How about them Democrats… and Republicans?

Growing up I would sometimes here someone refer to my father’s side of the family as “dirty dog democrats.”  Which means that my dad, and presumably most of the Heltons, would vote for a dirty dog if the dog ran on the democratic ticket.  I should include this disclaimer; although I believe this is in fact true of my father, I can’t really say the same for all Heltons everywhere.

 

I’m not really in the political know, but I’m guessing that there are also dirty dog republicans around.  (Or maybe, for the sake of alliteration we should call them “rabid raccoon republicans” – maybe not.)  Either way, these (hopefully) exaggerated labels are intended to convey a very unexaggerated reality.  In the political world (the religious world too) we tend to gravitate toward extremes. 

                                                           

In our world politics polarizes people.  (Please forgive even more alliteration.)

Here’s my question though.  Is it really possible for the other side of the aisle to be wrong about everything all the time?  Is it realistic for me to hold to the belief that my party is always right? 

Could it be that democrats could learn some things from republicans?  Could it be that republicans could learn some things from democrats?

The political ads certainly don’t give us that impression do they?  When was the last time you saw a political commercial in which the opponent (republican or democrat) is shown in a positive light while patriotic music plays in the background?  The viewer hears the sincere voice of the candidate running against him.  “I want to begin this campaign by commending my opponent for the good and wise decisions he has made.  On some issues I agree with his perspective.  He has proven himself capable in many ways…”

I might even vote for a person who had the guts to say something like that! 

And surely it must be true.  Surely there are democrats who have good ideas.  Surely there are republicans who really care.  What if we started with the assumption that the other team is not evil?  What if we refused to demonize our opponents?  What if we were really, I mean really, bipartisan?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.  Aren’t you sick of the ridiculous rhetoric?  Aren’t you tired of candidates insulting one another while they insult your intelligence?  Unfortunately some people just give up on the political process all together.  

By the way, I think many people are tired of religious leaders doing the same thing?  Liberals and conservatives draw lines in the sand.  We build our defenses and we dig in for the battle.  The war of words rages while thinking people look on shaking their heads, wondering why we can’t get along.  Or even worse, they give up on the Christian religion all together.

But I guess that’s another blog for another day.

What does it really mean to “get saved?”

This coming Sunday morning our church will work through a section of an ancient letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in the Roman colony of Philippi.  Part of the section we will look at records Paul instructing the church to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

So, an obvious question (before we get to the part where he tells them to “shine like stars” – be here Sunday for that part) is, “What is salvation?”  The way people from my faith tradition might say it is, “What does it mean to ‘get saved?’”

Caution! At this point you may be tempted to stop reading and click on something else for one of two reasons.  One, you come from the same faith tradition as mine and you think you already know the answer to the question.  Two, you have been bombarded by people from my faith tradition that have tried to “help” you “get saved” and, frankly, you’re tired of it. You feel like you’ve been talked down to, you’re insulted by the tracts people leave in restrooms with cartoon figures of people burning in hell.

If you fall into either of these categories I hope you will keep reading… at least a little farther.

Although it has been used – and sometimes abused – a lot, the concept of “salvation” is central in the sacred scriptures.  One of the earliest uses of it in the Bible is found in Exodus 14:13.  The scene is the shore of the Red Sea.  The slave nation of Israel has recently been led into freedom by a man named Moses.  Now their former owners, the Egyptians, have pursued them to the edge of the sea and there is nowhere for them to go.  Moses stands, rod in hand, overlooking the watery obstacle that stands between them and freedom.  (If reading this brings back memories of a bearded Charlton Heston wearing a long robe, holding a big stick, you may be as old as I am.)

At this point Moses says to the fearful slaves, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.” (NKJV – emphasis mine)

The word “salvation” literally means “liberation, deliverance, being set free.”  In the spiritual realm it has, I think, a broad application.  Unfortunately, it often gets reduced to something less than it actually means.  Let me see if I can explain – at least in part.

Sometimes “salvation” gets reduced to a type of transaction between God and a human being by which that human being is allowed entrance into heaven when he or she dies.  Typically, the type of transaction varies from one faith tradition to another.  For some the transaction is baptism (adult or infant).  For others it is doing good deeds (if my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds I get in).  In the church I grew up in the transaction was saying a prayer (called “the sinner’s prayer) and “really meaning it.”  (And I’m not sure what that means.)  The point is, whatever you give in exchange for heaven, the focus is the transaction. 

