Saturday, March 29, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Suffering and Evil
Suffering and evil in the world is so prolific and horrendous that we instinctively avoid thinking about it to preserve our happiness. If Christianity is true, then all suffering and evil will one day be destroyed and healed. If atheism is true, suffering and evil are pointless and will never be rectified. So, paradoxically, a Christian gains the emotional resources to reflect honestly on suffering by reflecting on reality (as he perceives it) while an atheist gains the emotional resources to reflect honestly on suffering only by ignoring reality (as he perceives it).
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
The Learning Pyramid
The following diagram was obtained from Dr. David Sills' Facebook page. Dr. Sills is a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. This diagram, The Learning Pyramid, shows what the average learning retention rates are among oral learners. As we can see from this presentation, the bottom four levels is where the bulk of retention takes place. www.water.cc/orality.
The Learning Pyramid shows us that the Greatest Methods of Learning Retention are at the Base of the Pyramid. This is achieved through Discussion Groups, Practice-By-Doing Activities, Sharing Ideas and Teaching Others. This is the method that Life Wisdom Institute uses in its Wisdom Teaching Outreach to the public. It’s wonderfully effective in achieving a deep understanding and transformational learning.
The Learning Pyramid shows us that the Greatest Methods of Learning Retention are at the Base of the Pyramid. This is achieved through Discussion Groups, Practice-By-Doing Activities, Sharing Ideas and Teaching Others. This is the method that Life Wisdom Institute uses in its Wisdom Teaching Outreach to the public. It’s wonderfully effective in achieving a deep understanding and transformational learning.
Simple * Unexpected * Concrete * Credible * Emotional * Story
Life Wisdom Institute also uses the SUCCES formula developed by Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the exciting book, Made To Stick. This formula helps us creates educational messages that are memorable and effective—they “stick.” They are Simple (core ideas), Unexpected (arouse curiosity), Concrete (practical), Credible(offering evidence), Emotional (a heart or caring factor), and usually contain a Story(everyone loves a good story!) They are remembered, attractive and enjoyable, and thus the Wisdom Teaching in them can reach a person, have a good effect, and Learning is increased!
Monday, March 24, 2014
How to Care for Our Missionaries
We tend to assign missionaries very extraordinary reputations—like “Varsity Christians” or “Gospel-centered Special Forces.” But, of course, they are just ordinary people. And while we may think of them solely as missionaries, they are not missionaries first. They are people first; ordinary believers who just happen to be missionaries.
Their role in the Great Commission is to go and take the gospel to other nations. For the rest of us, our role is to send them. They go, we send. And as John the Apostle says in 3 John 6-8, we are to “send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.” John continues, “For they have gone out for the sake of the name…Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”
As fellow workers, there are two key ways we can help send and sustain missionaries: by caring for the person and by supporting their work.
Caring for the Person
Because missionaries are ordinary people, we can care for them just like we do any other person. We can encourage them, love them, pray for them, spend time with them, contribute to their needs, celebrate with them and weep with them.
But, while their identity may be ordinary, the context of their life is not. The extraordinary call on their life to leave the comforts and close community of home and move to a spiritually neutral or even spiritually unwelcoming people for the sake of the gospel means their ordinary day is not like any ordinary day in the Metroplex. This means we’ll be extending very ordinary care to people in very extraordinary environments. We will constantly need to ask, “How do we love and support someone in a high-pressure environment 10,000 miles away?”
Here are a few suggestions:
- Get acquainted. Use Skype or Google Hangouts to get to know them. If you’re caring for a missionary as a Home Group, have each member of your group make a short video introducing themselves, quickly sharing about their life and praying for the missionary. Share the videos with them through Dropbox or send them with the next care package.
- Ask. Ask them how you can best care for them. Sometimes what we think would be helpful may not fit their context.
- Communicate often. Typically, two or three quick texts or emails a week are much better than one long email each month. These can be a quick prayer or a quick hello. Consistent little gestures of care and love tend to be much better than one rare, big one.
