Easter in a Changing World

Easter in a changing world: are we in danger of suffocating Easter? I like Easter. It is a pure religious holiday. Of all of the religious holidays, the Easter tradition is pure Christianity. In fact, it is the heart of Christianity. Without Easter resurrection, there is no Christianity. Further, we have Easter at the right time on the calendar. Some may complain about the moveable date, but the Passover date was also moveable on the Jewish calendar since a 13th intercalary month was inserted periodically to keep the calendar accurate.
My religious heritage has not known what to do with Easter. We celebrate–but barely. Some are obviously uncomfortable with anything special. I regret that. I also realize that God did not intend notice of the resurrection to be only an annual event. I applaud the fact that people think about Jesus and the resurrection on Easter, I realize also such should be more than a once-a-year event. The practice within my religious heritage is to observe the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, recognizing that every Sunday is resurrection Sunday. I like the description I first heard from Marvin Phillips: “Welcome to the church that celebrates Easter 52 times a year!” But my question lingers: are we in danger of suffocating Easter?

Easter is changing in our world. I have noticed the change; if you have lived very long on this planet, perhaps you have also. When I was growing up in Kansas, the week preceding Easter was a somber occasion. There were special actvities at the churches–and at the school house! All of the businesses in our little town closed on Good Friday from 3-4 P.M. School was usually dismissed for the day, or if we had snow days to make up, no later than noon. Easter was Easter–even for those who did not celebrate Easter.
Today, Easter has become another holiday weekend in a long march of holiday weekends. A holiday week during Semana Santa turns into family vacation, time away from the city, time at the beach. Easter week or weekend involves long drives to see family or to work in a short vacation. The secular has all but replaced the religious.
Except for Easter Sunday tomorrow, Easter week has come and gone for another year. My Facebook friends who have taken time to post have gone on vacation, gone to the beach, traveled to other countries, and apparently had a jolly good time. One more day, and it will be back to work (unless you get Easter Monday off).

My complaint is really a question. What is an appropriate attitude for Christians during this time of year? What are appropriate activities? How do we reflect the central importance of the cross and resurrection? Is this week only one out of 52, nothing changed, nothing different? Or do chills run up and down our spines as we this week consider in a special, unique way that this was the time of year when Jesus changed our world by his sacrifice, death, and resurrection? Almost 2000 years have passed. Have we joined the scoffers wondering, “Where is the sign of his coming?” Or do we remember his resurrection as undoubtable proof that the promise is secure?

Daily Devotional Update

Thanks to all who have written or commented personally on the daily devotionals. By the end of the year, I should have a devotional thought available for every chapter in the New Testament. These are being posted as daily devotionals (weekdays only) on my Daily Devotions Index.
The devotional guides allow a person to work through the New Testament annually, either with the selected readings which are provided or by reading the suggested chapter in one’s personal Bible. The guides do not work through the New Testament in order, but suggest a rhythmic oscillation between the various types of New Testament literature.
I have posted a link to the page in the right menu bar on my front page–or you can bookmark the page. The link has the advantage of taking you directly to the current month.
The thoughts and reflections often (not always) reflect the content of the chapter and how the chapter functions in the larger context to contribute to the message of the author. I am not aware of any effort which is exactly parallel. If you find the devotionals helpful, share with others.

It’s Sunday Again: The Local Church MUST Act

It’s Sunday again–I am scheduled to preach this evening as part of a mission focus on the upcoming summer 2011 mission trip. I will probably not be as bold in person as I am in my thoughts this morning as I review what I have prepared.

The church is many places is mired in either inactivity or in activities that make little or no difference in the salvation of the world. The church has become basically self-centered, and most of what we do is done for us. We pay lipservice to the need to touch the world, but the world is not touched by our lips but by our actions. The real crisis of our world has been misidentified by many who go forth in the name of Jesus. The real crisis of our world is not a crisis of poverty, food, medical care, environmental awareness, or addictions. The real crisis in our world is the absence of Jesus in daily life. I am not opposed to doing good in the name of Jesus, and in fact such benevolent, compassion actions make us like Jesus, but Jesus did not come to eliminate poverty.

