Mere Christianity - Theology

In my college years, when I really started to get serious about following after God, I hated the word "theology." I thought, "The study of God! How dare we, the creation, think we could study our Creator in the same way scientists study animals and matter and things like that; as if our minds were capable of figuring Him out." I've matured a bit since then and realized that theology is not a bad word, and not always a bad concept if approached and used in the right way.

C.S. Lewis' had some great thoughts and analogies to explain why theology is important. These quotes come after his recounting a conversation with a man who shared about a real encounter with God that he had in the desert. This man said that Lewis' theological ideas (founded on Christian theology) were petty, pedantic and unreal to anyone who had met the real thing. Lewis' didn't doubt the experience this man claimed to have had, but continued on with this thought...

"...if a man has once looked at the Atlantic from the beach, and goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he also will be turning from something real to something less real: turning from real waves to a bit of coloured paper. But here comes the point...(the map) is based on what hundreds of thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic. In that way it has behind it masses of experience just as real as the one you could have from the beach; only while yours would be a single glimpse, the map fits all those different experiences together. In the second place, if you want to go anywhere (beyond the beach), the map is absolutely necessary."

"Doctrines are not God: they are only a kind of map. But that map is based on the experience of hundreds of people who really were in touch with God...if you want to get an further, you must use the map."

"...Theology is practical: especially now... Everyone reads, everyone hears things discussed. Consequently if you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones- bad, muddled, out-of-date ideas."

Psalm 107 - Crying Out to the Lord

This morning as I was praying through Psalm 107 I was drawn to a repeated line that says, "then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble." What was really neat was the different types of people described in this psalm who were crying out to God for help; wanderers, criminals, fools, sailors caught up in storms, the hungry and needy. In all cases, God delivers them, even when part of their trouble was brought on by His hand (usually a consequence of their sin). The response that this psalm calls for is that those who were rescued in these instances would give thanks and praise to God for His grace, and that those of us reading this psalm would take these things to heart and "consider the great love of the Lord."

If we are "wise," as the psalmist says, and do take these things to heart, I would think that it would have an effect on us to praise and thank God for His wonderful deeds bestowed upon humanity. Might it also remind us that when we are faced with troubles, even ones that we bring upon ourselves, we too can cry out to the Lord and look for His merciful hand in our lives. Then we too could testify to His unfailing love, and by our praise cause others to praise Him and learn to cry out to Him as well.

Alone Time with God

"Prayer is the Nerve Center of Fellowship with Jesus... Therefore, we learn that no Christian can have fullness of joy without a vital fellowship with Jesus Christ. Knowledge about Him will not do. Work for Him will not do. We must have personal, vital fellowship with Him; otherwise Christianity becomes a joyless burden."

~John Piper, Desiring God

For a few months now I've felt like my focused alone time with God has not found consistency in my daily schedule. And, when I do finally set some time aside each day, it is easily interrupted. I'm sure many can relate to this. I have some reasonable excuses (like a new baby), but none that should make it impossible. The Holy Spirit has brought this matter to me a lot in the last week through several different books, magazines as well as just speaking to my heart. I wanted to share a couple of those thoughts because like I said, I'm sure I'm not the only one that needs to work to spend more quality time with God.

One way God has challenged me has been through a book called Prayer and Temperament, which talks about different personality types and the methods of prayer that tend to work best for each basic personality type. Working through the prayer exercises for each example has helped me to spend more time in prayer and to get different kinds of fruit from the different prayer methods. But even beyond that, just reading about the different saints/servants of Christ who are associated with each of these prayer methods has really inspired me to want the kind of life devoted to prayer that they had. It is obvious that God worked so powerfully through them because they were regularly getting away and interacting with Him on a deep level, and not just out of duty, but because they wanted and needed it.

A few days ago I read an article by Vicky Beeching in Worship Leader Magazine, and she had some similar comments about being inspired by the prayer lives of some Christian monks, nuns and "mystics," and the writings that came from their times with God. Though the article was talking about the positive aspects of ministering via online resources, blogging, twitter, etc., Vicky made the point that those who use these tools ought to be intentional about sharing God's heart, not just spewing stuff out to have new content or to keep people's attention. And of course the way she says we will get in touch with God's heart and have messages of truth worth sharing is by drawing away and getting alone with God. I would add that even if you're not doing online ministry or aren't in vocational ministry, it is still important that you hear from God's heart too, so that you can share it with those God puts in your life.

