Called to a Weird Life

When we Christians think of weird Christians, we tend to think of groups of people who pull out of culture and form their own community living, especially those who dress and talk differently.  Some may make fun of the Amish who have a completely different lifestyle than almost anyone on the planet.  Some may look at those who choose not to send their children to public school as strange and give a sideways glance at those who don't watch (or own) TV or who stand out because of their decisions to dress differently.

Unfortunately, these kinds of "weirdness" (defined as not normal) are not what i would talk about in terms of being called to a weird life.  Just look at Jesus teaching.  There are so many things that Jesus teaches that goes beyond what we would call normal.  In fact, obedience to Jesus alone goes beyond the normal in a culture that would say there are many voices we need to listen to, not just one.  Let's just go ahead and admit it, what Jesus teaches us as far as our actions are concerned is not normal for our culture:

• Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you
• If someone hits you on the cheek, turn the other cheek so they can hit it as well
• Lend to your enemies not expecting repayment
• Forgive, be merciful, just as God is merciful
• Pray that we receive forgiveness to the extent that we forgive others
• Do not worry or be anxious

I could go on and on.  Many of these things are seen as weird in our culture AND really don't fit very comfortably.  However, they provide a solid ground for us to live on.  Jesus said the one who hears his word and obeys is like the man who builds his house on the rock.  When the storms come the house can stand.  It is obedience to Jesus' teaching that gives us a solid life.  It may be weird, but it is solid!  

It's A Weird Week

That may seem a little pessimistic to call the coming week a weird week before it has even happened, but my plan this week is to write about different reason the Christian Life is a weird life.  Along with most people I have spent most of my life trying not to be weird, or to not stand out as being that different than the culture.  I think it was a conscious decision by the American Church in the 1960's to the 1980's to show that Christians are not different than other people.  Christians are just forgiven.  Now I find that a shallow understanding of the Christian faith.

These thoughts that I have are stimulated (and informed) by Craig Groeschel's book, Weird, in which he challenges the understanding that Christians are just like other people only forgiven.  If you think about it, normal as defined by our cultural doesn't really work.  Trying to fit in doesn't work because you end up denying at least part of who you really are, and then become someone you are not just to stay "in."

In Deuteronomy, Moses let's the people know that what the other cultures have to offer as far as faith life goes should be totally removed from the land.  Even the names of the gods should be wiped away as they burn and destroy all the physical remains of a different religion.  Israel is also instructed not to copy the ways of the surrounding nations.  In short, God does not want His people trying to fit in with others because they are a Holy people, set apart for a different way of living.  The New Testament calls this the Kingdom of God.

As i read through the Bible this summer I am confronted constantly about a different way to live life that contrasts with what our culture might call normal.  The hard part?  At 50 years old it is hard to change things that have been ingrained in my life.  I said it is hard.  It is not impossible.  So I really have no excuse.  Time to get weird in Kingdom Living!

God Works With Us

At the end of Mark's gospel the Lord Jesus is taken up into heaven after his resurrection and spending time with the disciples.  The disciples went  out and preached everywhere and something marvelous happened: "the Lord worked WITH them and confirmed his works by signs that accompanied it." (Mark 16:20)  I love what follows obedience to the mission Jesus had given them:

1. The Lord worked with them.  I love this!  There is a sense of partnership in Jesus working with us.  It is not us doing all the grunt work and Jesus coming in later to do His thing.  It is not us inviting Jesus to come and do everything.  It is a partnership.  Jesus works WITH us as we work the mission.  In this instance  Jesus is not working with us to grow spiritually and to make it through difficult times.  Jesus can and will do that as well.  But it is in our obedience to the mission we have been given that we see Jesus specifically working WITH the disciples (and us).  Of course, we do need to go out on the mission to experience this.
2. The Word of Jesus is confirmed by signs from Jesus.  I love this!  This isn't just seeing the kindness of the disciples and saying, "These are nice people.  Their message must be good."  or even noticing that their actions were consistent with what they preached.  These are specific supernatural signs provided by Jesus.  We often forget that the miraculous is possible as we obey the mission.  Unfortunately, if the miraculous did happen we end up being shocked and surprised instead of seeing that as normal.  As Jesus works with us in our mission we need to ask for, and expect, the miraculous.
3. We are not the ones in charge!  I love this!  Far too often we make the mission plans and set the parameters for our outreach.  If we partner WITH God we don't dictate TO God how we are to go about HIS mission.  God doesn't work for us but with us!  It is time to open up to do whatever God has in store for us and then to go on His mission WITH Jesus.

