What's the Point?

I invite you to take a journey with me through the book of Ecclesiastes.  It is my intent that these posts will form the basic outline for my second book, which I am tentatively calling 'The Pursuit of Meaning: Doubt, Despair and Discovery'.

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.  Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.  What does it profit a man for all his toil at which he labors under the sun?  (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3)

This is certainly an odd way for a book of the Bible to begin!  Right away the tone is set; this will be an honest and hard look at life.  The word ‘vanity’ (Hebrew hebel) has the sense of a breath or a vapor, something that is transitory and ultimately lacking in substance.  The book begins with a declaration that everything is as a passing breath; a mist.  It is never-lasting.

 

So then, the author (likely Solomon) asks, what is the point of life?  What is the purpose of men and women?  What value do people have?  For what do they expend their time and energy “under the sun” (meaning during their time on earth)?  If all is vanity, a passing vapor, what is the point of anything?  If a person cannot lay their hands on anything of any lasting value, what is the point of living?

These are tough questions; a tough way to begin.  However, establishing the ‘vain’ and transitory nature of life is crucial to the Judeo-Christian worldview, and its ultimate hope.  The trick, though, is not to read the end into the beginning, but to read Ecclesiastes as it unfolds, struggling along with the author on his pursuit of meaning, a journey of doubt, despair and discovery.

 

Yet knowing the end reinforces the beginning.  If life “under the sun” is but a vapor, offering no real meaning, it stands to reason we must look ‘beyond the sun’ for something permanent to give us value. 

I look forward to sharing these thoughts over the coming days.

The Fifth Sparrow

Ever feel so small, as if you have no real value?  If you haven’t felt this at some point, God bless you!  But I suspect that most of us have at one time or another felt as if we didn’t really matter; that if we were to vanish, we wouldn’t be missed.  For those who have ever experienced this, as I have, I offer something Jesus said which reminds us that no matter how small we may feel, how useless, unwanted or unneeded, we have great worth in the sight of God.

In Matthew 10:29 Jesus asks, “are not two sparrows sold for a penny?”*

The sparrow was not good for much.  The extremely poor might rely on them for food (consider how unsatisfying that meal would be!).  Two of these birds could be purchased for the smallest fraction of money- one penny. 

The word for penny is the Greek ‘assarion’, the smallest unit of money worth about one sixteenth of a denarius.  The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer or soldier and in modern equivalent was worth about 20 cents (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia).  Therefore we have the absolute least amount of money being spent on an ‘item’ of absolute least value. 

   

But wait.  In Luke 12:6 Jesus asks a different form of the same question: “are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?”*

Now I am no math whiz, but if two sparrows cost one penny, then four sparrows, not five, cost two pennies.  Think about that fifth sparrow; it’s a toss in, an add-on, the equivalent of the thirteenth donut in a baker’s dozen.  It was probably so small that it wasn’t worth even a half-penny on its own.  That fifth sparrow is the epitome of worthless things.

Yet look what Jesus continues to say: “not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matthew 10:29*); “not one of them is forgotten before God” (Luke 12:6*).  Not one of these creatures, no matter how small or worthless they may seem to us, is beyond the care and compassion of the heavenly Father; not even the fifth sparrow.

This is all well and good for the cute little sparrows; how nice to know that God cares for the birds.  Indeed!  But even better is to know that Jesus didn’t leave it there. 

Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the hardships and trials they would face as they carried His message into the world.  They were understandably worried about the uncertainty of the itinerant life and the very real prospect of persecution, prison and even death.  It must have seemed overwhelming to these simple men.  Paul would later exclaim “who is equal to such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:16 NIV**). 

So as He spoke of the sparrows, Jesus told His disciples: “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31 cf. Luke 12:7).

Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that no matter what they faced, no matter how difficult their mission and ministry became, they could have the absolute confidence that the Father cared for them deeply and would watch over them always.

 

So then, if the Father concerns Himself with something so comparatively worthless, how much more will He give His attention to His children, the followers of His beloved Son?

So the next time you feel valueless or useless, as if you do not matter, consider the fifth sparrow…and know that you are deeply loved.

Be blessed!

*English Standard Bible.  Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, A Division of Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA.

**HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Too Many Gimmicks

I recently passed a local church and my eye caught the message on their sign.  It read: ‘Come in for Pokemon; Stay for Worship’.

I do not know what thought processes went into the posting of that message.  Was the leadership involved or was it put up without their knowledge?  I will not cast aspersions on their love for the Lord nor say these aren’t honest believers. 

But it raises an important question we should all be ready to ponder: how low are local churches willing to sink to put people in the pews? 

This is not a commentary on ‘Pokemon Go’- my opinion on that fad is irrelevant to this discussion.  My argument is that many (most?) local churches have no idea of why they exist or what they are supposed to be doing.  They are convinced that their success depends entirely on how many people attend, or are on the membership rolls.  Therefore they feel they must do whatever they can; buy into any and every hype or fad; try every gimmick to get people interested, not in Christ or the Gospel, but in their particular organization.

