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Category: Church (Page 18 of 61)

CenterPeace at Central

April 3, 2016 / / 2 Comments

SallyGaryApril2016I sincerely appreciate the sensibilities of our leadership group at Central. Truth and grace is not just something Jesus said, it really is a guiding principle for us here. In fact, our elders and ministers are more likely to argue with each other about whether we’re showing enough grace than about anything else. We’ll delay and delay and delay and talk and pray and pray some more to insure we’re expressing enough compassion. We’d much rather risk being wrong about something than to write a rule about it.

And I love that. Not all churches are like this. Not all leadership groups act this way. We’re all very blessed by the merciful and gracious sensibilities of our leaders at Central. Our church is blessed and I believe our city and God’s world is ultimately blessed by the Christ-like attitudes of our leaders.

And lately we’ve been praying and talking together about same-sex attraction and homosexuality. Since June last year. In our staff gatherings and elders meetings. On Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. We’re committed to having the conversations. We’re committed to talking about this difficult topic. And we’re committed to showing the love and grace of our Lord to all men and women, just like he did.

We’re also dead set on working harder to make Central a safe place to have these conversations. One thing the Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage did was force us to start talking about something we should have been talking about 40 years ago. We’re so far behind on this deal. We’ve put our heads in the sand for too long, rationalizing our refusal to engage the issue because “nobody here is dealing with it.”

Well, those days are over. More and more people are struggling with same-sex attraction issues themselves and within their families. And we must be able to talk openly about it at church. The world is certainly ready to talk about it. We can’t keep ignoring it and acting like nothing’s going on. Following that Supreme Court decision last summer, lots of churches just added two new sentences to their wedding policies and moved on to something else. And we’ve decided we can’t do that. There has to be Christian ministry. There has to be prayer. There has to be loving engagement with the hurting.

SallyGaryMugSally Gary, the founder and director of CenterPeace, was kind enough to give up her weekend to spend parts of three days with our church family here in Amarillo. Sally’s ministry is devoted to making churches and families safe places to have these conversations about homosexuality. And having her here to talk to and to process with was a terrific help. Sally spent three hours Friday night with some of our leadership and five Central couples who are dealing with same-sex issues in their families. Blessing them. Listening to them. Loving them. Encouraging them. And showing us how to do it. She spent nearly four hours with our entire leadership Saturday morning walking us through her story, challenging us to “keep the conversation going,” to “keep the doors of communication open,” and to remind people that God loves them. Then today she spoke to nearly 500 members of our church, imploring us to make Central a safe place to talk, reminding us that there are people in our congregation, young people probably, who have questions, who are struggling, who desperately need somebody to talk to. Again, the world is ready to talk. God’s Church needs to be just as ready.

It’s very, very easy for me to get to a place pretty quickly where I’ve got everything figured out. I have all the information, I know what we’re supposed to do, I know the strategy and the course of action, and here we go. And then I have a two hour lunch with a young person struggling with sexual identity or a long phone conversation with a friend whose daughter has come out as gay or a weekend with Sally Gary. And I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what God wants us to do. I don’t have any answers really at all. I’m only convinced for sure that all men and women are created by God in his holy image, that he loves them dearly, and that Jesus died for them all and was raised for them all. And that I’m supposed to love all people. I’m supposed to engage all people with his mercy and grace. His Church is called to show his love to all people. And church should be a safe place for us to talk about anything. We ought to be able to talk and pray together about difficult things and still feel very protected and very safe. And deeply loved. Those are the things I know. And that’s about all I know for sure.

I’m grateful to Sally for the weekend we’ve just had at Central. We all pray for her God’s richest blessings of boldness and courage, strength and peace. And I’m grateful to God for our elders and ministers at Central who are leading us through this conversation. May God’s holy will be done in and through this church just as it is in heaven. And may we be faithful to him, may we reflect his glory, as we pursue the conversation.

Peace,

Allan

Happy 180th!

March 2, 2016 / / 0 Comments

TexasFlagDetailBetterOn March 2, 1836 — that’s 180 years ago today — fifty-nine courageous pioneers signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, forming forever the great Republic of Texas. I’d like to invite you to celebrate this Texas Independence Day with your favorite plate of barbecue or tacos, listen to your favorite Willie Nelson or ZZ Top album, and praise God you weren’t born in Arkansas or West Virginia or some other awful place like Oklahoma.

I’d also like to ask you a question: Do you know our state song? Do you know the title? Do you know the lyrics?

