Is Genesis Unique?

I remember sitting in my history classes both in high school and college and hearing my professors talk about the ancient creation myths of other cultures and they would talk about how similar they are to the Genesis account; that some had their deity creating the world in 7 days or in others that the ancient god seems to create the world ex-nihilo (out of nothing).  I’ve seen many young men and women lose or struggle in their faith when they discover this information.  So I thought it would be fun to actually look at some of the ancient creation myths and then put them right up next to Genesis and see how similar they really are.  You see, I think looking at Genesis in light of both ancient and contemporary creation myths can be quite faith affirming.  I think the contrast is so stark between Genesis and the other creation myths that when they are put side to side the truth is pretty evident.  I might be wrong, but let’s at least put it out there and see the differences.

Egyptian Creation Stories

Now there are about a dozen ancient Egyptian creation myths, most of these myths are designed to assert the divine nature of whatever ruler is on the throne at the time, but let’s just look at a few; two of which many scholars feel influenced the Genesis account. 

The Heliopolis Cosmology[1]

This one is fun.  This view has a community of nine gods of which Atum is the creator God.  He creates the other gods to help him with creation by masturbating them out; hey he’s the only god, what’s he to do.  The actual text goes into pretty graphic detail.  From this emission comes the other gods who deify the rest of the created order (air, land, sea, ext). 

The Memphis Cosmology

In this version Ptah becomes the creator of the nine, and Atum is Ptah’s all powerful word (his lips and mouth) and the first thing they create is Ptah’s hands and penis so he can masturbate out the other gods who arise out of his semen.  Sorry, I know this is not G-rated.  In this version Ptah, thinks, speaks, and then he creates.  This is where we get the “incredible” similarity that our professors and teaches have spoken about.  Yet these creation myths only deal with the creation of the planet and do not deal with the creation of humanity or the animals.

The Hermopolis Cosmology

In this version you have four gods and their wives who form the elemental chaos (they are actually the chaotic elements themselves) who call creation into existence.

In all these cosmologies there is no thought to the creation of humanity.  The Egyptians do have a story of how humanity was created on a potting wheel by one of their lesser gods and a goddess breathed the breath of life into them.

Mesopotamia’s Creation Story

Mesopotamia is the culture out of which the city of Babylon and the Babylonian empire emerged.  This is the area near where Abraham of the Old Testament was born.  Their story begins with two water gods, one named Apsu who is male and god over the “sweet” water and Tiamat who is female and goddess over the salt water.  They give birth to all sorts of sea monsters and nasty creatures and out of this chaos Tiamat tries to take control.  Her descendants unite to overthrow her. They choose Marduk, the god of Babylon to lead them.  Marduk meets Tiamat and her accomplice Kingu in battle and kills them both.

He splits Tiamat in two and half of her becomes the heavens and the other half becomes the earth.  In the heavens he constructs a dwelling place for himself and the other gods and the gods realize they need servants and so out of the blood of Kingu they create humanity and then they make the animals and plants and such.

Indian Creation Myths

India, the birth place of Hinduism literally has a ton of creation myths.  Here are two just to give you a feel for their flavor.  

One early story has Purusha, a primal man, who is sacrificed to the gods (nothing like a little human sacrifice; not like the other cultures were squeamish about that, either) as the act of creation.  The sky comes from his head, the earth from his feet, the sun from his eye, the moon from his brain.  The four Hindu casts also come from his body and the animals and humanity are created from the fat that drips from his body during the sacrifice.  Now there is a beautiful and peaceful picture for you.

Another creation story involves the Hindu god, Brahma.  First out of nothing but thought he creates the waters, by that I mean Brahma is nothing but a thought.  In the water he deposits his seed that then grows into a golden egg.  He himself is then born in the egg and when the egg splits you get the heavens and the earth.

Greek Creation Myth

 

At least this one will sound a little bit more familiar because we have all had to read Greek mythology in school, or we’ve seen Wrath of the Titans or read Percy Jackson. 

 

“The story begins, like so many others, with a gaping emptiness, Chaos. Within this there emerges Gaea, the earth.

Gaea gives birth to a son, Uranus, who is the sky. The world now exists, earth and heaven, and together Gaea and Uranus provide it with a population, their children. First Gaea produces the Titans, heroic figures of both sexes, but her next offspring are less satisfactory; the Cyclops, with only one eye in the middle of their foreheads, are followed by unmistakable monsters with a profusion of heads and arms. Uranus, appalled by his offspring, shuts them all up in the depths of the earth.

Gaea's maternal instincts are offended. She persuades the youngest Titan, Cronus, to attack his father. He surprises him in his sleep and with a sharp sickle cuts off his genitals, which he throws into the sea.

Cronus frees his brothers and sisters from their dungeon, and together they continue to populate the world. But an inability to get on with their offspring characterizes the males of this clan. Cronus, who has six children with his sister Rhea, eats each of them as soon as it is born.

