Marketplace

"My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves" (Jesus, Matthew 21:13).

It's interesting how Matthew's account of the events of Holy Week make a sudden shift from Jesus entering Jerusalem with the adoration of the crowds to him making a mess and tearing things up in the Temple courts. I can't imagine what must have been going through the minds of the palm waivers when the news of this messianic trouble-maker's ruckus in the Temple reached them. Perhaps this is when they began to re-think this Jesus.

What was it that offended Jesus' sense of justice and sent him ripping through the Temple courts like a holy terror? Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, lost his temper and went wild. Some say he was outraged that the money changers and those selling sacrifices were making excessive money off the pilgrims coming to the Temple...ripping people off. Others would add that perhaps Jesus had an issue with people profitting in the house of God.

I'd like to think it is both.

I remember when I first became youth pastor at the Blue River Church of the Brethren in Columbia City, Indiana and learned that they prohibited the sale of merchandise in the church. If musical groups came to perform, they were not allowed to sell their music. There were no bake sales, rummage sales, or anything of that nature. Fund-raising for youth events were also limited since we were not allowed to raise money outside the church. They held a firm belief that the support of God's work needed to come from God's people.

Consequently, the worst part of a youth pastor's job (fund-raising) was, thankfully, not part of my job description. What I thought would be a severe limitation for our ministry became a blessing. God's people did, indeed, support our work through the church budget and special offerings.

Over time, I came to appreciate this distinction between marketplace and house of prayer. I had been comfortable with the roll of fund-raiser only because the churches I had been a part of were comfortable with consumerism in the sanctuary. I'd like to believe, however, that there should exist a line between marketplace and house of prayer. I find myself more inclined to appreciate that separation now more than ever.

To be honest with you, it is hard to see the difference between the consumerism and marketing that drives the American way of life and the consumerism and marketing that has engulfed the American church. I have an admiration for those congregations that resist the temptation to profit from people seeking God or shamefully market themselves to attract the spiritual consumer.

Jesus turned things upside down in order to make things right side up. I wonder what practices we find acceptable in the house of prayer that he might want to overturn?

We may want to re-consider this Jesus. He's a bit more dangerous than we may be comfortable with.

Hosanna

Donkey

"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey'" (Zech. 9:9; Matt 21:5).

When we turned on the TV last evening, we stumbled across a show called "Kitchen Nightmares" starring British chef Gordon Ramsey. I had heard of Ramsey's reputation for brutal honesty and harsh treatment of the restauranteurs he came to "save" and really had no interest in ever watching one of his shows, but there was something about last night's episode that caught my attention.

Here's the premise for the show: restaurant owners who find their businesses in trouble call in Ramsey to rough them up and shock them into changes (with plenty of drama along the way). Admittedly, I was slightly amused at the emotional responses this particular owner was giving to Ramsey's rants and criticisms. I couldn't understand why she was so appalled and insulted. Wasn't she aware of his reputation? Didn't she know what she was getting herself into? Was she looking for affirmation and a pat on the back? Warm and fuzzy is not his modus operandi. Of course, this restaurant owner's initial excitement at this celebrity sighting turned to hatred the moment she didn't receive the affirmation she was looking for from Ramsey.

Enter Jesus. Riding on a donkey.

The prophets had foretold that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem in humility and gentleness on the back of a donkey...not the most majestic and powerful image one could conjur up for the arrival of a conquering king. I had always been taught that this "triumphal entry" was a sort of an inauguration for Jesus, a proclaimation that he was King. I am not, however, so sure that Jesus set this scene up for himself to be honored by the people or commissioned as King. He knew who he was.

By riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, he was saying something to the people.

Jesus knew that these bootlicking, fawning crowds would within the week be calling for his death. The crowds were lauding him for political reasons in anticipation of some sort of deliverance from Roman occupation. Jesus mocked their militant expectations by arriving on a donkey to start a week filled with holy defiance resulting in his rejection by men.

On more than one occasion in the Gospels, we see Jesus thinning out the crowds of people who were attracted to him for the wrong reasons. He didn't need a political movement to galvanize his cause. He didn't seek to attract a crowd to legitimize his mission. He didn't tolerate those drawn to him for their own selfish gain. He was focused on the cross, and he was asking us to follow him there.

Not a popular message.

Do we crown Jesus as King and laud him as Lord because he is the champion of our causes? Do we hammer the Jesus of the Gospels to make him fit into our political and social agendas? Do we, with confidence and bravado, march with his banner into our causes to carry out the will of God all the while ignoring the mind of Christ?

What would the Christ of the Gospels -- who rode to his death on a donkey and who asks us to die -- say to us today?

Forget

"He who receives a benefit should never forget it" (Pierre Charron).

It's easy to forget...that God is with us when we feel the uncertainty of our future.

It's easy to forget...that God is not confined to time and space and is already ahead of us in our unknown.

It's easy to forget...that God's love and mercy is broader, deeper, and higher than our failings.

