Archive for September, 2016

“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30

“My grievance with contemporary society is with its decrepitude. There are few towering pleasures to allure me, almost no beauty to bewitch me, nothing erotic to arouse me, no intellectual circles or positions to challenge or provoke me, no burgeoning philosophies or theologies and no new art to catch my attention or engage my mind, no arousing political, social, or religious movements to stimulate or excite me. There are no free men to lead me. No saints to inspire me. No sinners sinful enough to either impress me or share my plight. No one human enough to validate the “going” lifestyle. It is hard to linger in that dull world without being dulled.

I stake the future on the few humble and hearty lovers who seek God passionately in the marvelous, messy world of redeemed and related activities that lie in front of our noses.”

William McNamara in The Human Adventure (Garden City: Image, 1976) 9; and Mystical Passion (New York: Paulist Press, 1979) 3; as cited by Eugene Peterson in Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best (Downers Grove: IVP, 2009) 13-14.

If there’s one thing about which Americans (and the watching world) agree during this season of political propaganda, it’s that we are not thrilled about our options. That said, I stand with McNamara who stakes our future on “the few humble and hearty lovers who seek God passionately in the marvelous, messy world of redeemed and related activities that lie in front of our noses.” Let’s be those folks today, generous to stand in the gap on behalf of this land while it seems like so much around us is falling apart.

God help us be generous in the little things today, in seemingly insignificant settings where no one is watching or no one may ever notice. Help us do this as we love and seek you passionately.

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:27-31

“There is here a progression from love, to doing good, to going beyond ourselves (in blessing and prayer) for the benefit of those harming us, to giving over and above what is taken. It seems likely that there is also a progression on the other side: one of evil — from being hostile toward us (an enemy), to hating, to cursing (verbal abuse), to mistreating through physical abuse and the taking of our possessions. The generosity commended and commanded is further characterized by how it responds to those who only ask for our goods, and how it does not seek the return of goods taken from us.

It is necessary to reemphasize that these words of Jesus are not laws, but are illustrations. One who can think of morality and moral goodness only in terms of laws will find the teaching of Jesus simply outrageous or impossible. As I see it, these teachings are indications of what children of the kingdom will be constrained to do, and be able to do, in many circumstances, perhaps most, because of the faith, hope and love — not precluding understanding — present in them. We are not here dealing with behaviors of weak and wimpy, depressed and gloomy people.”

Dallas Willard (1935-2013) in Renewing the Christian Mind: Essays, Interviews, and Talks (New York: Harper One, 2016) 347.

These are two great words from one of my favorite modern authors on the teachings of Jesus: “illustrations and indications.” Because of the impact of God’s grace and love on our lives, our responses as followers of Christ, such as loving our enemies or being radically generous, are not oppressive laws but indications and illustrations of what God’s people do when captivated by His goodness.

Father in heaven, our world (sadly!) seems filled with depression and gloom, and weak and wimpy people. Empower each of us who has been transformed by Your love to make your glory known through how we forgive and love the undeserving, how we share and give to those in need, and how we help and lift up the weak. Do this so that we might be illustrations and indications that You reign and Your hope is both sure and secure. Aid us to this end today, we ask in the matchless name of Jesus. Amen.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:42

“‘Tis the most absolute and indispensable duty of a people of God to give bountifully and willingly for the supply of the wants of the needy.”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in opening subject line of section 1: Christian Charity (1732).

“Absolute and indispensable duty” are strong words, but the more I study the Scriptures, the more I believe they are correct. Whether we read Moses in the OT Law (Deuteronomy 15:7), Jesus in today’s Scripture reading (above), the Apostle Paul in the early church in the NT (1 Timothy 6:17-19), or numerous other biblical texts, we see command language linked to sharing.

Even John the Evangelist writes that failure to show compassion on the needy calls to question whether God’s love is in a person (1 John 3:17). Sharing surplus with those who have inadequate supply is not optional, but rather an absolute and indispensable duty of the follower of Jesus Christ.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. Everything they do is for show.” Matthew 23:1-5a

“The divine punishment of hypocrisy is fatigue. Those in Shakespeare’s fine simile, whose hearts are all false as stairs of sand, must really have much of that exhausted sensation that comes of walking through sand when it is loose and deep. The hypocrite is that unluckiest of actors who is never out of a job.”

G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) as cited in in T.P.’s Weekly, 26 June 1914.

Today we see the divine punishment for doing good with bad motives. Those who try to do good deeds in the strength of the flesh, as fulfilling a requirement from religious leaders, or for praise of people, are hypocrites who will find themselves exhausted and empty.

In the NT world people praised those who did good deeds and acts of beneficence. What motivated their giving? The Greeks referred to the driving force as philotimia, or “love of glory.” It was all for show!

This past Sunday, Pastor James Hoxworth mentioned the first line of this quote in his sermon, so I looked it up in its entirety. With his vintage blend of wit and wisdom, Chesterton again hits the nail on the head. We are learning that living generously in Christ leaves us not exhausted and empty, but energized and enriched, because it’s all for God and fueled by God.

Sadly, both Jesus and Chesterton would add that there will always be frauds who do not practice what they preach. And just imagine the fatigue they get as their reward.

What about you? Would Jesus label you a hypocrite? Do your practices match the teachings of Jesus? We are discovering that the way of Jesus is not burdensome but life-giving.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

“A lot of giving and receiving has a violent quality, because the givers and receivers act more out of need than out of trust. What looks like generosity is actually manipulation, and what looks like love is really a cry for affection or support. When you know yourself as fully loved, you will be able to give according to the other’s capacity to receive, and you will be able to receive according to the other’s capacity to give. You will be grateful for what is given to you without clinging to it, and joyful for what you can give without bragging about it. You will be a free person, free to to love.”

Henri Nouwen in The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom (New York: Image, 1966) 66.

Nouwen reminds us that our ability to serve as generous conduits is linked to the condition of our hearts: knowing that we are fully loved. Content conduits don’t cling to that which we receive. We also don’t try to control others, but rather, we love others through our giving. Contentment flows from the fact that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

I filled my car up with gas recently, and thought to myself how cool it is that the pump can fill my car according to its capacity to receive. Likewise, when we know we are fully loved we can fill people according to their capacity to receive. And we can do this joyfully because we ourselves are fully loved!

What about you? To grow in generosity rooted in the fact that you are fully loved, perhaps take some time to meditate on God’s love. Try reading Psalm 136 and revel in the truth that God’s love endures forever. Forever! Or if you like music, perhaps listen to the classic David Crowder song, How He Loves.

You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. Hebrews 10:34

“Every Christian is required to be an instrument in God’s rescuing action, and His power will not be exerted through us except at considerable cost to ourselves. Muzzy, safety-first Christianity is useless here. We must accept the world’s worst if we are to give it our best. The stinging lash of humiliation and disillusionment, those unfortunate events which strip us of the seamless robe of convention and reserve and expose us naked to the world in the weakness of our common humanity, the wounds given by those we love best, the revelation that someone we had trusted could not be trusted any more, and the peculiar loneliness and darkness inseparable form some phases of the spiritual life, when it looks as though we were forsaken and our ultimate hope betrayed: all these are sufficiently common experiences, and all can be united to the cross . . . And indeed, unless we can do this our world is chaos; for we cannot escape suffering, and we never understand it till we have embraced it, turned it into sacrifice, and given ourselves in it to God.”

Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) in The School of Charity: Meditations on the Christian Creed (New York: Aeterna Press, 2015).

There are aspects of generosity I am still trying to grasp in my own spiritual journey. This is one of them. When we abandon “muzzy, safety-first Christianity” we find that our role in becoming “instruments in God’s rescuing action” is showing those around us that the way of Jesus is not a cheap, quick fix for life’s problems. Instead, it’s a pathway that costs us everything, which may deter some folks, but those who take it find that the gain far outweighs the cost. One thing I am learning is to stop trying to avoid suffering, but rather embrace it and turn it into sacrifice. This is divine generosity.

Father in heaven, help me remember those who are suffering and learn to joyfully suffer and accept injustice against me because overcoming evil with evil never works. Help me overcome it with good, because I know I have You, and You are good, and Your love endures forever. By the Holy Spirit cause me to never forget this so that I serve as a generous conduit of divine generosity that converts suffering to sacrifice just like Your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

“When the evening of this life comes, you will be judged on love.”

John of the Cross (1542-1591) as recounted by Evelyn Underhill in The School of Charity: Meditations on the Christian Creed (New York: Aeterna Press, 2015) chapter 6, opening quote.

We got one of those troubling texts this week. Our daughter, Sophie, had been in a car accident. Thankfully, she and her fellow students are fine. Apparently a young man in a hurry ran a red light and hit her car.

While we wait and trust God to sort the situation (and pray the young man’s insurance covers her repairs), one thing has been evident: her San Diego Christian College community loves her! People have surrounded her with love.

If that was not enough, she was given a ride to school yesterday by a friend and (unfortunately!) dropped her phone when getting out of the car. Kindly, the librarian was quick to mask the shattered screen with tape.

In a world that celebrates performance and fame and says that bigger is better, I am thankful for the faithful followers of Christ at a small Christian college in Santee, California, because they show love!

In the end, it’s all that really matters.

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:1-3

“Generosity involves the “pouring over” of the boundaries of the self and society in order to enclose the presence of others . . . The purpose of this enclosure of others, however, does not function simply to make others part of the self or society, but to give them the benefit of the resources of self and society. Generosity in this sense encloses others within self and society to bestow on the other the riches and the blessings of the self and society . . . By generosity, the outsiders become insiders, others become part of the self, and foreigners become part of the corporate entity, the society.

Hospitality is the shifting of the center of the self, or correlatively the society, to another self or society in order to put the necessities and desires of others first. Whereas generosity maintains the self and expands its boundaries, hospitality relocates the center of the self itself and places it in the other. This relocation bestows upon others an increment of honor and respect and makes the needs of the other primary to the self . . .