Once again maternal instincts intervene. To save her youngest child, Rhea wraps a stone in swaddling clothes. Cronus swallows the bundle and Rhea sends the baby to foster parents. He is Zeus. As an adult he overwhelms his father, defeats all the other Titans in a great war, and then settles upon Mount Olympus to preside over a world which has at last achieved a certain calm.

During this, imperceptibly, mankind has arrived on earth - it is not clear how. But men are certainly there, because a free-thinking Titan, Prometheus, smuggles them the valuable gift of fire. These first men are not considered direct ancestors by most Greeks, and there are several versions of how the present race of humans originated.” History of the World.net

The Contemporary Creation Myth

 

Wait, how can I call a scientific explanation of how the universe was formed a myth?  It’s actually very simple, the farther we go back in scientific cosmology (the closer we get to the beginning) the more guess work it becomes.  Look the scientists don’t know where matter got its origin and they are making a scientific guess; preachers call that a leap of faith.   What science says about the origin of the universe is a faith statement.  It’s their best guess.

 

The contemporary version of creation says once there was nothing.  Then there was something.  This something was super dense and volatile and exploded, and out of the pieces of this explosion the entire universe was formed. 

 

Now by a miracle of randomness one of these random remnants of the explosion formed a solar system where a planet cooled at the perfect distance from a star to form liquid water and out of this liquid water microbial life appeared.  Then over billions of years of wonderful accidents humanity emerged.  We are a lovely accident and there is no greater meaning to us and our existence than an accident.  I actually think I made it sound more positive than many scientists do.

 

What Do All of These Stories Have in Common?

 

First in all the stories that involve deities, these gods seem to be created in the image of man instead of vice versa.  We see pettiness, war, vengeance, violence, and murder in their character; these gods are very much like humanity. 

 

Creation is dark, whether we are the ejaculation of some ancient god, the rotting corpse of a murdered god, a human sacrifice, or an accident, the world envisioned is a random and dark place.  It is not good.  It is not created with intentionality.

 

Humanity, if it’s even discussed, is usually created to be a slave or a pawn of the gods.  At best, it’s an accident.  At worst, we are playthings.

 

The Genesis Account

 

Now into these stories there is one that is distinctly different.  What it envisions is so radically different that it remains relevant today.  Where the other ancient cosmologies are laughable in a modern context the Hebrew cosmology still paints a picture that challenges our modern creation myth.

 

In the Genesis account we read that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Creation is not an accident, it was created.  It was created ex-nihilo, out of the all powerful word of God.

 

Everything that was created was made with great intentionality and all that was made was good.  The earth is not some dark place, but it is a good place, made by a good God who created a world that he could enjoy and that humanity could enjoy along with him. 

 

We learn that humanity is the pinnacle of this creation.  Humanity is not an accident, it was not created to be enslaved or to be a plaything, but rather humanity was created to bare the very image of God himself.  In ancient cultures kings would place statues of themselves throughout their kingdom.  These image bearing monuments were to remind everyone who ruled.  Humanity bears God’s image.  We were created to remind all creation of God’s goodness, love, stewardship, and benevolent rule of the earth.

 

So many say that the Bible holds a negative view of women; maybe we are reading two different books?  In Genesis both men and women bear the image of God equally.  In Genesis both are called to exercise his dominion over the earth equally.   Think about how radically different this view of women is to all other ancient cultures! 

 

Only in Genesis is man commanded to take a break and rest.  In Genesis we read about the importance of family and marriage as God establishes the covenant of marriage in the very beginning. 

 

Just a personal note here, can you see how Genesis 1 is beyond science?  Can you see that what it speaks to is much bigger than did God create the world in a literal seven days?  To focus on that is to miss the forest for the trees.  The Genesis account is not about the order of creation other than creation was done orderly and intentionally.  It’s about a good God that created all there is with His all powerful word; it’s about a God that created a good world not a dark sinister world.  It’s about a good God who created humanity to bear his image and share his rule.  It’s about a good God who tells us that both men and women equally bear His image and are to be accorded respect and honor.  It’s about a good God who gives us rest and family and community.

 

This story is different than all other stories of creation, both ancient and contemporary.  Are there some creation myths that have seven days, sure.  Do some of the gods create ex-nihilo? Yes.  But there is really no similarity in the stories they tell and the creation account from Genesis.  Genesis is still relevant today and paints a picture of a world very different than any other.   For me, this story is much more than a story, it is the truth, and how beautiful the truth is.

The 5 Strategic Behaviors of Successful Students

Spiritual Insights from a College Orientation
(Adapted by me to reflect the behaviors of those who thrive in the Church)

In the last 12 months I have been to two college orientations for freshman.  Last year my oldest son Zachary graduated from high school and is now a Recording Industry major at Middle Tennessee State and my oldest daughter Rachel graduated this year and will be leaving for the University of Tennessee to major in Marketing in just a few short weeks. 

Now I think the people who give the “How to be Successful in College” talk must all get together and share notes because their points were just about the same... Or maybe that’s not the case; maybe they independently came up with these points because they are universal principals that they have observed over the years.  These principals have led students to be successful in college; now that got me thinking.

