The Pruning of the Church

JOHN 15:1  ". . . he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (NIV)

God is at work. Statistics about church decline may tempt us to think otherwise. Reports of denominational wrangles may bring us a measure of disillusionment. (I remember hearing Gordon Cosby say, “Disillusionment is good; it gets rid of our illusions!") Seeing religious interest and participation on the wane in our neighborhoods may cause us concern. Despite these realities in the present day we can be hopeful because we are confident that God is at work. In John 15 Jesus used the image of a vine. He said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Let us hope that in America we are being “pruned.”  Pastors and churches are being cut back so that we may bear more fruit.  

The day of the professional pastor has passed. The day of the missionary pastor has come. We are not going back any time soon to the day of the professional minister. This change affects all believers; it brings both a challenge and an opportunity. 

These days I am serving churches in transition. I supply preach, and I serve as an interim pastor while churches look for a settled, permanent pastor. My advice to churches: learn the difference between a professional pastor and a missionary pastor. The professional pastor was good for an earlier time, but that time has passed; the missionary pastor will lead the church into the future.

In my understanding a professional is one who works from a profession of faith or a commitment to a higher standard than one’s own benefit. So, a pastor professes faith in Christ and lives life in service to the lordship of Christ. A teacher professes the importance of learning and devotes his or her life to education. A doctor professes the importance of health and works for the well being of the community without making remuneration or recognition the most important part of one’s service. Likewise, a lawyer professes a commitment to justice and works for justice as a calling that transcends his or her personal benefit. For pastors, teachers, doctors and lawyers there have been standards of conduct adopted by the church or the university or the medical association or the legal society which call professionals to account for their training, their service and their behavior.

Over time the word professional has been stretched. For example, a professional athlete is someone who plays the sport well enough to make it a high paying career. No particular training or certification is required. The word professional just means that the athlete plays the game better than an amateur. In this stretched definition a person is a “real professional” if that person is good at what they do. One could imagine a person saying, “He’s a professional bank robber or professional con man,” and when a criminal can be called a professional the word has been stretched beyond meaning. 

For pastors the day of the professional meant that clergy would train for their profession through university and seminary. These trained clergy would be ordained by a church. They would adhere to a code of ethics and etiquette. The etiquette included such matters as the way one dressed, talked and interacted with other clergy members, e.g. no proselytizing or what is popularly called, “sheep stealing.” (Sheep being used as a term for members of another flock, another church.)

Just as teachers went to the school, and doctors went to the hospital, and lawyers to the court house, so pastors went to the church. The church was a building that was constructed for beauty and permanence. In the days when the word professional had more meaning, a pastor, as a professional, would be asked to serve the community by participation in a civic club or membership on a hospital board or be invited to host and speak at a high school baccalaureate service. The pastor was understood to be a contributor to the welfare of the larger community. 

In the mass media pastors in previous years were most often depicted in positive ways. In 1944 the movie, “Going My Way,” starred Bing Crosby as a priest, and it won seven oscars, including best actor in a leading role, best actor in a supporting role, best director, best writing, and best music. In stark contrast the 2015 movie “Spotlight” won the Academy Award for best picture and best original screen play for its biographical drama telling the story of a newspaper investigation into child sex abuse by priests in the Boston area. The 1944 movie gave an idealistic picture of priests, and the 2015 movie gave a picture of the Catholic Church that reflects a serious failure but also does not leave the viewer with an accurate picture of the church overall. In the media today clergy are more often depicted in demeaning ways and very seldom is religion included in TV shows or movies as a normal part of life.

In the days of the professional pastor weddings and funerals were exclusively in the pastor’s purview. Today, of course, weddings are often done at vineyards and gardens and other beautiful places as well as buildings that are designed for that purpose and are never used for worship. Almost anyone can get a license to perform a wedding. Pastors are not required. Today some people choose not to use pastors for funerals or even to have funeral services.

