On The Bike
Afew times a week I, along with several dozen other classmates, mount astationary bike for 45 minutes of pure hell. “Spin class,” the very mention of that phrase causes me to recoil. But thanks to Adam and his sin in the garden,it’s the price I now have to pay. So off I go at some God-forsaken, early-morninghour, going up and down from my seat, as I fiddle with the knob and adjust thetension on my bike creating more resistance and hopefully burning morecalories.
Nowspin class is hard enough, but what makes it downright deflating is when, likethe other day, my instructor is playing the role of drill sergeant as she pacesback and forth, begging and pleading with us to give it our all. I wanted to gopostal when she castigated one of my panting participants for not pushing itharder. Excuse me? How are you even talkingin sentences right now? Oh, that’s right, you’re not on your bike.
Nothing’smore deflating than a so-called leader who’s not on the bike with you.
Leadershipreally is about getting on the bike with your people. The leaders who mostinspire me aren’t necessarily the most educated, or even the most winsome. Butthe leaders who move me are the ones who are buying what they’re selling, whoare personally invested as much, if not more, than their followers. Leaderslike Cortes who needed his men to be so sold out to the mission in front ofthem, that he commanded their boats to be sunk, eliminating any possibility ofever going back. Leaders like Michael Jordan who was so determined to not letthe 1993 NBA Finals go to a seventh and deciding game, that he took only enoughclothes with him to Arizona for one night, instead of potentially two (they wonthat game—game six). And who could forget Jesus, who paid the ultimatesacrifice by mounting a cross, and doing for us what we could never do forourselves. This is real leadership, the kind that inspires.
Leadershipis not do what I say, but do what I do. There’s just no getting around this. Inour postmodern culture where we value normalcy—and this kind of flatlineegalitarian (I’m not using that in reference to men and women) sense in whichwe want to project we’re all the same—it’s easy to downplay the importance ofleadership. But the older I get, the more I’m convinced that nothing happens ofeternal redemptive value outside of loving, caring and proactive leadership, inwhich the leader is on his bike with the people.
Paulshowed this kind of “on the bike” leadership when he wrote his second letter tothe Thessalonians. He had gotten wind that some in the church were falling intolaziness and he needed them to work hard. So he writes, “For you yourselvesknow how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were withyou, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil andlabor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. Itwas not because we do not have that right, butto give yourselves an example to imitate” (3: 7–9, emphasis mine). This isleadership. Paul wanted his followers to step it up. He doesn’t point them to abook or blog to read. He doesn’t ask them to attend a class. He just simplypulls them close and says, “look at me.”He worked hard. He wasn’t idle. He intentionally modeled before them thedesired outcome. He was “on his bike.”
Thankfully,there’re numerous spin classes at my gym, with other instructors. Nikki, myMonday morning spin class instructor, is my favorite. Sure she gets on us,trying to extract every ounce of effort she can, but she’s earned that rightbecause she’s on the bike with us. Sometimes she’s so invested she can’t eventalk, just motioning with her hands to keep pushing. And we do. She’s earned itbecause she’s in it with us. That’s leadership.
Parents,our kids want to know if we’re buying what we’re selling them, if we’re “on thebike.” Pastor, your congregation wants to know if you’re “on the bike.” Christfollower, who takes the great commission seriously as you are pouring intoothers, your disciples want to know if you’re “on the bike.”
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Six
I loveto read, and so far I’ve read some great books this year. I thought I’d share six of the books I’ve read so far in 2016 that have inspired me:
The Imperfect Pastor, Zack Eswine
Okay, Iendorsed this one, but still, I had already read it once before I was asked togive an endorsement to the second edition! I rarely re-read books…rarely, butthis one is so good I made an exception, plus I was anxious to see what newmaterial Zack added. Not only a gifted writer, but Zack places his finger onthe pulse of most pastors’ hearts as we battle envy, wrong motives, insecurityand people pleasing (among a host of other issues). I would recommend this booknot only to those of us in pastoral ministry, but also Christians in general,as it will show you (by implication) how to better relate to and support yourpastor.
The Power of the Cross, Tony Evans
Dr.Evans has been a significant inspiration to me, even before I started preachingat age 17. I remember listening to his radio ministry and hearing him in personand being beyond inspired. Charles Ryrie defines brilliance as the ability tomake the complex simple, and if this is true, Dr. Evans is brilliant. He hasthe gift to take deep, complex theological truths, and use the perfectillustration or analogy so that we can grasp it. This book is quintessentialTony Evans, as he brings the cross and the events of first-century Jerusalem toour homes and hearts in 2016.
Mea Culpa, Kyle McClellan
Wordslike self-effacing, vulnerable and transparent best describe this short volume. Kyle, a pastor who hasserved several churches, writes, as the title suggests, of his failures. I foundmyself nodding and even wincing in agreement as he shares his many ministrymiscues and fumbles. In this celebrity culture where so many pastors writebooks on success, using themselves as an example, and in our social media agewhen we tend to only show our best side, MeaCulpa is a breath of fresh air.
Prophetic Lament, Soong Chan Rah
No doubtmy favorite book I’ve read so far in 2016. Dr. Rah argues that because ourworship songs overwhelmingly have a triumphal edge, and with the deficit oflament songs, we have shaped a generation and culture who do not know how togrieve with those who grieve. Therefore, when historically oppressed minoritygroups grieve yet another instance of injustice, the church is ill equipped tosit and lament with those who are hurting. We need to return to the book ofLamentations, Rah suggests, while he walks us through it in a way that is deep,yet pastoral and practical. This truly is a must read.
Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, Terry Teachout
I love jazzmusic…old-school jazz, and, of course, that means Duke Ellington. Teachout haswritten a rich biography on the legendary Ellington. My only critique is, inhis effort to focus on the music, the humanity of Ellington plays more of asecondary. Nonetheless, I found myself unable to put this book down as I wenton this musical journey of Duke Ellington’s life and career—a man calledAmerica’s greatest composer.
Good Faith, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
It’sbeen said that to be an effective Christian we need to keep a newspaper in onehand and a Bible in the other. To follow Christ means we need to have anunderstanding of culture, and Kinnaman and Lyons, authors of UnChristian, have done it again withtheir insightful book on culture, GoodFaith.
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From a Grateful Heart
Thispast Sunday, I preached my first sermon as lead pastor of Abundant Life. Afterwards, the church graciously threw me areception where I stood for close to two hours shaking hands and receivinggenerous well wishes from our church. Ican’t even begin to put into words the love I felt and received from you. When I was done—or thought I was done—thewell wishes continued, as a stack of cards was presented to me in which many ofyou wrote words of life to me and our family.Korie and I feasted on your words when I returned home this pastMonday. Thank you!
AsI continue to think about this past Sunday, my mind drifts beyond the kindnessof our church to the elders who have (and continue to) lead you over theyears. Leading a church is tough. Leading a church in pastoral transition istougher. Leading a church through twopastoral transitions is just crazy, and yet these men have done it well andwith excellence. They have been faithfulin their leadership, prayers for the body and in the teaching of theScriptures. These men have made toughdecisions, taken plenty of heat and have stood the test of time. Jesus’ commendation of the church at Ephesusand how they had “endured patiently,” is a fit description for our elders aswell. So these men deserve a biggerthank you than I do.
Ifyou are a part of the Abundant Life family, let me make my first big ask of youas your pastor. Can you, this week, sitdown and send a text, compose an email, write the letter, take out to lunch orpick up the phone and call one or several of our elders and just tell themthank you? Pick out something specific andencourage them. It’ll put valuable windin their sails, and give them an added boost of energy for what lies ahead.
P.S.: Theydidn’t ask me to say this at all, so let’s keep it “between us.”
PastorBryan
See photos from Sunday on Facebook.com/ALCF
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First Things First
Thelegendary coach for the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, once found himselffrustrated with his football team. They weren’t playing up to their abilities,and had taken some things for granted. At his wits end, Lombardi huddled histeam together, and pointed to an object they all knew, and proclaimed,“Gentlemen, this is a football.” His message that day was clear—they haddrifted away from the fundamentals, and needed to return to the most basic ofthings. They needed to keep first things first.
Thisweek, we begin a series at Abundant Life called, First Things First. We’ll be hanging out in Revelation 2, whereJesus says to the church at Ephesus that they had, “abandoned the love you hadat first.” In His own way, Jesus is holding up the proverbial pigskin andsaying, “Church, this is a football.” They needed to return to the basics…andso do we.
Someoneonce said the problem with life is it’s oh so daily. Now if ever there was atrue statement, that’s it. There are kids to get off to school, errands to run,work attended to, headaches to deal with, people to love, lead and care for,homework to be helped out with, ball games to attend, money to be managed. Onand on we can go and, if we’re not careful, we can wake up one day and realizethat we, like the church at Ephesus, have drifted away from our first love,Jesus. We never made a consciencedecision to put Jesus on the back burner, it just kind of happened.
What’sinteresting, is Jesus doesn’t accuse the Ephesian church of outright neglectingHim, He just says He was no longer first. To the church at Ephesus, Jesus wassomewhere in the picture, He just wasn’t front and center. That hits me rightbetween the eyes.
Weall were born with what I call natural wirings. By no means am I a perfectperson, but when I put my mind to something, I can be pretty disciplined, evenwhen I don’t feel like it, and this sometimes gets me in trouble. I grew up inthe church, and a phrase I heard a lot in my formative years was “quiet time.”Between the pastor, the youth director and my parents, I heard the message loudand clear of how important it was to spend a few moments reading the Bible andpraying every day (preferably in the mornings). This was sage wisdom. The Biblespeaks repetitively of the importance of immersing ourselves in the Word of God(i.e., Psalm 19; Psalm 119), and prayer (i.e., Matthew 6:5–15; I Thessalonians5:17). But the problem I ran into withthe quiet-time culture, is that I was tuning into Jesus for 30 or so minutesa day, while doing my own thing the other 23 and a half hours. Stringenough of these days together and you can see how easy it is for Christ not tobe first.
IfJesus is going to be first He must be constant. Jesus recognized this. That’swhy He said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit byitself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me”(John 15:4). The word “abide,” simply means to remain, or to hang out. What’sin view here is a lot more than a “quiet time,” it’s a constant lingering inthe presence of Jesus. No, Jesus isn’t asking us to quit our jobs and spend allday everyday in meditation and prayer. He expects us to go to school, studyhard, work, love our families well and serve, but to do so with the backgroundmusic of our activities being Jesus. This is how Jesus becomes first, bybecoming constant.
Ifyou’ve ever been in love, you know this idea of constancy. When you fell inlove, you weren’t content with a 15- to 30-minute conversation in themorning. No. You called several times a day, talking for as much as you could. Whenyou hung up the phone, your mind marinated on your beloved. You wrote notes,went out, thought about and talked. This is what it means to abide. And ifJesus is going to be first, the same principles must apply—He must be constant.
Ilook forward to sharing more with you this Sunday as we begin our series, First Things First. Hope you can join usat 10 o’clock!
Getting to Know Pastor Bryan Loritts
Recently, our communications director, Monique Funnie, asked our new lead pastor, Bryan Loritts some questions about his life, ministry and hopes for our Abundant Life family.
Monique:
What excites you about ALCF the most?
