Barney Wiget's Blog, page 46

Community Preaches

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Elaine Heath said, “The proper context for evangelism is authentic Christian community, here the expression of loving community is the great apologetic for the gospel.”

Especially in our day of frayed social fabric, authentic community is itself evangelistic. It’s an indispensable component of our wordless witness.

Inviting people to a church service is a good thing; welcoming them into friendship and community is even better. Our genuine relationships show the good news way more effectively than our services ever could, even with their impressive music and inspiring oratory.

Genuine community preaches. The ancient church practiced such community that thousands were drawn into its gravitational pull (Acts 2:42-47). This was no church growth strategy but an attractive lifestyle.

– Originally published in Reaching Rahab: Joining God In His Quest For Friends the profits of which go to YWAM San Francisco.

Good Deeds for the Heaven Of It!

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Jesus said, “They will see your good works”––not necessarily hear your good words––“and glorify your Father in heaven.” Peter echoed the same in his letter to spiritual exiles: “Live such good lives among the pagans that… they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Yes, actions done in humility and love do count as evangelism. Doing good works just for the heaven of it, that is, not for the sake of impressing anyone, but simply for the love of God, is one brand of inadvertent kingdom influence. When people see us actually acting like Jesus––hopelessly loving God and tangibly demonstrating love toward people––whether we realize it or not, we’re witnessing without words.

“We should preach as though we’re serving and serve as though we’re preaching.” — JIM HENDERSON

– Originally published in Reaching Rahab: Joining God In His Quest For Friends the profits of which go to YWAM San Francisco.

 

Joggers and Shadow Boxers

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Run in such a way as to get the prize. … Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

I fear that many of my Christian friends run or box with no real goal or “prize” in mind. They’re going through the motions that they’ve been taught and have had modeled to them. They’re more like joggers just trying to lose their love handles so they can look a little sexier at their high school reunion. (Not likely if they’re anywhere near my age. The only sexy people I saw at my last reunion were the waitresses at the restaurant.) They’re like boxers (not the kind you wear) with no actual opponent in the ring. In fact, there’s not even a ring. They shadowbox in their living room, presumably with their boss’s face in their mind’s eye.

This “race” isn’t for exercise or socialization. Some people approach their “race” like they’re out for a jog with some friends. They’re all decked out in the latest runners’ fashions maintaining a nice leisurely pace one time around the park. But this contest is for something more serious than that.

Christianity is no hobby! We don’t run “aimlessly,” but to finish––to win. It’s not one another we have to defeat. Our opponents are sin, Satan, and the system of the world (please take note of the ingenious use of “S’s.”) Against such we run for victory.

Shadow boxers have only imaginary opponents. They visualize the ring, the other boxer, the referee, the crowd, and most of all, the winner’s belt. None of it’s real. It’s all in their head. Boxers of this ilk always win. They never lose. And they rarely go the distance, but knock out their imaginary adversary in the first round. Imaginary Christians in an imaginary battle!

Some people seem to think that spiritual success is already in the books as though the contest were just for show. But winning is no done deal. It isn’t over till it’s over. I mean if Paul could have been “disqualified,” it seems clear to me that our status in the race is still in some contention.

Coming to Jesus is not the finish line, it’s just the starting line. We don’t get a prize for signing up for the race. We have to run to the finish for the winner’s wreath! Jesus said, “He that endures to the end shall be saved.”

The thing is, we don’t know how far along we are in the race or how near its finish. We don’t know how many rounds are left to fight. Therefore, it behooves us to keep running at a good pace so as to finish well and keep swinging until the final bell.

“Free Attention Giveaways!”

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There’s only one gospel, but there’s more than one way to share it. You wouldn’t want your doctor to rush to a diagnosis and treatment of your condition before listening to your description of your pain. That’s a formula for the unnecessary removal of some necessary parts!

When we do all the talking and expect others to do all the listening we tend to provide answers to questions they’re not asking. That’s not what I call being a good witness.

A person can say a lot by listening, especially if they listen with the intent to understand rather than with the intent merely to reply. One of the best gifts we can give to people is the gift of attention. Maybe we should advertise in our churches or set up tables on street corners that say: “Free Attention Giveaways!”

