But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. – 1 Timothy 6:11

Today's Scripture Reading (June 7, 2024):  1 Timothy 6

It has been a bit of a strange week for me. I love the conversations I have with people not of the faith, partially because it reminds me that I am on the field of play, not sitting somewhere in the stands. It also reminds me that my job has never been to be a critic. Many years ago, I remember forming a committee to examine the church's future, and one person I had invited to the meetings responded that they would prefer not to be on the team so that they could act as a critic of the process. The statement took me back. I know the Christian Community has a lot of critics, but I don't believe that we are called to be one of them. We are players on the field. We are not the ones who stand back to applaud the righteous, but players on the field who are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

Speeches can shift our thinking. Paul shares that hope in his writing. One of the speeches that impacted me included Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream." It is a speech that speaks of a radical racial equality that is still part of my core belief.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today (Martin Luther King).

It does not matter whether my children are white and yours are brown. Color shouldn't enter into the equation; character should. It is the way I want my world to work. This is part of what I believe is essential about our presence on the playing field. It is the truth that I should live, not just something I think is a good idea but not applicable to me.

Another speech that has shaped me was the "We Choose to Go to the Moon" speech by John F. Kennedy.

We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon...We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard (John F. Kennedy).

I love the idea that we choose to do what is hard. As Christians, it is easy to be part of the audience; it is hard to stay in the ring. As Christians, it is easy to kick the ball off at the beginning of the game, but hard to score a touchdown. But we choose to do what is hard, not just talk about difficult things.

Theodore Roosevelt delivered another speech that has made an impact on me on April 23, 1910. The speech was delivered in Paris, France. Roosevelt left the presidential office in 1909, and in the following year, he traveled extensively and spoke to various audiences. The speech was titled "Citizenship in a Republic" and was 35 pages long. At the time, Roosevelt was returning to the United States after a year-long expedition he'd had taken on behalf of the Smithsonian Museum. The speech covered many ideas and comments on the New World (America) and the Old World (Europe). The former President was keenly aware of what was occurring politically in the world.

The most often quoted section of "Citizenship in a Republic" reads:

It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

This is who I choose to be—the man in the arena. The one who errs repeatedly, gets dirty, and knows both the thrill of the win and the despair of defeat. I chose to pursue the things of God and the things that God wants for me, even though I often fail to achieve what I set out to do

One of my friends sent me this sign a couple of years ago.

Help Wanted: Every athletic team should have a man who plays every position, who never makes an error, and who knows just what the opposition is planning… But so far there's been no way to get him to put down his popcorn and coke to come down out of the stands!

My response to my friend was simple. I choose to be a player on the field and not a critic in the stands. That is my choice. What is yours?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 1

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. – 1 Timothy 5:8

Today's Scripture Reading (June 6, 2024):  1 Timothy 5

It is the feature of almost every busy corner in a city, the ever-present people asking for money from the cars passing by. I have to admit that they present me with a genuine dilemma. I want to help, but I know that many of these people are not in need. It is a dilemma that many of us face when we are confronted with people who ask us for money. Several years ago, I was driving home from a late meeting at midnight when I stopped at a red light and had someone jump into the car with me to ask me for money. (The car I drive now automatically locks when the vehicle is in gear, but this was before that became a regular feature in our vehicles.)  My new friend needed gas money. His car had run out of gas, and he had no cash on him. I gave him ten dollars more to get him out of my car than to help him out. A few years later, I ran into him again, and he was still looking for gas money to get him home. Maybe he needed to find a different car.

Paul is concerned with people in the emerging church who seemed to want to take advantage of the generosity of those who were following Christ. The reality was that several churches, with the most obvious being the church in Jerusalem, had given so much to people in need that they had found themselves in trouble financially when hard times had come upon them. In difficult times, they didn't have the money they needed to survive.

