I've got a whole queue of post drafts lined up, but opportunity came knocking to take me for a stroll. Well, okay, it kicked down the door and demanded that I come along. Hiking this path with opportunity has kept me too busy to finish any of the other posts yet.
Specifically, this is the opportunity to practice what I preached about dealing with friendly fire. Shortly after I posted that, the call came in from a friend in a local preacher's fellowship I've been attending. The word is doing the rounds among the leadership that I preach something heretical, and he wanted to talk to me about it.
Ironically, the folk who seem to have a problem with what I preach pretty much jumped straight to some of the tactics typically used in returning fire. Handouts misrepresenting what I believe and refuting that misrepresentation are going about, what I actually said is being freely ignored (despite the actual sermon they're worried about being openly available to anyone who wants it), and people are going to others to get them on their side for the battle instead of coming to me personally with their concerns.
Now I've got to make sure I respond in the Spirit, not in the flesh. There is such a temptation to lash out in anger at the wrongs that have been done me, to stomp off and refuse to fellowship with men who would hurt me so casually, to bash those who tolerate and participate in these actions rather than rebuking them, to broadcast the names and crimes of people who claim to serve God but disobey Him, and to start playing the political game by contacting the ones who are most likely to agree with me and take my side and lining them up to support me.
There is also the temptation to come as close as I can to knuckling under without actually compromising my convictions, to bury the hurt and ignore the sin for the sake of peace, because I don't want any trouble, I don't want any conflict, and I don't like being criticized. Some of the people involved in this are men I know, love, respect, and am grateful toward. However, what some of these people have done is plainly wrong.
So I've been spending big blocks of time in thought and prayer for days, trying to make sure I don't act in anger, hurt, or fear, but rather speak the truth in love with wisdom. I simply want to do what God wants. I want to obey His Word. I want to be the wise man who can receive rebuke where it is warranted and thank the one who delivered it. I don't want to fall into the trap of turning to blast away at those who should be on my side. I also don't want to turn a blind eye to sin among the leaders of God's people.
I have met with one man, the only one who has thus far come to me personally about the whole of the situation (kudos to him, by the way, for that at least.) I've told him I'll meet with another, the one who began to spread the situation throughout the fellowship, after I pull some things together. After that, I can only hope and pray that the Lord will give clear guidance and that I'll have the courage, patience, strength, and humility to do what He wants.
Whatever course I take, the road is going to be rough. That's always true when you walk out the door with opportunity. The practicing can be so much harder than the preaching.
Showing posts with label Musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Musings. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Fighting Friendly Fire
Have you come under attack lately from someone who should be on your side?
What are you supposed to do when someone who shows as a friendly on your IFF starts blasting away at you? It can happen in all walks of life, whether it's your ministry coming under attack from another, a spouse stabbing you in the back with hurtful words, or a co-worker cutting you down to lift themselves up.
Fortunately, Fundamentalists have had decades to develop responses to these situations, and they've really honed a few techniques to a fighting edge, especially when applied at the ministry level. In situations where we are criticized or attacked by someone else who claims to be a blood-bought follower of the Lamb, many Fundamentalists set a blazing example of technique that leads to triumph. Perhaps you who were inclined to patiently endure the suffering for the cause of Christ can learn something from the Fundamentalist reactions I've observed and noted lately.
2. Remember that the cause of Christ isn't as important as making sure everyone knows you're right on this issue. It's only okay for young people to go to college at an institution that agrees to the fourth decimal place with your understanding of the preservation of Scripture. Whatever the issue of contention is, that completely overshadows any other truth people may obtain somewhere else. A sense of perspective is not your friend here. Reframe your thinking and speaking so that whoever fired on you is now the enemy, not merely an ally with a nit to pick, a disagreement over strategy or tactics, or a bit of careless speech. Feel free to extrapolate wildly about what lies at the bottom of the slippery slope they're plunging down like an out-of-control X-Gamer. Make sure you mix their assumptions with yours when you address the issue, so it looks like they're denying the deity of Christ or the inspiration of Scripture, when really the issue started out over whether wine in Scripture is always alcoholic or only sometimes alcoholic. The bigger the doctrine you can tie your position to, the more likely it is that you can force them to back down.
3. Rather than giving a Biblical defense for why what you are doing is right, instead remember that the best defense is a good offense. When they cite Scripture to support what they are saying or to attack your position, feel free to ignore it - after all, even Satan can quote Scripture for his purposes, and since this person is clearly siding with Satan on that issue, they probably are too. It's not necessary to interact with their Scripture as long as you've got some you can quote for your side or, better yet, throw like exploding javelins of truth at them.
4. Dedicate all the attention and resources to this that you can. This matter of which college the preachers for your summer camp come from is critically important and must be dealt with post-haste. How can you worry about focusing on evangelism and edification if someone is sniping at you from behind your own lines? Make sure you turn and give them your full attention. I mean, it's not like Satan is going to take advantage of you turning your back on him for a little while. He's a gentleman in these conflicts, and he'll be glad to call a little truce while you straighten out that erring brother.
