One of my favorite stories on being "born again" comes from singer/songwriter Rich Mullins. He said he was being interviewed by a representative from an evangelical program that wanted to have him as a guest but felt like they needed to check him out beforehand because of rumors they'd heard. They asked him how old he was when he became a Christian, and he said, "I guess about 2 or 3." "So young?" they responded, "What happened?" Rich said that in Sunday School they sang a song, "Come into my heart, Come into my heart. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus..." The woman said, "Well, that's not what I meant. You couldn't have possibly been old enough to understand what you were praying." And then Rich responds, "Lady...we never understand what we're praying. And God in His mercy does not answer our prayers according to our understanding, but according to His wisdom." Rich goes on to talk about how he was baptized at the age of 10 because after saying a bad word in front of his mom he knew he'd sinned and needed to get right with God. The lady pressed further and said, "No, but what we really want to know is when were you born again." Rich said, "Lady, which time?" He goes on to explain that he used to get born again about once a year, then at college it turned into more of a quarterly thing. Finally, by the time he hit his forties, he was getting born again about 4-5 times a day. When Are We Saved?As a Christ follower in this faith tradition we call Brethren, I believe that people ought not to be baptized until they can really understand what is they are professing when they call Jesus Lord of their lives. Rich's story brought up a great question, though. When do we ever really know what we're praying when we ask God into our hearts? I think we have to admit a certain amount of ignorance out of humility. We never know fully what we are getting ourselves into, but in faith we attempt to put our whole selves in God's hands. And in our imperfection, we have to continually give ourselves over to God as we mess up and discover parts of ourselves that we didn't even know we had that must be given to God.
Brethren have put voice to this process by saying, "I am saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved." Salvation is not an event, but a process. What Jesus accomplished through his life, cross, and resurrection is being accomplished in us continually and will someday be accomplished in its fullness when all things are made new. Accepting salvation as a free gift of grace (Eph 2:8-9) is the first step of working out that salvation through an active faith made concrete in our lives (Phil 2:12, Ja 2:18). As a pastor, this makes my job both way more difficult and way easier at the same time. It's more difficult because I cannot simply get folks to pray a prayer and be settled til they get to heaven. I have to actually love, care and invest in them. Yet it's also way easier because it means I have the opportunity to freely meet them where they are and guide them through the next step in their journey with Jesus. It's an enormous privilege. It also gives me the freedom to acknowledge that I am still being saved in the process as well. I am still learning and growing. I am still making mistakes, being forgiven, and being healed. What about you? Where are you in the process? I invite you today to have that conversation with Jesus, and invite your friends and family as well. The following is an article written by former pastor of GFBC, John Drexler. We reshare his gracious words here with great affection. Pastor Drexler currently serves at First Brethren Church of Burlington, IN. I grew up in an Independent Baptist Church in New Jersey just 8 miles west of Philadelphia. I knew virtually nothing of the ordinance of foot-washing until I applied for admission to Grace Theological Seminary, a Grace Brethren School located in Winona Lake, Indiana. The application asked if I practiced foot-washing as an ordinance (the last few words helped me realize they were not talking about personal hygiene). I asked my dad, a Baptist pastor, for his opinion. He explained that he believed the Act was for the disciples benefits, but the message of service was the lesson to be learned from Jesus's action.