Enough is enough. 

I know the counter-arguments people will use, wanting to sound supportive and magnanimous.  Some will inevitably say the church is ‘trying to be relevant’.

The relevance of the Church is not in the adoption of cultural fads.  What if someone does ‘come in for Pokemon’?  When they get bored, what will keep them there?  Another gimmick?  Another fad?  Do we honestly think that someone who comes into a local church playing ‘Pokemon Go’ is truly going to care about staying for worship?  The relevance of the Church is in her message of hope and the Word of salvation.  The relevance of the Church is in the clear assessment of the human condition and the power of Jesus to change lives.  The relevance of the Church is in offering true community in a fragmented society.  

Others will say. The church is just trying to ‘meet people where they are at’. 

Does this mean a church should host a strip club to attract lechers?  ‘Come in for porno- stay for worship’.  Or should we open bars to attract the drunks?  ‘Come in for a snort- stay for worship’.  Meeting people where they are at means we engage the lost in the context of the community outside the church doors.  And don’t ask if that means Christians should evangelize in bars and strip clubs- you know that is a ridiculous assertion.  It means getting to know people through normal, everyday community connections; finding out who they are, what they struggle with and then build a relationship to the point where we can share the hope of Jesus with them.    

Still others will contend that what matters is not how they come in, but that they come in, and then have an opportunity to hear the Gospel.

I would challenge you to read the Gospels and Acts with that idea in mind.  When did Jesus or the Apostles use gimmicks to get people’s attention?  What happened to people who showed up with the wrong ideas or motives?  Those who responded to the Gospel were those driven to Christ by their need, not those who drifted by from curiosity.  Can the Lord touch someone who comes into a local church with the wrong motives?  Absolutely!  But it isn’t something we should necessarily bet on.  Furthermore, is a local church which relies on gimmicks to get people in, all that committed to the Gospel?  Let’s be honest, the Gospel exposes people’s sin and need, and if a person came in looking for fun and games, chances are high they will hit the road as soon as the message gets tough.  Go read John 6 to see this reality. 

Gimmicks do not work.  They do not swell the attendance in a local church and they absolutely do not build the Body of Christ.  In the end pursuing gimmicks leaves us disappointed.  So we seek new fads, new gimmicks- and the cycle continues. 

The Church was never intended to be reduced to inviting people into buildings.  Rather it was intended to invite people to know Jesus by going out into the world.  I suggest we try the Lord’s way: trusting the Holy Spirit and seeking to build relationships which will then draw people to want to know the Good News of Jesus.  Then, when people come in to our worship centers, we will know that they come in with the right heart and for the right reasons.  They will come in- and stay -for Jesus. 

Called, Competent and Committed (part 4)

This will be the final post in this series on ordination.

Ordination is not something to be treated lightly, nor is it an appointment someone should think can be casually obtained.  While ordination, as I have stated in an earlier post, does not necessarily require seminary or Bible college credentials (though such training does have benefits), neither should one simply think they can send away for a certificate in the mail, divorced from any type of testing whatsoever. 

The guidelines for testing or evaluation are given in the Pastoral Epistles (1-2 Timothy & Titus) and this testing/training should be worked out in the context of the local church (see the second post in this series).

Where does responsibility lie for determining whether someone is qualified for ordination?  Who is responsible for the actual act of ordination? 

I find Acts 6:1-7 instructive in dealing with the appointment of people to ministry- ordination.  When a logistical problem arose in the local church, the Apostles, recognizing their need to deal with the larger issues in the church, assigned the congregation to make some evaluations as to who should be called to serve.  It is important to see that the Apostles set the parameters (‘seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom’) and reserved the right of final approval and responsibility to ‘ordain’ (‘whom we will appoint to this duty’).  The body took this task seriously and presented the candidates to the Apostles who validated their fitness for ministry and conferred authority to minister (‘these they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.’)

Ultimately, the responsibility and final decision falls to those who are already recognized as having spiritual authority (pastors, elders, etc), but the local church has a role as well.  The local congregation should be encouraged to invest its time and energy into this process of discovering and developing those who might be qualified to serve.

Once a person is affirmed as qualified to receive ordination, how is one commissioned?

The basic pattern in the New Testament appears to be selection of leaders through prayer and fasting and some period of testing, followed by the laying on of hands (see Acts 6:6 and 14:23 for examples).  In two places Paul reminds Timothy of how he had hands laid on him at the outset of his ministry (1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6).  What is the significance of the laying on of hands?  This is a physical act, public and communal, symbolizing a conferring of authority and an affirmation of spiritual giftedness.   