- Respond to their newsletters. It’s tremendously encouraging. Your response doesn’t have to be long, just respond.
- Pray with them and encourage them. Pray for their strength, for their affections and for fearless love for those they’re ministering to. Pray for God to move mightily. If you’re among their closest community, give them the opportunity to join your group in grace-filled confession and repentance and then Spirit-filled worship. Encourage them in the Word. Remind them of God’s faithfulness.
- Remember security. Check with the missionary or church to be sure your communication doesn’t endanger missionaries working in countries actively opposed to Christianity.
- Send care packages. Send some encouragement and some fun. Send things that would bless them based on your interactions with them.
- Visit. Few things are more loving and encouraging than face-to-face. Consider a short-term mission trip to see and support their ministry firsthand.
- Get creative. Do you write? Scrapbook? Make videos? Consider collecting pictures, prayers and stories of God’s movement in their life and ministry and recording them. On key anniversaries or during difficult seasons for your missionary, pull out the stories and remember with them God’s faithfulness (Ps. 66).
Supporting Their Work
We can support the work of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances by two essential practices: praying and giving. Prayer is essential, as only God can bring people from death to life (Ezek. 36:26-27). Finances are essential, as sending a missionary to live in another country and providing for their ministry costs money. And while both the provision for the work and fruit of it belong to God, God tells us to ask Him to provide it (John 15:16).
- Support them with prayer. Pray for the missionary. Pray for their people. Get to know the people they’re ministering to by name. Consider assigning each one to a member of your Home Group to intentionally pray for that person’s salvation and sanctification (John 15:16; Jas. 5:13-18).
- Support them with finances. Search your budget. Give monthly. Sacrifice. Give prayerfully. Ask God to use your money to make disciples. When bigger needs or projects arise for your missionary, consider fundraising for it as a group.
Final Thoughts
John the Apostle goes so far as to call missionary supporters “fellow workers in the truth” (3 John 6-8). The apostle Paul calls them, “partners in the gospel” (Phil. 1:5, 4:15-20). Be encouraged that your role among the nations as a missionary supporter is never second-class. Support your missionary well, in a manner worthy of God. Finally, remember that a happy, healthy missionary is not the only goal of missionary care. A well-cared for and fully supplied missionary is our hope, but our greater hope is that by partnering with our missionaries as fellow workers, we will make more disciples together than either of us could on our own. May God use our ordinary efforts to build an extraordinary partnership between those who send and those who go.
How to pray by John Piper
Some have wondered: How do you spend a half-an-hour in prayer, not to mention two or three hours? Here is my three-fold answer:
- Resolve to do it. Don’t purpose to pray until you run dry. Purpose to pray the full half-hour. Prayer is work. It is not always a “sweet hour.” Jesus did many works with ease, but he prayed with “loud crying and tears” (Hebrews 5:7).
- Think about what you want to see change in your heart and life and family and neighborhood and church and world. Make a list if necessary. Then pray through it, giving God reasons from Scripture why this is something that he would surely do.
- Put the Bible in front of you and simply read a line and turn it into a prayer. Paraphrase it, expand on it, apply it to yourself and others. This works best with the ethical portions of Scripture like Matthew 5-7; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 5, 6; Ephesians 4-6; Colossians 3, 4; 1 Thessalonians 5; 1 John, etc. You can pray all day once you catch on. And you will be surprised how many insights come as you really take Scripture seriously and try to pray it into your life. If you run into theological or interpretational problems, tell the Lord you will work on that later and move on. If we seek hard to obey what we dounderstand, more light will come on the hard parts.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
BE STRONG AND PLAY THE MAN
Martyrdom for Christ's sake is nothing new nor is it something that we should be surprised about. Jesus clearly stated that just as the Father had sent Him, He was sending us. It was among wolves that we were being sent. Jesus said, "'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also."