It's easy to forget...that God's love and mercy is broader, deeper, and higher than the failings of others.

It's easy to forget...that it is Christ who makes us acceptable to God, not ourselves.

It's easy to forget...that God's work of salvation in our lives is for more than just ourselves.

It's easy to forget...that the Kingdom of God is here and now and is not confined to some future occurance.

It's easy to forget...that my life is not God's only great concern and I am not the center of His universe.

It's easy to forget...that love is the identifying mark of a Christian.

It's easy to forget...that my ways and thoughts are not His ways and thoughts.

It's easy to forget...that men and women are not my enemy.

It's easy to forget...that this isn't just my journey; it is ours.

It's easy to forget...that God is the Superior Being; I am not.

It's easy to forget...that we are called to serve, not be served.

It's easy to forget...

Patrick

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

With the arrival of St. Patrick's Day, our thoughts, of course, return to the nations and people we came to know and love while living on the island of Ireland. It's been two years since we returned to the states but much of our heart remains there. Ireland, I don't know if I will ever get over you!

When we were preparing to return to the states, I wrote on article on a previous blog called "A Tongue in Cheek Look at Coming Back to America". I am re-posting it here as a way of looking back and appreciating the cultures we came to love.

"While we haven't lived in primitive conditions, mastered the skill of the machete, or haggled over the price of a live chicket at the market, we have had to adjust to life in a culture that is vastly different than the one we grew up in. Not only have we adjusted, but we have adopted many of the things that we have come to appreciate about Irish life, culture and language. In short, we have acclaimated as best to 'yanks' can, and there are many things about Ireland that we love and want to take back with us.

So we ask for your patience when we return. We will probably not make a lot of sense to you and may seem even a bit strange. But we can't help it! While we may be Americans, we have morphed into this other 'thing' -- changed by a combination of Irish and European culture. If we appear peculiar, it's because we are.

We've been driving on the left side of the road, confined to an island the size of Maine or Indiana, living with two season (wet and less wet), and heating our house with turf. We've been eating black pudding (made with cow's blood), colcannon (mashed potatoes with green onions and cabbage), fry's (Irish breakfast, not French fries), and shepherd's pie. We drink minerals (soft drinks) and snack on crisps (chips) and biscuits (cookies). We order chips (fries) with our meals and buy crisps (chips) in single serving bags. We measure temperature in Celsius, liquids in liters, distance in meters, and speed in kilometers. We put a 'u' in any of your words that end in 'or', so favor becomes favour and color becomes colour. And, by the way, we call the letter 'z' zed and not zee.

If we ask to use your toilet (restroom), don't think we're being rude; that's what we call it -- along with the bog, the jacks, and the loo. We get our prescriptions at the chemist (pharmacist), and going there doesn't make us cross (angry) because drug prices are so much cheaper than in America. We don't ask for a ride (that's petitioning someone for sex) but ask for a lift instead. We use a lift (elevator) to go to the third floor, which is the fourth floor in America (ground level is the first floor in Ireland). We use products like Fairy, Cif, and Cilit Bang and shop at places like Tesco, Dunnes, and Lidl.

We use rubbers (erasers) to correct our mistakes and runners or trainers (tennis shoes or sneakers) for walking. We go for walks on footpaths (sidewalks) or on strands (beaches). People smoke fags (cigarettes) although not in public places. We love 'the crack' (spelled 'craic', which simply means fun).

If I call you mucker (friend), just 'wind yer neck in' (don't get upset)...it's a good thing. If I say words that sound familiar to your swear words, don't 'lose the head' (lose your temper) or 'eat my face' (yell at me)...the probably mean something entirely different in Ireland.

I might have a bit of a problem giving you a yes or no answer at first. You see, there is no direct Irish word for 'yes' or 'no'. The Irish rarely give straight yes or no answers, because it goes against their instincts. There are no direct translations of either word in Irish. My use of the word 'right' might seem a bit excessive to you until I 'catch myself on' (get the hang of it), but it's not much different than your excessive use of 'ya' or 'uh huh' in conversation. When you come to my house, I might say 'you're very welcome'. The word 'welcome', you see, is actually used as a greeting and not a response to 'thank you'. When you leave, I might say 'all the best' or 'safe home' or 'slan', which isn't much different than saying 'best wishes', 'take care', or 'good health'. I might thank you by saying 'cheers'.

I say all of this to let you know that this transition back to America will be an interesting one for us. If we come off sounding a bit peculiar, remember, 'it's not from a stone we licked it' (we didn't just pull this stuff out of the air'). It came to us naturally by living in our adopted home -- Ireland."

Brenda and I reluctantly returned to the United States in the winter of 2008. Our years in Ireland were good, and we are tremendously thankful for them. We miss our home, our friends, and our community of faith. While we always yearn to return, we are grateful for the life God has given us here in Denver, and we aim to build our future and establish our lives wherever we may find ourselves. While I long to be content wherever the Spirit of God blows, I wouldn't complain if He blew us back to Ireland someday!