If you immediately answered “Texas, Our Texas,” give yourself a pat on the back. If you can sing the song with all the right words in the right order, then give yourself a standing ovation and use what’s left of your lunch hour to design and print an official-looking certificate to honor your achievement. Up until last weekend, I wouldn’t have thought that knowing and being able to sing on demand our official state song was any kind of special accomplishment for anyone born and raised in our great state. But a troubling article in the current Texas Monthly brought that assumption into serious doubt.

TexasOurTexasChristian Wallace has written an informative and highly entertaining piece on the colorful history of our state song. His premise is a provocative one: our state song is a terrible song. No one knows it, no one remembers it, and no one ever sings it. Our state is too great to have such an awful state song. While Wallace makes a decent argument, I was most struck by his initial evidentiary proof. He claims to have conducted many informal surveys among friends and neighbors, passersby and strangers, and the overwhelming majority of them are unable to name our state song. Nobody can sing it.

I was offended by the very notion. Why, we sang it regularly in elementary school choirs and special programs and learned it again in 7th grade Texas History class. It’s our song! While driving back and forth across the Red River for a variety of reasons during my teenage years, I never failed to turn the radio down so I could belt out “Texas, Our Texas” as I crossed the border. “All hail the mighty state! So wonderful, so great!” Didn’t everybody do this?

Apparently not. I’ve conducted my own informal surveys this week with friends and co-workers, cashiers and waiters and passersby. Nobody knows our state song. A lot of people guess “Yellow Rose of Texas.” One lady argued with me about “The Eyes of Texas.” Some folks wrinkled up their faces and said, “We have a state song?” It pains me to say that Wallace is on to something.

I highly recommend his article. You can get to it by clicking here.

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KeithSermonSeminar2013Today is also my brother Keith’s birthday. He’s not 180. And I don’t think he has his own song. If he does, it might be “The Rover” from Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti. If you wanted to celebrate his birthday, you might watch Naked Gun tonight, careful to skip past the scene on the ledge and to watch the balls and strikes scene at least twice.

Keith is an outstanding theological thinker, faithful follower of our Lord, and devoted servant of God’s Church. His article “Restorationism and Church History: Strange Bedfellows?” from the Christian Studies journal he edits is a classic work on the complicated relationship between Churches of Christ and the whole of pre-restoration church history. I highly recommend it, too. He takes head-on our Cambellite creed of “nothing not as old as the New Testament” and introduces us to the concept of “retrieval theology” that seems very helpful:

“This is not a call to re-create or ape the faith and practice of a specific time or place from the past; not every thought or practice in church history is equally good or relevant for us. It means learning from the wisdom of our ancestors and appropriating the best that it has to offer for the sake of the church today.”

You can get to it by clicking here: KeithStanglinRestorationism

Happy Birthday, Keith. I’m very proud of you and very honored to be your brother.

Peace,

Allan

Repent and Believe the Gospel

February 10, 2016 / / 2 Comments

AshWednesdayThis post is mainly for all of us Church of Christ lifers. We know “separate and apart,” we know Acts 2:38, we know “the church is not the building, it’s the people,” we know 728B. We’ve got the stamp on our heels. Three songs and a prayer. “Guide, guard, and direct us.” We know who we are.

And we’re uncomfortable with liturgy.

It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We come by it naturally. Our movement has traditionally and, largely, uncritically rejected almost all forms of Christian liturgy as symbols of religious excess and tools for clerical abuse. As non-scriptural innovations. As rote formulas and meaningless ritual. Most of us can’t help the way a memorized creed or a written prayer makes us feel. We were raised to believe it wasn’t real, it didn’t come from the heart, unless you made it up on the spot.

Let me invite you to participate in an Ash Wednesday service somewhere today.

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, the season of repentance and prayer and fasting before Easter. In the early decades of Christianity, this 40-day period was observed by candidates for baptism, which was typically reserved for Easter Sunday. In the third and fourth centuries, people who were separated from the Church because of their sin observed a season of Lent as they were restored to fellowship. Then, over time, the Church recognized that it would be good for all Christians to enter a time of repentance and prayer and fasting. All Christians need to be reminded that repentance is a daily exercise, not a one time event. All Christians need the assurance of the forgiveness and salvation that is promised in the Good News, that was accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

So, I would encourage you to find an Ash Wednesday service somewhere today and go.

It might be a brand new thing for you. It might be a little strange. It might be really beautiful. You might learn something, you might see something, you might hear something or experience something that might really bless you and increase your faith.

