You Actually Need Jesus to Live the Christian Life!

I preached last week at Redemption Church

on our Emotions. Here’s a little of the takeaway.

Romans: Vertical and Horizontal

Paul’s epistle to the Romans (57-58 A.D.) stands as a tower, a lighthouse in a very dark world brimming and brooding with various forms of evil in every corner. When I think of the epistle to the Romans I think of God's incredible creation story. I think of our sin and all the consequences that we still bear. I think of the sending of the great savior, our Lord Jesus. And I can't help but daydream about all that is to come when he returns.

Just reading through Romans and grappling with all that is being said is not for the faint of heart. And equally as challenging is the application of the content! The first 11 chapters speak primarily to us about God, the gospel, the work of Jesus' redemption, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (vertical).

But then in chapter 12 (vv. 9-21) Paul provides for us a vision for what mature Christian life actually looks like on the ground level (horizontal). He tells us that we are to be a loving, honorable, patient, blessing, encouraging, peaceable, community. Christians are not to be the people who hit back or harbor bitterness. Christians are to be a forgiving people, a preserving people; the salt and light that Jesus spoke about (Matt. 5:13-14).

The Christian Life is Impossible!

And yet, if Paul were to command us to do all of these things without first and foremost anchoring our entire identity in Jesus, this would simply be impossible! We would fail; falling flat on our faces in the first 10 seconds! Why? Because the Christian life is anything but natural to us!

Don't Get the Cart Before the Horse!

In the gospel, the imperatives always follow the indicatives. What we should do as Christians is always grounded in what has been done in Christ. We can't afford to get the cart before the horse on this one. If we do, we lose the gospel!

You see, the way into Christ-likeness is not through a white-knuckled, grind-it-out, prove-you're-serious-and-scourge-yourself discipline (though discipline is at the core of discipleship). The way to becoming more like Jesus is to place him at the center of our thoughts and looking for him everywhere-starting with and saturated by the Scriptures. 

Look to Jesus!

So rather than reading Romans 12 and being broken by the the weight of the expectations, see Jesus there as our great example and Savior for when we fall short. Take a moment and marvel at each of these statements about our Lord Jesus in light of Romans 12.

Jesus' love is genuine. 

Jesus abhors what is evil; Jesus holds fast to what is good. 

Jesus loves others with brotherly affection. 

Jesus outdoes everyone in showing honor. 

Jesus is not be slothful in zeal, but Jesus is fervent in spirit, and Jesus served the Lord. 

Jesus rejoices in hope, Jesus was patient in tribulation, and Jesus was found to be in constant prayer. 

Jesus contributed to the needs of the saints and Jesus showed hospitality. 

Jesus blessed his persecutors; Jesus blessed and did not curse them. 

Jesus rejoices with those who rejoice, and Jesus weeps with those who weep. 

Jesus lived in harmony with the other disciples and Jesus lives in harmony with us. 

Jesus is not haughty, but associates with the lowly. 

Jesus was never be wise in his own sight. 

Jesus repaid no one evil for evil, but Jesus gave thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 

As far as it depended on Jesus, he lived peaceably with all. 

Jesus, never avenged himself, but left it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, Jesus fed his hungry enemies and gave water to anyone who was thirsty. 

Jesus was not overcome by evil, but overcame evil with good.

Christian, this is our Jesus. This is who we follow. This is who the Holy Spirit is conforming us to be more like day in and day out. 

Dear Seminarian

London School of Theology Library

Editor’s Note:

The purpose of this series is to help students whether they are preparing for, attending, or have graduated from seminary to grow in the God’s grace.

*****************

I began my formal theological education at the age of 19 and I recently turned 36. I have been in school this entire time with the exception of taking one year off. I’ve earned a Bachelor’s in Christian Studies from North Greenville University (2003), a Master of Divinity and Specialization in Christian Thought Theology from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (2007), and a Master of Arts in Aspects of Biblical Interpretation from the London School of Theology (2008). Currently, I am in the dissertation phase of my doctoral program at Western Seminary with the hopes of completion by next spring, earning my Doctor of Intercultural Studies degree. I’ve also had the opportunity to serve as a theology professor in an undergraduate program for a few years.

All that to say that I’ve been at this thing called “theological education” for about 17 years. I am very passionate about bringing what I glean from the academy to the local church. At one point I even thought I was going to pursue academia full-time but my heart really is for the local church. I personally feel that’s where the Lord would have me vocationally.

If you’re interested in this kind of pastor-theologian kind of role, I cannot recommend highly enough The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming A Lost Vision edited by Kevin Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan. Also, check out and the Center for Pastor Theologians.

I suppose everyone goes into seminary with mixed emotions, expectations, and desires. The reasons people go to seminary can vary in many ways. Some go with the aim of growing personally but not with the intention of serving the church in a full-time vocational sense. Others go with the hopes of getting their Ph.D. completed by the time they are 28 years old.

Some go under the assumption that God is up to something in their lives. Such people feel they need somewhere to go, in order to work out ideas, and theology with the hopes of figuring it out somewhere along the way. And still, others go simply because their denomination will not recognize them as an ordained minister without having completed formal theological education. Regardless of why you’re entering seminary, here’s three things that you may find helpful to keep in mind.

