I Believe in Order to Understand

St. Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, said, “I believe in order to understand” (credo ut intelligam) and centuries later, St. Anselm of Canterbury, echoed his statement in similar fashion: “I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand.” These great Christian thinkers understood the proper use of reason must be preceded by faith in the proper object.  Not faith in ourselves or science, but faith in God, specifically in His revelation of Himself in His Son Jesus Christ.

Their statements echo the words of the writer of Hebrews when he said “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Hebrews 11:3 – NIV)

Our understanding of the world is driven to a large degree on how we understand ourselves.  If we believe we are the accidental result of a blind and uncaring natural process, then we will view the world through those lenses.  If, on the other hand, we believe that we were purposefully created by a Greater Power, then the lenses we look through become significantly different as does our view of the world.

As Christians, we believe this Greater Power is the God of the Bible who created us in His own image.  We also believe that we can come to understand both ourselves and Him through His revelation of Himself in His Son.  In Jesus, the transcendent God intersected with humanity in a way that gives us an understanding of who God is and how we were made to be.  In other words, in Jesus we see both God and man and by believing, we are given the ability to understand as much as our finite minds and rebellious souls can handle.

Not everyone can accept this.  Many modern skeptics see the Christian faith as a fool’s errand.  Oddly enough, while many say they do not believe in God strictly because there is no evidence of His existence, they operate on the same “believe to understand” principle.  They simply place their faith in their own ability to reason instead of in a loving God.  They place their faith in Charles Darwin and we place ours in Jesus Christ.

Steve Jernigan

Missional vs. On Mission

What is the difference between a church being described as Missional vs. On Mission?  Is there a difference?  Are we just arguing over the interpretations of evangelical buzz-words?  Are we like the people Paul described to Timothy in 1 Tim 6:4?  “He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions…”

It is commonly thought that the emergent movement in Christianity originally coined the word Missional.  Given the suspicion and sometimes hostility between the emergent movement and the traditional modern church, we could see this as an area of conflict.  However, if we look to see what each position has to offer, we might be richer for it.

Missional is something that you are.  On Mission is something that you do.  Missional is a way of life.  On Mission a way you implement that way of life.

Why is this distinction important?  Compartmentalization.  To be a church On Mission is to be a church that participates in mission activities.  This can have the effect of compartmentalizing the fulfillment of the Great Commission to only these activities.  This can lead us away from the Jesus model in which every daily activity is an opportunity to share the love of God with the people we meet.  To be Missional is to have a missionary mindset in your daily life.  Ordering a burger at Hardees is just as much an opportunity for sharing the love of God as is going to Africa on a mission trip.

A very short definition of Missional is “Live your faith. Share your life.”[1]

If we can transform the culture of our church so that each person becomes Missional, then we will automatically become a church On Mission.  Think how much easier it would be to fill up the roster of a mission trip, or any other mission activity, if everyone was Missional.

My current pastor said “Missional is just a new word for a very old idea.”[2]   He was right.  Jesus is our perfect example of being Missional.  While the emergent movement is correct in its assertion that the traditional modern church has strayed from this idea to a degree, it has not been lost.  There are many Missional people in the traditional modern church, whether they use that word to describe themselves or not.  However, we should thank the emergent movement for reminding us of the importance of a non-compartmentalized, 24/7 commitment to sharing the love of God with everyone we meet.

Steve Jernigan

[1] Brother Maynard. “Missional — A Shorter Definition.” Subversive Influence. Available from http://subversiveinfluence.com/?p=1608. Internet; accessed 21 February 2009.
[2] Dr. Ron Madison from his introduction to a Sunday School training seminar on Missional Sunday School.

Christians just try to control how you think!

Why would a person think that Christians wished to control a person’s thoughts or make them march lockstep in total conformity? Sadly, marching lockstep is a good example of how many people see Christianity and the local church in particular.

“The lockstep was a method of walking where each man walked with their arms locked under the man’s arms in front of them,” This method was devised by the penal system to keep tight control over large numbers of prisoners by restricting their movement and limiting their ability to communicate.[1]

Prisoners in lockstep

This gives the idea of confinement, control, and isolation. It is sad but true that many outside the church (and some inside) see us this way. They believe we are either the prisoners being controlled or wardens trying to get more prisoners.