So, Paul feels it is time to teach that there is a way that we are to provide for ourselves and our families. It was a day when there was no societal safety net. As a result, many were hungry. So, Paul instructs his readers that getting a job is the preferred way of supporting themselves. Everyone, especially men, needed to work to pay for themselves and their immediate family. Our responsibility in society is to earn money so that we can support ourselves and those who depend on us. It was a message that Archie and Edith sang about every week in the opening theme song for "All in the Family" during the 1970s.

            Didn't need no welfare state

            Everybody pulled his weight.

            Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.

            Those were the days (Lee Adams).

However, in the case of the early church, if for whatever reason you could not support yourself, then your support was the duty of your family. Such was the case with widows. When the husband died, women in a male-dominated society were often unemployable. If that was your situation, your extended family should wrap their arms around you and help you survive. Maybe you went to live with them. But the reality was, whether you liked it or not, you became their responsibility.

If the first two rungs failed, the church was activated to help support those who could not do for themselves and had no family to help them. Paul stresses that those who can support themselves and their family but who decide not to have denied their faith and are worse than an unbeliever. This is just something we do as members of our society, and no reason excuses us from our responsibility to support ourselves and our families.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6

If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. – 1 Timothy 3:15

Today's Scripture Reading (June 5, 2024):  1 Timothy 3 & 4

Thirty years ago, I was invited to speak at a series of revival services. The services were to be held over a weekend, and I was given a blank slate concerning the subject about which I would talk. I was expected to speak at three services: one Friday, one Saturday, and one Sunday morning. Maybe I remember that weekend because I decided to speak on forgiveness. And on Friday night, my sermon was from Luke seven, the story of the sinful woman who came into the home of Simon the Pharisee and anointed Jesus's feet with an expensive perfume. In the tale, Simon is amused and muses that if Jesus were really a prophet, he wouldn't have let this woman touch him.

On that first night, I included the story of a Pastor who had had an affair with the church secretary. The pastor was caught in his indiscretion, lost his job, separated, and eventually divorced his wife, and then married the secretary. And in an attempt to get on with his life, he and his new wife wanted to go back to attending church.

The pastor started to attend various churches in the area. But everywhere this family went, there was a common theme. The pastor and his new family would show up at a church, an usher, board member, or sometimes even the pastor would meet them at the front door and tell them they were not welcome at this church. Once in a while, they even got to sit in the sanctuary before they were asked to leave. Once, the service had even started before the pastor recognized the man. Then, the pastor stopped the service to have the ushers remove the former pastor and family from the building.

The man was broken. Finally, he decided to phone a pastor of yet another church, this time to ask permission to come. He promised to sit in the back row with his family, enter as the service began, and exit as the service ended. But he could not take another rejection. If the pastor said no, they would stay away.

The pastor of this church told the former pastor he would be welcome. He could sit anywhere he wanted. He could come early and leave late because, ultimately, it was not his church. The church was God's house, and he was not about to stand in the way of anyone God had invited.

My sermon was not well received that first night of the revival services. While I did not know it, I had just told their story. A former pastor had had an affair with the church secretary. Their pastor had left the church in disgrace, pursued a divorce, and married his former secretary. The congregation was still angry and could easily put themselves in the place of the churches that had rejected the pastor. If that pastor had come here, they would have asked him to leave, too. A man like this could never be an honored guest of God in his house. They had read Paul's instructions to Timothy and knew how a person should conduct themselves in God's household. They would protect the honor of the church by rejecting and removing the offender.

And yet, in Luke 7, Jesus teaches about this sinful woman, likely a prostitute, who falls at Jesus's feet, who wets Jesus's feet with her tears, wipes them dry with her hair, and then anoints them with her expensive perfume. Simon might not have invited the woman, but Jesus refused to reject her despite her sin. So, what gives us the right to reject those God invites into his house?

The church is God's house, and I believe that every week, God invites people into his house. Often, the invited don't show up, sometimes because we are unwilling to support the invitation of God with invitations of our own. Sometimes, they are uncomfortable with the church because of the way that we act, which violates their moral code. Often, our lack of love tops the list of reasons why people outside of the church distrust the fellowship of Jesus. It is our hypocrisy.