1) The Cost: Time and Money

Of all of my friends who have been involved in the world of seminary, I don’t know any who have had an easy go at it unless they were fortunate enough to be given a grant/free ride to focus solely on their classes. Many of my buddies were fortunate enough to work at churches that valued their theological education and would not only give time off for them to study but would actually pay their tuition and for their books as well! I didn’t find myself in that situation myself and so that demanded a bit more focus and discipline in order to go to school.

During seminary, I would go to class all day long on Mondays and then the rest of the week work at my church as an intern, at a catfish restaurant as a waiter, and as a substitute teacher, a bar back, and on many Saturdays as a day laborer in which I would go stand at the Marathon gas station out in the country and hope to be picked up for a day to make roughly a hundred dollars doing landscaping.

My friends often ask “How did you do all that?” And the simple answer is “I was a little younger, had no kids, had my wife’s full support, and could run on about five hours of sleep.” This means very late nights and very early morning studies were part of the routine.

If you are going into seminary, I’d encourage you to speak to your pastor about what he did for income during the seminary years. See if there’s any money in the budget for something like this. There are oftentimes on-campus jobs that are very convenient. However, I am glad that I worked in other vocations as they provided a context for me to work out a little bit of what I was learning in class in the “real world”.

Working at places like UPS loading trucks or at the airport loading luggage on airplanes are also some suggestions I’d recommend looking into because of the hours available to work.

2) Take Your Time

This one sounds easy but many find the temptation to just “get the job done” to be pretty intense. God is outside of time so you can take yours when it comes to your theological education. And while someone probably shouldn’t spend their entire life as a student in the classroom, there is no shame in taking your time.

You’re going to be wrestling with Hebrew, Greek, Systematic Theology, Hermeneutics, leadership, and soul care, and so on. Hopefully, you see your education is not just for yourself but for the people who will be in your life until the day you die. Your mind is a sponge that goes to soak up, process, and wring out for the good of others.

With that in mind, it is worth really reading, not just skimming along. It is worth delving into the footnotes and understanding where ideas are informed and formulated. It is worth taking the time to pray and think about what you’re actually studying because this actually carries the potential and potency to change the world!

3) You Are NOT Your Grades

The last thing I would say it’s something that I learned from my supervisor in London, Graham McFarlane. While writing my dissertation there, he marked up a section big time, kindly showing where some ideas needed shaping up. I went to him after picking it up out of his tray in the hallway and asked him about it. He kindly explained some things but could tell I was troubled. “Alex,” he said, “you really care about these marks, don’t you?” A bit surprised by that, I said, “Well sure, Graham” (the profs over there go by their first names). “I sold just about everything I owned to move here and study with you.” Then Graham said something that set me free. “Alex, do you know how many people have ever asked me about my marks on my Ph.D.?” I looked at the floor. I knew where he was going. “Zero!” “Nobody has ever asked me about my grades.” “Alex, you are not your marks. You belong to Jesus. Now, get to the library and think, man!” That day, I learned more abut my identity in Christ than ever before. So as you head into seminary, remember, “You are not your grades!” “You belong to Jesus!”

This post originally appeared over at www.servantsofgrace.org

Prayer for Peace

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,

     and 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;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

– St. Francis of Assisi  

The World to Which He Came

What kind of world do you think Jesus came to? This is so important for so many reasons. Because of time, space, and the countless fairytales you’ve heard throughout your life, you might be tempted to overlook the fact that the Jesus of Nazareth actually came to this world. The real world.

The gospels speak to this reality so clearly. When we see Jesus enter human history he does so in a way that nobody would expect GOD to arrive – humble, gracious, and accepting of the least of these. As soon as he’s born in a borrowed barn, he’s smuggled out of the country as a refugee. A refugee in the world he created. 

The earth that was his footstool proved to be little more than a palace for the ungrateful and entitled and a bed of thorns for the weak. Jesus most definitely came to our real world filled with pain, rejection, setbacks, stubbed toes, cold spaghetti, deadlines, schmoozers, and rainy Saturdays. The infant lay surrounded by puffing beasts, buzzing flies, anxious parents, and grinding poverty.

And it is here that Jesus introduces a Kingdom that is completely upside down – where the poor are in fact wealthy, the outsiders are the insiders, and the unclean with their grimy fingers are welcome to eat at God’s table.  

Chicken Scratch

Father’s Day is a special day, an important day, even a peculiar day. To be honest, it is a day that you half-think men invented in order to make doubly-sure we get our due honor for the small sacrifices we make. I say “small” because when fathers get up and go to work, words such as “sacrifice”  don’t usually come to mind. No, we think of tasks, meetings, and deadlines, primarily. And yet, when heading out the door and the four year old little boy asks if his shoes are on the correct foot, we stop because we know we are on holy ground. It is in that split second that we fathers stop and know that whatever lies ahead for the day just simply isn’t as important as this little one speaking to us. Sure, the shoe being on the right foot is peanuts compared to everything in the headlines. But to the preschooler, it’ll make the difference between whether he walks or skips in the driveway. "Of course he needs to skip”, we say to ourselves. Of course he does. Whatever the origin of Father’s Day, it is a day that we stop, and if possible, remember who our fathers are (or were) and what they really mean to us.

