“Christian leaders assumed that people did not think their way into a new life; they lived their way into a new kind of thinking.”
Alan Kreider, in his excellent two books, The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom and The Patient Ferment of the Early Church, shows us that early church leaders focussed on training people to live out the gospel not simply teaching them Christian doctrines.
If only the church today would follow their example.
The following is from our friend and mentor, Alec Brooks. You can read more about Alec and his work at Charis International.
At the last supper, Jesus says to the disciples as he gives them the bread, “This is my body which is given for you.” It is interesting to note that he did this after he gave his body to them in the washing of their feet, and will soon give his body for them on the cross. Each act was an act of self-giving in an embodied form, a revelation of who God is by what Jesus does in, through, and by his body. God becomes embodied in order to show himself to us and to give himself to us and for us, because as embodied persons this is the only way that we can experience what it means that God is love. This is one reason the resurrection of our bodies is essential to our eternal knowing of God. It also means, I believe, that we cannot know what it means to be loved by God or to love God unless we give our embodied selves to and for each other, and this means living together in ways that make this possible in daily living, in the ordinary and necessary tasks of life such as washing feet.
Most Christians are content to experience communion together as a spiritual experience of some kind at what we call The Lord’s Supper, even though most don’t believe anything is really communicated through the physical elements. Also, most do not believe that in order to love others we must be willing to do as Jesus did before and after the Lord’s Supper, that is, give our embodied selves to them in the daily routine of life and receive love from them in like manner. We are more influenced by Gnosticism than we realize.
I think this is one of the reasons most people either eschew community or find it very difficult. We are happy to have spiritual communion—Jesus’ body given for us in some mystical way, but not to give our bodies for others or to receive embodied love from them as the embodiment of God’s love. And yet, John tells us that there is no other form of love that is truly God’s love. Our society doesn’t know what to do with bodies—they are traps, or impediments, or finally sources of pain and misery from which we must be released at our own hand or the hand of others rather than the means by which we truly love others and serve them in all aspects of life: in sickness, and in death, as we give our bodies in service to and for them as the disciples did when they took the body of Jesus down from the cross and lovingly cared for it and prepared it for burial. Without knowing it, they were preparing it for resurrection.
Recently, we celebrated the wedding of my oldest son and his girlfriend, both members in our community. I was privileged to give this homily on that wonderful day.
Trier, Germany, a city with an ancient history is situated on the banks of the Moselle river in the important Moselle wine region and is located near the border of Luxembourg. A tourist city that Emperor Constantine called his summer home, it may be the oldest city in Germany. It’s here that Karl Marx was born and during World War II it became the staging area for British soldiers captured at Dunkirk to be sent to prisoner-of-war camps.
As you can imagine, Trier has a lot of history to attract tourists. But like other ancient cities, it wasn’t designed to accommodate modern vehicles. So, in the fall of 1993 an underground parking lot was being excavated to meet this challenge. As a random excavator clawed into the earth he inadvertently ripped apart a bronze cauldron filled with the largest Roman gold horde ever found. The treasure had been buried under a basement of a local house since about 196 AD. The horde consists of over 2500 gold coins, some minted as early as 63 AD. The value of the horde is priceless.
For two millennia think how many people lived right on top of that horde, storing worthless junk in their basement only inches away from one of the great treasures of the world. How can it be that something so valuable can be hidden from so many people for so long?
In the movie, The Princess Bride, Westley, the faithful dashing farm boy, embraces his beautiful Buttercup and tells her that he must go to make his fortune so he can marry her, but he will surely return. She, fearing that she’ll never see him again, asks how he can be sure. And then, in a hint to the theme of the movie, he tells her, “This is true love. You think this happens every day?”
Together, they have metaphorically discovered a horde of gold that changes everything, and surely their future is bright.As the impressive clergyman said, “Marriage, is what brings us together, today.” We are gathered here to witness something sacred, the marriage of Timothy Chester Krell and Catherine Rose Stearns. The pomp and circumstance of this setting, the detailed planning that went into it, the great distances travelled, and the solemnity of our gathering all speak of something sacred going on here. But what do we mean by sacred?
Perhaps we mean something like the gold horde hidden away beneath a day-to-day storage area. Something of unthinkable value that has potential to turn the mundane into the extraordinary. The sacred is, to quote Roger Scruton, “something precious and mysterious, which reaches out to us with a claim that is in some way not of this world.” That is what marriage is. Something precious and mysterious that has its origin and power from somewhere not of this world.
Sacred things inspire awe in us. They make us walk a little slower, speak a little softer. We respond with a solemn face and an inner reverence. We recognize something uncommon is here, something important. When we visited the museum that showcased the Trier gold horde in Germany, there was an almost church-like atmosphere in the display room. You felt compelled to speak in hushed tones and stealthily move around the room. What we’re doing here today carries that same sense of reverence, but with it also a sense of excitement and anticipation.