When they do come, we must remember that the building isn't our house but his. Not only that, but we, the people, are the church, a welcoming and loving force that he uses to make this world a better place. And this is how we are to conduct ourselves in God's house.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 5

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer. – 1 Timothy 1:3

Today's Scripture Reading (June 4, 2024):  1 Timothy 1 & 2

Heresy could be defined as any belief or theory firmly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of such claims or beliefs. Heresy is distinct from apostasy, the explicit renunciation of one's religion, principles, or cause, and blasphemy, which is an impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things. So, heresy involves believing in wrong things, not unbelief or a complete rejection of God. I have to admit that I am not a big fan of declaring that anything is heresy in Christianity, especially if we can support the argument biblically. Maybe my issue is that I am a heretic; there are certain things that I believe that are at odds with significant portions of the Christian Church. There are also certain things with which I am at odds with my Baptist hierarchy and heritage. My brother-in-law openly calls me a heretic. And I believe that honest conversation is valuable even in these areas of belief and theology.

However, I also know I stand in good company with other heretics. Early reformers like John Wycliffe and Jan Hus were declared to be heretics. John Wycliffe died in 1384 of a stroke, but what happened next was disturbing. Part of what the church found disturbing about Wycliffe is something we take for granted now; Wycliffe believed that the Bible needed to be placed in the hands of the people. As an extension of that, Wycliffe became heavily involved in efforts to translate the Latin scriptures, which themselves were a translation from the original Greek and Hebrew, into English, the language of the ordinary people to whom he ministered. He also opposed monasticism and the papacy. However, his emphasis on producing an English Bible resulted in his followers being labeled as Bible men. After his death, Wycliffe's teachings were placed on trial. In 1415, Wycliffe was declared to be a heretic, and his works, including his Bibles, were burned. And then his body was exhumed from its place of burial, burned, and the ashes were thrown into the River Swift.

Jan Hus was a Czech follower of Wycliffe. He didn't agree with everything that Wycliffe believed, but he shared enough beliefs that he was imprisoned. His trial took place about a month after Wycliffe's conviction. Hus volunteered to recant his beliefs if his errors could be proven to him from the Bible. Wycliffe and Hus's followers asked, "What does the Bible Say, and how do we understand it." Jan Hus was executed as a heretic in 1415. He was burned at the stake, and his ashes were tossed into the Rhine River.

Another group of heretics was condemned and executed by drowning. These heretics believed in adult Baptism, or maybe more precisely, non-infant baptism or believer baptism. Their belief and practice violated the church's teaching on infant baptism. Heretics sometimes provide a service; they get us thinking and considering views outside the norm. When we adopt a practice that says, "Show me in the Bible why your beliefs might be true," we at least have a starting point for reconciliation between the heretic and the church.

Historian Bruce Shelly argues, "Heretics, in fact, served the church in an unintended way. Their pioneering attempts to state the truth forced the church to shape 'good theology'—a rounded, systematic statement of biblical revelation" (Bruce L. Shelly, Church History in Plain Language, [Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995], 47).

Paul puts up a stop sign for heresies. He wants someone who will allow certain teachings and reject others based on the available Biblical evidence. And his chosen ambassador is Timothy.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 3 & 4

I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. - Philemon 1:13-14

Today's Scripture Reading (June 3, 2024):  Philemon 1

A few weeks ago, a friend passed through our area, and we were able to share lunch and talk. (Yes, Steve, I am talking about you.) Steve was a college roommate and an excellent friend at a vulnerable time of my life. I have to admit that I have a lot of great memories of the time we spent together, including performing "Who's on First" at a college banquet. However, after our time at school ended, Steve went home to the Left Coast, and I left for my home on the range (prairies.) I miss Steve and several other friends who sometimes seem so far away. I wish we could spend more time together, but that is not our reality. And so, I celebrate the times we can get together and add to our shared memories.