As a 36 year old man, I can tell you that more than a few of my friends fathers have died. When talking with my friends about our fathers, we exchange good and not-so-good stories. We tell the bad stories too because none of us were born to perfect people and the highlight reel, as fun as it is, isn't all there was. Before we get into the whens, the hows, and the whys surrounding the men we miss we ask one question every single time and without fail. It is the question that rocks us to the core.

The question is: “Did you have a good relationship with your dad?” This is what we men, who work hard, have wives, children, and pay bills ask each other.  

The conversations are often short and pungent (sometimes peaty). When we speak of our fathers, we speak with fewer words because losing your father is unlike anything else. To speak of the man who raised you who was fraught with holes and simultaneously worea red “S” on his chest is to be speaking of something holy. Nobody ever envisions sitting at the kitchen table at 5:18 am on a Tuesday morning in June, thinking about the missing man. Dads are intended to be immortal, you know. 

I’m not sure why it is, but when I think of my father this year, I feel like I’m missing more than a father. It is like I’m missing a friend. I miss his laugh. I miss his heavy-starched dress shirts. I miss his cologne. I really miss his handwriting. God, his handwriting was just beautiful. Such straight lines and curves and spacing. There was real thoughtfulness care, and precision. It as though he knew that his handwriting, though usually to someone else, was actually saying something about himself. His handwriting spoke of his unhurried character. It spoke of a certain confidence in the subject at hand. More than anything, his handwriting spoke of the worth of the other. After all, why make life harder on someone else with chicken scratch? 

July 5th: Seattle, Emotions, Prayer, and Support

I took a little break from the blog to focus on my dissertation and my next book which is set to release in October. I’ll jump back into posting blogs and updating the food page on a regular basis once we move to Seattle on July 5th… which brings me to the point of this little post. 

This weekend, I had the great privilege of hanging out with folks and preaching the gospel at our new home church in Seattle. For those that may not know… after several months of praying, thinking, and wrestling over whether or not we should do it, Jana and I feel like this is what the Lord would have us do. So I’ve accepted the call to join the staff at Redemption Church and will primarily focus on teaching and theological development. As you would expect, we're feeling a few different emotions about our upcoming move to plant our family in Seattle. We’re humbled, exited, and a little sad.

Humbled: We’re humbled to be God’s children and graced with the opportunity to serve him and his glorious Church in this capacity. 

Excited: We’re exited because we absolutely love the church, the city, and so many wonderful friends in Seattle!

Sad: I’d be lying if I didn’t say this isn't a challenge. Leaving family is hard. It’s even harder when you really love your family and have envisioned living life closer than 2,600 miles apart. Our family and friends in the south are precious to us and will miss them terribly. 

Want to Help? 

So… Seattle is far and moving can be expensive. If you’d like to help us move, you can click the link below and select the “Help the Earlys Move” tab and you can donate there. I can’t tell you how grateful we are to those who will pray and support us. 

Here is a link to the sermon from Sunday at Redemption if you'd like to listen in.

And here is a link to follow if you’d like to help us move. 

Much love to you all! 

Abba’s Children,

Alex, Jana, Tovah, and Jude

The Early's in Emerald City

As many of you know, Jana and I took the last year out of any kind of formal ministry to take a break, regroup, and really work on our souls as individuals, our marriage as a couple, our family as a whole, and to really see what God would have us do with our lives in service of the King and his world. We have come to this decision very slowly and in much prayer – involving professional counsel as well as with close confidants, and trusted pastors.

This summer we will be moving back to the city of Seattle to plant our roots, God-willing for the long-haul. We will be joining Redemption Church! Redemption was planted 15 months ago and is a strong, healthy, gospel-centered community of followers of Jesus.

In addition to joining the preaching team, I will be focusing primarily on teaching, mission, leadership and theological development.

Please pray for us, our families, Redemption Church, and the wonderful city of Seattle as we make our journey to the great Pacific Northwest this summer.

#Home #Seattle #EmeraldCity  #PNW #RedemptionChurch

The Weekend Pace

...The Weekend Pace

"For those who over the course of reading this book became a Christian or for the person who recently became a Christian, consider the Easter weekend. During Easter, Christians observe Good Friday that marks the day Jesus gave his life, in our place, for our sins. Easter Sunday marks the day he rose from the grave defeating sin, satan, demons, and God’s wrath. Strive to keep the Easter weekend first in your mind. The Christian life is not to be lived only in the shadow of Good Friday, mourning your sins, counting the losses, and trembling in the shame of sin. There is also Resurrection Sunday’s bursting light that brings us hope, security, and promise of new life! It’s easy to get stuck on either Friday or Sunday. Some Christians you’ll meet along the way will only sing a dirge of Good Friday and seem to have forgotten that they might not remember that Sunday was just around the bend. There are others who live only in Resurrection Sunday, skipping about and acting as though sin didn’t kill God’s Son. They tend to strike up the band only to drown out the world’s sorrows. The reality of the Christian faith paces back and forth between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, reminding us of who we were apart from Christ and where we were headed while simultaneously bursting with joy that we are forgiven, will wear white on the last day, and that suffering, sin, and pain in this world will expire."

