How To Pray & Read the Scriptures

The motivation for this topic centers on the work of spiritual formation. Spiritual formation is the word we give to cooperative work of being shaped, formed by the Spirit of God to participate in the new possibilities of our life now. The work of spiritual formation includes praying, reading the Scriptures, and praying the Scriptures.

If we believe that the Scriptures are a gift from God, just as the Spirit is, then we ought to be shaped by the Scriptures, through the Spirit. And for those of us that have entered into the work of prayer (yes, it is work), we realize that prayer comes form deep within our own spirit.

Jesus summarized his teachings and that of the Hebrew Scriptures with this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Spiritual formation is the interior work of learning to love God and your neighbor by letting the Spirit of God work on your heart, soul, mind and strength.

We can let God influence us, our heart, soul, mind and strength when we pray and read the Scriptures, and especially when we pray the Scriptures.

As Christians, we believe that the Same Spirit of Jesus makes it's home in us. When we choose to believe that God has grace-fully forgiven us of our sins, we open ourselves up to God himself, His Spirit, the Same Spirit that empowered Jesus. That Same Spirit of Jesus, when it is at work in us and through us, makes all sorts of possibilities come to life - for healing, for hope, for renewal, for a future, for truth, for beauty, for freedom, for love.

So how do we pray? How do we read the Scriptures? How do we pray the Scriptures so that we are shaped by the Same Spirit of Jesus?

One lesson isn't enough to fully answer those questions. But I'll provide an overview here. In posts to come I'll lay out more details on how to pray, how to read the Scriptures and how to pray the Scriptures.

For reference, here are links to other lessons I have done on How to Pray and How to Read the Scriptures.

Here I want to introduce how to pray the Scriptures, since that gets us right into the heart of spiritual formation, while also teaching us some more about how to pray and how to read the Scriptures.


To start, we'll use a Psalm. Ancient Israel's hymnbook for worship was the book of Psalms. They would regularly chant their way through the Psalms, their way of singing worship to God. But for them, singing and praying the Psalms was the same work. We can read the Psalms, but we can also pray the Psalms (and sing them if you really want to!).

For example, let's start with Psalm 32 (I'll include the first few verses here, you can see the whole Psalm by clicking on the link):

1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Read through it slowly. Then pray through it by personalizing it - bring to mind a sin you feel guilty about, that you desire forgiveness. Imagine Jesus standing before you, pray as if he is there listening to you. Or, select a phrase that resonates with you, and then repeat that phrase as a prayer throughout the day.

As you read through the Psalm, ask God to bring a word or idea to your heart. Enter into a conversation with God about what you are reading and praying.

Question God about it, ask for insight, probe what God might be wanting you to consider, be convicted about, by inspired by.

And especially: what do you need to do in order to help answer your prayer? Again -  let God's spirit guide your steps forward as you act based on your praying the Scripture.


To pray through this Psalm is both easier then imagined and harder. It's easy to say the words, to repeat them, to imagine Jesus listening to your prayer, to ask God questions.

It's hard to focus, to trust that God hears and speaks, to enter into the prayer authentically. It's hard to memorize the prayer, to repeat the phrase throughout the day. It's hard to center yourself, to ignore disturbances, to shut out the noise in your head.

But when you don't know what to say, especially when you feel guilt, when you feel shame, when you feel burdened by your past sins and mistakes, use Scripture to put words in your mouth and heart.

These Scriptures have been used for prayer for thousands of years - there is something rich, enduring, and earthy about them. There may be a sense of formality to them, but that can be refreshing compared to the hesitant muttering we may offer up as a prayer.

For other Psalms, try Psalm 1, or Psalm 22 and Psalm 23. Maybe even Psalm 116, 117 or even Psalm 118. Psalm 139 is a classic.

Sexperiment

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32

                Many months ago, Pastor Tim approached me about writing a blog for the church website.  I told him that this sounded great, while balking at the idea on the inside.  Not only was I experiencing some pretty harsh difficulties at the time, but I hadn’t even kept a journal since high school and I had no idea what I would even talk about.  Tim gave me a few ideas of books and parts of the Bible he thought I would find “blogable.”  When my life settled down some, I began reading some of his suggestions, but I was getting no inspiration from anything.

                Fast forward to two Thursdays ago, my husband asked me to go to the Christian bookstore to look for a couples’ devotional for us.  I think he’s come to regret that request, because I left the store with almost $150 in various devotionals, and even a Veggie Tales video.  Just a hint, don’t ever ask me to go shopping at a bookstore for just one item!

                As I was browsing the devotional section, my eyes fell on a book I thought was somewhat unusual to be found in a Christian bookstore.  The book is titled Sexperiment: 7 Days to Lasting Intimacy with Your Spouse and was written by Pastor Ed and Lisa Young.  I decided to take it home simply because it sounded fun to me.  As it turns out, this book was almost written for me and the challenges Paul and I have been attempting to overcome.

                You may be tempted to ask, “What exactly does sex have to do with the church or even God and Christianity?”  I wondered the same thing.  As it turns out, there’s quite a lot in common.  Let me preface my review by saying that this book is not just for married couples.  The Youngs also included sections in each chapter for engaged couples and single people, so it’s a good read for everyone.

