Category Archives: Discipleship

Discipleship, Worldview & Truth

Live not by lies

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We are living in times of dangerous upheaval; times which demand more from us than we have been used to giving. These are days for standing boldly for truth, and not giving in to intimidation, cultural pressure, and the ubiquitous deceit thrown at us by politicians and news anchors.

I’ve recently been reading some of the works of the Soviet Dissident, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, who spent eight years imprisoned in the Russian Gulags for criticizing Josef Stalin in a private letter. The day he was arrested in 1974 he released “Live Not by Lies” to the Soviet people. The short essay seems especially appropriate for Christians in the 21st century. Below are a few teaser quotes from the piece, with a link to the entire article for further reading.

“Violence has nothing to cover itself with but lies, and lies can only persist through violence… And therein we find… the simplest and most accessible key to our liberation: a personal non-participation in lies. Even if all is covered by lies, even if all is under their rule… let their rule hold not through me… For when people renounce lies, lies simply cease to exist. Like parasites, they can only exist when attached to a person.”

“We are not called to step out into the square and shout out our truth; to say out loud what we think – this is scary, and we are not ready. But let us at least say what we do not think… Our way must be: Never support lies.”

“The more of us set out together, the thicker our ranks, the easier and shorter this path will be for all. If we become thousands, they will not cope, they will be unable to touch us. If we grow to tens of thousands – we will not recognize our country.”

Read more at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03064220408537357

Discipleship, Uncategorized, Worldview & Truth

Truth and love

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Just about a month ago I posted a comment on Facebook, that my two greatest fears were that I might abandon love, or that I might abandon truth. “Either would be catastrophic”, I said. It seems to have resonated with a number of friends, and I received an unusual amount of feedback. I meant it, too, and I’m determined to stand by my commitment as long as grace enables me..

Love and truth are like the proverbial two sides of a coin. Just as you cannot have “up” without “down”, or “front” without “back”, you cannot have love without truth because they are both revealed to us in Jesus. If you have him, you will honor both:

Love without truth is not love.
And truth without love is not truth.

By extension, those who love most will see most, and understand the most. But the opposite is also true: Those who hate are blinded, and can never really know truth. “… anyone who hates his brother or sister is living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.” (1 John 2:11).

Christian author, Francis Schaeffer, taught that “true truth” is tantamount, and yet it is cold and cruel without love. “The local church or Christian group should be right, but it should also be beautiful.”

Here is my point in sharing this Kingdom principle: Serious disciples of Jesus ought to be deeply interested in knowing the truth about the events unfolding before us, from Covid, to politics to free speech. And though many seem ready to argue, accuse and offend, it seems few are interested in love, without which we can never begin to truly know truth.

Do you want to understand the truth about the world? Then looking through the lens of love will clear your heart and bring clear focus.

Discipleship, Worldview & Truth

Judging a tree

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“No one is so deceived as the person who believes
he has everything figured out.”

“Every tree will be known by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33). Recounting his personal journey towards the end of his life, the brilliant British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton told of strolling through London as a young man in the turbulent sixties, and stumbling into an angry mob of demonstrators: “I saw a group of radicals destroying and throwing stones at policemen, and I said ‘Whatever these people are for, I am against.” That inflection point set Scruton on the path towards becoming one of England’s premier thinkers and cultural influencers. Sir Roger looked at a “tree” and judged it by its fruit.

Those who are serious about apprenticeship to Jesus take truth seriously; we want to stand squarely on the side of integrity. So it follows that faithful disciples will always live welcome correction, repentance and the opportunity to change our minds when necessary. (No one is so dangerous or deceived as the person who believes he has everything figured out). But when we live in a culture of contradicting narratives, censorship, disinformation, and media-shaming, it can sometimes be difficult to know which narrative is “truly” true.

I believe one reliable indicator of truth is the fruit test: Does this group, this news organization, or this ideology promote peace and order, or violence and chaos? Does it build-up, or tear-down? Does it produce anger and bitterness, or gentleness and love? Can I see in these people a humble hope in God, or the pride of arrogance? Even a child can tell good fruit from rotten.

Undeniably, two worldviews are locked in a brutal competition for the future of the world. It’s a terrifying sight. But the disciples of Jesus will remember that we are called to be a “tree of righteousness”, a tree whose fruit will be given for the healing of the nations.

“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindheartedness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” -Galatians 5:22-23

(A good introduction to Sir Roger Scruton is his timeless documentary, “Why Beauty Matters”)

Discipleship, The Kingdom

Why do so few understand the Kingdom?

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Today I’m reading in Luke 8:10 “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables…”  Almost every time I stand before a class I find a small group of students who gladly receive the Kingdom and walk away changed to the core of their being. Revelation does that; it rearranges the furniture of our soul.

But there is almost always another group who remains oblivious and unchanged, as if they cannot see what others are seeing.  I’ve often expressed my frustrated wonder that the entire class isn’t left standing on their chairs rejoicing and demanding to hear more glad news of the Kingdom. 

