But at all costs, avoid one thing:

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This entry will be brief. As we reflect upon the cross this week I would like you to ponder this quote by Thomas Merton.

“Be anything you like. Be madmen, drunks, and bastards of every shaped and form. But at all costs avoid one thing: Success.”

Thomas Merton was a monk.

Why would he say something like this? It’s crude, its offensive to us, its so out of place for a nice peace loving monk. But although I’d like to admit otherwise – I think he’s right. (Understand he's using irony here to prove his point so I'm in no way condoning being any of these things - please understand the point he is making.)

Our culture is driven by success. We want to be successful so very much – we long for it because success gives us validity in other people’s eyes – it gives us power and prestige. It propels us to be “important.” It shows us how deeply unsatisfied we are with who we are.

More Twitter followers. More blog hits. More book sales. Bigger churches. More money. Better office. Bigger house. Nicer car.

Why is this so bad?

Why would Mr. Merton be so against it?

Maybe because the more driven by success we become the more we think about ourselves and the less we think about others. The drive to be successful does some weird things to us – namely it makes us selfish and self-centered. And the more we focus on ourselves the sicker we become.

I know I struggle with the desire to be successful. The culture around me tells me to climb the ladder, to move on, to go to the next thing. This is success it tells me.

But Jesus is telling me something different.

Jesus is telling me to die to myself and my dreams and follow Him. To pour my life out on behalf of others – to invest in the lives of the marginalized and powerless – to live simply so I can give more away. To be content with who I truly am.

This week I’m reminded that Jesus rejected success. He could have led a rebellion or been Caesar or had more Twitter followers than Lady Gaga but he chose another way. This week I’m reminded that He died a humiliating death as he hung naked and bleeding as a condemned criminal. I’m reminded that Jesus understood the only way to bring life was through the door of death and self-denial.

Jesus was so not successful. By all accounts he failed.

But then again…

#resurrectioniscoming

Maybe this is what Thomas Merton means…

The Way we Talk about God - Rob Bell & God's likeability

I'm reading Rob Bell's new book, "What we talk about when we talk about God." I like it. Let me also say this - I like Rob Bell. He's a guy I'd like to be friends with actually. I don't always agree with him all the time, but I like him.

BTW - can we be friends with people we don't always agree with anymore? Or has that become impossible? Do our "truth-values" outweigh our "relational-values"...but if you really think about it if we don't have "relational-values" then we probably don't have much "truth-value."

Anyway - it seems that every time Rob goes to the bathroom the whole evangelical world loses their minds and begins running around like zombies trying to eat Rob's brains out. Seriously - why so much hate? Do we not understand, even if we do not agree, that Rob really, really loves Jesus. He's not a heretic or a blashpemer - he's a Jesus lover - maybe his values are a little different than yours - but the dude loves Jesus. And since when do we have the right to tell someone who says they love Jesus - um...no...you don't actually love Jesus. What?

Why do we treat our brothers in Christ so poorly? Why do we criticize them and run them out of town just because they hold different "truth-values" than we do? What's the deal with that? Personally, I think its because we are people full of fear and we are afraid that if someone speaks out in defense of different "truth-values" than we do the whole church will fall in on itself and collapse. Do we not understand that the church has survived 2000 years and gone through some pretty terrible stuff.

We feel threatened - so we lash out...

Anyway - I'm reading his book - which I think was inspired by Terrence Malick's film "The Tree of Life." (loved that movie too).

I like the book so far - it's different and I'm sure it will get criticized, which is ok. I have my criticisms too of the book. But as I'm reading it something is beginning to strike me. The language Rob uses, the stories he tells, the way he talks about God is...different.

It's just different.

The God he writes about sounds so wonderful - so all encopasing - so full of love and life for humanity - not out to get us or throw the world under the bus - but grace.

Of course most of us like the concept of grace until it comes to homosexuals or child-molesters or Muslims or convicts or black kids living in the 'hood. Besides that - we really like grace, right? As long as grace can defend our "truth-values" we are all on board.

I find the way Rob speaks of God as so open - so inviting - so beautiful really. (Yes, you might chime in and now hit me with some "truth-values" about hell and sin and jazz music - but then you'd be missing the point of what I'm trying to say and probably missing the point of what Rob is trying to say.)

Then I realize something...follow my train of thought here
- Rob is speaking of a graceful beautiful God
- much of the church dislikes Rob and calls him a heretic
- 90% of churches are dying in America
- less and less people are part of the church
- the church in America is slowly dying

Ah - some of you will say, Yes! It's Rob Bell's fault!

But seriously - maybe the world is tired of hearing about the mean God out to get us all and throw us into hell (I think we created this God in our own image...yes, there's hell, but we've already seen to what lengths God will go to rescue us from it...i.e. Good Friday). Maybe the world is tired of our hatred that we spew upon one another and upon those "we don't agree with" (those that don't get our grace). Maybe the world has just seen through us.

And then I have this thought --

Maybe Rob is on to something - maybe we should be listening to the way he talks about God as revealed through Jesus - maybe he is speaking the language that the people outside the church are willing to listen to.