                Have you ever noticed that your relationship with your spouse has started to take a turn for the worse?  Maybe the communication has lessened, maybe there’s the feeling of a huge gap between you and your spouse, maybe one or both of you are thinking of wandering in different directions, with someone else, or even talking about divorce.  Maybe a busy schedule, work, or kids (this is an acronym for Keeping Intimacy at a Distance Successfully) seem to be eating up more and more of your time.  If there’s a mutual feeling of being lost and separated, first I would suggest either going to your pastor or finding a good Christian counselor for marriage therapy.  Second I would recommend picking up this book and putting it into practice!

                Pastor Young contends that the church, in general, does not talk about sex enough and I agree.  In fact, in most churches the subject of sex is almost taboo.  In fact, Pastor Young says that God truly wants humans to enjoy intercourse.  God has made men and women diametrically opposite so that in marriage we may come together as one.  Without a healthy sex life, many marriages falter and end in divorce.  Sex is more than just procreation; it is a married couple communicating love and unity through intimacy.  He even goes as far as to say this is a perfect representation of the male and female sides of God.

                Lack of communication from the church leads Christians to feel that sex is a dirty little negligee that you hide in your closet.  You only bring it out on special occasions when you want to be bad and you never talk about it.  Pastor Young proclaims that sex is actually one of the most beautiful forms of worshipping God that Christians can perform.  References to sex can be found throughout the Bible.  However, the most explicit accounts are found in the book Song of Solomon (Song of Songs), where King Solomon (son of King David and Bathsheba) and his Shulamite wife write candid love poems to each other.  This book is full of allusions and word visuals that would make a sailor blush:

How beautiful you are, my darling!  Oh, how beautiful!  Your eyes are doves.  How handsome you are, my beloved!  Oh, how charming!  And our bed is verdant.     Song of Solomon 1:15-16.

                Sex is what binds the marriage together, and I have never quite understood why society and the church have twisted it into one of the darkest and most embarrassing acts we as humans could perform.  Spouses cannot hide secrets or hold animosity towards one another and have good marital intimacy.  Pastor Young stresses that we must bring all of our baggage to the table and unload it, in a loving manner, in front of our spouse.  It is all about giving the gift of forgiveness towards your spouse as Christ gave the gift of forgiveness to us through His crucifixion.

                This book is not a how-to guide on sex.  Rather it is a guide on loving your spouse, your life, and worshipping God through that love.  Pastor Young insists that we first go to our spouse with our issues, so that there is nothing in the way of enjoyment.  Afterwards, the “sexperiment” is to carve out time to have sex with your spouse every day for an entire week.  Obviously a week’s worth will not solve our family problems, but it points us in the right direction to complete openness with our spouses and starts us on the road towards healing and a strong bond with each other and God.

A good sex life also extends out into our daily lives.  It creates a loving intimacy through touch and tenderness between husband and wife that shows children what a good marriage should be and what they should be looking for in a future spouse.

http://thesexperiment.com/

Making More Mature Disciples

Maturity: a significant priority of Anchor Community Church shall be helping followers of Jesus become more mature disciples as they grow in their understanding of the Scriptures and fully participate in the body of Jesus.

It's with much joy that we look around Anchor and see more and more people from the community joining us for worship on Sundays, or small groups during the week, or benefiting from our Community Connections ministry. And it's a real joy to hear the Because of Jesus stories, of how people are experiencing the life-changing power of Jesus in their life.

But there is still a big question mark that hangs over all of this joy: what is it that helps people become more mature disciples of Jesus? We love to have more people join us for worship, to have more people baptized, to have more people share a Because of Jesus story. However, we remember the old adage: God loves us just the way we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way.

What does maturity look like? How do you track the trajectory of maturity? 

What does the journey look like from immaturity in all things to maturity in all things? Is there a standard pace? Is it always in a straight line? How do you differentiate personality and culture from true Christian maturity? And how does a congregation measure maturity? How do we talk about becoming more mature? Who has the permission to decide what is immature or mature?

I ask all these questions to make a point: for all of you who are confident about what maturity is and is not (for example, you yourself are the example of maturity...), and for all of you who have lots of "reasons" for why you are not more mature in your faith ("I'm just so busy...) - there is a tension between what we want to see in others and what we are willing to seen in ourselves. We know maturity when we see it, but it is hard to define - especially in others. 

There are two key ways we define maturity (and immaturity) at Anchor: through your growing understanding of the Scriptures and your participation in the body of Jesus. 

An immature version of this would read: be busy always reading your Bible and showing up at the church whenever the doors open.

A mature version of this would read: what action have you taken in response to a prompting from God because you were reading Scripture?


In what ways is your local congregation or other Christians you are connected with better off because of what you have been reading in Scripture and applying to your own life? Do these two understandings make sense?


Some examples of how this would work with Anchor: 
* to say that we are a follower of Jesus means we are becoming familiar with the teachings of Jesus and can give examples how how we are implementing it in our life. 

If you aren't meditating on the Sermon on the Mount, it's going to be difficult for you to know the key teachings of Jesus, and thus almost impossible for you to follow the way of Jesus. Jesus' understanding of love, forgiveness, prayer, giving money to the poor, adultery and lust, murder and anger, honesty, etc.


