Tonight was a pretty good night. I went to a KU basketball game in Kansas City, but they lost to Syracuse. Even though the Hawks didn't come up with the win, it was a great experience. There were a couple of drunk guys who got beat up by some cops. Another guy bought a $10 hot dog, and my little brother spent about 75% of the game staring at his cell phone texting random people, probably girls. Overall, the night was awesome. The atmosphere of 16,000 fans screaming and cheering for their respective teams is amazing and indescribable!
As I was laying in bed reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, a thought crossed my mind. It was more like a question than a thought, "Would Jesus be a Christian?" I know this questions is redundant, "Would Jesus follow Jesus?" But i think it is a question that needs to be addressed.
First, the term "Christian" should be defined. A Christian literally means a follower of Christ. There are great mature Christ-followers that i know. There are people like Robin Sigars, Bill Westling and Dave Kiger who i respect tremendously for their relationships with Christ. Unfortunately, there are people on the other side of the spectrum who have no business calling themselves Christians. I am not one to judge, and I am far from having a mature healthy relationship with Christ. But today in general most Christians in America can be categorized as nominal. They do not live out their faith. They are self-absorbed and live to please themselves. So how would most Americans define "Christian?" They see Christians as people who are normal people who live like everyone else, but they have religion in order to make their consciouses feel better.
So with this definition of "Christian", would Jesus be a Christian? NO WAY! Jesus did not teach self-absorption but self-abnegation, not selfishness but selflessness. So what can we do to change the definition so Christ would want to be part of his own following? I believe John the Baptist said it best, "He must become greater; I must become less." Before we can become selfless, we must first realize our lives do not belong to us. God has given us life, so we have no reason to go through life looking out for ourselves but for others. If God was human.....wait he was 2,000 years ago, and what was his life devoted to? It was devoted to helping others. Jesus became less in order for God to become great. So what kind of Christianity would Jesus belong? Christianity where selfishness does not exist, but true devotion to others.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Friends Will Never Leaf You Alone
Have you ever said yes to something without knowing completely what you are getting yourself into? Usually this doesn't happen to me, but yesterday was an exception. It started plainly enough. I got up early, so I could eat some bacon and eggs before my 7 o'clock class. As I walked through the breakfast line, the lady serving the eggs said that she had heard that i was looking to rake some leaves (the day before, I had asked Laverna, another cafe lady, if she needed her yard raked. I was looking for a service project my 8th grade guys small group could do, but she said she didn't have many leaves in her yard). With hesitation, I shook my head yes, and by the end of the conversation I had made a date to rake her yard that afternoon. Unfortunately, most of the guys in my small group wrestle for the school, so they couldn't help me...I was all by myself!
Later, I asked a couple of my friends if they could help, but they couldn't because they had too much homework to do. Then I thought to myself, I'll ask Blake Park...he is a hard worker and we are pretty close. Luckily, he said yes and by 2:15 we were on our way to 2611 S Oliver to rake this lady's yard. In my conversation with her that morning, she said her yard was kind of big, but nothing that a small group of guys couldn't handle. Blake and I pulled into her drive way and saw barely any leaves! We thought it was going to be a piece of cake, but we hadn't seen the back yard! As she took us around the house to the backyard, our eyes opened wide with fear of what laid before us: Several hundred square yards of leaves! To make matters worse, the rakes we were going to use were from the civil war era, my rake ended up giving me several splinters.
Blake and I looked at each other without saying a word and got to work. About twenty minutes later, I said, "Blake...my bad! I had no idea." He just shook his head with a smile and started raking again.
(The yard went past the shed.)
Blake is just one person I am grateful to have in my life. There are many others, and I thank God for those people he has placed in my life. These people build me up, and knock me down when I need it. They laugh with me and laugh at me, but no matter what...I know they love me. True friends will be by your side in the tough times. They will be there in the joyous times. But best of all, they will be there for you when you get into something that is way to big for you to handle all by yourself...like raking leaves!
