Shepherds and the Doctrine of Vocation

The Angel Appears to the Shepherds, von Carolsfeld

By Chaplain Mike

As I outlined yesterday, in Luke’s Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20) there are six verbs describing the actions of the shepherds in response to the Good News the angels spoke to them.

  • The shepherds went (with haste).
  • They found.
  • They saw.
  • They made known the saying that had been told them.
  • They returned.
  • They glorified and praised God.

The first four verbs along with the last one on the list fall clearly into what we might call the category of “spiritual” or “faith” responses.

  • In going to the manger and finding Jesus, we see the classic formula of “seeking and finding” that characterizes persons of faith. In response to God’s grace, with hearts captured by the message of Good News, they were prompted to pursue the One of whom they had been told and they found him by following the clear directions of God’s Word.
  • In seeing Jesus in the manger, they exemplify those who personally appropriate the reality of his saving presence. The word of the Gospel was confirmed to them in their own experience. They went beyond just accepting the word of others and came to recognize the Savior for themselves.
  • Having come to know him, they then made him known. The wonder of Jesus filled them to overflowing and they shared him with the people around them. The story of the One who won their hearts moved to their lips and they found it a natural and joyful act to talk about him with their neighbors.
  • The final set of verbs says that the shepherds glorified and praised God. Well of course they did! They were fully aware that they themselves could never have worked up or brought about such an overwhelming experience of the Gospel. It was from heaven, God’s own doing. He deserved all the credit.

All this provides a wonderful description of “the Christian life” as evangelicals commonly see it. However, there is one verb in the list above that we haven’t discussed yet. To me, it is utterly surprising and liberating.

Continue reading “Shepherds and the Doctrine of Vocation”

Christmas I: An Ordinary, Humble Story Set on a Great Stage

The Nativity, Backer

By Chaplain Mike

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

• Luke 2:1-7 (ESV)

Yesterday, we received a DVD of my all-time favorite film, Casablanca, for a Christmas present. It is filled with scenes that are iconic in the American movie lexicon, but none is more famous than the final scene. That’s when Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman stand in the fog on the runway tarmac and Bogart says, “I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that.” Shortly after those words, Bogart says, “We’ll always have Paris,” and “Here’s looking at you, kid,” and one of the most romantic, heart-tugging scenes ever made concludes.

“The problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” You might excuse the world for writing those words over the Christmas story. However, the Gospel of Luke tells us that the ordinary, humble experiences of three little people in a small corner of the Roman Empire many years ago actually made all the difference.

Continue reading “Christmas I: An Ordinary, Humble Story Set on a Great Stage”

Saturday Ramblings 12.25.10

Merry Christmas! It is Christmas Day everywhere that Internet Monk is read. Even in Ireland, where every day is Christmas for Martha. Even in Maine, where Joanie D and Ted keep Moxie in business by drinking it by the case. And even in Nebraska, where Santa has agreed to put Laree Lindburg back on the “nice” list. She is getting some of those little doohickies you put into the ends of ears of corn so you don’t get butter all over your hands. Me? The elves have been working overtime to get me an extra helping of Saturday Ramblings.

It is even Christmas in China these days. And while we continue to complain here in the West about the commercialization of the season, it is exactly this commercial aspect of Christmas that is allowing missionaries and others to explain the real meaning of the holiday. An interesting turn of events, don’t you think?

Christmas is not a joyful time for many Middle East Christians. Those in Iraq, for instance, face increased threats of violence when they meet for public worship. In Saudi Arabia, the practice of any religion other than Islam is forbidden. Christmas trees are not sold in most Middle East nations, as Christmas is not promoted, even by Christians. It is not one world.

Continue reading “Saturday Ramblings 12.25.10”

An Ordinary Night

By Chaplain Mike

It was an ordinary night.

If you stop to think about it, how could it have been anything else? Days and nights proceed in a generally predictable fashion. Things happen in this world. Some of those things take your breath away, true, but most of the time even the most remarkable, awe-inspiring experiences we have are not unique to us, but are common to all people.

Babies are born every day, and people take their last breaths. Business people make and lose fortunes. Somewhere, someone’s jaw drops in awe at the sight of a perfect sunrise or sunset. Young men and women make love for the first time. A worker is hired for her first job, and an older man retires. People discover, in a hard conversation with a doctor, that they have serious health problems. Travelers get on buses, trains, and planes, truck drivers transport goods on their routes, policemen patrol their beats, and emergency workers respond when the alarms sound.  Somewhere, a young person reads a book and is carried by imagination into another land. This is the way of all flesh.

We wake up, take care of our personal hygiene, eat, drink, move about, work, play, interact with others. All over the world, our cultural differences aside, we approach life in remarkably similar ways. Human life proceeds along its ordinary paths day after day after day. It is an exceedingly rare day when the heavens open, the dove descends, and the Unseen One speaks. Most days, it’s just life.

Continue reading “An Ordinary Night”

Difficult Scriptures: Luke 1: 26-38

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. (Luke 1: 26-38, NLT)

Often times with Difficult Scriptures, we ask you to help interpret the passage in question. Today’s passage is not one that is difficult to interpret, but it is very difficult to comprehend.

Mary was more than likely no more than 13 or 14 years old when the angel appeared to her. She had her whole life in front of her—a marriage to a man who would be able to provide for her, and that was not something to take for granted in those days. And then … and then God came and turned her whole world upside down.

Was this fair? Shouldn’t God knock before entering someone’s life? How would you have responded if the angel had come to you with this news? And does God still move in impossible ways today? Is God still coming and turning people’s lives upside-down?

It’s your turn. Help us with this difficult scripture.

Christian Protection Racket

“I heard you had a really big Christmas parade in Tulsa.” I was enjoying a few days this past week with my parents in Ohio when Mom shared this with me.