The ashes on your forehead are a physical reminder of the Gospel: God created us out of his great love, we have sinned and fallen short of his glory, we are in desperate need of forgiveness and salvation, he forgives us and restores us through Christ Jesus our Lord. The ashes remind us that we are human — we are made of dust and to dust we will return — and that we need God. They also serve as a symbol of sorrow for sin and repentance. And they acknowledge that the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ Jesus surpasses in glory the burnt offerings made by the priests. That’s why when the pastor puts the ashes on your forehead he says, “Repent and believe the Gospel.”

Go find an Ash Wednesday service. Go with a group of people so you can process it together afterward. Ask God to speak to you during that service, to reveal himself to you, to grow your faith in him, and to strengthen the bond you have with all disciples of Christ throughout all Christian denominations. As you leave the assembly in silence, be resolved to remain in the Word, to continually self-reflect, and to be in constant prayer.

Nothing will be off the cuff. It will all be carefully scripted. And maybe, just maybe, by God’s grace and the power of his Spirit, it might be exactly what you need.

Peace,

Allan

The Creed & Biblical Identity

January 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

CommunityPeople“The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Deuteronomy 6:4

This “creed” in Deuteronomy is about the corporate identity of Israel as the people of the one true and living God. This is who we are. This is in your heart. Impress this on your kids. Talk about this all the time. This is who we are.

In Corinth, the church was really struggling with their identity. “The church leader I follow is more important and more respected than the church leader you follow.” “I have more and better spiritual gifts than you do.” “I pledge my loyalty to Christ, but I don’t want to give up the prestigious civic luncheons at the pagan temple.” “Pool people can belong to our church, but the culture says they can’t eat the meal with me at my table.”

Paul answers all of that by reminding them of who they are and to whom they belong. In correcting their behavior, he reminds them of the story to which they now belong:

“I want to remind you of the Gospel I preached to you, which you have received and on which you have taken your stand. By this Gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the Word I preached to you… For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

This is who we are. Summaries of the core beliefs remind us. There’s a difference between the non-negotiables of the Christian faith and the disputable matters that aren’t that important. Likewise, the Apostles’ Creed reminds us: these are the mountains we die on. And becoming more familiar with the mountains keeps us from sticking our flags in the molehills, from getting our knickers in a wad over silly stuff.

This is who we are. This is what we believe.

And today, as Christianity falls farther out of favor with our culture, as the world becomes more secular and more hostile to our faith, we’re going to be less and less identified by the secondary things. The primary things will move more and more to the center of who we are. The Apostles’ Creed is primary. Things of first importance.

Peace,

Allan

Packing the Pews with Pistols

December 9, 2015 / / 0 Comments

“My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my Kingdom is from another place.” ~Jesus

GunsInChurchI don’t know how many guns there are inside our church building on Sunday mornings. I don’t want to know. I’m guessing around fifty but, again, I’m not sure and I seriously don’t want to know. We operate mainly on a don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy on that around here. In light of the recent mass shootings — asking “Which one?” is a legitimate question and a terrible commentary on our sick society — I’m afraid more and more disciples of Jesus are bringing their firearms to our public worship assemblies. And using the Bible to justify it.

A recent front page column in the Church of Christ publication The Christian Chronicle quoted a dozen ministers from a dozen different congregations in several states who believe and, apparently, teach that carrying a gun and being prepared to use it against another human being is a good thing to do.

Some of the comments spoke to the realities of guns in the church building and Christians’ readiness to use them to protect themselves against an invader. A minister in Florida said “walking in with the intent to harm our congregation would be like walking in to harm someone at an NRA rally or gun show.” A minister of another church in Florida told the Chronicle that lots of people in his congregation are packing and “someone would be sorry to try anything here.” A Mississippi CofC minister said of his church’s strategy, “We remain vigilant, and we have selected brethren who have a tactical background and are armed amidst our assembly. Unfortunately, we can’t ultimately eliminate the threat, but we can definitely minimize the impact it could possibly have on our beloved.”

Some of the preachers interviewed even attempted to say shooting a criminal inside the church building is the “Christian” thing to do. In describing a scene in which an active shooter begins opening fire in a worship assembly, one minister from the Houston area said, “There is a world of difference in being ready to die for your faith than to die at the hands of a crazy man simply because he’s crazy. I believe that God would permit me to protect myself and my family in cases such as that.”

A minister in Kentucky went so far as to claim that Christians are required to shoot when he said, “We believe theologically we have an obligation to protect and defend our church membership, especially children, against a stranger or angry member who was to come in and begin shooting.”