PB:
Wow. I typically struggle with questions like these, you know “the most, the best, the worst,” so maybe if I could give you a couple of things that excite me “the most.” One I would say the opportunity God and you all have afforded me to step into an already multi-ethnic church, and to build on this value of diversity that has been a part of the fabric of the church for years. I mean, just look at our leadership—there are Indians, Hispanics, African Americans, Whites, Asians and so on. I don’t know of too many pastors who begin their tenure at a church that is already steeped in Christ-exalting, ethnic diversity. That’s pretty amazing.
The second thing I would say is where the church is positioned. We are in Silicon Valley, the tech empire of the world. Down the street is Google, Apple and Facebook (among a host of other companies). Then there’s Stanford, an elite institution. All this and more means some of the most forward-thinking, sharp, entrepreneurial people are right in our backyard, and we get a chance to shape and influence them, and, therefore, the world.
Finally, I would say, and this is closely related to our location, but just the chance we will hopefully get to see God bring about renewal in the Bay. Someone told me that there’s been no documented widespread spiritual renewal—what some would call revival—in the Bay Area. I don’t know how true that is, but I want to see God use me and other Christian leaders to be a part of something that would really be historic. I will spend the balance of my days praying for this.
Monique:
What character qualities would your wife and three sons use to describe you?
PB:
Watch it now. I’ve got two teenagers, so I’m not sure what they would say! No, I’m just kidding, I think. We actually just did this the other night at a birthday dinner they took me to, so this one’s easy to answer. My wife Korie, asked each of our sons to give five things they love about me. I won’t give you all of them, but they said things like disciplined, hard worker, fun, gracious, compassionate. I won’t lie, the last two kind of shocked me, because as a parent I’m always thinking I’m too hard on my kids, so that was kind of nice to hear.
Monique:
How would you describe your devotional life?
PB:
Wow, good question. For the last 10 years, I’ve had it as my aim to read through the Bible at least once, if not twice a year. I read about nine chapters a day which gets me through the Scriptures about twice in 12 months. This year, I want to read through the New Testament once a month, and, if I move along about nine chapters a day, that will get me there. So, in my Bible reading, I fly at a really high altitude.
But, I also see my weekly sermon preparation as devotion as well. To be sure, it’s different because I’m not flying at a high altitude, but landing at ground level and taking one passage and drilling really deep for like 15–20 hours a week. Overall, I’ve found this combination—of soaring over Scripture and reading broadly while at the same time drilling down deeply—to be incredibly shaping in my life.
When it comes to prayer, about a year and a half ago, I read a book that really emphasized praying Scripture. I had heard of this before, but I really felt moved by God to do this. So I memorized eight lengthy passages of Scripture, and will spend about 20–30 minutes a day praying them back to God. And then in the afternoon, I will typically take some time to intercede for my family, Abundant Life and others.
Monique:
Who are your mentors?
PB:
My dad, Dr. Crawford Loritts. I’ve been blessed with a godly father who I still look to for guidance. Then there’s my godfather, Bishop Kenneth Ulmer. I’ll probably cry just as hard at his funeral as my own dad’s—that’s how close we are. He really taught me pastoral ministry, and shaped me into the preacher and pastor I am today. Finally, there’s Dennis Rainey, president of Family Life. Dennis, and his wife Barbara, have been huge influences on Korie and me, helping us in our marriage, and to be better parents and people. Once a month, Dennis and I have a conference call where we check in with each other. I’ve been blessed to have this tribe of leaders around me.
Monique:
What are your favorite Scriptures and why?
PB:
There you go with the “favorite, most, worst,” questions (lol)! Hmm, that’s a tough one. I guess I could sound super spiritual and say the whole Bible, right? What if I just gave you the eight passages I pray through: Psalm 1; Psalm 8; Psalm 15; Psalm 16; Matthew 5:2–10 (the Beatitudes); Matthew 6:9–13 (the Lord’s prayer); John 15:1–8; Colossians 3:1–4.
Monique:
Thanks Pastor Bryan. We are so excited to have you at ALCF, and look forward to your ministry to and with us!
For more information on Pastor Bryan’s passion for the church and Scripture, check out the latest “Bible Study Magazine” article: http://www.biblestudymagazine.com/
Hear Pastor Bryan’s messages: ALCF Weekly Teaching Podcast
Christ-Exalting Diversity
As we look to the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I’m honored to share with you some vital thoughts on Christ-exalting diversity, from one of the world’s foremost historians, Dr. Mark Noll. This is an excerpt from the foreword to my book, Letters to a Birmingham Jail:
Bryan Loritts hasrecruited a serious lineup of pastors, Bible teachers, and Christian seniorstatesmen to do something that might seem foolish. He has asked them to write letters to thelate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in response to his famous “Letter from theBirmingham Jail.” Dr. King wrote that letter to the white Protestant clergymenof that city in April 1963. They had expressed measured approval of civilrights in principle, but had also cautioned King and his associates aboutmoving too fast or becoming too radical in pursuit of their goals. King responded with a classic statementdefending the moral–indeed, the biblical–imperative for full civil equalityfor black Americans, and for obtaining that equality NOW.
But that, areasonable person might say, was fifty years ago. Why should Bryan Loritts and hiscollaborators bring up the subject now?Almost no American in the early twenty-first century objects to lawsmandating segregation. Almost no onebelieves Jim Crow was right. Almosteveryone thinks that equal opportunity under the law is a good and properthing.
Besides, did notthe election of Barack Obama as the United States’ first African-Americanpresident mark an important turning point in the nation’s history. Since he took office in January 2009,opponents of Obama have mostly criticized his policies, while his supportershave mostly defended those policies.Except for a tiny fringe of the populace, the president’s ethnicity hasbeen almost a non-factor. Moreover, inthe United States’ recent past, well publicized other political controversies,with economic problems uppermost, have dominated public attention.