* to say that we are a disciple means that we are student of Jesus, which means we set time and energy to read, discuss, and apply what we learn. 

There is thus a schedule in our life by which we listen to the voice of Jesus through Scriptures, prayer, life experience, and the wisdom of other Christians.

But as a student, we don't go merely as a passive sponge - for we know that the most important learning that comes in life is from doing, from our own experiences and attempts.

So as a student, we schedule into our life time to work and give in the name of Jesus. Whether it is a ministry opportunity with your local church or through your local church (like with Habitat or NeighborLink), or it is a task you do on your own or with other Christians you know that aren't apart of Anchor - your intentionality reveals your maturity.

Passivity and maturity don't often go hand in hand.


* a more mature disciple takes initiative to respond to a need that they see. 

They've been shaped by the Scriptures, they've got a history with a local church, and they've both witnessed and been part of work to help others in need. Thus, based on their understanding of Scriptures and their participation in they body of Jesus they've been trained and empowered to be Jesus to the people in their life.

The willingness and skill to do this is a sign of ongoing maturity.

What Anchor Wants

What guides Anchor's ministry? When we put into words what we sense the Spirit of Jesus doing in us and through us, what would we write? What explains the decisions we make, the values we hold, the priorities we emphasize? 

Below is a simple guide to what shapes our ministry as Anchor, some potent sentences that serve like seeds for what we do in response to the work God has started in us, work that God will continue through us.

Anchor Community Church wants hundreds of their friends and family to become fully devoted followers of Jesus who are a helpful blessing to our city through our loving God and neighbor. 

You already are connected to many people who are strangers to Jesus, or estranged. With the people God has already placed in your life, we want ministry to result in helping connect people with Jesus.

This connecting, well we want it to feel like a blessing - to our homes, our community, to our city. And what's the best way to connect as a blessing? Love. Jesus showed us what love looks like - love to God and neighbor, he taught about it, and then commanded us to imitate him. And so we go. And look to find ways to include many more with us in our loving, our blessing, our following Jesus.

When it comes to living out this mission as the hands and feet of Jesus, there are four ways we go about this, four priorities that guide us forward:

Community: our highest priority as Anchor Community Church shall be connecting with people we know and those in our city who need to be welcomed into the body of Jesus.

Maturity: a significant priority of Anchor Community Church shall be helping followers of Jesus become more mature disciples as they grow in their understanding of the Scriptures and fully participate in the body of Jesus.

Ministry: another significant priority of Anchor shall be developing and sending each disciple for a significant ministry through their God-given skills, resources, and experiences to be used in their home, local community, church, and world.

Kingdom Focus: the other significant priority of Anchor shall be collaborating with like-minded churches, local ministries, community and business organizations and selected government agencies to further the influence of the Gospel in our city. 

What's the Spirit of Jesus doing in you? How can Anchor help you in fully devoting your life to Jesus? If and when there is an opportunity for Anchor to be a blessing to you, to help you, to give you a love which you pass on to others - well we will celebrate that experience. Those are the kinds of stories we love to share.

Here are a few stories worth sharing:

* when we baptized ten Christians in June, most of them brought friends and family to witness the event. Some of those who came are not part of a church, are not Christians. All who walked away from that event felt the Spirit of Jesus at work. We celebrate that experience!

* through our small groups this Spring, Christians who were resistant to following Jesus became more involved in Anchor. Some made the decision to start worshipping with us on Sundays every week. Others chose to lead a small group - a big step of trust which God honored. One group started a ministry that continues once a month - singing and fellowshipping with the elderly members of Coventry Meadows! 

* one of our members shared how, as a cashier at a small grocery store, she intentionally ministers to every customer. She sees her place of employment as a place to minister. More than just being a polite employee, she is motivated to serve and greet and work to the glory of God and as a blessing, an instrument of the love of Jesus. 

*  In July we will worship with Grace Presbyterian Church on their front yard - a witness to our community of our oneness in Christ and our unity in loving our neighbor. In September we will worship in Hamilton Park with about eight neighborhood congregations, along with Rescue Mission and Charis House. Last year we partnered with Associated Churches for this worship event. 

This is what is guiding Anchor, helping generate story after story of Jesus at work in us and through us. If you have a story, please share it. And if you want to help generate more stories - well, then welcome!

A Poem for Anchor

A is for our amazing grace,
N is for never alone,
Cis for caring people,
H is for our second home.
O is for our Savior that we worship together each week,
R is for the respect we have for our pastor we love to hear speak.

If you are feeling lost or all alone,
if you have a problem you just can' seem to fix,
they understand at Anchor, so come jump on our ship.

We have a worship team who sings like angels,
worshipping the Lord,
a laid back place to give thanks to Christ,
through every note and chord.

Our pastor is a big fan of Starbucks,
so if not here you may find him there;
he's even brought back to Anchor
their tables and their chairs!

He has helped so many people
in so many different ways,
well to thank him,
I just don't know what to say.

Tim and his family are an inspiration to us all,
here at Anchor we love you
and will always be here
to catch you if you fall.

So thank you all for everything,
I just thought I would try to express my thanks with this little rhyme;
I fell I owe you all so much,
so when in need, just ask me anytime!