You see I think the principals they have observed in successful college students are universal principals that help us get the most out of any group, job, or dare I say church we might want to be a part of.  So I want to share the principals these college deans shared with us and challenge you to apply them to your life; specifically with the church you attend and just see what happens.   Let’s think of it as a grand experiment. 

Go to class

^{HEB 10:25} We mustn’t do what some people have got into the habit of doing, neglecting to meet together. Instead, we must encourage one another, and all the more as you can see the great day coming closer.

This should be a no brainer right.  If you want to succeed in school half the battle is simply showing up. 

You go to class. 

I think it is amazing to the dean’s how few students understand this simple principal; if a student will simply go to class their chances of being successful in college skyrockets. 

Now I know this might seem crazy and it might offend some of your sensibilities, but the same is true in our lives as Christians.  You will grow in your Christian faith if you will begin by simply showing up to worship consistently.  I have been on the pastoral staff of several different churches since 1989 I can say with some degree of authority that the people who attend church on a very consistent basis, I mean rarely if ever miss, on average, are those who exhibit the highest qualities of Christian maturity and character.

You know this is true even for me at my level of leadership.  The Vineyard hosts different events where we as pastors gather together for worship, prayer, training, and encouragement.  I rarely miss any of those events.  Because of my participation at that level I have developed some of my best friendships with peers, I’ve found mentors.  I feel connected to The Vineyard as a movement.  I’ve experienced God powerfully in those settings.  Those events have blessed my kids.  Now having overseen Church planting in our region for 5 years, and being on that team for 9 years, I know that the pastors who do not attend these events consistently are at risk to not only drop out of the Vineyard as a movement, but for their churches to fail as well.  The reason is that they feel all alone out there, like know one cares or notices, and they feel disconnected to the leadership and vision of the movement.  Honestly, this is their own fault in large part because they are not seizing the opportunity for relationship and encouragement that is consistently in front of them.

The exact same principal is true for you with Sunday Worship  

The Bible teaches us that

^{HEB 10:25} We mustn’t do what some people have got into the habit of doing, neglecting to meet together. Instead, we must encourage one another, and all the more as you can see the great day coming closer.

When we come together to worship corporately there is encouragement.  We are taught from the Bible which helps us refocus our minds on what is central and important.  We lift praise up to God corporately declaring his worth, and when we do that shoulder to shoulder as a group of people who are living for God together then it is encouraging.

Not only that but we know what is going on in the church so we feel more connected to the community.  We begin to get to know people (if we will make the effort to talk to people) so we begin to develop friendships, The sermons make more sense, because most pastors preach in series and they do build on one another.   

When we fail to make weekly worship a priority in our lives, as many people have got into the habit of doing, the other people in your church are let down as well.  Your presence means something.  It means something to everyone that attends.  When you show up it encourages others. 

You know when push comes to shove worship isn’t even about us.  Worship is something we give to God.  Those of us who have truly given our lives over to Jesus can worship with any style any where.  I can worship with high liturgy, singing only hymns in a card board box and be encouraged if there are other brothers and sisters risking it all with me.  You see that is spiritual maturity.

Now do I prefer a little rock and roll, some good coffee and a donut, in a contemporary setting? Yes, I prefer it, but worship is not about me, it’s something I give to God, and I’m not going to miss an opportunity to worship Jesus with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Being consistent in the spiritual discipline of worship transforms me.

Study

^{2 TIM 2:15} Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Going to class is a great start but if you really want to be successful in college you have to study.  According to the college Deans a student should expect that they have to put three hours of study in outside of class for every hour they are in class if they want to do well at the college level.

Can I tell you a secret?  If you want to truly grow in your relationship with Jesus it is going to require an investment of your time.  You are going to have to spend some time grappling with the Bible.  We call this studying the Bible. 

I remember right after I decided to become a follower of Jesus I read the entire Bible cover to cover like I would a novel.  There were lots of parts I didn’t understand at all but it was the beginning of a life long journey for me that has given me more hope, peace, and security than anything I could possibly communicate.

Within this book God is revealed.  He can be found in the Bible.  You can get to know God’s heart, and you can get to know Jesus, you can gain an understanding for how God works in the world, and when you understand God’s Story and how your story is caught up in it, then the Bible provides an anchor to your life that can hold you firm during the storms of life.

I have been studying the Bible in depth for over 25 years, and I’m more convinced of it’s truth, it’s relevance, and it’s power to reveal the God who transforms our lives than ever.

Studying the Bible, getting to know it inside and out, can transform your life as well. 

Live on Campus

^{1 THES 2:8} so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.^[1]

The first thing the deans told us was that kids who lived on Campus did much \better than kids who lived off campus.  The reason for this was that the students who lived on campus were surrounded by opportunities to make friends and felt more connected and involved with the University itself. 

The Universal principal that these deans are describing is that those who connect with the community life of whatever institution or organization they are apart of are more likely to stay and be successful.  In the church I call this the principal of doing life together.  For you to truly grow in the church you have to establish relationships and connections that go beyond the Sunday Morning services.  You have to get involved relationally with people. 

