Relevance, Part 2

Image by Lawrence OP via Flickr

When I look around at others, and I try to understand people's motives for church attendance, I am often baffled. I don't really understand why people choose to attend a weekly church service – or get involved at a deeper level. But my not understanding probably says more about me, then it does about the people I'm trying to understand.

Typically, I am not a joiner. I tend to not just go along because everyone else is doing something. As a certified introvert, I tend to prefer my own company over that of others. So, when I see groups of people gathering – for anything, not just church – I am left a little confused as to what their motives, or intentions are.

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The Kingdom Is Here

Many talk of their desire to have lived when Christ walked the earth. They imagine that if they were present with the master teacher that somehow their lives and their church would be quite different. But, they are mistaken. The things that we long for, the closeness that we imagine, the truths we think we would then understand are more available to us today than ever before.

The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to be closer to Christ now than when He lived on earth. If we truly believed this, how might it make a difference in how we lived and in how we ‘did church’? It is easy to grow complacent, secretly believing that living the Kingdom of God was for the disciples of long ago.

The truth, however, is that the Holy Spirit makes living a vibrant life and one of restoration possible for every person that desires it. The Holy Spirit knows no limits, no bounds, and no exclusions. Any true seeker may find. As Jesus reminded us, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door, I will come in and eat with them.”

We are living in a time of great invitation. The call of Jesus is going out across the world, “If anyone…” Are we open to meeting the needs of a hurting world? Are our arms and hearts open wide to anyone who might need the loving touch, the kind word, or the helping hand?

By studying the life of Christ we are made aware of the importance of the ministry of compassion. Jesus did not engage in the politics of the day, he did not debate theology or preach doctrine, nor did he shut himself away from anyone. Instead, he reached out to whomever had a heartfelt need and poured the love of Heaven through himself out into the world.

If we compare our lives to His, how do we measure up? How much time everyday do you spend in loving service to others for which you do not receive any type of reward or wage? Is there any group of people that you believe are excluded from the ministry of compassion through Christ, any group that you would not be willing to serve? Do politics prejudice you towards others? If someone has a different set of doctrines or doesn’t see eye-to-eye with you, can you still be in loving support of them? How inclusive are you? Where do you draw the line, or do you have a line? Do you think Christ excluded anyone?

These are difficult questions and they strike at the root of our own wounding and sense of scarcity. Imagine with me, a different way of being in the world—a way where we are healed of our sense of separation from God and from one another—a way of being where we do not draw lines of division and square off with one another in debate and conflict. Do you realize how much our current paradigm alienates us from one another and from the world?

It is only through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that we are able to move past these human limitations of pettiness and division. The Spirit alone is able to heal and restore the image of God within us. Salvation is for everyone. It is we who struggle to embrace the inclusive love of God.

We serve an abundant God. Perhaps we should start with ourselves—reveling in the outrageous grace of a compassionate Savior until we are so delirious with the good news that we our filled with compassion and love for others. The love of God crowds out any sense of superiority or exclusiveness. In fact, God’s love is so immense we will never, ever begin to wrap our minds around it. We can begin by writing a new chapter in our lives and in the life of our church. Let's start living the Kingdom of God now.

You Are the Light of the World

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14. These powerful words of Jesus point out to us what discipleship look likes. We are here to bring light into the darkness. To truly be filled with light means that we are filled with the power of an indwelling Christ. Our light comes from the covering of the righteousness of Christ.

If we are then filled with Christ and covered with light we will then be doing the works of Christ in the world. We will be his hands and feet and ministers to those in need. This is what it means to be the light of the world and to be the salt that seasons.

There is a disturbing trend in the church, however, that tends towards exclusiveness. It reminds me of the condition of the church when Jesus came to the world. If you recall, it was a very dark time in the history of our planet and a very dark time in the church. Religion had become a system of forms and elaborate rituals and sacrifices, but it was devoid of the virtues of mercy and of concerns for the good of the people. Only the “pure” were looked upon with favor by the church and the smallest of infractions could find one shunned and excommunicated from the body of believers.

Jesus was highly criticized because of the time he spent hanging out with people the church considered untouchable. They drank alcohol, they were sexually immoral, they had a lot of problems, and they didn’t even attend church. His great heart of love had the audacity to care for everyone, even the immoral Samaritan woman who had been married way too many times.