– The Reckless Love of God: Experiencing the Personal, Passionate Heart of the Gospel, p. 175. 

Old Testament Salvation in 5 Sentences

Many often wonder how people were saved in the Old Testament. Some mistakenly conclude that if the Jews simply observed the Law and if they kept the rules well enough that God would save them in the end. However, that is not the case. It’s always been by grace alone. Professor Max Turner (who is a former professor of mine at London School of Theology and is still a friend to this day) helpfully wrote in one of his footnotes 5 sentences speaking to this that you may find helpful. 

"Jews were not (as once thought) ‘legalists’, who believed in the need to keep every item of the law perfectly, in order to achieve salvation. Essentially most believed God had chosen them them and destined them for eternal life by grace, and that a Jew would only be barred from the new creation if he or she deliberately revoked the covenant (e.g., by gross unrepented sin). Otherwise repentance, the sacrificial system, the day of atonement, etc. were all there as testimony to God's mercy towards the sinner, and as the divinely appointed means of receiving forgiveness. Jews thus kept the law as a thankful response to God's grace and calling (not in order to earn a place in the redeemed order). This pattern of belief has been called ‘nomism’ (in deliberate contrast to ‘legalism’).”

- Max Turner, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts, 51-52, note 47.

Party Theology

The Prodigal Son by Emilie Salome

My favorite, (and probably Jesus’ most famous parable) is known as the "Parable of the Prodigal Son" (Luke 15). It kicks off with Jesus around at the table having a meal with the tax collectors and sinners. This was a major social no-no. Rabbis were holy men and who they ran with really mattered. Who you shared a meal with was more than just eating. Sharing meals together was a sign of acceptance, welcome, and friendship. The Pharisees (the religious separatists) despised the fact that Jesus was willing to break bread with those who were most certainly unwelcome  around the things of God, much less, God himself.

Jesus notes their grumbling and decides to tell the room of stories. You can almost picture Jesus straightening himself up, tapping his wine glass with his fork, (Ding! Ding! Ding!), “Excuse me everyone… Could I trouble you with sharing a couple of stories that I’ve got on my mind?” Everyone chimes in, “Yes! We love your stories!” “Alright”, he answered. "I like to call these ’the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.’" 

Now, there’s so very much that can be explored in this earth-shattering chapter of the Bible but here I just one to point out one piece: the saddest part of the runaway son’s story.

The saddest part of the prodigal son episode isn’t when he asks his father for his inheritance before his father passes away.

The saddest part isn’t when he packed his bags and left home.

The saddest part isn’t when he squanders his inheritance in “reckless living” which included wild parties and sexual deviance.

The saddest part isn’t when he wakes up broke and starving in a pig sty.

The saddest part comes when he’s on his way home, putting together his “I’m sorry” speech, saying to himself, “I’m going to ask my Dad for a job.” He thought he’d be a better employee than a son (and maybe he was right). But that’s the thing. He was going to go back and ask his Father for the impossible. Listen to his words. Have you ever said anything like this to God? "I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.” Think about that for a second. “Treat me as a hired servant.” That is the saddest part of the story. How he wanted to be treated.

To the son covered in filth and shame it was inconceivable to come back home and pick up where they left off. Who in their right mind would even think of even showing up? That only happens in movies. But that’s not real life. In real life you always reap what you sow. In real life, you go to time out. In real life, karma gets you. In real life, there’s no free lunch. In real life, you pay for your mistakes. That’s real life.

The son must’ve been thinking: “I’ve gone too far. I’ve messed up way too much. I’m just nasty. There’s a pig sty in my heart. There’s filth all over me. I smell like a drunk. There’s lipstick from strangers on my neck. I’m a big pile of mistakes on the inside and outside. What I need is a job. I need to make some resolutions to try harder, do more, and not be such a screw up.” That’s the saddest part. Desiring to be an employee rather than a child. Hoping to come on the work crew as a hired hand rather than come in the house as a cherished child. Settling for a paycheck rather than a father’s embrace.

Ever been there? 

Why would Jesus tell this parable? Because it’s our default to come up with schemes and plans that put us near God without the vulnerability required to be embraced by God.

To the son, it just seemed way less scandalous to ask for a job than to be welcomed back into the family. But to the Father, nothing less than complete forgiveness and restoration was acceptable.

When it comes to being scandalous in this story, the Father tips the scales big time! You see, anyone can leave home, get drunk, and messup sexually. That’s hardly a capital “S" scandal. The really Scandalous One in the story is the the One who had a broken heart still runs to his son, kisses him, and throws a huge party for the whole town in his honor because they were back together again! He’s the One that’s out of line, right?

The Father is not about to hire his son!  The Father simply could not and would not turn this covenant into a contract!  Asking the Father to act as though he didn’t count the boy's ten fingers and toes as a baby. As though the Father didn’t delight in him every day as his son. As though the Father didn't cherish every birthday with all his buddies around.

God is not hiring.

God is adopting. 

The Father then throws a huge party. The son must’ve thought, “I can’t believe we’re partying. I thought I’d partied enough.” You see, what we learn here is that God isn’t anti-partying. He simply wants to be the one who furnishes the joy that makes the party an actual party. You see, partying without him is just coping. Partying because of him is abundant life. 

