Thoughts on Loving People from my friend, Trinity Jordan

In the Name of Love
Trinity Jordan, pastor, Elevation Church, Layton, Utah

The two young Mormon missionaries stood there in my living room, wide eyed, pondering what they had just heard.

I decided to repeat myself to make sure they heard me correctly, “Yes, I would like very much to go through the missionary discussions. But, before we do, can we hang out three times without talking about your beliefs or my beliefs. Tonight we will order pizza, make some lemonade, and just chat.” They nodded as if they really didn’t speak my language.

The night passed as we dove into casual conversation of where we were from, what our interests were, and where we had been in life. The next meeting brought with it a trip to a local ice cream shop to continue our conversation. As we ate our ice cream and laughed at each other’s stories, I looked down at one of the Mormon missionaries’ shoes. They were completely ripped apart.

“What is up with your shoes, bro?”

“Well, I’ve been on my mission for 10 months now and I only brought with me one pair of shoes.”

“What size do you wear? I’m sure I’ve got an old pair of shoes in my closet that are better than those.”

I was secretly plotting at this point. I had learned from the previous week that his birthday was coming up. I could make our third meeting a birthday party, complete with a gift of shoes that he desperately needed.

The balloons were in place. The cake was made. The streamers hung from the ceiling. Friends of mine that I knew would be nice to these young missionaries were hiding all over my house. The doorbell rang. I answered the door.

Surprise!

As they walked into my house like two deer in headlights. I held out my present to my new Mormon missionary friend. He slowly opened the present. He stopped as he lifted the lid of the shoebox and stared at the new pair of shoes. “Why did you do this?”

“Cause I love you, man. You are my friend.”

“No, really, why did you do this?”

“Mama said you can learn a lot about a man by the shoes he wears, bro. I’m serious; I love you.”

The gospel story is a story of love. God’s love for us. God’s love in us. God’s love changing us and God’s love flowing out of us to transform the world.

John tells us that God is love. Paul says we have died to Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us.

This means we have the most amazing love in the world living in us. A love that changes lives. A love unlike what anyone in the world can offer. A selfless, gracious love.

My job as a follower of Jesus is to love. This is the characteristic that defines me as a disciple. My love for others. My job isn’t to save anyone. But, rather to be a living witness for Jesus. The job of Savior of the World is filled and He is doing a great job. I’m terrible at it.

This is why people walk away hurt from our churches. We are doing jobs that are not ours to do and we neglect what we are supposed to do. Love people. People need to feel like they belong with us before they believe like us. By loving them we let the good news of the gospel penetrate their hearts. The good news is that Jesus gives us life and hope through what He did for us on the cross. This will lead to spiritual conversations of Jesus and the life that He offers to all.

I believe in the local church. Can you imagine what we could do if we always did our job of loving people we come into contact with? Pharisees would call us friends of sinners. The drunks and prostitutes would be welcomed into our church services feeling welcomed and ready to receive Christ’s offer of redemption.

We have gotten so disconnected from a dying world around us, we are trying to perfect methods of salvation instead of working on truly loving the people we come in contact with everyday. We harm those around us when we don’t do our job and try to do God’s job. You and I are not charged with convicting the world of sin—that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. Our task is to unconditionally love people.

Kathryn wants to be like Mommy!

Here is a glimpse into the awesome world of my baby girl. Oh, and Mommy, WE LOVE YOU! Enjoy...

Contextual Theology and Being Missional

Being missional is the buzz word that is replacing all things emerging, so I believe it is a good idea to dialog about what it means to contextualize theology. This is not only the work of a missionary in a foreign land anymore; it is now the work of local pastors and leaders in the churches of America.

Paul G. Hiebert in his book, Anthroplogical Insights for Missionaries (Baker, 1986), suggests that critical contextualization is a proactive to balance effectively the development of contextual theology. His four step concept was developed by missionaries ministering in a foreign culture to help in making sure that the development of a contextual theology remains properly balanced. Hiebert's critical contextualization encourages the participation of all the members within a church.