One of the reasons we can sense these things is because of the lives Timothy and Catherine have lived. They have approached their relationship from the beginning as something greater than themselves and by the call of Someone greater than themselves. They have metaphorically been climbing a sacred hill towards a summit where they will meet with the Divine. That day has finally come. And we here are witnesses of that event.
Some couples are able to maintain this sacred quality to their marriage even fifty years on. They do it by walking together in a divine procession through the mundane activities of daily life. They may be stacking boxes of old clothes in the basement, but they are fully aware that just beneath their feet lies a gleaming treasure of infinite worth. They listen to each other, they admit their mistakes, they sacrifice for each other, and they keep themselves pure for one another. They dwell at the summit of the sacred hill.
Other couples desecrate their relationship. They take each other for granted, they hold on to bitter resentments, they recognize no authority higher than themselves, and ultimately they seek to use each other as they assert their rights, and grudgingly perform their duties. Like the rebellious Cypher in the movie The Matrix, they jump on the sleeping Morpheus, mock and heap contempt on him, angry about imagined slights and petty grievances. They know of no sacred hill and because of that ignorance they are unaware of the treasure that sits at the foundation of their home.
Timothy and Catherine are making their home with Christ. They have chosen to live in the glow of the divine light among fellow followers of the Risen Savior. Their relationship bears the mark of the sacred and because of that, today they claw through and rip open a vast treasure that will sustain and enrich them all the days of their life.
Timothy and Catherine, treasure your relationship. Seek God first. Make Him the center of your family. Reach out to others whom you respect and love to help you in this sacred calling. Proclaim the beauty of Christ through your marriage.
Friends and family, support Timothy and Catherine in their marriage. Never undercut either one no matter what they may face or the struggles they may endure. Don’t take sides. Strengthen their marriage and help them stay true to their vows. Be a faithful friend to them as a couple. Cheer them on. Pray for them.
Timothy and Catherine, may the grace of God always surround you, enriching your lives and nurturing your love, seasoning your words and shaping your actions, uniting you in times of trial, supporting you in moments of sorrow, and bringing you lasting joy and enduring fulfillment. May the Lord be with you, his hands below, his arms around, and his Spirit within you, and may he lead you this and every day, as you travel together along life’s checkered path.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“The revelation of God is the cross. This is the image in which we are to be transformed and this can only take place in the context of relationships.” – Alec Brooks
One tenet of our membership covenant is:
Uphold the standard of a Christ-honoring environment
On one of our previous retreats we focussed on this tenet. As an exercise we came up with haikus to capture the meaning of it.
Here are few of them:
With entertainment
Proactivity is key
Think through your choices– Margie Trevillyan
An afternoon smile
Expels many a sad heart
And life is revived– Sam Poat
Together we live
Masters of kindness we hold
Virtues from of old– Jared Barton
Holding each other
Through joy, sorrow, grief, and pain
The embrace of God– Jon Trevillyan
Please, thank you, sorry
melodies that lift each one
lightening the load– Betty Harding
“The local body of believers is God’s kingdom work. We don’t do that work; we are that work! God is building a kingdom, Jesus is the cornerstone, and his people are the building.” – John C. Nugent, Endangered Gospel
Every Christian has to decide how he best can serve God. On this point he will most likely receive plenty of advice from friends, family and the world in general. One particular source of “advice” will surely be the enemy of his soul – Satan. Satan is not asleep or incompetent as some may imagine. His attacks are continuous, persistent and philosophical. For the Believer, these attacks consist mainly of arguments aimed at softening the demands of the Gospel resulting in an ineffectual or counterfeit Christian life.
Satan’s normal mode of attack is not to give us an illness or cause us to have a car accident. Often, these are simply the consequences of living in a fallen world. Instead, Satan insidiously tries to influence our worldview. In other words, he pressures us to adopt a way of thinking about life that will ultimately hinder God’s kingdom and advance his. The arguments he uses in favor of a less devoted life are subtle. They have a ring of truth to them and appeal to the pleasures and passions of humanity. They are presented to the Christian regularly and insistently. The Bible says the accuser of the brethren is at work day and night.1 In order to defeat the lies of the enemy we must examine these arguments and expose them for the forgery they are.
It is true that God loves every Christian as he is and seeks to work with him at his own level of maturity. Therefore, we should be careful about judging others or putting too heavy a burden on them. God’s work, however, will not get done by the passive or selfish. God’s kingdom is about a new people who live for the welfare and blessing of all. The passive and selfish partake in a value system that is alien to Christianity. It is unlikely that God’s objectives can be furthered by these kind of individuals.