Notwithstanding the remainder of the parable addressing the older son - were Jesus writing a movie the narrator would come on at this point and  “And they lived happily ever after.”  

T.I.'s Birthday Party and Exegeting Culture

Last summer, Jana and I got to go to T.I.’s birthday party here in West Atlanta. Needless to say… it was crazy. We were the first people in the place and got down front for the show. The place filled up in the matter of a few minutes. We were talking to all kinds of people and learning about upcoming rappers here in the Atlanta area. The stage had nothing on it. The house music was bumping and then two guys came out and placed a throne on the stage. Everyone got super-stoked knowing that in a few minutes T.I. would ascend to the throne. Then that bass line from “Broadcast Live” came on and the place went off! Then Tip came and sat on the throne, crossed his legs, just sat there in all his birthday glory and everyone celebrated one of ATL’s famed rappers. A minute later he jumped up and he and his crew put on a show for about an hour. 

Why am I talking about all this?

Because I was watching a few theological themes happen right before my eyes. Basically, exegete everything. 

• famous figure (Psalm 111:4)
• seated on a throne (Rev. 21:5)
• in the middle of the city (Rev. 21:22-27)
• with countless followers (Rev. 5:11)
• music (Rev. 5:9)
• celebration (Rev. 22:3)

….sure seems like something we Christians are into. 

This isn’t a plea for Christians to find a way to Jesus-juke every single moment of life and make everyone uncomfortable with strange theological commentary every 10 seconds. 

But I am under the conviction that many Christians need to desperately recover what it means to be able to read more than the Bible and engage in reading cultural trends and ideas – the “texts” of today. This doesn’t downplay the importance of Bible study in any way. 

There’s just so much more to for Christians to be doing than reading the Bible, hanging out in Christian coffee shops, and going on Christian cruises (yep, those are thing). 

Listen to the World

If we’re going to have any kind of impact when it comes to engaging our world with the gospel we’ve got to first really listen to what the world is saying, believing, and how it is behaving. As disciples of Jesus, we’re not to become passive, brainless, conviction-less sponges that merely soak up everything under the sun. We also aren't to become ascetic, removing ourselves from the world, left with no clue of what’s going on in society either. We are to live intentionally, thinking through things with the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). And yes, that means that there’s a ton of things that you’ll hear that are offensive because the world doesn’t worship your God or have your values. It has it’s own. We’ve got listen to where folks are coming from. Remember that listening to someone doesn’t mean you agree with or endorse everything they’re saying or doing. It simply means you're listening and really thinking through what you’re seeing and hearing and processing it all in light of the gospel.

Ask Some Questions

We’ve got to be asking: Who is communicating? Why do they have a voice? What are they saying? What are people believing? Why are they believing this message over that message? Christians are challenged with the task of being able to bring biblical witness into the ever-changing culture in which we live. And not only that, we need to do so in a way that translates into the here and now and not just talk about the way back then (i.e.,contextualization, hermeneutics, mission, evangelism, etc.). There’s got to be an approach that doesn't begin by demonizing everything in the culture, telling people who’s out, what’s wrong with them, and how screwed up they are. That probably isn’t putting our best foot forward. We’re supposed to be building bridges rather than walls (and I’m not saying compromise the faith, drop your guard, or be careless with doctrine). However, don't start with “You’re a wretched sinner.” The Bible doesn’t start there. It starts with a loving God creating all things and making people in his image for a life together with Him. Start there. Then move on to sin, our brokenness, and bring the gospel to bear there.

The most popular example from Scripture of this way of engaging culture with the gospel is taken from the Apostle Paul in Acts 17 as he quotes poets and philosophers and then bringing Jesus into the conversation. Give it a read and think about the city you live in, the values it has, and the people that make up that little spot you call “home” for the time being. What are some themes, metaphors, and truths in Scripture that you see corresponding in your neighborhood today? 

Permission to Grieve

I haven't always been so great at grieving. Maybe you're like me in this way? We could blame it on culture or our upbringings or whatever. Regardless, I know that even Jesus himself wept on the bad days (John 11:35) and if he was allowed to grieve, so am I. So are you. 

Seven years ago today my dad died. His name was William Alexander. He was 56 years old and I was 28 when it happened. Exactly half his age. It came suddenly and was completely unexpected. I've learned a lot this year from my therapist and a few very close friends – lessons that will change me for the rest of my life. And for that, I'm extremely grateful.

No-Grieving Allowed

One of the things my therapist said to me last June was profound. He asked, "Alex, have you ever grieved the loss of your father?" I looked at the floor and said, "Sure, I have." (All this meant was that I had some hard days and attended the memorial service). He pressed in more and revealed to me that I really hadn't dealt with the pain, the loss, and the sadness that accompanies death's sting. He helped me see that at the time of our loss, I grieved over my dad as a pastor would (because that's what I was doing at the time; it was my job) but I did not grieve as his son. I didn't think I had permission to do so.

