faith

Faith as a Gift

John Barry — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:47:31 -0800

I don’t know anyone that authentically follows Jesus that hasn’t struggled with faith at some point. Some people struggle intellectually: they learn something new and don’t know how to compute it with their faith. Others are troubled because of crisis: Something horrible happens and they don’t know if they believe anymore, because they can’t imagine God letting the pain or evil they’ve experienced go unchecked.

A little observed fact about Christianity is that struggle is a good thing. Few good things happen without scars. (And everyone needs to grow up, out of the ignorance of youth.) No one ever lived a great life without some sort of turmoil. The greatest leaders in Christianity have suffered for their beliefs, and nearly all of Jesus’ earliest followers died for their beliefs.

But it’s a major problem when we blame God for the physical, spiritual, and intellectual struggles we experience. This problem is rooted in a misunderstanding of how God operates in the world. The pain in our world is rooted in how people respond to God; not in God’s decisions. If we were all in perfect relationship with God, evil people wouldn’t exist. Likewise, if we were in perfect relationship with God, we wouldn’t have intellectual struggles. We would know Him and understand Him. And if we were in perfect relationship with God, the world wouldn’t be a chaotic mess full of physical pain.

In addition, intellectual struggles are usually rooted in ignorance, like the kind often manifested in fundamentalism. (“Just believe what we say,” is how I define fundamentalism.) In many sects of Christianity, faith is seen as something separated from intellect. Thus, when intellect is actually used to analyze faith, faith begins to crumble. I’m betting that if we taught the full truth in our churches, we wouldn’t see people lose faith in college. Instead, we would see them encounter things they already had an answer to. And when they didn’t have an answer, they would have a support system—in other people and in their own faith—to rely on. We would support them in the struggle. We need people to rely on, but who are they? How do we identify them?

Here’s where it gets really good: There is a spiritual gift to support people in faith struggles. Yes, faith itself can be a spiritual gift.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills (1 Corinthians 12:7–11 ESV).

Have you ever met someone with the gift of faith? They just seem to be faithful no matter what. They’re always loyal, always attached to Christ, and never cease to believe in the betterment of others. People with the gift of faith place everything in the hands of Jesus—claiming that He will redeem, no matter what the circumstances. These people are encouraging. They give us hope (which happens to be part of the definition of faith, in Hebrews 11:1).

Now, faith is required for all Christians, as is wisdom and knowledge. But the thing about spiritual gifts is that they are a way of labeling what comes easier for some people over others. (Spiritual offices are more unique in this regard.) Some are almost naturally wise—always observing. Others seem to just remember things—they know when others forget. And others just believe—no matter what, they have faith when others don’t.

The most faithful among us are rarely recognized. They’re uncompromising, but we don’t realize it because nothing ever seems to change about them: they don’t complain when things get difficult, but instead believe. They’re forcing us all to grow, but we don’t recognize their growth because it’s too consistent. People with the gift of faith are like an oak tree in the front yard. It’s growth is slow and steady. It’s not until we reflect on pictures of the tree when it was small that we realize that it has been with us all along, and has been a subtle reminder of providence. God has cared for it, because it simply waited patiently for the sun and the rain. And something as simple as its leafs and fallen branches become a nurturing place for others.

We need people who will remind us of what we’re meant to be, and people with the gift of faith do just that. Every community needs someone who remembers what it’s all about: the gospel and the gospel alone—showing the love of Jesus to the world and the hope of salvation He offers.

We all need hope. And we all need someone to believe in us when we’ve stopped believing in ourselves. People with the gift of faith see God’s faithfulness working in us and through us. They recognize Jesus’ plan for our lives, as individuals and collectively as church communities; and they continue to remind us of it.

Who has faith no matter what in your community? How can you promote people with this gift?

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Is the GOP Anti-Science?

Sean McDowell — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:46:25 -0800

The GOP is dogmatically anti-science. They reject the conclusions of manmade global warming, which has been accepted by virtually all scientists. And they deny the overwhelming evidence of evolution. They are anti-science, anti-knowledge, and anti-progress. The possibility of an anti-science candidate getting elected to the White House is a terrifying prospect for it would put our economic, environmental, and political state into potential disaster. For the sake of the next generation, please don’t elect such a candidate!