I think the key to these two groups may be found in our posture towards Jesus.  In nearly every group of Believers there will be a portion who are after God for what he will do for them.  In the Gospels we see crowds of the curious pressing on Jesus for miracles, healing, and bread in the wilderness.  Skye Jethani refers to these as believers who are living “from God.”  These beloved people see God as their butler and therapist, ever attentive to their own happiness, their own well-being, their own health, wealth, and desires.  And our gracious God often obliges them, (like the crowds in the wilderness), by meeting their needs.  But their relationship with Him is little more than what Jethani calls “consumerism with a Jesus sticker slapped on it.”  These are the ones for whom parables will have to suffice. 

But there are others, disciples who have left everything to be WITH Jesus, to apprentice themselves to Him because of who he IS.  These are the ones who are given eyes to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom, who are gifted with revelation into the nature of reality and Truth. When the crowds turned away and Jesus asked his disciples if they would leave as well, Peter answered , “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.”  (John 6:68).

It’s up to each of us to classify ourselves: will I be a part of the crowd who presses on Jesus for what He offers me, or will I be a disciple who sees no other possibility but Him?
Discipleship

Vocation and calling

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Skye Jethani tells us in his wonderful book, Futureville that every Christian has three callings: The “highest call”,  the “common call”, and the “vocational call.”  It’s an idea that brings welcome clarification to me, especially as we begin the new year. 

Our Highest Call is the calling to Jesus.  Human were specifically designed to function in a living relationship with Him.  “In Him was life, and the life was the light of man.” (John 1:4)  To attempt life apart from Jesus is an empty, dead-end street of frustration no different than trying to drive a car without gas.  The highest call is where everything begins, it’s where we discover our true personality and purpose for getting out of bed in the morning.

The Common Call: Once reconnected with the Source of life the common mission of every disciple is to apprentice himself to Jesus and become like him in every way.  This is our call to love our neighbor, to forgive our enemies, to pray and feed the poor, to serve one another and to bring glory to God in all things.  All believers have these first two callings in common.

But finally we have the Vocational Call:  This is where God reveals and develops His unique gifts and contributions in us to serve the world around us.  I’m a musician and a teacher. But as I write this post there’s a friend across the room who is gifted in business and hospitality.  He manages this little coffeeshop, makes each person feel like the most important person in the world and serves his customers with joy.  Others who come here are nurses, construction workers, truck drivers, artists, policemen, and sanitation workers.  The Kingdom needs every one of these vocations because each one brings order, beauty and abundance to the world around us.  And here is the mind-blowing thing about vocations:  They matter!  Where would we be if the cooks, the truck drivers, the plumbers and the musicians disappeared from among us?  In the Kingdom everyone and everything matters!

May you experience a fresh understanding of God’s calling in your life as we enter 2019. 

PS: Futureville is about the Kingdom.  It’s a great read and covers much more than just calling and vocation.

Discipleship, Grace

Stumbling disciple

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Sleeplessness picked at my brain and tickled my body last night until I finally gave in and retreated to the recliner and my old journals. Stretching back over forty years, these journals have become my counsellors, my instructors and often my accusers. They remind me that an honest working title for my life thus far would be, “Stumbling Disciple.” I’ve vacillated from mountain heights of glory and inspiration, to lonely valleys of failure and despair; from exotic places and experiences of God’s faithfulness, right down into hopelessness and crushing doubt. I’m amazed at the glorious, giddy truths the Holy Spirit has given me, and appalled at the scope of what I’ve already forgotten. These writings keep my life in perspective.

Last night I noticed that under the steady passing of years, one cadence seems to drone like a soundtrack to my life: “Not enough!”: Not enough prayer; not enough worship; not enough accomplishment; not enough practicing, writing, compassion, exercise, serving, witnessing, faithfulness or creativity. The nagging voice of “not enough” seems to greet me in the morning and chatter on until I fall asleep at night.

Whether friend or foe I’m not certain, since it both condemns me and pushes me forward into action. But this I know: today my sufficiency is in Jesus alone. I am clearly and without question, inadequate without Him. I’m only a stumbling disciple trying to get it right.  Yet He has told me, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for (my) power is perfected in (your) weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

Today I’m choosing to boast in God and to rest in the adequacy of His promise: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” And my soul says “Hallelujah!”

Discipleship, The Kingdom

Keeping it simple

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I’ve been thinking recently how the teachings of Jesus can be captured in a few simple ideas that even a child can understand:

“Believe in me”:
Throughout history God has spoken through prophets, angels, scriptures, stone tablets, and even a donkey.   But in his final attempt to reach our darkened hearts He sent His Son.  “The Word became flesh and lived among us”.  He loved us, taught us, and showed us the true face of His Father.  God did not reveal himself as a philosophy, a set of commands, a book, or a religion, because none of those means could accomplish the task of “making all things new.”  Only Jesus could could accomplish such a thing.  And so He presented Himself in evidence and issued a simple invitation: “Believe in me”.

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  John 7:37-38

“Seek first the Kingdom”: (Matthew 6:33) 
Jesus didn’t come to simply save us from our sins.  He came to remake the world; to offer the human race a “do-over”.  He is not merely the Savior of my soul or the centerpiece of the church;  He is the center of ALL things.  “[God] planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth.”  (Ephesians 1:10)  We modern believers are still weak on this concept, wanting to reduce the gospel to a personal experience and roadmap to a future in Heaven.  But that is not the Kingdom! The Kingdom is that universal dream for a perfect world that every person carries in his heart.  Newsflash!  God carries that same dream!