In days past when the community suffered a crisis such as a natural disaster the clergy were called upon to help the stricken with prayer and assurances of God’s care. Today, “professional” counselors are called. The clergy may minister to their church members, but they are not understood to be contributors to the community in the way they were in the day of the professional pastor.

The Pew Research Center has published studies that show religion is waning in its influence in America.http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/ Although there are still many people—a majority—who claim belief in God, the number is in decline. The neighborhood church led by a pastor who has been trained in ministry and is held accountable by peers to the faith professed, is fading. Church buildings still exist in great numbers, but many of them are near empty.

Of course, there are examples of mega churches in every state, and pastors for many years have been encouraged to learn from these mega churches how to reach the community. Some of the mega church models are inspiring because they show the power of the gospel to draw people to faith; some are disturbing because a big crowd does not guarantee a commitment to truth, and some mega congregations amend the gospel to make their message more popular. With Paul (Philippians 1:18) we can rejoice that the gospel is being preached. Still, even with the mega church phenomena the decline in Christianity has continued in the United States. The mega church model has not stopped the move in the direction of waning belief. It appears that mega churches have mostly drawn people out of neighborhood churches and not made an impact on the nation as a whole.

The change in the standing of pastors in the community at large and the shrinking attendance at the neighborhood church reflect a decline across the nation in religious belief. Without a community to give its support and to express its need, the role of professional pastor is less and less viable. The day of the professional pastor has passed. (One could raise the possibility that the idea of professional is changing for teachers, doctors and lawyers, too, but that is another subject.)

The picture of Christianity world wide is much different. The largest religion in the world is Christianity, and Christianity is adding more adherents every year than any other religion. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/05/20/think-christianity-is-dying-no-christianity-is-shifting-dramatically/What’s more, this phenomenal growth is occurring in the face of persecution in many places. The center of Christianity has shifted from Europe and the West to the Global South, Latin America and Africa, where there are more than one billion Christians.

The words of Jesus in John 15 make us hopeful about North America, too. The Lord has not given up on the church in the West. Let us hope that we are being “pruned.”  Pastors and churches are being cut back so that we may bear more fruit.  

In order to be more fruitful we come to this change from professional pastor to missionary pastor. The role of pastor will no longer be defined in the larger community alongside other professionals. The role of pastor finds its definition in the local church. Whether the larger community looks to the pastor as a professional leader is not so important. What matters now is the church’s view. The church relies on the Spirit to guide the faithful in a search of Scripture for the model of pastor that best serves God’s kingdom in this place and time. The word missionary is not appreciated by the larger community, but the church loves the word because it comes right out of the heart of God. To be on mission is to be sent. God sent his Son for the salvation of the world. We embrace the message and the lordship of Christ. We embrace our missionary role. We embrace the gospel. 

Missionaries are defined by their message. Whether we wear suits with ties or t-shirts with jeans we do not, by that clothing, define missionary. Singing hymns or singing choruses does not define a missionary. A building does not define a missionary. The number of people gathered for a meeting does not define what God’s mission means. What counts is the message.

God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus is coming again to make all things right. We live in and through and by the life of Christ. He is our Lord. He is our message.

Again, my advice to churches in transition: search for a pastor who knows the message; search for a pastor who lives that message as the organizing principle of life. Search for a missionary pastor who will lead the church to embrace its call to the mission field, who understands that our mission field is right here in America.

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Grandchildren. One day this week Judy and I took Mr. Happy, our four year old grandson, to our house for the afternoon. On the way we stopped at the drive-through counter of a fast food restaurant to get ice cream. As we were ordering Mr. Happy heard me say that I wanted a cone for him. He shouted from the back seat, “No, Pal!” I was puzzled and turned to look at him. He went on to say, “I want ice cream in a cone.” I clarified that point with the counter person and learned a lesson about pre-schoolers. They are literally minded, and when something is important—like ice cream—they are good listeners and they can be assertive. Maybe he has a legal career in his future.