So, off to seminary I went, ready to defend myself against those who would attempt to compel me to wash someone's feet, or even worse, allow someone to wash mine. I had some very dear Brethren friends who attempted to show me the error of my ways, and even took me to a threefold Brethren communion service. This only served to make me more adamant that this couldn't be a Jesus-ordained practice, because it was too, dare I say, yucky. Now jump ahead nearly 30 years. I was asked to preach at the First Brethren Church of Goshen, a very loving community of believers, as their pastor. This meant (horrors) I would have to participate in the foot-washing portion of the communion service. In my research, I was amazed at how Jesus's words seemed to be addressed to the whole Church, not merely just the disciples. He said, "I have set you an EXAMPLE (emphasis mine) that you should do as I have done for you," and "now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:15 and 17 NIV) That was all I needed to erase my Prejudice, but it still seems so awkward and personally invasive. When the time finally came that I was to attend my first Brethren communion service as a participant, I looked forward with dreadful anticipation of someone washing my feet other than my mom or myself. I spent a few minutes explaining to the folks the whys and wherefores of foot-washing and why I believe Jesus ordained this to be perpetuated in His memory. I spoke to them of how it in itself has a threefold purpose (3 is a big number in the Brethren denomination). First, it speaks to us of service and serving one another. Secondly, it teaches humility. It's tough to be proud when someone far more Godly than yourself is on his knees washing your feet and explaining the love of Christ. And finally, it's because of the need for daily spiritual cleansing through the Word and confession of sins. Jesus said on that same occasion, "a person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean though not every one of you. (John 13:10 NIV ) So, I ventured forth for my first experience with foot-washing. We had a wonderful saint of God in our congregation at that time, Dr. Charles Munson, a former professor at Ashland Seminary. When this dear old man got down on his knees to wash my feet, I felt somewhat like Peter; terribly unworthy of his serving me. After he was helped to his feet and sat down, I in turn washed his feet. That was glorious. I still can't say that after 13 years I enjoy having someone wash my disgusting feet, but I believe that is what the Lord commanded, and in doing so I am blessed. As we approach Easter, our congregation is already making plans for gathering together for Communion on Maundy Thursday - March 29, 6:30PM. This year we once again have the pleasure of joining our sister congregation, Jefferson Community Church, as we remember this special night together.
As Brethren, we uniquely relive the love Jesus displayed to his disciples during their last meal together by sharing a meal together, serving each other through washing one another's feet, and finally sharing in the bread and the cup (the symbols of Christ's body and blood given for us). It’s more than just a strange tradition we preserve for fun. Sharing in the common meal, the humble service of footwashing after Jesus' example, and the remembrance of his gift for us forms us as a people when we engage in this together. In our meal together, we celebrate the abundance of God's provision in love and the joy of his presence with us. In the service of footwashing, we enact the same servant love that bound the twelve together in that upper room. In the sharing of the bread and the cup, we remember Christ's body given and blood shed as a reminder of the love that compels us together to give up our lives as well in favor of a love still greater. Sharing in Threefold Communion together is a physical reminder for our community that we were made to serve one another in humility, to share community in love, and to give our lives like broken bread and poured out wine for the sake of the world’s salvation - just like our Savior did for us. I hope to see you all at our Three-fold Communion service! May the family come together to tell the story once more. Check out these pictures from our recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic! Once again our nation is facing tragedy in the aftermath of a mass shooting, and once again folks are taking to social media to vent their grief and frustration, and subsequently debate positions on gun control. And I fear that once again, we will soon move on, maybe with some taking a leave from social media, and then we'll forget all about those left hurting. The cycle is predictable, and little changes. But what if there WAS something you could do? What if there was a productive way to respond that didn't involve Facebook or Twitter debates? Right Place. Right Actions.Part of the frustration we have with social media is that, despite all our methods of communication, messages seem to get lost in the wrong places. Your voice may be heard, but often only by folks who share your viewpoint or those who want to pick a fight. And neither groups likely have any decision making power to begin with. Our righteous desires for justice and restoration for a broken world get imprisoned by digital social bubbles. Why waste your time on something that doesn't matter? As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." Instead of sowing discord, let's learn to direct our energies in more productive ways. Our friends at the Brethren National Office have already offered some helpful words of advice on how we can think about and respond to such tragedies in a more Christlike manner. See the links below for Steven Cole's comments on a Christ-like posture for using your influence and Patrick Sprague's comments on how we can respond to mass shootings with lament. These are excellent resources for how our faith ought to shape the way we think about these issues. But here, I'd like to offer some the healthy and productive ways to use your voice and actions to make a difference.