With a very immature and unbiblical understanding of death as well as a goofy, macho, no-crying-allowed version of manhood in my mind, (which isn't manhood at all, by the way) I suppressed the grief. I would be strong and courageous (insert out of context Bible verse). I would "press on" (again, insert out of context Bible verse). After all, that's what God "called" me to do, right? Deep down, I thought pastors were supposed to be tender towards everyone else but tough on themselves. Boy, was I wrong! I had no idea. I really didn't know that what broke my heart also broke Abba's. 

You Can't Sink A Buoy

Little did I know that grief and pain are much like a buoy in the lake. No matter how hard you try to climb on top of it and push it under, you eventually slip off, and it resurfaces. Confession: I sought to submerge my grief not with obvious sins like sexual promiscuity or getting drunk. No, I was savvy enough to suppress my pain through busyness as a pastor and theology lecturer. You see, I picked the good vices, the ones that made me feel and look good. Serving the church at break-neck speeds can't be bad for you, can it? Here’s the thing: there’s no such thing as a "virtuous vice." I needed permission to slow down, to grieve, to process, and sit with reality. In sitting in that space of grief, I learned that it's okay to have a broken heart and I learned that if I was going to heal, I'd have to be gentle with myself.

Self-Compassion is not Selfish

You see, extending compassion towards others is remarkable. But extending compassion towards ourselves is a miracle! I am becoming more and more convinced every day that the depths of one's Christian maturity are not measured only in terms of good works or abilities to articulate the faith in fresh and profound ways (though both are very important). The better, more accurate marks of a Christian are seen in those people who walk barefooted into the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror, and think of the bloody mess of Good Friday and the bright, clean sunlight of Easter morning and look oneself in the eyes without a scowl, a wince, or smirk, and say "I forgive you." "I accept you." "I love you." 

This does not in any way deter from the glory of God or the work of his Son and Spirit! This does not hijack the gospel of God and make it a man-centered, pop-psychology! On the contrary, it is the most logical, profound, and fitting application of the gospel! To profess that we are the justified, those who have received the free pardon and righteousness of God and yet withhold basic self-acceptance, self-forgiveness, and self-love betrays the very confession of the faith that the 2nd century Apostles Creed states so clearly: "I believe in the forgiveness of sins." If we will accept the forgiveness of God, the grace of God, and the love of God but then turn and shame ourselves, we've yet to let our confession become our reality. We all know talk is cheap. And we know that theological talk can be the cheapest.

Gospel-Identity, Again

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the triumphant Son of God is unashamed to call us brothers and sisters. How dare we sit around, licking our wounds, sulking in yesterday's regrets, and pouring self-hatred over our heads as though that were our true baptism! 

To be a member of the family of God is to abandon self-hatred.

To be the forgiven is to be the undamned. 

To be free is to be the non-slave! 

To be accepted is to remove alienation.

To be the adopted is to undo our orphanhood.

To be loved is to be the unhated of Almighty God.

If all that's true (and I believe it is!) then we can be a bit more gentle with ourselves in our brokenness and grieve but not as those who have no hope (1 Thes. 4:13-18).

William Alexander Early

August 4, 1952 - February 26, 2009

Filled with the Light, Life, and Love of God

A Comment on the Love of God

“Instead of an easy concession, the Divine forgiveness makes a heroic demand upon our courage. For that forgiveness is not the easy passing of a sponge over a slate. It is a stern and painful process: it means the re-ordering of the soul’s disordered love, setting right what is wrong, washing it from wickedness and cleansing it from sin.”

– Evelyn Underhill, An Anthology on the Love of God from writings of Evelyn Underhill, p. 186

The Reputation of Early Christians

The following is from the Epistle to Diognetus which was written in 130 A.D. We don't know who the author's name. However, what we can see here is what early followers of Jesus were known for and by.

This is found in my next book "The New Believer's Guide to the Christian Faith: What to Expect Now That You're A Child of God" (coming late 2016).

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.

They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death and restored to life. They are poor yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things and yet abound in all; they are dishonored and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of and yet are justified; they are reviled and bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good yet are punished as evildoers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred. To sum it all up in one word -- what the soul is to the body, that are Christians in the world.

Made Another Friend! The Food Truck Story!

This is my new friend, Emma. I am so glad I got to meet her! Today on lunch break I went down the street to this parking lot that goes by the name of “Good Food Here.” It is basically a food truck park. I went to E-Side Thai Cuisine and ordered pad Thai. All of a sudden, all these middle schoolers showed up and over ran the place. (Side note: The middle schoolers in Portland happen to be possibly the coolest/most eclectic people group on the Earth).

Emma, who was working alone, called my name and said, “Alex! Can you help me in here?!” I jumped up and said, “Absolutely! Lets get it!” I took off my sport coat, rolled up my sleeves, jumped on the line, and cooked a few Thai dishes (pad Thai, a red curry, and some pad se ew)! I had a blast! She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and am pretty thankful to have made another friend. Oh, and the dude that took this picture happened to be an archaeologist who was now earning his masters degree in anthropology!

We ate together and had a fascinating conversation, too. Wow. Happy Thursday, everyone! Portland, I love you. ‪#‎pdxfood‬ ‪#‎padthai‬ ‪#‎newfriends‬‪#‎loveyourneighbor‬

Made a A Friend Today. I'm Thankful.