– Originally published in Reaching Rahab: Joining God In His Quest For Friends the profits of which go to YWAM San Francisco.

Play Your Part, Then Get Off The Stage!

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I heard someone say the other day, “We’re all gonna die, be buried, and be turned into dust and in a couple generations or more most of us won’t even be remembered.” It sort of bummed me out. It’s not like it’s never occurred to me, but putting it like that depressed me a little.

I suppose it’s ego that makes me want to be remembered a hundred years from now (I’d be wiling to settle for fifty! Do I hear twenty?) Honestly,  I’m not fishing for compliments here. I get tons of affirmation from friends and family, not to mention daily encouragement from the Spirit. But what this guy said gave me a dose of reality––not simply about the length of my life on earth but the longevity of its impact.

I have always felt a profound responsibility to do the best I can to invest myself in others, especially in the next generation. I know that when we make a difference in one or two people, those one or two might do the same with another one or two. The multiplied impact over generations can be staggering. It’s the proverbial “Butterfly Effect.”

But to be honest, picturing myself as a butterfly flapping its wings in the vast universe didn’t do the trick to dissipate the cloud descending on me.  It bothered me to be forgotten after a generation, if not an hour after my funeral. (Again: Not a fishing expedition for compliments.)

Then I came across this verse:

“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.” (Acts 13:36)

The actual experience of nearing my own expiration date wasn’t what saddened me the other day, but the fact that my contribution to the world may not be what it should have been. But “serving God’s purpose in my own generation” is all I can ask for. And when I’ve done that, then it’s time to fall asleep. And even though my body will rot in the ground (or in the sea) I will have played my part, even if was a bit part.

Focus on the Family President Jim Daly wrote:

“God calls each of us to a particular generation with its own unique challenges, opportunities, and possibilities. This generation is the stage on which he has called us to play a part in his story of redemption, with a mind toward what it will leave for the coming generation.”

Given the fact that I’m still breathing, I must still have a part to play, however large or small. But when my character is written out of the story, I’ll be glad to get off the stage and let others play their part!

Bringing Up Buried Treasure

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Though we’re all susceptible to living shallow lives, essentially we are beings capable of living lives of immeasurable worth. Most people have lost hope for meaning and need to be provoked to believe that they’re not merely what they appear to be on the outside. They may live primarily from––and/or for––their exterior, unaware that they even possess an inner part, let alone how to tap into it. Yet each human contains as much sunken treasure as everyone else to be brought up from the depths. They may have never peered below their own surface, but it’s there.

For most, the treasure is covered by years, even generations, of the silt and sand of neglect. The gold is obscured and appears as a nondescript bulge on the ocean floor. It’s up to us, as “people of understanding,” to work alongside the Spirit to provoke them to pursue the true worth of their deeper part and bring it to the surface.

– Originally published in Reaching Rahab: Joining God In His Quest For Friends the profits of which go to YWAM San Francisco.

An Uncommon Combination of Clout and Compassion (Part 2 of 2)

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In Part 1 we began talking about the account of the centurion in Luke 7 who possessed both clout and compassion. He had great social and political power as well as “great faith.” He cared deeply about the dying servant in his house and the Jewish people under his authority, and treated them all with integrity and generosity. Jesus was “amazed” by the man and deemed his faith greater than that of his own people. This combination of clout and compassion is as rare today as it was then.

Most of us enjoy leverage of one sort or another, probably more than we realize. You don’t have to be a centurion to have clout. If you have people who are dependent on your opinion of them for their paycheck, you have sway. If you are wealthy (even middle-to-lower-middle class) or you’re white or you’re male, you possess something that the poor, the non-white, and women don’t. Anyone with the “upper hand” possesses leverage over someone else, which in itself is not a bad thing. In fact, clout can be used for good as well as for evil.

Read: James 5:1-6

You can buy clout if you have the money or you can inherit it at no fault of your own. In the latter case, all you have to do is be born in the right time in the right place to right family with the plethora of opportunities afforded people in your position.