Yet for historiansand Bible-believers alike, there is in fact a great deal more to be said. Quite a few historians, including myself,believe that many of the most important events in American history haveinvolved race in conjunction with religion.Quite a few Bible-believers, including the authors in this volume,believe that the explicitly Christian struggle against racism remains to bewon.
Looked at from astrictly historical angle, the United States continues to reap great evils fromthe seed that was sown through centuries of slavery and a century ofsegregation. Yet guided by candidateseager to be elected and enabled by pundits eager to be heard, we Americansmostly ignore an alarming set of immense social problems.
Whether bycomparison with other western democracies, or even by comparison with manycountries in the so-called developing world, the American social order is rivenwith pathologies. These pathologies havearisen from many factors, but the nation’s racial history is everywhere prime amongthose factors. Here is a shortlist: the U.S. has by far the highestrates of incarceration in the western world; it witnesses more gun violencethan any other so-called civilized country; its entertainment industryglorifies violence, misogyny, sexual promiscuity, and infantileself-indulgence; it offers less medical and family support for the poor thanany other western nation; it maintains inequalities of wealth on a par with thecleptocracies of the Third World; its rate of infant mortality is several timeshigher than most western countries; and, most grievously, the nation iswitnessing a disastrous collapse of the two-parent family as the accepted normfor giving birth and raising children. The United States’ racial history is notsolely responsible for these indices of social pathology, but that history hascontributed substantially to every one of them.
Even more, most ofus believers need to confess that at least some of the time and in some of ouractions, we actively or passively nurture some of the underlying prejudice,paternalism, or attitudes that remainfrom our country’s racist past.
Christianbelievers who view race and religion as defining the deepest moral failing inAmerican history should be very concerned about heeding the Scriptures that wesay we trust, as we approach questions of black-white racialreconciliation. In dynamic fashion, thisbook outlines the continuing scope of the problem. It also points to the proper medicine for ourdisease–deeper commitment to the biblical message that in Christ the walls ofprejudice that divide people from people have been broken down once and forall.
It is a book that,in its own way, is as timely as the letter that Martin Luther King, Jr. wrotefifty years ago.
MarkA. Noll
Professorof History, University of Notre Dame
Member,South Bend Christian Reformed Church
An Open Letter to My Brother Ta-Nehisi Coates
My Brother,
When I saw you were being likened to our modern day James Baldwin, and your recent offering was being lauded as our Fire Next Time, I just had to order your book, “Between the World and Me”. As I began my journey through your book there was this silent hope I had not been had by marketing hyperbole. I was not disappointed. In the course of a few hours I devoured your book.
You were created to write. I would have consumed your work even faster if it wasn’t for lines like these, forcing me to stop, and turn them over in my mind: “To yell ‘black on black crime’ is to shoot a man and then shame him for bleeding.” What a gift.
Both the timing and the prophetic bite to your book makes the comparison to James Baldwins, Fire Next Time inescapable. You both write when race has become the most volatile subject of our life times (of course race has always been an issue here in America). I’m not sure when you were born, Brother Coates, but it seems as if we are around the same age. As I ventured through your pages I felt my head nothing constantly, as if I were some bobble-head doll, remembering the style of dress, musicians and sociological settings of what seems to be a life time ago.
I, like you, have a teenage son (along with two younger sons), and share your harrowing concern for his “body”. We’ve talked extensively about how to respond to police in the likely event of confrontation. I labor over how to instruct my children in showing respect to the often white power structures who can harm their “bodies” without falling over the precipice into a Jim Crow like loss of dignity. And I find myself guilt ridden at times over the strength of my discipline, knowing their margin for error as children of color in our society is slight. You put pen to my guilt:
Now at night, I held you and a great fear, wide as all our American generations, took me. Now I personally understood my father and the old mantra—“Either I can beat him or the police.” I understood it all—the cable wires, the extension cords, the ritual switch. Black people love their children with a kind of obsession. You are all we have, and you come to us endangered. I think we would like to kill you ourselves before seeing you killed by the streets that America made. That is a philosophy of the disembodied, of a people who control nothing, who can protect nothing, who are made to fear not just the criminals among them but the police who lord over them with all the moral authority of a protection racket.
Yours, Brother Coates, is a powerful work, insightful, prolific and prophetic. Yet, it is a very dark book, leaving me asking where is the hope? You don’t seem to have the acidic despair of pre-mecca Malcolm, but neither the subtlety of Ellison. Between the World and Me seems to fit somewhere betwixt Malcolm and Ellison’s, The Invisible Man.
I caught glimpses of your hopelessness when you made mention of not going to church, and yet even in this you are refreshingly vulnerable, wondering if your distance from “that institution” has caused you to “miss something”? Most beautiful and telling of all is your passage on the eyes of our parents generation who were a part of the civil rights movement. Those eyes, you notice, had something in them, something that seemed to be “fastened to their god”.
I grew up in the black church, Brother Coates, where I learned of Jesus on long hot Sunday afternoons while dressed in a suit with no air conditioning, as my feet dangled off the pew, sweat dripped down my neck, and my only sense of relief was a wooden stick the ushers handed to me where a piece of cardboard was fastened to it with a picture of Dr. King on what side, and a funeral home advertisement on the other.
My father lead me to faith in Jesus, and made sure we were in church every Sunday. My black parents are not perfect, but have lived out the hope of the gospel for forty-four years together as husband and wife. My dads parents were likewise Christians who attended an AME church, where Jesus had been the center of their marriage for over fifty-three years. I’ll spare you all the details, but we can actually trace our lineage back to pre-emancipation days, where my great-great grandfather, Peter, was a slave, who was lead to faith by his master (a sad irony, isn’t it?), would go onto marry, and have a family built on the hope of the gospel. In my direct line there’s no such thing as a man who divorced or didn’t believe in Jesus.