If you believe this rendition, it’s likely you’ve been following the incessant portrayal of the GOP in the media. Consider a few recent headlines: “Republicans Against Science,” “Why Republicans Deny Science: The Quest for a Scientific Explanation,” and “Rick Santorum is King of the GOP’s Anti-Science Presidential Candidates.” The list could go on. But the message is clear: the Republican Party is full of ignorant science-deniers who are a threat to the future of America (of course, exception is made for John Huntsman, who has tried to cast himself as the pro-science Republican alternative by accepting evolution and manmade global warming).

Sure, more Republicans are skeptical of evolution and man-made global warming than Democrats. But why does this make them “anti-science”? Interestingly, studies show that anti-vaccine sentiment is higher in progressive areas such as Washington, Vermont, and Oregon. Arguably, the results of rejecting vaccines can be far more disastrous than rejecting evolution. So, why doesn’t this make Democrats anti-science? Do I smell a double-standard?

Let me begin with a qualifier. My purpose in writing this is not specifically to defend the GOP. I have not ever publicly endorsed a candidate for any party and I probably never will. This is not a political blog, although it clearly has political implications. My purpose is to challenge poor thinking about science. If the GOP critiqued Democrats for being anti-science with the same arguments, I would defend the Democrats. My purpose is to challenge the assumption that rejecting a particular scientific theory is akin to being anti-science.

My real question is why doubting evolution makes one anti-science in the first place. Why can’t someone be pro-science yet skeptical of evolution? Maybe the evolution-skeptic just thinks the evidence is lacking. It’s never been clear to me why doubting evolution automatically disqualifies someone from being pro-science. The skeptic may reject the consensus, but again, why does that make one anti-science? After all, even Darwin rejected the scientific consensus of his day. Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton said it best:

“I want to pause here and talk about this notion of consensus, and the rise of what has been called consensus science. I regard consensus science as an extremely pernicious development that ought to be stopped cold in its tracks. Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had…The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with consensus…If it’s consensus, it isn’t science. If it’s science, it isn’t consensus. Period.”

Crichton makes a powerful point—consensus is often claimed to avoid debate. That’s why the claim is incessantly made that the evidence for evolution is “overwhelming.” You may be tempted to think that the debate over evolution has been settled. But that may be premature. Yes, a majority of scientists do accept evolution, but a growing number of Ph.D. scientists from leading universities such as Harvard, Princeton, UC Berkeley, and the University of Moscow have come to doubt the efficacy of Darwinian evolution to account for the variety and complexity of life on earth. Does this make them anti-science? Of course not! Only someone blindly committed to a worldview would suggest so. These scientists value science—they just understand the facts differently.

The merits of evolution are actually irrelevant to my point. Maybe Darwin was right. Maybe Darwin was wrong. But it certainly doesn’t follow that someone who doubts his theory is automatically “anti-science.” In fact, such a claim is avowedly anti-science, for scientists are supposed to challenge the status quo and follow the evidence wherever it leads!

In a New York Times column titled, “Republicans Against Science,” Paul Krugman says, “Mr. Perry, the governor of Texas, recently made headlines by dismissing evolution as ‘just a theory,’ one that has ‘got some gaps in it’ — an observation that will come as news to the vast majority of biologists.” The majority of biologists do accept evolution. But is truth determined by numbers? Suggesting so is only meant to silence critics and avoid debate. Even if the majority of scientists would be surprised that evolution has “some gaps in it,” as Krugman suggests, why would that make skeptics anti-science?

Some Republicans may be anti-science. But so may some Democrats. Alex Berezow made this point in his recent USA Today column, “GOP may be anti-science, but so are Democrats.” To label an entire party as “anti-science” is mistaken and simplistic. We need to move beyond labels and actually engage the issues. But maybe I’m too naïve. After all, it’s much easier (and effective) to label someone than actually consider their point of view.