Additionally, it is right to say that God desires the Christian to prosper and find blessing in his life. The devoted life, however, will often lead to difficulty and lack. But nowhere do we find Jesus equating material wealth, ease and personal fulfillment with the mission of His kingdom. Jesus said Himself that He came not to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom for many.2 God is not interested in promoting the individualistic ambitions of people, but in creating a community of love and kindness.3
Still, God is a big God and He has individuals who serve Him in a variety of circumstances and lifestyles that are equally valid and important to His kingdom. A life totally laid down for God may seem to some like a narrow and barren existence. Nevertheless, goals of great value universally require enormous effort and great sacrifice. The most common money scam works by appealing to people who want to believe that a lot of money can be made with little or no labor. In the same way, it is easy to find professing Christians who want to believe that the rewards of the Gospel can be obtained without self-denial.
But what does it matter, some may ask, when everyone who loves God will make it to heaven anyway? If I pursue many comforts in this life and end up in heaven, and you live a life of self-denial and end up in heaven, does it not make more sense for you to instead enjoy as many amenities as possible in life since we are both going to make it to heaven regardless? The problem with this argument, however, is that it reveals a dark motive. A true Christian serves God and makes sacrifices because he actually loves the kingdom of God and it is no cost to him to do whatever is necessary to see it prosper. False Christians serve God “as the sick man takes his medicine, because they desire its effects, and they know they must have it or perish. It is a task that they never would do for its own sake.”4 Someone who measures duty and sacrifice for God in this manner must evaluate of which kingdom he really is.5
Undoubtedly, one can think of individuals who do much good with their lives while still pursuing what appears to be the American dream. Is this not proof that devotion is really not necessary? The fact remains that it is quite easy to give out of our abundance. When the cost to self is minimal, people freely give. But as Jesus taught us, it is the one who gives out of her lack who is really the person who bestows the valuable gift.6
It is not during times of peace that our strength is tested. During daily life your muscles may seem to perform quite adequately. It is during an emergency or when you face a difficult challenge that you will discover if you have the strength needed to rise to the occasion. It is only the devoted who, in a time of tribulation, will make the hard choices necessary to further God’s kingdom and stand up for righteousness. A modern example is the ten Boom family, who hid Jews in their home during World War II knowing that it would threaten their comfortable lifestyle and possibly cost them their lives, which it did. As God said to Jeremiah, “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?”7
It is arrogant and foolish to presume we know how God will judge others. If we use other people as our standard of devotion, we will most likely be in for the shock of our lives. Man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart.9 Only He knows what is truly happening in the minds of people. And His opinion is all that matters.10
Satan seeks to domesticate us. Like taming an animal, he desires to weaken our will and dampen our passion. He tells us that the stories of saints are good quiet time reading, but impractical to actually live out. He convinces us that the narrow way isn’t as narrow as we thought. The conditions for a relationship with God, he tells us, will require less of us not more, and his persistent suggestions do not lead us toward something more spiritual. His efforts to castrate us, if successful, will subdue our zeal and prevent us from ever reproducing.
Scriptures say that without vision the people perish and that if one’s eye is evil his whole body will be full of darkness.11 If our focus is primarily on our own blessing and welfare, not only are we chasing after a wrong and unworthy goal, eventually the results of our pursuit will be our own demise. Happiness cannot be found by aiming at it. It is only found by doing something that is truly meaningful or valuable. Our own happiness alone is not important enough to make us happy, but the happiness of others and the establishment of the kingdom of God is, and Satan knows that.
1. Revelation 12:10
2. Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45
3. Matthew 5-7; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:18-21
4. True and False Conversion, Charles Finney
5. 2 Corinthians 13:5
6. Mark 12:41-44
7. Jeremiah 12:5
8. Numbers 13:32 KJV
9. 1 Samuel 16:7
10. Hebrews 10:30-31
11. Proverbs 29:18; Matthew 6:23
Imagine three scenarios:
A Christian businessman makes room in his crowded schedule to meet with colleagues at a local restaurant. Waiting at a table set for six persons, the clock makes it plain that he will be eating alone. Text messages and emails trickle in from each of the business leaders excusing themselves because of “things” that have come up, none of them emergencies and all of them easily dealt with by advanced planning.
A mother of three corrals the kids to the doctor because the youngest has a bad sinus infection. She mechanically hands the receptionist her insurance card and takes a seat to begin the juggling act of comforting and entertaining her flock.
Minutes later she is called back to the window to find out to her embarrassment and horror that her policy is suspended due to a missed premium payment. In a flurry of phone calls and purse rummaging she discovers that she made the payment but her check bounced. Collecting the scattered pile of receipts and notes off the waiting room floor she just can’t understand how this happened even as her conscience whispers quietly, “Budgeting.”
