both me and God.

What about the idea that, "You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me"? Wow. In order to imitate Christ, be like Him, do I have to love so much that I die? That's a pretty tough pill to swallow. But, as I have asked my students (and myself), "Do you really want it? How badly do you want it? What are you willing to do, what are you willing to give up?"

I've concluded that many traditional American conservative Christians scare me (I include myself in that lot). Why? First, because we are in fact imitating the world. Second, because, well, we are imitating.... each other! When I go to various places, I can usually identify the people that would fit into this "lot" (at least the younger group). We seem to act the same, do the same things, dress the same, raise our kids the same, etc. And, the real problem with that? I'm not really sure that's what the Word meant when it said to imitate Christ. Jesus wasn't an evangelical Christian, after all. Just more questions to think about. I'm sure you'd like to know when I find the answers (maybe?) So would I...... :)

I was listening to a song by Nichole Nordeman today titled "I Am". After listening to it, I decided it was rather appropriate for Easter.



The song got me thinking, "Why exactly did Jesus come and die on the cross?" Yes, yes, I know the "Christian" answer--to save us from our sins. I've decided that there was something even bigger that we humans needed. We needed a God we could be CLOSE to. Before Christ died and rose again, we were apart from God. Even God's chosen people the Jews had to approach Him through intermediaries (sacrifices or other men). But not anymore. We have all heard sermons on the name "I Am". I believe, however, that "I Am" implies more than just the "self-existent One." What if it means also, "I am whatever you need at any given moment in time. You need a healer? I Am. Comforter? I Am. Someone to come to you and say "Heed the voice of your Lord"? I AM." None of that would have been possible without the resurrection of Jesus, because we would still be separated from God.

By the way, that's the real reason that God doesn't want us worshipping other gods or dabbling in the divine/occult. None of that stuff can really meet our needs. Only He can. Only He really knows our needs, and He always stands ready to meet them.

Have a great Easter, everyone!

The Good in Good Friday

I read the story of Jesus dying on the cross to my daughter tonight.  After we finished and said good-night, I began to think.  I felt sad.  That story didn't have a happy ending!  It suddenly seemed so UNFAIR.  If I could multiply that by a factor of 100, I suppose I might have a small idea of how the disciples felt about it.  The story of the cross, by itself, really is not a happy story.

 

That got me thinking more.  I began to ponder why we call the Friday before Easter "Good" Friday.  I did some reading on the question and discovered that English-speakers are the only people to refer to this day as "Good."  In German, for example, it is known as "Mourning Friday".  Somehow that seems more appropriate.  I mean, seriously, what's good about a Man who claims to be the Messiah ending up deserted by His friends, nailed to a cross, and buried in a borrowed tomb?

 

Christians believe that Jesus died as a ransom for our sins.  His payment was required under God's law.  Humanity had broken the law and are living under a curse.  We needed a sacrifice.  It occurred to me that there were three important differences between the sacrifices of the Old Testament and the sacrifice that Jesus offered.

 

First, the sacrifices in the Old Testament were limited to specific people or group.  One sacrifice for one person or group.  Christ, on the other hand, offered a sacrifice that was (and is) for the whole world.

 

Second, Jesus was a perfect sacrificial victim.  Not only was He without "blemish or spot" (as the Old Testament sacrifices were required to be), but also He was human.  A human taking another human's place.

 

Finally--and this is the really important part, the Father accepted Jesus' sacrifice completely, so that we can really be forgiven, completely.  How do we know that the Father accepted this sacrifice?  Because of Easter.  Jesus rose from the grave as the evidence that the Father put the period on Jesus' claim that "It is finished".  You never see an animal in the Old Testament come back to life, do you?  That's because their sacrifice only "covered" sin and "appeased" God.  Christ's sacrifice "forgives" sin and "satisfies" the Father.  There is a world of difference.

 

So maybe Good Friday isn't so good by itself.  It's just that the story isn't finished until Sunday.  That's when the happy ending comes.

My Travels

"You will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left" (Is. 30:21, NASB).