As a church, are we inclusive or exclusive? Do we shut those in need of the healing power of Christ’s love out because of what they do and how they behave? Do we embrace the power of the Holy Spirit and pray that we will be filled with the miracle working power of God so that we too, like the disciples of old will be able to minister to the healing of those in great need? Or do we live in fear, cloaking ourselves off from the needs of the world?

Do we take care of our planet or do we make excuses for our irresponsibility saying that it will all burn up anyway? Do we believe the majority of people are destined for the flames? Do we call every experience we cannot explain as being from Satan? Do we look for the Christ in people or do we look for the Anti-Christ? Are we a light on a hilltop or has our light been covered by a bushel because we are afraid?

The song “Onward Christian Soldiers” call us, not to be exclusive and ignore the needs of the world—that would be “Onward Christian Chickens”—rather to be a soldier of Christ means that we will work for the good of everyone. We will shine wherever we are and our lives will look a lot like Christ’s.

We can become so fearful of “last day deceptions” that we are useless as far as being a soldier for Christ. I am not speaking of being militant here, I am speaking of being compassionate, available, Spirit-filled, and burdened with the needs of humanity and a dying planet.

Fear is really mistrust of God. Fear separates and insulates us from the needs of those around us. Fear is selfish and is focused on a personal salvation only. When we are busy doing the work of God in the world we will cease to be consumed with our navel-gazing insecurities about our personal salvation. Moses came to an amazing place in his walk with God where he cared more for the good of the people he was trying to help than for his own salvation.

What I long to see is a church where we are more focused on how to make a difference than we are about protecting our fundamental 28. Our beliefs should make us ambassadors of God’s love. They should never insulate us from the needs of others. The world is dying for the light of God’s love. Let’s be a light to the world.

Seeking beauty

by Nathan Brown

In Breath, the most recent novel by Australian writer Tim Winton, one of his characters describes his first glimpse of surfing and compares it with the seeming absence of beauty in the everyday world of Australian masculinity:

“I couldn’t have put words to it as a boy, but later I understood what seized my imagination that day. How strange it was to see men do something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant, as though nobody saw or cared. . . . We never spoke about the business of beauty . . . but for me there was still the outlaw feeling of doing something graceful, as if dancing on water was the best and bravest thing a man could do.”

But, in describing surfing as “pointless and beautiful,” perhaps Winton misses the point of beauty—that in a world created and loved by God, beauty is never pointless. Beginning with a creation that was “excellent in every way” (Genesis 1:31) to the Old Testament poetry that exults in the wonders of the Creator to Jesus’ pointing to the flowers on the hillside (see Matthew 6:28-30), beauty is always a glimpse of the power, goodness and love of God, and an awakened appreciation of beauty a step toward connecting with that reality.

The pointedness of beauty is why theologian N T Wright insists on beauty as a key component of what the church should be pursuing in the world:

“the church should reawaken its hunger for beauty at every level. This is essential and urgent. It is essential to Christian living that we should celebrate the goodness of creation, ponder its present brokenness, and, insofar as we can, celebrate in advance the healing of the world, the new creation itself. . . . The arts are not the pretty but irrelevant bits around the border of reality. They are highways into the centre of a reality which cannot be glimpsed, let alone grasped any other way” (Simply Christian).

In our churches and communities, we need to find ways to encourage art in its many forms. Our church foyers can be exhibition spaces; our worship can be more than just singing and speaking; our artists need our prayers and practical support; our engagement with the community can include shared projects of creativity and beautification.

We need to make space for our painters and photographers, sculptors and poets, novelists and filmmakers, musicians and storytellers, dancers and actors, scrap-bookers and knitters, designers and animators. In turn, our artists must be serious and joyous, honest but redemptive and hopeful.

But our understanding of beauty also needs to expand beyond the arts to encompass so many others things we easily take for granted. Beauty is also created by our gardeners and cooks, our builders and homemakers, our tree-planters and professionals, our carers and counselors, our surfers and explorers, our mothers and friends.

And we are all part of it: there is engagement with beauty—and a contribution to it—in any moment of recognising and appreciating something beautiful. Then, in pointing out or sharing beauty with another, we become evangelists of beauty and thus agents of the kingdom of God.

As human beings, we create in these and so many other ways because God created, continues to create and will re-create a world in which beauty is never pointless:

“He has surrounded you with beauty to teach you that you are not placed on earth merely to delve for self, to dig and build, to toil and spin, but to make life bright and joyous and beautiful with the love of Christ—like the flowers, to gladden other lives by the ministry of love” (Ellen White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing).

Because of the reality of Jesus and His resurrection, and the promises of God and the hope they give us, we are part of a new kind of life in the world and “nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

This includes the creation or appreciation of beauty that we might otherwise be tempted to consider pointless. Amid the pain, fears and sorrows of life, perhaps dancing on water—or whatever is your creative gift or passion—is among the best and bravest things a Christian can do.

More than right

by Nathan Brown

Marcel posted about this back in February and a couple of paragraphs below are drawn from my comments then. But now having read Wright's book, this is an expanded reflection.


Theologian N T Wright made headlines—at least on the website of Time magazine, among others—in February this year with comments associated with the launch of his book, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.

Described by Time as “one of the most formidable figures in the world of Christian thought,” Wright is Bishop of Durham (UK) and, as such, the fourth most senior clergyman in the Anglican Church. Writing from his Anglican tradition, some of the assumptions around the edges of Wright’s book may challenge us but his core thesis is something to catch our collective Adventist attention.

According to Wright, most Christians have misunderstood and misrepresented the Bible’s portrayals of resurrection, the afterlife and heaven. Building on his previous strident arguments for the actual, physical resurrection of Christ, Wright urges that the focus of the New Testament is on our physical, bodily resurrection to live in a our recreated, restored and renewed world. He describes this as contrasting starkly with the traditional Christian imagination of disembodied souls floating off to “be with God,” to live eternally in some dreamy, cloud-like existence.

Reflecting on the post-resurrection physicality of Jesus, Wright urges a wholistic understanding of human being. And working with the exuberant descriptions in Paul’s writings, he argues for a larger understanding of the Christian hope of redemption and re-creation—a more hopeful and joyful kind of hope: “How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (1 Corinthians 15:57, NLT).

It’s always nice to have others recognise our doctrinal treasures. Despite his vagueness on the intermediate state after death but before resurrection and the nature of the Second Coming, there is much in Surprised by Hope to gladden an Adventist heart. But rather than an excuse for “I told you so,” perhaps books such as this should be cause for a moment of reflection and humility. When “non-Adventists” do “Adventist” theology better than Adventists, we need to ask ourselves some questions.

It seems that for years Adventist have argued the doctrine of the “state of the dead” but without doing much thinking on what this means for how we understand life, hope and salvation, and how we care for others and our world. Instead we have borrowed the same shallow view of salvation assumed by most of Christianity —that it's all about “getting to heaven when we die” or at the “end.”

We need to do better, to think deeper, to imagine and re-imagine—and theologians like N T Wright challenge us to do that. As the subtitle of his book suggests, Wright is not content to merely correct an error of doctrinal understanding:

“The promise of new creation—the promise we have been studying throughout this book—is not and cannot be simply about straightening out ideas about life and death.”

Instead, his focus is on what that better understanding means for the mission of the church in the world today: “Once we get the resurrection straight, we can and must get mission straight.”

As we move in our understanding of salvation from “going to heaven” to “being raised to life in God’s new heaven and new earth,” we begin to work with a significantly different picture of what salvation is. With the realisation that in the resurrection of Jesus a new kind of life has broken into our world, we begin to see this as a reality in which we can participate—and even contribute to—today.

Wright suggests three areas of focus for the church working in this world in the light of the hope of resurrection: justice, beauty and evangelism. Indeed, he argues that

“if [a church] is actively involved in seeking justice in the world, both globally and locally, and if it’s cheerfully celebrating God’s good creation and its rescue from corruption in art and music, and if, in addition, its own internal life gives every sign that new creation is indeed happening, generating a new type of community—then suddenly the announcement [evangelism] makes a lot of sense.”

Of course, resurrection and the ultimate redemption of creation is the work of God but Paul assures us that somehow acts of goodness, justice, beauty and evangelism done in this life matter and even somehow contribute to building God’s kingdom in our world now and in God’s future: “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NLT).

Your kingdom come

by Nathan Brown


Last year, a couple of weeks before a weekend speaking appointment, I was asked to present a workshop on the subject of prayer, in addition to the other meetings of the weekend program. As a fan of prayer but not necessarily an expert, being assigned the topic stretched me to think about the nature of prayer and how to explore the topic with a group of young people.

It seemed that prayer as a spiritual practice was best practised, rather than merely talked about. And so a one-hour workshop grew around actually taking the time to pray in a variety of ways, interspersed with a few personal reflections on what prayer is and why it is important in the life of the Christian.

It was a great experience. A couple of hundred young people praying together in complete silence is an incredible sound and was a highlight. But perhaps the aspect of prayer that has had the most continuing influence was the rediscovery of one of Christianity’s oldest practices—reading prayers. In the workshop setting, we simply read together the Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6:9-13, slowly, thoughtfully and prayerfully, letting Someone Else’s words speak through us and into our lives.

It’s a practise I have continued over the months since. Regularly in the mornings on my way to work, I have let the words of the Lord’s Prayer point me toward “our Father,” repeating the familiar lines carefully, tasting the reverence and relevance of the requests, and allowing the words of Jesus to echo in my mind. And I have got into the habit of repeating this at other times of the day and in other settings.

But there are a couple of lines, I often get stuck on, that my mind pauses on as I take in the context in which I might be praying the prayer: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as in heaven” (see Matthew 6:10). As the sun rises on a new morning on my way to work, it seems almost poetic. But in other situations, these words are more jarring.

And so it was that I found myself praying this prayer from time to time during a recent visit to Cambodia. But what does it mean to pray “Your kingdom come” amid the chaos of rush-hour traffic in downtown Phnom Penh, where the Hummers and Mercedes mix with cyclos, street vendors and beggars? What would change if the prayer, “Your will be done,” was answered amid the dust, the smells and the people of a small-town marketplace? How is “Your kingdom come” evident in an out-of-the-way village where knowledge of the God—whose kingdom it is—is all but absent? How does “Your will be done” have any significant reality when just 70 children out of the tens of thousands of orphans in Cambodia can be cared for in the small orphanage we visited?

Somewhere like Cambodia is a daunting context in which to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done.”

But Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed (see Matthew 13:31). And perhaps the greatest benefit for us in praying a prayer such as this is to begin to see the small things that just might be glimpses of that reality.

One morning, we were visiting a nearby landmark with a group from the orphanage. We had explored some ancient temple ruins and a little of the surrounding jungle, and were heading back for lunch when we caught up with a group of the smaller children, who had been playing together. As we fell in with this group, one of the little girls—perhaps four years old—reached up and took my hand. Immediately, I had to shorten my stride to make it possible for us to walk together. And so we did, until we arrived back at the rest of the group.

Sometime ago I came across a definition of Christian living:

“a little faith and two outstretched hands . . . reaching up to take the steady hand of Jesus and reaching out to steady someone else” (Russell Rathbun).

And perhaps this is part of what it means to participate in the kingdom of God in so many of the tragic contexts of our world—a little faith, two outstretched hands and a willingness to break our stride, our busyness, our hurry, our agenda so as to be able to walk with another person for a time in our respective lives. And perhaps together to pray, “Your kingdom come.”

Are you Lovable?

The American theologian and bible exegete, Ellen Gould White, writes: “No other influence that can surround the human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.”

Lovable Christian?

Jesus says the mark of a growing disciple is lovability (John 13:35). The first fruit of the Spirit is lovability (Galatians 5:22). God is, above all, lovable (1 John 4:16).

In a recent Barna survey, just 16% of non-Christians said Christians “consistently show love.” More than 8 of 10 would not say that followers of Jesus are lovable.

Contemporary Franciscan Richard Rohr observes:“[R]eligion has always distinguished education from transformation. Being informed is different from being formed, and the first is a common substitute for the second.”

Could it be that more colorful brochures, slicker sermon presentations, more “relevant” worship services, and better (doctrinally) informed church members won’t amount to much GC (great commission) success? Perhaps we need to be formed, not informed. Perhaps we need to move the 16% figure to 96%. Perhaps we need to go ahead and believe the words of our New Testament, "You can give your body to be burned, but if you are not lovable, this amounts to nothing."Perhaps we need to stop arguing—for God’s sake, and the sake of people—and, instead, become the strongest argument in the gospel’s favor.

What do you think?

Rap Session: Brian McLaren on Useful Perhaps

Christianity Today recently published a semi-negative review of Brian McLaren's most recent title, Everything Must Change. Brian is an author, speaker, networker and much appreciated voice in the Emergent conversation. Here was his response to the CT article...


A statement like "this changes everything" or "everything must change" is what one might call idiomatic hyperbole: rhetorical exaggeration for the effect of conveying an overall meaning that is larger than the sum of its parts. Thus, when I came to the book Everything Must Change, I didn't expect it to be a literal "theory of everything." That would be too much expectation for any treatise to bear. However, I was hoping for a way forward out of the gridlock of integrity that occurs when people of faith no longer expect of themselves that "words of wisdom would be ways of wisdom" (Arrested Development, 1992).

However, I do understand why some might take exception to Brian McLaren's most recent book , released October 2007. One major reason for consternation may be that Everything Must Change offers a hearing of the Jesus message that takes the gospel out of the battle for primacy in the global theater of self-aggrandizement. McLaren deconstructs the age-old debate of whose religion deserves top billing by conspicuously not participating in it. As opposed to hearing in the message of Jesus an exclusive call for Christians and the Christian church to be central in world affairs, he implores any (Christian or otherwise) who finds the way of Jesus inspiring to become integral in seeking justice, truth, peace and beauty in dealing with the biggest problems facing the world. Such a subtle yet profound shift undoubtedly unsettles many.

John Wilson, Editor of Books and Culture for Christianity Today, was certainly among those unsettled by Everything Must Change—in ways that he apparently did not appreciate.

I attended the launch of McLaren's Deep Shift Tour in Charlotte, NC. We gathered in a most beautiful urban arts commune, Area 15, embedded in the reconstituted NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte. The artists' home is an old warehouse that has been converted into gallery, gathering and prayer space and has had such an affect on the community that the City of Charlotte has asked the creatives of Area 15 to open a second studio in another distressed portion of the city. While there, I took the opportunity to invite McLaren's clarification of any of the issues raised by Wilson's article.

You may ask who am I to seek to challenge the collective wisdom of the Evangelical world's foremost public marketplace of ideas. To be honest, no one of much significance. Publicly, I am a simple storyteller, writer, activist and friend. Nonetheless, in a brave new wiki world, post-modernity, we are finally coming to recognize everyone's stake and the value of everyone's voice. And it just didn't seem right for Wilson's review to be the final word in Christian circles for what I and many others have found to be a most unsettling yet also inspiring declaration of revolt.

Q: Were you surprised to hear about the Christianity Today review?

A: In early or mid-January, a friend called me to express his condolences about a negative review in CT and to tell me not to let it get me down. I said, “What review?” It was a couple weeks before I actually saw the review, so over those weeks I imagined the worst. The review ended up being less negative than I had imagined it would be. John Wilson is arguably the best-read Evangelical in America and editor of a premier Evangelical publication in America, so I’m pleasantly surprised that someone of John’s stature would take the book seriously enough to engage with it.

CONTINUE READING This Changes Everything>>>

Big Wedding, Little Marriage

by Alex Bryan

The cost of a typical wedding these days can be enormous. $20,000, $30,000 and a whole lot more. Flowers, music, venue, food, pastor (that’s a big ticket item right there for sure), announcements, dresses, suits, ties. This doesn’t even take into account the honeymoon or all the gifts given to the bride and groom.

So, if more money is being spent on weddings than ever before, why are divorce rates not plummeting? Why are marriages not happier and more long-lasting than ever before? Why is this not the golden age of martial bliss?

How about this: what if a couple took half (say $15,000) the wedding costs and applied this to post-marriage counseling? What if they invested in mini-honeymoons twice a year for the first ten years of marriage? What if they took that money and found ways to invest in the strength and beauty of their relationship?

Switching gears now. Enormous amounts of time, money, energy, prayer, creative action are put into evangelistic meetings. Sermons, music, brochures, venue, Bibles, materials and on and on. So we should be in the evangelistic golden age of the church…. But the opposite is true. The non-churched statistics grow each year. We are not doing better. We are losing the battle.

An idea: what if we took half the money and energy and brainpower we put into “reaping events” (meetings designed to help people make “decisions” for Jesus) and instead invested this in training and equipping church members to build authentic relationships with people, create opportunities for them to serve the community, and invested heavily in their own growth as disciples of Jesus? What would happen if we put the majority of our money in SOWING AND WATERING instead of GROWING AND REAPING?

While wedding days and evangelistic meetings have their (important) place, I wonder if marriages and marriage to Jesus would be a whole lot better with greater emphasis on relationship-building over the long haul.

Photo credit: Martina Konietzny Photography

Israel, Adventism, and A New Wheel

By Julie Smith

There’s an interesting lesson to be learned from the history of Israel. Coming out of a culture of slavery and domination after 400 years in Egypt, they found themselves ignorant of the principles of living a life connected to their Creator.

Moses had his hands full when it came to teaching a large group of people how to have a relationship with a loving God based on the concept of an indwelling Spirit. They were accustomed to having an external locus of control—one in which they were told what to do rather than going within to consult with Spirit as to the best course of action.

How could it have been any other way? They were born into slavery and knew nothing else. By understanding this in all its implications we can begin to understand the reasons why God communicated with the children of Israel in the manner that God did. They needed direct, concise, imperative-command type instructions on what to do and what not to do. They also needed freedom from bondage—not only physical freedom but also spiritual freedom as well.

The introduction of the Sabbath principle, one that was not new but that was forgotten, was to remind them of the need for physical rest after years of non-stop labor. The health principles were introduced to give them freedom from disease after years of ignorance and being subjected to poverty and making do with whatever was available to them. Thus, you can see that God intended to introduce them to all of the principles of freedom available to them in their newfound emancipation that had been unavailable to them during slavery.

Sadly, over the course of their history they made these freedom guidelines into a new form of slavery and entrapment. By the time of Christ, the meaning behind the Sabbath and healthful living had been lost. They were thoroughly entrenched in another form of slavery—living life according to a set of man-made rules.

The Apostle Paul addresses this issue in the book of Colossians in chapter 2 where he addresses the intentions of God to have us live a transformed life. This is a life different from slavery where one is told everything to do and when to do it. It is a life of freedom from rules. The new guiding system is a Christ that lives within (see Col. 1). He closes the chapter with powerful words about living a life that is only guided by rules and not an in-dwelling Christ. “These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.” (Col. 2:23 NLT)

Hopefully, it is not too large a stretch for us to see where we might possibly have made the same error in Adventism today as the children of Israel did in the past. God offers us the idea of a Sabbath rest to release us from the tyranny of too much doing. God offers us suggestions on healthful living to release us from the pitfalls of disease. We have turned these into a substitute for an in-dwelling Christ.

Paul’s words are still good counsel for us today. All of the pious self-denial in the world is not a substitute for a relinquishing of our cherished ego and submitting to the Spirit’s power and control over our lives. There is absolutely no place in the Christian walk for our petty arguments over doctrine and some of the other detours we have taken over the past several years.

The invitation of Christ still calls out to us today, “Look, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will hear my voice, I will come in and eat with them.” Christ’s promise is one of restoration, rest, healing, and personal instruction. It is the in-dwelling Christ that allows us to enter into His rest. “Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

It is the in-dwelling Christ that allows us to become a light to the world. It is the in-dwelling Christ that insures that we will be the embodiment of the commands to love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves. If we want to “re-invent the Adventist wheel” this might be a good place to start.

God loves you

by Nathan Brown

As someone who sends many emails and letters every working day, I have spent a little time reflecting on how to add a simple statement of faith and encouragement to these communications. I wanted something that would be the one thing I would want someone to know if I had just a few words to share with them and one chance to do it. I also wanted something that could serve to remind life-long believers of the core of their faith and might brighten their day a little as a result of that reminder. And one final factor I was looking for was something that, no matter how many times someone read it, would always offer something to think about and be encouraged by.

Thus, many of my emails and letters are signed off with the simple sentence “God loves you.” The statement seems to fit all the above criteria well. But I have wrestled with using it in such a way because it almost seems too glib a usage for so profound a truth. Am I making this life-changing, world-embracing statement of faith too common by tacking it to the end of some mundane form email or letter? Or is that exactly where the love of God should shine, even amid the most ordinary aspects of our life and work?

I suspect the apparently common things of life should be illuminated by the love of God and that perhaps it is in the most ordinary of settings that God’s love is most significant. So, while I haven’t fully answered the questions in my mind—but I continue to do it.

And reasonably regularly someone responds to their “God loves you”—a quick thanks, a reminder in return that He loves me too or a more detailed response.

A friend wrote to me recently, responding to an email of encouragement I had sent to him and specifically commented on this habit: “Somehow I find the phrase ‘God loves you’ almost trite after my eyes have been burned with so much injustice and the stupidity of life on earth. But never at the end of your letter. You, I believe.”

I was humbled by his response—but also challenged. It is not enough to say it; we must also—in our interactions, by our conduct and by our own life of faith—begin to make it real. And to say “God loves you,” places a remarkable responsibility on each of us to be and share some small portion of that eternal love.

Of course, we’ll never get it right. We’ll never live up to the profound reality expressed so simply in those three words, which is why the statement must always point beyond ourselves. But in the humility that marks the kingdom of God we are entrusted with a part to play in being something of that kingdom to those we come into contact with, whether fleetingly or deeply.

And the foundation for this lies in beginning to appreciate what that means for us. What does it mean to us that God loves each of us? Can we begin to imagine what actual impact that has on the way life works? How does that knowledge change our life?