Halloween: Become Like Children

Fellow Grown-Ups,

Halloween is a great reminder for us to all take ourselves a little less seriously and become more like children. Yes, there are bills to pay, work to tend to, and relationships that all need our attention. 

But today is a double-whammy. It is Saturday and it is Halloween. Take a moment to pump the breaks and notice the seeming timelessness that fills every child dressed in a costume, completely devoted to the world of make-believing, pretending, laughing, and above all, collecting candy with their buddies.

Jesus once said that unless we become like children that we would never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3). Did you catch that? Childlikeness is a prerequisite for getting into heaven! Everywhere in the world we’re to grow up. Both Peter and Paul tell us that we are to grow up (Eph. 4:14-15; 2 Pet. 3:18). And yet, as Christians grow up, we also grow down. We become more childlike.

 For many, childhood was brutal for one reason or another. As Christians, we get a second chance at what it means to experience a tender Father, the protection of an Older Brother, and the nurturing care of a loving mother in Holy Spirit. In becoming like children we get to really enjoy all that it is to be filled with wonder, expectancy, curiosity, and total dependency on our Abba, Father who knows us, loves us, and is with us always. 

When you picture heaven, maybe you shouldn't picture a seminary classroom and maybe should be thinking more of a preschool. 

Enjoy your childhood. 

Know Your Limits: Omnipresence (Pt. 4 of 4)

This short series is an attempt to take the relieve some of the unnecessary (and unbearable!) pressure we so often place on ourselves by assuming that we possess the incommunicable attributes of God. God is creator. We are creation. God is outside of space and time. Not us. God has no limits or potential. Not us. God needs help with nothing. Not us.

In short, it is important to know your limits. So far we have looked at how we aren’t omniscient and thus we shouldn’t pretend to know-it-all. We’re not omnipotent and should therefore not attempt to do-it-all. The last of this series is taking a quick look at the doctrine of omnipresence, inhabiting all places at once. Trying to know everything, do everything, and be everywhere is not only ungodly; it isn’t even pragmatic being that it only leads to frustration and burn out. 

Omnipresence 

Wayne Grudem defines omnipresence as “God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with this whole being, yet God acts differently in different places.”* God inhabiting every space in the created universe with all of his being is yet another incomprehensible truth about who he is and what he does. It would be incorrect for us to say that “part of God inhabits Tokyo and part of God inhabits Mars.” God is not human and does not come in “parts.” God is fully present in all places and all times. 

God Doesn’t Need You to Be Everywhere

Thanks to our snazzy phones and the Internet, it can almost feel like we really have the ability to be everywhere at once. In Back to the Future 2, we got a glimpse of video technology. Now we actually use it all the time! It enables us to “be” in multiple places at once. Connecting to multiple people and places via technology is one thing. But trying to be in two places at once physically is impossible. We know that it is true but that doesn’t stop us from trying. If we’re not careful, we can over commit ourselves; trying to be in two places at once. The results are frustration, anxiety, and exhaustion.

God designed us to not be everywhere for a reason. He doesn’t need us racing from place to place, never slowing down to rest, play, enjoy the world, or be totally present with our family and friends. He only made one of you to be only in one place at a time. Try focusing on this for 30 seconds this week: Be totally present in the one place where you are. 

Practice the Presence of God

Has the omnipresence of God ever really occurred to you? It is mind-blowing. One of the classic must-read pieces of Christian literature is undoubtedly, The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This simple French soldier turned monk from Paris devoted his life to grasping the doctrine and reality of God being omnipresent and it changed everything for him. As a cobbler and a cook who was quite alone compared the rest of us, he really wasn’t alone. As he learned to live in the presence of God, his mindset changed, and the inner posture of his heart was quite happy.

He said, “You need not cry very loud: He is nearer to us than we think.” Brother Lawrence performed the very small tasks of washing dishes and preparing shoes every day but listen to the joy in his heart because he was aware that he didn’t have to be everywhere and rather God was with him. “We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying in the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to but a straw from the ground for the love of God.” 

Psalm 139 speaks loudly to God's omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. My friends in Kings Kaleidoscope put all this theology to song. 

_________________________

*Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 173.

Know Your Limits: Omnipotence (Pt. 3 of 4)

We Can't Do It All

In the previous post we talked about the doctrine of omniscience and what goes wrong with being know-it-alls. Here we are taking a quick look at the doctrine of omnipotence (which means to be all-powerful) and our temptation/delusion to be do-it-alls. 

In a world that praises the super-talented, get-it-done folks, the temptation to rise up and be the omnipotent One is big. And yet, we all know the massive problems that arise when we forget our finitude, being limited by size, space, and time. We are made in the image of God which is very different from saying that we are God. Attempting to be a do-it-all is the fastest way to exhaustion and frustration. 