Later, I asked a couple of my friends if they could help, but they couldn't because they had too much homework to do. Then I thought to myself, I'll ask Blake Park...he is a hard worker and we are pretty close. Luckily, he said yes and by 2:15 we were on our way to 2611 S Oliver to rake this lady's yard. In my conversation with her that morning, she said her yard was kind of big, but nothing that a small group of guys couldn't handle. Blake and I pulled into her drive way and saw barely any leaves! We thought it was going to be a piece of cake, but we hadn't seen the back yard! As she took us around the house to the backyard, our eyes opened wide with fear of what laid before us: Several hundred square yards of leaves! To make matters worse, the rakes we were going to use were from the civil war era, my rake ended up giving me several splinters.
Blake and I looked at each other without saying a word and got to work. About twenty minutes later, I said, "Blake...my bad! I had no idea." He just shook his head with a smile and started raking again.
(The yard went past the shed.)Sunday, November 16, 2008
Cutting in the Milk Line
School is beginning to wind down, and the school work is starting to slow down as well. I have four projects due Tuesday and Wednesday, but it will be smooth sailing after I turn those in for my classes.
Today I was getting some cereal in the cafe for dinner. I tried some cinnamon granola cereal which was surprisingly good and filling. As I went to pour some milk into my bowl, I realized I had cut right in front of somebody. Apologetically, I prompted her to go before me. She poured some milk into her glass, and as she walked away she said, "Thank you for acknowledging me." That statement blew me away.
As life gets tough and busy, it is really easy to focus on ourselves. School work piles up, and we start focusing on our tasks and our wants. We tend to block everyone else out. This evening with the girl i cut in front of, this truth hit me smack in the face. I have been told that I am really selfish, and there is no way getting around truth. But I want to be able to notice people in this world that never get anyone's attention. Jesus was great at this. He would often reach out to the outcasts, even if people judged him. For example, Jesus called a tax collector to become his disciple. Levi, the tax collector, was looked down upon by the Jewish people. He was not only a liar and a cheat (tax collectors often charged people more for taxes so they could pocket some of the money), but he was considered a traitor working for the Roman Empire. However, Jesus noticed Levi and brought him under his wing.
This world is a fast paced place where people can get lost in all the commotion. I urge you to take time and stop looking out for yourselves and realize people who are lost and lonely, because there are people who never receive love or attention.
Today I was getting some cereal in the cafe for dinner. I tried some cinnamon granola cereal which was surprisingly good and filling. As I went to pour some milk into my bowl, I realized I had cut right in front of somebody. Apologetically, I prompted her to go before me. She poured some milk into her glass, and as she walked away she said, "Thank you for acknowledging me." That statement blew me away.
As life gets tough and busy, it is really easy to focus on ourselves. School work piles up, and we start focusing on our tasks and our wants. We tend to block everyone else out. This evening with the girl i cut in front of, this truth hit me smack in the face. I have been told that I am really selfish, and there is no way getting around truth. But I want to be able to notice people in this world that never get anyone's attention. Jesus was great at this. He would often reach out to the outcasts, even if people judged him. For example, Jesus called a tax collector to become his disciple. Levi, the tax collector, was looked down upon by the Jewish people. He was not only a liar and a cheat (tax collectors often charged people more for taxes so they could pocket some of the money), but he was considered a traitor working for the Roman Empire. However, Jesus noticed Levi and brought him under his wing.
This world is a fast paced place where people can get lost in all the commotion. I urge you to take time and stop looking out for yourselves and realize people who are lost and lonely, because there are people who never receive love or attention.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Paul and Socialism
A couple days ago I posted a blog concerning the Christian community. I came to the conclusion that we are supposed to love everyone in order for real community to take place. Well, I was just doing some research for a paper in my 1 & 2 Thessalonians class, and my topic deals with idleness among Christians. Paul writes,
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
I have always been opposed to the idea of stealing money from the wealthy and giving to the poor. I know Robin Hood's motives were good, but in today's society, I have felt like people get what they deserve. If they don't have money, it is because they don't work hard enough. When I first read this passage in 2 Thessalonians 3, I felt like my viewpoint was correct, but i started looking at what Paul is actually saying, and I have come to a conclusion...I have been wrong all these years!