The majority culture has the power to bless or oppress those in the minority, and history shows that they (we) will surrender that power with no small struggle. When we realize that our majority status is being threatened and that “others” are beginning to outnumber us, we wall ourselves into our safe havens and hold on for dear life. Threaten our majority status and it’s game on!

“The strong must disadvantage themselves for the weak,” says Timothy Keller, “the majority for the minority, or the community frays and the fabric breaks.”

Our clout-crazy culture is fraying at this very point. We’ve been duped by absolute power and corrupted absolutely. It’s the “meek that will inherit the earth,” not necessarily the rich and powerful. In our fear and insecurity, instead of following the meek and humble Lamb of God, we seek out the fiercest wolf to lead us, to protect us. In Jesus’ upside down kingdom, instead of by fame, fortune, or ferocity, greatness is measured in humility and servitude.

This centurion realized he was in the presence of Someone with greater clout than his: “I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you.” That’s the sort of humility that we need in our culture today with so many enamored with the power of wealth and social privilege. The Lord of glory himself, though he had access to legions of angry angels, he started his earthly life in a cave, grew up in a Podunk town, owned no home, rode a borrowed donkey, allowed the haters to lynch him, and bury him in a borrowed tomb. He’s the epitome of clout conjoined with compassion! Rather than imitating the lesser gods of compassionless clout, we should strive to emulate Jesus.

While God may not routinely require that we forfeit leverage itself, he always demands that we surrender how we use it. He doesn’t always demand that we give away all our money and means, but that we steward them in the most generous ways possible.

The majority culture can’t very well choose a different ethnicity, but like the centurion, who reached outside his own tribe, we can treat those in the minority as equals before God. There’s no room in the Father’s heart for a Western world “caste system.” We must steward whatever form of leverage we possess in such a way as to reflect the personality of the One who gave it to us in the first place.

Read: “What Should We Do? (Part 2)”

If we “love our neighbors as ourselves” (whoever they may be and from wherever they come) we will steward whatever power we possess for their benefit. In contrast to his colleagues, this centurion saw his servant and the Jews as “neighbors” to love rather than underlings to exploit.

Might doesn’t mean right. Men, who on average are stronger than women, must never use their strength to abuse them. Parents must always use their strength to protect, and never to harm their children. Elected officials must remember to use the power of their office for the common good, not just their own. Law enforcement officers possess the power of a badge. They mustn’t use it to ill-treat the public. (God isn’t anti-cop, just anti-bad-cop!) He’s anti-power-mongering of any kind––religious, political, or social. We must all use the power of our privilege for the good of all, especially those whose need are greatest. This is what Jesus calls “great faith.” This is the sort of faith that amazes him.

Let’s amaze him today!

An Uncommon Combination of Clout and Compassion (Part 1 of 2)

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Roman centurions had clout––and plenty! But not many were accused of an overabundance of compassion. Sanctioned by the most powerful empire on earth, wherever they roamed, they wielded the limitless authority of Rome. The Jews and all other occupied lands lived under the thumb of the state and in fear of the army’s oft-capricious tactics.

The centurion in this account was an exception to rule and a wonder to Jesus. This man “highly valued” his servant and he “loved” the Jews. He even built them a synagogue! The Jewish elders went so far as to claim that he “deserved” a miracle. Not exactly your run of the mill Roman commander!

I’m guessing that Jesus wasn’t often “amazed” at the people he encountered––at least not in a good way. He branded this Gentile military man’s faith as greater than anything he’d seen among his own people. Until now I’ve always thought of his so-called “great faith” as having to do with a greater measure of certainty that he possessed for the miraculous, and that we should all strive for the same. I’m now inclined to think Jesus might have been referring to the centurion’s overall disposition, the “faith” that describes his way of viewing himself, God, and the people over whom he had power. Let me explain…

His “great faith” referred to his connection to the God who cares about servants and oppressed subjects of the empire. Though he had the sort of clout that goes to the heads of most people in his social position, his great faith inspired great compassion for those weaker than him. He possessed a rare combination of clout and compassion. He had both social leverage and sincere love, something quite uncommon in our current classist culture, even among Christians.