But what if “salvation” is something bigger, something richer, something deeper?  What if salvation is more about transformation?  To go back to the original use of the word it would be the transformation from being a slave to being a free person.  I think an important question for everyone to ask is, “What am I enslaved to?”  Some, I think, are enslaved to church/religion.  Some are enslaved to the search for peace, prosperity or the meaning of life.  Some are enslaved to their greed.  The slave master can be anyone or anything; sex, beauty, money, piety.  You name it, you can be enslaved to it.

Salvation, at its core, is being set free from what enslaves us.  The central message of the Christian movement is that freedom, real freedom, is found in Jesus Christ.  

Here’s another one. We sometimes reduce salvation to something that happens exclusively to an individual.  I guess we can thank Western individualism for that.  But in the Bible salvation is almost always described communally, whether it’s the Israelite nation or the church. 

What does that mean?  Well, take the biblical revelation as a whole.  The world starts out in beauty and perfection.  But very early in the story it is plunged into a broken state as the result of human rebellion.  But the creator sets out to redeem and restore the world.  At the heart of the Christian faith is the belief that in and through Jesus Christ the world is redeemed, recreated.  By the end of the story we read about a new heaven and a new earth.  The tree of life is there.  In fact, it’s on both sides of the river.  My point is that the Bible is the story about a God who doesn’t give up on his creation.  The most quoted verse in the Bible says that, “God so loved the world [the cosmos] that he gave his one and only Son, that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV – emphasis mine) 

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t reducing salvation to something that is about me, something that happens to me and for me, not just another exercise in narcissism (self-worship)?

Note:  At this point I should probably address a question before I get emails asking it.  Is Rob a Universalist?  Do I believe that somehow God is going to “save” everybody?  Honestly, I wish I could say yes.  I would love to believe that, in the end, everybody gets set free.  But I don’t think that is biblical or practical.  I think the Bible tells the story honestly.  Sadly, humans enslaved by sin have the capacity to reject freedom.

One more thought.  I think we sometimes reduce salvation to an event.  But what if biblical salvation is more about a process?  I’m not saying that people can’t experience dramatic and instant transformation.  The Bible records some of these experiences.  But I also think our salvation is a life-long process.  I used to hear preachers say, “we have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, we will be saved from the presence of sin.”  That’ll preach! 

So we’re back to our passage for this Sunday.  This passage is about salvation as process.  Working it out.  I hope it is not too intrusive to ask where you are in the process.  Let’s talk.   

What I’m learning (theoretically) about generosity from Jesus

There's an anxious feeling, a sense of dread, that wells up inside of me almost every time someone calls to request financial assistance from our church.  I hear the voice on the other end of the line, “My electricity is going to be disconnected… I’m about to be evicted… I need money for a bus ticket.”  I’ve heard lots of stories from lots of people.  Same anxious feeling almost every time.

One reason (besides the fact that I don’t like to be bothered) is that I want to be sure the request is legit; that the person is actually in need or really “deserves” help.  I feel the respo

nsibility to be a good manager of God’s money. 

You may have an opinion.  Maybe you take a more liberal perspective.  “You should help people, no questions asked.” Maybe you’re more on the conservative end of the spectrum.  “You should just tell the person to go out and get a job!”

By the way, if you hold to a completely naturalistic understanding of the universe, I think you should endorse the later of these two perspectives.  It only makes sense, right?  Survival of the fittest.  If you can’t pay your bills, buy food, make your way in this world you simply die and make more room and resources for the rest of us.

Interesting thing.  In my experience, the “get a job or die” philosophy is endorsed more by those who believe in a sovereign creator.  In fact, some of the most religious people I’ve ever met enthusiastically quote passages from the Bible like, “God helps those who help themselves.”  (Which is not actually in the Bible but it is quoted none the less.)  And the verse from Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

Strangely enough, some of the most generous people I know – or know of – don’t believe in God.  I guess, as a pastor, I would argue that they actually do believe in God, just subconsciously.

But I digress.  What, if anything, can we learn about generosity from Jesus? 

I wonder if Jesus felt the same angst that I feel when someone asked him for help.  What did Jesus teach about generosity?  How did he interact with people who were “takers?”