Earlier in his letter, Paul taught the Thessalonians to be generous with those who have need. He didn't require them to sell their houses and lands (as in Acts 4), but he did require the church to be committed to sharing with those who needed help. Each member should work at whatever occupation they could, so as to contribute to the welfare of all; and all should care for each...Does this sound like something to you? It did to me! SOCIALISM!! AHHH! Everyone is scared to death right now, because they believe Obama is trying push socialism into the American economy, but is really that bad? Paul seemed to be a fan of everyone contributing to the needs of the community.
Is this a bad thing? Not at all! The early church was committed to working for the community. In a perfect world, socialism would be great. Unfortunately, there are people like Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians. These people are do nothing, and they feed off of the generosity of other people. In today's context, there are many people in the United States who cannot afford health insurance, because they honestly have no way of paying for it. For instance, Jayne told me the other day of a mom who had three kids. She works a couple of jobs, but still does not have the funds to pay for medical insurance. What would happen to her in the first century church? Believers would help pay for her insurance, so her children do not die from a sickness that easily could be cured through antibiotics.
Ashamedly, I have been a fan of not giving free health insurance to people, because it might mean i won't be able to go to Taco Bell three times a week or buy those new pair of shoes for myself. I also thought that a lot of people would take advantage of the system, and this will happen no matter what as Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-15. But is it not better to help the majority of people who honestly need help, than to not give them support so that the small minority of "do-nothingers" will not take advantage of the generosity?
What I guess I am trying to say is that Paul promotes the welfare of the community before promoting personal gain. Socialism would work in an utopia, but we do not live in a perfect place. When Christ died on the Cross, he knew people would take advantage of his grace, but he still died. So we too must die to ourselves fully knowing people will take advantage of us.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
I have always been opposed to the idea of stealing money from the wealthy and giving to the poor. I know Robin Hood's motives were good, but in today's society, I have felt like people get what they deserve. If they don't have money, it is because they don't work hard enough. When I first read this passage in 2 Thessalonians 3, I felt like my viewpoint was correct, but i started looking at what Paul is actually saying, and I have come to a conclusion...I have been wrong all these years!
Earlier in his letter, Paul taught the Thessalonians to be generous with those who have need. He didn't require them to sell their houses and lands (as in Acts 4), but he did require the church to be committed to sharing with those who needed help. Each member should work at whatever occupation they could, so as to contribute to the welfare of all; and all should care for each...Does this sound like something to you? It did to me! SOCIALISM!! AHHH! Everyone is scared to death right now, because they believe Obama is trying push socialism into the American economy, but is really that bad? Paul seemed to be a fan of everyone contributing to the needs of the community.
Is this a bad thing? Not at all! The early church was committed to working for the community. In a perfect world, socialism would be great. Unfortunately, there are people like Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians. These people are do nothing, and they feed off of the generosity of other people. In today's context, there are many people in the United States who cannot afford health insurance, because they honestly have no way of paying for it. For instance, Jayne told me the other day of a mom who had three kids. She works a couple of jobs, but still does not have the funds to pay for medical insurance. What would happen to her in the first century church? Believers would help pay for her insurance, so her children do not die from a sickness that easily could be cured through antibiotics.
Ashamedly, I have been a fan of not giving free health insurance to people, because it might mean i won't be able to go to Taco Bell three times a week or buy those new pair of shoes for myself. I also thought that a lot of people would take advantage of the system, and this will happen no matter what as Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-15. But is it not better to help the majority of people who honestly need help, than to not give them support so that the small minority of "do-nothingers" will not take advantage of the generosity?