He said, “I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” That’s clout––the power and privilege to squeeze what he wanted from most anyone he wanted whenever he wanted. But instead of using it to subjugate those underneath him in class and clout, he employed it to serve them. It’s such a rare occurrence it amazed the Lord!

Unless inspired by something deep inside, the privileged and powerful seldom climb down the ladder to help someone below them. They might do some periodic pro-bono work for “the needy” or don rubber gloves and serve turkey at the rescue mission on Thanksgiving, but it’s more of a photo-op than a matter of conscience.

Read: “What Should We Do?”

Jesus said he couldn’t find such faith in all Israel! Their so-called spiritual leaders had long since lost all sense of concern for their people. They had plenty of clout, enough to get Jesus crucified, but little compassion.

Unfortunately this is often the case with many of our more prominent and powerful spiritual superstars today. Instead of the humble heart of the Good Shepherd, it’s book deals, big crowds, and celebrity-sized budgets that get them out of bed in the morning.

When it comes to the actual welfare of those they were elected or appointed to serve, our superstars in government have no better record. Many of them tend to be more concerned with crowd-pleasing, personal power, and reelection than for the people they “serve.”

Read: Isaiah 3:14

Jesus was amazed by rare combination of clout and compassion in the unlikely person of a Roman military commander. He saw something in him that was missing in his own people and he called it “great faith.” What kind of faith would you call “great”? Does clout alone constitute “great” to you or would it require a clear compassion component?

Stay tuned for Part 2…

In the meantime, have you read Reaching Rahab: Joining God in his Quest For Friends? I hear it’s pretty good, and half the profits go to YWAM San Francisco.

One Way To Pray For President Trump

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As you know, God tells us to pray for our leaders. I pray for President Trump everyday. He needs it and I need to do it. Sometimes I use the Lord’s Prayer as a backdrop. It helps me cover more bases and stay on track.

Regardless of whether or not your opinion of Mr. Trump’s presidency matches mine, you might find here some useful hints for how to pray for him if you choose to. While my view of his performance is obvious, it’s not my intention to judge him here, but to pray for him. The Lord tells us not to judge (i.e. condemn) but to judge correctly (i.e. use discernment).

Without some degree of discernment we can’t very well pray for anyone about what they need or how they need to change. I don’t want my prayers to be so vague that even God doesn’t know what I’m talking about, so I name some concerns about President Trump that I believe he cares about as much or more than I do. If I’m wrong, I figure  he can adjust his response accordingly.

If you need precedence for this kind of praying, thumb through the Bible’s books of poetry and the prophets. Thumb through those books and you’ll notice there are many other ways the poets and prophets prayed for the leaders of nations, including harsh pronouncements on judgment on them. That isn’t my intention here, as I offer just “One Way To Pray For President Trump.” If this doesn’t suit you, don’t simply fail to pray for him, find a prayer that does.

[If you want to know more specifics about the profound disparity between my worldview and that of the president, you might check out any number of articles I’ve written about him and his policies. Look especially scroll through the category called “Doing Justly.” From these you’ll notice how much restraint I used in detailing my view of our president’s many flaws in this prayer.]

You’ll notice that my emphasis here is not on my flaws and failures––or yours for that matter. When I make the Lord’s Prayer personal, which I often do, my focus is on the gargantuan gap between the way I am and the way I want to be. But for now, I invite you to join me in bringing our president to the throne of grace.

Our Father in heaven

Our country’s highest office is the White House, but you, Father, are in an even higher place place––heaven. From there you see all and know all, including what our president needs in order to do the job for which he was elected. You see his flaws, and from your highest vantage point, please Father, bend Mr. Trump’s mind and heart toward yours. He obviously can’t see what you see, so broaden his peripheral vision to be able take in a larger portion of socioeconomic demographic of our citizenry than just his own.

Hallowed be your name

Appropriate to your dignity and supremacy may President Trump respect you. Help him to treat you with singular and hallowed veneration. Honestly, he often seems to respect no one but himself, so please put the fear of God in his heart, of the sort that initiates wisdom.