~ Tracy Fink, Sunday June 10th, 2012

Recipe for Success

Recently my Mum made 34 dozen monster cookies for the staff at Coventry Meadows Nursing Home where my dad had lived the past few months before he died. Then she made another 34 dozen monster cookies for us! And Eli got to help. And he got to use a lot of measuring spoons and cups. I wouldn't be surprised if he memorized the recipe! The monster cookies were a hit, of course.

It got me thinking about what are the ingredients required for a great church? What's a recipe for success? What is even success for a church? It could be an endless debate.

Friend of Missional is a great place to learn about how churches are learning to think like missionaries in their own culture. It's been influential on me for years. It's been helping me rethink what are the ingredients needed for a great church these days, especially in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Below is a list of observations about a successful church. As you scan through them, which ones do you think apply easily to Anchor? Which ones don't? Your response in the comment section would be helpful!

1. Not simply how many people come to our church services, but how many people our church serves.

2. Not simply how many people attend our ministry, but how many people have we equipped for ministry.

3. Not simply how many people minister inside the church, but how many minister outside the church.

4. Not simply helping people become more whole themselves, but helping people bring more wholeness to their world. (i.e. justice, healing, relief)

5. Not simply how many ministries we start, but how many ministries we help.

6. Not simply how many unbelievers we bring into the community of faith, but how many ‘believers' we help experience healthy community.

7. Not simply working through our past hurts, but working alongside the Spirit toward wholeness.

8. Not simply counting the resources that God gives us to steward, but counting how many good stewards are we developing for the sake of the world.

9. Not simply how we are connecting with our culture but how we are engaging our culture.

10. Not simply how much peace we bring to individuals, but how much peace we bring to our world.

11. Not simply how effective we are with our mission, but how faithful we are to our God.

12. Not simply how unified our local church is, but how unified is "the church" in our neighborhood, city and world?

13. Not simply how much we immerse ourselves in the text, but how faithfully we live in the story of God.

14. Not simply being concerned about how our country is doing, but being concern for the welfare of other countries.

15. Not simply how many people we bring into the kingdom, but how much of the kingdom we bring to the earth.

How to Forgive: The Art of Letting Go - Week 1

There is a certain appeal to forgiveness, but in reality it is difficult and sometimes confusing.

What is your understanding of forgiveness?

For example:

Is forgiveness towards others a one time thing? (no.)

What if they hurt me again, should I forgive again? (yes!)

What if they don’t deserve it? (you forgive for your sake, not theirs.)

How come when I forgive, I still feel hurt and angry? (being angry and needing to forgive are two different things.)

How come I’m the one doing all the forgiving and no one is doing any changing? (your forgiving them is about you changing, not you changing them.)

How come when I try to forgive, it seems to only make things worse? (maybe you are confusing forgiving with enabling?)

How do I learn to let go? (get wisdom.)

There is much accumulated Christian wisdom over the centuries on forgiveness and reconciliation, but we’ll take four lessons as a launching point for how we can learn to forgive, to let go and become more mature disciples in the process.

The most creative power given to the human spirit is the power to heal the wounds of a past it cannot change.

We do our forgiving alone inside our hearts and minds;
what happens to the people we forgive depends on them.

The first person to benefit from forgiveness is the one who does it.
 ~Lewis B. Smedes, The Art of Forgiveness

We’ll start with key teachings of Jesus on forgiveness, and then explore practical, helpful ways we can forgive those who hurt our feelings, who disappoint us, who make mistakes, those who sin against us. 

Week One: Teachings of Jesus According to the Gospel
[Matthew 5-7] “Blessed Are The Peacemakers”: What is your experience, successes, failures, with forgiveness, of letting go?

According to teachings of Jesus, what is your understanding of forgiveness?

 5v7 -11 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

* Forgiveness is an act of mercy by which you are the recipient of the mercy given. By forgiving you are actively making peace, creating a good gift from the chaos of the debris. To be in a position where you are needing to give forgiveness, that is to be blessed. All of which is a radical point of view of why we forgive, and what is to result from it.

5v23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

* Realizing that you are the offender, that you have caused a grudge or a disappointment, it's at this moment of you truth that you become a hypocrite before God or humble yourself. In offering a peace offering to God, whom you have likely offended, make peace with your neighbor, family, friends, etc.

 5v43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

* The heart of forgiveness is an act of love, given as a sacrificial act, undeserved. To offer forgiveness out of anything less then love is to misunderstand the point. To pray for the blessing and presence of God to come upon your enemy, the one who has wounded or crossed you - this act of love is revolutionary. If you will believe it. And do it.

 6v11-14 Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,
 as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

* The interconnection between your relationship with God and others is too often overlooked or ignored. To our peril. Think about it: how would you know you have been forgiven by God? A feeling? A miraculous sign? Or by your intentional actions of forgiving those who sin against you? You want to know if you are going to heaven when you die? Then just keep on forgiving. 77 times. 

 7v2-5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

* Who are you to withhold forgiveness? You, with the tree in your eye, are embittered towards the weed in the other's eye? To judge, to hate, to stay bitter and resentful, is to minimize your own sins and magnify unjustly their wrongs. And: to judge the one who won't forgive - well that doesn't bode well for you either!