Is this true? If we read Colossians chapter 2 (particularly verses 16-23), we see that even in the first century, the church was struggling with those who wished to have people march in lockstep to their ideas. However, while these people have been and still are with us, they are not the majority and they are not representative of how the people of the church relate to one another.

To be a follower of Christ is to be liberated from the artificial constraints that the world has placed on you. It is to be transformed into the truly unique individual that God made you to be. It is to be free to operate in that sweet zone that is yours alone. And the best part is that you are not alone. The church is not there to force fit you into an ill fitting mold, but to allow you to exercise your unique gifts in your unique way to build others up. The church is the gathering place for all the unique followers of Christ to fellowship together, to minister to each other, to worship God, and to reach outside to others and welcome them into the family of God (1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4).

In reality, the church is the freest place in the entire world.

Steve J.

[1] “Both Sides of the Wall: Auburn and Its Prison”, The Citizen, April 10, 2003 on Pages D8, D9, and D15, http://www.correctionhistory.org/auburn&osborne/artshow/citizenarticle.htm (accessed 9-Feb-2009)

Three Dollars Worth of Gospel

I ran across this the other day.  Powerful and convicting words.

“I would like to buy about three dollars worth of the gospel, please. Not too much—just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted. I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust. I certainly don’t want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture. I want ecstasy, not repentance; I want transcendence, not transformation. I would like to be cherished by some nice, forgiving, broad-minded people, but I myself don’t want to love those from different races—especially if they smell. I would like enough gospel to make my family secure and my children well behaved, but not so much that I find my ambitions redirected or my giving too greatly enlarged. I would like about three dollars worth of gospel, please” (D.A. Carson, Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, pp. 12-13).

Grace and peace…

Steve J.

The Real Thing?

Discerning a false teaching is like a man who walks up to a bank teller and gives him $200 in twenties for a deposit.  As the teller is counting the money, he places one bill off to the side.  The man asks the teller “Why did you separate that bill from the others?”  The teller responds, “I work with money everyday and I am very familiar with what the real thing looks and feels like.  The bill I put to the side is counterfeit.”

The best way to recognize a counterfeit is to intimately know the real thing.  To be able to discern real Christianity, we must be intimately familiar with real Christianity.  This means a personal relationship with Jesus, time in God’s word, and time in prayer.

Many people feel overwhelmed at this, thinking that a seminary degree is needed to tell the difference between a true Christian belief system and one that simply claims to be Christian.  It is true that if you have ever tried to compile a list of essential Christian doctrines, you found yourself quickly getting into debatable areas.  Thankfully, most of the time nothing this complicated is required.  One simple test is what a group believes about God.  If they fail this test, then you have found a counterfeit.

The Bible teaches that there is only one God and He reveals Himself in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  God has existed in this way in His unchangeable perfection from eternity past and will continue to exist in this way through all eternity.  This is a basic tenet of orthodoxy Christianity which is called the Trinity.  If a belief system denies the Trinity, then it is not orthodox Christianity.

Since I am Baptist, I would suggest looking at the Baptist Faith and Message for the Biblical support of this fundamental doctrine.  However, there are many other good references (Baptist and non-Baptist) that support this doctrine equally well.  To use the test, you do not have to be able to defend the doctrine of the Trinity in a debate; you simply have to ask if they believe it.

Most of us have been visited by Mormon missionaries or by Jehovah’s Witnesses on Saturday mornings.  Many people view the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses as just another Christian denomination.  Both of these groups will claim to be Christian, however both of them deny the Trinity.  They both fail the test and show themselves to be counterfeit versions of Christianity.

Join us in Sunday School and we’ll further examine God’s revelation of Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace…

Steve J.

Faith will overcome the world?

I passed a church the other day and the sign out front read, “Faith will overcome the world.”  I know I should have been comforted and encouraged by that message, but it struck me as wrong.  Faith is confidence or trust in some thing.  It is not a force in and of itself.  I believe the pastor of the church had the best intentions when he placed that message for all to see, but I feel it soft pedals the message to the point of making it ineffective.

Faith in what?  The statement “Faith will overcome the world” is very universal.  It is easy to apply your own viewpoint to it without a second thought.  Faith in myself?  Faith in the government?  Faith in the “goodness” of mankind?  Faith in the god of your choice?

You may object at this point and say the sign was in front of a church and that should provide the context for it.  Maybe.  In order for that to be true, the people who read the sign would have to know it was a Christian church and then be able to apply John 16:33 to the message on the sign.  Only then could they correctly insert the proper object of faith to understand the intended message.  Our faith is in the one who has overcome the world, Jesus.