Trusting God Instead of Self

Dave Sterrett — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:16:33 -0800

In my book, Why Trust Jesus?, I refer to Augustine’s journey and wrestle with trust, but as I have been taking a course this semester at the University of Dallas with Dr. William Frank, I decided to come back and revisit that theme of trust. I still agree with what I wrote in my book, Why Trust Jesus? but I wanted share another one of my short papers that I wrote for this class. I will eventually submit a couple more papers on this Conversant blog about Augustine. If you have read the Confessions multiple times or are brand new in studying Augustine, please write your comments and let me know what you have observed in the text.

In Book VIII of Confessions, Augustine recollects the experience of internal turmoil, indecisiveness, self -knowledge, and temptation of old memories and habits. Augustine encounters Lady Continence, urging him to trust God. Throughout this eighth book, we see multiple pictures and stories, each in its unique way, reinforcing one of this book’s main themes of trusting God rather than self. As Continence speaks, trust seems to be such a simple act, but complex emotions including fear, lust and pride are at stake. Continence challenges, Augustine, "Why do you stand on yourself, and thus stand not at all? Cast yourself on him. Have no fear. He will not draw back and let you fall. Cast yourself trustfully on him: he will receive you and he will heal you.”[1] Trusting God, specifically through Jesus Christ, was included in the final passage that brought a peaceful light streaming into Augustine’s soul. “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in strife, and envying; but put you on the Lord Jesus Chris, and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscence.”[2]

Contrary to trusting God, trusting in self could include the comfortable dependence on temporary pleasures and lusts of flesh, like “drunkenness,” or lust of the eyes, “impurities” or the pride of life, such as “envy.” The Bishop Augustine reflecting on this encounter with the lady of continence, says, “hosts of youths, men and women of every age, grace widows and aged virgins…were born of you, O Lord, her spouse.”[3] She smiles at the young Augustine and says, “Cannot you do what these youths and these maidens do?”[4] This challenge not only challenges the young Augustine to consider the simple of faith of uneducated, but also seems to be climatic of these previous stories in the book that the Bishop Augustine has told.

Earlier in the book, Augustine recalled how Simplicianus, who was mentor of Ambrose, told Augustine a story about Victorinus. The story of Victorinus was the first of several stories of showing how a person, with influence in the eyes of the world, at one point, gave up trust in self to “cast themselves trustfully on God.”[5] James O’Donnell’s summarizes the book: “Book Eight, consists almost entirely of a series of specific recalled episodes; the first two (conversations with Simplicianus and Ponticianus) containing embedded narratives of other conversation stories, the third (the garden scene) being Augustine’s own conversion story.” [6]

Victorinus was a Roman rhetorician, with wider fame than Augustine. For a while, Victorinus was convinced intellectually that Christianity was true, but did not want to submit his will and trust to the worship of the Holy Eucharist. Finally he submitted and made a public profession of faith. Previously, Augustine wrote on his own intellectual conversation, but the conversion of the heart, includes a decision of trust. The older bishop Augustine now sees the similarity of both conversion stories of Victorinus and himself. O’Donnell writes, “Nowhere in book eight, does Augustine offer the slightest suggestion that he had any remaining intellectual doubts about Christianity.”[7] This indicates that the purpose of this book is to show the will of decision, the attitude of the heart and surrender of trust.

Augustine references multiple times, “the world.” Concerning his contemplation of Victorinus, he mentions, “Thus by the burdens of this world I was sweetly weighed down, just as a man often is in sleep.”[8] As Augustine mentions “world” and “self,” he seems to be indicating a spiritual dimension. According to Augustine, “self” is not just the physical, materialistic body of Manichaeism. Neither is the “world” always, purely the physical world. It is true that Augustine’s struggle was with the material world to some extent, as he recollects his transition from Manichaeism to the ideas of Neo-Platonism. He recalls Platonism persuading his mind away from the philosophical materialism of Manichaeism. However, Augustine, who references St. Paul’s letters of Romans and Ephesians throughout this books, wrote, “Thus I understood from my own experience what I had read, how ‘the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.’”[9]

As Augustine’s battle is not entirely the physical world (though the physical can be included), he seems to be referring to the world defined by St. John in 1 John 2:15-17. Earlier, the Bishop Augustine had referenced, St. John who wrote, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”[10] It seems that St. John, whom Augustine alludes, was bringing a clarification in terms, that the world does not mean just the physical world, rather than the ‘lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life.’” Otherwise St. John (and Augustine) would seem to be contradicting himself, in his gospel account of Christ. John wrote, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”[11] So the “world” is not merely physical, but can also include the soul’s inward desires and choices towards lust and pride.