The following comes from an article written by Greg Laurie:
Polycarp, one of the first church fathers and the pastor of the church in Smyrna, was martyred on February 23 in A.D. 155. On that day, the public games were taking place, and the crowds were whipped into a real frenzy. Someone cried out, "Let Polycarp be searched for!"
The night before, Polycarp had a dream in which the pillow under his head was on fire. He woke up and told his fellow believers, "I must be burned alive." When Polycarp was arrested, he asked for the privilege of having a final hour to spend with the Lord in prayer.
As Polycarp entered the Roman arena, God spoke to his heart and said, "Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man." The Roman proconsul gave him the choice between cursing the name of Christ and making a sacrifice to Caesar, or dying. Polycarp said, "Eighty-six years I have served the Lord. He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?"
When the proconsul threatened him with being burned at the stake, Polycarp replied, "You threaten me with the fire that burns for a time and is quickly quenched, but you do not know the fire that awaits the wicked and the judgment to come into everlasting punishment. Why are you waiting? Come and do what you will."
My prayer is that if I were ever faced with martyrdom, I too would "play the man". My prayer for those 33 in North Korea is the same. May they too "play the man". Tertullian, a second century Christian author stated, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church". My prayer too is that the seed of the church be planted as a result of what those 33 will soon face.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
‘Homeless Jesus’ sculpture stirring the pot in North Carolina
By Will Lerner
Outside St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, North Carolina rests a sculpture, so realistic that from not too far a distance, it appears to be an actual, living homeless man sleeping on a bench. It’s a piece by sculptor Timothy P. Schmalz entitled, “Homeless Jesus.” As WCNC NBC Charlotte reports, it’s getting quite a bit of attention.
On his website, Schmalz describes “Homeless Jesus” as a, “representation that suggests Christ is with the most marginalized in our society.” The art, which costs as much as $2,975 depending on the size one might want, shows Jesus wrapped in a heavy blanket with very little of his face showing, but his wounded feet clearly on display. Schmalz talks about the piece on his YouTube account…
Reverend Doctor David E. Buck, St. Alban’s rector told WCNC that it’s “beautiful” and that it help reminds believers that their, “ultimate calling is as Christians, as people of faith, [is] to do what we can individually and systematically to eliminate homelessness.” The piece also seems to have some notable fans. In a CTV report, Schmalz says “Homeless Jesus” was blessed by Pope Francis and displayed in Vatican City.
So the sculpture, having the endorsements of religious leaders both home and abroad must have the community of Davidson behind it, right? Well…no. Not entirely. While some neighbors of St. Alban’s told WCNC that they like “Homeless Jesus,” others aren’t happy. The station spoke with Cindy Castano Swannack, who said she initially called police the first time she drove by it, thinking it was an actual homeless person. Additionally, Swannack said, "Jesus is not a vagrant, Jesus is not a helpless person who needs our help. We need someone who is capable of meeting our needs, not someone who is also needy."
She isn’t alone in her sentiment. In a letter to the editor of DavidsonNews.net, resident Jerry Dawson wrote:
“…My complaint is not about the art-worthiness or the meaning behind the sculpture. It is about people driving into our beautiful, reasonably upscale neighborhood and seeing an ugly homeless person sleeping on a park bench. It is also about walking by this sculpture at night and passing within inches of the grim reaper. These are the impressions that this sculpture gives. I have stepped over actual homeless people sleeping on a sidewalk in New York City and not been as creeped out as I am walking past this sculpture.”
DavidsonNews.net writes “Homeless Jesus” will, “remain permanently at the church.” Reverend Buck told the site, “It’s here because it’s wonderful art that reminds, with this beautiful (church) structure here, that our faith is expressed through our concern and care for the homeless. We think it’s the perfect place for it.”
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
The Jonah Juxtaposition Why people gravitate to God's global purposes and why they run away.