Coincidently I was reading in Luke chapter six this morning.  This passage is sometimes called the sermon on the plain.  It is a record of some of Jesus’ core teaching.  In verses 34-35 Jesus says…

“And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?  Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” 

Apparently the “Most High” gives to “wicked” people and I give to people who “deserve” it.

All four gospels record one of Jesus’ most impressive miracles, the feeding of the multitude – five thousand men plus women and children.  After a long day of crowd control, the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the multitude away so they could get themselves something to eat.  Instead Jesus tells the disciples that they should feed the crowd.  The disciples seem to feel the need to educate Jesus on the finer points of economics and food distribution ministry.  “That would take eight months of a man’s wages.” (Mark 6:37) 

Jesus is undaunted.  He takes what can be found, a boy’s lunch consisting of five biscuits and two sardines.  He blesses and breaks the food, gives it to the disciples who, in turn, distribute it to the people.  You probably know the story.  At the end of the day everyone is full and the disciples have a basket of leftovers apiece.

Here’s the point.  You know that in a crowd that size lots of other people had food besides that one kid.  If I had been Jesus I would have laid a heavy guilt trip on everybody there.  I would have stood that little guy up in front of everybody and preached to them until they coughed up the goods.  But apparently Jesus wasn’t interested in making sure everyone was doing their fair share.  He was only interested in taking what that one little boy had and multiplying it.  Oddly enough he didn’t have the disciples search the people before they gave them food to make sure they weren’t holding out.  Evidently he had no interest in making sure everyone “deserved” his generosity.

So that brings us to the death of Jesus on a cross outside of the city of Jerusalem.  As Jesus was dying he looked into a sea of faces that were ungrateful and wicked, unapologetic and undeserving and he asked his Father to be generous, to give.  He asked God to give forgiveness to those who didn’t deserve it.  Our faith tradition teaches that all of humanity was/is in that crowd of “undeserving” sinners.

I still think that I need to be a good manager of God’s money.  That means I’m still going to have the same anxious feeling when people call requesting assistance.  Fortunately, I have the help of other people who want to be both generous and careful.  Maybe we can all be humble enough to admit that we need to keep learning about generosity from Jesus.  

The Image of God in the Mirror

Don’t you just hate people that go on and on about their grandkids?  Or even worse, they make you scroll through their photo gallery while narrating what little Johnny was doing when this picture was taken.

People like that drive me crazy! 

Oh yea… I just remembered… sorry… I am one.

This has been a tough week for more reasons than you want to hear about.  When I have a week like this, one of the most therapeutic things I can do is look into the face of a child.  (And honestly, my grandson’s faces work better than yours.  Again… sorry.)

In the book of Genesis we read the ancient Israelite account of the creation of the world and everything in it.  The Spirit of God “moved” over the face of the waters.  The word translated “moved” means “to brood, to grieve.”  I don’t know; maybe it's not too far off to think of God grieving over primordial emptiness.

So God begins to speak and creation begins to unfold.  It’s a beautiful image, don’t you think?  God, the “uncaused first cause,” finds joy in creating day and night, sky and sea, land and vegetation; the sun, the moon and the stars.  And then wildlife.  God delights in filling the newly created sky with birds and the sea with fish.  And on recently exposed land, cattle and creeping things appear.

And then God creates human beings.  The writer says that God created them “in his image. In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)  In chapter two we listen in on a more poetic version; a word picture of God scooping up dirt, forming the first human being and then breathing into his nostrils the breath of life.  “And the man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)

Imagine an old Jewish grandfather sitting by the fire at twilight telling his wide eyed grandson the story of a God who bends, who stoops, who kneels down to form the first human.  Imagine that grandfather cupping the face of that grandson in his old calloused hands and telling him, “You were created in the image of God.”  Pretty heady stuff, don’t you think?

Imagine how that little grandson would feel about himself.  To know that he bears the image – that he is an icon – of God.  And that old grandfather looks into that little beaming face and sees mirrored in that face, the face of God. 

Here’s the deal.  However imperfect, however broken, however sinful you and I are; we carry the image of God.  The pips, the pushers and the prostitutes; the thieves, the thugs and the theologians; Washington senators, Wall Street executives and soccer moms; whoever you are, whatever you have done or failed to do, no matter how much you feel like a sinner or a saint; central to the message of the sacred Scriptures is that every human being ever conceived bears the image of his or her creator!