The best way to begin to do life together with the people of the church is to become involved in some form of smaller community.  This can be a Sunday School Class, a small group, or a ministry team.

You see most of us don’t understand how the church truly works.  We are so used to having everything happen instantly that we are a microwave society.  We think everything should happen in the same time frame it takes us to pull up a web page.  But let me tell you a secret.  Christian character is not formed that way. 

I love to Bar-b-q so let me use a cooking analogy.  Say I got an amazing piece of brisket.  I can choose to cook it two ways.  I can stick it in the microwave and nuke it for twenty minutes.  If I do that it will come out chewy, rare, and impossible to eat.

But if instead I put that same piece of meat in the smoker.  And I cook it low and slow at about 170 degrees for 14 hours.  When that piece of meat comes out it will be fall apart tender, infused with the smoky flavor of the wood that cooked it, and like heaven on earth. 

You see an amazing thing has happened as I’ve done life with people in this church over the last 12 years.  People we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with, people we’ve ministered with, studied the Bible with, raised our kids with, prayed with, walked through triumph and defeat with, been there through the laughter and the tears with.  My family has been shaped by their love and faith and they have been shaped by ours.  This is something that has happened slowly over time, and it is a beautiful thing. 

So many people miss the beauty and power of the church because they never commit to it long enough and intensely enough to experience its power.  Look if your hopping from church to church bailing every time relationships get tough or you get disappointed then you never will get to experience the beauty and power of the church.  If you sit on the sidelines every Sunday morning, showing up to simply listen to a sermon you are not a follower of Jesus but a fan; and a fair weather one at that.  You will never experience the beauty and the power of the church sitting in the bleacher, but if you will commit to doing life with a group of people.  Invest over the long haul.  Get to know folks and let them know you, serve the mission of Christ by serving the church then you will experience the power of the church Jesus established and leads.

Get know your Prof.

^{HEB 13:7} Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

You know the older I get and the longer I’ve been in ministry the more I lean into my mentors. 

This last week I got to spend some time with Dave and Anita Workman.  The Workman’s have been serving the Cincinnati Vineyard for 28 years; 28 years at the same church!  These folks love God and they love their city!  They are such a wealth of wisdom and knowledge; I’m blessed anytime I get to be around them.  Their faithfulness raises the bar for me.  It lets me understand what true faithfulness is. 

There are so many of these people in my life.  These are my heroes:

Godfrey & Laurie Hubert  - 30 years at the same church

Steve & Cindy Nicholson - 35 years at the same church

Thor & Bonnie  Colberg - 30 + years in ministry; 6 years left one of the largest Vineyards in the southeast to risk it all and plant again.

Tim & Karen Holt - 30+ years in ministry


Rick & Ellen Coffin – 30+ years in the ministry.  10 years ago risked it all and moved to India to give guidance and training for the Vineyards in India!

These are awesome men and women of God.  I see their faithfulness and it spurs me on to want to be better.  These mentors and leaders gives me perspective that helps me stay the course.

The Bible says:

^{HEB 13:7} Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Every church has got some awesome mentors within it.  People who you should get to know.  These folks can teach you how to be better people, better parents, have better marriages, and handle your finances more responsibly.  They can show you what it means to live with Jesus as the center of your life through life’s different seasons and stages.  You need these folks.  You are foolish if you do not cultivate these types of relationships. 

Now I’m taking something for granted here that maybe I shouldn’t.  These things only make sense if you want to follow Jesus.  Now some of you might have never decided whether you want to have Jesus as your king.  I personally made that decision when I was 18 years old when I was drunk and lost in the back of a subdivision.  When I did that I discovered forgiveness for all the sins I had committed, and thankfully all the one I would commit.  I also discovered that through Jesus God’s presence was with me.  I was no longer alone.  This God that I had always thought was so distant was close as a drunken kid’s prayer. 

Jesus has transformed my life and he can transform yours as well.  What I’ve been talking about is how he chooses to use his church to do just that in our lives.

If you want what I’ve been writing about ask God that he would help you order your life in such a way to make these things priorities.  If Jesus isn’t your King, settle that now.  Simply pray and ask Jesus to be your King, ask him to forgive your sins, ask him to begin to guide and direct your life.  It is the best decision I ever made.  I know it will be your best decision too.

Take the initiative

^{EPH 5:15} So take special care how you conduct yourselves. Don’t be unwise, but be wise. ¹⁶ Make use of any opportunity you have, because these are wicked times we live in. ¹⁷ So don’t be foolish; rather, understand what the Lord’s will is. ^[2]

Only you can take the steps to make spiritual growth begin in your life. No one else is going to make you order your life for you in such a way that what is important truly takes priority.  Stop making excuses.  Stop blaming others for your lack of spiritual depth.  You are not a victim.  Every tool you need to be successful in the Christian life is laid out like a huge buffet before you.  Grab your plate it an fill it to the full. 

The choice really is yours.