The local church MUST recover its boldness and spring into action. This is not merely a mission call, although that will be our primary focus this evening. The boldness for which I plead is a daily boldness in all of the walks and contacts of life. The boldness I see described in the New Testament is the boldness I seek to restore. This is a boldness that will empower every Christian to see others through the eyes of God. We look at the lost, but do not see lost people. We interact with the hurting, but do not see their hurts. We hurry on when opportunities open. We are not acting like Jesus because we are not thinking about Jesus and talking about Jesus every moment of every day.

The local church MUST act. We could begin today if we were serious about the eternal purpose of God in this world.

Our Incredibly Small World

You have likely heard the statement in a number of contexts: “it’s a small world.” Perhaps someone was amazed at overlapping personal connections or friendships, perhaps someone was considering technology and the possibility of instantaneous communications, or perhaps someone was thinking about the ease of travel in today’s world. All are indications of a shrinking world which is more and more accessible, more and more interconnected. This shrinking world also makes our response to the Great Commission–Jesus’ stated desire that the gospel go into all the world–easier and easier.

In just over three months this year, we have spent two ministry weekends with churches in Arkansas, attended mission meetings in Texas and Arkansas, preached two weekends in Michigan, preached at the Hispanic congregation at Park Plaza–Tulsa, visited and preached at the Kiowa and Fort Gibson churches on behalf of Baxter, preached at home in McAlester a couple of times, participated in the 50th Anniversary weekend with the church in Lansing, Michigan, shared the Baxter story at the Edmond church, spent 3 weeks in Guatemala preaching and teaching, and we are looking forward to two weeks in Honduras in May.

What will we do in this shrinking world? Will we see and seize the opportunities? Will we seek new and better ways of communicating the gospel, fresh ways of training missionaries, ministers and evangelists, renewed connections to those formerly untouchable–or we will stay in BAU mode? For Christians genuinely committed to faithful discipleship, followers of Christ who have taken his mission as their own, the latter is a non-starter. Will you pray today about how and where and when God is calling his church forward? Will you pray about the who–remembering that the who may be you? Our God is able to exceedingly, incredibly, abundantly above and beyond anything that we have thought, dreamed, or imagined. Our God is able through energizing us.

The opportunity of the present moment is perhaps unsurpassed in the history of world. Do we see it? Will we seize it? Or will we sit idly?

Hebrews 4:12-13: A Simple Understanding

During last night’s Bible study, in a discussion of Hebrews 4:12-13, the teacher asked the question, “What makes the word of God living and active?” Three ideas almost immediately came to my mind.
First, we consider the words on a page “living and active” when they carry authority. Words are living and important because of their source. A summons to appear in court is living and active because of its source and authority. Without an appropriate source (or more accurately, the recognition of the authority of the source), words are lifeless and meaningless.
Words are living and active when they are based on and reflect meaningful relationships. This is a cold explanation of the warm words that appear in love letters. Letters from friends, family, loved ones are living and active because they are part of the relationships of our lives. I have less interest in the love letters of persons unknown to me, more interest in the love letters of my grandparents, and even more in the letters my wife and I shared as we dated, some of which we still have.
Finally, words are living and active because they are important and apply to our lives. This is illustrated by the amount of junk mail we throw way. We throw away those items that appear to have no application. My step-mother told me yesterday about receiving a check from the electric cooperative. The check was for a balance due to members from 1983. She was tempted to throw away the letter without opening it, because she had no reason to believe it contained anything living and active. When she opened it, she saw the application (and went to the bank and deposited the check). This also illustrates that we may not always immediately recognize that words are living and active and applicable.
May God help us today to see his word in its power and ability, not only because of its authority, but because it is a reflection of a loving relationship between God and his creation, and because it provides help and strength when applied to our lives.