“No, Mom, it really wasn’t that big.”

“Well, I heard something about it on the news.”

“Ah, well, what you heard was that our senator, Jim Inhofe, decided not to ride his horse in the parade this year because the name was changed from Christmas Parade to Holiday Parade.”

“Oh. Well, I knew it was something.”

It was something, all right. Something else to bring ridicule to our state. The city councilors even took up a vote to see if they would still issue a parade permit since the word “Christmas” was dropped from the event. Just one more instance of the Christian protection racket practiced this time of year to try and force businesses—and parades—to “put the Christ back in Christmas.”

Continue reading “Christian Protection Racket”

Paul’s Disappointing Approach to the Christian Life

By Chaplain Mike

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

• 1Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NLT)

This may be one of the most neglected texts in the New Testament regarding the Christian life.

The context finds the Apostle Paul encouraging the believers in Thessalonica to live out their faith in Christ “in a way that pleases God” (4:1). After instructing them in the matter of sexual purity (4:3-8), Paul turns to the subject of how Christians should love one another (4:9ff). He reminds them that it is God himself who teaches them to do this, that they are already experiencing this in their lives, that he has heard reports of their loving practices and he encourages them to keep it up.

When it comes to the “how” of loving others, the Apostle gives us 4:11-12 (the text above). I don’t know about you, but when I read his instructions, it’s a let-down. I’m kind of disappointed.

• In today’s church, we might have expected Paul to give a list of doable activities that one could perform on behalf of others to express love.

We have this thing about being “practical,” and we want to know the “steps” of “application.” We value creative ideas, instructions, a manual with directions to follow. We want to know which books to read, which videos to watch, which seminars to attend, which websites to consult, which counselor can help us make the breakthroughs we need to live this out more fully. Paul does not oblige.

• In today’s church, we might have expected Paul to give examples or tell a story that touches our hearts about how someone showed extraordinary, exemplary love for another, how a person showed sacrificial generosity toward another — perhaps an unworthy recipient — and how God blessed as a result.

Perhaps the person who received love opened his or her heart to Christ. Or maybe the person who sacrificed received back abundant blessings from the Lord for showing such love. Maybe a marriage was saved, a prodigal came home, a life turned around. Perhaps a video clip would be shown of people extending themselves in remarkable ways to serve and bless others. But Paul gives no such heart-tugging motivational example or story.

• In today’s church, we might have expected Paul to exhort us about being more involved in the life of the congregation.

After all, how can your love for others grow if you are not participating with them in the fellowship of the church? Are you attending church regularly? Are you in a Bible study, learning God’s Word with others? Are you in a small group, sharing your life and praying with others? Do you have an accountability group to help you keep your motives and actions in check, so that you are staying pure and living a life of holy love? Are you actively partnering with others in Kingdom service? Paul does not point out any of these things.

Paul’s encouragement, instead, must seem remarkably lackluster and ordinary from the point of view of those who invest so much in spiritual engineering and technology, motivational methods, and churchianity.

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

• 1Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NLT)

• Live a quiet life.

• Mind your own business.

• Work with your hands.

The best way to show Christian love to others? It almost sounds like a prescription for a small, selfish life! Yet this is how the Apostle, by divine inspiration, encourages us to live.

Paul commends a life that is the very opposite of activist churchianity. Instead, he advocates the way of Christian vocation — Walk humbly and quietly with God. Don’t think it’s your job to change the world. Quit sticking your nose in everybody else’s business. Do your work and do it well. Let Christ’s love for others grow naturally out of that soil. Earn the respect of your neighbors over time as you live your life in Christ. Slow down. Get small. Run quiet. Go deep. Grow up. Keep on keeping on. Stand on your own two feet. Become a mature human being.

Not sexy at all. Kind of disappointing.

Maybe the video will be more practical.

Programs Make Me Kranky

By Chaplain Mike

For years, I spent a significant portion of my work life as a minister planning, creating, organizing, advertising, and presenting programs.

For starters, each Sunday in our non-denominational church was a “program” of sorts. We approached the “worship” service in that way, at any rate. Our motive was to “make the most impact” each week. I’m not completely sure we knew what we meant by that, but I’m sure in our minds we were going to present things that would “touch hearts” and help people respond to God with new faith decisions.

On the other hand, I know that on a lot of weeks the true bottom line was simply the hope that we would get through whatever we were presenting without making fools of ourselves.

“How did the service go today?”

“Oh, praise God, it was great! Everything went so smoothly!”

Apart from that human tendency to want to save face, it became clear to me that we weren’t actually there most Sundays to worship—these were weekly revival meetings. The people on the stage were presenting what they hoped would be a moving and persuasive presentation, and lives would be changed, or at least people so impressed that they would seek out more from the church. We were in the business of putting on programs and hoping that people liked and benefited from them.Continue reading “Programs Make Me Kranky”

iMonk Classic: An Ideal Evangelicalism?

Classic iMonk Post
by Michael Spencer
From December 14, 2008

Note from CM: In the light of Michael Bell’s thought-provoking and discussion-inducing post of yesterday, I thought this classic Michael Spencer post could aid us in continuing the conversation.

Somewhere in the previous orgy of comments I’ve had this week, someone asked me to write about “What do you see as the ideal evangelicalism?”

There is no ideal evangelicalism and there’s not going to be. It’s certainly not going to be ideal if I am the architect. So let’s not get out of hand here. I’m a blogger, which tells you about all you need to know on the subject of my credibility.

But that won’t stop me from answering the question in a slightly different form: “What would make for a much better evangelicalism?”

I promise the answers are going to be short.Continue reading “iMonk Classic: An Ideal Evangelicalism?”