Because of this transfer of spiritual authority, we must take great care.  Timothy was warned “do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22).  One of the clear conditions for leader is that they “not be a recent convert, or [they] may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6).  When ordination is given without thought to testing of character and training in ministry skills/gifts a situation is created in which sin can enter to the great hurt of individuals and local churches.

How does this affect recognizing ordained leaders from other groups or across denominational lines?

I have been on both ends of ‘transferring ordination’ from one denomination to another.  I feel the process becomes overly weighted down by secondary issues such as education and denominational issues.  We are told in the Word that we will recognize legitimate spiritual authority “by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16, 20).  What are these ‘fruits’?  Do they give evidence of calling, competency, commitment and character?  Do they exhibit love, compassion and concern for the Church?  Have they proven to be faithful workmen and stewards of the Word & the Gospel?  If these are answered in the affirmative no barriers should be put in place.

I am sure other questions may arise in the reader’s mind regarding these matters and I would be glad to pose answers to these as they might arise.  I hope these posts have been instructive and might be a resource for strengthening our local churches.

Be blessed.

 

*Scripture taken from the English Standard Bible.  Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, A Division of Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA.

Called, Competent and Committed (part 3)

I have been considering ordination, and what makes one qualified to receive that charge.  In the first post I shared about the essential need for a person to be called.  In part two, I offered thoughts on a person being competent.  In this third post I will discuss the importance for a person to be committed to the work of the ministry, and the process of training.

Leading a congregation is hard and the statistics on pastoral burnout are well known, but I am not talking here about pastors who receive a salary for their ministry service.  What I am sharing about are, for lack of a better term, ‘lay leaders’; elders, deacons, teachers, etc, who serve the local congregation out of simple love and devotion to that family.  When tough times come, they cannot look at ministry as their ‘job’ as a mental aid to help them stick it out.  They need to decide, is their ministry worth hanging tough or is it easier to just walk away?   

When considering ordination, it is important to determine whether that person demonstrated a desire and ability to persevere through tough times.  This is difficult to do when ordination is reserved for those who have spent most of their training period in traditional institutions and have not been exposed to the challenges of ministry.  They can be told all day how difficult it is but until it is experienced they will not know. 

So we send our young men and women to Bible school or seminary, cutting them off in large part from the daily life of the local church.  Then after two or four years, we gather an ‘ordination council’, ask the candidate a load of theological and hypothetical questions, lay hands on them if they got the answers right, and set them to the work of the ministry. 

The New Testament points to a different way.

In writing of deacons, Paul gives the following instruction: “…let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.” (1 Timothy 3:10)  What would be the components of this ‘test’?  The context shows us that the test is comprised of observable life patterns as well as faithfulness to doctrine (verses 8-9, 11-12). 

But we do not usually find that deacons are ordained.  It is my contention that those who “serve well as deacons” (1 Timothy 3:13) are in fact training for the potential call to eldership (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7), the ‘office’ on which ordination is conferred.  Has the one serving as a deacon demonstrated a commitment to ministry and to the process of training and testing?  Have they chaffed under spiritual authority, or shown themselves teachable and willing to grow and learn?  Have they persevered with observable Christian character under times of trial and difficulty, or have they been prone to either give up, find an easier way or responded in unhealthy ways?  Have they devoted themselves to the growth of their life and ministry, understanding the importance of the call (see 1 Timothy 4:15-16), or emphasized themselves above the ministry?

These things are observable and quantifiable.  This pattern takes a commitment on the part of the ‘candidate’ to be open and transparent.  A commitment to allow others access to their lives; to submit to spiritual authority; to be confronted with areas of weakness and sin and to act t change and grow.

If a person cannot, does not, or is not willing to, commit to the process and the ministry, it would be obvious that they are not qualified for ordination, even if they have that special piece of paper from the seminary.

In the final post I will take on some other questions such as process and procedure and the question of who is qualified to issue the ‘rite’ of ordination.

*Scripture taken from the English Standard Bible.  Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, A Division of Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA.

Called, Competent and Committed (part 2)

In the first post I considered the importance of a calling in terms of determining ordaining a person for ministry.  The next issue to consider in terms of ordination is whether that person is competent.

Competent is defined as having the skill or ability to do something well.  A competent mechanic can correctly fix my car.  A competent musician can play pleasing and recognizable music on their instrument.

To a great degree, our education model is focused on imparting information and ‘teaching to the test’.  If a student can reproduce the information on an exam they pass.  But have they truly understood?  Can they retain that knowledge and make it work for them in practical situations?  Are they competent?  

This has found its way into ministry education.  Let’s face it, there are plenty of ministers who are ‘book smart’, meaning they got good grades by passing exams.  When it comes to life and ministry skill, however, they are lacking because they were not evaluated in a ‘real world’ setting on their ability to use the information correctly or effectively.  I believe education is important and I highly value my own seminary experience; yet I must wonder how well the current system does at determining competency.  To remediate this, many Bible colleges and seminaries now include some form of on-site practicum.

