America gets an 'F' in Religion

I saw an article in USA Today titled Americans get an ‘F’ in religion. It points out the incredibly deep ignorance that Americans have regarding world religions, including Christianity.

To give you a couple examples from the article, sixty percent of Americans can’t name just five of the Ten Commandments. Fifty percent of high school seniors think Sodom and Gomorrah were married.

Biblical stories and histories just aren’t being taught anymore. People who are old enough to remember learned them in school. Bible stories were used to teach character and morality. They helped to teach history as well. When teaching about nations, it was common to include lessons on what they believed. There are many who say we can’t do that anymore. In reality we can, but most school systems are afraid to. So I guess we might be able to blame the schools.

We could certainly blame the churches. Aren’t we teaching the right things in Sunday School anymore? The article indicated that Sunday Schools have watered down the message and try to make it so fun, that no real teaching is taking place. Lot’s of games, and a snack, but few Bible Stories. I don’t about that – maybe there is something to in some churches – I don’t know.

I do know that churches don’t see too many kids anymore. The reality is that only about fifteen percent of the general population is churched. And much fewer than that fifteen percent are actually attending Sunday School.

Perhaps education just isn’t as valued as much as it used to be. Or is it church that isn’t valued as much? Or, worse yet, is it God?

Hopelessness and Despair

I am writing this from the lobby of a hospital in Rochester, NY. I am sitting in the lobby because the person I tried to visit is out of her room having a test done. The waiting room is full of people. I am a people watcher – I like watching people. And there is a lot to see in a busy lobby in a hospital.

Some people have a look of hopelessness and despair on their face. Whatever brings them to the hospital today has them very worried. I pray for these people as I see them walk by.

Others seem okay. I wonder what brings them here today. Some I suppose are hospital employees and are so used to the setting it’s just another day at work. Others are here visiting friends and loved ones. I wonder how many of these are really okay, and how many are just putting on a good face, keeping up a good image. I wonder how many are just as scared on the inside as the people with the hopeless and desperate looks on their faces.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. And not just in the hospital. I guess that’s because hopelessness and despair is all around. I see it everywhere. In the last couple of days I’ve seen it at the grocery, at the local Wal-Mart, at Dunkin Donuts, and at a nursing home I visited.

I’ve been thinking about this because it’s hard for me see hopelessness and despair. I don’t mean it’s hard to see it (it’s all over), I mean it hurts me to see it so often. Maybe because I want to help (I am a pastor after all). But in the end, I know I can’t help. Only God can. But God is with them. They just don’t see him.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. (Psalm 23:4a, NIV)

There is no better place to be...

I love movies. One of my favorites is a fairly new movie from World Wide Pictures called The Last Flight Out. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.

In this film, a character has a line that I particularly love. There is no better place to be than in the center of God’s will – except in his presence. What a great line. What a great truth!

Being in the center of God’s will sometimes involves taking a step back and doing some self-examination to make sure you really are right where God wants you to be. And if you conclude you’re not, the changes needed may seem very difficult.

If that’s where you are right now, I want to encourage you to make those changes anyway – no matter how difficult they may seem. God isn’t calling us to a place that is terribly difficult to get to. He has already equipped us with the special gifts that we will need when we do it – He has already prepared us for it whatever it is.

Being in the center of God’s will brings a peace that we won’t experience anywhere else. We can serve the Lord in our churches for years and years, but never experience the peace that comes from obedience to his will.

Years ago, I felt that God was calling me into ministry, and it scared me. That was the last thing I wanted to do. And I fought it, for many years. Finally about eight years ago, I decided that I needed to be in the center of God’s will for my life – and for me, that meant ministry. I have experienced the biggest blessings of my life since.
I don’t know what being in the center of God’s will means for you. But I am guessing that if you really think about it, you already know what it means. Because God has already been telling you. I can assure you, that if you’re not there, you’re missing the biggest blessings of your life.

Cancer

Cancer. Very few words strike terror in our hearts like the word cancer. It is a dreaded disease, with sometimes dreaded results.

My first experience with cancer was when I was in my twenties, and I had a friend, also in his twenties. He worked on a cruise ship and developed a spot on the back of his neck. This was soon diagnosed as Melanoma, a form of skin cancer. My friend died within months. This was a long time ago, and incredible advances in cancer treatment have taken place since then. And perhaps that spot went undiagnosed too long before he sought treatment. But images of this young man suffering so before he died will be with me forever.

In my years of ministry, I have made more pastoral visits to people with cancer than for any other reason. Currently I am seeing a dear friend and member of our church who is fighting Leukemia. She has been through a lot, but she has a long way to go. Her faith is strong, and she believes that God will bring her through this – I believe she’s right. She is in my daily prayers, as she is in the daily prayers of many.

My father was just recently diagnosed with cancer in his nose. He is receiving radiation daily, and at this point he is about half way through his treatments. His prognosis is very good. But it’s a scary thing to fight such a dreaded word. Undoubtedly you know people who fought this word, perhaps people who are fighting it now.

According to Wikipedia, cancer is a class of disease or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to spread. In other words, for some reason yet unknown to science, our cells start going crazy, multiplying out of control, and spreading to other parts of our body, apparetly encouraging those cells to go crazy and multiply out of control too.