---

^[1] The New International Version. 2011 (1 Th 2:8). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

^[2] Wright, T. (2004). Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (61). London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

God Can't Be Tamed

 

"Ooh!" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he -- quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

-C.S. Lewis from The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe

A couple of weeks ago I was at a camp where all heaven literally broke lose.  God showed up in the place in such a tangible way that kids were on the ground sobbing, some were laughing, and some were shaking visibly as they encountered God and just a fraction of His love and power.  To anyone who walked into the room it looked like a bomb had gone off in the place.  My initial reaction was, Oh Crap have we just amped up a bunch of teens into an emotional frenzy, but our speaker was about as low key as they come and had simply invited God’s Spirit to come and touch the teens lives and had instructed a few of the teens to begin to pray for one another.  This is something I’ve done in my ministry tons of times, and there are usually some tears and peace and a real sense of God’s presence; this is what happens most of the time, but there are times when the Spirit shows up in a way that the only way to wrap your mind around it is to think of Pentecost in the book of Acts.  This is not the first time I had seen something like this, but when it happens it is always a little disconcerting.

As a matter of fact I remember my initial reaction to experiencing God’s love and power in a way that was beyond “normal”.  It was my freshman year of college and we liked to go to a church called Aldersgate United Methodist Church in College Station; Aldersgate was just a Vineyard in United Methodist clothing.  That Sunday morning I had come with my best friend Gary Rhom (Gary, you can chime in on this if it stuck in your memory as well) and another good friend named Harold Reeves.  The pastor preached that morning on the filling of the Spirit.  Then he invited us to stand and asked God to fill us a fresh with His Spirit.[1]  Gary, Harold, and I stood up looking around with our eyes as big as saucers.  All I can say is that it was like a physical power entered into the room, the worship band began singing in their prayer languages and this is the only time this has ever happened to me, but in my mind I knew what they were singing.  It was simple praise to Jesus.

After the service was over we almost ran out of the sanctuary to Harold’s truck.  I remember Harold looking over and saying, “What do you guys think?”  I said “I think it was God.” and they shook their heads in affirmation.  Gary asked, “Are you guys going to go back?” and without hesitation we said, “No way!”

So here’s the question, if that experience and the experience at Camp was God, and I believe it was, why would it be so disconcerting; dare I say even a little scary? 

In his book The Silver Chair, C.S. Lewis draws an analogy about God’s character, that I find to be quite profound, with the story of a young girl named Jill. She's in the land of Narnia, and she's thirsty. At once she sees a magnificent stream . . . and a fearsome lion (Aslan, who represents the Lord Jesus):

"If I run away, it'll be after me in a moment," thought Jill. "And if I go on, I shall run straight into its mouth." Anyway, she couldn't have moved if she had tried, and she couldn't take her eyes off it. How long this lasted, she could not be sure; it seemed like hours. And the thirst became so bad that she almost felt she would not mind being eaten by the Lion if only she could be sure of getting a mouthful of water first. . . .

"Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.

"I'm dying of thirst," said Jill.

"Then drink," said the Lion.

"May I, would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

"Will you promise not to do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.

"I make no promise," said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer. "Do you eat girls?" she said.

"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.

"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.

"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."

"There is no other stream," said the Lion. It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion & no one who had seen his stern face could do that and her mind suddenly made itself up.

It was the worst thing she had ever had to do, but she went straight to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping up water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted. You didn't need to drink much of it, for it quenched your thirst at once. Before she tasted it she had been intending to make a dash away from the Lion the moment she had finished. Now, she realized that this would be on the whole the most dangerous thing of all.

So you’ve heard a little bit about my experience with God and some profound words from one of the great Christian minds of the last century, but does this ring true with scripture?  When people encounter the presence of the living God is it always quite, peaceful, and still?[2]  Let’s look at a few examples from the scripture.  This is not an exhaustive list in any fashion.

Genesis 28:16,17:  Jacob has a dream in which God speaks to him and upon awaking and realizing God just spoke to him he is afraid.

Exodus 3:6: Moses encounters God’s presence in the burning bush and he is afraid.

Exodus 19-20:19:  The presence of God descends on Mt. Sinai is a tangible way.  It scares the people so badly that they are struck trembling and beg Moses to not have God speak to them.

Exodus 34:29-39:  Moses’ face literally glowed after he had been in the presence of the Lord.  The lingering presence of the Lord upon Moses scared the Israelites so much Moses had to veil his face.

Judges 6:20-23: Gideon encounters God and is afraid.

2 Samuel 6:-11: David hears the report of what happens when one of his men touch the Ark of the Covenant and he is so afraid of God’s presence manifest in the ark he won’t let it be brought into Jerusalem.

Isaiah 6:  Isaiah sees a vision of the Lord and cries out in fear and despair.

Luke 1:30:  An Angel appears to Mary and she is afraid.

Luke 2:10: Angels appear to the Shepherds and they are afraid.

Luke 5:1-11:  After Peter’s miraculous catch of fish he falls to his knees and asks Jesus to leave him because he is afraid.