For Christians, our first and ultimate hope is always Christ. That hope is then made tangible in the ways that we engage with others in service and relationship. Finally, that corporate expression of faith helps to inform how we engage in democracy - sharing our concerns about justice with those who shape policy and practice in our world. Social media can be a helpful way to hear diverse perspectives, but it should never take the place of prayer and community action. Like Jesus, our love in action should always be incarnated in relationship. So how is God inviting you to respond today? An Aid for Goshen, IN ResidentsIf you're like me, you might wonder where to even start when it comes to contacting your representatives. Here's some handy information on our national and district representatives. If you live outside of Goshen, your representatives will obviously be different. But y'know, just Google it.
And if you're wondering where to start with prayer, come on over to Goshen First Brethren and we can give you some pointers.
This article originally appeared on the The Brethren Church blog, authored by a guest writer named Nathan Tabor. To go or not to go to church ... that question has been a hard one for me for 10-plus years now. I grew up a preacher’s kid, and I had been involved in church all of my life. As I grew older and, in my mind, wiser, I started to see behind the curtain a bit. And what I saw, I didn’t like. I didn’t like the hypocrisy of seeing people say one thing, yet do another. I didn’t like the legalism or judgmental attitude of others. Over time, I settled into a mindset that I could have a great walk with God and a relationship with Jesus as long as I kept both my quiet time and my prayer life alive... as long as I did it my way. Do you feel like that? Are you currently in this mindset? Occasionally, I would venture out and visit a church here and there. But I never felt completely comfortable with one aspect or another. There was always something that I allowed to keep me away. Over the years, I also used other excuses not to attend church: I was tired after a long week of work or that I needed to spend time with my family. But I never used these excuses when it was something I wanted to do, like to work out at the gym or take a vacation. Basically, I had used one excuse or another to not get involved in any church. What I finally came to realize and understand is that behind my own curtain, I was being a hypocrite too. Yes, I admit it! Behind my own curtain, I was judging others for their attitudes or for what they had done or not done. Here’s the truth: everyone has issues. Every church has issues. Churches are run by people. And people are humans, and humans are sinners, myself included. The difference between them and me was simple: they were at least trying to observe fellowship with other Christians and to serve the Lord. It really started to weigh on me almost a year ago. I need to adjust my attitude and drop my hypocrisy and get involved. Now that I’m actively involved in a church, I still see people doing and saying things that I don’t necessarily agree with. Or they may do something that I would handle differently. And I’m 100% sure that some would say the exact same thing about me. The difference now, however, is two-fold:
When previously I acted on my own--dealing with the hardships of life all by myself--I now have many Christian brothers and sisters who have my back. There is comfort in numbers! So, stop the excuses. Stop the judging and forget about what has happened in the past. I promise you, if you join or start participating in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church, there will be less damage done to you in that church than the damage that will happen to you and your family outside of the church. Nathan Tabor lives in Kernersville with his wife and daughter. He has founded and owned over two dozen businesses since 1999. Some of these ventures have been wildly successful while some have been epic failures. He is passionate about applying God's word to his personal and professional life and helping others do the same as an executive coach and business growth consultant. Learn more about Nathan at NathanTabor.com.
This article originally appeared on the Northeast District Youth Leaders blog for The Brethren Church, authored by Luke Dowdy of Berlin Brethren Church in Berlin, PA. People look for value, not just activity when they attend church. – D. ReilandI’ve heard and been a part of churches that think they’re accomplishing Kingdom work simply by virtue of being busy. “We’re an active church. We’re a busy a church.” Well, those things aren’t bad…as long as they’re actually adding value and not another task to peoples’ lives.