An Interesting and Unique Bible Study/Discussion

Among the guests at the “bed and breakfast” where we stayed in Antigua were two women from Quebec, Canada. One evening we four–they and Jan and I–were sitting in the living room visiting and they brought up the subject of religion, asking about our work and activities. One of the woman explained (in beginning Spanish) that she was an unbeliever, had taught biology and the sciences all her life, and did not believe in creation. She called herself a scientist. Eventually she admitted that she might believe in God at some level, but that she had no use for “church.” Her religious background was in Catholicism but she no longer practiced religion. The other woman also had a religious background in Catholicism, but attended only on special days like Easter.
After they finished their explanations, I told them about the simplicity of the plea to follow the Bible’s teaching, to restore the practices, teachings, and experiences of the New Testament church. They observed that churches had a lot of points of disagreement, and I asked if we might be able to agree on the “center”, the things that were essential to the Christian faith. The “scientist” explained that the Bible was quite undependable after centuries of translation and retranslation, and I explained that the manuscripts are quite well documented and dependable, with a high degree of certainty about the original message of Scripture.
When the scientist returned to the point of churches with varying teachings, I asked again if we could agree to accept the basic, central teachings of the Bible as followers of Jesus. I observed that the life shared by the early church was vibrant and exciting, powered by God’s spirit, sharing deep fellowship as spiritual family. The more religious of the two women expressed her desire that the church might be more like a family. The scientist said she needed to talk in French.
They left the living room area, and went to the patio to share a different conversation. I hope something we said was helpful. It was an interesting occasion–four people who would not have been able to communicate at all, or to discuss the Bible, had it not been for the fact that all were working in a second language.

An Outsider’s Perspective: Why the Churches of Christ Were Right After All

One of my former students at Ohio Valley University, Mark Tonkery, sent me the link below.
The article deserves wider circulation–I hope you enjoy it and profit from it. Let us see ourselves more clearly–warts and all! (Read the comments too!) The article was written by Ted Campbell, Associate Professor Church History, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University.
Here is the link: Why the Churches of Christ were Right After All.

Wednesday evening update

We have finished our studies and contacts in Antigua today. We have enjoyed several days with the brothers and sisters in Christ, and look forward to continuing to build stronger relationships through emails and future communication. I am putting finishing touches on my presentations in the city this weekend–I have about 6 hours of teaching scheduled, a Saturday seminar for church leaders, and Sunday preaching. Tomorrow we will travel to Guatemala City.
The local church here in Antigua has its mid-week Bible study on Thursday (which we attended last week). It is amazing–this day does not feel like Wednesday without an evening activity scheduled. We will enjoy a tranquil evening, get some rest, do some Bible reading, and enjoy our final day in Antigua at the foot of Volcan de Agua.
I assume I will be able to connect to the Internet in the City as well, and will try to add one or more reflections to this short series. If not, we will provide a more detailed update early next week from the US. God bless you for your interest, prayers, and support of these efforts!