Our stories are different, Brother Coates, I know. But I’ve often asked what kept my great-great grandfather, a slave, praying? Hope. What sustained my grandparents when they left North Carolina somewhere in the 1940′s, as part of that mass exodus known as The Great Migration? Hope. And why did my father not be overcome with bitterness when an elderly white man, who was clearly in the wrong, rammed his car into my father’s, then called him a nigger? Hope.
And what is that look in our parents eyes as they marched in places like Selma and Birmingham and sat down at segregated counters in Winston-Salem? Hope.
Brother Coates, to be black in 2015 means you and I have been burdened with the legacy of declaring a prophetic truth to our sons and the power structures of our day, but it also means we do so ensconced in a bright hope, the kind of hope our songwriter Thomas Dorsey had, or Mahalia Jackson sang about or Dr. King preached.
You develop your book around the theme of the black body, what an image. Our grandparents took pains when it came to the black body, did they not, Brother Coates? I can still see my grandmother in her pearls, and all white outfit, headed out the door Sunday morning for church where she was a part of the mother’s board. I never saw my grandfather in jeans, even when he was just going to play checkers at the barber shop. He’d put on slacks, dress shirt, suspenders and a nice hat. The black body mattered to them. The way they dressed was a shaking of the fist in the face of those who sought to take away their dignity. Their black bodies spoke of hope.
The danger of a prophetic truth devoid of hope is it gives license to the oppressed to remain victims, and when a person becomes comfortable as a victim they do irreparable damage to themselves and to others. Prophetic truth without hope leads to riots. Prophetic truth and hope leads to marches and protests and change and Sunday best.
We need you, Brother Coates. You have an other-worldly gift. My prayer for you is you will stare at the eyes of our grandparents yet again, and find what they had, that “something way beyond,” and share it with the world.
Yours,
Bryan Loritts
Why I Write My Sermons Word for Word
This year marks my twenty-fifth year in preaching, and for a little over half of that time I’ve been in the habit of writing my sermons word for word. The discipline of manuscripting the messages has proved of great benefit to myself, and has born fruit in my labors as a preacher. In fact, when I think about it, there’s five reasons I write my sermons word for word:
It’s Just How My Mind Works:
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years in watching preachers closely, it’s there’s a million ways to preach effectively. Glenn Wagner took his manuscript with him into the pulpit, reading it word for word to great effect. Then you have preachers like Dr. Tony Evans who very rarely, if ever, uses notes. Bishop Kenneth Ulmer works from an outline. I mean, there’s just so many methods out there. The key is to find one that works best for you, and if you’re a young preacher my hunch is you’ll stumble onto it through some trial and error. Me, I use a manuscript, but I never take it with me into the preaching moment, because it’s just how my mind works. I don’t have a photographic memory, but I do tend to see words in my mind. If you were to invite me to your house for the first time, and try to draw me a picture of how to get there, I’d never make it; but if you wrote it out, word for word, I’d get there…early. It’s just how my mind works.
For Clarity:
My colleague, Pastor H.B. Charles, talks about how manuscripting the message helps the preacher to “write themselves clear”. I love this phrasing. It’s so true. There’s something about taking my pile of notes, and the emerging outline, and laboring as a word smith to find that right phrase. No doubt, it can be frustrating, having to hit delete many times. But the process is so worth it. I manuscript to write myself clear. There’s not a whole lot of difference between a clear heretic and a foggy, but orthodox preacher. How can you tell they have right doctrine if it’s unclear?
To Keep Me Free of the Manuscript:
Yeh, but doesn’t manuscript preaching keep you bound? Don’t you want to be free to follow the extemporaneous leading of the Holy Spirit? These are great questions. A couple of thoughts. Let’s not limit the Holy Spirit to a particular time and locale. He’s just as much with me in my study as I write the manuscript as he is on Sunday’s when I’m preaching. I’d also say manuscripting has made me even more free, more unbound, as a preacher. An irreducible minimum to effective preaching is having a grasp on your next thought. When you are confident of where you’re going, you have even more freedom to follow the Holy Spirit when he all of a sudden he takes you on a path that deviates from the script. You know how to get back. As one of my preaching professors said, “Less scared when prepared”. A well internalized manuscript doesn’t tie you up, it actually unleashes you.
Itinerate Preaching:
When I’m finished with the manuscript, it’s filed away in my dropbox folder, easily accessible, of course, from anywhere. This is a huge help when I travel. After careful prayer, God will guide me to a particular text and message I’ve preached before, and I can pull up the manuscript, give it a few reads, and be ready to go. There’s a multiplying factor when it comes to manuscripting.
Writing Ministry:
I just turned in my latest book to the publisher. It was based on a series of sermons I gave some years back. Now, I know there’s a difference between writing to the ear (sermon manuscripts) and writing to the eye (books), but what manuscripting has done for me is to give me a running start in my writing projects. You may not imagine a day when you will publish, but you never know.
Goodness Sermon Manuscript
Goodness
Lamentations 3:22-33
When Whitney Houston died, manyof us were shocked and deeply saddened.She was, after all, one of the greatest singers to have ever lived. At her funeral, Kevin Costner, her co-star inthe early 90s classic, The Bodyguard,recalled the time when she did her screen test.Everyone on set was so excited to be in her presence, yet when it cametime to do her test, she was nowhere to be found. Kevin began to frantically search for her,and he finally found her, staring intently at the mirror, with a sadexpression. Kevin told her it was timefor her to do her test, and Whitney, peering deeply into the mirror wonderedaloud, “Do you think people will like me?Do you think I’m good enough? Doyou think I’m good enough?” Wow. Here you have one of the greatest singersever, in a film that would feature her stunning voice, wondering if she wasgood enough. You know, in our own way weall look into the mirror from time to time and wonder, “Am I good enough?” We wonder if our performance really measuresup. Goodness seems to be so elusive.
