The challenge for the church, today as always, is to be both faithful to Jesus Christ and relevant to the world. At times we lose our focus on Jesus Christ and allow other forces and interests to dominate our life. But at other times, we become so enamored with approaches, strategies, and programs which worked well in the past that we fail to recognize that they are no longer relevant.
A powerful visual metaphor for this second error is the Choluteca Bridge in Honduras. It is a modern, well-constructed bridge that effectively linked communities on opposite sides of the river. It was such a good bridge that it was one of the few in the nation to survive the horrific floods when Hurricane Mitch hit in November 1998. There’s just one problem: the river shifted its path during the flood and no longer flows under the bridge. So there it is: a well-designed, excellent structure that has become irrelevant. It no longer serves a purpose, with no road on either end of it and no river underneath it.
In the same way, the church always runs the risk of doing a great job that is no longer necessary because the currents of society have shifted underneath us. As PC(USA) World Mission director Hunter Farrell put it, we risk being “uniquely situated to do what no one’s asking us to do.”
This seems to be the case for Old Union Church. We live in a world and a community that has changed from what it was a generation, or even a decade, ago. We may be exemplary in our faithfulness to Christ and his gospel as we do so. But if we do wonderful things that no one cares about, we are irrelevant. Our faithfulness does no good for us, for others, or our Lord.
In order to be both faithful and relevant, we must work on two tasks at the same time.
FIRST: what does it mean for us to be faithful? What is our calling as a congregation? In the past several years, we’ve gone through two discernment processes to answer that question. The first was a time of strategic planning before undertaking the building project, in order to determine the purpose for our church. The result is the statement of purpose that graces our church letterhead and the banner in our lobby:
Our purpose, together, is to
a. praise the Lord,
b. grow in faith,
c. spread God’s word through the community, and
d. reach out to those in need.
The second took place during 2010, when the session sought to identify our church’s “core value:” the factors that define our congregation, that make us who we are, and that define our church’s reason for existing.
A: SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH: Old Union is a place for prayer, learning, worship, growing in faith, and making personal commitments to God.
B: OUTREACH: Old Union exists to provide care and support, both within and beyond the congregation. We value service, sharing faith, and engaging in mission.
C: RELATIONSHIPS: Old Union has a sense of family and embodies the values of a small country church. It is a place of welcome, compassion, caring, support, and forgiveness.
We believe that the statement of purpose and the core values are what God calls us to do, and whom he calls us to be. We are faithful to him when we act according to these principles.
SECOND: how can we be relevant? Do we live out our purpose and express our core values in a way that makes sense and makes a difference for the people in our church and in our community? To answer this question, we must be students of our culture and community. We cannot afford to turn our noses up to trends and innovations we don’t like, simply because they are strange and unfamiliar. If we do, then eventually we become strange and unfamiliar to those around us. The challenge is that it is natural for us to associate with people like ourselves, and to do things the way we’ve always done it. We don’t even notice that other people are doing things differently from us. So to be relevant, we need to look beyond our own sense of “what’s happening.” One helpful tool that we have is Mission Insite, a rich resource of demographic information about our community (the presbytery has paid for our subscription to this service). Go to missioninsite.com and log in with the username “olduion” and the password “jamesglover” to do some research about our community. I suspect we’ll be very surprised by some of the things we discover. Our community is probably not what we think it is, and our neighbors are probably not whom we think that they are.
Once we are able to determine what it means to be faithful and what it means to be relevant, we can use that as a litmus test for everything that we’re doing, and how we’re doing it. Is it faithful to God’s call for us? Is it relevant to our community? If not, we need to get rid of it. Our church has many beloved programs, practices, traditions, and customs. But we cannot allow them to become idols: to be so important and valuable to us that we resist losing them even if they interfere with God’s call.