1. The first step is to recognize the need to deal biblically with all areas of life.


2. Step two is for the congregation to meet and analyze the cultural issues they confront from an uncritical perspective.


3. The third step is to conduct a Bible study that is relevant to the particular cultural issue being considered.


4. Finally, the congregation needs to evaluate critically their own past customs in the light of their new biblical understandings and to make a decision regarding thier use.

Although this process can be tedious, it is the new work of the local church as they seek to understand, engage, and influence today's culture with the timeless message of hope that the local church champions. Think about it...

QUESTION: What is your church or ministry doing to contextualize theology (i.e. being missional)? Is it effective? Is it worth it? Any suggestions?

The Hardest Word for Leaders: NO

Although I have learned to do this more as time goes on, I need to hear it again from time to time. In his blog today, Seth says:

"Saying no to loud people gives you the resources to say yes to important opportunities."

I have heard Craig Groeschel say that every time you say yes to something you say no to something else.

With that said, we must protect our no's as much as we give out our yes's which can be hard in a society of "yes men." Moving beyond being mediocre doesn't mean saying yes to eveything. It means saying no when it matters, so we can say yes when it does!

Tony Morgan on Faith

I am reading through Tony Morgan's Killing Cockroaches and finding somekind of challenge on every page. Here is what he says on faith in his chapter on "Churchiness is Easy":

"Real faith is dynamic. It's contriversal. It's dangerous. It's constantly growing. It asks challenging quesitons. It involves mystery. You can't put it in a box. You can't keep it quiet. You can't outgrow it. You can't out dream it. It's more focused on others than on itself. Real faith gives me peace but makes me discontent to let things stay the same." (Check out Tony's blog for more insights)

I find that my faith is sometimes not even status quo. I find that I sometimes wish faith wasn't even part of the process. For to me, faith says you aren't able to do this in and of yourself...it is the beyond that is within you that will do it. Faith is about doing great things that when done can only go back to the one who placed that faith in us...namely Jesus Christ! It about bending and stretching. It's about pain and growth and turning intellect into godly wisdom. Faith is one complex and messy idea!

Think about it...

Thoughts on a Radical Jesus

Looking in the face of our twenty first century culture, I think it is time to embrace the radical teachings of Jesus once again. There have been times in history when this has been done. And when I say radical, I mean all that he taught and embodied. We have made Jesus into a fun and enjoyable icon, when in all reality his message is so radical it is offensive.

For this post, let’s just take one example: Luke 16:14-15

“The Pharisees, who love money, heard all that Jesus was teaching and sneered at him. Jesus said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.’”

All over the immediate context of this verse are issues that bring to light what “is detestable in God’s sight.” In chapter 14, Jesus speaks of places of honor at banquets. In chapter 15, he speaks on selfish piety of a rich, spoiled brat. In 16, he speaks of a shrewd business man and another story of the final fate of a rich man. In summary, they all deal with money and the cost of loving a lifestyle over a relationship with God.

Those values and lifestyles are detestable in God’s sight. And they are in stark contrast to what Jesus values most: the cost of a Christ-centered lifestyle and the love for seeing sinner reconciled to God.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even life itself—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (14:26-27)

“I tell you in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over on sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous person who do not.” (15:7)

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (15:10)

“But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and know is found.” (15:32)

In a later post, I will discuss 14:26-27, but notice the progression in chapter 15. Jesus is more concerned with a person who is truly repentant. That denies the normalcy and the culture to follow the radical message of Jesus…the message of the Kingdom of God. A kingdom that is at odds with the kingdoms of this present age.

For today, know this: We are all dead until we find Christ. We are all lost until Jesus comes and changes our status. Just as it costs big to live with the luxuries of this world, to have all the things that are in the end, “detestable to God.” The radical Jesus says that it cost much more to live out the radical-reversal message of the Kingdom of God. More on this to come. For now, think about it…