Jude 3 "Contend for the Faith"

A Reflection on Truth

“I felt compelled to write . . .” (Jude 3). These words from “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,” describe my feelings these days. I much prefer reading to writing; I usually discover that the things I would write have already been written more clearly and helpfully by someone else. Judy has encouraged me to take up the posting of my blog once again because she thinks that I should, at least, write about the books and articles I am reading and finding helpful. Jude was compelled by the Lord to write; I am compelled by Judy to write; however, I have a thought that she may be speaking the word of the Lord to me. So, my blog begins again.

Most recently I have read a collection of excerpts from the work of Lesslie Newbigin. He was a missionary to India and then, after retirement and a return to the UK he became a pastor at age 72 of a small inner city congregation in Birmingham. Paul Weston of  Ridley Hall, Cambridge University put together a reader of Newbigin’s work which provides a helpful biography and an introduction to his thought. I recommend Lesslie Newbigin, Missionary Theologian, A Reader, compiled and introduced by Paul Weston. Eerdmans Press, 2006. 

As a long time missionary Newbigin saw the present day frontier for gospel ministry to be the secular West. In order to face the “new and unprecedented” situation of a missionary-sending region becoming a region in need of missions, he made the call for a “declericalizing of theology.”  He wrote, “What is needed is the co-operative work of Christian laymen and women in specific sectors of public life: industry, politics, medicine, education, local government, welfare, administration, the media, literature, drama, and the arts. In each of these and other sectors of public life there is a need to examine the accepted axioms and assumptions that underlie the contemporary practice, to examine them in the light of the gospel. That will not happen as long as theology is the preserve of the clergy or, what is equally dangerous, simply an enclave within a secular academic community.” (Reader, p. 212f)

In the Jude passage the text continues this way, “I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals . . . pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude 3-4, NIV)

Newbigin argued in his writings that in order to contend effectively for the faith and to give a strong witness to the secular West believers will develop a critique of the prevailing modernist world view which has undercut Christian faith. This modernist philosophy rests upon assumptions that are not recognized and therefore go unchallenged in popular thought. The truth of Newbigin’s argument has come to me in many conversations in which people will make a point with these words, “Science says.” In the minds of many folks this statement, “science says,” brings all debate to a close. Newbigin wrote, “Science is still widely seen as being part of this body of public truth to be acknowledged by all.” Of course, the scientific method has produced remarkable progress in our knowledge, but such knowledge will continue to be corrected and improved upon. There is seldom, if ever, a final word from science, and there is no “Mr. Science,” to whom we can go for a definitive answer on the most profound questions of life. 

When our youngest son graduated from the University of Virginia Medical School one of the deans gave the commencement address. He made this memorable statement: “Half of what we have taught you is wrong; we just don’t know which half.” This commencement speaker is certainly a scientist; he is, perhaps, a post-modern scientist. He understands the limits of all claims to knowledge. 

All ways of knowing go forward on the basis of assumptions. Famed chemist and philosopher Michael Polanyi has argued that all knowledge is personal. We make our assumptions. We theorize, and we test our theories. Copernicus took that approach. He went forward with an imaginative theory that contradicted what his senses observed. In time his theory was shown to explain the world more accurately than the Ptolemaic system had done. 

Christian faith goes forward on the assumption that Jesus Christ is Lord. As Jude said, he is our “sovereign.” We interpret life through our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In time our assumption that Jesus is Lord will be proven true or false. The sovereignty of Christ will be true for no one or it will be true for everyone. All truth is public truth.

In today’s secular culture which predominates in the West, people have accepted the erroneous idea that religious truth is private, that is, it can be truth for you but not for me. However, scientific truth, in the assumption of the dominant culture, must be true for everyone. The law of gravity is true for everyone. As Christians we conduct our lives with the truth that Jesus is sovereign, and we operate by this truth as confidently as we live by the law of gravity. 