Love one another: (John 13:34)
Nothing could be more simple.  Jesus said the world would actually recognize us by our love.  So they do, right?  Not quite.  They sometimes recognize us by our judgments, boycotts, and religious pride. Other times they don’t recognize us at all.  If we were to actually demonstrate this one thing – loving others supremely – the world would virtually throw open it’s heart to the Gospel!

Make disciples:
And finally – after we’ve begun to master these first three commands, we are called to make disciples of others who will make disciple of still others in this rich and living way that puts the world back together again and fills everything with glory.

Discipleship

Peacemaking in an angry world

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One of my prayers for 2017 is that I will grow in the area of discernment. All the “fake news” talk we’ve been hearing about lately isn’t really news for many of us. We’ve known about partisan sites, conspiracy sites, and sensationalist sites forever, but the problem lies in spotting them when they support the very same ideas that I hold so dear. So as one who deeply cares about Truth I’ve been asking God for the spiritual gift of discernment.  How amazing it would be to clearly hear the Spirit whisper, “No son… don’t fall for that. It’s a lie”.

I’m also learning that Truth seldom resides at the extremes. C.S. Lewis says, “The Devil sends lies into the world by pairs”, and of course he does it to divide people and communities. The “free will” versus “God’s sovereignty” debate has kept the church tied in knots for centuries.  But what about today’s “liberalism” versus “conservatism” debate?  Does the Truth reside at the extreme end of either of those worldviews?  Lewis suggests that the Truth often lies in the tension of the middle.  It’s not that God is mushy in regard to Truth, but he certainly is neither a political conservative nor a liberal.  He is the solid reality behind our foggy ideas.

A second prayer commanding my attention is that I will become a peacemaker. In a world so fractured by anger, accusations and finger-pointing we Believers are called to be agents of peace, looking for opportunities to bring healing and grace into each situation. Saint Francis captured it flawlessly in the prayer we’ve treasured for centuries:

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.”

Discipleship, The Kingdom, Uncategorized

The compelling power of beauty

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In my last post I wrote about the imperative of restoring beauty to the Christian Gospel. Common people flocked to hear Jesus not only because his words were beautiful: “Love your enemies, turn the other cheek, go the second mile;” but even more so because his life was beautiful. God himself had stepped into human flesh and was living among us as a lover of outcasts, a healer of broken people, and a perfect reflection of His heavenly Father.

It’s impossible to read the story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman taken in adultery without feeling the awesome beauty of this sinful woman finding forgiveness before she even asked. That was Jesus – the Word become flesh. But the incarnation continues in his disciples, the word is still becoming flesh in us, or at least it ought to be. The true follower of Jesus will always be looking more like his master.

Has Jesus called us to change the world through politics? No! Has he commanded us to go into all nations pointing out sin? No! Has he commissioned us to argue the world into faith on Internet discussion boards? No! But this is our call: “…as He is, so also are we in this world.” (John 4:17) Our call is to be like Him; to be beautiful like Him.

“You are the light of the world! A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. So let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16). In a world as dark as ours, a beautiful shining city will draw multitudes into its gates.

Discipleship

Trying vs. training

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My older brother, Terry, inspires me.  At sixty-five he’s still competing in marathons and triathlons. This weekend he cycled 116 miles up to Pittsburgh so he could run a race on Saturday.  I putzed around the house reading, playing music, and chatting with friends.  Could I have cycled alongside my brother?   Not in a million years, even if I tried really hard. “Trying” couldn’t carry my flabby frame more than a few miles before I’d collapse in defeat. But would I be capable of it if I trained and prepared?  Of course! If I paid the price my brother has paid, then I could probably do the same sorts of things he does.

When it comes to living a life of discipleship, trying just doesn’t feed the bulldogs. Regardless of how hard I try to be like Jesus, I inevitably find myself sidelined on the trail, panting for breath and begging for mercy.

No, discipleship is more than trying.  It is a life of strict training towards the goal of becoming like Jesus.  For years I thought of spiritual disciplines as exercises in gaining God’s approval, like the little gold stars I used to earn from my teachers.   But grace taught me there’s no point in trying to earn points with a God who isn’t keeping score. Since we’re unconditionally loved and saved by grace, our days of trying to impress God are firmly behind us.  But spiritual disciplines do have a place in the life of a disciple: They train me to connect more deeply with grace, and they help me to grow into the loving, selfless, and spiritually attentive person Jesus wants me to become.

Just as there are hundreds of ways to train for a marathon, there are unlimited disciplines to help us towards spiritual maturity: Intentionally looking for Jesus in the face of strangers, actively listening to others, or to God, regularly devoting my driving time to prayer, or setting aside time every day to thank God for His blessings.  In fact, whatever our weaknesses, God can show us disciplines to help along the way.

As disciples we must ask ourselves, “Am I training, or merely trying to become like Jesus?”