Shattering idols is painful. By definition, an idol is something that we value, that is very important to us. It hurts to say goodbye to things we like. And when someone challenges us to get rid of them, we may be tempted to lash out in anger against them. Think, for example, of how people hated and attacked the Old Testament prophets when they called for them to abandon their idols. Being faithful to God’s call means we confront our pain and discomfort.
At the same time, we do not get rid of treasured traditions simply to surf the latest wave of trendiness. Doing so would be to make an idol of something else: the quest to be cutting-edge. Just because it’s new doesn’t mean it’s better. Our question is not “what’s the latest fad to hit churches?” but “what can we do to be faithful to God’s call in our current situation?” The answer may be to continue doing some things that we’ve done for generations. But it may mean doing things differently. Everything is on the table, and must pass muster. In each case, we must ask: is this an effective way to achieve our purpose and to live out our values?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
A Leaf in the Stream
During my first year as a pastor, God showed me something that has helped me understand my place in what he’s doing in the world. It’s an image that I keep going back to, and I hope it’s one that you’ll find helpful as well.
I was the pastor of two churches in Armstrong County, and it was one of those weeks that pastors sometimes have. Nothing at the churches seemed to be going right, and people were pointing fingers at each other, and at me. I felt overwhelmed by the task in front of me, and I was frustrated by the difficulties that had cropped up. To clear my head and to seek God’s direction, I went for a walk in the woods. It was the fall, and I eventually ended up beside a little stream. As I stood there, stewing in my juices, my attention was drawn to a leaf floating down the stream: bouncing off the rocks, hurling over a little waterfall, getting caught in an eddy, and eventually floating downstream.
And then it hit me. Or, to word it more accurately, I realized what God was trying to tell me. He is the stream, and I am the leaf. I am caught up in something much larger than myself. Just as the current of the stream carried the leaf along, God’s Spirit carries me along in his plan. The leaf isn’t going to get downstream faster by doing anything on its own. The stream is in control of where it’s going, and God is in control of where I’m going and what I’m doing. The leaf has no idea where it’s going, or why it’s going there. But that doesn’t matter; it doesn’t need to. The stream will take care of things.
I am caught up in something bigger than me. It doesn’t all depend upon me to make things work out. God has a plan that is unfolding and carrying me along. I may not understand it, and I may not see where it is taking me. And that’s OK. I can relax in the stream that is carrying me along, and know that God is in control of it.
This image of being a leaf in the stream of God’s Spirit came to me again about three years ago, when I was devastated by the news that I would have to start work all over again on my PhD dissertation. Once again, I found myself standing beside a creek, watching the leaves float downstream. But this time, some of the leaves had ended up in a patch of still water away from the current of the stream. These leaves, for some reason, had ended up in a backwater that kept them from moving along. And I realized that, for reasons unknown to me, God wanted me to remain in the place where I was for a time before moving on. He wanted me to spend another year earning my degree.
Some people may be tempted to view this image as an excuse to be lazy and passive. Like an inert leaf, we just allow God to do his thing while we sit back and do nothing. But that’s not the message I’ve received. For me, it is a source of peace and hope. When I’m tempted to get anxious about how things are going, and to fret about the things I need to do in order to move things along, the image of a leaf in the stream reminds me of the truth. I am caught up in something bigger than me. God has a plan that is carrying me along. And I can trust him to carry me to his goal.
I was the pastor of two churches in Armstrong County, and it was one of those weeks that pastors sometimes have. Nothing at the churches seemed to be going right, and people were pointing fingers at each other, and at me. I felt overwhelmed by the task in front of me, and I was frustrated by the difficulties that had cropped up. To clear my head and to seek God’s direction, I went for a walk in the woods. It was the fall, and I eventually ended up beside a little stream. As I stood there, stewing in my juices, my attention was drawn to a leaf floating down the stream: bouncing off the rocks, hurling over a little waterfall, getting caught in an eddy, and eventually floating downstream.