What is difficult for us, as moderns, is to realize that scientific knowledge, as it is called, is developed experimentally and from assumptions. What seems unassailable today could, in fact, be understood quite differently in a later century. So, the dean of the medical school can say, “Half of what we have taught you is wrong; we just don’t know which half.” In the mean time we live by what we know or what we believe to be true. As Christians, we live by what we know or what we believe in faith to be true. Our experience with Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit give us conviction of the truth, and with God’s grace we are willing to place our very lives in the hands of the Lord. Truth is truth for everyone or it is not truth at all.

John 18:33-38 "What is Truth?"

John 18:37   “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Pilate was cynical and responded to Jesus’ statement with a scoffing retort, “What is truth?” (John 18:38) Pilate was more interested in power than truth. He believed in power; he wanted to know if Jesus claimed to be a king. (John 18:33)  Pilate understood the authority of kings, but he was skeptical about anyone’s ability to know the truth. 

Without a desire for truth one cannot come to Jesus, but with a desire for truth one will have the openness of heart to hear the call of the Lord. "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." (Psalm 145:18) Jesus made it clear that his purpose was to testify to the truth. (John 18:37) Earlier in the Gospel we read the startling claim of Jesus, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Since Jesus made it his purpose to witness to the truth, we, too, as followers of Jesus want to be pursuers of truth. Truth opens the door to hearing the Gospel. Scientific, historical, philosophical truth—all truth in all forms—serves the purposes of God.

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Grandchildren. Mr. Happy sometimes surprises me with his wisdom. He seems the old man, and I the preschooler. This week he was working in the back yard with me cleaning up the bird feeder. As we worked I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. We’d been talking about his parents, and I made the observation that they were both doctors and that they helped people. So, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” I asked. He said, “It’s too early to say.” I was impressed with this wisdom beyond his years and immediately responded, “Yes, you’re right; it’s too early to say.” After a moment he broke the subsequent silence and said, “When I grow up I want to be a robber.” Startled, I looked up at him from my work and saw that his eyes were laughing. I laughed, too. Humor and wisdom—that Mr. Happy keeps me joyful.

Mark 13;1-8 A Reflection on Church Buildings

Mark 13:2  “Do you see all these great buildings?”

Mark 13 is an apocalyptic discourse that includes a reference to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. This chapter, also, describes the return of Christ (v. 26) and the passing away of heaven and earth (v. 31). Concerning the end Jesus said that no one knows the time (v. 32). The best preparation, Jesus admonished his disciples, is to watch and pray (v. 34, KJV) and live each day as if it could be the end of days.

Jesus gave this teaching in response to his disciples’ expressed wonder at the grandeur of the temple. Jesus warned that this building—grand as it was—would not endure. Its destruction would be total (v. 2). This destruction of the temple occurred in 70 A.D. when the Romans put down a rebellion in Jerusalem with the destruction of the city.

Jesus described the razing of the temple as “birth pangs” (v. 8 NIV). The temple’s demise was necessary, in part, so that the grandeur of buildings could be replaced by a spiritual kingdom that would spread to all the earth (v. 10). The kingdom of God could not then and cannot now be contained in a building.

Now, as then, buildings can get in the way of kingdom work. Cathedrals are magnificent to visit, but they are too often empty of worshipers. Even more modest buildings can become a drain on resources and siphon attention away from the church’s mission. So, empty cathedrals and run-down church buildings of any size that are devouring resources remind us that the kingdom is made of people not stones; the church is Christ’s body, a spiritual building, not a material one.

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Grandchildren. Singer (my preferred nickname; his siblings call him Squeaker) is now fifteen weeks old and is awakening from his infancy to the world about him. He seems delighted with his discovery. Both Sweetie Pie and Mr. Happy have been able to get him to smile for a long time. Gal and I have had some happy responses from him as well. Last night, however, in response to his mother’s smile he was giggling which made all the rest of us giggle, too. Another milestone, this weekend he turned over for the first time. He is growing!

