"We're In This Boat Together"

Just the other day, I was working with my three boys to get the house cleaned up, as I do every day when they get home from school.

Each son cleans his own room, along with a couple of other jobs, like sweeping the kitchen or vacuuming upstairs. I have chores of my own as well.

I find it interesting that every day millions of Christians spend life in a vacuum; many of us living as if no one else exists in the world, doing my job, driving my car, buying my food.

The chores that my sons and I do in our house help us to live in a more comfortable and sanitary home. And with six of us, it’s easy to come home to a wreck, when we don’t all do our part.

So, I realized as we were well into our chores that two of the boys were sitting in the living room playing video games, because they were finished. And while they were having fun, one of my sons, with a slightly more demanding chore, was busy finishing up. For some reason I suddenly realized, after sixteen years of raising children, that my children are learning to do “his” part—and that’s all. I walked into the den, with a smile, and told the two virtual “Tony Hawks” to get up and go upstairs with me to help their brother get finished, so that he can play too.

Jesus taught us to be unified. And somehow we have managed to live alone, no matter how many people we are near. Our Messiah taught us all that we are part of a family—a community.

Paul teaches us in his first letter to the Corinthian believers that we are all one body (1 Cor. 12:13).

And before Paul, the ancient Jewish teachers taught that everyone is his brother’s keeper (Genesis 4:9). The sages of Jerusalem also believed that when a person destroyed a single life, it is as if he has destroyed the whole world.

My children need me to teach them that we serve a God who believes that we belong to each other and that everything we do has an affect on all of us.

There’s an old story, which is at least 1900 years old that brings this point home clearly.

“The story is about three men in a boat. Suddenly one of the men begins to drill a hole beneath his seat. When his friends immediately plead with him to stop, he replies, ‘What are you worrying about? I’m only drilling under my seat.’ The moral drawn by the rabbis has been repeated again and again: “We’re all in the same boat.” –Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, Pages 188-189

I pray that today, we will all learn that none of us is a community of one. I pray that we will all work together until our jobs as followers of Jesus are done. I pray that none of us will ever trust in the doctrine of self-sufficiency , which has been passed down along with the doctrine of “private confessions,” “personal Saviors,” and “individual Scripture interpreters.”

I pray that you will be my keeper and that I will be yours as long as we are in this boat together.

Forever learning,
Johnny

"What's for Dinner?"

“A body of Christian believers is only as strong as the sum of its individual members, for the Church, like Israel, functions as a corporate personality. The lives of its members are intertwined and find their truest meaning in a network of relationships within this body. As a Jewish sage once observed, ‘There is no room for God in him who is full of himself.’” –Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

As a person who believes in ripping the guts out of the status quo with deadly force, figuratively speaking, there have been plenty of opportunities for me to experience criticism.

Usually the criticism is focused on where the idea for ministry strategies and techniques are gleaned. A common response to informing a congregation of an effective ministry done by such and such a church leader would be, “Why do we always have to do what “other” churches are doing?”

Let’s never forget that there is only one church. Within the Christian world, we are all members of the same family.

I like to think of other bodies of Christ as my brothers and sisters who live in a different house. They don’t want me lying in their bed, but they are more than willing to let me hang out in their kitchen to experience their menu.

The wonderful thing about us all being one family is that there are parts of our family that have learned, experienced, and perfected healthier ways to prepare food. Why should one of our family members be kept from that wealth of health?

So, when someone in another city, state, or country has figured out a ministry method that is effective for feeding “His” sheep, we should not say that the method belongs to another church, but it is the food that Christ is using to nourish his sheep.

There are still restaurants that refuse to update their menus, continuing to serve foods that are loaded in sugars and saturated fats. There are also plenty of people who still eat those foods. Look closely and you will identify selfishness, arrogance, and/or ignorance as the reason for the unwillingness to serve and eat healthier.

We should all be privy to the details, preparation, and serving methods of the effective recipes that are feeding the sheep.

It is not our responsibility to have “our own” menu, but to find out what God is serving.

"The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep'" (John 21:17 New International Version).

