do you want the phone call... or not?

Early this morning my best friend and I headed out into the cold 3:15am air to attempt to score some savings for our family. And when I say best friend, of course I mean my wife... there's only one person who is as crazy as I am for our kids, and she and I decided it was worth it to do some advance planning to make the most of the sales happening on "Black Friday." We brought my mom in to spend the night at our house and wake up with our boys, while Katie and I mapped out appropriate gifts for not only Christmas but for upcoming birthdays over the next year.

We hit a number of places that were full of people, starting off with Wal-Mart which allowed people in before their 5am "official" start time to open the registers (although they started early). I watched half-awake parents navigate sales ads, couples split up to cover more ground all at once, and people of all shapes and sizes find a way to get comfortable sitting on the floor in the hope of scoring a big ticket item. Store employees and managers did their best to point people in the right direction, and the presence of law enforcement gave that extra bit of structure to the controlled chaos.

Of course, the best tool (it seemed) for almost everyone finding sanity and security in their choices was the cell phone. People all around were continually chatting and texting to either find one another or simply kill time while they waited. The most popular use, though, was using them to call friends and family members who were somewhere else. I heard a few "Should I get this or shouldn't I?" conversations, but the most prominent were the ones that begin, "I know you're sleeping, but there's a great sale on _____ and I didn't know if you want to get in on it."

Ever make or receive a phone call like that?

It's a risk to try to wake someone up when they'd otherwise stay asleep. Your intentions are good, but you know they may not see it that way. As far as they're concerned, you may be intruding in on their comfort. Maybe they'll be so bothered at your call that it will affect the relationship in future settings when you try to make a connection. (I remember once I lost a friend growing up because his parents thought I called their house at the "wrong time.")

On the other hand, think about the benefit of getting a phone call like this, even if it comes in an inconvenient way. Wouldn't it be great to know that someone thought enough about you to take a risk on the relationship and share a genuine blessing your way? It would require us considering their motive versus the way they went about it, but if you could tap into that you'd understand they weren't trying to bug you but share something they genuinely found to be awesome.

Maybe the metaphor is obvious, but in case it isn't let me spell it out.

If you happen to be one of my readers who isn't fully on board yet with Jesus Christ, I'd simply offer you this analogy as another way to think about the people in your life who are. Specifically, no one is trying to convert you to "shop" as they do, but rather they're experiencing something they want to share with you. While you're comfortable sleeping, so to speak, they believe it's worth the risk to offer it to you. Imagine they've found the best deal out there - a $2000 HDTV on sale for $50 or a $500 trampoline for $25 - you have every right to refuse, but do you "get" why they're so excited to share it with you?

I know the rebuttal... "what if I keep getting calls from people pushing something I don't want?" It's simple. Either consider they see something you don't and trust in your relationship with them to give it a try... or stay asleep. A lot of people make that choice everyday. You can tell, because the very nature of their lives feels like they're sleepwalking.

Or maybe you're someone who has found that great deal and is wondering if it's worth it to share it with another. You know, it is a risk... without a doubt. You may offend someone, and they may not take your phone call the next time. Then again, you may help them in a way they wouldn't have otherwise been blessed by. Just this morning I made a call that helped someone else (who was, in fact, asleep in bed) find a gift I was only two feet away from. Because I did, they benefited from it - as did the next person they share that gift with.

Kind of like some good friends of mine who just a couple weeks ago were baptized for some genuine steps they've taken with God. They are celebrating out loud what Jesus has done within them, and that's largely because of what he's done in my wife and I and our willingness to make the "phone call."

Because wouldn't it be selfish to take part in something so cool and keep all the good news to yourself?

So... are you willing to receive that call?

So... are you willing to make that call?

Or would you rather stay in bed and not worry about either?

Sleep is, after all, quite comfortable.

We shouldn't disturb such things... right?

Everyone should do their own shopping and keep their noses in the own carts... that's the American way, eh?