We all—at least, at times—struggle to grasp the significance of God’s love. One practice that helps me begin to realise the magnitude of what we so easily talk about is to sit in a shopping centre, park or airport and watch people going past, noting that every person who walks by is loved, uniquely and absolutely, by God. That changes the way we see others and we begin to see a world that, despite its obvious brokenness, is filled with the love of God—a reality that we can build our lives upon.

Perhaps if—like Paul—I was more verbose, “God loves you” would be expanded to something like: “May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:17-19, NLT).

God loves you.

Re-discovering The Story

If you asked what I believed about God as a child, I probably would've told you a story. I would've told you about the battle between God and Satan and how things went wrong, how Jesus made things right and how one day God is going to make everything new again.

If you asked me what I believed about God a few years ago, I would've probably launched into a logical, systematic explanation of the fundamental beliefs of our church, whilst praying that the listener (or I) wouldn't die of boredom in the process!

If you ask me what I believe today, I think I'd return to the old story that captured my imagination years ago as a child - "The Story" that drew me into choosing to be on God's side.

It's not that I don't appreciate systematic theology. But I (and my Senior Pastor, Andrew Skeggs) have come to believe that people would rather hear a story than a sermon. As I reflect upon the Adventist Church's history, I find it interesting that "The Great Controversy" story seemed to define our mission and movement for over century, well before the 27 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were voted on.

So at our church's annual business meeting, we made the decision to accept a complimentary belief statement. We're hoping the belief statement will help us to recover "The Story" that has inspired millions to join God in His mission to redeem and restore the world.

Check it out below... I'm keen to know what you think about it.

The God Story
We believe the Bible has been inspired by God to tell the story of God’s love for humanity, a story that continues to unfold today.

Creation and Rebellion
The one God in three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) created men and women in his image to live in loving relationship with him, others and creation. But human beings chose to join the rebellion against God started by a fallen angel known as Satan. Now humanity is flawed by the selfishness, fear and alienation caused by the separation from God known as sin.

God Reveals His Love through Israel
God is determined to restore his relationship with human beings and renew his creation. God chose Abraham and his descendants, the ancient people of Israel, to reveal his loving and just character to the world. God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and gave them a promised land as their home. Although Israel turned away from God many times, he never abandoned them, even when they were in exile.

Jesus – the Deliverer
In fulfilment of prophecy and promise, Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, became a human being to fully reveal God to humanity. Jesus came to bring freedom to all who are poor, oppressed, broken hearted or captive. He announced a new way of living based on God’s love. Jesus’ life, death on a cross and resurrection from the dead were the decisive events in the cosmic victory of love over sin, evil and death. He now freely offers this victory to human beings who can thereby experience abundant, transformed and renewed lives.

God Reveals His Love through the Church
Jesus has ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit in all his power to bless humanity. All who accept Jesus’ victory over evil and choose to follow him are called to be a Christ-centred community called the church who use their God-given gifts to worship God, love others and share hope with the world.

Through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ followers are devoted to living according to Jesus’ teachings and example in their every decision and action. This includes those to do with baptism, communion with God, health, resources and relationships. Christ-centred living expresses grateful worship in response to God’s presence in everyday lives and impacts a hurting and broken world with God’s love and justice.

Seventh-day Adventists celebrate God’s presence with them by setting aside every seventh-day (Saturday) as a special Sabbath time for focussed rest, worship and service for God with other believers.

God Restores His Creation
The church has often failed to live up to its calling to be the body of Christ. But God has continued to reform the church to be the people of God and engage in the mission of God in anticipation of the return of Jesus. Jesus Christ is now preparing to personally return to Earth a second time to fully establish God’s kingdom of love. Those who have accepted God’s love will be resurrected or transformed to live eternal lives. Jesus will take his followers to heaven for a time, and then return with them to cleanse the Earth from sin, rebellion, pain and death so that God’s children can enjoy his presence in the joy of a renewed creation.

As Jesus’ followers we work together with God to anticipate the restoration of creation by bringing God’s healing and love to our world today. We will share the good news of the eternal loving presence of God with the whole world.

Finding Middle Ground

As I continue to journey forward, I am excited to find there is revival riding on the wind. I'm hearing it more and more- 'Christ and Him Crucified' and see the amazing results upon the hearts and congregations of those who embrace it. The message is one of rest & gladness- it's not a new idea, rather an old, long neglected message.