Next Augustine has a conversation with Ponticianus. Ponticianus speaks of the courtiers of Trier who gave up everything that had to follow God. He references the influence of the men reading Anthony, the Egyptian monk, who grew up in wealth yet forsook it. Carl Vaught says, “Augustine’s shame intensifies as Ponticianus continues to speak, and hidden dimensions of himself of which he has been unaware for so long begin to emerge from behind his back. When his friend has finished his story and leaves Augustine standing in the garden with Alypius, the young Rhetorician begins to talk to himself. He lashes his soul to make it follow his will; and the ethical side of himself no longer winks at his sin (8.7.18). Yet in this moment of perplexity and indecision, he continues to turn away from the transformation he seeks.”[12]

Augustine has wanted success has a rhetorician, yet he is still holding to not only pride, but specifically lust. It was not that anything was wrong specifically, intrinsically with the material goods of this world including bodies and possessions, but Augustine, must as Continence says himself trustfully on God. This indicates Augustine no longer trusting finite goods, nor trusting his own false infinitude. Collin Starnes says, “The problem with these finite goods was simply that they were finite. The difficulty was not that nature was evil as such, but its goods were temporal and limited and in this way they were inadequate to his rational desire for the eternal and infinite good.”[13] Starnes adds, “Sexual desires were the main thing that held him in the world and so the forms in which he saw Continence were examples of sexual chastity. As opposed to nature’s way which urged Augustine to an infinite pursuit of finite goods, Continence (=the church) invited him to follow a single way to the infinite good.”[14] In chapter twelve, soon after hearing the voice a child, Augustine will think again about Anthony forsaking all earthly pursuits to trust that he will have treasure in heaven.

Augustine believed that Christianity is true, but he knew that he had to surrender his trust just like Anthony and the others in this book of VIII. Augustine opened the book, and the chapter in which his eyes fell told him to put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh. Thus, Augustine finally submitted to the words of continence, to not stand on his own self, but to cast himself trustfully on God.

[1] Confessions 8.11.27

[2] Romans 13:14 cited, Confessions 8.12.29

[3] Confessions 8.11.27

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] James O’Donnell, Augustine’s Confessions, Vol. III. Commentary, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992), 3.

[7] James O’Donnell, Augustine’s Confessions, Vol. III. Commentary, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992), 8.

[8] Confessions, 8.5.2

[9] Ibid.

[10] 1 John 2:15-17 NIV

[11] John 3:16 NIV

[12] Carl G. Vaught, Encounters with God in Augustine’s Confessions, Books VII-IX, (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2004), 84.

[13] Colin Starnes, Augustine’s Conversion, (Waterloo: Wilfried Laurier University Press, 1990), 230-231.

[14] Starnes, 231.

Latter Day Uneasiness

Rick Bundschuh — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:21:27 -0700

Let me just put it out there and take the wacks for being intolerant; I would be very uneasy having a devout Mormon in the Oval office.

Watching the political wrangling of the pachyderm party and the various missteps of those hopefuls for nomination to lead the nation, it is quite obvious that the “religious affiliation” question is a minefield not to be crossed.

So let me attempt to bravely venture out where one is forbidden to go and explain my queasiness.

Some religions are nutty.

Scientology comes to mind as a loopy scam.

Some religions are deceptive, cloaking their real ideas and agenda in the guise and language of an already accepted faith.

The Gnostics were pretty good at this as I recall.

Some religions require that you suspend your logic and reasoning and substitute an emotional embrace instead.

Jim Jones created this environment in a deadly manner.