Mark 4:34-41:  Jesus rebukes the storm and the disciples are afraid.

Mark 5:1;17:  Jesus casts a legion of demons out of a man sending them into a herd of pigs[3] that then jump off a cliff.  The people of the town beg Jesus to leave because they are so afraid of him.

John 18:1-8:  When the Temple guards come to arrest Jesus.  Jesus just says who he is and the guards draw back and fall down.

Matthew 28:4-8:  Those guarding the tomb of Jesus see angels and are so afraid they shake and become like dead men.  The women see the angel and they are afraid and filled with joy at the same time; interesting combination.

Acts 2:  On Pentecost the church receives the Spirit.  The people who see this are bewildered and astonished.  The disciples are walking around in a way that those looking at them suspect they might be drunk.  Some mock them, some believe.

Revelation 1:17: John upon encountering the presence of Jesus falls at his feet as if dead.

Again this is just a highlight reel.  It is in no way exhaustive.  I tried to include something from every major section of scripture.[4]  Doesn’t it make sense that if we encounter the presence of God in a real and vital way that it would fry our circuits a bit?  We are talking about the God who spoke and all things came into existence.  Even a tiny bit of His power in a place is going to be overwhelming at best.  

Let me finish with telling a few of the stories of what happened during that “Pentecost” experience at camp. 

The first person that evening who encountered God’s power fell on the floor and began laughing uncontrollably.  It was disconcerting to anyone in the auditorium.  The next day I sat down and talked with them about what happened.  They related to me that their parents had gone through a nasty divorce and how that had made them very angry, bitter, and even filled with rage.  As our speaker invited the Spirit to come the individual just asked God to help them.  They said a wave of joy that was so powerful just rushed into them.  Something they were unable to control, but after the evening God had given them a peace about their life and that things were going to be O.K.

There was another person who was there who had accepted Jesus as their savior the first night.  The next night they fell out on the floor sobbing from the depth of their being for the better part of an hour.  This persons father had been beheaded by a drug cartel when they were young.  The family had fled the country for the safety of the U.S.  They had allowed their heart to close off to the grief that event had brought.  God ripped the scab off the infected wound and began to clean it out.  He said feel, grieve, come back to life and they did.  For the rest of the week this teenager couldn’t stop testifying to the goodness and greatness of Jesus at work in their life.

I could tell story after story.  What I want you to know is that God can’t be tamed.  His ways are not our ways.  He is more powerful than we can possibly understand and comprehend and when He decides to touch us with His power and love it is not uncommon for us to come completely undone, for us to be struck by awe, fear, or even denial. 

Have you been trying to tame a God who can’t be tamed?

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[1] All believers are filled with the Spirit when they decide to make Jesus their King, but God likes to empower our lives through the Spirit so we will be more excited about sharing about the life giving love that is available to us through Jesus.

[2] There is no doubt that God’s presence does come to us in a comforting and quiet way in scripture.  The thing I want to explore has to do with whether this is the only way God’s presence is manifest in our lives according to scripture.

[3] Jewish people weren’t to eat pork, so keeping a herd of pigs shows these people weren’t keeping the law as they should.

[4] The Law, The Histories, The Prophets, The New Testament

How to Get the Most Out of Church

Having been on staff at different churches since 1989 (that’s 24 years for those of you who are counting), I think I’ve learned a thing or two about how the church works and how people can get the most out of their experience while attending a church.  So here are some insider tips that I think will help you get the most out of your experience with church.

The first thing is a given for me.  You need to be a part of a church that is serious about following Jesus.  This can be a church that has high liturgy or is as contemporary as they come, the church can be large, it can be small, it can be medium sized, all of that is just personal preference.  But the heart of the church needs to be focused on following Jesus wherever he leads.  Can I tell you a secret?  Most churches are led by very sincere people who are doing their best to be faithful to Jesus and biblical truth.  These people aren’t perfect, they will make plenty of mistakes, but they love God and are doing the best they know how.  Guess what?  You aren’t perfect either.  Keep that in mind as your dealing with an imperfect system. 

Now here it is; the golden nugget.  Most folks don’t understand how the church affects change in our lives and the lives of our friends.  Being someone who loves to cook I’m going to use a cooking analogy.  Most of us think the church is a microwave.  We think we jump in, and in a very short period of time things should be significantly different for us.  This is not the way God works and it’s not the way he has designed his church to work.  Our spiritual lives are a journey, and the character of Christ is worked out in us over a lifetime. 

Also, Spiritual development is not something that happens in isolation.  You can’t just go to church and sit in a church service or attend a class and expect the character of Christ to form in your life.  First worship isn’t for us, worship is something we give to God.  Second, information is helpful for forming a base of knowledge but it’s useless unless it’s applied.  So that leads us back to the question how does church work?  If it’s not a quick fix.  If it’s not a 2 minute nuke in a microwave how does it work?