 

Even so, as mentioned in the first post, it is still often the framed paper on the wall, reflecting a particular level of education, rather than the quality of training which carries weight.  Why do we consider someone who completed a four-year post graduate program at a prominent institution more qualified for ordination than someone who has invested the same time being mentored and learning one-to-one in a local church setting?  Some aspects of ministry certainly benefit from a traditional educational setting (studying the original Biblical languages with skilled linguists comes to mind), but much can and should be learned within the local church.

Let’s go back to the passage in Mark 3:13-15: “And [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.  And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”

The original disciples were ‘ordained’ by Jesus for the work of the Gospel ministry (see also John 15:16), but the condition by which they were set apart for this work had nothing to do with traditional ideas of education.  In fact when the Jewish authorities encountered the disciples “and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.” (Acts 4:13)  In this sense ‘uneducated’ means that they had no formal training in the schools of the scribes or rabbis.  Yet they possessed an amazing ability, a competency, which amazed the authorities.  Where did this come from?  The Jewish leaders “recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

Jesus called those He wanted “that they might be with Him”.  This was the training program for the disciples.  It wasn’t about being sent away to schools or seminaries; it was about real world training in the presence of a master, the Master.  It was about mentoring and practical teaching.  It was learning how to understand and handle the Word of God in everyday situations.  It was about being given opportunity to go out (see Luke 9:1-2; 10:1).  It was about being allowed to ‘fail’ (Matthew 17:19-20).  They disciples became competent through experience, not education.

An exam does not reveal if a man is fit to be a deacon or elder.  A grade for a one semester course cannot measure if one is truly “a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).  Academic institutions are not places where character is formed or nurtured.

I am convinced that competency is best formed, observed and evaluated in a local church community.  Training for ministry at the local level more readily fits the Biblical model and could be more effective in preparing people for ordination than sending them away for education.   

In the next post I will discuss commitment.

*Scripture taken from the English Standard Bible.  Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, A Division of Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA.

Called, Competent and Committed (part 1)

During a recent conversation with a friend, our discussion turned to the matter of ordination for ministry.  Like many issues in the Church we make assumptions which are not always rooted in Scripture.  I would challenge some of those traditional assumptions surrounding the issue of ordination.

At its most basic, ‘ordain’ means “to officially appoint or invest with authority”.  Where does this appointment come from?  On what criteria is the decision to ordain based?  Over the next several posts I am going to offer three benchmarks by which a person should be evaluated as to their fitness for ordination and greater ministry service, and then conclude with some thoughts on the process of ordination itself.

What do people usually consider as the most important component for someone to be ‘qualified’ for ordination?  If we are honest, the larger percent would suggest training, by which they mean education, by which they mean a degree from a Bible College or Seminary.  Ask yourself, especially if you have ever been involved with a pastoral search committee, if the possession of formal education didn’t play a large role in the selection process.  I’m not saying a quality ministry education isn’t important; I’m simply asking if it should be given the weight usually affixed to it, and if those above mentioned institutions are the best avenues for ministry training.

When considering someone for ordination, the first aspect to take account of is whether that person is called.

We read in Mark 3:13-15, “And [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.  And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”* We note that it was Jesus Who specifically called and appointed the ones He wanted. 

Paul had a thriving teaching ministry in Antioch when one day the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2)  Paul later acknowledges this call of God in Galatians 1:15, “…he who had set me apart before I was born…called me by his grace…”  Paul did not undertake his missionary/church planting ministry under his own impulse.  He was specifically called out by the Spirit.

The question certainly must be raised as to how one may recognize the call either for themselves or for another.  In this regard the importance of spiritual disciplines, particularly prayer, fasting and worship, cannot be overemphasized.

In Luke’s account of the calling of the disciples he records that Jesus “went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12) Jesus invested time in serious prayer and the following morning He selected the Twelve.  In the case of Paul and Barnabas, the calling came while the leadership team was engaged in the spiritual disciplines of worship and fasting.  These men had put themselves in a position to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to them.  When Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for the local churches they did so after a time of prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23).  The Lord reveals and confirms the calling when people put themselves in position to hear Him.

Another means of recognizing the calling is through the affirmation of the church body.  When the need of the local church grew, the Apostles instructed the congregation to choose ministers “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3) who could be appointed to the work.  The seven men chosen were recognized as spiritually mature and fit to serve.  This is where real relationships in the Church serve a vital role.  Where there is discipleship and mentoring, those who exhibit a gift and desire for ministry may be more readily identified, prayed over and supported in their training.  I am convinced that the best leaders for a local church are those who are already present in the church.

In the next post I will address the second benchmark- competency.

*Scripture taken from the English Standard Bible.  Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, A Division of Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, USA.