 

    I often travel.. I like to travel over the many different roads that there are.  Some are paved, and make for quick, easy travel.  Others are dirt, and muddy, making the going rougher.  Some are superhighways, with many other people traveling the same way, affording me some companionship.  Others can be long, lonely country lanes.  But all are at least wide enough for two people, for I do not travel alone.  Jesus travels with me.
    Sometimes the road I am on seems to dead end, with a road crossing over it, and I have to make a choice.  I ask my Companion, "Which way, Lord?"  He replies, "Let's turn right."  And so we do.  Sometimes, though, I see someone else walking up beside me, and he turns left.
    "Lord," I ask, "I thought You said to turn right?"
     "I did."
    I am puzzled.  "Then why is he going left?"
    "Because he's traveling a different route."
    Sometimes I look over to the side and gaze into the ditch that lines the road.  Something catches my eye, and I stop to investigate.  I look and see some people sprawled in the ditch, and others laughing, seemingly without a care in the world.  Often, I stand there too long, and the soft ground gives way under me.  I find myself falling face-first into the ditch.  So, I pick myself up and look around.  I start to talk with the people there, and before long I've forgotten about my travels.  Until I feel a tap on my shoulder.
    I turn and find my Companion there.  "Isn't it time we be going," He asks.  I realize that I've left my Friend!  "Oh!  I'm really sorry, Lord.  I--I--don't know...." I stammer, trying to find words.

    But, He only smiles at me.  "Don't worry, it's all right.  You're forgiven."

    "Lord, I've tried to climb out of here.  but I'm just too tired from walking around.  It seems like everyone has left me alone."
    "Don't worry," He says reassuringly.  And with His strong arms, He picks me up and climbs out of the ditch with me.  He starts walking back down the road, still carrying me.  He says to me, "You're not quite strong enough to walk by yourself yet, so I'll carry you for awhile, okay?"  I am so worn out that I can only nod my head weakly.  "Okay, Lord."
    Eventually, He sets me on my feet again and lets me walk on my own, but remains close beside me to make sure I'm okay.
    "Lord," I ask, "where are we going?"
    He smiles again.  "We're going home."
    "How much farther is it?"
    "It's not very far now."
    And sometimes those pits are in the middle of the road, instead of along its sides!  I try to go around it, but I stumble.  I look at the Lord for help, and He shakes His head at me.  "No, not that way," He says.  "Let's go through it."
    "But, Lord," I protest, "I can't climb down into that!  I'll break my neck!  And how will I ever get back out?"  And, He only looks at me and smiles again.  "Don't worry," He says.  Then He picks me up in His arms and climbs down into the pit with me.

    Sometimes, He climbs down slowly, giving me a chance to get prepared, and my eyes a chance to adjust.  At other times, though, the wall is too steep.  "Hang on," He says.  Then, taking a small hop with me in His arms, we plunge down into the pit.  The sudden darkness is overwhelming.  After awhile, though, I get my bearings, as my eyes adjust.  We start to walk toward the other side.
    Often, there may be someone else in the pit, stuck in the mud.  We walk over, and the Lord says to me, "Let's help him out.  Remember when someone did the same for you?"  And indeed I do.  So, we help him out of the mire, and he begins to walk with us toward the other side.  Finally, we make it, and slowly climb out of the pit.
    "Thanks very much," our new friend says to the Lord and I.  "Don't mention it," the Lord says with a smile.  We continue to walk along together, talking about where we have been, and where we are going.  Finally, my friend turns down another road, and it is the Lord and I alone again.
    At times, the Lord points out people talking along the side of the road.  "Why don't we stop and ask them if they would like to join us," He suggests.  I hesitate, but then agree.  "Well, okay, Lord."  We go over and talk with them for awhile, and some of them decide to join us.  Others, though, often laugh at them--and me.  "Don't worry about them," the Lord says to us.  And so, we continue on our way.  In time, these companions also part from me, going their separate ways.
    "Lord," I ask, "where are they going?"
    He looks at me a little surprised.  "Why, home, of course.  They're just taking different routes."  I am puzzled again, and ponder that for a moment.
    "But, Lord, I thought this was the way."
    He smiles a knowing smile at me, and says, "I am the Way.  Walk with me in it."  And eventually, as we approach our home, that golden city, I see all the people that I have met and crossed paths with.  I look at the Lord, and He simply smiles at me again.
    And then, I too smile and nod in understanding--and joy.   I have finally reached the end of my travels on the roads of life.