What I guess I am trying to say is that Paul promotes the welfare of the community before promoting personal gain. Socialism would work in an utopia, but we do not live in a perfect place. When Christ died on the Cross, he knew people would take advantage of his grace, but he still died. So we too must die to ourselves fully knowing people will take advantage of us.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Community is spelled L-O-V-E
Today is Saturday, and you know what that means....COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Today I am rockin' the Faux Hawk for the Jayhawks. Their football game isn't on TV today. It is only on pay-per-view, so me and and a couple guys are going over to a Doctor's house to watch it on a Big-Screen TV! Prediction for the game: Jayhawks 35, Nebraska 24.
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to preach at my home congregation in Topeka, Kansas. It was a great experience. The best thing about the whole situation was not that I made it through the entire sermon without peeing my pants or running off stage from embarrassment, but it was the encouragement and support that people were giving me.
For example, minutes before I was to go on stage, Bill Westling put his hand on my shoulder and prayed for me. Bill is one of the greatest Christian men I have in my life. His example and the heart he has for Jesus really shows me what a man of God looks like. Bill was my Junior High Sunday School teacher, and will always be my friend.
The night before my sermon, I received a text message from Josh Reed, a friend from school. He simply wrote, "throw down tomorrow Chuck." Just to know that people were thinking about me made me realize how many people care about me. Josh is a great guy, and I know he will do awesome things in ministry, because he has a heart for people.
There were many other people supporting me through the entire situation. Jayne sat through my sermon a couple times as I practiced it in the Sanctuary Saturday afternoon. She also came to both services, so I would always have someone by my side when I got off stage. I love her, and I am so excited to see her heart for lost people, especially for teenage girls. She is a blessing, and I am thankful for God placing her in my life.
I tell you all of this to say that I am amazed when Christ's Body functions as it is supposed to. The Christian community is supposed to establish an environment where love and care thrive. In Acts 4, we find the early church sharing everything they had so that there were no needy persons among them. From the very beginning, the foundation of the Christian community was love. They loved each other through their generosity, and the people I talked about earlier loved me through caring and encouragement. My question to you is...How are you loving Christ's body?
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to preach at my home congregation in Topeka, Kansas. It was a great experience. The best thing about the whole situation was not that I made it through the entire sermon without peeing my pants or running off stage from embarrassment, but it was the encouragement and support that people were giving me.
For example, minutes before I was to go on stage, Bill Westling put his hand on my shoulder and prayed for me. Bill is one of the greatest Christian men I have in my life. His example and the heart he has for Jesus really shows me what a man of God looks like. Bill was my Junior High Sunday School teacher, and will always be my friend.
The night before my sermon, I received a text message from Josh Reed, a friend from school. He simply wrote, "throw down tomorrow Chuck." Just to know that people were thinking about me made me realize how many people care about me. Josh is a great guy, and I know he will do awesome things in ministry, because he has a heart for people.
There were many other people supporting me through the entire situation. Jayne sat through my sermon a couple times as I practiced it in the Sanctuary Saturday afternoon. She also came to both services, so I would always have someone by my side when I got off stage. I love her, and I am so excited to see her heart for lost people, especially for teenage girls. She is a blessing, and I am thankful for God placing her in my life.
I tell you all of this to say that I am amazed when Christ's Body functions as it is supposed to. The Christian community is supposed to establish an environment where love and care thrive. In Acts 4, we find the early church sharing everything they had so that there were no needy persons among them. From the very beginning, the foundation of the Christian community was love. They loved each other through their generosity, and the people I talked about earlier loved me through caring and encouragement. My question to you is...How are you loving Christ's body?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Being a Patient of Patience
I wrote this a year and a half ago at a church camp. I was a counselor for the 5th and 6th grade week of camp, and I wrote this early one morning.
