Be John

an edited version of an article originally posted on my old blog - January 12, 2009

When you’ve grown up in the church and been a “professional” in youth ministry for nearly 8 years, you hear a lot of cliched sayings.  ”What Would Jesus Do?”…”Sinner and Saint”…”Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner”…”Personal Lord and Savior”…”God Has a Sense of Humor”…etc.

One of the sayings that has always made me squirm a little is when people say that youth ministers are called to “Be Jesus” to kids.  The point is for ministers to bring young people closer to Christ by emulating what Jesus embodied.  While I understand the intent, the idea that anyone can truly “Be Jesus” seems disingenuous to me.

All around the world this weekend, the thousands of churches who use the Revised Common Lectionary will hear the story of John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way for Jesus.  Many who listened to John believed him to be the Messiah.  However, he repeatedly said "I am not".

Neither am I.  Neither are you.

The task of being Jesus is too daunting for me.  Following Jesus is something I try to do daily; but something I fail at just as often.  Jesus was perfect; I am not.  I can’t be Jesus, but I can be John — “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness”.  

Perhaps, in doing so, we can bring people closer to Christ than if we’re trying to “be Jesus”.

Jesus Drives a Backhoe

While reading Isaiah 40 this week my mind wandered onto the idea of topography.  Perhaps it's because I use RunKeeper when I run, so I'm hypersensitive to how changes in elevation affect speed and pace.  Or maybe I was exposed to an inordinate amount of road construction in my neighborhood these past few months.  Whatever.


Consider...

‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,   make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up,   and every mountain and hill be made low;the uneven ground shall become level,   and the rough places a plain.' 

Jesus is coming to flatten everything.  


For me, the implications are clear: God, in the form of Jesus, is coming to level the playing field.  He's coming in with a sociological and theological backhoe to move some dirt around and gather us all to the same place.  


   ...a place where we stare into the face of both neighbor and stranger and call them "friend". 
   ...a place where we encounter the divine tragedy of humanity.  
   ...a place where Christ promises to be present.  
   ...a place where we are redeemed and made whole.


Jesus is driving a backhoe, and, by the grace of God, the world will never be the same.

Basketball Fever

I haven't blogged in a while, and I kinda miss it.  So instead of jumping back into things with a treatise on the demise of denominational structure in America, or why Millennials are more generous and charitable than GenXers or Boomers...allow me to share a completely arbitrary list.

The Top Ten Basketball Players of My Lifetime.

Why?

1. I'm a huge basketball fan. Huge. Probably in an unhealthy way.  It's the greatest game ever invented.
2. The NBA Lockout is making me grumpy.  
3. I just got NBA TV a couple of weeks ago...and I'm loving it.
4. Monday was the 20-year anniversary of Magic Johnson's announcement that he had contracted the HIV virus.  It's the most poignant basketball-related moment of my life.  I still remember where I was when I heard the press conference.
5. My son just started his first basketball league this week.  I'm probably a little too excited to watch his games and coach him up in the driveway.

Here's the criteria / disclaimers for my top-ten list:

• the years in consideration are 1979-present
• stats are important, but not the only factor
• championships don't matter (Robert Horry has 8, Charles Barkley has 0...but nobody is arguing that Horry is a better player than Barkley)
• college career isn't a factor; only their professional years
• I'm unapologetically biased toward a certain style of player (great passing, team-oriented, fundamentally sound, highly competitive)
• I'll probably change my mind within 30 minutes of posting

Honorable Mention (in no particular order):

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - greatest scoring center ever and one of the best players of all time.  However, during my lifetime (1979-1988) he was slightly better than average, but not force to be reckoned with.

Shaquille O'Neal - physically intimidating, a guy you had to game plan for, but tremendously flawed.  He can't shoot.  When opposing teams intentionally put you on the free throw line late in the game, you can't be on the Top 10 list.

John Stockton / Karl Malone - I can't separate the two.  Neither player would be 1/2 as good without the other.  No duo ran the pick-and-roll better.  However, I always thought Stockton played dirty and Malone's carpetbagging with the Lakers made me respect him less.