"For it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'" (Ephesians 5:14)

teaching the world to Sing

I'd like to teach the world to Sing... in perfect harmony...

with its Creator.

But I get the sense that most people would rather just settle for kazoos.


Ah...

but then there are others...

others who lean in and learn the melody...

and get others tapping their feet to a new Groove.


Which are you?

how about you live it out right now?

You never know how someone who is "sure" there is no God will respond to God in you... when God in you is allowed to overflow out of you.

They may still be "sure" there is no God when all is said and done.

Then again...

maybe tomorrow they won't.



FYI: This is Penn Jillette, famous magician and pop culture personality

a sign of joy

So I'm in Michigan right now, hanging out at the in-laws for a few days to celebrate Christmas. (They have cable... I'd forgotten what a clear picture looks like on a TV)

On the drive over I saw a fellow on the corner in an old town we once lived in, doing his thing. It wasn't the guy in this video, but you've probably seen a guy like this in your town.



Once upon a time, this was my job.

Not literally, but... well... it's hard to explain. (My wife gets it, though.)

What I wanted to share is that our lives are like this sign guy. We're all pointing toward something, and if you recognize that you might want to be sure it's something valid you can enjoy pointing to.

In the Bible, we find words like "evangelism" and "worship" and complicate their meaning with things we do "in church."

But really... it's just the joy of being a sign holder, and letting that joy come out.

Maybe that's why so many people enjoy Christmas... people who may not normally realize how available "peace on earth" is and all the signs that are pointing to God all year round. This season causes us to put up our feet and recognize the Light of the world that shines in the darkness, though the darkness has not yet understood it.

And that's where true joy to the world can be found.

breaking the sound barrier

On Monday I kept an appointment I'd made the week before. Maybe that shouldn't mean anything, but it did to the person I connected with. He told me I was the first person in 11 years who actually kept an appointment with him.

11 years.

His name is Mike, and we met at the local grocery store last month. I was buying something small in the speedy check-out lane and started my usual routine of stuffing the receipt into my George Costanza overstuffed wallet while simultaneously holding the plastic bag in between my teeth (so I could fumble for my car keys). A few steps into the dance, an older gentleman caught my attention and asked if I was going anywhere near the downtown Square of our town.

"Sure," I said. "Do you need a ride?"

"Yeah," he said. So I told him I'd bring my car around to the front, and after a quick load in he continued the conversation with an introduction. "I'm Mike," he said, reaching over to shake my hand.

"I'm Tony," I answered. "Good to meet you, Mike."

"So Tony," he asked, "what do you do?"

I smiled. "Actually, I'm a pastor."

(Why do I always begin answering that question with the phrase "Actually?")

He smiled. "How about that," he said. "I'm an atheist."

(Yeah - that's why I always begin answering that question with the phrase, "Actually.")

I laughed out loud. "Well how interesting is it that we got matched up, Mike?"

The drive to the Square was only about 5 minutes, but we talked for about 15. At the end of it I offered to buy him a beverage one day at the local cafe, and he said that would be great. I gave him my email address, and he used it later that day to thank me.

Then I went on vacation. And when I got back... chaos.

But I emailed him a few times, letting him know that when I came up for air I looked forward to connecting.

Monday is when it happened. We met outside and chatted about this and that over ice tea. Mike is highly intelligent and is developing some rather profound insights on communication. You'd think he'd be sought after for such skills, especially in a world where people seem to miscommunicate more than they'd like.

Maybe that's why what he said was so amazing.

"You know, Tony, I'm going to remember this conversation for the rest of my life. I can remember dreams I had a month ago in great detail, so memory isn't a problem. It's just that I've only had two or three other conversations like this in my life that I've been mildly interested in remembering. You know that in the eleven years I've lived in this town you're the first person who kept an appointment with me? Most people don't want to make time for me because I'm old, or because I'm single, or had a stroke, or walk with a cane, or don't believe what they believe. And I suppose that's fine because if that's how they feel then I don't have much time for them. But I've really enjoyed this time and want to do it again when I'm done with my writing project."