Hate

"Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that" (M.L. King, Jr.).

Every so often, my sense of justice gets ruffled. And just occasionally, the anger I experience because of the perceived injustice morphs into hate. It happens so seldom, so when it does, it disturbs me deeply. I must confess, I am dealing with a little bit of hate these days.

I teach anger management to high school students in an urban setting. It's a bit like trying to teach peace and reconciliation in Baghdad or Palestine, but I am usually pleasantly surprised with what my students take away from the course. Anger, as I teach in my classes, is a normal human emotion. Our anger senses what is right or wrong and motivates us to make things right. It's what we do with our anger, however, that causes us (and others) problems.

Rarely -- but it happens -- I can feel my anger slipping into something much more sinister. I can feel the impact it has on my spirit when I am no longer working for my neighbor's good and find myself instead hoping for some sort of twisted "justice" in which the other people "get what they deserve". Thank God, I don't get what I deserve.

And yet, it is when my heart gets twisted by anger and hatred that God shows me mercy and gently rebukes and reminds me that hatred towards another is no different than murder. The moment my heart hates, I am reminded that I am the one acting injustly. "Do not repay anyone evil for evil" (Romans 12:17). No matter the injustice, hatred is never a just response.

Love is.

I find that when I reach for empathy instead of condemnation, compassion begins to pour into those places that hate once held. Although the frustration with the circumstance may not change, people begin to make more sense and I find myself overcome with a strange peace.

To quote a man who gave his life for the cause of justice, I offer this: "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it" (M.L. King, Jr). No matter the injustice, we should "let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8).

It's a better way to live.

Lose

Home

"My home is not a place; it is people" (L.M. Bujold).

"For the Lord your God is God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the Great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him" (Dt. 10:17-20).

I don't think there can be any doubting the Father's love for the fatherless, the homeless, the widow, and the stranger. We don't have to look far to see many of God's people engaged in ministries and organizations that provide mentoring for youth, shelter and food for the homeless, community and support for widows, and and advocacy for foreigners. Christians have long been at the forefront of these causes.

Followers of Christ should be on the frontlines, turning things upside down that they may be right side up.

There are a lot of wonderful organizations doing God's work. I wonder just how much more the issues of homelessness and fatherlessness could be diminished by the church if more and more of our families would begin to open up their homes and welcome these strangers. There is tremendous power to transform lives through something as simple as an open home. Now, more than ever, the curse of isolation and aloneness is all around us. Giving "home" to someone couldn't be more right in my opinion.

This isn't easy for those of us who have been culturally conditioned to believe that our home is our refuge and castle. It is difficult for us to stop believing that our lives are somehow diminished by including others in it outside of working hours. For many of us, the increased risk that comes with opening home and life to others is too much to ask.

There is risk.

But what is love without sacrifice? What have we gained from believing that we own everything, that our house belongs to us and not God? There is much to be gained from giving home and family to those without. The inclusion of others enriches our lives and also increases our capacity to love, empathize, and care as we experience the joy of letting people in. We will find that every day carries with it a sense of purpose and satisfaction in knowing that we are participating in something that is very close to the Father's heart.

And it is the right thing to do!

In the face of so much aloneness, there is a tremendous need for believers to practice generosity and hospitality on such a different level than we have been used to in the past. God's people have the ability to make things right for so many.

It's a matter of choice that we don't.

Distance

Along

"Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand" (Thomas Carlyle).

I drove to Delaware this weekend.

My friend Jonathon Stalls began his Walk Across America from Lewes, Delaware. He needed to get there, so I took him. We made it to Maryland in around 26 hours of straight driving and enjoyed the hospitality of our friends Brian and Amanda Moore before continuing on to Delaware the next morning. We dipped our feet in the icy Atlantic and said our farewells on the morning of March 1st, and Curtis and I climbed back into the car and headed west to the Rockies. Four thousand miles in four days is quite a road trip.

Exhausting? Yes, but well worth the time to be near the one's I love. Once again, the road provided me an opportunity to think about what I value most in life. Interwoven with this life in Christ is the life I share with those whom God has placed in my life. I cannot extract the One from the other. Moments like these get me thinking about the joy and privilege I have to come along side of others and share this life with them.

It got me thinking about my brothers and sisters in Christ who preach from a pulpit made of distance and seldom experience the joy of coming along side those outside the walls. The distance their theology prescribes keeps them separate, and I imagine that they are comfortable with the outcomes.

For me, I am moved by the stories of Jesus who came along side all kinds of people. The love of Christ compels me to share my life, to help where I can, to extend my circuit of comfort, and to love more than what my narrow-mindedness can afford. We need to come close and allow others to come close as well. It is what Jesus did.

Four thousand miles in four days might seem ridiculous, and it probably is. I'm ok with that. It afforded me a few more days to come along side those I love and share in their journey.