I Said Goodbye to a Dear Friend Saturday Night

Last Saturday was an emotional evening for me.  I said goodbye to a dear friend, a friend who walked closely with me throughout the end of high school, all through college, was with me at my wedding, moved with me to Florida, moved back to Michigan with me, and was even there with me on the night Mary gave birth to our baby girls.  

I said goodbye to a friend whom I have shared my greatest victories and triumphs with, who has comforted me at my low points, and who has struggled with me when I have doubted and had tough questions with no answers.

Last Saturday night I said goodbye to the David Crowder Band at the Orbit Room in Grand Rapids.  The DCB has undoubtedly been the most important band in my life and I was one of many who felt wounded a few months ago when they announced they would be done as of next year.  

Much ink has been spilled on how the DCB has revolutionized worship music with their unique sound, look, and energy.  There is nothing I can say about that stuff that hasn't already been said much more fully than I am capable of.

However, I want to share the answer to the questions we ask when we lose or say goodbye to anyone we love:  What did I appreciate most about the DCB? And where do I go from here?

As I have reflected on what drew me to the DCB, more than music or sound what I appreciated about them as a band is that in a time where much Christian music is very shallow, self focused, and shy's away from difficult issues, Crowder embraced and examined the valleys and the dark areas we enter in our faith.  Doubt, frustration, fear, and even depression were laid out in their music and were not hidden from their listeners.  the DCB understood that the Christian life is not only mountain top experiences and rose pedals but that pain, suffering, and loneliness are real and our only hope in life's valleys is the message of the gospel.  That message and the transparency of the DCB is what drew me to them and it will be my lasting impression of them, and for that I am thankful.

So what's next?

I found it interesting that the DCB chose to tour with both Gungor and Chris August.  Both bands, specifically Gungor in many ways will have to carry weight of taking the torch from DCB.  Both bands were great and it was encouraging that there are new artists who are making beautiful, thoughtful, and inventive worship music.  Christian music needs bands like these that will push boundaries.

So while it was hard to say goodbye Saturday night, there is hope for the future, already excited to see Gungor play at Calvin College this spring!

Atheist Conventions, Hate Groups, and Hypocritical Christians

This morning I received an article from a friend who routinely emails me when he has read something that has challenged him or something that he thought may be helpful for fellow Christians to read.  In, fact he has helped contribute many articles to our church blog, you can check that out here, tons of great resources!


Anyways, the title of the article he sent me was "Waiting for Lightning to strike: A Wobbly Agnostic among the Atheists" by Carolyn Briggs.  It is the story of a woman who finds out the national Atheist convention is in her town and out of curiosity she goes.  This woman is not an outspoken atheist, she knows the Bible, and is a self described agnostic and this article details her internal struggle while at this convention.


 You can read it here.  (read this or I probably wont make a ton of sense to you)


First let me say this was a beautifully written article, I was fully engaged with the struggle of the author and was captivated from the first sentence through the conclusion.  And to be honest I have wrestled and struggled with this article all day and I am hoping my mind will be eased after writing my thoughts/response to this article.


Hypocritical Christians 


People in general are awful at accepting truthful criticism from opponents.  We try our best to discredit, bully, and ostracize apposing view points so harshly reaching desperately for the imaginary eraser to permanently brush away any truth that our opponents possess from our minds and the minds of those paying attention.


As I read the criticisms of christianity from the mouths of atheists in this article (there was quite a bit to choose from) some of it is spot on and we have to own that....let that settle for a moment....we have to own the fact that our actions and the actions of "professing Christians" have caused some to hate God and Jesus.


Here are a few quotes from the article that emphasize this:


"I too... hate the way Jerry Falwell blamed atheists and homosexuals for 9/11." - I agree with this statement.  On the issue of homosexuality, there will always be a tension between the homosexual community and God's Word.  However in many cases Christians have poured gasoline on this tension by posturing themselves as jerks (a stronger word is probably more fitting here).  We have not loved these people and represented Christ well at all.  This has been for some reason made the taboo sin and we need to own our shortcomings in how we have loved and treated the gay community.


"I want to deck some of the pastors I’ve seen on cable TV." - same here!  There are so many churches and famous preachers who have so far slid from the gospel that it makes me physically angry to watch MOST televangelists/preachers... Mary doesn't let me do it anymore!


Quote by the author from Ghandi "I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. They are not very like your Christ.”


To varying degrees all of these statements are true and instead of becoming defensive Christians need to humbly examine where in our lives we living inconsistently with the gospel and with Jesus.  The hope of the gospel is that we are sinners who have and will continue to fail but through Christ have been forgiven, been made new, and shown grace by God!  Unfortunately however,  it is not our humility, love and grace which we are known for.


Atheist Conventions and Hate Groups


As I read Briggs's description of the event she attended, I found myself confused about what was being accomplished with this convention.  What was the point of atheists gathering together to affirm their atheism?  It even seemed like their own mission statement and reason for gathering was inconsistent and confused.  Again let me explain with quotes from people at the convention


"People go to church because they have social needs. Atheists are no different. Fellowship is not a religious word; it’s a human word."


“Our battle is against religion, not believers. They are sincere people who have been brainwashed since birth,”


“There are 435 members of Congress and almost all of them are our enemies.”