Keep in mind, this is after I listened to him share about the things he cared about for a long time. Then he asked me to share about the things I care about - in my case, Jesus Christ, my wife, my boys, our church. Funny - he was quite interested in that... for an "atheist."

I wonder why.

We have so much potential for good... so much potential to change the world and help restore things back to their original intent.

And perhaps that's why it's so disappointing to the world when Christians come across as uncaring, hypocritical, or full of a lot of big words with little love behind them.

What if a simple love for our neighbor is as revolutionary as Jesus says it is?

There are a lot of really profound and beautiful things happening in the lives all around us... but sometimes it seems like there is this impenetrable wall of miscommunication.

Sometimes the best way to break the sound barrier between you and another person is to listen. It doesn't mean you approve of everything they say or believe, but it means that you take the time to listen so that you can love that person - instead of merely your "2-dimensional concept of that person."

We need to connect with others in their world before we attempt to share with them our own, let alone how we're all a part of God's Story.

That is, after all, just basic Christianity, isn't it?

I have great hope that it's just that easy.


May we become people who build bridges into the world around us.

May we care about who they are and invite them to share about the things they that keep them awake at night.

May we ask good questions that help them get in touch with the condition of their lives and souls.

May we be the person who keeps the appointment.

May we break the sound barrier.

And may we at the right time proclaim who Jesus Christ is.

(Even though chances are they've already recognized Him in your behavior.)

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)

pictures of salvation

It is absolutely wild how often you’ll find someone in a random public place taking a picture. Maybe it’s because the digital age allows us endless amounts of storage to keep our photos without any real expense, but this wasn’t always the case.

Back when people used standard cameras and had to spend money on film it seemed like we were a bit more selective about this. These cameras didn’t have a mini screen to show you if the picture had turned out or not, so you’d usually only find someone taking multiple pictures of something if it was real important and they wanted to be sure it turned out.

I’ve seen so many people over the years treat the issue of salvation the same way.

Maybe they pray a certain prayer to God during a church service with all their sincerity only to find that they’re tempted later in the week with the same old sins again. Suddenly doubt runs through their minds, and so they pray the same prayer again the next week, and the next, and the next. They truly want a relationship with the Lord but yet their life feels like the ideal picture of them with God never “developed.”

Too much insecurity.

Interestingly, others can be just the opposite and think that once they’ve prayed a prayer they’re done and can do whatever they want. It would be like taking a great photo of you smiling with your family but then treating them horribly in every moment after the picture was taken... this is a denial of the things a person who has the Spirit of God would exemplify - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness... and so on. Which situation do you think best captures the reality of that relationship – the photo with the fake smile or the disconnected relationship that vomits whatever it feels?

Too much security.

God didn’t want us to have to guess about our where we stand with Him nor did He want us to arrogantly abuse it, and so He offered a very clear Way to show us the Truth that offers us Life. Through Jesus Christ we not only get a “picture” of what God is like but also catch a “snapshot” of the life He dreams for us. Like a digital camera, we don’t have to wait until heaven to understand what is developing in our lives.

From Galatians 5:22-25, this is the picture that should be developing:

• Love: Am I willing and able to let all things I do track back to a spirit of love? Or do people feel that I'm a bit carnal?


• Joy: Do people around me get the sense I have a brimming joy in my life? Or do they sense that I'm somewhat bitter toward persons/people?


• Peace: Is there a sense of contement within me regarding my lot in life? Or is there insecurity in my spirit?


• Patience: Do I take the time to enter the world of others? Or do I demand that people follow my prescriptions for them?


• Kindness: Am I known for my kindness? Or am I known for speaking against people?


• Goodness: Do I practice my faith to bring about redemptive possibilities in others? Or do I create footholds for frustration and evil?


• Faithfulness: Would people say that I stick with God's plan in all the places I would prefer not to? Or am I selective in the Scriptures I follow?


• Gentleness: Would people describe me as a vice holding an unbroken egg? Or would they describe me as a vice with egg smashed all over it?