You may think of yourself as a true naturalist (a person who can’t embrace the idea of an external cause in the process of creation).  And if so, I respect that.  It’s hard, I know to imagine a God who could and would create the universe and everything in it.  It’s hard, I know to imagine that same God creating and caring about every human being that lives on one tiny planet in that vast universe.  It is even harder to think that you are included in that list of human beings and it is even harder to believe that in your very being, you carry around the image of that creator.

Yet, if I had to take a guess I would guess that there is also something deep inside you that intuitively knows, it is actually true.  When you look in the mirror, however blemished, you see the image of God.  Maybe the image comes into clearer focus when you look into the face of a child.    

I’ve got to be honest with you.  After the week I’ve had I need to be like that old Jewish grandfather.  I need to take the face of one of my grandsons into my hands.  I need to look deep into those beautiful blue eyes and once again be reminded that there is a God in heaven. 

Learning from Jesus and GCB

ABC is airing a new show called GCB.  It is based on a book by Kim Gatlin entitled Good Christian B…… (I will refrain from finishing the last word but I’ll give you a hint – it ain’t “Belles.”)

Although at times the content can cause Christ followers to cringe, I think the show can also help us to reflect, to think, maybe even grow a little. 

The show is set in Dallas, Texas; the buckle of the Bible belt.  While some of the characters are portrayed as faithful – even fanatical – church goers, it is really clear that they live up to the “B” in the audacious title. 

Let me see if I can sum it up succinctly so that you will have a fairly clear picture, just in case you haven’t tuned in.  The GCB’s are hypocritical and judgmental.  They are able to slander and gossip and manipulate and condemn, all while shrouding their malicious intent is the guise of being “concerned Christians.”  They are greedy, ambitious, materialistic and shallow.  They use their church connections to further their business ambitions.  They seem uniquely gifted at rationalizing their own sin while pointing out the sins of others.  Sound familiar?

Except there is one character, a young mother of two who has to move back home to Dallas after her ponzi scheming husband dies in a car accident caused by frolicking with his mistress while behind the wheel.  This young woman, Amanda Vaughn (played by Leslie Bibb), is significantly different from the other suburbanite church goers.  Let me give you a couple quick examples.

First, unlike her fellow Christians, Amanda is ruthlessly honest with herself about her own sin.  She is a recovering alcoholic who works as a waitress at a “Hooters” type restaurant – owned, incidentally, by a corporation whose major stock holder is Cricket Caruth-Reily, one of the members of the church.  Cricket condemns Amanda for her choice of employer, but is totally oblivious to her own culpability as the owner.  It’s hilarious!

But before I laugh too much maybe I should reflect on how often I’m more like Cricket than Amanda.  If I’m honest I have to admit that I possess the uncanny ability to look past the log in my own eye in order to point out the speck of saw dust in someone else’s.  I can gossip about people who gossip, hate the haters, judge the judgmental and reign down righteous indignation on the self-righteous.  Maybe if we’re honest we all have to admit that we all have a little Cricket in us. 

Secondly, (and I promise I’m going to wrap this up in a minute – a typical preachery comment) while it is very apparent that almost every character believes in Jesus, it is equally apparent that Amanda is different.  She not only believes in Jesus, she believes Jesus.

Amanda believes that what Jesus said is actually true!

She believes, for example, the teachings of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapters five through seven; the Sermon on the Mount.  She believes that the poor in Spirit – those who are plagued by a sense of their own brokenness, the spiritual losers, the ones who don’t measure up, who fail again and again – are blessed.  Jesus said that “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  She can be honest about her own sin because, unlike her friends, she believes what Jesus said about sinners; we are included. 

Here’s the pertinent question; do I actually believe Jesus?  Do I believe that what he said is true?

I could list a lot more examples but it would be too painful.  I could talk about what Jesus said about the use of violence, generosity, loving my enemies and hoarding money.  But I don’t think I can handle it. 

Maybe, just maybe, if you’re honest with yourself, you can’t handle it either.  At the risk of switching media analogies, maybe you and I epitomize what Col. Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) said about Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) in the film A Few Good Men; we “can’t handle the truth!”