Frankly, Mormonism is all of the above. A remarkably nutty story that reeks of a scam and insists that in spite of all logical evidence the contrary, the truth of their story is verified through the warming emotion of the heart. Then has the gall to wrap the whole kooky enchilada in the language and events of orthodox Christianity.

Yes, there are many wonderful, sweet people who are Mormons. Yes, yes, they have high moral standards and are clean cut and well scrubbed and yes, they talk about God and Jesus.

But it is the story they have put their trust in that gives me pause and their willingness to dive headlong into this tall tale with unquestioning hesitation.

For me, the faltering point in giving a thumbs up to a Mormon in the oval office comes from their gullibility.

So I ask myself, would I trust a person who naively believes the LDS story to have the discernment to lead a nation? Perhaps an example would give clarity to my point.

What if the lead candidate believed in Fairies?

In the late 1800’s some seemingly smart people such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes) bought into a hoax that showed photos of these wee folks scampering on vegetation. (See his still in print book The Coming of Fairies if you don’t believe me.)

As much as I admire the work of Sir Doyle, the fact that he believes in Fairies, would, in my mind, disqualify him for being the Prime Minister of England.

And yes, I am well aware that any garden-variety atheist would attempt to turn this argument against me because I subscribe to orthodox Christianity.

But one has to admit there is quite a difference between believing in the Gospel story and Fairies.

Or that a young man from upstate New York, already convicted of defrauding a neighbor by pretending he had the power to find hidden treasure, was given gold plates with unheard of script and a seer stone to translate them with. (Which unlike Biblical documents were supposedly and conveniently whisked away by an angel after completion.)

Or that the same young man was endowed with insight to explain what was wrong with the Bible and all other religions as well as vested with the authority to reinvent Biblical terms and ideas wholesale resulting in an American version of British Israelism, holy underwear, Masonic like rituals, sibling rivalry of Satan and Jesus, a new and uncharitable race in ancient America, bedding other men’s wives and innocent fourteen year old girls and many other sordid and strange examples.

For my money…and vote, there is too much at stake to risk standing behind someone who is devoted to the story of Mormonism, even if he is a nice guy with good morals.

It means that he is susceptible to nonsense, easy to fleece, gullible. And those are fearful qualities to have in the one at the helm of a nation.

The Noah Factor: Following God When Everyone Says You’re Wrong

Adam Stadtmiller — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:38:58 -0700

The Noah factor is when everyone tells you that what you are doing is crazy and insensible, but you go ahead and do it anyway. If you follow God long enough, you will probably have to employ the Noah factor at some point.

Jesus used the Noah factor when he went to the cross. Noah used it when he built his ark on dry ground and in a land that had never seen rain. Ultimately, Jesus and Noah knew something in the depths of their hearts that eluded all others. Like the couple Karie and I had coffee with this morning. They adopted a son from the Ukraine. No big deal, lots of people do that—but how many go through with it when seven days before they are set to get their son, the wife is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and given months to live?

Karie and I sat amazed as we heard the story. It's now five years after the fact and with the cancer in remission and a 9-year-old adopted son part of their family. At the time everything and everyone told them not to go through with it. Both sets of their parents were adamant and a best friend angry. To do this would be unwise and going against the counsel of their trusted inner-circle. But like Noah, who was the only one that saw a flood coming coming, our friends saw and heard something in the quiet of their souls that said, “Go, go get your boy, the cancer can wait.”

This is the rub of following Jesus. Yes, we are called to live and hear in community, but at the end of the day we serve a personal Jesus; a Jesus who at some point in your life might challenge you to follow him where no one else is going and when everyone else sees it a different way.

This is faith you have signed up for, and unlike a good business plan, faith does not always pencil out.

Ambition: Should Christians Be Concerned With Their Success?

Adam Stadtmiller — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:18:22 -0700

Sometimes I struggle with wanting to succeed. For some reason my Christian experience has programmed me to think that wanting to succeed in one area or another is a form of pride. A friend of mine recently challenged me on this by saying, “Okay, so God wants you to hope everything you do sucks?”

Over the years I have received all sorts of differing counsel on this. My faith-camp friends have told me to just let God do everything. If God is on it, nothing can stop it from happening.