Now, specifically thinking about my situation as a "minister of worship" or for others who are in vocational ministry, God has impressed a passage from Acts 6 upon me about the importance of our prayer lives in order for us to fulfill our calling to preach, teach, counsel, lead worship, etc. In Acts 6 the need arises for the apostles to appoint a group of men to manage the needs of the poor because it wouldn't be appropriate for them to "neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables." That might sound harsh, but the issue was not that they didn't take the needs of the poor seriously, but that they recognized the need for them to focus on preaching, teaching and praying. Note that their time and attention wasn't just on the Word, but in prayer (Acts 6:3). The ministry of the Word hinges upon the prayer life, but is often neglected because of the business of life or by other elements of one's ministry work. If you have been blessed to work in ministry, then I think this passage tells us that we ought to be dedicating a portion of that time in prayer. (Another side note, this doesn't mean that those who minister to the poor can neglect prayer and the Word of God. The most incredible ministers to the poor I've met have been people of prayer and full of the wisdom of God's Word.)

So, all this to say, in the words of John Piper (again)...

"Let us take time this very day to rethink our priorities and how prayer fits in... Don't be tyrannized by the press of busy days."

~John Piper, Desiring God

Mere Christianity - Faith

Some straightforward, but serious considerations about what genuine faith looks like according to C.S. Lewis.

"Now faith in the sense in which I am here using the word, is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods."

"...If what you call your 'faith' in Christ does not involve taking the slightest notice of what He says, then it is not Faith at all- not faith or trust in Him, but only intellectual acceptance of some theory about Him."

"...if you have once accepted Christianity, then some of its main doctrines shall be deliberately held before your mind for some time every day. That is why daily prayers and religious readings and church-going are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe."

Lewis' use of the word 'deliberately' is key here. This quote reminds me of portions of Colossians 3 where Paul encourages us to "set our hearts and minds on things above" and to "let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another...and as you sing psalms hymns and spiritual songs." What Lewis says here is particularly important for worship leaders and pastors to keep in mind. It is so easy to get caught up in making the music great, or being therapeutic in your message, or making sure every last detail is covered (so the 'program' runs as smooth as possible). But we must deliberately set out to help our congregations set their minds on the truth about God, and our identity in Him as followers of Christ. That is where the focus ought to be. Obviously this quote is also a good reminder to all Christians as to why both corporate worship and personal prayer/devotional times need to be a priority in life.

Christian Aid Worker Killed in Mauritania

Islamic extremists shot and killed an American teacher in Mauritania on June 23, because he was spreading Christianity, according to a report by Compass Direct News.

Christopher Leggett, 39, was killed in front of the language and computer school he ran in Nouakchott, the capital city. The North African unit of the al-Qaeda terrorist network claimed responsibility for the murder on a Web site, accusing Leggett of "missionary activities." A North African al-Qaeda spokesman aired a statement on an Arab TV station saying the group killed Leggett because he was trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.

Please join The Voice of the Martyrs in praying for Christopher Leggett's family in this time of grief. Pray they will find comfort, strength and peace in the Lord. Pray their testimony of forgiveness for those who took Christopher's life would serve to draw others to Christ. Pray the attackers will be found and brought to justice.

Mere Christianity - Hope

I found Lewis' thoughts on Christian hope to be very balanced in both urging us to fix our eyes on the world to come, and yet not letting that cause us to neglect our callings to do Kingdom work in the fallen world we currently inhabit. These quotes are great supports for why anticipating the future (as Robert Webber emphasizes in Ancient Future Worship) is such essential content for our worship songs, prayers, etc.

"This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal is not...a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is."

"It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so in effective in this (changing the world for the better)."

"I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same."

Mere Christianity - Loving God

These quotes come from a chapter on charity and/or love. They address the problem many people might have in loving others or loving God. Very appropriate since many people today still rely so much on their "feelings" to motivate them to do something, or to think something is true or worthwhile.

"Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the greatest secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."

"They are told they ought to love God. They cannot find any such feeling in themselves. What are they to do? The answer is the same as before. Act as if you did. Do not sit trying to manufacture feelings. Ask yourself, 'If I were sure I loved God, what would I do?' When you have found the answer, go and do it."

And then the humbling one about God's love that ought to elicit praise and inspire obedience...

"But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His (God's) love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him."

Desiring God and Suffering for It - Part 3

The apostle Paul made it clear that no amount of suffering, not even death could sway him from following after Christ. "To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phillipians 1:21). Piper says that ,"Paul wanted what would bring the deepest and most lasting satisfaction to his life, namely, being with Christ in glory. But not alone with Christ...The pleasures at Christ's right hand are public pleasures, shared pleasures, communal pleasures." We need to recognize that Paul's choice to suffer was not just about his personal gain of Christ, but it was that he might gain the faith of the nations because "...in their joy in Christ, his joy in Christ was greater..." No wonder Paul was so driven to bring the gospel everywhere that he did. He knew that "his own personal enjoyment of fellowship with Christ would be eternally greater because of the great assembly of the redeemed enjoying Christ with him."