Both generosity and hospitality, precisely as mirror images of one another, open the self to the world and to the people around it and places a high valuation upon those others . . . Especially when it is inconvenient and disruptive, the seeker puts aside personal pursuits and activities to expand the boundaries of the self to include others (generosity) and to locate the self in an exterior person (hospitality) in order to minister to another needs as though they were the seeker’s own.”

Richard Valantasis in Centuries of Holiness: Ancient Spirituality Refracted for a Post-Modern Age (New York: Continuum, 2005) 147.

My mind is drawn this morning to the intersection of generosity and hospitality in order to minister to the needs of others as my wife, Jenni, and I are hosting Gladys Güitz and Andrea Marroquin from Potter’s House in Guatemala in our townhouse over the next few days.

Though the post seems long, don’t miss what Valantasis is saying (and I also hope you like the new header photo I shot on Tuesday evening on our walk with our dog, Joy). It’s a beautiful set of ideas that get to the heart of what must motivate us to carry out the instructions in today’s Scripture reading

Generosity is voluntarily expanding our boundaries to include others as insiders to benefit from all that God has given us. In plain terms, generosity says: “What’s mine is yours.” Hospitality, then, shifts the focus of the society (or in smaller cases, the household) to serve the stranger as a guest. It says, “How can we minister to you?”

Let’s read again the final sentence and therein read ourselves as the seeker: “Especially when it is inconvenient and disruptive, the seeker puts aside personal pursuits and activities to expand the boundaries of the self to include others (generosity) and to locate the self in an exterior person (hospitality) in order to minister to another needs as though they were the seeker’s own.”

I am convinced that our best ministry happens when we welcome inconvenience and disruption. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I am receptive to these opportunities and sometimes I am not. I suggest that we “plan margin” for these moments so we don’t miss them altogether (think of the blessing that the priest and the Levite missed out on in the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10:25-37). I say this because today’s text literally tells us not to “forget” to do this.

Father in Heaven, help us extend generosity and practice hospitality to welcome people even when it’s inconvenient and disruptive, so that we are known for lovingly making space in life for others, and for remembering those who are suffering. Empower us to this way of living by your Holy Spirit, I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2

“We can do so much when we join forces with other brothers and sisters and do [God’s] work in the world. Verse two ends with this phrase: “Being in full accord and of one mind.” When we have one mind, we can have a greater impact for good. Brothers and sisters of one mind are united together to be the hands and feet of Christ in their community. Family who are “of one mind” still have their differences, but they lay them aside so they can do more together.”

Joel Bruce in Our Generous God: Discover God’s Generosity to You in Christ (Bloomington: Westbow, 2011) 112.

Today I honor my brother, Dr. David Hoag, who was recently appointed to serve as president for Warner University. It’s been a privilege to work together with David in doing God’s work over the years. I call him with questions. He jumps to assist me and share ideas or other helpful resources. And vice versa, it’s a joy to aid him whenever he needs me. When we collaborate, love, and support each other generously, we have a “greater impact for good” together.

Do you serve God with others with one mind?

That was the Apostle Paul’s desire for the Philippians, Joel Bruce’s aim for his readers, and my hope for you today. When we have the mind of Christ and take the posture of Christ, which is to pour out ourselves in humble service to others, we don’t end up empty, but enriched for continued fruitfulness. All heaven breaks loose when we work together with this mindset!

Hat tip to President Hoag as he turns 53 today. I love you David! Happy Birthday.

Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Ephesians 4:28

“I’m not driven to make money. I am called to help others through my business endeavors, through my giving, and by the very fact that my service centers provide jobs. We teach our team members vital life skills. They learn to listen to customers, how to recover from setbacks, how to work with others, how to exceed expectations, and how to be empathetic. We impart positive work attitudes and habits. We try to provide our team with a university of life.”

Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy, The Generosity Factor: Discover the Joy of Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002) 83-84. S. Truett Cathy was the founder of the Chick-Fil-A fast food chain.

A friend recently emailed me struggling linked to work. My friend’s supervisors and co-workers appear to be motivated by greed and “value extraction” (getting for self) rather than generosity and “value creation” (giving to others). Sound familiar? Perhaps you have been or are in a similar situation.

I gave four words of advice in reply: (1) Pray for the ungenerous people in your life to realize all Christ has done for them (this is a vital first step to shifting perspectives). (2) Discipline yourself to model in various ways the generosity you want others to exhibit. (3) Tell stories of generous business operators (Leaders at Chick-Fil-A attest that generosity is not just God’s design for us; it’s good business!). (4) Ask God to either deliver you from your situation or give you grace to endure it.

In Apostle Paul’s day, the financial capital of the ancient world was Ephesus. It’s not surprising that many people in that city worked for personal gain. Many did this despite the fact that value extraction for self was considered “stealing” in the ancient economic mindset. He wanted them to think and act differently, so he made it very clear saying that the purpose of work in God’s economy is not for getting, but for giving, or literally, to have something “to share with those in need.”

Though the modern cultural mindset says, “I earned the money, it’s mine.” God’s Word teaches us the opposite. Everything belongs to God and is entrusted to us as stewards to accomplish God’s purposes. Only when we abandon the world’s way of thinking (value extraction) and take hold of God’s design for us (value creation) do we become generous business operators and generous workers in God’s world.