Usually a few days after I have followed the faith-camps advice and released all of my desire to see the things I create find success or an audience, I run into someone from camp-free-will. These are your friends whose advice is to dedicate it all to God and then work as hard as you can to get your stuff or message out there.

Recently, a very successful recording artist friend said this on the subject, “God didn’t give it to you so no one would ever hear or see it. You need to market your brand.”

And that’s one of the problems right there. My friend is a legitimate rock star. He is supposed to get $600 haircuts, have a promotional team and care about chart success. Me on the other hand, I’m a pastor. We are called to enjoy dry toast and modest cars. Success and achievement need be shunned and avoided like the plague.

The more I have thought about it, the more I realize that I will never find the balance. My forty-two years have shown me that my life is a pendulum that only finds balance in the brief moments I am swinging from one extreme to the other. One minute I am giving it all to God, the next I am grasping my desires like Gollum with a slippery fish.

For me, the answer has come in being willing to walk. Here’s what I mean. Back in the 90’s there was a movie called Heat. It was a story about thieves. The tension of the movie was in the fact that everyone in the crew needed to be willing drop everything and walk if the heat was on. Nothing was as important as freedom.

The same is true for our dreams and pursuits in this life.

Whether you use a faith or faith and friction model to pursue your dreams and desires is not as important as your willingness to drop them and walk at any moment. If God says its done, its done and you walk.

Here’s the point. There is no pride in wanting your stuff to happen. There is no sin in co-laboring with God to put your dreams into motion. Instead, pride is saying no when God says let it go. So can you drop it and walk?

Grabbing for God

Laurie Russell — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:37:55 -0700

I love the Bible story of the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She’s one of my heroes. Jesus was leaving the area and walked by her. She was about to miss her opportunity but in desperation she reached out and touched the hem of His cloak, thinking to herself, “If I can just touch his clothes, I will get well.”

She didn’t whine, “I guess I wasn’t one of the chosen ones,” and give up on her chance to meet with God.

Nope. She reached out and grabbed Him before He left her. She seized her opportunity.

It gets better. He stops and turns around and then looks at her, “Do not to worry! You are well now because of your faith.”

There are times it feels as if I’m drowning in life and that God is passing me by, as if He’s moving on to more important things. However, this story models to me the importance of reaching out and grabbing for God – even if it requires being drastic. When we do – He stops and we are healed.

A few months ago I was in one of those spiritual ruts when I read of an opportunity to be a blogger for the 2011 Women of Faith – Over the Top conference. My heart was moved and felt led to grab for it. I wanted a chunk of time to reconnect with God.

When I received the email accepting me as a blogger, it felt as if God had stopped and acknowledged my desire to be refreshed spiritually – as if He were looking at me.

Okay – it may seem silly to compare a miraculous healing to a chance to go to a conference but I do need a form of healing. I need one in my heart and, for me, conferences like Women of Faith provide an opportunity for us to be touched and encouraged by God in our own personal way.

1. Step out of the chaos. I’m the first to admit that I’m easily distracted. Leaving my area puts me in a mindset where I can forget the “to do” list and focus on God, myself and the person(s) that I’m with. Long weekend trips also allow me to hit the “refresh” button and the chaos seems calmer when I return.

2. God hangs where there is praise. Okay Mandisa…Selah!!! The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. I want to drink in His presence because I’m dying of thirst at the moment. Praising Him with thousands of others, led by such beautiful voices – my soul longs for this opportunity.

3. Laugh and learn. Lisa Whelchel, Patsy Clairmont, Margaret Feinberg…are some of the ladies who will be sharing their wisdom during the weekend. When your life and work revolve around ministry, there’s usually little time to be fed – laughing at their stories and learning from them.

4. Bonding. My sister-in-law and I have been trying to do a “gals weekend” for over a year now. When we learned of the conference we immediately booked flights and hotel. A weekend to share meals, quality and quantity time bonds and I’m excited to have this time with her.

I look forward to sharing more about it after we attend the Seattle conference at the end of October!

How do you find God in the midst of life’s dry times?