And then it hit me. Or, to word it more accurately, I realized what God was trying to tell me. He is the stream, and I am the leaf. I am caught up in something much larger than myself. Just as the current of the stream carried the leaf along, God’s Spirit carries me along in his plan. The leaf isn’t going to get downstream faster by doing anything on its own. The stream is in control of where it’s going, and God is in control of where I’m going and what I’m doing. The leaf has no idea where it’s going, or why it’s going there. But that doesn’t matter; it doesn’t need to. The stream will take care of things.
I am caught up in something bigger than me. It doesn’t all depend upon me to make things work out. God has a plan that is unfolding and carrying me along. I may not understand it, and I may not see where it is taking me. And that’s OK. I can relax in the stream that is carrying me along, and know that God is in control of it.
This image of being a leaf in the stream of God’s Spirit came to me again about three years ago, when I was devastated by the news that I would have to start work all over again on my PhD dissertation. Once again, I found myself standing beside a creek, watching the leaves float downstream. But this time, some of the leaves had ended up in a patch of still water away from the current of the stream. These leaves, for some reason, had ended up in a backwater that kept them from moving along. And I realized that, for reasons unknown to me, God wanted me to remain in the place where I was for a time before moving on. He wanted me to spend another year earning my degree.
Some people may be tempted to view this image as an excuse to be lazy and passive. Like an inert leaf, we just allow God to do his thing while we sit back and do nothing. But that’s not the message I’ve received. For me, it is a source of peace and hope. When I’m tempted to get anxious about how things are going, and to fret about the things I need to do in order to move things along, the image of a leaf in the stream reminds me of the truth. I am caught up in something bigger than me. God has a plan that is carrying me along. And I can trust him to carry me to his goal.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Cross-Cultural Faith
What did Christ do when he died for us? Your answer to this question may have more to do with the country you live in than you realize.
Freedom is important to us Americans. After all, we’re the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We celebrate the freedoms that our constitution guarantees. Our nation was born in a struggle for independence, and it grew through pioneers and settlers seeking a free life. Given the choice, we would rather live a difficult life of freedom than an easy life where we have to do what someone else tells us to do. So it’s no surprise that, as American Christians, we would almost instinctively answer the question “What did Christ do?” by replying “He freed us from our sins.” And without a doubt, he did.
I’ve learned from my time in Ghana that unity and belonging is very important to them. In Ghana, your very identity comes from your family, community, and ethnic group. I suspect that the typical Ghanaian would gladly sacrifice freedom in order to maintain strong relationships. One of the hardest things for Ghanaian immigrants in the US is the sense of isolation that they feel here. This value shows up in a common Ghanaian political slogan: “One Ghana!” They are proud of the fact that, in spite of tribal, religious, and political differences, unity matters. I’ve frequently seen Ghanaians strongly debate an issue that they disagreed over. After a while, one or both of them would get uncomfortable with this point of conflict and declare, “But we are brothers and sisters!” Smiles, handshakes, and jokes would then reassure them that, despite their difference of opinion, they are still in relationship with each other. So, unlike us Americans, a Ghanaian is more likely to say, “Because Christ died for me, I belong to him.” The work of Christ has given us a family and a kingdom to belong to.
Christ’s atoning work on the cross means both that he has set us free from sin, and also that we now belong to him. Our freedom in Christ is not an absolute independence that allows us to do anything we want. It means that we now have a Lord who controls our lives and unites us with him and with his family. And the fact that we belong to Christ means that we are no longer bound or enslaved by the evil forces of our world or the sin deep in our hearts.
The point here is not that either Americans or Ghanaians are “right” or “wrong.” The truth of Christ’s amazing work is greater than what any of us can grasp. But when we learn about how others understand our faith, we can enrich our own in the process.
Freedom is important to us Americans. After all, we’re the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We celebrate the freedoms that our constitution guarantees. Our nation was born in a struggle for independence, and it grew through pioneers and settlers seeking a free life. Given the choice, we would rather live a difficult life of freedom than an easy life where we have to do what someone else tells us to do. So it’s no surprise that, as American Christians, we would almost instinctively answer the question “What did Christ do?” by replying “He freed us from our sins.” And without a doubt, he did.