 7v24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

* It's harder to forgive then not forgive. Until the storm comes. Then it's harder to live with the wreckage of not forgiving then it was with the existential struggle to forgive those who sin against you. Jesus's instructions are rooted in wisdom. It's why he commands them. He's right. His way is right. Keep trying it. 

Why do we repeatedly choose to not forgive?

We don't believe it will work. We don't think they deserve it. Some sins are just too big. We are tired of the apologies and unchanged behavior. We just don't want to. Avoidance. Fear of the unknown.

What do we imagine we are gaining by refusing to forgive?

Power. Revenge. Justification. Superiority.

Three helpful stages to successfully forgiving someone: ~Lewis B. Smedes, The Art of Forgiving 

 * Rediscover the humanity of the person who hurt us.
 * Surrender our right to get even.
 * Revise our feelings towards the person we forgive.

In light of the teaching of Jesus and these three stages of forgiveness, what’s a situation that you feel prompted to deal successfully?

What’s one action step you can take this week:



How to Forgive: The Art of Letting Go
Anchor Community Church // Pastor Tim Hallman
Thursdays, May 3, 10th, 24th, 31st, 8-9pm

Sunday Morning Decisions

What decision did you make today?

Because of Jesus I have forgiven myself and others; I have turned my life over to God again.

One decision I have made is to keep myself grounded in church no matter where my life takes me. I also am looking forward to a new start this year.

Because of Jesus, I decided to go to church, get baptized, and get married, and to change my life.

I am asking for guidance in choosing a home to go to after rehab. I have made the choice to come back to Jesus and to live my life more in His way, to not be private in my relationship with God.

I decided to break up with my fiance because he wasn't living the life I felt Jesus had planned out for me.

I decided to go back to school and have faith that He will take care of our needs.

Because of Jesus I've decided to pray for more for my husband.

Decision: to be more loving and kind to my family.

Decision: to understand my wife better.

Because of Jesus I'll trust Him to lead me to witness anew.

Because of Jesus, this year I re-committed to my marriage.

I have decided to open up my heart more to share my story about abortion and what it can do to women.

Because of Jesus I was baptized. I started going to church. I don't judge people anymore. I've become a better, happier person.

Because of Jesus I've really committed to doing some things I've wanted to change for a long time and give my marriage 110%.


What do you need to decide to do this year?

With every decision you make, no matter how small or large, you are making a statement about what matters to you.                              - D.P. Helfand

Why Do I Believe In The Crucifixion?

Good Friday, April 6, 2012

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Why do I believe in the crucifixion?

Why do I believe Jesus suffered, was crucified, died and was buried?

Why do I believe that Jesus was tortured by betrayal? A betrayal he could foresee but wouldn’t avoid. A betrayal he endured well before it became reality. A betrayal by the first apostle he called to follow him. A betrayal by the disciple who swore to follow him to the death. A betrayal that left him friendless, alone, abandoned. A betrayal by all the men who called him teacher, who called him master, who called him friend.

A betrayal by a kiss, for some silver.

A betrayal by the ones who walked with Jesus, endured the dusty roads and cold, dark desert nights. Betrayal by the ones who asked the most questions, by the ones sent out to heal and proclaim forgiveness, by the ones witness to feeding of thousands, casting away evil spirits, and welcoming sinners to dinner. Why do I believe Jesus suffered?


Why do I believe Jesus was tortured by injustice? An injustice that permeated the land, an injustice that required a prophetic confrontation from Jesus.

An injustice that had existed for the life of the nation, an injustice that crushed the widows and orphans, that took advantage of the poor and the foreigner, an injustice that flowed from the ones with power and privilege, an injustice that rolled like a river, drowning the weak and crippled, the sick and broken, the abandoned and traumatized.

An injustice that used lies to establish it’s grip, an injustice that fueled fears to sink it’s roots deeper into the community, an injustice that used misunderstanding for its gain, that used apathy to further its agenda in the nation.

An injustice that prompted God to send a prophet to confront, an injustice that God would no longer allow to reign in Israel.

Why do I believe that Jesus was tortured by violence? Tortured by clubs and swords, tortured by chains and shackles, tortured by shoves and spit, tortured by slander and mockery, tortured by ripping out of beard and tearing off of clothes, tortured by whips, by lashes of shards and spikes, tortured by thirst, tortured by exhaustion, tortured by carrying his cross, tortured by the nails in his feet, spikes in his wrists, tortured by the speak in his side, tortured by the splinters in his open wounds, tortured by the gasping for air, tortured by the searing agony of breathing, tortured by the hanging naked in public, tortured by the jeers and disbelief, tortured by the violence of humanity, tortured by the darkness.

Why do I believe Jesus was crucified?


Why do I believe Jesus was put to death on a cross by humanity? Why do I believe that Jesus was abandoned by God? Forsaken, as Jesus put it. “Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani,” to quote the crucified and dying Jesus. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me…” is what he whispered, what he groaned, what he felt. Why do I believe that Jesus was trusting in a Father who seemed far away, far from his cries of anguish?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

But you, LORD, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

God did not answer Jesus’s plea for rescue. It’s as if God turned his eyes and ears away from the bloody cries for deliverance and justice.