A“Good” Culture
Here’s the irony of goodness:Most people in our culture would consider themselves to be fundamentally goodat the end of the day. You know, as I’veentered into spiritual conversations with people who aren’t followers of Jesus,I’ve found that just about everyone acknowledges sin. Everyone would agree they’ve thought, saidand done things they should not. We allpretty much co-sign on sin. But the realbarrier comes when people conclude, that while they’ve sinned, they’re stillfundamentally good. The reason theyarrive at this conclusion is because we are looking to other people as ourstandard for goodness. So, yeh, sureI’ve lied, but I’m not a pedophile.Okay, I’ve gossiped, but I’m no murderer. Yeh, I’ve indulged some in porn, but I givegenerously to that philanthropic cause.Look at the balance sheet at the end of the day and I end up in theblack. I’m pretty much good, as theargument goes.
The problem here of course isthe Christian worldview says we’re using the wrong standard. Goodness, in the Bible is not ultimately amatter of your neighbor’s behavior, but the character of a holy, sinless God. Now that changes the game. It’s sort of like when I was in grade schooland failed a test I would always conduct my own Gallup poll, asking my studentswhat they got. Now you know why I didthat, right? I knew if everyone failedthe teacher would have to grade on a curve.But inevitably there’d be some know it all kid I’d want to lay hands onand not for prayer, why? Because theybroke my curve. Fundamentally, thiskid’s perfection changed the standard.That’s why Jesus was rejected. Helived the life we could never live. Hewas that kid who aced life, and through his actions created an impossiblestandard of goodness we have no hope of living up to outside of Christ. The Christian worldview says we cannot begood on our own, because God, not our neighbor, is the standard.
But on the other hand, while wemay think we’re good, our attempts at white knuckled morality, at striving,says that we don’t really think we’re good.And so to convince ourselves we’re good, many of us go down the path ofperformance. In fact it was the socialpsychologist, Leon Festinger who put forward the social comparison theory inthe 1950’s. He said we all have twoquestions, Why Am I here, and How am I doing? In other words, we tend to judge our worthbased on how we stack up against others. We live in a performance orientedculture that seeks to feel better about themselves through theirachievement. A recent NYT article pointsto this. In this article theyinvestigated a growing trend among elite schools- a steady increase in depressionand suicide. Interesting. Here you have environments filled with thetop performers, and there’s suicide and depression? Kathryn DeWitt, a student at the Universityof Penn had this to say, “As the elderchild of a civil engineer and preschool teacher in San Mateo, CA, Ms. DeWitt,now 20, has understood since kindergarten that she was expected to attend anelite college. [Once there] She awokedaily at 7:30 a.m. and often attended club meetings until as late as10p.m. She worked 10 hours a week aspart of her financial aid package, and studied furiously, especially for hermultivariable calculus class. Would shenever measure up? Was she doingenough? Was she taking full advantage ofall the opportunities? Then came acrushing blow: a score in the low 60s on her calculus midterm. The class was graded on a curve, but surelyshe would fail it, she thought, dooming her plan to major in math and toteach. ‘I had a picture of my future,and as that future deteriorated,’ she said, ‘I stopped imagining another future.’ The pain of being less than what she thoughtto be was unbearable. The only way out,she reasoned with the twisted logic of depression, was death.’”
TheChristian Ethic of Goodness
Stanford University has coineda term to describe students like Kathryn, who seemingly have it together butare falling a part on the inside- duck syndrome. Just like a duck appears to be gliding acrossthe water, but is furiously paddling, performing, struggling to keep afloat,that’s so many people in our culture.Our InstaGram and social media posts may depict good people living thegood life, but if we could look beneath the surface of our lives we’d see usfuriously paddling, trying to perform, wondering how much longer we can keepthis up.
Friends, the Bible offers acompletely different vantage point on what it means to be good. The Bible defines goodness as holiness inaction. Goodness begins with our hearts,and seeps out into our action. The Biblemakes it clear that goodness can only be attained as we walk in relationshipwith God, and not in our efforts to perform.In fact, Isaiah would tell us that our righteousness, that is our selfmanufactured attempts at goodness still isn’t good, they’re as filthyrags. Romans 5 would tell us that all ofour lives have been touched by sin because of Adam and Eve’s sin in thegarden. But now here’s the hope- we canbe good, but that goodness does not come from our performance, but for whatChrist did for us on the cross: “Therefore,as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousnessleads to justification and life for all men.For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so bythe one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous”- Romans 5:18-19. Goodness awaits us friend, but it does notcome through our performance, but stands in the person of Christ who lived thelife we could not live. But what doesthis mean for us practically? And how dowe express goodness to others?
Goodnessis Performance-Free- 22-23
If God is truly the only goodOne, and that any hope of goodness I may have can only be found in relationshipto him, then if I want to know what goodness is, I should look at God as themodel for what it means to be good. Tohelp us with this I want us to go the book of Lamentations, but I warn you,this is an extremely dark book. Readingthrough the book of Lamentations feels like sitting in a really long funeral,of a person who it’s hard to say anything good about. In fact, I had the same feeling readingLamentations as I did reading Elie Wiesel’s book, Night. The reason why thebook is so dark is because God’s people had sinned greatly, and after years ofwarnings, God finally allows his people to be sent into exile, with the holycity of Jerusalem being under siege. Infact, the name of Lamentations in Hebrew is the word “How,” taken from thefirst word in the book, and it’s a book about How Jerusalem has suffered.