As I think about cancer, I think there is a spiritual equivalant in the Body of Christ today. Whenever someone goes off on their own to serve God in their own way, they are that cancer. Whenever we do things for God, instead of following His lead and doing things with God, we are that cancer. If Christ is the head of the church, we should be servng Christ. Following His lead. Going where He leads. Doing what He directs. Anything else, and we are acting outside of His control. Parts of the Body acting out on their own, uncontroled. That’s cancer.

Are you guilty of being cancer in your church. Are you close to God, following His lead, speaking to Him regularly through prayer, listening to Him regularly through reading Scripture and reflection, seeking confirmation through his Body at a local church? If not, how do you know you are doing His will, and not just your own will? How do you know you are not a form cancer that is eating away at the Body of Christ?

Church Transformation

I attended a Leadership Day Seminar today. There were a number of workshops offered, but the one that caught my eye was one titled Tools for Transformation. The keynote speaker for this event was also the presenter for the Tools for Transformation workshop. It was a very well done workshop, with lots of resources and lots of ideas for bringing people into our churches.

There is one thing that I often find missing from workshops on church transformation, and that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. God is in the transformation business, and we can’t hope to transform anybody (or any church) without the work of God in our midst.

To me, church growth is impossible without spiritual growth, and spiritual growth is usually left out of any attempt to transform or grow our churches. At least it’s been left out of the workshops I’ve attended. That’s why our churches aren’t growing. How many people did Peter lead to Christ before he was filled with the Holy Spirit? (zero – zip – none!) How many after? (3,000 the first day!)

If you want your church to grow, you need to grow yourself. As we grow spiritually, we invite others. We act as the people of God. We are filled with the Holy Spirit which leads and guides us. Who wouldn’t want to go to a church where all that was happening? And who would invite people to a church that didn’t have that?

We transform the church by transforming ourselves. Become serious about your own spiritual growth, and you will make a difference – Because as God fills you, others will notice, and seek to be filled too! Then the church will grow!

God is closer than you think...

We have dish-to-pass dinners at the church every Thursday during the season of Lent. After dinner, we have a program. Two years ago we did a Bible Study that really helped us understand the kingship of Jesus. We looked at the line of David, what it meant to be a King, and how you would become a King. That way we could better understand the reason for the lineage of Jesus given in the New Testament.

Last year we did some studies in current events. Using the WiredWord as our starting point, we looked at current news stories, then looked to Scripture to see how a biblical worldview helps us understand the world we live in. It was a great study!

This year I had planned to do another Bible Study, but just a couple of weeks ago I had an opportunity to preview a small group program, God Is Closer Than You Think, by John Ortberg. I’ll readily confess I haven’t read the book yet, but I think I can highly recommend it after what I have seen in the first session of this program.

What impressed me the most was the concept that Michaelangelo expressed in painting the ceiling of the Sisteen Chapel. I copied the picture above so you can see it. The image is of God on the right side reaching out to Adam. He is leaning forward, arm stretched out straight, finger extended, trying to reach Adam. On the left side we see Adam looking a little hesitant. He’s leaning back, arm bent at the elbow, finger pointing downward. From the image, God is desiring to be with Adam much more than Adam is desiring to be with God.

Today the image would be the same: God reaching out to his creation, while mankind is pulling back, unwilling to fully commit to a loving God. I wonder why that is? I wonder why it is with me – why do I do the same thing? I’ve certainly seen enough in my life to know that God is near. Yet miracle after miracle that I witness first hand, I still have to remind myself to trust him next time. If I was in that painting, I wonder if I would be leaning back too.

We really can trust God. He really is that close. So just stretch out your finger just a little and touch the God of the universe. Just lean forward a little and embrace your loving creator. Make a move to be with him, and he will be with you. He’s waiting now.

In like a lion, out like a lamb...

It’s the first day of March, and unfortunately, it’s a lovely day. I say unfortunately because we have a saying in this part of the country about the month of March: In like a lamb, out like a lion – in like a lion, out like a lamb.

I was hoping for terrible weather. I was hoping that March would come in like a lion, so that it would go out like a lamb. That way, I would feel like the end of winter is getting near.

I don’t like winter. I’m a summer person. And I am looking forward to the start of summer. So stormy winter weather in the beginning of the month might just be an indicator that the end of winter is near.

Of course it’s never quite that easy. In this part of the country it’s not unusual to get some snow in April, or sometimes, even in May. I think this saying just makes me feel better.

I was reflecting on that saying - In like a lamb, out like a lion – in like a lion, out like a lamb. While it is somewhat true regarding the weather, it might also be somewhat true spiritually.

I have met many people who start out incredibly strong in their faith. They serve the church with abandon in the first few years of their faith, but they soon burn-out. In a few years, you don’t even see them in the church.

I am reminded of Jesus and his sayings about the seed that falls on the path in what is known as the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:1-18). People like that are like the seed that falls on the rock. They hear the word, and it takes root, but because of the rock, the roots don’t grow deep, and soon their faith dies out.

I’m not saying that we need to pace ourselves – we should serve with abandon. We should serve with all we have. That’s a part of loving the Lord with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul and with all your strength.

But we also need to make sure that our roots go deep. Our quite times with the Lord will bring us the water that quenches the soul. Deepening our relationship with Christ through the Scriptures and through prayer will enable us to persevere.

Then perhaps, we can come in like a lion, AND go out like a lion!