Why do I believe that Jesus was crucified as a blasphemer and insurrectionist? Why do I believe Jesus was killed on a cross, the sign of a cursed man in God’s eyes? Why do I believe Jesus was killed as a criminal, murdered along with two other terrorists? Why do I believe that Jesus was caught up in the execution machine of the Roman Empire? Why do I believe that Jesus let himself be crucified by the Israel he came to save? Why do I believe Jesus let himself be executed by the Romans he came to save?

Why do I believe in the crucifixion?

I believe Jesus was the Cup whose wine and blood were poured out to establish a New Covenant of forgiven sins, of shalom, agape and zoe for this life now and in the one to come.
I believe Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.


I believe Jesus was the Shepherd of Israel who lays down his life for his sheep.
I believe Jesus was the Servant of Israel who was pierced for our transgressions, who was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.


I believe Jesus was the Prophet of Israel sent by God to turn his people away from injustice, to return his people to the way of righteousness.
I believe Jesus was the High Priest of Israel sent by God to offer his own life as an atoning sacrifice in the Temple of God, in the Holy of Holies for the sins of Israel, for the sins of all the nations, all the peoples.
I believe Jesus was the King of Israel sent to establish the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and free his rebellious people from their captivity by proclaiming the truth and leading them in a new way.

Why do I believe Jesus was crucified? 


It’s a scandalous event. God killed by his own people. Jesus murdered by the ones he came to save. The Son of God sent by the Father, executed as a rebel king and blaspheming, false prophet. This is not how the story is seemingly supposed to go.

Historically, the crucifixion of Jesus is the most likely verifiable part of the Gospel story. It’s the one element of the tale that is most likely to be believable. And yet we find ourselves believing in the historical event without believing the truth of the event in our heart, in our life.

Do I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? 


Do I believe in suffering as a servant of God? Do I believe that God will send me to confront injustice? Do I believe that God will call me to turn people away from their sins? Do I believe that God will ask me to live as a kingdom of priests, a witness to the words and works of Jesus? As the body of Jesus, do I believe that there are holes in the wrists and feet of my heart?

Do I believe that I have suffered for speaking truth to power? Do I believe that I have suffered for bringing love to my enemies? Do I believe that I have suffered for teaching others to forgive those who sin against them? Do I believe I have forgiven those who are crucifying me? Or do I avoid crucifixion?

Do I avoid suffering? Do I avoid confronting injustice? Do I avoid turning others away from sin? Do I avoid loving my enemies? Do I avoid caring for the widows and orphans? Do I avoid the label of blasphemer and insurrectionist? Do I avoid trouble? Do I believe in the crucifixion?

Do I believe I would have been like Peter, and sought to prevent the crucifixion? Do I believe I would have been like Judas, and sought to prompt Jesus to rise up as the new powerful king of Israel and deliver them from the Roman Empire? Do I believe I would have been like the Pharisees, irritated and threatened by Jesus’ new teachings about God and forgiveness and sin and unrighteousness and injustice and love?

Do I believe I would have been like the mob that called for the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus? Do I believe I would have been like the apostles who ran away from the ones sent to arrest Jesus? Do I believe I would have been like the Temple priests who wanted God to intervene and free Israel, but not in the way that Jesus commanded and demonstrated?


Do I believe that crucifixion is part of following Jesus? Do I believe that suffering is part of our discipleship? Do I believe that loving my neighbor as Jesus loves me will bring both joy and suffering? Do I believe that loving my enemies as Jesus loves my enemies will bring both peace and conflict?

Do I believe that welcoming sinners, giving hospitality to sinners, healing sinners, befriending sinners, will bring both love and hatred? Do I believe that confronting injustice with truth will bring about victory and persecution? Do I believe that crucifixion was the way of salvation for the world? Do I seek to avoid my own crucifixion? Do I work to avoid suffering or do I work in the way of Jesus?

Why do I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? 


I believed it as a child because of the stories my parents taught me, because of the Bible lessons I learned in Sunday School, through the sermons I heard in church. I believed in the crucifixion of Jesus because it was presented to me as true. But then I grew up.

As the Apostle Paul puts it:

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 

I had my own sufferings, my own deaths, my own disappointments, my own betrayals, my own wounds, my own clashes with reality, my own attempts to love and be loved, my own sense of forsakenness by God.

And then I wondered: does it matter if Jesus was crucified or not. In this life, in this age, in my world, so what if Jesus was crucified. And so now I am on a journey, working to believe in the crucifixion of Jesus. So many people before me have believed it. Why? Why believe that Jesus was crucified? Why believe the stories of his crucifixion?


If there is a God, surely he wouldn’t do what the Bible claims God did. It’s scandalous what happened to Jesus. It’s unexpected. It rattles the status quo. It shakes our understanding of reality. The crucifixion is how we know that God identifies with our suffering. In this pain-full world, God is not immune to our cries. We have caused him to weep, we have inflicted wounds on his heart.

We shake our fist at God for the suffering we endure, the suffering we see inflicted around us – and yet God does not shake his fist at us for the torture and betrayal we inflicted upon him. In his crucifixion, Jesus asked God to forgive humanity, for we did not know what we are doing.