I’ve learned from my time in Ghana that unity and belonging is very important to them. In Ghana, your very identity comes from your family, community, and ethnic group. I suspect that the typical Ghanaian would gladly sacrifice freedom in order to maintain strong relationships. One of the hardest things for Ghanaian immigrants in the US is the sense of isolation that they feel here. This value shows up in a common Ghanaian political slogan: “One Ghana!” They are proud of the fact that, in spite of tribal, religious, and political differences, unity matters. I’ve frequently seen Ghanaians strongly debate an issue that they disagreed over. After a while, one or both of them would get uncomfortable with this point of conflict and declare, “But we are brothers and sisters!” Smiles, handshakes, and jokes would then reassure them that, despite their difference of opinion, they are still in relationship with each other. So, unlike us Americans, a Ghanaian is more likely to say, “Because Christ died for me, I belong to him.” The work of Christ has given us a family and a kingdom to belong to.
Christ’s atoning work on the cross means both that he has set us free from sin, and also that we now belong to him. Our freedom in Christ is not an absolute independence that allows us to do anything we want. It means that we now have a Lord who controls our lives and unites us with him and with his family. And the fact that we belong to Christ means that we are no longer bound or enslaved by the evil forces of our world or the sin deep in our hearts.
The point here is not that either Americans or Ghanaians are “right” or “wrong.” The truth of Christ’s amazing work is greater than what any of us can grasp. But when we learn about how others understand our faith, we can enrich our own in the process.
Monday, January 2, 2012
It's Time to Step up
You’d have to live under a rock to be unaware of the budget battles in Washington, DC. One of the results is that our government is reducing its spending on social programs. Maybe you’re upset about these funding cuts, or perhaps you think they haven’t gone far enough. Either way, they’re making a change in our nation. And if you’re a Christian, you have a responsibility to act.
The testimony of Scripture is clear: we’re supposed to care for the those in need in our society. Read, for example, Psalm 82:3, Amos 5:11-13, Luke 18:18-30, and Romans 12:13. The Bible has much more to say about our responsibility to care for the poor and oppressed than it does about some of the issues which dominate many of our discussions.
Maybe you are someone who is disturbed by the government’s funding cuts because you believe that these programs fulfill the Biblical mandate. That’s fine, but there are other ways to be faithful to Scripture. What can you do, now that these programs aren’t doing it?
Or, maybe you’re someone who welcomes these cuts because you don’t think it’s not the government’s role to take care of people. Again, that’s fine. It may not be Washington’s job to help the poor, needy, and oppressed in our society, but Scripture tells us that it’s ours. Are you stepping up to the plate?
Regardless of your politics, the Christian call is clear. There are people in need. As the people of God, it is our responsibility to do something about it. What are you going to do? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Food banks across the nation are losing government funding for their work to feed the hungry. What can you do to assist our local food pantries, or the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank?
2. Volunteer fire departments are receiving smaller grants to support their work in our communities. Have you made a contribution to your local company?
3. FEMA has less money to help victims of natural disasters. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program has a proven track record of helping with long-term disaster recovery. Would you like to support them?
4. Public libraries have to make do with less, even though people with low incomes rely on them for so many things. Have you made a donation?
5. LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) has less money this winter to help people stay warm. Many of them will turn to the Lighthouse, our deacons, or other Christian charities for help. Can you give them more to work with?
These are just a few examples, but I hope you get my point. There are many ways that we can each do our part to obey God and help “the least of these” (Matthew 25:31-46) all around us.
The testimony of Scripture is clear: we’re supposed to care for the those in need in our society. Read, for example, Psalm 82:3, Amos 5:11-13, Luke 18:18-30, and Romans 12:13. The Bible has much more to say about our responsibility to care for the poor and oppressed than it does about some of the issues which dominate many of our discussions.