• Self-control: At the end of the day would my conversations/thought life have included a lot of "I don't need to do that so I won't" - or would "That's just the way I am so look out" dominate?

Obviously no one is perfect in all of these things, but I'd simply encourage you to survey the fruit God longs to develop in your life. Maybe you're like me and you don't quite know how the camera works... the point is that it does.

If you let it.

It’s my hope that wherever you’re at with this right now that you’ll take in the fullness of the “Big Picture” – not only so that you can enjoy a confident relationship as a child of God but also be able to explain it clearly to others through your words... and your life.

nwyc: atlanta - day two, part 1

It was the wee hours of the morning today...

I had left my comrades in our presidential suite room and headed down to the mezzanine (what a fancy word) to try to get my computer to work better. Rather, I was trying to get the internet connection to work better. I had ten minutes worth of stuff to do that ended up taking me two hours.

The good news, though, is that God apparently had some plans for me.

As I sat there, by myself at around 1:30am, another gentleman sat down. "Every time you think you're all alone someone comes to spoil it, eh?" he said with a smile.

"Oh, that's fine, man... no problem."

He settled into his space and began chowing down on some late night food. After a bit he asked, "So where you from?"

Ah... I realized this was a God window. I shut my laptop... dang it... really needed to send that email.

"I'm from Ohio these days... I grew up in the Chicago area, though. How about you? Are you traveling through?"

"I am actually headed to Florida," he said. "I'm from the Milwaukee area originally."

And so we chatted... he asked what I did... I told him... then he started talking about God... I listened... and then I talked about my story... he listened... and God's Story... he listened.

Somehow we got to a place where he felt comfortable to share something with me. Something that he's never told anyone. Something that deals with his sexuality preferences.

Wow. Wasn't expecting that one, God.

Somehow, though, this wasn't a conversation about "that." Rather, it was a conversation about the journey he was on with God. Again, not because I was talking shop but because he would say things like, "I wish I could be delivered from this... I want to be, I really do."

Wow. Wasn't expecting that one, God, either.

And so we talked... and I shared a few thoughts from the Bible (which I happened to have with me). We read through Genesis 1 and 2 together, for this is how God made us originally to be. Anything from chapter three on is all but a distorted picture of that, whether it's heterosexual or homosexual. Sure, we could argue one is more distorted than the other, but I find that while its easy to point out homosexual sin we often tend to excuse the heterosexual lusts many know all to well as "natural."

Anyway, this isn't a post about "that." It's a post about a conversation, because here's the kicker...

somehow in my sleep-deprived state (having just come off of ten hours of travel, with only three hours of sleep the night before, and three the night before that)...

he saw something.

Or rather, Someone.

"Can I just tell you something?" he began. "You have this... I don't know how to even describe it... it's like you have a beautiful spirit about you. I mean, I've never talked to anyone about this before and I feel like I can talk with you even though it's an awkward topic. You're such a beautiful person inside and I can't even tell you why. Does that make sense?"

Wow. Wasn't expecting that, God.

At the end of the conversation, he wanted another one. In fact, he'd like to take me out to eat with he and his "friend." I told him, "Sure, but just so we're clear, God does have a plan for your relational life and that's where I'm coming from. That doesn't mean He doesn't love you if you fall short in that, so if we get together again are you cool with me staying in that place?"

"Absolutely," he said.

So we'll see.

Oh, and I think I swung another three hours of sleep... somehow getting through the day.

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:5-6)

how then shall we be saved?

Disclaimer #1: If you have a theological box that you find safety in, now may be the time to acknowledge it and see if its sides are big enough for the discussion we're about to have.

Disclaimer #2: Please pardon the way these words do no justice to what I’m about to try to say, but yet how amazing it is to follow a God who can be completely known while simultaneously remains incompletely understood. Jesus Christ offered His divinely-human hand to a group of people who had no idea where the journey would take them once they grabbed it.

That sounds familiar to me.