David Robinson - hated leaving him off the list.  The Admiral was my favorite player growing up, and one of the greatest people ever.  That said, after he got owned in the 1995 playoffs, it was clear that he's not a top-tier player.

Scottie Pippen - most difficult player to rate.  I tend to think Jordan made him look 50% better than he really was.  Pippen had a chance to be The Man after Jordan's first retirement, but his numbers didn't increase and he became a petulant teammate.  Spent his last 6 seasons as a journeyman.  Can't put him on the list.

LeBron James - might be the best ever when it's all said and done, but at this point, he hasn't been able to put it all together.  He's an unbelievable physical specimen.  Shrinks when his team needs him the most.  Hasn't lived up to the hype...yet.

The Top Ten:

10.  Steve Nash - a quicker, smarter, better shooting version of John Stockton.  Nash made basketball fun to watch again, after the hand-checking, body-blocking era of the late-80s and early-90s (Pistons, Knicks, Heat, etc.)

9. Charles Barkley - the 2nd shortest guy on the list (nobody remembers he's only 6'4") but managed to lead the league in offensive rebounds for three consecutive years.  Tenacious competitor.  Few people played harder - and with greater success - than Sir Charles.

8. Dirk Nowitzki - no 7-footer should shoot the ball this well.  Seems to have improved his passing, footwork, and defense every year.  I love watching him play.

7. Kevin Garnett - nasty...angry...relentless.  Spent his best years suffering in Minnesota with a bunch of stiffs around him.  By the time he had a chance to play with great teammates, his knees were gone. 

6. Tim Duncan - best power forward of all time.  The Big Fundamental wasn't demonstrative.  He just dominated.  Stud on defense.  Great passer.  Probably my favorite player.

5. Kobe Bryant - killer instinct, especially with the game on the line.  Best pure scorer of my lifetime.  Would be higher, but he's a terrible teammate and sub-par passer.  I really dislike him, but I can't argue with his ability.

4. Hakeem Olajuwon - best center in my lifetime.  He routinely made excellent defensive players (Patrick Ewing, Robinson, Shaq, Abdul-Jabbar) look downright foolish.  Controlled the paint on both sides of the court.  Nobody passed out of a double-team better than Hakeem.

2b. Larry Bird - there was no shot or pass that was out of the realm of possibility for Larry.  Probably the 2nd most creative, cocky, and clutch player on the list.  I would have loved to see what would have happened if (a) his back didn't turn to jelly by the time he was 30 and (b) if Len Bias and Reggie Lewis had lived longer.  I wonder how his game would have evolved if he would have had 8-10 more seasons.

2a. Magic Johnson - 5 championships and 3 MVPs in 12 seasons. Played all 5 positions as a rookie in the 1980 Finals. Brought down the house at the 1992 All Star game. Tallest point guard and best passer ever.  (Oh, and he single-handedly changed the way the world views people with HIV/AIDS...no biggie.)

 

1. Michael Jordan - anyone who didn't respect MJ did so at their own peril.  SportsCentury's greatest athlete of all time.

What do you think?  Where did I get it wrong?  Who are some of your favorite basketball players?

Living Faith

I'm fascinated by the Lutheran understanding of vocation.  One of the best examples of vocational living is my friend, Peg Armstrong-Gustafson.  She recently received the Great Samaritan Award from our local Thrivent Chapter.  Here are the comments that were shared by Ruth Hiddleson at the awards presentation.

Peg Armstrong-Gustafson grew up in northeast Iowa near Decorah.  She was active in Future Farmers of America (FFA), elected state FFA reporter in 1975; later becoming the first woman state president and in 1977 became National FFA vice president and  subsequently the National FFA president.  Another reason for liking FFA, she met her husband Gregg through FFA. He was a district officer from Northwest Iowa.  The couple has a daughter Alex, a student at ISU. 

She attended Iowa State University where she earned a degree in animal science.Peg went on to graduate with an MBA from Drake University and has also studied international finance at City University in London. 

Although she has strong ties to Iowa, she is anything but tied down, having traveled to locations all over the world including Greece, Italy, England, Thailand, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey and North and South Viet Nam. 

“I find every place I go beautiful because the people are just fascinating,” said Peg. “When I travel, I think, 'How can I experience this culture?'” 