  So on one hand the reason for the convention is to meet social needs, on the other hand it is to fight a battle with religion, but not religious people, and finally it is to battle religious people in congress!  All of these statements seem conflicting.  I think this is a broader issue atheism faces in the fact that it has no real endgame, there is no real reason for atheists to gather together like for example a group of Christians who meet to worship God, learn God's Word, and equip ourselves to follow Christ's call to make disciples.  The DNA of atheism will make it unfocused and inconsistent in its mission!


What struck me most interesting/disturbing is that Briggs's description of this convention made it sound eerily similar to a rally put on by a hate group.  


Some quotes to this point:


 “We affirm life,” he writes. “We are not cramped and distorted by the pathetic need to adulate"
“Religion is weak. It cannot stand on its own. The invisible man in the sky has become weaker and weaker,”
“Anger can misfire badly. When we express anger, we get angrier,” she says. “But anger is the chief reason we know something is not okay; it motivates us to do something about it.” 
“If we could take the brainpower of this room and pool it, it would be fantastic.”
"Flush out the hypocrites."
 “The rapture: You know it’s nonsense. 2000 years of any day now.” 
“That’s why we know more than they do. You need to tell your Christian friends to read the Bible. Reading the Bible makes atheists. Christian education makes atheists"


Make no mistake, this convention and this ideology is fueled and driven by genuine anger and hate towards God, The Bible, Jesus, and Christians.  This article sheds light on the reality that atheists are not as loving, gracious, open-minded, and accepting as they have marketed themselves to be.


Final Reflections


So as a young pastor I walk away from this article with a few thoughts/convictions:


1. Why the hate? - If the atheists are right and evolution is true and God/religion is a made up refuge for the weak.  Evolutionary law says we will eventually die off and take care of ourselves because we are the weaker of the species...Why the hate?  What is it accomplishing?


2.  I want to be about Jesus! - I believe that the Biblical account of Jesus is completely true and because of that he is the greatest news in human history.  I don't want to be about anything else other than my Savior.  I want to love like he loved, I want to be gracious like he was gracious, I want to be patient like he was patient, and I want to speak truth in boldness like he spoke the truth boldly!


3.  I want Harvest Spring Lake to be about Jesus! - If our church ever becomes anything other than being about loving and making much of our Savior, Jesus Christ,  than we have become unfaithful to our calling and have grieved God.  I don't want to be about conservative politics, family values, tradition, or religion, ...There is no life in any of that stuff!  Only in Christ are we given the power, grace, and motivation to live lives that glorify and please God!


4.  My heart breaks for lost people! - It's hard not to be sad when you read about people openly shaking their fists at God knowing their eternity is sealed unless God miraculously moves in their heart.  I don't ever want to be numb to that reality...as our love for Jesus grows our love, hurt, and desperation for the lost needs to be growing also.


I know that was a lot...sorry for downloading so much, but my heart was heavy and I am thankful for this outlet and hope it will have some kingdom value as well!

Free from Wrath, Free to Live Graciously

This past Sunday night at youth group we encountered the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4.  As I studied this passage I was blown away by how quickly sin was polluting and destroying the earth God had created and how quickly it was accelerating in the heart of man!  But even more than the devastation of sin, the story of Cain and Abel is a remarkable insight into God's fierce grace towards people who are completely undeserving.

The Crime vs. The Punishment


After having his sacrifice rejected by God, Cain fell into the depths of depression (Gen 4:5)  God lovingly approached Cain and warned him regarding the road he was traveling down internally, Cain ignored God and killed his brother Abel in a jealous rage.  This was the first murder in the history of humanity and God had a choice:  He could have given Cain the penalty that fit the crime and struck him down at that moment.  This would have set a strong precedent for anyone who would think to commit murder again knowing that God was watching and would punish murder swiftly, strongly, and completely.

But God chose grace!

God did punish Cain, making him a wanderer and an outcast, also taking away his profession by cursing him not allowing the ground to yield him food.  But when God could have justly killed, He was gracious with Cain, God spared his life, gave him a mark of protection, and modeled the patience and grace that would be later so evident in Jesus Christ.

We Find Ourselves in the Story


We, like Cain find ourselves standing guilty before God staring a punishment of death in the face.  We, like Cain are totally dependent on God's grace for forgiveness, life, and hope.  And we, like Cain have not been given what we deserve because God, through Jesus Christ has bestowed fierce, powerful, white-hot grace on us.  Through Jesus we do not face wrath but we have been graciously given life.  I Thessalonians says it best:

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ"


The story of the gospel is that we are Cain!  And God has been abundantly gracious to us by allowing His own son to bear the penalty of our sin, making us clean, forgiven, and redeemed!


The 2 Million Dollar Question


What is your response to God's grace?  Have you responded to God's grace?  Is this a truth that merely lives in your head or is it a motivating, life giving reality that is the lens on which you view life?


Grace-given people are Grace-driven people!


The grace we have been given in Christ is the single greatest thing to happen to anyone at any point in human history!  This is not something that was given so we could take advantage of it, hide it, or store it away, but God's grace needs to motivate us to be the most gracious people we possibly can be.


The gospel frees us from having to be the star of our own lives, so when we are sinned against, hurt, or taken advantaged of, we have the freedom forgive and magnify God's grace towards us by our love and kindness towards others.  We don't have to get even, we don't have to defend ourselves, we don't have to  hold grudges, but we are free to live in a way that magnifies the grace of our savior and to embrace the joy and freedom found in him.  


The gospel does not deliver us from hurt or pain caused by others, but it does free from holding onto that hurt and pain.  So often we remove joy from our lives when we are consumed by what others have done to us when it can never compare to what Jesus has done for us!