One of the ways I’ve seen this over the years is in the mystery that it is to reach out to God through Jesus Christ… a little context.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8)

Wow… a clear picture of the principle I want to explore for a few moments in this post… one that is about to get very foggy.

---------------------

Now…

the question I’d like to propose is: How do you get “saved?”

(I know this isn’t an original question nor are the thoughts that follow necessarily a complete, air-tight, slam-the-Bible-down-got-it-all-figured-out answer to the question, but nonetheless I am compelled to ask.)

How do you get “saved?”

Do you get saved through something you say in a certain way… like a “sinner’s prayer” where you ask God to forgive you?

Then Jesus turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (Luke 7:44-48)

Interesting… especially since this woman who received forgiveness never asked for anything, nor did she say anything to Jesus... and then He just sort of told her... she was forgiven. Wow. My box just got bigger.

So… is it a matter of just believing, then?

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)

Interesting… so salvation comes about just by believing?

Or do you need to say anything out loud?

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Interesting… so salvation comes about by believing AND saying something out loud?

Is that it? Or is there more?

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

Interesting... so heaven will be full of surprises for those who think they're "in" - when actually they're not. Wait... I think I'm "in," so what does that mean?

Do I somehow have to clean myself up?

"As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over." (Luke 11:37-41)

Interesting... so all I have to do to become spiritually clean is just give to the poor? Wait... is that right?

This is frustrating and straining my box. How DOES one get to see the Kingdom of God?

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:3-6)

Interesting… so we must experience a spiritual rebirth to enter God's kingdom… life change? Cool... got it. Air tight now, baby.

So it's all about deciding to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Thats how someone gets saved?

Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9:1)

Interesting… it was through the faith of a bunch of friends that someone was saved… while the man himself… did nothing but lay on a mat? [also see Mark 2, 1 Cor. 7:16]. Is salvation then linked to other people?

So can one person who is reintegrated back to the Triune God through Jesus Christ become a kind of conduit… maybe like a "royal priesthood" and a "holy nation"… through whom the work of Jesus in his/her life can be extended to others... whether they ask for it or not?

To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. (1 Corinthians 7:12-14)

Interesting… entire households of people can become holy through the life of one person who authentically lives it out?

Or… does that original believer need to say something out loud so that those other people will say something?

For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:13-15)

Interesting… so it does matter that we tell them about the Lord so that they can call on the name of the Lord. Back to words, eh? Cool. Got it down now. Phew. Glad that’s back in my box now. (Wait… darn… it’s not staying up like it used to)

While we’re on the topic of the Lord, how much of Him do we need to know (or have a theological answer for) before we can call on His name?

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:1-6)

Interesting… so maybe salvation doesn’t come about by having all the answers but by asking the right questions.

On that topic, what about people who don’t have it all down pat and are kind of lost in an alternative belief system where they’re guessing their way through life and faith?

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. (Acts 17:22-23)

Interesting… so even people who are reaching out in untrue ways can find buried way beneath the surface of their false beliefs something very true and real… if someone helps them find the healthy beneath the unhealthy… the "water within the antifreeze" that is worth drinking if it can be completely separated, so to speak. (Wow... that sounds too dangerous... maybe I should go live back in my box again)

What about those who won’t ever have someone come out their way? What if the missionary’s airplane runs out of gas… or he gets speared… or she gets sick and has to go home for a health care and leave the natives behind?

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)

Interesting… so everyone has the opportunity to connect with God through His general revelation in all things.

Wait… everyone? So does it matter what you believe – a right way of thinking, so to speak - or is sincerity all that counts?

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3)

Interesting… so we do need to be on guard against things that smell like Jesus but really aren’t.

What does that look like? Does that show up even in the church?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

Interesting… so we need to be careful when we feel we have God down pat and are good note takers and AMEN’ers during the sermons… but never live the AMEN out in our lives?

Then… are we supposed to dive deeper into the truths of God… and where will that lead us when done in accompaniment with integrating those truths into our lives?