Along the evangelism line, Piper makes an interesting point about how our suffering (fueled by the hope of shared pleasure mentioned above) can actually be what brings unbelievers to faith. In Colossians 1:24, Paul talks about filling up what was lacking in Christ's afflictions with his own experiences of suffering. Piper is quick to assure us that this passage is not denying the completed work of atonement that Christ accomplished through his incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. Rather, Piper suggests that Paul meant that he saw his own sufferings as exhibiting the sufferings of Christ to those he was trying to bring to faith in Christ. We make the "afflictions of Christ real for people by the afflictions we experience in bringing them the message of salvation." That's a new concept for me, but I definitely agree with this conclusion. "The startling implication of this" Piper says, is that "the saving purposes of Christ among the nations and in our neighborhoods will not be accomplished unless Christians choose to suffer."

Piper supports this idea by sharing a passage from a book written by a former Russian secret police officer. This man would raid prayer gatherings and inflict extreme brutality on believers. There was a woman named Natasha who was present at many of the meetings that he would raid. No matter how bad she was beaten, she would not renounce her faith or stop attending worship gatherings. This man later became a Christian and credits his memory of Natasha's willingness to suffer as part of what made him recognize the preciousness of Christ, that she counted her own life worth losing for Christ's sake. What a testimony!

So, Piper says that "No one who knows and loves Christ can be content to come to Him alone." Based on the ideas I just shared, I take him to mean, at least in part, that someone who knows and loves Christ "loves the brotherhood of believers" (1 Peter 2:17), finding greater joy in being an active part of His church rather than neglecting thing like fellowship, corporate worship, service, etc. It is also their desire to be a part of adding to the number of the redeemed by sharing the gospel with unbelievers. Those believers out there who have been hurt by "the church," or have experienced rejection and persecution for sharing their faith might have a hard time with these points. All I can do is remind them that Jesus never abandoned His disciples (the beginnings of the church), even though he knew they would fail him multiple times and would abandon Him and even deny they knew Him. He preached the good news of the kingdom of God even though He knew he'd be rejected by many, even His home town, and would eventually be crucified for the truth He proclaimed. He did this "for the joy set before Him" (Heb. 12:2). May we be motivated by that same joy to love the church and add to it's number, even when, no, especially when it hurts.

Mere Christianity - Pride

This has got to be one of my favorite quotes from this book! It gives us a great place to approach God from, and for those of us who have pride issues, it sure does put us in our place.

"In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that- and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison- you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."

And another good one. However, as much as I talk against the me-focused worship issue, I don't know that forgetting about yourself completely is necessarily what should happen in God's presence. By still thinking about ourselves in light of God, we can find ways to praise Him, recognizing His loving works on our behalf, and also thinking about how we can respond to His revelation of Himself to us. I think I'm being a little over analytical though, Lewis is just trying to make a strong point :)

"The real test of being in the presence of God is, that you forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. It is better to forget about yourself altogether."

Mere Christianity - Inside Part of the Soul

"Remember, we Christians think that man lives for ever. Therefore, what really matters is those little marks, or twists on the central, inside part of the soul which are going to turn it in the long run into a heavenly or hellish creature."

It occurs to me that Lewis knew all too well, in his cultural context in England, the problem of people being outwardly civilized or moral,but still being "hellish creatures" on the inside. So, throughout the book he reinforces a spiritual formation concept like the quote above. After all, living out the Christian life depends on us being made into the image of Christ from the inside out.

"There is a difference between doing some particular just or temperate action and being a just or temperate man. Someone who is not a good tennis player might now and then make a good shot. What you mean by a good player is a man whose eye and muscles and nerves have been so trained by making innumerable good shots that they can now be relied on. They have a certain quality or tone when he is not playing, just as a mathematician's mind has a certain habit and outlook which is there even when he is not doing mathematics. In the same way a man who perseveres in doing just actions gets in the end a certain quality of character. Now it is that quality rather than the particular actions which we mean when talk of virtue."

Mere Christianity - Marriage

Day two of the C.S. Lewis quotes puts into words something that I've personally thought for a while, where marriage in our general society is concerned. As Christians I think we always need to be careful not to expect or impose our morality on those who are not professing a saving faith in Jesus (much of our nation). See 1 Corinthians 5. Not that we want to discourage people from getting married, but we shouldn't put all our energy into forcing our society (who doesn't view the Bible as the truth) to abide by the same biblical standard that we do. Lewis says it better than me of course.

"If people do not believe in permanent marriage, it is perhaps better that they should live together unmarried than... make vows they do not mean to keep... they will be guilty of fornication. But one fault is not mended be another: unchastity is not improved by perjury."

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity