truth

Christianity Doesn’t Work for Me

Christianity Doesn’t Work for Me

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Working downtown often leads to unexpected encounters. Not long ago the sun was finally making an appearance in the midwinter sky. Although the air still had a bite, I couldn’t resist the lure of the sun on my face. Sure, I had a reasonable lunch in the fridge, but sometimes a short walk to my favorite lunch destination is the wise choice.

There’s always a line at Boston. The food is the best downtown and they move folks through in a hurry, though. Even if the line appears excessive, the wait is never long and the food is always worth it. As I flew through the revolving door into the art deco lobby, I ran into an old friend. Literally. We brushed ourselves off and began to catch up while waiting in line. 

It’s easy for friends to drift apart. Nothing traumatic needs to happen…we can just naturally drift when our paths stop crossing frequently. That had happened with Pete. We began to catch up like long lost brothers, sharing the latest about our jobs, spouses, and kids, and then pivoting into those hopes and dreams that seemed so important to us all those years ago. By the time we had our sandwiches and sat down, we were going deep. He always had a passion for service and for the work of the church, so that was a natural trail for the conversation to follow. 

“Nope. Not anymore. Those were good times, but I’m not doing that now. Life gets busy. Kids grow up. Seasons change.” 

I hear excuses like that frequently, but I wasn’t expecting it from Pete. He and his family always seemed so…engaged. Captivated. All in. I sensed there was more to the story, so I responded, “Pete, I never would’ve expected that from you. That love you had was deep. Did something happen?”

“To tell you the truth, most people are satisfied with that answer and leave it alone. I should’ve known you’d dig! Honestly, after following that path until I was at the end of my rope I made a discovery. Christianity doesn’t work for me. The last straw was when we were prepping for a mission trip a few years ago. This was before the kiddos moved out, and we were excited to go as a family. As we were finalizing the last details, we got a call from the financial secretary. The money for the trip was gone. Transportation, food, lodging, supplies, and all the other miscellaneous things that kids had been fundraising for…all gone. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t a lot of money…18K or so. Not enough to retire on, but way too much to scramble for at the last minute. We were devastated. What had happened? That was the worst part. A staff member at the church drained the account and left town. The church decided not to press charges because they didn’t think it’d be the Christian thing to do.”

“So, Dave, that was it. Seeing the pain my kids endured…the loss and the grief…watching them process the betrayal by those they loved, looked up to, and trusted…that was too much for me. I had to walk away. That’s when I realized Christianity doesn’t work for me.” 

I was shocked. Although I knew where he attended, those details were unknown to me. I guess they didn’t make the news. My heart broke for him and for his family. That pain is deep. Real. Visceral, even, especially for a father who loves his family as much as I knew Pete did. 

“Wow, Pete. I had no idea. I can’t even imagine how badly that hurt.”

We continued to talk for a bit. We both had hurts to share as well as some great successes to celebrate. It was great to catch up over a Cuban. We promised to try our best to reconnect more frequently, both probably somewhat aware we would again fail miserably. After a quick bro-hug, we went our separate ways back to our offices. 

As I walked back my mind went back to that phrase, “Christianity doesn’t work for me.” It seemed to be working for me, even through numerous hurts. But there was something more to it I was trying to pin down. Walking that last block back to the office, it hit me while waiting for the “walk” sign. I’m not a Christian because it works or doesn’t work. That would be what’s called pragmatism. Pragmatic people go with what works, without digging too deeply into the hows and whys. For some people, they grab onto a belief system that works for them in their current life situations and goals. It works within the crowd they’re running with. It’s “true” to them because “it works.”

That’s a common way to believe. In fact, when it comes to religious belief it’s likely the most common way to believe. Even people who adopt the beliefs of their parents fall into this category. It “works for them” to believe what their parents believe for many reasons…a big one is that it makes things easier at home. What they find in large numbers is that when they move to the next phase of their lives, something other than the beliefs of their parents work even better for them, as they discover new friends and new life goals. They cling to entirely different and even contradictory systems of thought and belief in each season of life.

We have a tendency to divide the things that shape our lives into “things that are true” and “things that work for me.” The former are things like putting gas in the tank of your car, showing up to work, and keeping enough money in the bank to cover the bills. What falls into the latter are things like morality, our view of humanity, questions about what happens when we die, how we should develop and maintain relationships. All the questions that tend to be covered by spiritual beliefs–even if claiming to have none–often fall into the category of pragmatism. They are malleable and fluid.

This pragmatic approach kind of makes sense within many different religious systems (and non-religious systems). In fact, they demand it, because although they attempt to explain the way those elusive things are, they don’t claim to be empirically true or verifiable. Christianity isn’t like that, though. Christianity boldly claims to not just explain how we got here, where we’re going, and how we should live…it claims to be true. Like…really and totally true. Christianity properly understood corresponds to the reality we live in when we test it. 

In 1 Corinthians 15:14, Paul says “…if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.” Paul most likely wrote this around 20 years after the crucifixion. Not only were Peter, John, and many other disciples still alive, there were countless other eyewitnesses to the crucifixion and resurrection. Paul was inviting challenges at a time when it was still possible for eyewitnesses to prove him (and the basis of Christianity) wrong.

Back in my atheist days I would boldly (and naively) claim that science couldn’t prove the existence of God. Faith was nothing more than wishful thinking without evidence. But this claim from Paul invites a challenge from a discipline that predates science. It’s a truth that can be investigated historically, and has been.

When I endure the inevitable trials of life, I don’t walk away from Christianity. When I am hurt and even betrayed by those claiming to be representatives of Christ, I don’t contemplate if Jesus is working for me or not. I can’t. I’ve scoured the evidence for Christianity and the experiences of Christianity and found that I’m standing on solid ground even in the storms. It has been thoroughly tested and holds true. And so when I struggle and when I wrestle with doubt, the words of Peter in John 6:68-69 come to mind, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

I hope Pete and I run into each other again soon. I know he has seen the goodness of God, and I’m looking forward to reminding him of where our hope is anchored. 

Contend!

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Contend for the faith… I’ve been wrestling with this verse all week. That’s kind of funny because the Greek word for “contend” has an athletic connotation to it. Wrestle. Fight. Struggle. It seems there is much of that everywhere I look.

It’s easy to stumble across verses like this and misinterpret them as a clarion call to declare war against those outside the faith. That wasn’t Jude’s intent. His warning and call to action was to fight for the faith within the church. As we read the rest of the verse we see an implication staggering to our modern, enlightened minds. Stating that the Christian faith was “delivered to the saints once for all” is a bold claim that God’s truth doesn’t change. It says there was a message delivered by Jesus in the early 30s AD and that message has not changed.

By the time Jude was writing this just a few decades later, there were people inside the church claiming to have new interpretations, revelations, and applications of God’s truth. They claimed that truth changes with the time and culture. They claimed God adapts to each generation. They claimed that if Jesus were ministering on earth today, His message would be similar, but different. What Jude knew and what we must realize is that those outside the church will always disagree with the believers. That’s to be expected. Although our deep desire is for them to agree with us, our methods are different than wrestling and “contending.” But when those inside the faith begin to undermine and distort God’s truth…that’s when we are called to contend.

And so Jude’s clarion call was for those inside the church to wrestle with God’s timeless truths. We are to recognize that His truth never changes and the redemptive work Jesus left for His followers is the exact same as the day He ascended. And the beauty of it is that we aren’t called to quell conversation. We aren’t called to fight using the weapons of this world, but with grace and without compromise. Each generation brings relevant challenges which need to be fleshed out anew in a way that refines our understanding but will never undermine it. This is precisely what has happened countless times over the years, from the Jerusalem Council in Acts to the Council of Nicaea, the Council of Chalcedon, and countless others.

Jude’s challenge is a call to be both wise and humble with our discernment, carefully and intentionally train others in the skill and art of Scripture Interpretation and Godly living, so that when we are gone the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all will continue to be in good hands. If our most precious beliefs were given once for all, it is our duty to diligent seek the timeless Biblical truths that apply to all people in all places at all times, today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Every claim about our faith must meet this standard, and if it does we must contend for it to remain treasured and undistorted.

The Beginning

The Beginning

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Our Story

As our calendars changed from ‘17 to ‘18, a bunch of us embarked on a journey through scripture together. There are no checklists or daily reminders. There is no guilt or condemnation. Our strategy is grace-filled engagement with the Bible. The guideline I recommended was about a chapter per day through Luke and then Acts. The goal was to discover the joy of the habit of reading God’s Word. And we did it.

What’s next?

As the end of Acts approached, it was clear that this journey must continue. After a week of rest and grace, today we are starting the Gospel of John.

What to expect

The Gospel of John is quite different from Luke. As I mentioned during our Luke/Acts reading, when you spend time in the Word, you begin to recognize the voices of the writers. John is poetic and sweeping, as opposed to the matter-of-fact gritty writing of Luke. John is more concerned with ideas and themes than chronology. When we read it straight-through, we tend to assume the events happen in the order they are presented. That’s the way we tell stories today. In first century literature it was common to arrange a story by themes instead. We get a bit of that in this book. It progresses sort of in order (with the beginning of Jesus ministry at the beginning and the crucifixion/resurrection at the end) but not entirely in order. Even Luke did that a little bit in his Gospel, but not as much as John.

Although we don’t have a firm date on when this was written, it is widely accepted to be the last of Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all written much earlier and have quite a bit of overlap. John, on the other hand, has more unique material in it than any other Gospel. As we read Luke/Acts, I share that they were written in the late 50s to mid-60s AD. John was likely written somewhere around 70-100 AD. Historical writings outside the Bible tell us that John died around the year 100 AD, and the leaders of the early church (many of whom would have known John personally) tell us that this book was written late in his life. So as you read this, imagine a wise and gentle old man reading it to you. Once known as one of the “sons of thunder,” as he grew older he picked up the name “the beloved disciple.” He was a leader in the early church, likely writing this Gospel from the church in Ephesus.

Why did John write?

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us “there is nothing new under the sun.” Even in Paul’s day (and he died way back around 65 AD), people were claiming that Jesus was an enlightened or inspired man but was not God. Some claimed He was a special man who had divinely revealed special knowledge from God. People claimed to have new and special knowledge from God to supplement the teachings of Jesus. These same claims are being made today. As the eyewitnesses died out and these new and false teachings became more widespread, he took up his pen and recorded what he knew to be true. He writes as an eyewitness to the life and teachings of Jesus, but also as a wise leader who has seen the tragic consequences false leaders who twist the truth. Just like Luke, the Gospel of John confronts you with the most important question of our lives, “who is Jesus?” John begins his answer in the very first sentence.

As we soak in the sweepingly poetic writing of John, we’ll see that he beautifully records the most important things he knows about Jesus. This book is one that a new believer can read and come away with increased knowledge and faith. It also is so layered that we can return to it over and over again for the rest of our lives and never fully plumb its depths. As you read, two things to look out for are the miracles and “I am” statements of Jesus. The other Gospels have numerous miracles. This book has seven. Each is recorded in order to affirm an important truth about who Jesus is and what He has dominion over. There are also seven sets of “I am” statements. Each of these reveals something important about Jesus. Pay attention to them. Let me know what you think.

Finally…let me know if there is anything I can do to support you in reading this book. I’ve been posting a few thoughts on the chapter on my personal Facebook timeline as we go, but I am open to other options. I have a public Facebook page as well and can share there instead (if someone asks me to). As always, feel free to shoot questions my way any time. Let’s pray for each other as we continue our journey together.

The Word: Luke

The Word: Luke

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A new year breaking through brings fresh start. As we take down our old calendar and hang the new, we say goodbye to last year. 2018 is a blank page, ready to be filled with stories, adventures, and friends.

For believers, a common goal each year is to dive into scripture. We know that God’s Word is important, but for some reason we struggle to establish a consistent reading habit. I’ve managed to establish this habit, which has resulted in a true delight in the Word. Sure, I can be inconsistent. Some days I honestly don’t feel like opening the book. But when I’m away too long I miss it. I long for it. It’s important for believers to be connected to the Word.

I taught small groups Bible studies at church for more than seven years. I’ve developed curriculum and guided discussion for both adults and young teens. In 2017 I stepped away from that for a time, but the love for the Word, the discussions it brings, and the lives changed has never faded. Year after year I’ve had believers express a desire to learn more about the Bible…learn to read it for themselves, understand it, and have their lives shaped by it. This year, let’s do it.

My own personal experience tells me there is nothing mystical or mysterious about Bible intake, it just takes a little persistence. It’s a big book. There are a number of different literary genres at play. While it’s possible to start January 1 with Genesis 1:1 and move straight through, that really isn’t an approach that is likely to lead to much success. While much of Genesis can be engaging, by mid-February Leviticus hits…this is where even the best intentions of Bible reading go to die. I’m not saying to avoid this book at all costs, there is plenty of great stuff there. It just takes a lot more work than other books. Why do the heavy lifting so early in the journey?

The strategy I’ve recommended for a couple of years is modest. It’s two books of the Bible, Luke and Acts. I love this approach for a number of reasons. First, both books are written by the same author so it’s the same writing style and voice throughout both books. Second, Luke was writing to an audience not intimately familiar with the old Jewish texts. Kind of like you and me. Third, Luke was highly educated and had a great attention to detail. Because of this, he paints vivid pictures of what is happening throughout both books. Fourth, Luke set out to preserve history. These two books read like part one and two of a historical narrative. Much of it reads like an adventure story. Fifth, a lot of the narrative is already familiar. The traditional Christmas story comes largely from Luke. Jesus’s familiar teaching and life events are here. Much of the passion narrative is also here. Luke includes the resurrection, Great Commission (Acts 1:8), and the ascension. Sixth, Luke includes things that you never knew were in the Bible, too. While there will be a lot that’s familiar, there are some fun discoveries to find as well…like the night Paul preached so late that a kid fell out a window and died. Yikes! It’s okay, Paul healed him. Seventh, Luke provides the “what” of the Gospel in the Gospel of Luke, while giving us the implications of the gospel in the book of Acts (the formation of the early church, evangelism, helping others).

So here’s my big confession…although I’ve shared this strategy countless times I’ve never actually done it myself. So, as I hang my brand new calendar, I’m going to walk this path. Feel free to come along with me if you like.

Here’s my plan: I’ll start with Luke 1:1 on January 1. My goal is to read 6 chapters per week, which will complete the book of Luke by the end of January. I’ll move on to Acts, which I’ll read at a pace of 7 chapters per week. That will be 4 weeks for Acts. If I go a little slower, that’s okay, too. I’ve got a lot of reading to do for grad school, so I’ll adjust as necessary. Grace happens. Once per week I’ll write up a blog post about what I’ve read that week. Six chapters are a whole lot of content, so my post will be a simple highlight or application from the week’s reading. I’d love it if you’d join me in the journey…share with me what you’re getting out of the text or your struggles. Let’s hold each other accountable, too. Sometime in March, maybe we’ll go on and start a new journey after this one.

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Here I Stand

Here I Stand

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A Gideon handed out Bibles in my second grade class. Back then I thought it was a holy book, filled with mysteries and wonder. Not that I read it, of course. The little orange book was the entire New Testament preserved on unimaginably thin pages. King James version, of course. Although I thumbed through it quite a few times, for some reason the only verse I remember reading was John 3:16. I memorized that one. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

I took a different path, and decades of skepticism and atheism followed. Occasionally I’d skim through the Bible looking for a verse or two that could demonstrate how full of nonsense it really was. I approached the book arrogantly, holding tight to my preconceptions. I found in it exactly what I wanted to find, as long as I didn’t dig too deep.