Another Wonderful Sunday

We anticipated another busy and interesting Sunday, and we were not disappointed. The morning was fairly leisurely since we did not have to leave the house until about 9:30 am. I walked to the corner (only three doors down) to the little reposteria and purchased a roll–a cross between a croissant and a cinnamon roll, with a pineapple filling. Jan had her normal oatmeal. We did some Bible reading, sat and visited in the sala, and I had time to read the newspaper.
We arrived at the church building on time and enjoyed greeting the brothers and sisters again. The church has worship from 10 am to noon, with a Bible class and other activities for the children simultaneously. Those who work with the children meet a few minutes early for a devotional and to take the Lord’s Supper. I preached from Ephesians 1, outlining about God’s purpose for the church.
After church, we took a bus to the other side of the town, and then caught another bus on the major highway to a pueblo called San Bartolo. We had an invitation to eat lunch with Erandi, and were joined by two other families, making a total of eight around the dinner table. After we got off the bus in San Bartolo, we had to walk about 1/4 mile along the road to the beginning of a path up the mountainside. From there we walked upward, past several other houses, on steep paths, concrete stairs, and stairs cut out of the hard clay of the mountainside before arriving at Erandi’s house.
Some delicious meat was cooked on the grill outside, with rice, salad, and chimol added. The meal was delicious and the visiting and talking delightful. We topped the meal with watermelon and sat around the table visiting for another couple of hours. In late afternoon there was coffee and sweet corncakes. We sang and prayed before leaving.
After we walked down the hillside, we had to wait for a bus. The first bus that came by was so full that it did not even stop. The second bus stopped, but not because it had any remaining room. When we got on, I was standing barely inside the bus on the bottom step and another brother was hanging mostly on the outside. Remember that we were on the local bus, so soon it stopped again, and after some got off, we were able to get back on before the new riders, thus little by little we were able to move a bit further back in the bus. The other families who had been with us got off at Milpas Altas along with several others, and from there on into Antigua we were able to find a seat.
We got off at the entrance to the city, and walked the 10 blocks or so the house, arriving just about dusk, tired, but having enjoyed a great day of study, worship, fellowship, and sharing. To share time with such hospitable people is refreshing and reminds that with all of our niceties and more leisurely lives in the US, we have a long way to go in the church when it comes to sharing time with others and simply being a family of God.

Saturday Evening Update

This day dawned a little more overcast than past days with temperatures again in the high 50s. We ate breakfast at the house because there were several guests who were leaving this weekend and it would be our last meal together. The huevos rancheros with tortillas were superb–complemented by fresh fruit which is rapidly becoming an early morning habit.
We met Esteban in the park at 9 am and walked to the special restaurant he and Faustina had planned for breakfast, but it is only open weekdays. So we walked back to the park and on to Dona Luisa’s panaderia (bread shop). The shop and restaurant are in an older converted house, with a first-level courtyard, and second floor balcony which overlooks three sides of the courtyard. In addition, there is a large dining room on the second floor. The Sunday before we had bought some pan de banano (banana bread) at Dona Luisa’s, and the whole wheat toast we enjoyed this morning (enough for a second breakfast) was equally delicious.
After breakfast we walked to the Municipal Market where Esteban has a leather shop inside the market. He sells shoes, sandals, belts, hats, billfolds, purses, and several other leather items. I selected a black belt and Jan a beautiful pair of unique sandals. When they invited us to go see their house, we accepted gladly, and after a 10 or 15 minute taxi ride, we were in San Juan del Obispo with a beautiful overlook of the city of Antigua, at the base of Volcan de Agua. At their house we sat on the patio and talked about a variety of things, enjoying some ice water.
A walk to the museum in that little town revealed that the museum would not open after lunch until 2 pm, still 45 minutes away, so we decided to return to Antigua for lunch. We took the bus on the return trip, and there was more walking to get to places away from the bus route. After lunch we went back to the mercado because I wanted to take a picture of the leather shop. We bid farewell by around 3 pm and walked back to the house, promising to make a contact one afternoon next week.
Jan wrote some homework exercises and I read and studied, reviewing my thoughts for tomorrow’s sermon. About 6 pm, we walked to the square and ate supper at Chimino’s, a restaurant we knew from past visits. The evening special was chicken on the grill with rice, salad, and soup, and we sat longer than normal enjoying the delightful atmosphere and conversation. Upon exiting the restaurant we saw that the church and the palace were both fully lit, and so we walked through the park and sat on a bench for a few moments, taking in the scene and watching the night activity in the park with many visitors, some vendors still trying to complete sales, and numerous family enjoying an evening stroll. The night air was becoming cool after a day that was warmer than usual, highs perhaps near 85 (30 Centigrade).
Tomorrow will be another full day–we are looking forward to the Lord’s Day and our return to Milpas Altas to meet with the church there. Esteban and Faustina seemed sincerely disappointed that we already had a preaching appointment and would not be about to worship with the church in Antigua.