The church is designed to work like a smoker.  If you’re smoking a piece of meat you cook it low and slow.  For the meat to be smoky and fall apart tender you have to cook it between 175 and 200 for at least 12 hours.  If you put a brisket in a microwave for 2 minutes it’s going to be disgusting but if you put in a smoker for 12 to 14 hours it’s heaven on earth.  The church is the community of Christ on earth.  We are the people who live by the rule and reign of Christ.  Now to fully embrace the upside down values of the kingdom of heaven (the first shall be last, it’s in giving that we receive, love your enemies, bless those who persecute you, take up your cross) takes a community of people walking shoulder to shoulder over the long haul.

I didn’t really understand this fully until my oldest son graduated from High School and went off to college.  You see when Zachary was seven we planted (started) a church in Chattanooga Tennessee.  Over the course of the first few years there were a group of us who committed to doing life together as a church, we proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus to our city, prayed with one another, served one another, served our community and those who God brought into our church.  Now there were many families that bounced in and out of that group; families that became angry with me because of some decision or another that I made, or even angry with one of those core families.  But a core group of us have stuck it out over the long haul and have done life together.  There were plenty of times we got aggravated with one another or hurt each others feelings but we choose to love, to forgive, and to continue to do life together as Christians and as friends. 

Now over the course of years (a decade or longer) something beautiful happened.  These families standing back to back formed a safety net for our kids that produced young men and women who love God and are seeking to serve him as young adults.  We have changed each other and because of our commitment to Christ and one another worked out over the period of years and we have become better people.  When I saw the young man Zach had become and realized that it was a partnership between these families that had chosen to do life together through our church, something clicked.  I realized the power of the church is found in Christ-centered community.  That it is over the long haul not the short sprint that profound change comes and the life that truly is good is found.

You see that kind of power is not worked out in our lives because the pastor preaches a little better than the guy down the road or the band in the church down the street is cooler than the choir, or they have huge church building with a food court, or their youth group went to Disney World.  Honestly, none of those types of things matter.  They are not the difference makers.  The difference maker is authentic Christian community centered around the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ worked out over the long haul by those who choose to do life together.  If you don’t believe me read the last couple of chapters of each of Paul’s letters.  I’ll paraphrase most every letter Paul wrote.  In light of the redeeming love of Christ, that has moved us from death to life, live lives worthy of that redemption together (in unity and community).  For the followers of Jesus who get that and do that come blessings untold.

To sum up, you want to see the character of Jesus formed deep in your life?  Don’t church hop.  Invest deeply in your church by serving and building friendships where you do life together.  This is not going to be easy.  It will require work.  It will require grace.  It will require humility.  It will require love…funny aren’t those exactly the qualities God wants to form in our lives?  Go figure.   

My Story

A Pastor friend asked me to write out my testimony so he could use it as an illustration in his sermon.  Since I've never written it out I thought I'd use it as this weeks blog post.  This is my story.

I grew up in a family where not a single person was a follower of Jesus when I was little.  Not my parents, not my step-parents, none of my aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins; no one in my family was a follower of Jesus.

When I was in the seventh grade my grandfather on my mother’s side died.  There was a little Baptist church down the road from my Granny and her neighbors recommended that the pastor from that church do the funeral.  He was a professor at a local seminary who loved to preach and he loved his people.  He began to visit my Granny shortly after the funeral and within a few months had led her to Christ. 

My Granny began to pray for her family.

Now my mother would feel guilty for not having her children in church from time to time; usually after I had done something she deemed particularly bad, or after something like my sister’s first words being “Damn Flies”.  After one of the events had occurred we would attend the local United Methodist Church for maybe three weeks in a row, until the urgency of our trespasses had wore off and then we’d slip back into our routine, only showing up for services on Christmas and Easter.  I can remember my Dad on one Easter morning looking out at some men playing golf and commenting with disdain, “Who doesn’t go to church on Easter?”  The answer to that question would be my biological dad and stepmom.  All that to say, we had very little in the way of a formal Christian upbringing.

When I became a senior in High School my best friend Gary Rhom, who loved to party and chase after the girls with me, had an encounter with Jesus at a YoungLife retreat.  Out of nowhere it seemed he went on the straight and narrow.  After this had gone on for several weeks and Gary’s weekly twisting of my arm to go to YoungLife club I finally decided to go up to our schools YoungLife leader, a guy named Kitt Sublett who had the thickest coke bottle glasses you’ve ever seen, and ask him what he had done to freak my  friend out about God.

Kitt looked at me and said,  “Do you really want to know?” and I was like, “yes” and then he said call me up tomorrow and we’ll catch a sandwich at Schlotzsky’s. 

The next day I went and strong armed another of my good friends Frankie Sanford to go along with me.  We asked Kitt every question that our unbelieving hearts found so critical (what about the pygmies in Africa? What about the dinosaurs? What about evolution?) and Kitt gave us honest answers that I could tell he genuinely believed.  This was enough to get my curiosity up so when he said, “Where do we go from here?” I was open to continuing the dialogue. 