What are ways you reach out to grab Him?

You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church

Sean McDowell — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:22:26 -0700

You Lost Me by David Kinnaman is the book I have been waiting for (Baker, 2011). I found myself reading it saying, “Yes, Yes, YES!” There has been much talk recently about the phenomena of young people disengaging the church when they leave high school, but now we have some substantive data as to why this is happening and what we can do about it. Kinnaman is the president of the Barna Research Group, so he backs up everything he says with research.

According to You Lost Me, 59% of young people with a Christian background report they have dropped out of the church after going regularly. Interestingly, Kinnaman notes that they are not necessarily leaving the faith. In fact, he says, “Most young Christians are struggling less with their faith in Christ than with their experience of church” (27). While historically young people often return to the church when they have kids, the new social and spiritual realities of this generation makes it less likely they will come back in the same numbers.

Kinnaman notes three key realities that describe this generation. First, access to information. This generation has unlimited access to non-biblical worldviews at their fingertips, which has caused many to question the nature of truth. For better or worse, they largely perceive the world through screens. It invites non-linear thinking and it empowers them as content-participants not just consumers of media.

Second, this generation is relationally alienated. In the 1960s only 5 percent of live births were to unwed mothers. Now that percentage is 42. Youth are maturing later and few churches today are equipped to minister to them. According to Kinnaman, “….relational alienation is one of the defining features of this generation” (45).

Third, this new generation is deeply skeptical of authority. This may sound familiar, but Kinnaman notes how the cultural structures that enabled faith—school, media, community, and stable family structure—are no longer available to the church. Everybody has an opinion so it is hard to know who is trustworthy.

One of the most helpful features of You Lost Me, was the six top reasons Kinnaman cited for why students leave the faith. Here they are:

(1) Overprotective—Young people have been so overprotected by our “helicopter” culture, that many seek risks outside traditional boundaries including drugs, pornography, and extreme thrill seeking. Kinnaman says parents and youth workers should allow young people to take bigger risks.

(2) Shallow—Not surprisingly, research shows that young people do not have a deep understanding of their faith. Yet the shallowness of faith is not restricted just to youth, but among all adults. Kinnaman says that our industrialized, program-driven ministry approach has failed to produce deeper disciples. He says, “We need to change from an industrialized, mass-production, public-education approach and embrace the messy adventure of relationship.

(3) Antiscience—More than 50% of churchgoing youth want a career in a science-related field. Yet only 1% of youth pastors report addressing a scientific issue in the past year. Kinnaman wonders how we can prepare a generation to follow Jesus in our science-dominated culture when only 1 in 100 youth workers are even talking about it.

(4) Repressive—The truth is that 4 out of 5 evangelicals 18-29 have had sex. The problem is that sex in our culture defines individualism: Sex is about me. Kinnaman notes that Christian teens have more conservative behavior than others but not different behavior. He is concerned that abstinence talks are
too focused on individual benefits rather than the teaching that sex is about selflessness.

(5) Exclusive—This generation tends to read the Bible through a pluralistic lens. They tend to base their morality on what seems fair-minded, loyal, and acceptable to their friends. They have more non-Christian friends than previous generations as well as relationships with people of differing sexual
orientations. These relationships inform their approach to truth.

(6) Doubtless—According to Kinnaman, “Doubt is a significant reason young adults disengage from the church” (187). There is both intellectual and emotional doubt that plague young people. This is why Kinnaman says our teaching ought to be more Socratic and process-oriented, allowing kids to
live with their questions.

What I appreciated most about You Lost Me, is the balance Kinnaman brings. He recognizes that the core issues of why kids are disengaging are both truth-related and relational. He says, “I think the next generation’s disconnection stems ultimately from the failure of the church to impart Christianity as a comprehensive way of understanding reality and living fully in today’s culture” (114).

We have failed to help people develop a biblical worldview. Kinnaman says, “It is a modern tragedy. Despite years of church-based experiences and countless hours of Bible-centered teaching, millions of next generation Christians have no idea that their faith connects to their life’s work” (207).