There are many other friends that I have had in my life that I miss. An associate of mine once remarked that when she left a place, she left the people and never thought about them again. Sometimes, I wish that I was more like her. At times, my mind seems to be obsessed with people that now exist only in my past. I am so grateful for the time we have had together and the difference that they made in my life.

Paul's letter to Philemon concerns the fate of one of Philemon's runaway slaves, Onesimus. Onesimus had become a Christian and developed a relationship with the Apostle to the Gentiles. And Paul would have liked to have kept Onesimus with him. The relationship between Paul and Onesimus had progressed to the point where it would hurt Paul to give him up. Paul was in prison, and Onesimus had become valuable to Paul. Not only did the slave become a friend, but he could also go places where Paul could not go because he was confined. It is likely that Onesimus had collected food to feed Paul and had taken care of Paul's needs, something that Paul could not do for himself. Paul would greatly miss Onesimus when he left.

However, Onesimus belonged to Philemon, and Onesimus was still a slave. Slavery in the Greco-Roman world was not always based on race. It was also economically based. In other words, there was an economic portion of slavery that went beyond just inexpensive labor. Maybe one of the most common forms of slavery was debt slavery. Someone owed money but could not repay the loan. And so, they entered an arrangement where they would work as an enslaved person until the loan was retired. This arrangement could be sold to other people. Onesimus likely either owed Philemon money, or he owed someone else money and had entered into a slave arrangement with that person, and Philemon had purchased the contract. Either way, Onesimus belonged to Philemon. And so, even though it would cost Paul something, and the reality is that Paul could probably command Philemon to allow Onesimus to stay in Rome with him, he knew that the right thing was to return Onesimus to his owner. Then, Philemon could do whatever he felt was right with his slave.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1 & 2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. – Colossians 4:2

Today's Scripture Reading (June 2, 2024):  Colossians 4

One of the comments I often get is that Christianity is more than just prayer; Christianity is about action. I know what you are trying to tell me, but I respectfully disagree. Christianity is all action; it is entirely about who we are and what we do, but the action begins with prayer. Prayer is an action.

Part of the problem is that we have a very childish idea of prayer. A story is about a child saying his nighttime prayers with his mom. The child gets down on his knees and then starts to pray his "God Blesses;" God bless mom, God bless dad, and God bless my sister and that guy down the street who always yells at me (the kid was brought up right and knew that he should even pray for his enemies.) And then, as he gets close to the end of his prayer, his voice gets louder. The young boy starts to shout at God, "And God, remember that red bicycle that I want for Christmas." His mother stops his prayer at this point. "Honey, you don't have to shout. God is not deaf." And the child's response is, "I know that, but Grandma's going deaf." At this point in the prayer, the boy has shifted from talking to God to sending a message to his Grandma.

Sometimes, I wonder if our prayers are not really prayers but have morphed into announcements we make to the flesh and blood listeners gathered around us. I am not talking to God but to everyone listening to me. For most of my life as a pastor, I have struggled with the idea of a prayer chain. It is not that I don't believe in prayer. I do. But too often, Prayer Chains become gossip chains. We must pray for Sandy; she is hitting the bottle again. We need to pray for Stuart. He needs a job, but he is so lazy. Pray that God gives him the kick in the behind he needs. Come on, I know you have heard those prayers.

The word that we have translated here as "devote," or that the King James translates as "continue," really carries the meaning of "persevering in prayer" or "praying continually." It is the same word that Paul uses in Romans 12:12, which we have translated as faithful. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

Matthew and Luke both write about Jesus teaching his disciples to pray. But Luke adds a bit of a different context. Here is the Lord's prayer, as recorded in Luke.

"'Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation'" (Luke 11:2-4).