With her enthusiasm for overseas travel and interest in cultures worldwide, it’s not surprising to learn that Peg’s business has a global purpose.  She is the founder of Amson Technology, LC, which provides consulting services in climate change, sustainability and carbon offsets.  Peg’s vision – and the vision of Amson Technology – is to alleviate world hunger through the sharing and application of technology to create a new sustainable agricultural footprint. 

Peg is the primary author of a methodology in which bacteria replaces nitrogen fertilizer to create a more sustainable agricultural production system in developing countries.  She explains, “The production of nitrogen fertilizer is very energy intensive and releases considerable carbon dioxide emissions.  If we can eliminate the application of nitrogen fertilizer on crops such as soybeans and cowpeas, we can permanently reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer produced – and avoid the carbon dioxide it creates.” 

Two summers ago, the UN gave approval for the broad application of this methodology – the first agricultural climate change methodology in the world. 

As part of the Kyoto Protocol, which industrialized countries have signed as a commitment to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, it is a historic accomplishment in the area of climate change.  “Plants are the one thing that take carbon out of the air,” said Peg.  “The UN’s decision highlights how agriculture can provide solutions to climate change issues  while  feeding a growing world population.  While this initiative helps with climate change, the greatest value is that I am able to take agricultural technology to parts of the world that are starving and hopefully help them grow more food to feed themselves.  That is my goal. 

We work with the Lutheran World Relief workers on the ground in Africa.  They have the network of farmers that we need.  The UN mandated that the carbon reduction systems go to third world countries.  This is very important as the people in these countries get access to technology that they would never be able to pay for.  The key is we are taking these methods to parts of Africa where the people can be helped.  It’s a mutually beneficial project. The methodology teaches farmers better use of their water and land, which leads to increased crop yields, which leads to a higher caloric intake for the people in these communities.  Extra food that is not consumed can then be sold into the market place which helps improve their economic position.  It is an environmentally and economically sensible model.  The long term goal of the project is to see the new technology expand beyond the borders of the project and be adopted by all farmers to create a more sustainable and productive farming operation!" 

Who says one person doesn’t make a difference?

Actions Speak Louder than Words

I had the opportunity to write the ELCA Faith Lens for this week.  Here's what I came up with, while on a late-night writing binge with my friend Jake.

Warm-up Question

Have you been surprised by the words or actions of a stranger?

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

New York City Transit bus drivers are scared and upset.  In the first eight months of the year, 58 drivers were assaulted while driving their routes.  Maria Hogan is one driver who is unsure if she will be going back to work any time soon.

“I have bruises on my arms and legs,” she said.  Hogan believes the rider was angry because she skipped a stop in the Fordham section of the Bronx which was closed because of construction.  When she reached the next stop, she says he punched her and left.

Many of the assaults have occurred on the Bx9 route, which runs through the Bronx.  Although MTA officials would not yet say which routes are most dangerous, the bus drivers’ union said the Bx9 is one of the worst and management is not doing enough.

“That particular location is a hot spot,” said Tony Aiken of the Transport Workers Union. “If you don’t have the partitions there, work with police department, work with your security department. Work with anybody who is going to go out there and make us feel safe.”

An MTA spokesperson offered a brief statement, “This past weekend’s assault is an outrageous insult to the thousands of transit workers who serve the public every day.  We are working closely with TWU to develop barriers to protect the drivers.”

Union officials said that is not good enough.

“Actions speak louder than words, not words without action,” said Aiken.

Discussion Questions

• Would you return to your job if you had been attacked in the workplace?
• What do you think should be done to protect the bus drivers?

Scripture Texts (NRSV) for Sunday, September 25, 2011)

Ezekiel 18:1-4

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

Gospel Reflection

Jesus has a lot to say in these verses.  As he often does, Jesus saves his most challenging words for the religious leaders.  The chief priests and elders want to know who authorized the healing and teaching Jesus has been doing.  He realizes that they are trying to trick him into answering a question that has no satisfactory answer.  So, instead, he dodges their questions about authority and tells a story.