Mark 12:35-44 Watch Out for Bad Teaching

Mark 12:38   Jesus said, “Watch out . . .’”

As others have observed, the problem with religion is not that people don’t believe but that people will believe anything! Happily, much more good than bad has come to us through religion. Through the Gospel people have come to transforming faith and whole societies have moved to a more just administration of law. Charitable institutions have brought relief to multitudes of the needy. Christianity has lifted culture and government in many good ways. 

At the same time we know that In the name of religion unspeakable atrocities, fraud of the innocent, prejudicial strictures, and lots of pious foolishness have been practiced. Enemies of religion eagerly point to these problems, but honest observers of history will acknowledge that religion has brought good as well as bad.

Because religion can be bad as well as good, Jesus warned us to “watch out.” So, how do we watch out? The classic Protestant answer is to follow the teachings of the Bible for in the Scripture we have the word of God. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

Of course, as recorded in Mark 12 Jesus demonstrated through his encounter with the Bible teachers of the first century this need to “watch out” does not go away with the simple call to Bible authority. Some people—unintentionally or mischievously—misinterpret the Bible and cause harm. So Jesus said “watch out” for the teachers. (verse 38)

In this passage from Mark 12 we find some ways that the followers of Jesus can watch out for bad Bible interpretation. One warning centers on behavior. A good Bible teacher will support the teaching with good behavior. (v. 40)

Another warning arises out of the teacher’s attitude. Lack of humility in a teacher will set off internal alarm bells for the thoughtful. (v. 39) Lack of generosity provides a warning, too. (v. 41-44)

Also, Jesus warned against intellectual flatness and lack of imagination. In humility an authentic teacher of the Bible will yield to paradox and mystery. We cannot explain everything. (v. 35-37) The only one with all the answers is God himself, and the authentic teacher will point us to our Lord. Those teachers who insist on having the answer to everything need watching and are best avoided.

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Grandchildren. For Halloween Sweetie Pie was a ghost; with her missing front teeth she was scary. (Until she gave me a big hug) Mr. Happy wore camouflage and looked like a warrior (well, as much as a four year old can). Singer (my current nickname for the youngest) had the scariest costume to me. He dressed as a surgeon—even down to the booties doctors wear in the operating room. “Give me treats or I’ll take your organs!” (His uncle Jason who is a surgeon sent that costume to Singer.) Well, it would be scary, but babies are sweet no matter how they are dressed. What fun to be a grandparent.

Travel. Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice . . . .” Judy and I traveled with friends to Nuremberg, Regensburg, Passau, Vienna and Budapest by river boat this past week. Seeing these parts of Germany, Austria and Hungary was enlightening and pleasant. I will be working through all the thoughts and impressions this travel created for me over the next year. How grateful I am to have the resources to have made this journey. I want to be a good steward of it. Hopefully, some of my prejudices will die with reflections on this travel experience. It was fun, but it was more than just fun. 

Mark 12:28-34 Is Love the Answer?

Mark 12:34  "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

A teacher of the law asked Jesus to identify the most important commandment in the Bible. Jesus gave the standard, orthodox answer. Quoting from the Old Testament he responded: God is one; love God and secondly love your neighbor. The teacher was pleased with Jesus' answer. He repeated what Jesus said and added his own commentary saying that such love was "more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." (verse 33)

Perhaps, the teacher of the law was pleased with himself. He had gotten Jesus to say something that the teachers of the law would accept as orthodox. It was as if the teacher had asked a pupil a question and gotten the correct answer from his student. The teacher affirmed the pupil and gave a little commentary in addition. His added commentary was described by the Gospel writer as "wise." Then came the zinger. Jesus gave the last word and ended the encounter in such a way that this teacher and no one else "dared ask him any more questions." (verse 34)

Jesus said to the teacher who had answered wisely, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." To say that one is not far is to say that one has not reached. The teacher had elicited from Jesus the orthodox statement of the most important commandment in the Bible. What more could be said? If one knows and fulfills the law what could be left to do? The teacher apparently knew what was the most important commandment, but he was still short of the kingdom of God.