And yet in the middle of allthis darkness and night in the book, our passage offers great light and hope inthe context of despair. And it alsogives us a view to what it practically means to display the fruit of goodnessin our lives. Look with me at verses 22-23. Jeremiah, the author, begins by telling thesewayward, sinful people that the steadfastlove of the LORD never ceases. TheHebrew word translated as “steadfast love” is hesed, and this is a powerfulword. Hesed speaks of God’s covenantallove for his people. It speaks of a lovethat never gives up, gives out or gives in.It’s a performance free love. Howdo we know God is good? Because Goddoesn’t love us with a quid pro quo kind of love. He loves us period.
We see this performance freelove all throughout the bible. One dayGod shows up to the prophet Hosea and tells him I want to use you as a visualaid to depict my performance free love to my wayward people who have brokenfaith. Go and marry a woman of illrepute, Gomer. She will break yourheart, and when she tries to leave, go get her and take her back, because that’show I am with my people. Or take Jesus,God’s Son. On the day of his baptism inMatthew 3, the clouds part and God speaks saying of Jesus, this is my belovedSon in whom I’m well pleased. Now mindyou, this is before Jesus ever performed a miracle or healed or preached. He simply said I’m proud of you (good wordfor we parents). Performance free. The apostle Paul would hint at this when hetold Timothy that even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. Performance free love, this is a huge part ofwhat it means to be and do good in our society.
Tony Campolo, a follower ofJesus and sociologist’s, tells of the time when he had flown from his home inPhiladelphia to Honolulu. Jet lagged andunable to sleep he wanders in a diner in the middle of the night only toencounter a couple of prostitutes in the middle of a crude conversation. The one, a woman named Agnes, let it slipthat her birthday was the next day, and how she had never had a birthday partyin her life. Tony knew exactly what todo. He got the word out on the streetthrough some friends, and decided to throw a surprise birthday party thatabsolutely stunned Agnes. When Agnesleaves, Tony prayed a prayer of blessing over this young prostitute, a littleodd I know. Harry, the guy who ran thediner, at the end of the prayer said, “Hey, what kind of church do you belongto?” Tony said, “I belong to a churchthat throws party’s for prostitutes at 330 in the morning”. Harry said, “No you don’t. No such church exists, if there was I’d joinit”. Oh the power of goodness, aperformance free love to shock and welcome the world!
GoodnessInspires Hope- 24-26
As we journey onward in ourtext we see the goodness of God in his performance free love, and because ofthis, Jeremiah points out, his people have hope. What happens when a person receivesperformance free love? What happens whena person gets goodness they don’t even deserve?I tell you what happens, they get hope, because this person realizesthey are not their performance. In fact,this passage teaches us that God never views you and I through yesterday’sfailures, but through today’s mercies.Wow, now that’s shouting stuff right there!
In Robertson McQuilken’s book, A Promise Kept, he chronicles his loveaffair of 40 plus years with his bride Muriel.For years, Robertson was the president of a university, but when hiswife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s he resigned to care for her full time. In the early days of caring for her, theywould travel together and Muriel had the habit of being so overwhelmed with hersurroundings she would take off and run.On one such trip in the Atlanta airport Muriel took of running yet againand her husband Robertson ran after her, caught up to her, placed his armaround her and said, “It’s okay sweetheart.It’s okay”. Right then, Robertsonnoticed a young woman off to the side sitting down who mumbled something. When he asked her to repeat what she said,the young woman said, “Oh dear sir, I was just saying, I hope I find a man to loveme like that”. His running after hiswandering bride inspired hope in a watching world.
Oh friends, that’s what Goddoes to us, and what he calls us to do to others. Goodness is not just seen in how we treat theloveable and the upright, it’s in how we relate to those who are different andseemingly unloveable. When we refuse togive up on one another, but keep pursuing each other, even when there’s sin andmess, this is goodness, and this is when the church is at its finest. If you want a picture of goodness real timelook to the great AA scholar and preacher, Robert Smith, Jr, whose son wasbrutally murdered. His killer wascaptured and is serving time in jail.While in jail Robert reached out to his son’s killer, and showed himastounding goodness, a performance free love, by forgiving them and the two arenow friends. In fact, his son’s killeris a believer and wants to attend seminary when he gets out. Robert Smith, Jr. Has started a scholarshipat the seminary he teaches in memory of his slain son, and has every intentionto award his sons killer the scholarship.Why? Because he’s received thegoodness of God, and is passing it along.And this goodness is inspiring hope in his son’s killer, and to thewatching world.
Goodnessis Fixated on Others Well-Being, Not Their Happiness- 31-33
As our text comes to a close, look at what Jeremiah says inthe last several verses. He talks aboutGod casting off and causing grief, watch this now, all underthe heading of God’s goodness. This isshocking, but it shouldn’t be, because it teaches us a valuable lesson aboutgoodness. Goodness is not alwaysconcerned with happiness. Instead, whatwe learn about goodness is that it is fixated on the other person’s well being,not ultimately their happiness. God ismore than comfortable either causing or allowing short term pain for long termshalom or well being, and sometimes the way he gets to this is throughdiscomfort and even pain. What’s gooddoes not always feel good.
Prosperity can be an awfulteacher. The poet Robert BrowningHamilton understood this when he wrote, “Iwalked a mile with Pleasure/She chattered all the way/But left me none thewiser/For all she had to say. I walked amile with Sorrow/And ne’er a word said she/But, oh, the things I learned fromher/When Sorrow walked with me”- Robert Browning Hamilton. What’s good does not always feel good. There was a recent article in the Atlantic entitled, “Let Kids Play With Fire, And Other Rules for Good Parenting”. In this article the author points out thelack of resiliency he’s seeing among today’s younger generation. He says the reason why kids are growing up soweak is because of helicopter, hovering parents, whose biggest concern in lifeis the happiness of their kids. They wantthem to feel good. He argues that doingwhat feels good for your kids is not what’s ultimately good for them.