A twenty-something Christian attends a discipleship conference with a well-known and respected speaker giving the keynote address. During the question and answer time this ardent believer makes his way to the microphone to ask his urgent question.
Addressing the speaker by his first name, he inquires about the teacher’s failures and how they might contradict what he just taught. Hungry to find victory in his own life, he assumes that others share his experience of defeat. Confusion and bewilderment wash over him as he senses hostility from the crowd around him and the look of offense on the speaker’s face.
In all of these cases the characters have committed their lives to Christ and try very hard to be good Christians. They find themselves, however, often betrayed by their own habits and attitudes, leading to relationship conflicts, emotional upsets, and even sin. Their hearts are saved, but their bodies haven’t caught up. They want to do good, but end up doing the very thing they hate (Romans 7:19).
Having a transforming encounter with God should make us to be the virtuous people the bible speaks about. And indeed it does, but when we reduce that transforming encounter to a discrete inward experience we rob the gospel of its deep meaning. Our hearts must be infused with divine life, but so must our bodies.
Likewise, sin can’t be fully understood as simply bad choices. Sin is a much more comprehensive condition that alienates us from God and man. Richard Foster explains:
“We are accustomed to thinking of sin as individual acts of disobedience to God. This is true enough as far as it goes, but Scripture goes much further. In Romans the apostle Paul frequently refers to sin as a condition that plagues the human race (i.e., Rom. 3:9–18). Sin as a condition works its way out through the ‘bodily members,’ that is, the ingrained habits of the body (Rom. 7:5ff.). And there is no slavery that can compare to the slavery of ingrained habits of sin.”
The slavery of the body to sin must be dealt with just as the slavery of the will to sin in order to be free. The grace of God enables us to change our ultimate intention from living for self to living for God, and that grace will enable us to tame the bodily habits of sin as well. In both cases, it’s by grace, but it requires our participation.
Our ultimate intention (heart) is changed when we allow the love of God to shine on our selfishness and expose the wretchedness of our lives. In repentance and faith we come to know His goodness and cleansing. Our sinful habits (bodies) are changed when we allow the love of God to order our patterns of living and shape our routines opening us up to experiencing God’s authority and blessing.
We need the grace of God for both our hearts and our bodies. But that grace must be cooperated with. For our inward transformation that means engaging in honesty. For our outward transformation that means engaging in the spiritual disciplines. Without both, we will not become the people of God the scriptures speak about.
Is your body saved? That sounds odd. If I was asked if my soul was saved I would understand what was being asked (while taking exception to framing it that way). But bringing the body into it introduces all kinds of confusion.
Christianity tells us that we need saving. Various traditions understand that idea differently, but it is pretty much universally agreed that humans are fallen and need divine redemption. We need to be rescued.
Evangelicals, whose tradition I identify with, see the central mission of the Christian life as helping as many people as possible to have a saving experience with Christ. Conversion from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light is an essential feature of Christianity. The slogan, “Jesus saves,” is referring to this idea. A personal encounter with God transforms an individual and “saves” them from the destruction of a godless life.
What is the nature of this salvation? What changes? What are people rescued from? A lot of ink has been spilled over those questions and how we answer them will largely determine how a Christian lives his or her life. Theology, rather than the arcane domain of stuffy academics, is eminently practical.
The emphasis on one’s soul in “salvation talk” shows that Christians tend to see the work God does is something that occurs on the inside of a person. Phrases like “new heart” and “new spirit” are used to describe the change God effects in someone. Unfortunately, and perhaps as a result from the influence of the heresy of Gnosticism, often the focus is solely internal and rather mystical. Someone who claims to be saved may be the only one who can tell.
Of course, there are a great number of testimonies of what a salvation experience does in the actual life and behavior of a convert. But there are probably equally (and maybe many more) examples of people who don’t seem to exhibit any change at all, and yet claim that their “heart” has been made new.
What to make of this will have to be reserved for a future blog post, but what I would like to suggest is that, regardless of how genuine a conversion experience is, the convert must experience a change not only on the inside, but also on the outside, in other words, in their body. Their soul must be saved, but so must their body. And active thought must be given on how to experience this body salvation.
This is where the spiritual disciplines come in. The spiritual disciplines are intended to not only nurture and shape our hearts and minds, they also are designed to bring our bodies under the authority of God. And coming under the authority of God, whether we’re talking about our soul or body, is precisely what salvation is all about.
I’ll explore all this in my next post.
“[T]he way Christians eat together, keep time, celebrate, forgive debts, express thanks, show hospitality, demonstrate compassion, live simply, and share their material resources with one another is an actual participation in the life of the triune God through whose Spirit we have been incorporated into a body whose head is Christ.” Bryan P. Stone, Evangelism after Christendom: The Theology and Practice of Christian Witness