Earlier in this same chapter of Mark Jesus had stumped the Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees as they attempted to catch him in an error of biblical interpretation. Later in the chapter we read the account of Jesus warning his disciples to beware of such teachers and leaders who make a show of wisdom and spirituality but are not to be trusted. They are predators who will receive God's severest punishment. Jesus taught them that a poor widow who gives a fraction of a penny honors God more than such religious leaders. (see 12:44)

Christians do not want to preach the "Great Commandment" as an achievement to attain. We do not want to make love of God a right answer in our list of orthodox beliefs. The Gospel brings us into a relationship with God through faith in Christ, This relationship cannot be reduced to law. We enter the kingdom of God when we receive the call of God in the grace which comes to us through proclamation of the cross and resurrection. We come to love God because God first loved us; we love others as ourselves when the Spirit produces a supernatural compassion within our hearts which we cannot produce in our own strength. To proclaim love as a law--even as the greatest law--will put us "not far from the kingdom."

Mark 10:46-52 Healing Faith

Mark 10:52    “Your faith has healed you.”

Some of the dearest, most faithful Christians I have known died prematurely. I know they were people of faith who prayed. I know that many, many fellow believers prayed for them. Yet, they were not healed in the way we wanted. Healing faith is not a possession that we can claim for our own. Healing comes as the providence of God orders, and such healing always has a purpose in addition to the relief from suffering. All true faith rests in God’s purposes whether the end is physical healing or not. True faith is the faith that brings reconciliation and discipleship. True faith prays with Jesus under the shadow of the cross, “Thy will be done.”

Bartimaeus was in the right place at the right time. Jesus passed by the intersection where he was sitting. It could have happened that Jesus went in a different direction or that Jesus passed by when Bartimaeus was not present. The encounter between Bartimaeus and Jesus was a gift. It was not a right or the end of good planning, and it was not chance either. In God’s providence it was meant to be.

Bartimaeus cried for mercy. He did not ask for fairness or justice. Others, perhaps, needed and deserved healing more than he. Apparently, many in the crowd thought that he was undeserving of the attention of Jesus, and they attempted to make him stop his shouting for help. He persevered. He did believe that Jesus could help him. He had faith.

Bartimaeus received the call of Jesus. How joy must have filled his heart when he heard the people say to him, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” (Verse 49) It is never within the power of a person to have all that faith requires; faith moves forward only when Jesus calls.

Bartimaeus was asked what he wanted. Surprisingly, some people do not actually want what Jesus offers. (John 5:6) Even some who saw the miracles of Jesus and received the witness of the resurrection turned away from the gift of faith. Bartimaeus asked and received his vision. Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you.” However, it was not just the faith of that moment, but it was the faith that included all the elements that had put Bartimaeus in the place of his encounter with Jesus and the purposes that were fulfilled as Bartimaeus lived forward with his sight.

Bartimaeus did not return to his former place where he had sat begging; instead, the text tells us that “he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” (Verse 52) The healing of blind Bartimaeus resulted in his discipleship.The faith healing of Bartimaeus was not for the relief of suffering alone. The greater mission of Jesus was reconciliation with God, the forgiveness of sin. Healing faith was a witness to that greater purpose. (See the account of healing in Mark 2;1-12) 

Healing faith is not up to us. Paul the Apostle prayed to be healed from his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7) but was not. The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane was answered in a way that seemed to be a resounding “no” from God. Our prayers for healing may be answered in ways that seem to be a “no” from God as well. Faith trusts that God’s purposes are greater than our sickness or heart break or disability or even death. In our weakness God’s strength is made evident, and beyond our cross there is the promise of resurrection.