Maybe...

Just maybe we need to listen to how he talks about God.

I so desperately want people to know Jesus, to surrender their lives to Him and embark upon a life of following the Lord of Creation -

But do we realize the rest of the world has tuned us out - every time we mention the word "Jesus" or "Christians" they have an instant flash of all the negative hate filled moments we have been part of and really don't want to listen any further.

Maybe we need to use different words. Maybe we need to talk about God in different ways. As a trained missiologist most of my seminary was preparing me to do exactly this - to speak about God in a way that native people in other cultures can understand and comprehend. We aren't changing the "truth" or "misleading" the people - just changing our language. Language was created for people - not people for language. (that was a play on words there - hope you got it).

Maybe we need to stop talking so much about our "truth-values" and embrace some "relational-values." But we struggle with that, don't we. It's a lot easier to not associate with people who don't agree with us - and there it is, the kicker. That's our real problem.

We Christians don't like people very much, do we? Let's just admit it...We only like those that affirm what we already believe. That's why we don't like Rob much - and that's why we don't like a lot of other people too.

Well, let me tell ya - not many people are ever going to listen to us talk about Jesus if they know we really don't like them much. It's just one of those natural rules of humanity. You'll find it in whatever culture you visit - if you don't like me and I know it - I have no interest in ever listening to a darn word you have to say - especially on something as important as God and Jesus and eternal life...You don't have to have an MDiv to figure that on out.

And if we can't even like someone like Rob - a brother in Christ - someone who speaks about God in such a beautiful and inviting way - and learn from him - then how in the world are we ever going to reflect the God that really, really likes all of humanity.

But do we even believe that God really, really likes humanity? Maybe we should start there and then realize that God really, really likes Rob. Which is to say that God likes us all - a whole stinking lot - God even likes that person you don't like much and maybe if you'd learn to like them a bit more then they could know that God likes them too. But you first have to believe that God likes you - and that God likes them - and that God likes Rob too.

The End.

(Note: I will not respond to any comments, so if you come looking to start an argument its just not going to happen and if you leave some mean comment about anything - it will be ignored...well...deleted...like grandma used to say - if you don't have something good to say, just don't say it.)

Teaching the Fish to Swim

I remember it like it was yesterday.

A bold, bright, red “F” scrawled hauntingly on top of my test paper.

The shame and horror burned its way through my heart to the bedrock of my being and began to pour a toxic foundation of lies.

“You’re so dumb.”

“You won’t amount to anything!”

“You’re worthless.”

It was my freshman year of college.  I was majoring in biology in a pre-medicine track at the time.  And I was failing. 

Thankfully, I had enough years of successful schooling under my belt to question the lies taking root in my soul. I was also lucky enough to be at a small college where my professors quickly caught on and confirmed that no, my struggles in my pre-med classes were not due to lack of intelligence.  I was simply gifted in other areas.

I see that same look  of shame and horror I had when I received my “F” on the faces of kids every week when they walk in to our after school program - BLAST.   The toxic lies painted across their cheeks and drawing shadows around their eyes.  Some of them have engaged the lies so fully that they even speak it to themselves:

“I’m stupid.”

“I can’t do this.”

And why wouldn’t they believe it?  In most cases, society has written them off completely before they even reach the third grade.  Last year, Education Week published a study linking reading levels in the third grade to the likelihood of a student graduating from high school.  So when an eight-year-old boy walks through our doors with reading scores below grade level, it’s fair for us to assume that likely no one is truly investing in his education. 

Enter said boy.

He shuffled his feet and looked around the room.  I asked him where he would like to start.  “Math” he mumbled. We began to fly through flash cards at impeccable speed. He continued to shuffle and wiggle around – as eight-year-old boys are prone to do – but he answered each card correctly.  

“How about we read now?”  I suggested.

“Nooooooooo!”  The boy wailed, plopping his head down in his notebook with dismay. 

I paused to let the drama settle.

The boy started to doodle monkeys in the margins of his notebook.

I asked if he liked Curious George.  His blank stare was my only reply, but it was enough.

A few minutes later we were halfway through a book about the mischievous little monkey making pancakes.  A light came on.  The boy came alive.

He remembered every detail.  He wrote about it in his notebook.   He drew his own interpretations of George.

…and then we went back to drilling math facts.


 
Einstein once said “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Every day I am more convinced that what our children need is not a better curriculum, a new program or the latest technology.  They need to be guided in a discovery to find out in what way they are geniuses.  They need someone to come alongside them and affirm the God-given gifts and passions already evident in their lives. 

And most of all

they just need a chance to show us what they can do.

By every standard and study, my young friend has been written off.

But when it comes to math and monkeys, he’s on fire.

…someone just needs to help get him out of the tree he’s stuck in.

BLAST (Bible, Learning and Serving Together) is a ministry of Transformation City Church that exists to encourage and equip kids academically and spiritually.  For more information on BLAST, how you can help or how to get your kids involved please contact Megan or Ben Westra.