 

Beyond The Comfortable Place

Mark describes and early situation in Jesus' ministry in which Jesus healed many people as the whole town gathered outside Simon and Andrew's home.  It was a wonderful time of ministry, and I am sure that for Simon and Andrew it was especially wonderful since this was in their home town.  Everything was perfect. 

The next morning when the disciples woke up they looked around for Jesus and could not find him.  People in town began to come and ask about Jesus.  I can imagine everyone thinking home great this was and how wonderful it would be for today to be like yesterday. 

The Disciples were thinking that it was time to set up shop in this place where they were accepted and where they had a great time of ministry.  What was happening was working and why change a good thing?

But Jesus had other ideas.  When they found Jesus they tried to get him to come back into town (he had gone to a quiet place to pray) but Jesus responded that there are other towns and places that he needed to preach at.  I think that there was a connection between Jesus praying and his decision to leave, because I believe Jesus had to battle with temptations:

• The temptation to have a ministry where he stayed in one place and people came to him. 
• The temptation to stay in the comfortable ministry that seems to be working while neglecting the calling that he had.
• The temptation to draw crowds because of the healing instead of preaching the good news.
• The temptation to see one experience as a repeatable event as a goal, instead of focusing on people.
• The temptation of taking the easy way out.

We have similar temptations.  Our churches and spiritual lives often rise to the place of being comfortable and having great experiences, but then we stop taking risks.  It's like faith is finding that place where we are comfortable and feeling good and having "success."  I don't find that in the scripture. 

We are like the disciples that come to Jesus and say, "Last night was great!  Let's do that again today."  Jesus' responds by saying, there are others to reach out to and we must go to them.  It is too easy for us to stay in those places where things seem to be working instead of reaching out beyond ourselves, and beyond our places of comfort and success.  If we really had FAITH in a big God, we would find Jesus and say, "Last night was great!  What's next?"

When You Are Far Away From God

What do we do when we feel far away from God because of our own choices ( I would also wonder if there is any other reason that we would experience God as far away, but that is for another post)?  For some reason we tend to think that the Old Testament describes God as a distant and judgmental God waiting to cast us into the pits of Hell, and the New Testament comes along to help us to see God as kind, loving and forgiving.   We need to read this a little more carefully.

In Deuteronomy, Moses is giving to the people a history of God's dealings with Israel and passing on instructions for their life together.  Moses describes the possible situation that if the people break these laws and rules they will be removed from the land of their inheritance and be distant from God.  BUT, "if from there you seek the Lord Your God, You will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul (4:29)...for the Lord is a merciful God (4:31)...showing love to a thousand generations (5:10).  God's love and forgiveness have always been available.

When we are far from God it is up to us to SEEK the Lord intensely, with all the energy and focus we can find.  I wonder if we would rather sit back and wait for God's invitation to come back.  I wonder if we would rather feel rejected and live with he consequences of our actions.   I wonder if we would rather just give up and live life without God.  Seeking God takes action on our part.  Seeking God takes energy on our part.  Seeking God takes time on our part.  This is not penance to earn God's favor, but focus to work through the distance WE have created.  On the other side of SEEKING is mercy, love and a renewed relationship with God.

Tomorrow, let's look at how we seek God when we are far away.