Your kingdom come

Lord, we need you to reign here in our wayward country led by our wayward president. May he begin to act as though there is a power higher than his own. And may your high power invade every cell of his being. You rule well, Father. You’re the King and we want you to rule in the White House along with every other house in America.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven 

Heaven is the place where your perfect will is done perfectly all the time, yet much of what we see in the White House is clearly not your will. His lifestyle, prejudice, narcissism, and injustice are not reflective of your will. We pray for your will to be done in Donald Trump’s life. Work your will in and through the man we’ve elected to the highest office in the land, indeed in the world. If there’s no other way than to exert your will apart from his conscious cooperation, please do.

Give us today our daily bread

Many of our citizens and the citizens of the world are inadequately fed each day, please help our president to do whatever he has the power to do to lead our country into a more equitable distribution of wealth. Give him compassion to care more deeply about poor, here and abroad, and the wisdom to address it.

And forgive us our debts

Even though he doesn’t ask you for forgiveness, humble President Trump and reveal to him his flaws. In the meantime, we ask you to forgive him for how he has sinned against women, people of color, suffering souls from other countries, and pretty much anyone who disagrees with him. I don’t want to list all his sins, any more than I am able to list all of mine, but forgive him, Father. (And me too.)

As we also have forgiven our debtors

Help us to forgive our president for trespassing on our lives in ways that have done us harm. And help him forgive those who have harmed him in word and in deed. Heal his soul wounds that I assume go all the way back to his childhood. Transform his penchant for vindictiveness to forgiveness.

And lead us not into temptation,

Lead President Trump in the opposite direction of the sinful lures that seem so desirable to him. Since the love of money is the root of many kinds of evil, Mr. Trump’s massive wealth has put him in a Solomon-like category of privilege and the many temptations that go along with it. Lead him away from those, Lord, and help him to live a generous life that is pleasing to you.

But deliver us from the evil one.

Open President Trump’s eyes to the bonds of wickedness in his life. I can’t imagine but that some of what comes out of his mouth and shows up in some of his priorities and policies is ignited and sustained by the evil one. Deliver him, Lord.

For yours is the kingdom

You alone have the right to rule the planet as you see fit. Every crown, deserved or not, will someday fall at your feet when we all bend to bow before you. I hope and pray that Mr. Trump will bend low in worship today before it’s too late.

Yours is the power

Only you can do the things for which I pray. If I had the power to change Mr. Trump into a man of integrity and good conscience, let alone into a man of God, I would do it in a heartbeat. But you can do it. Please wield your power to attract him to yourself, Lord.

And yours is the glory

Historically you have been quite harsh with some of those who, instead of acknowledging your glory have claimed it for themselves. You are the One from whom all glory comes and to whom all glory goes. No man, regardless of stature, fame, or fortune is worthy as you are worthy.

Forever and ever. Amen!

Presidents come and go, but your rule is eternal. This government, with all its imperfections, will someday fade, but you and your kingdom are forever and ever. Amen!

God’s Kiss

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So when you see your hair falling out in clumps, you could choose to celebrate it as an indicator that the cancer-killing chemicals, like assassins are hitting their targets, so chalk up the loss of mane as collateral damage. I didn’t need a blood test or an x-ray to tell me that cells–– the good, the bad, and the ugly ones–– were being gunned down by the new sheriff in town. The evildoers were being brought to justice and getting what they deserved. Unfortunately, the sheriff shoots with a scattergun, which kills more than bad guys. Nevertheless, when I felt, to put it mildly, bad, it boosted my morale to know that something good was happening at the same time.

As a bonus, the assault on my hair-producing cells uncovered a pleasant surprise on my noggin— a birthmark I didn’t know I had. After all, I’d never seen my scalp before. As long as I can remember, it’s been covered with hair–– once black, then grey. I guess I was bald as a baby, but I don’t remember and wasn’t accustomed to looking in the mirror until about Junior High.

Upon careful inspection, my daughter in law, Tori, said it resembled a heart. God must’ve kissed me when I was entering this sometimes-heartless world! I liked to think that God stood there in the delivery room, awaiting his opportunity to gently and affectionately brand me on the crown of my head as one belonging to him with a kiss.

– Originally published in The Other End of the Dark: A Memoir About Divorce, Cancer, and Things God Does Anyway (the profits of which go to Freedom House).