 

    Jesus said in the Gospel of John, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father but by me" (14:6).  I think He left no doubt about the way to God.  But, even for those of us who have come to Christ, the journey is different for each of us; both the journey to Christ, and the journey from that point on.
    In his commentary on the life of Augustine, writer Richard Foster comments, "We today, in our preoccupation with the crisis of conversion, often forget the importance of the pilgrimage that precedes and follows conversion."  Some of us come to Christ early in life, others much later.  My father came to Christ only about two months before his death in 1994.  Sometimes we wonder why God waited so long.
    But, God is never silent.  He is always moving, though at times
we may not see the movement.  He is always drawing people to Himself.  Yet, many reject His call, and die apart from His love and life.
    What does this mean for the followers of Christ?  It means that our journey has only just begun.  As I've tried to illustrate, our walk with Christ is only complete when we reach heaven and the place He has prepared for us.  In our darkest moments, in the pits of life, Christ is still there.  And, when we fall into those pits, He goes down to get us.  And sometimes, He finds it necessary to lead us through the pits in the middle of the road.  But He never leaves us alone, and often He has to carry us, which He does very well.
    Are you in one of those pits or valleys?  Remember that Christ is carrying you, and do as the traveler in the story.  Simply nod your head, and say, "Okay, Lord."

Ups and Downs of Life

We've been having a back-and-forth time at work trying to decide if the school I teach at is going to be open next year.  It's an unsettling time, to be sure, but then again, this entire school year has been unsettling.  In my three years in the classroom, this year has been by far the most difficult.

 

There are two constants in this situation, though.  The first is the attitudes of the students.  They haven't changed.  That one is.... not-so-positive.  The more important constant is that the Father has assured me that He will provide my needs. That's a good thing to remember.

 

However, I'll be glad when this gets settled one way or the other.  The walk continues.....

Christians and Politics

Over the last several years, I'm struggled with whether, how, and when Christians should be involved in politics. Now, before you move to another site, I'm not going to launch into a political speech here. In fact, I seem to have leaned the other way, AWAY from politics. I just have a hard time seeing Jesus being involved in politics. It seems that there were more pressing issues to Him at the time.

Now, before you launch into your own political speech, I've heard most or all of the evangelical arguments on why Christians should be involved in politics. My problem is that I haven't found a solid biblical ground for those arguments. Well, to be honest, my REAL problem is that the modern American conservative church has become so involved in politics that it almost exists as another political organization. (huh???) To say it differently, when many people hear the term "evangelical", they immediately think of politics rather than faith. I'm pretty sure that's not the way things are supposed to be.

Yes, we are supposed to submit to those in authority over us. Wait, did I say that? Yes, we are to SUBMIT to those in authority over us. We are also to pray for them. We are to do what is required--obeying the laws and paying taxes. Are we commanded to anything else, such as voting or engaging in political activism? You'd be hard-pressed to find such a commandment that actually applies to the church. In fact, "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:4).

That's really the bottom line. Christians are to be soldiers of Christ. We have only one mission in life: To make disciples of all the nations. We have to ask ourselves, "Is this activity going to help or hinder my mission?" Yes, it's a tough question. And yes, there are matters of conscience involved. No one else can be your Holy Spirit.

And to quote the inimitable Forest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."

Walking With Father

If you are reading this, the chances are good that you have seen my previous blog, "Life in the Real World". I've been going through some internal changes, and thought my blog needed some updating. I think I, and I daresay many of us, have been going about this all wrong.

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left (Isa. 30:21). This verse sprang into my head a few days ago, and has stuck with me. Seems to me that this thing we call the Christian life is about staying close to the Father. It's not about living right (though He will change our behavior); it's not about praying more (though He wants us to talk to Him); it's not even about telling others about Him (though one changed by His love wants others to know Him). It's about walking with Him. Step by step, day by day.

"Lord, where are we going today? What do You want to talk about today? What's on Your agenda today?" Those are the questions that we really should be concerned with. Everything else follows from those. And as we learn (or learn again) to listen to Him, He will direct us.

The journey continues.......