Monthly Archives: July 2010

“In most cases, something has died to give us life.” – Norman Grubb

I’m one hour out from being at the funeral of a great man. And I’m a few seconds removed from having read the above statement. So forgive me as I sit in the space that these two events have suddenly and surprisingly created within me as I ponder the relation of death to my life.

How dependent I am on death for life!

For me to have the leather for my shoes, death was required. For me to have the cotton for my clothes, death was required. For me to have the wood for my desk, death was required. For me to have the food that I will consume today, to sustain my very existence, death was required. For me to have a roof over my head, death was required. Even the oxygen I breath in every moment gives its existence completely up so that I might live.

It’s embedded in the fabric of my daily experience. I’m completely dependent on death to have life.

And this may be the first time I’ve acknowledged it with such awareness and gratitude.

And that’s the thing, I think. Awareness and gratitude. These days, people have divided into opposing camps: some people fight for the rights of those things that are dying to give man his life, some people fight for the rights of man to kill those things to have the life he has.

Both sides have merits, I think. I don’t want things to die for nothing of real value to man, but I don’t want man to miss out on things of real value just because it requires death to receive them.

It’s a dilemma.

I have felt it most poignantly in the story of Christ. When I hear the story, I never want to Jesus to die in it. But I want the life that he says I can have only if he does, too. I’m like he was in the Garden before he was drug off to be crucified, praying, “God, if there is any other way, let this cup be taken from him.”

It’s in the Bible’s story, and it’s in my daily story – someone or something’s death is the price for me to have my life.

I don’t think Jesus would want me try to convince him not to do it for me, nor would he want me to fight against it happening (Peter tried both – see Mt 16:23 & Jn 18:11). I think what he wants is for me to have…

…awareness and gratitude.

And then, everything that these two things bring, when they are with me, gives praise.

When I’m aware and grateful for all the things in creation that die to give me life, I won’t misuse creation. I’ll utilize it’s sacrifice…but I’ll also enjoy it, admire it, protect it, and care for it.

When I’m aware and grateful for Jesus who died for me to give me life, I’m not inclined to misuse him, take him for granted, or “live however I want since I’m forgiven”.  I enjoy him, I admire him, I serve him, and I praise him. I live a life of love…

…when I’m aware and grateful.

A wonderful e-friend of mine named John asked me if I had any comments on an analogy that he heard a preacher preach. The preacher explains his analogy like this (for my readers who aren’t from my unique tribe of Christians, Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone are acknowledged as forefathers of the Restoration Movement in America, a movement that believed unity of all believers could be achieved if all churches would use the Bible only as their creed):

My sermon was about doing what God says do the way God says do it.  Man has never been faithful to God very long.  Man is in constant need of restoration.  Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone did not invent the concept of restoration.  That has been a constant in the Bible since the fall in the Garden of Eden.

Jesus had that emphasis in His life of doing what God says do the way God says do it.  The disciples of Jesus recognized and taught this principle.

I used the illustration of supposing that baseball were not played for 2,000 years.  If someone found a baseball rule book and wanted to play the game, how could they do it?  What would be the result?  If they went by the baseball rule book, they would have unity.  Jesus prayed for the unity of His followers.  Paul taught that principle.  Why do we not have unity today?  Could it be that we are using different books?

This analogy stirred something in me enough to respond with this:

To most Church of Christ restorationists, “doing what God says the way God says to do it” means “do church the way the 1st century church did it.” I know where this idea came from, and the very good heart and motive behind it, but I can’t find this anywhere out of Christ’s mouth, or written in the Bible by any of his followers.

To me, “doing what God says the way God says to do it” means “become like Jesus Christ in heart, character, mission, and priorities.” I found this idea in the mouth of Jesus (Jn 20:21; Mt 28:18; Jn 13:15, etc…), and all over the writings of the Bible by his followers (1 Jn 2:6; Php 2:5; Eph 5:1; 1 Cor 11:1; 1 Pt 2:21, etc…).

That baseball analogy works for baseball because baseball is an outward exercise that can be followed and practiced based on rules that govern outward behaviors. As a matter of fact, baseball is an exclusively outward game, and it can be played by any “kind” of person.

That’s why it breaks down as an appropriate analogy for discipleship. Christianity is based on character, mission, and priorities. Sure, it has it’s outward expressions, but they are measure not by how they align with outward expressions from the 1st (or any) century, but by how those expressions line up with the heart, character, mission, and priorities of Jesus Christ. The outward expressions are judged on their fruit (Mt 7:20). As a matter of fact, Jesus goes on to say that, even though genuine Christianity will always produce outward expressions, outward expressions alone are not enough to judge whether it is true Christianity or not (Mt 7:21).

Baseball can’t change it’s outward expression and still be called pure baseball. Christianity, however, certainly can change in it’s outward expressions and still be called pure Christianity. Why? Because baseball is based on rules expressed outwardly. Christianity is based on the Christlike heart that exists inwardly.

I am still a “patternist.” And a restorationist. But rather than using the 1st century church as my pattern, I use the person of Jesus Christ (like the 1st century church did, by the way – 1 Th 1:6). And instead of thinking that God wants to restore the 1st century church, I join in him in restoring people’s hearts to their original oneness with God (which is what was lost in the Garden – Lk 19:10).

God is after a Christlike “kind of person” being developed that leads to the most abundant life available to a human being daily, not a certain set of worship practices being exercised consistently by a group of people on Sunday (which WOULD be like baseball).

As far as following the same rulebook…Jesus himself said that salvation does not come from following the Bible. It comes from him. And that is purpose of the Bible. To get us to him for life. (John 5:39-40).Too many try to squeeze some set of rules out of the Bible to follow unto salvation, when according to the Bible, being in relationship with Jesus is what brings salvation. And I would suggest it brings about a much more holy, spiritual, and devoted Christianity, too.

According the Bible, even the Bible is not the point. It’s the pointer. When I want to take issue with a baseball umpire on whether I am safe or not, I would take the baseball rulebook to him to show him how I followed the rules that make me safe. When I go before God, I do NOT want to take my Bible in my hand up to Him and show him how I followed the rules that make me saved. I would much rather have my hand in Jesus Christ’s hand, and let him tell his Father that I am safe, because I was in genuine love relationship with His son in a way that triggered forgiveness and made me look more and more like him on earth.

This is where our confidence comes from according to scripture (1 John 4:17).

Does this make sense? I’m sure I’m not getting it all right, but this seems to make more sense, both in doctrine and practice, to me. I have not been able to EVER find unity in or among churches by trying to agree on what the “rule-book” says is imperative as religious practices. But I am finding PROFOUND unity in and among Christians who are focused on loving and living like Jesus Christ in heart, character, priority and mission.

And on top of that, it is a message that people in the world seem attracted to, too. Not many of my un-churched (or de-churched) friends seem to want a certain set of religious practices. But all of them seem to want what Christ offers – life to the full (Jn 10:10).

I haven’t posted a whole lot lately. But it is because I am so full that I can hardly bare it. Every time I sit to write, I can hardly be with all the thoughts and excitement inside of me.

Thank you for sharing life with me in this way, friends.