Conclusion:
Goodness does not always equateinto happiness, and this changes the ballgame as it relates to our perspectiveof God and how he parents us. See, Ithink one of the main reasons we get so upset at the problem of God and evil,is because in our hearts we think God is ultimately for my happiness. But when I see that God is more for mywholeness than my happiness, now I understand that sometimes this means Godeither doing or allowing some rough things in my life, because he has the longview on my development. And thisperspective also changes the ballgame when it comes to how I husband, parentand friend. Goodness is not just givingmoney, or spending time, but goodness is also having a hard conversation,risking the friendship because I’m concerned about their shalom. Goodness is also making my sons read bookswhen they’d be more happy playing video games all day long. Goodness is saying no to that person’srepeated requests for money because you’re realizing your enabling and notempowering. This is goodness too,because I’m concerned for their wholeness, and not just their happiness.
So as we prepare our hearts forcommunion, this different perspective on communion helps us to betterunderstand the horrors of crucifixion and a good God. God was good to, as Isaiah said, crush Jesuson the cross. Why? Because that was the only way we could beadopted into the family. And as you takecommunion, some of you maybe going through difficult times right now. Hard times.This is God’s goodness. What’sgood for you, doesn’t always feel good to you.Thank him for his goodness.
A Vintage Kindness
Not long into David’s tenure asking, he asked an interesting question, “Is there still anyone left of thehouse of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (II Samuel9:1). David’s question had to haveshocked his cabinet, especially when the universal custom of the day was forthe new king to immediately exterminate the remaining members of hispredecessor’s family. But after somethinking, Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, ismentioned. “Go get him,” David says inso many words. He was anxious to showhim kindness.
Kindness has often beenconfused with niceness, and this is unfortunate. Dr. Barry Corey, president of BiolaUniversity, argues well in his forthcoming book that kindness and niceness mustnever be confused. Niceness has a gooey, conviction-less core, with spongyedges. At the other extreme of nicenessis acidic aggression, or meanness, with its hard core and abrasive edges. Then there’s kindness. Kindness, Dr. Corey says, has a firm core,filled with courage and conviction, yet surrounded by soft edges. I like this.One of the words translated as kindness in the Bible, was used of winethat mellowed with age to the point where its acidic bite had dissipated, andwhat you were left with was a smooth cabernet.That’s the picture God wants us to have of kindness- a firm core thatdoesn’t shy from the truth, with soft edges.
There’s another differencebetween kindness and niceness, though.Often times people are nice for transactional purposes. You know, a kind of quid pro quo ethic. I do something nice for you in the hopesyou’ll return the favor. Servers in thefood industry are confronted with this every working day. Be nice and get a nice tip. Be really nice, and get an even bettertip. I’m not placing any moral value onthis, I’m just holding up a warning sign.The moment our niceness crosses over into a sort of utilitarianism wherepeople become objects for our advancement, we are a step or two frommeanness. So what happens when theserver or barista doesn’t perform to my liking?I can tell you first hand what happens.
Several years ago I sat down tobreakfast with my son at a local diner.When the server first came to our table I knew something was wrong. She had anything but soft edges. This woman had “don’t mess with me,” writtenall over her face. Words like, rude, short and abrasive cameto mind. As if this wasn’t enough, shemessed up our order, and offered a meager, disingenuous apology. I was heated.Didn’t she know she existed to make my day better? So I left the gratuity section of the billblank, yanked my son out of the diner and headed off. Then the Holy Spirit began speaking to me,showing me how my utilitarian outlook on her had set the stage for meresponding to her meanness with an extra helping. I made a pit stop at the bank, pulled outsome cash, then headed back to the diner.When I finally got to speak to her, in vintage cabernet tones I told herthat while I felt she could have done better, my response was unkind. I asked her for forgiveness then gave her themoney. Then she surprised me. A tear trickled down her once hardenedface. For the next several moments sheunloaded, telling me about the divorce she’s going through, the tough financialtimes and the difficulty she’s having with one of her kids. Sure, while kindness had broken her, I foundher response to my kindness elevating my vision of her. She was no longer a nameless server whoexisted for my convenience, but a real person with a story. I guess kindness got to both of us.
David’s motivation to showkindness to what would ultimately be Mephibosheth, had nothing to do withMephibosheth. Look at verse one again,“…for Jonathan’s sake”. David’s kindness to Mephibosheth had nothing to do withhis ability to perform, or a hope David would get it back some day, no, that’sa utilitarian, quid pro quo niceness.There was a higher moral vision at play.David had entered into covenant with Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father,and it was that covenant, not Mephibosheth’s performance, that stimulatedDavid’s kindness. In fact, Mephiboshethhad no ability to ever return it back to David.Several times the text mentions he was crippled, literally unable toperform.
I hope you see what’s going onhere. In case you missed it, we are allMephibosheth, enemies of God from another domain, crippled in our ability tomeet His standard for us. But God-symbolized by David- shows us a performance-free kindness, saving us by hisgrace. Thank God he doesn’t see me witha utilitarian niceness, but with a vintage kindness.
This is a helpful word for meas we embark on the political season, and with all of the racial turmoil in ourcountry. We need a vintage kindness aswe prepare to go into the voting booth, one that has a firm core, with smoothedges. As we process Sandra Bland, andany other future instances of what appears like police brutality, I’m remindedas a minority to be kind, to stand up for justice, but to do so with open arms,willing to embrace the other. And livingin the digital age, we don’t need another instance of what one New York Timeswriter calls, “outrage porn,” where we go bazerk on someone’s Facebook page,Twitter account, or in the comments section of a blog. Let’s be kind, not nice. If we Christians have any hopes of restoringour influence and unmuting our voice in the public square, it can only happenwhen we take on a vintage kindness.