By Shane Bennett![]()
Who wouldn't want to
have a book in the Bible named after themselves? My guess is that Jonah
wouldn't. As far as I can tell, though, he's the only one to get four eponymous
chapters dedicated solely to himself. And it couldn't be the recounting of
noble exploits or sharing of time-honored, God-revealed truth. Not even an
angelic visitation. No, it had to be a giant, unmitigated foul-up. It may be
Jonah's one and only foul-up, but it's preserved so we can read it, raise our
eyebrows, cluck our tongues, and judge poor Jonah.
Or maybe he's not so
much "poor Jonah." He clearly disobeyed. And in the process, he may
provide mission mobilizers with a moral on a silver plate: "Obey God.
Become a missionary. Don't be a dope like Jonah." Powerful stuff if
wielded well, but not as interesting to me as the "why?" behind the
"what?"
Why did Jonah, on
hearing God's call to Nineveh, head to Tarshish? Sometimes we go for a
secondary moral: "Jonah was afraid of the Ninevites, so he ran away. Don't
be a baby like Jonah. Be brave. Follow God to where there aren't even any
Starbucks!"
But Jonah tips his hand
at the end of his short bio and shows us it wasn't fear that made him run. It
was his conviction regarding the character of God: "Isn't this what I
said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by
fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow
to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now,
Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."
Essentially, "If I preach, they might repent. If they repent, you'll
relent. Ergo, no Ninevite carnage."
Apparently Jonah was
compelled by his logical conclusion that dead enemies are less likely to visit
their nefarious plans on your beloved homeland. He prioritized his perceived
national security over God's glory and Ninevite salvation. He didn't go because
he didn't want them at the party.
What about us? What
causes us and our people to run away from or toward obedience to God's purpose?
In the course of my job,
I ask tons of people to jump into God's global purposes. Many of them don't say
yes. And since I can't stomach the possibility that it might be me or the way I
ask, I have to wonder why. I frequently ask students the following question in Perspectives classes:
"What are some of the reasons people, perhaps including you at some point,
run from involvement in God's purposes for the world?"
A bright class will
generate a long list. Long enough sometimes that we have to stop before we all
get convinced to bail out! Here are some of the top reasons.
Reasons to Run away from
God's Global Purposes
1. I can't learn a language.
2. I don't measure up.
3. I'm really happy here and don't want to leave
what's comfortable.
4. I'm engaged in ministry locally.
5. I can't (won't?) raise support.
6. I don't understand what it looks like. No role
models.
7. I don't really care.
8. I don't like foreign stuff.
9. Life is so full and crazy, it's all I can do
just to get by.
10. I just don't see the need.
11. I didn't know God was into that stuff.
12. It feels so imperialistic, intolerant, and
non-pluralistic.
Reasons to Run toward
God's Global Purposes
1. I want to obey what the Bible says.
2. I feel compassion for people in need.
3. I sense an opportunity for adventure.
4. I honestly think I can help.
5. I want to join in what God's doing.
6. I want to live a life of purpose.
7. I believe God is worthy to be followed by all
peoples.
For people like us,
these lists do a couple of things. One, they give us language to articulate our
judgmental, Pharisaical attitudes. I don't recommend using them that way.
(Although I should probably add, "Do as I say. Not as I do!") But
they also give us a window of understanding into the people we hope to mobilize
for God's global purposes. And maybe if we're smart and work together, we can
mitigate some of the first list and maximize the second one.
That said, I'd like your
help. Can you take one minute right now and do something for me? Pick an item from each list and
suggest a way to decrease its impact (first list) or increase its effect
(second list). Because I'd really like this exercise to change
things, pick items you feel have the best combination of "easy to
address" and "high potential to make a difference."
This article is a full
25 percent shorter than normal! Whoop! Please use the extra time that just
landed in your lap to share you smarts with the tribe. I'll follow up next
month.
Editor's Note: For some
more on Jonah, listen to a message from Shane, In the Steps of Jonah or Jesus?