Somehow, against all expectation and probability, I found Christ at 32. The most dramatic piece of the story is that it didn’t conform to any stereotype I always claimed brought people to faith. I wasn’t at rock bottom. There was no personal crisis. Life made sense and I wasn’t looking for a crutch. I didn’t do it for the kids. I just stumbled into the presence of God and couldn’t look away. Not long after, I returned to the Word with determination and intentionality. And now, here I stand.

Hundreds of years ago, many brave men and women did the same. Opening Bibles, they dropped presuppositions and allowed themselves to be transformed by the Word of God. Countless brave souls gave their lives for the truth they discovered. Once touched by the Word, they simply could not turn back. Many echoed the words of Polycarp, who when threatened with death replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Christ, nor has He ever done me any harm. How, then, could I blaspheme my King who saved Me?”

Today we commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Before there were hammers and theses, there was an opening of the Word. Although a trained Augustinian monk, reading the book of Romans transformed his world. Like many before (Waldo, Hus, Wycliffe, and so many more) and many since, humbly seeking God through His inerrant and preserved Word changed the trajectory of that young monk’s life. It changed the course of history as well.

I’ve been reading, studying, meditating on, and teaching the Bible for about a decade now. I don’t claim that it’s easy or obvious, but this book and this pursuit has been nothing less than transformational. I don’t claim to have changed history, but my time in the Word has transformed my marriage, family, community, and myself. It has lead me into experiences more deep, rich, and joyful than any from my first 32 years of life. It has sustained me during unspeakable hurt and tragedy. Here I stand. I can do no other. I long for everyone to experience this as well.

Today, while many around the world commemorate the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the reformation, join me in spending time in the Word. Whatever your belief system or worldview, grab a Bible (or Bible app) and turn to Luke. The first couple of chapters are familiar and will go quickly. You can read the entire book in a couple of hours, or break it up over a couple of days. But read it. Let go of assumptions and read it with fresh eyes. And please, ask me questions. I love questions.

Evidence

Evidence

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“Jesus may have been a nice guy and a good teacher, but that was all he was.”

Honestly, I’ve always had a touch of rebellion in me. Growing up in a small Bible-belt town, I was one of very few people claiming to be an atheist. One huge reason I rejected religion (and particularly Christianity) was a lack of evidence.

“I only believe what I can prove with science,” I boldly claimed. “The Bible is a bunch of stuff a bunch of guys wrote. They were trying to explain things they didn’t know. We pretty much know all that stuff now. Science has explained it.”

I didn’t exactly go on a quest for truth. I didn’t seem necessary. None of the Christians I talked to could answer my questions. They had one consistent answer for me. “You just have to have faith.” I felt like they wanted me to turn off my brain. If they didn’t have answers, I assumed answers weren’t out there. My worldview was largely unchallenged, so I thought I must be right. Plus, it was kind of nice to live a life free from the fear of some controlling, cosmic grandpa who delighted in punishing us when we stepped outside his completely unreasonable lines. No thanks. Not for me.

Obviously, I wasn’t the first person to wander this path. I now know that countless others have clung to similar views. It’s even in vogue now.

A couple of decades before my high school years, Josh McDowell had many of the same objections to the Christian faith. Unlike me, he dove into it for himself. His quest was to empirically prove his Christian friends wrong, once and for all. Years of meticulous, global study into the historical evidence led him to a surprising, undeniable conclusion. It was true. Not only was Jesus a real historical figure, there is compelling historical evidence he performed miracles, was crucified, and resurrected. The Bible is a historically reliable book. Our Old Testament was accurately transmitted from generation to generation, and this is provable. The Biblical contradictions I found in my atheist literature were easily explained with sound, reasonable, repeatable, and consistent interpretive techniques. Piece after piece fell into place for Josh. He wrote it all down and published it a couple of years before I was born.