A preacher in Alabama who admits to bringing his own Ruger .380 to the church building on Sundays invoked the name of Jesus in justifying the use of deadly force by a Christian: “I do not believe that Jesus — or even the old law — taught members to cower in the face of danger. It was Jesus who told his apostles to take a sword in Luke 22.”

OK. Stop right there.

Two things.

One, you cannot use the name of our Lord to justify the killing of anyone under any circumstances. Ever. Yes, Jesus would protect those under attack, not by killing the attacker but by stepping in front of the bullet. And he would forgive the attacker and pray for him while he was dying. I’m always surprised to hear Christians say, “Jesus would not allow himself to be a victim.” Actually, our Lord willingly left his home in glory, put all of his trust in the One who judges justly, and purposefully submitted to being the worst kind of victim. He blessed those who attacked him, he loved those who hated him, he forgave those who killed him. I’ve heard other Christians acknowledge that truth about our Lord and then reply, “Well, Jesus wouldn’t shoot anybody, but I would.” That actually makes you, by definition, not a Christian.

Two, Jesus’ words in Luke 22 do not authorize the use of gun violence in any way. Jesus is telling his disciples that things have changed. The first time they went out, they were all welcomed with goodwill and hospitality. But now, when they are scattered, they are going to face opposition. They’re going to be ridiculed, rejected, and maybe even killed. Now, Jesus says, you’re on your own out there. Don’t count on other people to help you. You’re going to need a purse, a bag, a sword, whatever. He’s speaking figuratively. He doesn’t discount in this moment every word out of his mouth for the past three-plus years against violence. He’s not saying the opposite now of his every teaching against violence. He’s speaking symbolically. How do we know? Because when the disciples reply, “Look, Lord, we’ve got two swords right here,” Jesus rebukes them, “Enough, already! Stop!”

Yes, you’re going to face an intense opposition to me and my message, your very lives are going to be endangered. But you don’t respond with self-defense and violence. Enough! You’re missing the point! Jesus will have nothing to do with swords, even for defense. How do we know? Because later on in this same chapter, in the very next scene when Jesus is being arrested, one of the disciples asks him, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And Jesus says emphatically, “No!”

One of the Christ-followers uses his sword to cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave. And Jesus sharply rebukes him. “No more of this! Stop!” And he heals the injured attacker. In Luke 22, literal armed resistance is exposed as a foolish misunderstanding of Jesus’ message.

Could the Scriptures be any more plain? The question is asked, “Should we strike with our swords when we’re being attacked?” and the direct answer from our Lord is “No!” I’m not sure why we even have these arguments.

Of all the ministers quoted in the Christian Chronicle article, only one expressed a theological and scriptural objection to the use of gun violence by Christians in self defense: Tyler Jarvis, the student and family minister for the Oak Ridge Church of Christ in Willow Park, Texas. “I think that the church should trust in the protection and mercy of God, even if it means not being able to defend against an attacker or intruder. The church ought to be able to extend love and forgiveness to those who wish to harm them, even if it costs them their lives in the process.”

The author of the story introduces Jarvis’ quote by saying the Willow Park minister “wrestles with the gun question.” It doesn’t sound like he’s struggling to me.

There are many reasons Christians in the U.S. believe it’s OK to kill people in self-defense. Culture plays a role, society has something to do with it, fear informs our understandings, and there appears to be a general unwillingness to carefully think things through and reflect. It doesn’t help when Christian publications present such a lopsided view of the issue. This article normalizes gun violence as if there’s no choice. It accepts the culture’s position and approves it for God’s Church. There’s no theological challenge, just an out-of-context proof text. If you must present both sides — I think you must! — at least present them equally.

Since when is showing unconditional mercy and love and grace and forgiveness in the face of danger and death labeled as cowardly? Since when is praying for our enemies and refusing to repay evil for evil and sacrificing self preservation for the sake of the sinner viewed as “cower[ing] in the face of danger?” Our Lord was not cowardly in the Garden of Gethsemane that night. And he didn’t cower in the face of danger when he willingly submitted to the cruelty of the cross. Neither are Christians who reject the use of violence to get their way. They are courageous and brave, faithful and true.

Christians, leave your guns at home this Sunday. Practice prayer. Practice forgiveness and mercy. Practice discipleship and obedience to the Way. Pray to God that nobody with violent intent ever attacks your church family in the sanctuary. But also pray to God for the strength, should it ever happen, to respond in ways that will honor our Lord, the Prince of Peace.

Peace,

Allan

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