Churches are now faced with a choice, to enter God's rest or reject the merits of Jesus Christ, clinging desperately to human obedience & standards- which are frail at best- to earn us favor with God. Many suppose they will march up to the pearly gates present a badge representing their denominational affiliation, church attendance card and resume' of an obedient, sacrificial life, thereby gaining admittance to the kingdom. However, the Kingdom seeks it's members TODAY- not in some future time. The Kingdom message is an undercurrent that builds, balances and assures the soul. It brings us out of the ditches and onto the middle ground.

There are two ditches and I've journeyed in both ruts:

1) I can do whatever I want, whenever I feel like it. If there is a God, He doesn't care what I do or how I live so I will gratify every whim. I can damage my body and destroy relationships any way I see fit- as long as I get what I want out of life.

The other extreme says:

2) I will be the strictest, most upright person I can be. I will keep the 10 Commandments and numerous lifestyle recommendations and teach others to do so- especially emphasizing the 4th Command. I will emphasize prophecy and present my church as having superior truths to any other. Any enjoyment I find in this life must be somehow displeasing to God, so I will sacrifice any & every pleasurable thing. I will be wary of forming relationship with anyone who does not think like me for fear of spiritual contamination. I will study and revere EGW as my prophet and make her the example to follow. I will hold her writings as equal in value to the Bible and will pick and choose quotes to use and go around correcting others with her words. I will protect my distinct church culture at all cost and by any means necessary.

BOTH sides are extremely self-focused and neither comprehend the great Love of God. There is a middle ground- a balance. Those resting in Christ and making Him their focus and security will learn how to love. We are only awakened from a lukewarm, Laodicean state by the passionate love of Christ- which warms the heart. By beholding Him, we will be changed into His likeness. According to Corinthians, "Love is not self-seeking, it is not puffed up or conceited, it is not arrogant or rude... It is patient, kind, forgiving, it takes no delight in pointing out wrongs..." Those in the middle ground know their sins are forgiven and can rest in the merits of Jesus. This makes them more relaxed and pleasant to be around because they are no longer under a constant burden of striving for perfection. They are more understanding and accepting of others because they have a realistic view of where they stand before God. These people are attractive because they are humble and do not pride themselves in being the "last remaining guardians of truth". They know how to love and don't hold back in offering help to those in need. They realize it's not a sin to enjoy some material pleasures, but that putting their own wants above the needs of others is neglecting Christian duty. Those in the middle ground have seen the depth of their own sinfulness, they have been broken and realize their great need of a Savior, but they do not wallow in despair. They fully embrace the victory for what Christ has done for them and move forward in faith.

Things are becoming clearer to me in regards to my beliefs. Des Ford once summed it up like this:

False religion majors in law and minors in love.
True religion majors in love and minors in law.

The first majors in what God requires of us.
The second majors in what God has done for us.

One religion puts all stress on Christ as the example to measure up to.
The other puts emphasizes Christ as our substitute and representative.

One is a religion that leads to bondage, despair and death.
The other is a religion that leads to joy, freedom, salvation and life eternal.

Scripture says that we were all born into sin without asking for it- that we inherited a sinful nature. The evil serpent has bitten us all. But the Gospel teaches that we have all been saved by the atoning work of Jesus Christ our Lord who said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me." . See 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. Romans 5:10, Romans 5:18-19.

The Good News is that our sins were crucified with Christ- nailed to His cross. Therefore, the Old Covenant Law has no more power to condemn us than to condemn Christ. The moment we believe, Christ's own perfect robe of righteousness is laid upon us and remains ours for all our days- if we continue to look to Him, despite a hundred or a thousand failures on our part.

I think back to the story of the serpents in the wilderness. A host of vipers came into the camp of Israel, biting everyone. All the dying Israelites had to do was look upon the metal serpant Moses held upon the pole and they would be saved. Many failed to perform this simple act of faith and perished because it wasn't scientific or theologically complex enough for them. Are we any different today? To look to Christ and live seems so simple- many feel it is below them.

At all stages of our experience we are saved by faith alone, though the faith that saves is never alone. We are not saved by faith PLUS works but by a faith THAT works. This kind of faith does not come from man, but from the Holy Spirit's indwelling.

For the whole truth compare: Galatians 5:6; Galatians 6:15 and 1 Corinthians 7:19. Even on Judgment Day we will be saved by faith alone- though our actions will testify to the reality of that faith despite our own infinite imperfections.

Come to the middle ground and rest. Look upon the Savior and live. Taste and see that The Lord is good!