Forever learning,
Johnny

Why Should We Be So Afraid to Say Good-Bye?

Discussing the subject of covenant among some circles can raise some highly sensitive emotions. Noticing that people are particularly aware of their opinions about covenants does not require much more than an ear. So, it is with a keen sense of consciousness that I approach this topic.

More and more, the subject of covenant comes up, especially as people are questioning the methods and traditions of some organizations such as The Salvation Army. I would like the opportunity to give my opinion and ask some questions as an attempt to relieve any pressure based solely on misinformation, ignorance, propaganda, or any other form of misunderstanding.

When we speak of covenant, most people, especially in religious circles, think of promises made to God, which are to be kept for life. The Salvation Army also asks its soldiers and officers to sign a covenant between The Salvation Army and the individual, with the understanding that this covenant is made in the presence of God. Some also suggest that the covenant is made between three participants—The Salvation Army, the individual, and God himself.

In biblical times a covenant was made between two participants, usually nations. The smaller nation was known as the vassal. The stronger nation was known as the suzerain. The vassal would go to the suzerain and propose a covenant, whereby the vassal would pay taxes and serve as a subordinate to the suzerain in exchange for military protection. Should the vassal break the covenant; there would be a penalty, which would include loss of the promised military protection. It was during the time that the covenant was being made that the penalties were set.

In the cases where people made covenants with God, they may lose their lives, such as the 3000 who died at Mount Sinai after making golden idols, or they may lose opportunities, such as Moses’ losing the privilege to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land.

In any covenant, the stipulations and penalties are preset, even in a denominational covenant. In the case of the covenant made with The Salvation Army for a soldier or officer, the covenants vary, but the penalty is somewhat similar. The covenant is a life-promise, with the expectation that a soldier or officer will remain faithful to The Army until death. Here is where things get confusing.

My question falls in the category of why we get so uptight when someone breaks this covenant. The covenant is a life-promise of which the covenantal terms state that the vassal will remain a soldier or officer of The Salvation Army until death. If the vassal breaks the covenant, then what happens to the vassal? Does he or she go to hell? Does he or she become separated eternally from God? What is so awful about breaking a covenant that has the penalty set at losing one’s officership or soldiership? That’s what it boils down to.
There was no agreement that, upon covenantal severance, the vassal would be giving up salvation or anything more than a formal denominational affiliation. I’d really like to know what all the fuss is about. When did the covenant with a denomination become this unbreakable, except by pain of shame equal to giving up salvation from God, get added to the penalty clause?

Before anyone goes off half-cocked, allow me to explain that I don’t ask these questions with a tone of arrogance, but with a genuine desire to find out why there is so much danger in saying, “I can no longer pay tribute to the suzerain.”

Lastly, I want to make sure that everyone is aware of my intentions in raising this sensitive issue. My intention is “not” to justify my own desires to depart from the protection of my suzerain, but to glean some truly insightful answers that I may be able to share with those who struggle with the guilt of departure, those who may be considering departure, and those may may consider covenantal severance with thier denomination in the future.

Again, I am safe and sound, satisfied and settled, and proud and positive to be the vassal of God and the suzerain, that is The Salvation Army.

Forever learning,Johnny

"Hell, Fire, Brimstone, and...Polyester?"

It's always good to remember the quote, of which I am unable to remember the author, "Before taking down the fence, find out why it was put up."

The reason I quote that contemporary proverb is because I try to remember that William Booth started with a plan, which was to never get stuck in a plan.

Booth wanted The Army to be continually transitioning into a movement that was ahead of its time. Right now many would say that we are falling behind the times.

I also keep in mind that being a Zealot for Christ is not synonymous with being a staunch Salvationist, especially when the staunch becomes a stench. And for many, we stink to high heaven in the areas of speaking a language that people can understand.

Sometimes a tradition can have the same affect that the KJV of the Bible has on the ears of a ten-year-old. If we have to explain everything we say and do, are we really sending a clear message or an apology for being outdated?

Ready or not, I'm moving forward! Christ is leading His children to reach the world for Him, not to reach the few who are willing to wear uniforms or say "Fire a volley!"