Professor Millard Erickson of Western Seminary writes:

"Three elements must be present if we are to accomplish an ethical action: knowledge of what is to be done; the will to do it, and the ability to do what we have purposed. We may fail at any of these points. However, three factors of God's nature always come together to produce correct action: he is wise, so that he knows what to do; he is good, and thus he chooses to do the right; he is powerful, and therefore capable of doing what he wills to do." * 

 

The Struggle Is Real

We live in an age where so many feel that they lack any purpose in the world and simultaneiously, there are countless people who have more ambition to go, do, be, and produce. I want to speak to the latter (of which I am in that number). Many of us need is to pull the reins in a bit and acknowledge that we don't always have all the power to do what we would like to do. If you're creative, a dreamer, a visionary, one who possess the raw talent to get a lot of things done–you’ll face the temptation to forget Who is actually omnipotent and thus bite off a bit more than you can chew. Our families, friends, teams, and coworkers around us can all see it as well. They see us struggling. We need to be reminded that Jesus invited us to "rest" (Matt. 11:28) not to work and yet that resting leads to fruitful work. Paul said it this way, "God who works in us to will and do for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13). 

Koheleth, da Vinci, and St. Paul

It goes without saying that Leonardo da Vinci possessed a mind and ability unlike anyone else. What he envisioned and accomplished still causes us to drop their jaws in awe. A few months before da Vinci died, he came to the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan to learn that his now infamous Last Supper  was being damaged from moisture. Just before he passed away, the tone of Koheleth (The preacher in Ecclesiastes), he wrote in very small print "We should not desire the impossible." 

We simply don't have the power to do any and everything under the sun; God does. This isn't intended to deflate, demotivate, crush dreams, or to tell you to stop stretching yourself and going for it! Quite the opposite! Paul himself apparently worked harder than any of his co-wokers but look at how he talks about it:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Cor. 15:10)

 

Get Your Strength From Someone Else

Did you catch that? Paul knew it wasn’t his job to be omnipotent. He leaned into the grace and power of God. Be encouraged as you to look to the One who spoke the universe into being and continues to remain unshaken. God, the omnipotent One, brought light out of darkness, a baby through the virgin, and even raised(es) the dead to strengthen you! Such power belongs to him. He is with you and nothing with him is impossible! (Lk. 1:37).

So in the words of the Catholic, mystic, Trappist Monk from Kentucky, Thomas Merton: "Take more time. Cover less ground." 

____________________________

* Millard Erickson, Christian Theology, 303.

Leading with Love: Two Suggestions (4/4)

Two Suggestions on Leading Lovingly

We have gone from 1) God loving the leader to 2) God loving the church to 3) How A Leader Thinks About the Church to finally some practical ways in which love can be communicated.

Be Available

One way in which people feel loved is that they know that know that they actually have access to the leadership. This, of course, doesn't mean that leaders have to give out their phone number to everyone, are obligated to have people over every day of the week, and allow the community tohave free reign over the one's calendar. But what this does mean is that shepherds smell like sheep. Peter told the elders to "Shepherd the flock among you” (1 Pet. 5:2). This pertains to that skill known as time management. It seems simple enough but as leaders know, there are meetings to be had, issues to be dealt with, sermons to write, money to raise, vision to cast, and on and on it goes. It is really easy to let your calendar fill up with working on the church and not actually be working in and among the church. Leader: take a moment and just look at your calendar and see if in fact you are among the people. This is a way of showing that you love them.

In The Reckless Love of God we see “Jesus loving you, and me, and us (the church) ought ot have an absolutely profound impact on how we love one another. We are not simply silos that Jesus pours his love into. We are intended to be conduits through which Jesus pours his love into this world. You and I are to be like sponges. WE soak up the love of Jesus and are to be wrung out in the church. Your church can have everything “right” and yet still get a rebuke from Jesus if love is absent” (P. 173).

Listen to Paul’s loving heart toward the people: "We loved you so much, we desired to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well” (1 Thess. 2:8). Paul really enjoyed being with the people, and most certainly, the people loved Paul, too. There was way more to their relationship than what passes in many churches today for “community” – the routine, going through the motions of attending worship services, saying some prayers, but not actually bearing each other’s burdens. Paul wanted to do life with the people. Notice too, that he oftentimes lists the names of the people in the NT to greet. For example, in Romans 16:1-24, Paul mentions 33 people, by name! Or consider that Paul was able to address folks that weren’t getting along (Phil. 4:1-3) Why? Because he loved the people. He knew the people. He cared for the people. 

Tone Matters

Lastly, what about when things go sideways? Consider how you handle disagreements with others. It isn't surprising the people in the church don't always see eye to eye. That's not always a problem either. In fact, it is through tension and discussion that often times great ideas are birthed! But as leaders sometimes we can default to very immature thinking – leading through a title rather than our character. Nothing reveals this kind of insecurity better or more plainly than conflict. Leader, you're leading because you are gifted, intelligent, and people see something in you worth following. So when it comes to a disagreement, don’t forfeit what’’s been entrusted to you in the name of being rude, harsh, or insensitive. Remember that the tone in which you communicate matters as much as the content of what you're communicating. That is to say that you can be right and still be wrong. You can win an argument but still lose a person. Paul says Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (Col. 4:6).

Lastly, Jesus takes away the sinner’s guilt, fear, and shame. He takes burdens off, not piles them on. Jesus gives the sheep his righteousness, love, grace, and truth. Jesus cannot be bought, bribed or manipulated. Therefore, leader spend the time necessary with Jesus, so as to act, lead, and love like he does.