In student ministry, I’ve noticed an obvious trend the last few years in teenagers—students are burning out! They play sports, commit to clubs, log community service hours, work part-time jobs, pursue academics, attend youth group, and list any other responsibility your community offers. But are these events adding value to their growth? The quick answer for many parents is likely yes. You can find a way it’s benefiting them. But do they understand what they’re doing as adding value? The best part is that the church exists to accomplish a gospel mission of infinite value. It shouldn’t be a hard pitch to make when you frame Jesus properly. In fact, Dan Reiland also notes that if the people you lead know where you are going, and what value they’re investing in, you can get there together. Reframe your times together as not just time fillers or “good” ministry to be involved in. Rather, communicate the value being pursued. What do you do when someone you love seems like they're going down the wrong path but they're claiming it's God's will? Is there ever an appropriate time to question someone's faith for their own good? God gives us a natural desire to protect and care for the well-being of our kids, family members, and friends. But sometimes following Jesus can lead us into decisions that are not-so-safe by the world's standards. Or in more mild situations, following Jesus may lead us to beliefs and actions that are simply not easily understood by others. How do we know when something is of God or something we should question? That's exactly the situation that Jesus seems to be in early on in ministry. In Mark 3:20-35, we see Jesus simultaneously called insane by his family and challenged as demonic by "teachers of the law" from Jerusalem. Both groups seem to have seen and heard about Jesus' ministry of preaching, healing, and casting out demons and taken exception to his message and methods. Jesus' family seems worried about his mental health. The religious teachers are more worried about Jesus being a false teacher. Jesus has strong words for both. He warns the religious teachers that they're mistaking the name and power of the Holy Spirit for the work of Satan - which is tantamount to blasphemy. And without addressing his family directly, he communicates that nothing will distract him from God's will - not even his closest relatives. This is all well and good, because he's Jesus. He IS in God's will, and his family and the teachers of the law are mistaken. But they didn't understand at the time. They were just trying to do the right thing. What should they have done differently? How do you discern if a concerning belief or behavior is God's will or something you should challenge?The error that the teachers and Jesus' family fell into was not that they questioned Jesus at work. Their error was in the conclusion they came to. In their best effort, they were unable to identify the good work of the Holy Spirit, instead calling it demonic and insane.
We are likely to run into similar questions in our lives as new situations challenge our previously held assumptions about who God is and how God works. Maybe a loved one is attending a church with some beliefs or practices that seem foreign to you (different worship style, accepting or denying specific types of people, etc). Maybe you meet and become friends with someone with radically different beliefs, and it brings up new questions for you. Often, we respond by either doubling down on our position without questioning if we might be wrong, or else abandoning or convictions completely without real thought. There is a third way, however, that can help us navigate these tricky waters. It's called discernment - or the process of seeking truth and judging well. Instead of simply relying on previous knowledge or giving it up, we can actively seek truth with God's guidance. Here's a few practices we can use:
None of these steps are fool-proof on their own. There is always room for human error. However, the cumulative weight of evidence from these different steps can give us a much clearer picture of God's will. Hopefully then we can gain a deeper understanding of God's character and the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. At the very least, maybe we can avoid calling our very devout loved ones insane or "ministers of Satan." Nobody wants that. Most new Christians at some point early in their journey with Christ have to start making difficult decisions about who and how they spend their time now that they've given their life to Jesus. Are Christians supposed to associate with people who do less than Christian things? A short answer from the Gospels: Jesus did.In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus calls Levi, also known as Matthew, to be his disciple, and draws ire and suspicion from the religious elite. Levi was a tax collector, which at that time meant that he took part in a system that actively disenfranchised his fellow Jews for his own gain. And here Jesus was hanging out with him and all his friends. The Pharisees understandably questioned why Jesus would eat with such people. Implicit in the Pharisees question is the concern that Jesus should not be associating with those kinds of people. The dangers are twofold:
Have you heard anything like this before? These are the kinds of lessons I’ve heard multiple times growing up in the church. And they are good lessons! In many respects, the pharisees are right. We ought to avoid sin, and we should be aware that others notice with whom and how we spend our time. If they’re looking to us as examples of how to live, then our actions (real or perceived) may influence theirs. The classic example is with alcohol. There’s nothing in scripture that says it’s sinful to have an alcoholic drink. It’s just sinful and destructive for our lives to get drunk. And for those who struggle with addictions to alcohol, even seeing someone else drink can tempt them to fall off the wagon. So there is legitimate reason for us to care about righteousness and what others see in the company we keep. However, we STILL see Jesus break these rules. Why? Here's a few thoughts... 1. Jesus knows what it's like to face temptation.He faced a grueling time of temptation in the wilderness right after his baptism. And he demonstrated that you don’t overcome temptation by cutting yourself off from others, but by confronting it head on in earnest prayer and reliance upon the Holy Spirit. I remember struggling with lust a ton in high school and college and doggedly trying to pursue righteousness and flee from sin. Men who are trying to keep their thoughts pure in an overly sexualized culture try to get really good at what we call the “eye bounce.” That was all well and good until I ended up going on my first mission trip to Las Vegas. Where do you bounce your eyes to in Las Vegas!? Everywhere you look there is something raunchy… Except another persons’ eyes. Instead of treating women like objects, either as sexual objects or temptations to be avoided, I learned to look in their eyes and see them as princesses and daughters loved by God. Fleeing temptation is external. Radiant purity comes from the heart. The kind of purity that Jesus displays isn't casual about sin, but it is so filled with God's love and presence that it meets temptation with transforming goodness. Jesus isn’t worried about falling into sin because he is rooted in God’s presence and sees God’s image in everyone He encounters. 2. Jesus does not seem to care what others think.He was secure enough in his own identity that he felt free to do what was necessary to meet people in their brokenness. It wasn’t the kind of freedom from care that some use to be belligerent toward others without feeling guilty. It was the kind that allowed him to show compassion to others without worrying about what anyone else might think.
I’d venture to say he understands the argument that others might mistakenly fall into destructive habits if they see someone they respect hanging around it. But he’s decided that it’s more effective for Him to be present with the people who need guidance and show them a better way to live. I had some pastor friends recently who were sharing on Facebook that they’d signed something called the Nashville statement, which among some other things, was meant to declare to the world that they stood firmly opposed to same-sex marriage. Regardless of where you stand on that issue, there was one glaring problem with this: NOBODY is asking. The Barna Group did a massive research project in recent years polling young, unchurched Americans to find out what they thought about Christianity. Their results were discouraging, as they found that overwhelmingly Christians were perceived as judgmental, hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political, insensitive, irrelevant—and boring. Putting out a statement reminding everyone that you disapprove of homosexuality is both unnecessary and unhelpful. Jesus never took a soft stance on sin. He never minimized it or redefined it. He didn’t try to backpedal issues of righteousness so that it was more palatable to the culture around Him. In fact, His message in the Sermon on the Mount upped the ante on righteousness. And yet he always seemed to be hanging around with sinners. Why did they want to hang out with Him? And why do so few non-Christians want to spend time with Christians today? My assumption based on my reading of the Gospels, is that Jesus was a lot more likable than many of us are when He interacted with sinners. He didn’t start out by naming their sin, but instead He named their potential. He knew that for most of us, the journey toward righteousness and purity is ongoing - and it doesn’t happen all in one night. So instead of paralyzing with condemnation, Jesus invites sinners into covenant relationship where conviction and sanctification can happen over time. Jesus wasn’t worried about what others thought of Him spending time with sinners, because He knew our secret: We’re all sinners! The truth is that none of us are perfectly righteous and pure. We all have sin and wounds and brokenness. We all fall short of the glory of God. So as we all journey together with Christ, let's show the same grace that Jesus shows us. And let's aspire to the same kind of purity that Jesus showed. The kind of purity that doesn't fear sinners, but transforms through the power of the Holy Spirit. |
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