Maybe you are someone who is disturbed by the government’s funding cuts because you believe that these programs fulfill the Biblical mandate. That’s fine, but there are other ways to be faithful to Scripture. What can you do, now that these programs aren’t doing it?
Or, maybe you’re someone who welcomes these cuts because you don’t think it’s not the government’s role to take care of people. Again, that’s fine. It may not be Washington’s job to help the poor, needy, and oppressed in our society, but Scripture tells us that it’s ours. Are you stepping up to the plate?
Regardless of your politics, the Christian call is clear. There are people in need. As the people of God, it is our responsibility to do something about it. What are you going to do? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Food banks across the nation are losing government funding for their work to feed the hungry. What can you do to assist our local food pantries, or the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank?
2. Volunteer fire departments are receiving smaller grants to support their work in our communities. Have you made a contribution to your local company?
3. FEMA has less money to help victims of natural disasters. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program has a proven track record of helping with long-term disaster recovery. Would you like to support them?
4. Public libraries have to make do with less, even though people with low incomes rely on them for so many things. Have you made a donation?
5. LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) has less money this winter to help people stay warm. Many of them will turn to the Lighthouse, our deacons, or other Christian charities for help. Can you give them more to work with?
These are just a few examples, but I hope you get my point. There are many ways that we can each do our part to obey God and help “the least of these” (Matthew 25:31-46) all around us.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Spirit of Christmas, or the Spirit of Scrooge?
Scrooge is the enemy of the Christmas spirit. And he has taken over the holiday season. It’s time for us to fight back.
Ebenezer Scrooge, of course, is the villain of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic A Christmas Carol. In his greedy, miserly obsession with pinching every penny and maximizing the profit of his business, he ruined the lives of his tenants and clients, made life miserable for his clerk Bob Cratchit, and had no interest in relationships with his family or community. For Scrooge, Christmas was nothing but a nuisance that interfered with business and an excuse to fritter away money on charities and parties.
Today, the spirit of Scrooge looks a bit different. Instead of scowling “Bah, humbug!” in drab black clothing, it entices us with jingle bells and holly. But it is still focused on greed and on fattening the bottom line. The spirit of Scrooge has turned Christmas into a business venture. It perverts our holiday celebration by luring us away not only from its religious meaning but also from its secular sentiment. Scrooge has always been about making money, regardless of the human cost. And his spirit thrives today as we turn Christmas into an orgy of spending.
The original Scrooge was annoyed that Christmas interfered with his money-making. Today’s Scrooge is wiser; he sees Christmas as a way to make more money. He tells us that the holiday is about bringing joy to our loved ones through merchandise wrapped in pretty paper on Christmas day. The spirit of Scrooge has convinced us that the “proper” celebration of Christmas requires us to buy extravagant gifts for everyone we know, to outdo ourselves in decorating and baking. Make no mistake: behind the heart-warming Christmas commercials on television and the jolly music in the stores, there is a cynical spirit bent on putting as much money into its pockets as it can.
Perhaps my message bothers you. You may think that I’m being unpatriotic: aren’t we told that Christmas is good for the economy because so many companies depend on this end-of-the-year shot in the arm? You can use the same money that you would usually spend on gifts that end up in the back of someone’s closet for different purposes. If your money is spent by a food cupboard, a volunteer fire department, a homeless shelter, or a local library, it will stimulate the economy just as much as if it is used to buy tinsel and the latest hot toys or trendy fashion items.
Or, you may think that I’m criticizing the very spirit of the holiday. If you do, then Scrooge has won. If it “doesn’t seem like Christmas” without forking over money, you have bought the lie that Christmas can be bought in the mall, or that its joy comes with a budget. The spirit of Christmas comes not with a checkbook or a credit card, but with a heart that is open to our Lord and to the people around us.
This December, which spirit will you follow: Scrooge, or Christmas?