I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus. It reveals to me a God who is with me, for me, even when I am against him. I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus, for it is the way of deep wisdom, the way of redemptive suffering, it is the way of overcoming evil with good. I believe in the crucifixion because it is unbelievable, it is unlikely, it is unexpected, it is scandalous, it is outrageous, it is unimaginable.


The story of the crucifixion of Jesus requires a leap of faith to accept. I grew up believing it with no leap of faith. I assumed the story was true because that’s what I had been told. I had to disbelieve and doubt the story in order to believe it to be true. It takes a leap of faith for me to accept the crucifixion to be true.

There is plenty of evidence being amassed against the veracity and reliability of the crucifixion stories. On one hand, the research challenges my beliefs, it makes it harder to believe. On the other hand, the world wants Jesus to be dead, to be quiet, to fade away as a quaint historical memory. But when the story of Jesus and his crucifixion is believed, there is no power on earth that can stem the message of salvation, reconciliation, forgiveness, righteousness, agape, shalom that comes from the crucifixion.


I believe in the crucifixion because it’s not the final story of Jesus. I believe in the crucifixion because I also believe in the resurrection, because I also believe in the ascension, because I believe in Pentecost, because I believe in God’s Kingdom come to Earth, because I believe in the return of the King, Jesus and the restoration of all things, when the New Heavens and the New Earth come together and God dwells with his people.

I say why I believe in the crucifixion, but the real challenge is to live as if the crucifixion is true. I read and hear the stories of the crucifixion of Jesus – but do I live as if they are true. Too much of the time, the answer is no. I must turn to the crucified Jesus and ask for forgiveness, for help to believe, for help in my unbelief.


I believe that my starting point for the crucifixion of Jesus is disbelief, as revealed through my everyday actions. That any of us believe in the crucifixion of Jesus is an act of God, that any of us live out the belief of Jesus’ crucifixion is a sign of God at work in our world.

We must rely on God to believe in the crucifixion, we must rely on God to live out our belief in the crucifixion. We must rely on God, since there is no difference between what we believe about the crucifixion and how we live, since how we live is what we truly believe. We can confess with our mouth what we believe about Jesus and the crucifixion, but it is our works that give life to our faith – a faith that is gift of God by grace.


Why do I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? It’s a gift of God that I do. It’s a sign of God at work in the world, in my life, that I live out the reality of Jesus’ crucifixion. It’s by grace that I believe in the crucifixion of Jesus.


And it’s only in suffering that I live out the crucifixion. Where there is suffering for loving, for righteousness, for justice, for reconciliation, for forgiveness, for peace in the name of Jesus – that is living out our belief in the crucifixion.


Why do you believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? How do you live out your belief in the crucifixion of Jesus?

May we, in our honest moments on this Good Friday, hear Jesus words to us – hear the Jesus with holes in his hands, his feet, his side, hear his words to us, hear his words to the disciple known as Peter, a disciple who like the others didn’t believe in the crucifixion, yet who was still a disciple of Jesus.

May we hear Jesus’ words to Peter, to us in our failure to believe, in our disbelief, in our running away from suffering, from God’s work in the world he is redeeming and establishing his kingdom, may we hear the crucified and resurrected Jesus’s questions to us: do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?

Now these three remain, belief in the crucifixion, hope in the resurrection, and love in the name of Jesus. And the greatest of these is love.

The Lessons of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot

This book jumped out at me a few weeks ago as I browsed the Little Turtle Library. I’ve read some books on Saint Francis but liked the idea of this one putting his practices to daily use. At first glance, The Lessons of St Francis by John Michael Talbot looks like any other self-help guru or new age mystic showing you the path to inner peace, and success, reminding me of How To Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci or something of that nature.

I quickly found it to be surprisingly accessible. The author, himself a long-time Franciscan, breaks the book into sections on how to utilize Saint Francis’ teachings in day to day life, fleshing it out with inspirational quotes from historic figures as well as providing prayers to recite.

 His writing style and overall message contains a lightness lacking in most heavy-handed Christian writers. This slim book (250 pages) is full of simple and practical advice on how anyone can transform their lives by following the model of Saint Francis’ life, writings and teachings.

In the introduction, Talbot warns us that once canonized, a saint’s life induces hero-worship rather than inspiration. People tend to think that they can’t take something of so celebrated a life and apply it to their own. The first section of the book entitled ‘Simplicity,’ is in the beginning for good reason: We as Americans consume and desire far too much. Here, he gives us some guidelines, even providing the reader with questions to ask themselves on how they can make changes.

One of the things that make Francis so relevant today is the fact that for the first half of his life, he lived a carefree life of privilege. The son of a wealthy merchant, soldier, musician and poet, Francis was set to inherit the family business when he came down with a mysterious and debilitating illness. During this time he had his visions of Christ and slowly began to transform. He got healthy and decided to shun the secular life, yet dissatisfied with corruption of the Catholic Church and the papacy, decided to find his own order.

Although most of us would never go so far as to give up our lives and live in the wilderness with no possessions, we can seek to understand and apply some of Francis’ teachings into our own lives.

