Re-Think

"...be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2).

When Michelangelo was 87 years old, the great Italian renaissance artist was quoted as saying, “I am still learning.” What is remarkable to me is that he made this statement long after the completion of such masterpieces as the Sistine Chapel, David, the Pieta and countless other works of the world’s most magnificent art. His creations are among the best I’ve ever seen…truly created by an artist that had arrived! Michelangelo, apparently, still thought he had a long way to go.

I once heard a Christian speaker implore to a large gathering of youth the importance of knowing what one believes, digging in one’s heels, and standing one’s ground at all costs. He described a virtuous faith as one that did not waiver in its opinion, standing for God against the onslaught of the world. Changing one’s mind was considered weakness. Of course, he later described the variety of Christian faith that he wanted these young people to accept and not waiver from, so I doubted if he would have wanted someone who disagreed with him to be as unwavering and unflinching as he was.

While it may sound quite virtuous to not change one’s mind, I think that may not be a healthy mindset. To assume that we’ve arrived, got it all figured out, and that God is done teaching us is just a bit arrogant. Well, it’s very arrogant, actually. I believe we are life-long learners on this journey until we see Jesus face-to-face. “Now we know in part; then we will know in full.”

Personally, I have enjoyed the life-long discipleship process and all that the Lord continues to teach me. The last several years have given me the opportunity to re-think a lot of what I believe about the Christian faith and the role of the believer in the world. I have learned a lot about myself in the process. While the Lord certainly “changeth not”, I certainly do, and I thank God for the transformation and occasional rebuke!

There have been several influences that have shaped my understanding of the Kingdom of God and some that have caused me to re-think a few things. Here’s a few of them:

1. My Anabaptist heritage: I cannot deny the role the Anabaptists have had in shaping my faith, understanding of Scripture, and way of life. I was raised Brethren and influenced by Mennonites and have spent much of my adult life studying Anabaptist theology and history. I learned to love the Scriptures, value simplicity, trust Christ, serve my neighbor, enjoy community, and practice peace from by Brethren and Mennonite mentors. I appreciate the different voice that the Anabaptists have in the Christian faith in America, and I value the role they have had in my life.

2. I was raised by the church: I wasn’t simply raised in the church but raised by the church. The local congregation I was nurtured in profoundly shaped my life and “saved” me from much of the crisis that consumed my early years. It was there I discovered a sense of belonging and found purpose and meaning to my life. I was given opportunities to grow, practice, and fail all within the safe confines of a small congregation. They called me to ministry and I followed the path all the way from being “called” to studying for ministry to licensure to ordination. Beyond the usual marrying and burying, I found joy in the discipleship of young people, the ministry to the sick, the baptism of believers, and the teaching of God’s Word.

3. I have had varied Christian experiences: While my upbringing may have been Anabaptist and Evangelical, my adult experiences were quite varied as I participated in missions with charismatic believers, partnered with Pentecostals, attended Mass with Catholics, broke bread with cultural conservatives, held revival meetings with Appalachian believers who “got religion”, preached in Anglican youth gatherings, engaged the Emergents, fellowshipped with house churches, worked for an independent church, and even offended a few Presbyterians in Northern Ireland. I gained an appreciation for each (well, most) and learned just how diverse the church is. I learned that the way I was used to wasn’t the only way, and I came to the conclusion that some ways aren’t necessarily his Way.

4. International life and ministry: I spent the better part of a decade living in two distinctly different cultures which afforded me the opportunity to see the Christian faith stripped away from an American cultural context. Of course, I witnessed firsthand the Irish and British cultural influence but never before had the opportunity to see my Americanisms challenged like I did living among Northern Ireland Protestants and Republic of Ireland Catholics. I also felt the tension of American church expectations to do things the American way with a propensity towards buildings, programs, numbers, sustainability, and frontier revivalism-style evangelism (all reflecting our cultural value of consumerism). Living in Ireland gave me my first real experiences with the Kingdom of God rather than sectarianism, institutionalism, and denominationalism. I began to enjoy the freedom that comes with a missionary’s adaptation and adoption of other lands, cultures, and peoples. It is an experience that profoundly changed me, and it is something I miss terribly.

5. My love for those outside the church: While I value my church experiences (and my present faith community), I love it “out there”. I will gladly spend my time with the salt of the earth, but the saltier the better. I know there are many in the church who would counsel (or condemn) anyone who spent their time with the “worst of all sinners”, but I heartily count myself in their number and am happy to bring the Kingdom of God with me wherever I go. I am as at home with the gang member as I am with the middle class family. The truth is, when you understand the love and grace of God, loving people becomes much easier and judging them much more difficult. Every day, my public school students teach me more about myself and the limits of my love (patience, mercy, etc) all while I try to be the living presence of Christ in their lives. It’s a relationship and dynamic that I really enjoy.

6. I believe in challenging the church: While many are content to preach at the world, a lot of my words are aimed at those who claim to follow Christ. I believe our most thorough examination must be of ourselves. If we follow Christ and believe he is the Way, then shouldn’t we listen to his voice and follow his example? I have a deep longing to see things turned upside down so that they may be right side up. Even though I credit the church with so much of my personal and spiritual formation, I find myself dissatisfied (even dismayed) with our representation of Christ among our neighbors, communities, and nations. I think we are extremely distracted with our collective self.

7. I love to read: I am an avid reader, something my high school teachers might find amusing (if they had any recollection of my quiet, mediocre presence in their classrooms at all!). The only book I recall reading in high school was Lord of the Flies, and that probably had a lot to do with the fact that the story was morbidly bizarre enough to hold my attention. Since then, my reading habits have improved, and I have spent a considerable amount of time with my nose in a book (or two). Amazon.com is one of my favorite websites, and I’ve recently discovered the joy of reading books out loud with friends. Reading, for me, satisfies my hunger for informal education and the exploration of ideas. In fact, one of the most transformational experiences I’ve had in my adult life came from reading. I “fasted” from the entire Bible with the exception of the Gospels for almost a year, focusing my Scripture reading completely on Christ…and I began to find my mind being renewed. As I read Jesus, Jesus began reading me, and I was convicted. I committed to being a student of Christ, and I am enjoying the journey.

While I am happy with the place I now find myself in, I realize I have not arrived, and I am still learning.

Next article: “Re-Thinking Evangelicalism”.