In all those years of arrogant posturing, I had no idea such a resource existed. McDowell’s “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” is a presentation of an accumulation of facts that must be faced and dealt with by any seeker of truth. This evidence lead him to a clear conclusion…Jesus was not merely a good man and good teacher. He was exactly who he claimed to be…the son of God, sent to earth as the redeemer of mankind. The claims of Christianity are true. Empirically and undeniably. Even the miracles.

The reason I tell you all this is because I finally got my hands on the book.  A new edition has been released, which has been expanded and updated by Josh and his son Sean. While largely building a case based on historical evidence, it also addresses popular philosophical questions too. It touches on the post-modern claim that there is no such thing as absolute truth, or that if there is, it can’t truly be known. It addresses objections to miracles by stating and answering objections by Hume, Spinoza, and countless others. It’s a comprehensive guide for both skeptics and believers.

Even with all this content, my favorite part of this book is Josh McDowell’s testimony, which opens the book. As compelling as the objective evidence is, hearing what McDowell endured as a child and then seeing how God has redeemed those lost years and healed his heart is powerful. To understand the broken view of fatherhood that Josh knew as a child, and then read his testimony in a book coauthored by Josh and his own son…it brings tears of joy.

Someday I’d like to write a conversation between my old and new selves. I’d like to be that person with answers that the younger me never could find. Perhaps it could help open a few eyes to the truth behind the hope that I have within me. When I write that, this book will likely be by my side, providing clarity as I respond to that young man…the young me…who so desperately wanted the truth but didn’t know where to look.

Whether you’re a Christian or not, you owe it to yourself to explore these topics. If there is even the most remote chance that Christianity is true, it’s the most important question in life. Plus, it is even more critical that a believer today be able to rationally defend and share his or her faith. Non-believers must ask themselves “if Christianity were proven to be true, would I convert?” If the answer is yes, this one book contains most of the evidence for you to examine and decide. If the answer is no, you aren’t seeking truth after all. That, by itself, is incredibly enlightening.

Check out Josh’s site here. Grab your own copy of the book here.

 

Disclaimer: I was honored to be on the launch team for the new edition of “Evidence that Demands a Verdict.” While there was no direct compensation for participation on this team and my enthusiasm for this volume is very real, I wanted to mention that I was given an advanced look at this work. 

Part Two: Truth

Part Two: Truth

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“The truth is out there.” Mulder’s words still echo from my youth. These words crash into the popular and convenient claim that there is no such thing absolute truth. But think about it…to claim there is no absolute truth is a contradiction. It’s claiming to be an absolute truth! It’s enough to make your head spin.20150927202810_img_9710-02.jpeg

At Grace, Truth, & Coffee, the second foundation we build upon is truth. We don’t claim to have cornered the market on the truth. We’re travelers on a journey, just like a million other pilgrims. We’re searching for the truth, not with arrogance and condescension but with humble grace.

Humanity has embraced a divisive view of truth… we believe that my truth is contrary to your truth and so we build walls and remain isolated. Our truths conflict, and so they keep us apart. We protect our truth that we hold so dearly while superficially affirming your truth. The problem is, we weren’t created to live divided. At our core, we need each other. We long for connections. Our soul cries out for relationship. Yes, the world is full of relative truths about things like preferences and aesthetics. Lying deeper than those are absolute truths. Some are scientific, like gravity. Some are historical, like the Visigoths or Huns. Some are moral, and these can be the most controversial. However, difficult does not mean impossible, and doesn’t negate their existence. What we find as we uncover these truths together is that they unite rather than divide.

As we pursue truth, we do so with respect. In our quest, we each bring different knowledge and life experiences. Years ago, Stephen Covey advised “seek first to understand, and then to be understood.” This is our guiding principle in our pursuit of truth. We each have something to contribute, and everyone deserves to be heard.

The truth is out there. Let’s find it together.