Too often, we present our Savior and Lord to the world through non-threatening ecumenical statements.  Consciously or subconsciously, we have all been conditioned by society.  What can we do?  We must follow the advice of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:5 and take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.  We must learn to see things as God sees them through the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

Will it be easy?  No.  Will the world embrace us?  Probably not.  Jesus is an offense and a stumbling block to many, but He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life for each and every person and indeed the whole world.

Grace and peace…

Steve J.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

As part of our last session on the Baptist Faith and Message (The Christian and the Social Order), I read a few sections from Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”.  Every time I read this letter, I am deeply moved.  I hope you will take a few minutes to read this letter for yourself.  It will be time well spent.

http://www.thekingcenter.org/prog/non/letter.pdf

Grace and peace…

Steve J.

Nurse Stephanie’s needs list for West Mastin Lake Elementary School

Our class has been helping out the nurse at West Mastin Lake Elementary School, Stephanie, by providing some of the supplies she needs for her nurse’s station.  She doesn’t have the budget she needs to keep her station stocked with necessities, so as needs arise, she lets us know.  By providing for her, we help the kids and through this ministry, we have been able to give a witness of the love of Christ that transcends the barriers that society puts between us.

Here is her current needs list.

• 2 large boxes of band-aids
• 6 or more boxes of kleenex
• 2 rolls (boxes) of rolled gauze
• 1 bottle of regular Bactine (large bottle if possible)
• Disinfectant wipes
• regular flashlight
• Breakfast bars
• Graham crackers
• Saltine crackers
• 2 large plastic bins, large enough to put clothing in
• Underwear and socks for girls and boys, size 6

The collection deadline is Sunday August 17th.  Please bring the items to Sunday School or give them to Steve or Kenya.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thanks for your participation in this ministry!

Steve and Kenya

The Dark Knight as a mirror?

First, this is not a movie for everyone.  Given the emotionally and psychologically dark nature of the film, I thought it should have been given an R rating.  There are no spoilers here, but be warned, if you see the movie, be prepared.

One way The Dark Knight serves as a mirror for us is to be compared with the current events of our day.  Batman can signify our government in its struggle to recognize justice, due course of law, the justification of the use of force, and the freedoms of the people balanced against an extreme threat.  The Joker represents the terrorist threat with its goal of anarchy and evil.

While this is an interesting angle, a more personal approach gives the movie an even greater impact.

Batman signifies everyman in our struggle to do the right thing regardless of personal cost.  The more personally compelling situations are experienced by many of the secondary characters in the movie.  They also represent us in this same light.  The Joker represents the forces of evil and their attempts to bring us down through personal hardship and threat to our own person or those we love.

If we place ourselves in the position of these characters, it is easy to wonder, what would I do or what would I have done in that situation?  Would I have chosen correctly?  What would have guided my decision?  Would I have chosen selfishly?

Regardless of if you hold this movie up as a mirror to current events or hold it up to take a look at yourself, it is a compelling, scary, and realistic commentary on the nature of humanity, the world, and the reality of evil.  It makes one glad to know “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Steve J.

A Tolerance Test

An accusation that is repeatedly levied against Christians is that we want to force our beliefs on everyone else.  We are intolerant and narrow minded because we claim to know the truth and believe that others are wrong in some of their beliefs.  We even have the audacity to try and convince others that they should change their beliefs.

Some of this is true.  We do claim to know the truth and we do believe others are wrong in some of their beliefs.  How could it be otherwise?  If I believe A to be true and you believe A to be false, then one of us has to be wrong. 

Does this make us intolerant?  To see if we are intolerant, let’s evaluate the following statements.

1) I’m right, but I could be mistaken.
2) I’m right.
3) I’m right, you’re wrong.
4) I’m right, you’re wrong, and here’s why you should change your mind.
5) I’m right, you’re wrong, and you’re stupid.
6) I’m right, you’re wrong, change your mind or be killed. [1]

Rank each of these statements using the following scale.  A ten is the most intolerant rank and a zero means the statement is not intolerant at all.  Rank each statement independent of the others, that is, any statement could have the same ranking as any other statement.

Comments are welcome (and desired) to explain your rankings.

Steve J.

1 Adapted from Dacey, Austin. The Secular Conscience. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 2008.