How to think like a Christian about sin and sinning

Life is complicated. There are so many ideas, philosophies and temptations thrown at us all the time. It is no wonder that many Christians fall into sin at various points. We lie. We cheat. We steal. We gossip. We use pornography. We use illegal drugs. We have extra-marital sex. We lust. We envy. (If I have not included your particular sin, please feel free to include it now.) The point is we are bad. We are nasty. We sin!!

So why is it that we Christians are so quick to judge someone else? Why are we so willing to point our fingers at someone else’s sin?

Maybe it makes us feel better. We can point out how someone else has failed so that our sin does not seem so bad. We can emphasize our neighbor’s abortion while justifying our own apathy toward the genocide in Darfur. I cannot feel too awful about my sin while I am castigating someone else for their’s.

Maybe while I am pointing at someone else, no one will notice that I have sin. It is a diversion tactic. If I make a stink about the sexual sins of my homosexual co-worker, perhaps no one will notice my flirtations with my best friend’s wife. If I can make another person’s sexual sin worse than mine, no one will care anyway.

But isn’t that all wrong. There is nothing in the Bible that would make me think that one sin is worse than another. When we say that divorce, or abortion, or homosexuality (interesting that these are all sex-related sins) is worse than our disregard for the homeless, the hurting or the hungry, we do a disservice to the gospel of grace.

I believe that all sins are sins. I refuse to go soft on homosexual practice, abortion or divorce. But at the same time, I refuse to believe that any of these should occupy more of my time or energy than workplace gossip. It is impossible, in biblical or Christian terms, to justify any sin. It does not matter how ‘serious’ or ‘minor.’

Finally, let me say something about sinners. I am one. You are one as well. The Bible teaches that all people are sinners (Romans 3.10, 23). But, God’s Word also teaches that all people are loved by God (John 3.16). You see, there is no sin that is so great that God cannot and will not forgive it.

So what should we do? First of all, let us renew our commitment to God’s holiness in our own lives. Whatever tempts you the most, offer it to God. Do not allow it any place in your life any more. Let us turn from sinning. Secondly, let us continue to speak out and stand up against all sin. If gossip is sin, then we must not tolerate it in our lives. And finally, we must love the people that Jesus loves. It is too easy to demonize those people who are in sin. I must remember that Jesus loves them just as much as he loves me. We must love all people. We must love sinners while hating sin.

Christians don't have to be stupid

I got a little honked off the other day. Someone told me, in the middle of an otherwise normal conversation, that people who believe in God are idiots. I was not a little offended. After all, I have devoted my life to the proposition that not only is God real, but that he can be known. I tried to remain clam, but it was difficult. I spend my work time seeking to know God, to know more about God and to get others to know God as well. Not only that, I spend my free time trying, sometimes in vain, to develop my mind. You see, I believe in God, and I want very much to not be an idiot.

This conversation, troubling as it was, pointed up for me some issues of intolerance in our world, particularly where religion is concerned. To begin with, in our culture, people of faith are assumed to be less astute than non-religious people, especially intellectually. In defense of this position, let me say that all too often it is true. There are many Christians who have chosen faith to absolve themselves of knowing information. You see, it is easier to answer the hard questions with 'we're not supposed to know,' or 'we'll understand it better by and by.' What a cop-out. I have known Christians who have never taken the time to comprehend their faith. They believe what they believe just because they believe it. Someone told them it was true and that was enough.

I reject this premise for the large majority of Christian people. Christian persons excel in all areas of academia. Christians can be found in every profession, even those where education and intellect are a premium. I refuse to allow society at large to consign me to some anti-intellectual ghetto. You do not have to agree with my faith, but do not belittle me or assume that I am inferior in education, intellect or ability.

This becomes more problematic for me when I recognized that in the Christian community the same kind of bigotry exists. Those who hold certain theological positions (liberal, conservative, fundamental, evangelical, etc.) believe that those who are of different persuasions are less astute than themselves. Here we go again. Christians shooting each other in the name of orthodoxy.

So, here it is: I am not stupid. I am educated. I continue my education on a daily basis. You see, I believe that God made me. He made every part of my. He made my body, spirit, soul and mind. If it is a sin to abuse my body, then it must also be a sin to abuse my mind. I will not allow someone else to label me as stupid. And I will not allow myself to fit that label.