In the chapter on Simplicity the author stresses the difference between want and need in our lives:

“Food is a need. But a medium-rare T-bone steak smothered in onions is a want.
Clothing is a need. But a designer suit with matching shoes is a want.
Housing is a need. But a split level ranch house with a semi-attached garage, walk-in closets, and three bathrooms is a want.”

He goes further, providing the reader with questions to ask themselves about their choices in food, clothing and shelter and how their perception can cause more problems.

In the second section of the book, ‘Joy,’ there’s a story from Saint Francis’ life where he, a friar and two novices walk across a hill on a snowy day when Francis and the friar began dancing and rolled down the hill playing in the snow. One of the novices later spoke with Francis, embarrassed by his outburst. Francis warned him that it was impossible to survive in a cloister without cultivating joy. Soon after, the novice packed up and left. We can’t take ourselves, our lives and the world around us so seriously that we can’t break out into dance or song every now and then.

This relates to the chapter that is the heart of this book, ‘Humility.’ Francis believed that humility, if practiced in earnest would lead to obedience to God’s will. He sincerely wished to live as closely to Christ’s example as possible, believing that Christ’s ministry to be the “condescension of God.”

He wrote:

 “Among the other things the kindness of God has generously granted me, it has granted me this grace that I would obey a novice of one hour, if he were given me as my guardian, as carefully as I would obey the oldest and most discreet person.”

Saint Francis is one of histories’ most mythologized and romanticized figures, but reading through this book can give you knowledge that even we average folk, can, without donning a frock and retreating into the wilderness can take a step in St. Francis’ path.

by Matthew Behnke

Neighborhood Churches Together

It's remarkable what is happening in our neighborhood. 

Our churches are worshipping and working together for the community and Kingdom of God. It's always exciting to hear about diverse churches working together in towns and counties around the nation. I'm thankful that Anchor gets to be part of something so unique and transformative in our city.

This is the sixth year for the 46808 neighborhood churches to gather together during the season of Lent. We meet on a Sunday evening for a meal hosted by one of the local churches, and then we bring in a community leader to give us a better understanding of how we can get involved to make our neighborhood a better place to live.

This year we are meeting for three weeks, in years past it's been four weeks or even six. A different church hosts each week, this year we're glad to have New Zion Tabernacle, Three Rivers Wesleyan and North Highlands Church of Christ hosting us! 

To be frank: sometimes I have my doubt whether these gatherings are really making a difference. 

Is it all really just a distracting drain of energy to meet for worship and a meal? Can I see tangible results from this collaboration? How do I know that the neighborhood is a better place to live because of our Lenten gatherings? Where is the evidence, the fruit of our churches uniting together in the name of Jesus?

What would success look like? 

For me, that a local church wants to join our collaborative efforts is a win. It was beautiful to have Three Rivers Wesleyan hosting our gathering for the first time in six years. It was fantastic to have New Zion Tabernacle host last week and then show up at Three Rivers with so many of their leaders. Very encouraging indeed! 

Success would also include local churches either funding or using the agencies that come and introduce themselves to us. Having churches join Associated Churches, minister at Charis House, use the resources of Lutheran Social Services, partner with Mentoring Moms, give money and donations to the Rescue Mission - all of this is a win-win-win.

Success would also include individual members and families of these many churches partnering with ministries in our city. On their own time and initiative, get involved - both for their own sake and for those that they would serve.

Another level of success: that when a neighbor hears about a local church, rather then a shrug or a blank stare, it'd be a big smile and a story - of how that church is AWESOME! If a church would plan to leave a neighborhood, would people protest, plead, beg you to stay?

Because of our unity, our collaboration, our service, our worship, our prayers and compassion, our neighbors would praise God in heaven. That'd be success. 

The best success of all - and the hardest to attain: that through our co-laboring in the Spirit of the Gospel men and women would find forgiveness of their sins and transformation of their life in the way of Jesus.

Simple tasks can be accomplished by direct action. But the bigger and more complicated a work becomes, the more likely the action becomes indirect. And the more indirect a work becomes, the harder it is to explain how it will achieve success.

It would seem more direct to just go and knock on a door, ask a neighbor if they are saved, and then proceed to pray with them right then and there. This direct action rarely works for such a big and complicated task.

Transformation of the heart takes more than a prayer. Successful transformation of a whole community of hearts takes more then good intentions. So we take indirect action: unite, worship, serve, care, help, bless, follow the promptings of the Spirit, listen to the cry of the oppressed, model forgiveness of sins, act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God.

Somehow, someway, I believe this indirect action will make our neighborhood a better place to live. 

A Lenten Prayer

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Prayers to End the Day

You may want to write these prayers down somewhere and have them by your bedside. Pick one to either memorize or to at least pray each evening, or all of them, or randomly.

Or, even better, you can purchase The Divine Hours: Pocket Edition. It's a collection of daily prayers for morning, noon, evening and night. It'll help you pray the Scriptures and focus on God throughout the days and weeks.

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May the Lord Almighty grant me and those I love a peaceful night and a perfect end. Amen.

Almighty God, my heavenly Father, I have sinned against you, through my own fault in thought, and word, and deed, in what I have done and what I have left undone. For the sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me all my offenses; and grant that I may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake, Amen.

Lord, you now have set your servant free to go in peace as you have promised; for these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see: a Light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever more shall be. Amen.