Monday, February 10, 2014
Malicious Glee:
Do we Americans need to view our world through a different lens? In the attached article it reads, "The idea that Sochi is one giant embarrassing mess for Russia has spread like wildfire...". In response, a Russian reporter writes, Russians are "puzzled by why the Americans and the British are so very happy that the details are a little screwy, the way they generally are in Russia." In other words "screwy details" are normal everyday life for that great country called Russia (as is most countries of our world). If that is so, then why are we able to look down our noses at a country that has not been as financially fortunate as some countries in the west?
Are we really that arrogant?
If we are, that makes me ask, who is actually viewing life out of perfect lenses?
We Americans (as in those from the U.S.) believe that the rest of the world should measure up to our standards, as in our cleanliness, efficiency etc... and because of this, "cultural misunderstandings give birth out of sheltered ignorance".
Why is it that these "posts reflect actual issues that directly impact the quality of life of Russia’s 143 million people" and we don't see it that way?
Maybe it's because the lens many Americans see life through is a warped lens. It is a lens that is much like that coke bottle that you won at the fair as a kid. It has been changed. It has been distorted and reformed... but sadly, not for the better.
Honestly, I would rather see my world through a lens that has some dirt on it, than a lens that is so distorted that no matter how clean it is, a clear, actual picture is not able to be displayed nor understood. Malicious Glee:
Do we Americans need to view our world through a different lens?
In the attached article it reads, "The idea that Sochi is one giant embarrassing mess for Russia has spread like wildfire...". In response, a Russian reporter writes, Russians are "puzzled by why the Americans and the British are so very happy that the details are a little screwy, the way they generally are in Russia." In other words "screwy details" are normal everyday life for that great country called Russia (as is most countries of our world). If that is so, then why are we able to look down our noses at a country that has not been as financially fortunate as some countries in the west?
Are we really that arrogant?
If we are, that makes me ask, who is actually viewing life out of perfect lenses?
We Americans (as in those from the U.S.) believe that the rest of the world should measure up to our standards, as in our cleanliness, efficiency etc... and because of this, "cultural misunderstandings give birth out of sheltered ignorance".
Why is it that these "posts reflect actual issues that directly impact the quality of life of Russia’s 143 million people" and we don't see it that way?
Maybe it's because the lens many Americans see life through is a warped lens. It is a lens that is much like that coke bottle that you won at the fair as a kid. It has been changed. It has been distorted and reformed... but sadly, not for the better.
Honestly, I would rather see my world through a lens that has some dirt on it, than a lens that is so distorted that no matter how clean it is, a clear, actual picture is not able to be displayed nor understood.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
A Letter to the Grandparents of My Third Culture Kids
I remember telling you we were pregnant. We had spaghetti because that’s what you served your parents when you announced each pregnancy. I requested it, but you cooked it because I already felt sick. And so, almost before I told you, you knew.
I remember telling you we were pregnant with twins. You knew I had the ultrasound that day. I stepped into your house and said, “We have something to tell you.” The plan was to show you the videotape of the ultrasound, make you guess why our baby had two heads. But, again, you knew before I told you. You said, “Its twins, isn’t it?”
I remember you tattooing my massive stretch-marked belly with planets and stars and I remember you coming to see the high level ultrasounds and crying.
I don’t really remember telling you we were moving to Somalia. But I also don’t remember you ever saying, “Don’t go.” You had expected something like this for years, almost like you knew again, before I told you. I don’t remember telling you we were taking your grandchildren to the ends of the earth where there lots of guns and kidnappings, a place none of us could picture in our minds. But I don’t remember you saying, “Don’t go,” because you never said it.
We boxed our belongings and stored them in your basement, in your upstairs closets and empty farm buildings. We wrenched up our family and our roots. And we left.
I don’t know what that was like for you.
I can imagine. I imagine it felt like ripping and shattering. I can imagine it felt cold and black, unreal and yet too real. It seems so long ago, the actual leaving, but it also seems so near. I think because the leaving wasn’t truly that one day, it is every day since the first in January 2003.
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