Peter
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
A Pastor-Congregation Covenant
When I came to Old Union Church (18 years ago in November), we established a covenant relationship between myself and the congregation, which included a series of mutual commitments to each other. Take a moment to review this covenant: am I honoring my commitments to you? Are you, as a member of the congregation, honoring yours?
Rev. de Vries: I will be diligent and hard-working.
Congregation: We will respect your need for personal and family time.
Rev. de Vries: I will prepare thought-provoking and faith-challenging sermons.
Congregation: We will provide you with preparation time, books and other resources, and continuing education.
Rev. de Vries: I will make emergency pastoral care my highest priority.
Congregation: We will inform you as quickly as possible about our needs for emergency pastoral care, such as hospitalization or death.
Rev. de Vries: I will provide leadership for the church, both personally and by supporting our lay leaders.
Congregation: We will recognize that our pastor is only one of several leaders for our church. With our elders and deacons, we will each assume our leadership responsibilities.
Rev. de Vries: I will strive continually to serve the congregation in the most appropriate ways.
Congregation: We, individually and through our Personnel Committee, will help you evaluate and set goals for your ministry.
Rev. de Vries: I will respect the traditions of the congregation, and will seek input from its members for future planning.
Congregation: We will consider your suggestions openly, and will participate in planning for the church's future.
Rev. de Vries: I will treat the manse with the same care I would use if it was my own house. I will keep the house and yard attractive.
Congregation: We will equip and maintain the manse in the same manner that we do our own homes. We will make repairs in a timely fashion.
Rev. de Vries: I will conduct my personal lifestyle as befits a disciple of Jesus Christ, as I best understand it.
Congregation: We will refrain from being overly critical or judgmental of you.
Rev. de Vries: I will receive constructive criticism openly, will strive to hear those comments non-defensively, and will take your concerns seriously.
Congregation: We will air concerns about you directly or through appropriate channels, rather than through gossip or other harmful means. We will present these concerns in a sensitive and constructive manner, with the goal of resolving any perceived problems.
All: We will all strive to bring glory to Jesus Christ through our relationship as pastor and congregation.
Rev. de Vries: I will be diligent and hard-working.
Congregation: We will respect your need for personal and family time.
Rev. de Vries: I will prepare thought-provoking and faith-challenging sermons.
Congregation: We will provide you with preparation time, books and other resources, and continuing education.
Rev. de Vries: I will make emergency pastoral care my highest priority.
Congregation: We will inform you as quickly as possible about our needs for emergency pastoral care, such as hospitalization or death.
Rev. de Vries: I will provide leadership for the church, both personally and by supporting our lay leaders.
Congregation: We will recognize that our pastor is only one of several leaders for our church. With our elders and deacons, we will each assume our leadership responsibilities.
Rev. de Vries: I will strive continually to serve the congregation in the most appropriate ways.
Congregation: We, individually and through our Personnel Committee, will help you evaluate and set goals for your ministry.
Rev. de Vries: I will respect the traditions of the congregation, and will seek input from its members for future planning.
Congregation: We will consider your suggestions openly, and will participate in planning for the church's future.
Rev. de Vries: I will treat the manse with the same care I would use if it was my own house. I will keep the house and yard attractive.
Congregation: We will equip and maintain the manse in the same manner that we do our own homes. We will make repairs in a timely fashion.
Rev. de Vries: I will conduct my personal lifestyle as befits a disciple of Jesus Christ, as I best understand it.
Congregation: We will refrain from being overly critical or judgmental of you.
Rev. de Vries: I will receive constructive criticism openly, will strive to hear those comments non-defensively, and will take your concerns seriously.
Congregation: We will air concerns about you directly or through appropriate channels, rather than through gossip or other harmful means. We will present these concerns in a sensitive and constructive manner, with the goal of resolving any perceived problems.