The 4 I's

Recently I wrote here about the importance of spending time with teens. Although that entry was specifically designed to encourage ministry with students, it seemed to me that I should say some things about how to spend time with people, any people. Here are the four "I's" that can give you some help in getting to know anyone and preparing to minister to them.

I. Introduce Yourself. This is always the place to start. let people know who you are and where you are from.
“I am Dewey Miller from the Howe Pretty Prairie United Methodist Church. We are out meeting people today so that we can get to know you better and to see if there is some way that we can serve you.”

When you introduce yourself, do the following.

• Be as friendly as you can be.
• Smile
• Do not be threatening or judgmental.
  

II. Inquire. People love to talk about themselves. So ask questions, lots of questions.
“One of the things that we are trying to do is serve our neighbors. Is there anything that we can do for you? Do you need anything? Could I pray for you? What are your interests? Tell me about your family. Tell me about your job or school.” The list of questions could go on forever.

When you inquire about others, be sure that the following things are true.

• Your attitude should be to serve others. We want to give to them. We are not concerned about what they can do for us.
• Ask a lot of questions and listen. What people say to you is more important than what you say to them.
• Keep accurate records on your inquiry cards. This will help us to know how we can follow-up most effectively.

III. Invite. Have a goal in mind in your conversation.
“We would like to invite you to attend worship with us. We meet every Sunday in Howe at 9am and at Pretty Prairie at 1030am. It would be great to have you. Could we pick you up next Sunday?” Every conversation does not have to be an invitation to church, or to accept Christ, but every conversation should go somewhere. Know where you want it to go, or you won't know when you get there.

• We are inviting people to church, but that is not the purpose of our visit.
• Encourage those who attend another church. Do not try to convince them to come to our church.

Leave an invitation card whether someone is home or not.

IV. Intercede. Do not be afraid to pray for anyone and everyone. And do not be afraid to pray for them on the spot.
“Would it be alright if I pray for you right now? I want you to know that I care about you and your needs. I will be praying for you all week.”

• You may be uncomfortable praying for people in person. Do it anyway, if you can. If not, promise them that you will pray.
• Pray before you leave the door, whether anyone opens or not.

The First and Last

Finally, I think it is spring. Our weather has been really weird this year. (Don't we all say that every year?) After all, winter did not really get a start until mid-January. And now we have had snow on the ground until mid-April. Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future, and so do the seasons.

But on Saturday, in honor of what I hope will be the last snow of the season, I made an observation. I think it is true. Here is the first part of the observation: In December, when we get the first snow of the winter, it makes us all happy. We are filled with a sense of joy. There is anticipation about the Christmas holidays. There is hope about the new year that is to come. Snow is fresh, clean and new. It is exciting when snow is new. There is the challenge of surviving the cold, traveling in slippery conditions. Snow, ice and winter give us a temporary illusion that we are pioneers. We can feel superior to our friends and loved ones (as well as strangers) who live in the south, the west, or other places where it never snows. "We are tough here. We can take it," we convince ourselves.

And we do a pretty good job. Days are shorter, colder, more miserable. But we keep going. Finally the calendar assures us that it is Spring. The problem is that this year at least, no one informed the weather. It took too long to get warm. So, here is the second part of the observation: When we get the last snow of the winter, no matter when it is, it does not make us happy.

We do as well as we can surviving the winter. But for all our protestation and assertions to the contrary, we really do not like winter. We despise cold. Ice is evil. And snow? Snow is a nuisance at best. This all comes out very clearly when it snows for the last time. No one seems happy about it. We are ready to move on with our lives. No more games. We do not like cold and snow. We do not like them, Sam I Am.

Wicked??

My teenage daughter has become an addict of musical theatre. She has always loved music and especially singing, but musical theatre has become something of an obsession for her. The pinnacle of that love has come in the form of Wicked. Wicked is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West- from the Wizard of Oz- told from the witch's perspective. The musical is based on a novel by Gregory Maguire.
Life begins tragically for Elphaba (that's the witch's name). We learn early in the show that she was conceived as a result of her mother's illicit fling with a traveling salesman. Even worse than that, she is green! As a result of these two terrible occurrences, Elphaba receives no love from her father. In fact, Elphaba's father prefers her younger, wheel-chair bound sister, Nessa Rose.
The ridicule and resentment that Elphaba receives is not limited to her family, however. She is completely different than everyone else. She does not 'fit in'. As a result, she is always picked on and left out in groups.
Without getting too involved in the plot of the story, let me summarize this way. There is eventually a controversy in Oz. The Wizard, in an effort to maintain control and ensure his continued position and popularity, blames Elphaba for all the problems. Elphaba, now forever labeled the Wicked Witch, must either run, or fight the Wizard and his power.
There is not one thing in Wicked that contradicts the 1939 film, 'The Wizard of Oz.' (Both the film and the play take liberties with L. Frank Baum's original novel.) In the movie, the Wicked Witch is most definitely wicked. In the play, however, she is a victim, misunderstood. It turns out that she is the only one with any integrity. Everyone else, society at large, has demonized Elphaba to protect their own interests.
This happens all too often in real life. We point the finger at the faults of someone else so that we look better. We blame a co-worker so that we avoid trouble. We maintain silence, even when we know that someone else is being ostracized for no reason.
It is time that Christians began to live the life that Jesus called us to. We must be honest. We must maintain integrity in all things. We must speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. We must love all people, whether it is popular or not. You and I must make sure that we always do right.