When we revue the history of The Salvation Army, we will find that The Army grew as it changed and stagnancy came when The Army began to claim traditions. The only true tradition of The Salvation Army is its refusal to settle down.

Today there is a new push for spiritual development, which is revealing that the church culture of the twentieth century was missing a few screws. It’s not traditions and garb that make Christ’s Kingdom great; it is the effectiveness of His people, regardless of any classical habits.

"Jonadab son of Recab ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather's command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me" (Jeremiah 35:14 NIV).

I honestly believe that there will be Salvationists on Judgment Day who will, upon a guilty verdict, turn to Jesus and smugly say, "I might be going to hell, but I'll be going to hell wearing polyester!"

Forever changing,
Johnny

Who Is Grading Me?

“Relationships cause people to want to be with you, but respect causes them to want to be empowered by you. Mutual respect is essential to the empowerment process…When you believe in people, care about them, and trust them, they know it. And that respect inspires them to want to follow where you lead.” John C. Maxwell, Becoming a Person of Influence (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997), 186.

Some places are filled with advisors. In these places, there are people who come solely for the purpose of critique.

Where they receive their authority to share is a mystery. One could search a lifetime and never locate the legacy that is the evidence of their wisdom, and yet they share it as if a throng of pupils is following behind them.

It is good to be careful about who a person allows to teach him or her. It is even more important to be careful about who we allow to grade us. Often the person with the red ink pen is like a boy with a hammer…everything looks like a nail.

Forever learning, sometimes by force from poor teachers with red ink pens,
Johnny

Christian is a Synonym for Team

As I studied this week to prepare a teaching on the subject of marriage, I learned a very valuable truth, which I shared in the message on Sunday. One part of a Jewish wedding ceremony, during, before, and after the time of Jesus, consists of an ancient custom which is the sharing of two cups of wine by the marrying couple. The first cup is called the “cup of joy.” The “cup of joy” is a reminder that when a person shares joy with another person, the joy is doubled. The second cup is called the “cup of sacrifice.” The “cup of sacrifice” is a reminder that when a person shares a burden with another, the burden is halved. The marrying couple drink from the same cups as a symbol that they are sharing in the promises of their covenant. Another interesting point is that during the wedding feast, the word “companion” was used, which literally meant, “those who break bread together.” Though those are very interesting facts about the important traditions of a Jewish wedding, the real interest I found is in the way the tradition is performed and what it has to do with you and me today. A cup of wine shared by two or more people in Jesus day was the common act of strengthening an alliance. This was not only done in weddings, but among all people who were promising to stick together as a team. The custom of sharing a cup of wine was the equivalent of today’s Western handshake, when done as a pact between two partnering businesspeople. All of this teaches us that when Jesus shared a cup of wine and a loaf of bread with the disciples in the upper room, the act was a common way of saying, “Those of you who choose to stick together with me and each other through the joy and suffering of following your Messiah, drink from one cup and eat from one loaf as a promise to do so.” Those who find it easy to be faithful to each other during the joyful times and hard to stick together through the tough times have chosen to share the "cup of joy," yet choose not to share the "cup of sacrifice." The next time you and I share a cup or eat from the same loaf, let’s do it as a reminder that we are promising to stick together in joy and in suffering. Forever learning, Johnny

Leading Change With Diplomacy

The following is an article, quoting the words of Andy Stanley in Ministry Today Magazine:

"Many talented leaders have 'led' themselves right out of a job because their desire to challenge the process was misunderstood, or perhaps even threatening, to those in charge. While on the other side of the spectrum, many skilled leaders have resigned themselves to conform to the status quo, squelching and squashing their natural instincts because there's no obvious opportunity to be who God made them to be.

As leaders, we must keep a sense of diplomacy without shrinking from our scrutinizing nature. When you stop challenging the process, you cease to be a leader and you become a manager.

Not that there's anything wrong with managers. The world needs those too. But it's a different job description from the leader's. And if you cease to challenge, then you have abdicated your true calling and giftedness in the world.

Successful leaders must learn how to alienate the process without alienating the people who created it, or the people who work it faithfully every day."