Kitt started a small Bible Study for Gary, me, and Frankie.  We called it the Coke-a-cola club because Kitt bought the cokes that came in the little glass bottles.  For nine weeks we studied the Bible.  Kit taught us about God’s good creation, about the Fall and the problem of sin, then we looked at Jesus his life, teachings, and miracles, then he showed us prophecies about Jesus in Old Testament and how they were fulfilled in the New Testament.  When he showed me Isaiah 53 I freaked out.  That passage was written hundreds of years before Jesus walked the planet and yet was so clearly about him.  It seemed like overwhelming proof to me that Jesus was who he claimed to be.  During that study my mind came to believe that Jesus was Lord but God wanted all of me not just my mind.

Now during these nine weeks God was at work in my life.  You see I had sort of a Diest’s view of God.  I believed there was a God, I just believed he wasn’t personal and he did not care about me.  That he had got everything going and he was kindda watching the show.  Well as we began studying the Bible I began reading the New Testament on my own and Jesus was anything but impersonal.  In Jesus I was confronted with a God who loved each person individually, who’d entered humanity to redeem and fix what was broken about it. 

I began to look at my friendships and see that all centered around getting drunk and partying.  I knew that in a few short months I’d be leaving home and going to college and was wondering is this all there is?  Am I going to be spending the rest of my life trying to get the beautiful sexy wife, accumulate the most stuff, so that I can make my life the biggest party that I can?  Is this really the meaning of life?  Or is there something that I’m seeing in Jesus, something about his self-giving, self-sacrificing love that points to the fact that real life, the good life is found somewhere in a completely different direction?

All these questions came to head on the evening of April 16^th, 1987.   One of my good friends Gregg Gambel and I had gone to a party together.  I had ridden with him and I put my keys in his glove compartment (these were the days of skin tight levi’s and your keys looked pretty stupid sticking out of your pocket).  At the party there were a bunch of kids from another school and my girlfriend was there too.  I was a pretty horrible boyfriend during those day’s, it was hard to find space for anyone other than my ego, so we were constantly fighting. 

We had a talk the day before about how we felt our relationship was to physical and we were going to try to figure out how to be friends on top of being boyfriend and girlfriend.  Anyway we arrive at this party and I come up to her to say hi and she did not give me the greeting that I felt like I deserved (you know fawning, gushing, pseudo-worship) and so I start churning up the party so all the attention can center around me.  I get together a group of people and we start playing the drinking game quarters and before long I’m fairly drunk.  I look over at my girlfriend and she is talking with this guy I can’t stand.  I start thinking how much I’d like to punch him; I decide to take a walk instead.   Frankie, my good buddy, lives a few streets over so I decide to walk to his house.  It takes me about an hour to find my way two streets over.  When I get to Frankie’s I ask if he will take me home.  He tells me he can’t because he’s sick, so I start trying to find my way back to the party. 

During this walk I begin to talk with God.  I’m telling him how empty I am.  I tell him what a mess I’ve made out of my life.  I finally make it back to the house where the party was, but when I get there everyone is gone.  The party has moved locations and my buddy that I had come to the party with is gone as well, with my keys.  The next morning is Easter Sunday, and I’m thinking great, the one Sunday we are going to be in church and I’m going to be coming home way late, drunk off my butt.   I decide I’m going to have to walk home and I head towards the exit of the neighborhood.  All this time I’m talking with God asking him if there is a better way to do life.  Finally I just sit down on the sidewalk and I make a bargain with God.  I say, “God if you will get me out of this mess, I will give my life to you hook line and sinker.” 

No sooner does this prayer come out of my mouth than a friend of mine who is home from college for Easter weekend drives by and sees me sitting on the side walk.  He stops and says, “Jeff, what are you doing sitting on that sidewalk?”  I say, “I’m drunk and lost, will you take me home?”  He says sure. 

I get in his car and we begin to drive to my home.  He has to stop and get gas, and while he is getting gas I see my buddy that I came to the party with in the turn lane that is next to the gas station.  I hang out the window and wave my arms and yell.  Gregg sees me, drives over, I hop in his car, get my keys, arrive home and go to my room no questions asked. 

The next morning we are sitting in church.  Our pastor is preaching on the power of the resurrection and God’s Spirit begins to speak to me.  He says, “I upheld my end of the bargain; Jeff, are you going to uphold yours?”  I begin to think, that is going to mean some dramatic changes.  I will have to change my lifestyle, it might mean my friendships will have to change, what will this mean for me and my girlfriend?  Then I start to think it all could have just been a series of coincidences.  I need to be reasonable.  Then I hear God speak again, he says this is your opportunity Jeff, if you don’t move now it won’t come around again for a long time.  At that moment I came to realize that the God I had always thought was impersonal and distant was as close as some drunk kids prayer in the back of a neighborhood.

So right there in that moment, I surrender my heart to Jesus.

Many thought that was just a phase; that in a few months I’d grow out of this Jesus thing.  But 25 years later I know it was the best decision I’ve ever made.  Now, I understand that any choice I’ve made to be faithful to Jesus has been a good one and any choice I’ve made to do life my own way has been a bad one.

I guess Granny’s prayers were packing some power.