But in Luke, Jesus then launches himself into a story. Suppose you have a friend and go to him at midnight and say to him. "A friend of mine just showed up. He is on a journey, and he is hungry and I have nothing to give him to eat. Could you give me three loaves of bread so that I can make him a meal?"

But your friend says, "Go away. My door is already locked, and the children are asleep. I can't give to you what it is that you want." Yet, because of your shameless audacity and not because of your friendship, he will get up and give you what you want. The lesson from Jesus seems to be that we are to be persistent in our prayers because God wants to respond if we will only ask.

Jesus finishes the parable with these words.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (Luke 11:9-13)?

The mission is prayer. Not prayer as gossip or an announcement, but communicating with God and telling him what we need and how we feel. Prayer should be about sharing with the Creator of the Universe all the good and the bad about us. Prayer is standing in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, naked before God yet feeling no shame. Prayer is the most action we will ever commit ourselves to because it is communication with the only one who can make the impossible happen. Few of us ever get there. We are too intent on seeing prayer as gossip or announcement. But here is the truth. If you want to use prayer as gossip, there is no problem, but God is not listening. God stands in all of his glory against gossip, so there is no way he will listen to communication that focuses on making ourselves more and someone else less. In fact, his son went the opposite way. He went from his throne in heaven and became nothing for our sake. We can use prayer as an announcement, but God isn't paying attention to that either.

But if you really intend to communicate with God, then he listens and hears and moves. The movement might not be exactly what you expected or wanted, but God is on the move because of our prayers. If your friend gives you bread because of your shameless audacity, can you imagine what the Creator of the Universe will do just because he hears you when you dare to talk to him?

Prayer does not support the mission. Prayer is the mission—something that Paul knew, and we need to remember.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Philemon 1

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:13

Today's Scripture Reading (June 1, 2024):  Colossians 3

Wolves tend to be pack hunters. They travel together. But if you encounter a wolf in the woods, the best advice I can give you is to stand your ground. Wolves tend to like to kill whatever runs away from them. And if the wolf is alone, it will usually run away from you. But if the wolf is standing its ground against you, you can be sure that the wolf isn't alone. You may not be able to see them or hear them; wolves are stealthy hunters, but the wolf pack is all around you.

In the church, we call the wolf pack by another name: community. And we are designed for it. A solitary Christian is a vulnerable Christian. That is why we gather on Sundays. It is why we believe in small groups. It is why we hold game nights and hog dog roasts. This is why we gather for task groups like the worship team and clean-up days. It isn't just about the job. We are meant to be a pack because leaving our day-to-day hurts and injuries behind isn't easy.

Paul instructs the Colossians that the pack is essential. He tells them to bear with each other. It is a fascinating concept. Paul is saying that we need to learn to put up with the idiosyncrasies of the other. We don't have to agree; we must bear with each other because we are a pack.

Paul tells the Colossians that they should forgive each other. One of the responses I often hear is that someone hasn't asked for forgiveness. But asking for forgiveness has never been made a requirement for forgiving someone. The Bible teaches us to forgive them anyway, even if they haven't asked. Be free with your forgiveness. Just give it away. There have been several moments when I knew someone was mad at me, but I didn't understand why. There have also been times when someone was angry at me because of a grievance they had against me, and I was blissfully unaware.

The truth we miss about forgiveness is that it is a selfish act. If I forgive you for something you have done, I am essentially letting myself off the hook for things that have caused me harm. I am getting rid of my guilt and my hurt. I no longer have to relive the offensive moment because I am letting it go. I know that forgiveness is not easy to give away, but it is a healthy response and well worth the effort.

But Paul goes one step further. He tells the Colossians to forgive as Jesus forgave them. Jesus went first; he wiped out our guilt, and he did it all before we even knew he existed. All we had to do was to turn around and accept that forgiveness. It is a reality that the Christian Church was expected to replicate in the world.

We are the body of Christ, the wolfpack, which means we should be the center of forgiveness in the world, regardless of who might need it. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Colossians 4