Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Unbelief and its consequences

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In Numbers 20, Moses is commanded by God to speak to the rock to initiate a flow of water to meet the Israelites needs.

In a fit of anger, Moses instead strikes the rock and the water gushes forth. God responds to this action by telling Moses, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)

In Moses’ previous episode of bringing water from a rock, he was commanded to strike the rock. So what is the big deal about Moses doing it the same way the second time? Isn’t God’s reaction a little extreme?

The short answer is no, God’s reaction is not extreme even though my initial reaction is to think so.

Faith and UnbeliefMoses’ problem is also my problem, I struggle to believe God and act on that belief when He tells me something. God identifies Moses’ problem as lack of faith when He says, “because you have not believed . . . ”

I have observed in myself and others the tendency to do things in our own wisdom and relying on our own talents. Often, a train wreck ensues.

When I was young, much of  the church withdrew from the surrounding culture. We looked different and were often identified by the things we could not do. The church was intentionally out of style. The church stood firm on trivial issues like men’s hair length and women wearing pants. We successfully conveyed the message that those from the surrounding culture were not welcome in our church unless they cleaned themselves up to look like us.

Because withdrawal didn’t do anything good for the church or the culture, Evangelicals then tried to change the culture through political action. Political action succeeded in allowing the church’s detractors to portray Christians as right wing extremists who are determined to take people’s freedom away. This thought is with good precedent. Every time the church has gotten political power, it has gone badly for the church and the surrounding culture.

I do not see either of these responses modeled in the New Testament. If the Apostle Paul was so inclined, he could have found many things about the Roman government worthy of criticism, yet such criticism is noticeably absent from Paul’s letters.

Nor do we see Jesus withdrawing from the surrounding culture. Jesus interacted with everyone, religious or irreligious alike. He encountered the culture where it was at and shined the light on that culture.

When the church responds badly to the surrounding culture, it is an indication of lack of faith, a demonstration of unbelief. Like Moses striking the rock, we can lash out at the people around us in unrighteous anger. Or, we can withdraw and refuse interaction with those who need our message the most.

The third way is the way of Jesus. We are called to lovingly interact with the culture. We should not condone those aspects of it that are contrary to Scripture, but should acknowledge that we all fall short of God’s standard. It never ceases to amaze me that the only group that hated Jesus was the religious right. The sinners and others who acknowledged their need flocked to Jesus and were accepted by him.

This third way is sometimes messy. Some people will misunderstand. Yet this is what we are called to do. It takes faith and obedience working together to do this.

We would do well to emulate the one who we claim to worship. Acting in unbelief does have consequences. Just ask Moses.

What do you think? Your comments are encouraged and appreciated.

Water, chisel or dynamite? Choosing the right tool to drive change

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Rock is a material that is resistant to change and provides a good analogy for an organization or people that need to be lead. Rock likes to stay as it is, it will not change on its own.

Having worked in the mining industry I know what impact explosives can have on rock. Explosives experts can take a large chunk of solid rock and make into very small pieces. This process is fast but the result looks nothing like what you started with. It also cannot be very fun for the rock.

Water is also effective in changing rock. If you have been in a cave or canyon, you can attest to this. Water dissolves minerals and slowly changes the shape and size of the rock. This process is agonizingly slow but the result allows the rock to retain its previous form and often enhances the beauty to the point where we make it a national or state park. This process is not directed by a leader and the result is dictated by the type of rock, quantity of water and other factors beyond the control of a leader.

The chisel falls somewhere in between water and dynamite as a means of changing rock. Under the hand of the sculptor, the chisel can take away the bits of rock that are not contributing to the desired result. The chisel is faster than water and is more selective and controlled than dynamite. Used with skill the chisel shapes the rock in accordance with the sculptor’s vision.

Leaders have to choose whether they want to use dynamite or a chisel to change their organization. Or they can allow the organization to change via natural process like water dissolving rock. All three methods are valid depending on the quantity of change needed, the urgency of the need and the current make-up of the organization.

An organization that is severely dysfunctional may need to be blown up and reassembled. An organization that is basically functioning but has some pieces that are not contributing to the desired result, may need to have some members removed. Some organizations which are functioning should be allowed to change at their own pace. It takes wisdom as a leader to know which method is appropriate.

I have seen leaders who grow impatient with the speed of change and therefore use too much force trying to drive change. Often the result is ugly. In the case of an organization that is largely made up of volunteers, the leader who uses too much force can find himself very alone. Never use dynamite when a chisel will do. Never use the chisel when the process is already taking place but is slower than you would like.

True change in people has to come from the inside. There is a big difference between true change and organizational conformity. As church leaders, we are looking for true change. This is often an agonizingly slow process, therefore patience is required.

Church leaders also have the added dimension of trusting that God is also involved in the process and he is working in the leader and those he leads to bring about his desired result. We, as church leaders, are responsible to follow God’s lead and not try to drive change faster than God is bringing it about.

It is God’s church. In the end, the church is to reflect God’s glory, not the leader’s.

When Church Becomes a Battle Ground – James 4:1-3

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Polished RocksPut two humans together and there is bound to be conflict. As a result of the Fall, conflict is in our DNA. If you put a whole bunch of humans together in a local church the potential for conflict greatly increases. If the conflict escalates, the church can experience an internal battle that should not take place.

In a rock tumbler, the impact of stone upon stone in the presence of grit wears off the rough edges of the stone and brings out the beauty of the granular structure of the stone.

In the same way, by being in relationship in the local church body, we are bound to bump up against those with whom we don’t agree, or whose personality is out of phase with ours. God calls people into relationship with himself including some we struggle to get along with. The beauty of this is that by interacting with the other person, my shortcomings and sin get exposed, and I grow as a result.

If rocks had feelings I suppose that they would not like to be forced to bump up against each other and endure the polishing process. I don’t always like it either, but the Church is how God has chosen to operate in the world and prepare us for eternity. The polishing process can be painful, but it is necessary.

Conflict is inevitable, but when the response is appropriate it can lead to growth and reconciliation. Love is best demonstrated when the object of love is not lovely.

But there is another type of conflict that is not healthy and is very destructive to the church and body life.

In the forth chapter of his letter, James indicates that little conflicts can escalate to “wars and fights” (NKJV). Wars and fights are not healthy or helpful for any church. War is destructive and there should be no place in the church where these conflicts are tolerated.

A few verses later, James identifies the source of the wars and fights. They come as a result of selfishness and self focus. When the focus is on me and my pleasures, nothing good can come of it (James 4:3).

Paul gives us the antidote to this selfishness that results in wars. It can be found in Philippians 2:5-8, where Paul points to Jesus as our example of love being demonstrated through humility. If we respond to others in the church (even those who are not loving or lovable) by following Jesus’ example, the problem of wars and fights goes away. It takes two to fight. If one bows out or gives in, the fight ends.

The point is not that we should waffle on doctrinal issues. It is not necessarily wrong to be grieved or angry at the actions of others in the church. The point is that any response to the wrong doctrine or behavior must be rooted in love and guided by Scripture. Remember Paul’s injunction to “be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26).

The only correct response I can have to any such conflict is to repent of my part in escalating it, seek forgiveness of God and the one I’m in conflict with and forgive the other person in return. If all those in the body responded in this way when problems arise, the burden upon the church leadership would be less.

If this response was practiced, you might also find that your church is a place where people want to be because they feel nurtured and loved. That would indeed be a Biblical church growth program.

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