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:30-32)

Interesting… so exploring a healthy understanding of God should lead to obedience and not arrogance, evidenced in the freedom we enjoy and extend and not in more boxes that we put around ourselves and others.

So... did we answer the question?

If so, what is it?

If not, how do we?

----------

Here’s the curveball…

these are not contradictions in the Bible.

There is a consistent thread in all of this that I hope you caught.

While the Bible shows us that there are many different ways people come to God, every way always is through His Trinitarian grace… often in the way that makes the most sense to that person, even if the next person to come along does it a little bit differently.

Even if the next person to come along does it a little bit differently.

Even if the next person to come along does it a little bit differently.

Which can mess with your theology a bit, especially if you’re quite comfortable with your theological understanding of who is “in” and who is “out.”

And who ultimately gets to decide all of that?

In every case, Jesus is the one who declares who is in and who is out. Kind of like He glances at the homemade rule books we're using and says, "Yeah... um... I actually have an ammendment to that based on the Bible... which may or may not fit with the cliff notes you wrote in the margin."

In the Scriptures, people stumble into the kingdom in all sorts of ways.

Is salvation a destination? Or more?

Is it mathematics - a + b = C? Or more?

Is it a journey understanding that looks different for everyone and can't be articulated at all? Or more?

And for that, is the issue of assurance more important to the person or the Christian who is looking to validate their ministry? Have you ever sat through a sermon where the pastor insisted people come forward because "Jesus called people publicly?" Have you ever sat through a sermon where a pastor insisted people should pray a prayer quietly in their seats because it was a "personal thing between that individual and God?"

Yes and yes... and for that matter, guilty and guilty.

That's the rub... Christ-followers are called to talk about this. So how do you proclaim a message that is larger than our letters, more infinite than our finite minds, and more fluid when we want it to be more solid?

Maybe we just "point people to Jesus?"

Maybe we just "give people a sound theology?"

Or maybe we just eliminate the word/concept "just" from our theological vocabulary.

Here's what we know:

• There is no other name than the name of Jesus Christ that we are given to find salvation under/through (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
  
• God desires everyone to be saved and is not willing that anyone perish (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet.3:9).
  
• God cares about justice and will judge people fairly - in ways beyond our understanding (1 Pet. 2:23).
  
• God reveals Himself (general revelation) to people everywhere through creation and their moral conscience so that they can respond to Him as best as they know how (Rom. 1:20, 2:6-15; Ps. 19:1-4).
  
• Those who have heard about Christ and deliberately reject Him (whether by rebellion or indifference) will experience their choice forever (unless they turn back to Jesus) through a realm of separation and indescribable emptiness through pain we call hell (2 Thes. 1:9; Matt. 25:46; Rev. 21:8).

Here's what we don't know:

• Who is "in" and who is "out."


• The "right way" to tell someone how to "get saved."


• Who is "in" and who is "out."
  
• If the "sinner's prayer" is biblical in how it's often presented as an "all you have to do is..." deal.
  
• Who is "in" and who is "out."

Jesus warns that some of the people you assume are in may be “out," and some of the people you assume are out may be “in.”

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."(Matthew 25:31-46)

Maybe we should stop trying to sit on the fence and do His job... maybe we should instead seek to invite people of all spiritual backgrounds to trust the direction and details of their lives to Jesus TODAY.

Maybe we should encourage people inside and outside the church community to dig deeper and reintegrate themselves further to the Triune God, living in conscious union with the Father through Christ as led by the Spirit.

Maybe this has to all begin in us first, growing and developing in our human experience in this world right now... being sure that heaven doesn't turn into a destination we all "fly away" to but rather a realm where things are the way they should be... a realm that can be revealed "on earth as it is in heaven."

Maybe salvation is not a formula or a mere affirmation of a "get out of hell free" card, but is instead a change of identity... a reestablishing of a new address... something that shouldn't create its own subculture but instead recreate the entire world.

Maybe Jesus loves me...

this I know for the Bible tells me so.

And Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

when you make people feel LOST

So what is your spin on Jack and Kate being off the island?

What about those guys who took out the Dharma initiative?

Do you think the Others are really as organized as they first seemed?

Is Sun going to ever tell Jin the truth?

How much should we trust Juliet?

In case you feel lost, these are questions having to do with LOST - a popular TV show on ABC. While I enjoyed the finale that was on just a couple of weeks ago, I have really enjoyed talking with people about it.

My guess, though, is that unless you're a fan of the show you at some point asked, "What are you talking about?"

I was reminded of this recently when I talking with various people about the show and began my "rung" theory of conversation.

Rung 1:"We both watch the same show"

Me: "Do you guys watch any TV?"

Them: "Yeah... we're fans of Lost."

Me: "Me, too."

Me: (to self) "What does that mean? Once? Twice? Weekly?"

Rung 2: "We can talk about the concept of the show."

Them: "It's a pretty crazy show... I really like it."

Me: "Me, too... it makes me think, which I really enjoy. Most shows on TV I can predict what will happen, but this one always leaves my brain a bit wrinkled."

Them: "Mine, too."

Me: (to self) "I wonder if this person knows much more beyond what's on the TV Guide cover this week."

Rung 3: "We can talk about those involved in the show."

Me: "One of my favorite characters is Jack... I really identify with the pressure he's under at times. Then again, I also love Hurley's ability to cut through stuff with an open attitude and sense of humor."

Them: "What about that creepy guy who leads the Others?"

Me: "Ben?"

Them: "Yeah, Ben."

Me: (to self) "Hmm... odd that such a die-hard watcher wouldn't know Ben's name - maybe I should taper back my comments to this level."

Them: "Right, I always want to call him Henry Gale because that's how he was first introduced in Season 2."

Me: (to self) "Nevermind that last thought - obviously I'm dealing with a die hard here."

Me: (out loud) "Oh, yeah... that was a great reveal over time."

Rung 4: "We can talk about what we don't know about the show."

Them: "So do you have any theories?"

Me: "Everyone has a theory. So, yeah... I tend to stay anchored to a few ideas but feel comfortable asking questions and changing my mind along the way. That last episode really leaves you hanging, though, because you don't know where it will start next season. In previous cliffhangers you at least had that going for you."

Them: "What about that whole thing with Jacob? Or that guy with the eyeliner? Reminds me of a pirate. I wonder if he has anything to do with that slave ship that crashed on the island."

Again, I'm sure if you're not a fan of the show, I may have just made you feel LOST.

In fact, that's kind of my point. You see, while I was having that conversation there was another person involved who didn't know the show at all. He was doing his best to keep up, but really had to ask questions to keep up with the conversation.

"Ah, so they're on... an island? Like Survivor?"

"They crashed? Does anyone know why?"

"There's another group of people on the island? Are they good or bad?"

It got me thinking again about how much we can take for granted things in our conversation with others that unknowingly exclude those unfamiliar. We talk about that great camping trip "everyone went on" without realizing that there's someone in the room who didn't... or we start going into a cycle of dialogue with another person from a movie that only a few people in the room have seen... or we make grunting noises to another person and when another person gives us a puzzling look we say, "Sorry... it's an inside joke."

Just yesterday when our church gathered we actually had a marriage ceremony take place (yes, in the movie theater we meet in). Our worship leader and his fiance got hitched... and so we celebrated with them. This meant, of course, that we had a lot of visitors for the wedding. My favorite part of this was realizing how much we take for granted church terminology that they were unfamiliar with.

For instance, after the ceremony I heard things like, "That was a real nice... um... speech you did there." Another said, "You did a good job with that talking thing." My favorite was perhaps, "That was a real nice thought you shared. So what do you do full-time?"

And so I'd like to propose that my rung theory doesn't just apply to TV shows, but perhaps even within the church.

Rung 1: We both have had a church experience.