All: We will all strive to bring glory to Jesus Christ through our relationship as pastor and congregation.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Five R's of the Cross
At the its meeting in September, the Presbytery voted not to approve the request of a congregation to have someone serve as their next pastor. In 23 years, I’ve never seen this happen, and I can imagine how devastating it was for the church and the candidate. It’s not a decision that was made lightly, and was motivated primarily by the fact that he was unable to answer the question, “What difference does Jesus’ death on the cross make for humanity?” Various people tried to help him out by asking the question different ways, but it didn’t work. Because this is such a critical element of our faith, the Presbytery could not approve him to serve as a pastor. With that experience fresh in my mind, here’s the answer I’d give.
We are a broken and sinful people. We live in a world that perverts the goodness that God wants for us all. In spite of our best intentions, none of us are able to live lives that are pleasing to God because of our own selfishness, greed, pride, and willfulness. Left to our own devices, we destroy our relationship with a God who loves us. We wreak havoc upon other people, upon creation, and upon ourselves. The final destination of our lives would be misery and death.
But God’s love for us shines out in this bleak situation like a beacon in a storm. He loves us too much to allow us to destroy ourselves. So he came to us as Jesus Christ to give us life, hope, joy, and peace that would otherwise be impossible for us. And he did it through his death upon the cross.
There are many different explanations for what Jesus’ death actually accomplished. None of them tell the whole story, but each gives us an idea of how Jesus changed everything on the cross. On the cross, Christ became five R’s. Here’s a very simple explanation, and a brief Scripture reference, of each:
1. REDEEMER: Jesus paid the debt that we incurred with our sin. To put it another way, he took on the punishment that we deserved (Romans 3:21-26, 1 Peter 1:18-21).
2. RECONCILER: Jesus restored our relationship with God, and our relationships with each other, that we had demolished (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
3. RESCUER: Jesus confronted and conquered the forces of evil that had enslaved us (Galatians 1:3-5).
4. RELATE-OR: By dying on the cross, Jesus endured the worst aspects of human experience. He can relate to the struggles and hardships we endure, because he went through it himself (Hebrews 2:17-18).
5. ROLE MODEL: Jesus shows us how we should live in the face of evil, and how we should offer ourselves up in love for one another. And he gives us the ability o do so (1 John 3:16-18).
Which of these “R”s touches your heart the most? Which one gives you something new to think about? And what answer will you give if someone asks you why Jesus died on the cross?
Peter
We are a broken and sinful people. We live in a world that perverts the goodness that God wants for us all. In spite of our best intentions, none of us are able to live lives that are pleasing to God because of our own selfishness, greed, pride, and willfulness. Left to our own devices, we destroy our relationship with a God who loves us. We wreak havoc upon other people, upon creation, and upon ourselves. The final destination of our lives would be misery and death.
But God’s love for us shines out in this bleak situation like a beacon in a storm. He loves us too much to allow us to destroy ourselves. So he came to us as Jesus Christ to give us life, hope, joy, and peace that would otherwise be impossible for us. And he did it through his death upon the cross.
There are many different explanations for what Jesus’ death actually accomplished. None of them tell the whole story, but each gives us an idea of how Jesus changed everything on the cross. On the cross, Christ became five R’s. Here’s a very simple explanation, and a brief Scripture reference, of each:
1. REDEEMER: Jesus paid the debt that we incurred with our sin. To put it another way, he took on the punishment that we deserved (Romans 3:21-26, 1 Peter 1:18-21).
2. RECONCILER: Jesus restored our relationship with God, and our relationships with each other, that we had demolished (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
3. RESCUER: Jesus confronted and conquered the forces of evil that had enslaved us (Galatians 1:3-5).
4. RELATE-OR: By dying on the cross, Jesus endured the worst aspects of human experience. He can relate to the struggles and hardships we endure, because he went through it himself (Hebrews 2:17-18).
5. ROLE MODEL: Jesus shows us how we should live in the face of evil, and how we should offer ourselves up in love for one another. And he gives us the ability o do so (1 John 3:16-18).
Which of these “R”s touches your heart the most? Which one gives you something new to think about? And what answer will you give if someone asks you why Jesus died on the cross?
Peter
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