Dirty Pretty Things

Stephen Frears has directed several noteworthy movies including "The Queen" and "High Fidelity", but Dirty Pretty Things is my favorite. It is a wonderful movie that includes a great story, a stellar cast and excellent production values.
Here's the story. Okwe is a cab driver who has come to London from Africa. It doesn't take long for us to learn that he has come to England illegally, and that he has a secret past. He works not as a hotel desk clerk. At the hotel Okwe befriended a Muslim girl from Turkey who allows Okwe to rent her couch. Okwe does very little sleeping though. Eventually, we learn that Okwe is a doctor who studied in the USA. Intrigue builds as we learn that something is wrong in the hotel. This movie becomes a murder mystery and a conspiracy thriller.
However, what makes this movie so excellent are the issues that it deals with.

• Racism- Dirty Pretty Things is about a group of immigrants of various nationalities living in London. Their interactions with one another and with society show us how true it is that people do not treat one another equally. This should be a wake up call for all those who follow the cause of Christ.
• Grace and forgiveness- Although Senay, the Turkish girl, and Okwe have both broken the law, we see that they need and experience grace, love and forgiveness.
• Family loyalty- When Okwe is finally given the opportunity to leave his past behind him, with no strings attached, he is compelled to be faithful to his responsibilities, no matter how inconvenient.
• Class division- Bigotry is not found only in racism or sexism. People get treated unfairly because of their education, language, nationality, income and social situation. Jesus spoke out against all forms of bigotry. There is only one class of people.
• Illegal Immigration- All people should follow the laws of the land in which they live. However, this film points out several things that remind us that the issues surrounding immigration are not always black and white. All people must be treated with respect and love.

You should see Dirty Pretty Things. And, you should take seriously the issues that it raises.

The key to reaching teens

I was recently asked to summarize what it takes to reach teens in and for the church. I have a lot of ideas about youth ministry, but this query was for a quick summary. I know that all ministry theory and practice can be distilled down into a few simple platitudes, but the question had to do with what is most important. I was being asked for what I believe to be the most significant, the top priority, in student ministry. So, here it is.

To reach students, you must spend time with them.

There are no shortcuts. There are not three easy steps, or four essential practices. The single most important factor for any church, ministry or individual wishing to reach teens is to spend time with them. And, the most important part of time? Listen to what teens have to say, and be interested in them. We must get over thinking of reaching teens as a way to build our adult ministries. Jesus loves young people. We need to love them too.
So why is it so important that we spend time with teens?

• More and more young people come from single-parent homes. Positive relationships with parents are more rare than ever before.
• Even when both parents live with the teens, they are often too busy for quality family time. Economic pressures-whether real, imagined or invented- necessitate both parents working many hours.
• Schools are filled with teachers and coaches who are over-extended and too busy to have meaningful relationships with students. Continuing budget cuts will mean that even fewer students will benefit from these relationships in the future.
• The most meaningful relationships that teens have, those with their peers, are often driven by text messaging, instant messaging, cell phones and email. Personal contact and personal relationships are unusual.
• Teens spend their free time with ipod earbuds in their ears, closing out the world. Their influences include video games, the internet and movies on DVD. Personal contact is almost lost in many cases.
• The world of reality for teens is formed by Hollywood and Madison Avenue. The unrealistic world of supermodels, rappers, professional athletes and movie stars gives young people a yearning for normalcy.

There are no shortcuts. There is no easy way. To reach out to young people, do it via instant messaging, email, texting, etc., but do not let those 'cool' things replace a caring relationship based on time shared.