Patience...something I have not really had to deal with in my life. Sometime I have trouble being patient with people or objects, but for the most part I can be patient. Lately, patience is something I have been lacking. Here at 5th and 6th grade camp, I have met some great kids! CJ loves God and wants everyone around him to feel good about themselves. Just yesterday a couple of kids, including CJ, and I were playing Slap Jack. The game ended with one boy never slapping a Jack, and I didn't think much of it. As everyone walked away from the table, the little boy stayed in his seat with his head down. CJ noticed he was upset so he took the deck of Cards and found a Jack. He flipped the Jack over on the table, and said, "Here! Here! Its a Jack!" The boy raised his head with a huge grin on his face, and he slapped the Jack as hard as he could.
There are many other kids like that here at Camp Solomon. It is the other types of kids that push my patience. Everything was fine until Tuesday morning. I woke up about an hour before the kids so I could take a hot shower. All of the kids had taken a shower the night before, so I had plenty of time and HOT water! As I walked to the bathroom, I saw a sign on the entrance of the men's restroom that read, "NO SHOWERS TODAY." I couldn't believe it, and I went to go see the man in charge of the camp grounds. He told me that a water line had busted so their 500 gallon tank of water that supplied the camp was empty. That lovely piece of information did not make me very happy to say the least! I was ried, sticky from sweat a day old, and now they have the nerve to tell me I can't take a shower?! AAHHH! My patience was beginning to thin. To make matters worse, I forgot to bring my phone charger, and my phone had just died.
So back to the word I started out with...Patience. It is something I will need in the future for sure, But I wished I had it now. Ironic? Its very funny becuase i want something so bad but I'm not trying to make myself learn patience by just wanting it. This is a good saying, "If you want to learn something, all you have really done is learned to want." If i want to receive patience, I need to practice everyday...even if it means I have to go two days without a shower!
Its been a while since I have written this, but I still struggle with patience. Patience is a lifelong process that I'm trying to achieve. I need to be more patient with my fellow man, because God is every so patient with me.
Patience...something I have not really had to deal with in my life. Sometime I have trouble being patient with people or objects, but for the most part I can be patient. Lately, patience is something I have been lacking. Here at 5th and 6th grade camp, I have met some great kids! CJ loves God and wants everyone around him to feel good about themselves. Just yesterday a couple of kids, including CJ, and I were playing Slap Jack. The game ended with one boy never slapping a Jack, and I didn't think much of it. As everyone walked away from the table, the little boy stayed in his seat with his head down. CJ noticed he was upset so he took the deck of Cards and found a Jack. He flipped the Jack over on the table, and said, "Here! Here! Its a Jack!" The boy raised his head with a huge grin on his face, and he slapped the Jack as hard as he could.
There are many other kids like that here at Camp Solomon. It is the other types of kids that push my patience. Everything was fine until Tuesday morning. I woke up about an hour before the kids so I could take a hot shower. All of the kids had taken a shower the night before, so I had plenty of time and HOT water! As I walked to the bathroom, I saw a sign on the entrance of the men's restroom that read, "NO SHOWERS TODAY." I couldn't believe it, and I went to go see the man in charge of the camp grounds. He told me that a water line had busted so their 500 gallon tank of water that supplied the camp was empty. That lovely piece of information did not make me very happy to say the least! I was ried, sticky from sweat a day old, and now they have the nerve to tell me I can't take a shower?! AAHHH! My patience was beginning to thin. To make matters worse, I forgot to bring my phone charger, and my phone had just died.
So back to the word I started out with...Patience. It is something I will need in the future for sure, But I wished I had it now. Ironic? Its very funny becuase i want something so bad but I'm not trying to make myself learn patience by just wanting it. This is a good saying, "If you want to learn something, all you have really done is learned to want." If i want to receive patience, I need to practice everyday...even if it means I have to go two days without a shower!
Its been a while since I have written this, but I still struggle with patience. Patience is a lifelong process that I'm trying to achieve. I need to be more patient with my fellow man, because God is every so patient with me.
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