But Kinnaman also emphasized the importance of mentoring this generation. Sadly, a majority of the youth he interviewed reported never having an adult friend other than their parents. More than 80% never had a mentor. Kinnaman says truth must be passed relationally to the next generation through the same discipleship model of Jesus. Amen.

Pumpkin Spice Latte's and Assurance of Faith

Carrie Nye — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:17:27 -0700

Have you noticed that the Pumpkin Spice Latte returned to Starbucks this past week?

Fall may have arrived in some parts of the country, but it still seems far off here in Orange County, California. I have to admit, I enjoy the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte each fall whether the leaves change or not. In fact, one day this week I woke up thinking about the delightful latte and planned out my day around when I would get one before I even got out of bed. Clearly I was excited about the latte’s grand return!

The excitement got to my head though in unexpected ways. I started thinking about what might happen if I woke up anticipating serving others each day with the same excitement I had over a cup of pumpkin goodness? Or what my day might look like if I planned it around ways I could encourage my co-workers or be salt and light in a dry and dark world? Here’s the kicker thought I had that day: what would my life look like if every day I woke up thinking that today I would meet Jesus?!

Of course I didn’t expect to ponder such heavy thoughts while in route to a cup of sweet pumpkin joy. But then again, I have, as of late, become more and more accepting of expecting only the unexpected in life. My thoughts on this particular day were no exception. Nor do I put it past God to invade my thoughts of a heavenly pumpkin beverage with thoughts of heaven itself. I absolutely believe God cares about every thought or idea I have and can influence them all in such a way that will inevitably bring me closer to him. So after some thought on this (by this post so far you’d think all I do is sit around and think and drink latte's!), I realized why I may have been thinking this way.

For about the past 10 years or so, my grandpa has been waiting (impatiently most days) to go home to Jesus. My grandma passed away as Haiti was shaking into a pile of rubble on January 12, 2010 and honestly, my grandpa wanted his turn to meet the King of Kings too. His prayers were answered just a few weeks ago. While taking an afternoon nap in his home, Jesus came and carried him away. Although my grandpa prayed for heaven just about every day, Jesus said we must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Our days are literally numbered and only God knows our number.

Hebrews 10:22 says, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

My grandpa had assurance of his faith in Jesus and because of that assurance he didn’t fear death at all. In fact, he welcomed it towards the end of his life. Sure, I’m not 89 years old like my grandpa was when he passed last month, but what if I woke every day hoping to walk with Jesus through the coffee fields that I’m pretty sure I’ll maintain in heaven? I might be bold with my faith without the surface layer insecurities that so many times hold me back. I might offer the hungry person on the street corner whatever snacks I’m hording around in my purse. I might say I’ll pray for a friend and then actually pray for them in that moment. I might stop and talk to a neighbor instead of quickly passing by without even a hello. I might spend more time with the children in my life more and less time worrying about myself.

It’s difficult though isn’t it? All of those things are easy to say now but come tomorrow morning am I really going to feel that way and live my life like Jesus might just show up in person? If I’m honest, maybe for a day or two before I revert back to a bunch of ‘me’ thinking throughout my days. I live in a now and a not yet state of mind daily. Meaning, I am not walking in my coffee field with Jesus yet. I’m living in a crowded and lonely county in Ca that desperately needs Jesus and I live with sweet assurance of faith that I will one day be in the coffee field. It’s like I’m drinking the pumpkin latte but it's difficult to see the fall season that it represents? A little like faith is evidence of what is unseen. Not actually seeing the evidence of fall won’t keep me from drinking in the latte though. I’m not with Jesus yet, but I won’t let that stop me from hoping and eagerly waiting his return to reunite me with him. I won’t stop seeking his face and taking in his word and truths even on those days when life just looks and feels icky. And as I sip on tomorrow’s latte, I’ll be reminded that today I ought live my life reflecting the risen Lord I serve with bold assurance of faith in the risen Christ Jesus.

What joys in this life or in the life to come do you look forward to each day?

Why I Do Apologetics

Sean McDowell — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:43:41 -0700

I recently did this video interview on the role of Apologetics in our world, and how I approach this important discipline. Enjoy!