I've heard it said that many people today like Jesus but not the church. Jesus seems like a "cool dude," whereas the church seems like it's not quite like Him at times. Just this past week I hung out with a couple I'm doing pre-marital counseling with who pointed this out to me

Her: We're not religious people. I like Jesus and think He did some great miracles, but I'm not convinced that He was God. I have a whole problem with the way people make you feel guilty in the church and a lot of the empty rituals.

Him: I'm a bit of an agnostic myself. I have a hard time with the whole religious institution.

Me: Wow... thanks for sharing that. I'm not sure if you are expecting a certain reaction from me on this... so I'll give you one if you'd like just so we're clear.

Her: Okay.

Rung 2: We can talk about the concept of religion.

Me: I'm not into religion either, and I'm not sure that Jesus is. On this side of heaven we'll always have religion because a perfect God can't be completely figured out, but what's cool is that because Christianity is a relationship we can still journey with Him through Jesus Christ with clear steps.

Her: Hmm.

Me: And just for the record, I'm still happy to serve you both and do your wedding.

Both: Whew.

Rung 3: "We can talk about those involved in the church."

Me: Would you give me a few minutes to tell you a little bit about Jesus, though, as I've grown to understand Him?

Both: Sure.

Me: I grew up loosely Catholic, and then got to a place where I had a problem with the church in general, too. Lots of nodding our heads on Sunday and then living rather loosely throughout the week. I even got to a place where I was feeling rather atheistic, too. Then in high school a friend invited me to his youth ministry and I had an amazing experience in realizing that God wanted to relate with me personally... not religiously. I don't know how to describe the difference except to say that I began to learn from the Bible that He loved me as I was and yet wanted to love me toward who I really am.

Both: (nodding, listening)

Me: So I trusted my life to Jesus. This was in high school, and I had a good run with that. After graduation, though, I went through another crisis of faith and began wondering if I'd just emotionally trusted in Jesus or if there was credibility to my faith. It's hard to sum this up, but after a year long journey of suspending all that I'd learned, I came to realize that history and archeology confirms Christianity in its purest form. The problem is that a lot of Christians don't always represent this... have you ever experienced that?

Both: Yes.

Rung 4: "We can talk about what we don't know about God."

Me: So here's what I know... that God has revealed Himself in history as Jesus Christ. I know that's a hard swallow, but let's face it... even if Jesus were to be on Larry King tonight and prove His existence, there would be a billion bloggers and writers the next day talking about how it was all a big deception of magic tricks and special effects.

Her: That's part of the problem I have with this... the whole Jesus as God thing.

Me: Me, too... I don't fully understand it, but what I do knw this is - that if the world was broken - which I tend to think it is... not sure of your thought on that as you look around at the state of things - but if the world was broken, would we really comprehend a perfect God unless He made Himself known to us... and even then how much of Him would we get? How hard would it be to accept what He gave us about Himself without demanding that it all make sense? I guess that's the journey I'm on, and so if I can help you guys with yours I'd love to.

When I was in college a professor told me that if you ever came to a word in the Bible you didn't know, to just choose how you think it would sound and then say it out loud with confidence. You may be off a bit, but you will have taken the information given to you and done your best swing with it... and then find out if you hit a homerun or not.

I get the sense that's exactly how we need to live out our faith... while many would think if you can't say it with confident accuracy you shouldn't even say it all, I maintain that faith is a journey of steps... and we need to take that next step, whatever it may be, and be sure we help others take theirs.

While it's easier for me to write off people who don't follow my line of thinking as "those pagans" or "sinners going to hell," I get the sense Jesus has called us to build bridges of conversation. To not be inclusive in our holy huddles and be thankful we've all learned the secret codewords but to instead walk across the room and began talking with people where they're at... and loving them forward in the faith.

Perhaps just like someone did for us.

So while I have my theories on a TV show as well as a rather large God, I'd really love to hear yours... but ultimately, theories are just theories. In the end, it's the Writer who gets to tell us what is the Real Story.

And when that happens, I hope we're all on the same page... and that one feels LOST.

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:3-6)