Maybe the next time we’re watching GCB or reading the Sermon on the Mount we can open up our hearts to a little more truth.  Maybe we can even be ruthlessly honest with ourselves.

Finding Closure after Amendment One

A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog about the Marriage Amendment.  I didn’t really expect to generate the volume of feedback that I received.  I was just trying to give words to a different perspective that I thought some others might share.

Since then many of you have responded through comments on the blog or emails.  This week I felt like I needed to find some closure (for me and you).

Some of you have been very supportive.  It always helps, I think, when you express a particular perspective and others offer some affirmation.  Thank you for that! 

Some of you have offered a different perspective with the obvious intention of bringing something positive to the conversation.  I am extremely grateful for your contribution as well.  It helps me when fellow Christ followers shine light from a different angle.

Some of you seem to think that I’m a false prophet plunging head first into destruction and taking others with me. As bitter as your words taste to me, I’m sure your intentions are good (sort of like when my mother – or my wife – force me to drink nasty tasting medicine).

In some way, I think every comment has been helpful, but it is surprising how intense our discussions can sometimes become. 

Maybe we should not be surprised.  After all, Jesus became extremely intense when he entered the Temple in Jerusalem.  He pretty much – as my parents would say – “pitched a fit.”  He overturned tables, made a whip and drove people out, publically castigated prominent religious leaders for altering the original purpose of his Father’s house.

To the extent that I have been that kind of religious leader I apologize. 

Whatever your perspective on Amendment One was, my prayer is that all the followers of Jesus in our community can come together to share his love with human beings who desperately need it.

Blessings!  

Life Lessons from…. Chipper Jones and… my Dad!

Last night, in the bottom of the 11^th inning, Chipper Jones hit a walk off home run off of Brian Sanches, leading the Braves to a 15-13 win against the Phillies.  Just another day at the office for Chipper!

I remember the first and only time I saw Chipper Jones play in person.  I knew a guy who knew a guy who had VIP seats right on the third base line in the old Fulton County Stadium.  I could have had a conversation with Chipper while he played his usual third base position.  (Of course, that would have been extremely distracting.  It may have bothered Chipper too.)

That night I sat beside my dad and watched the Braves beat the Marlins with the help of a grand slam off the bat of… you guessed it… Chipper Jones.  It was a truly great experience. 

This morning at 6:30, my father called me to ask if I saw Chipper hit the walk off homer last night.  I had not, so he gave me all the details as best he could remember them.  He’s 82 now and sometimes the score gets changed or the player’s names get mixed up.  Sometimes he can’t remember who hit the winning run or who pitched the last inning.  Yea, sometimes he gets the players and the plays mixed up some… except when the player is Chipper.  He always knows when it was Chipper who made the play – whether it was at the plate or in the field. 

Now, you may be wondering why I’m going on about Chipper Jones and my dad.  Well for one thing, I definitely didn’t want to write about Amendment One again this week. 

But the biggest reason is because, sitting on my exercise bike this morning at 6:30, I started thinking about some things.  I started thinking about some ways my father and Chipper are a lot alike (besides the fact that they are both really old).  And here’s a couple observations.

Chipper Jones has been playing for the Braves for nearly 20 years.  In 1999 he won the Most Valuable Player Award.  He is the only switch hitter in MLB history with a .300 plus career batting average. 

Here’s another observation.  The Atlanta Braves have never been known as the highest salaried team in the league.  (The Yankees hold that dubious distinction.)  The point I’m making is that years ago Chipper could have made a move that would have made him more money.  I haven’t spoken with him about it, but the only reason I can come up with is that, for Chipper, there are some things more important than money.

For my dad and Chipper there are some things more important than money – like family, friends, faithfulness to a team. 

I’m a pastor, so I get paid to think about things like this.  Plus I get to talk to people who are nearing the end of their journeys in this world.  And what I’ve discovered is that the happiest people are the people who learn that there is more, so much more, to life than career and bank accounts and toys and stuff.  I know, I know, you’re probably thinking that Chipper Jones is definitely not hurting for money and you are, I’m sure, right.

Yet, I know that my dad has enjoyed many baseball games a whole lot more because Chipper Jones knows how to stick with his team. 

Oh, and by the way, now as a mid-life male, I know that my life has been made much richer, much fuller, much more blessed because my father knew how to stick with his team. 

That’s the legacy I want to pass on to my children and grand children.