The story is about words and actions.  A man tells his sons to go to work for him.  The first one declines, but later changes his mind and does what his father asked him to do.  The second one agrees, but decides to skip out.  Jesus indicates that the first son – the one who said “no” at first – did the will of his father.  From there, he compares the religious leaders to the second son.  They say words that sound impressive to the people, but Jesus thinks their actions aren’t consistent with their words.  He even takes it a step further, indicating that the lowest-of-the-low (tax collectors and prostitutes) will get into heaven before these religious leaders.

“Actions speak louder than words” is an idea that is familiar to many people, but it can be difficult for grace-believing Lutherans to buy into.  We are wary of the notion that our salvation is dependent on our good deeds.  However, it’s important to note that the people whom Jesus is scolding are not beyond the reach of God’s love.  He doesn’t tell the religious leaders that they will be excluded from heaven, but they may have to wait a while.  Their great failing was complacency, believing that saying the right things was a substitute for daily obedience to God.

Perhaps Jesus isn’t talking about salvation; maybe he’s reminding God’s people to treat each other with kindness and love.  Our actions matter to God because God’s people matter to God.  As followers of Jesus, the tax collectors and prostitutes had committed themselves to a new way of life.  They were, by no means, a perfect group, but they were honest about their need for a Savior.  Conversely, the chief priests and elders said a lot of impressive things, but their actions did not match their confession.  They were deeply connected with the corrupt government that made the rich richer and the poor poorer.

Jesus is calling us to a life where both our words and actions matter.  The things we say and do reflect the One who has calls us by name, gathers us into a community of faith, and sends us out to do God’s work in the world.

Discussion Questions

•  Why do you think Jesus is so frustrated with the religious leaders?
• What is Jesus saying about words and actions in the father/sons parable?
• Which is easier for you – good words or good deeds

Activity Suggestion

Think of something your congregation talks about doing as part of its mission and ministry but rarely has time for.  Create an action plan and start implementing it in future weeks.

Closing Prayer

God, help us to honor you with our lips and our lives.  Amen.

Counseling

Jon Acuff over at Stuff Christians Like asks a good question -- "Why are Christians so weird about counseling?"



Perhaps Christians are just reflecting some of the cultural stigma that exist about weakness.  It's difficult to get ahead or be seen as a leader if you have to admit your brokenness.

An interesting conversation is unfolding in the comments section of the SCL blog.  Check it out!

Communication, Collaboration & Networks

The report of the LIFT Task Force includes a section called "Communication, Collaboration and Networks." I was given the opportunity to write this section. Though it's been edited to fit the structure of the final LIFT report, I thought I'd post the original version.

“The way we connect with one another and with the institutions in our lives is evolving. There is an erosion of trust in authority, a decentralizing of power and at the same time, perhaps, a greater faith in one another.

Because of airplanes and telephones and now social media, human beings touch the lives of vastly more people than did our ancestors, who might have encountered only 150 people in their lifetime. Now the possibility of connection is accelerating at an extraordinary pace. As the great biologist E.O. Wilson says, ‘we're in uncharted territory.’” [1]

The rapid rate of change in society impacts our ministries in significant ways.  The Internet is altering human behavior like nothing since the printing press.  The fastest growing faith group is those who are "spiritual but not religious."  Where is the church in all of this?  What is our witness to the world?  What is God calling us to be and do in the future?  What changes are needed in order to make God's call a reality?

Changes in technology and communication have moved organizations from institutional structures to network structures.  [2]  One of the challenges for the church is that the larger cultural shift from institutional models to network models isn't fully realized yet.  Not everyone is convinced that networks are a good thing.  In some cases, these people will fight to preserve the structure they were raised with or were instrumental in creating.

The reality is that people make choices. The more we can engage in learning and doing – whether in worship, in serving or in prayer, the more vibrant will be our work and our faith.  

Imagine the possibilities if the the ELCA...

• Invited its members with a strategic communications background to create a high-touch, high-tech plan that incorporates methods and tools to connect with every aspect of the eco-system.

• Invited members to use their evangelical, missional imagination to embrace evolving and emerging forms of communication in their local context.

• Established a nimble denominational structure that gleaned from open-source, wiki, and Web 2.0 pedagogies to be the church in a rapidly changing world.