Whatever you do, don't actually consult the Scriptures or go to your brother and pray humbly for God to work in and through both of you. Don't assume that he's a reasonably intelligent Christian, indwelt by the Spirit of God, who is trying to serve Jesus Christ to the best of his understanding, just like you are. How can you win the battle against him if you're both on the same side?
What other highly-effective tactics have you seen for dealing with friendly fire? Any good techniques that we Fundamentalists still need to integrate on a larger scale?
What are you supposed to do when someone who shows as a friendly on your IFF starts blasting away at you? It can happen in all walks of life, whether it's your ministry coming under attack from another, a spouse stabbing you in the back with hurtful words, or a co-worker cutting you down to lift themselves up.
Fortunately, Fundamentalists have had decades to develop responses to these situations, and they've really honed a few techniques to a fighting edge, especially when applied at the ministry level. In situations where we are criticized or attacked by someone else who claims to be a blood-bought follower of the Lamb, many Fundamentalists set a blazing example of technique that leads to triumph. Perhaps you who were inclined to patiently endure the suffering for the cause of Christ can learn something from the Fundamentalist reactions I've observed and noted lately.
So without further ado (doesn't it sound very Shakespearean and educated to use that word?), here is the classic, time-honored, tried and true Fundamentalist approach to dealing with friendly fire.
1. Return fire! After all, isn't friendly fire as much fire as enemy fire? So when someone attacks us, does it really matter all that much what they say their motives are, whether there's something to what they say, or whether they've usually agreed with you in the past? If you're on the Lord's side, and they're criticizing you, then that makes it pretty apparent which side they're on, doesn't it? The moment their first round lands near your position, you'd better be whirling to blast at them. All this talk of longsuffering and patient continuance in well-doing might be fine for lily-livered New Evangelicals, but Fundamentalists are men of action. No matter what flag someone is flying, you can't let them do any more damage to you and your troops by getting off additional shots before you return fire. If it helps, you can psyche yourself up for your counterattack by thinking, "If they thought fighting Satan was bad, wait'll they get a dose of the firepower from somebody filled with the Spirit!"
2. Involve allies immediately. The moment you get wind of a possible dispute or disagreement, make sure you're lining up all the allies you can. A good way to do this is to send a mailing to every person or preacher you know explaining things from your side and taking those counter-attacking shots. Assessing your opponent's position yourself rather than letting him speak for himself can be a huge help in recruiting people to your side. (A subtle way to do this is to use lots of carefully-selected quotes involving many of those little elliptical dots.) At all costs, you should avoid going in person and in private to speak to the other person humbly about the disagreement between you. You've only got one real ally when you do that, and clearly, you want the numbers on your side if there's going to be a fight. That great spiritual leader Napolean Bonaparte informed us that God fights on the side with the better artillery, and fortunately, Fundamentalists have paid a great deal of heed to the attitude and techniques of that wise man.
2. Remember that the cause of Christ isn't as important as making sure everyone knows you're right on this issue. It's only okay for young people to go to college at an institution that agrees to the fourth decimal place with your understanding of the preservation of Scripture. Whatever the issue of contention is, that completely overshadows any other truth people may obtain somewhere else. A sense of perspective is not your friend here. Reframe your thinking and speaking so that whoever fired on you is now the enemy, not merely an ally with a nit to pick, a disagreement over strategy or tactics, or a bit of careless speech. Feel free to extrapolate wildly about what lies at the bottom of the slippery slope they're plunging down like an out-of-control X-Gamer. Make sure you mix their assumptions with yours when you address the issue, so it looks like they're denying the deity of Christ or the inspiration of Scripture, when really the issue started out over whether wine in Scripture is always alcoholic or only sometimes alcoholic. The bigger the doctrine you can tie your position to, the more likely it is that you can force them to back down.
3. Rather than giving a Biblical defense for why what you are doing is right, instead remember that the best defense is a good offense. When they cite Scripture to support what they are saying or to attack your position, feel free to ignore it - after all, even Satan can quote Scripture for his purposes, and since this person is clearly siding with Satan on that issue, they probably are too. It's not necessary to interact with their Scripture as long as you've got some you can quote for your side or, better yet, throw like exploding javelins of truth at them.
4. Dedicate all the attention and resources to this that you can. This matter of which college the preachers for your summer camp come from is critically important and must be dealt with post-haste. How can you worry about focusing on evangelism and edification if someone is sniping at you from behind your own lines? Make sure you turn and give them your full attention. I mean, it's not like Satan is going to take advantage of you turning your back on him for a little while. He's a gentleman in these conflicts, and he'll be glad to call a little truce while you straighten out that erring brother.
Whatever you do, don't actually consult the Scriptures or go to your brother and pray humbly for God to work in and through both of you. Don't assume that he's a reasonably intelligent Christian, indwelt by the Spirit of God, who is trying to serve Jesus Christ to the best of his understanding, just like you are. How can you win the battle against him if you're both on the same side?
What other highly-effective tactics have you seen for dealing with friendly fire? Any good techniques that we Fundamentalists still need to integrate on a larger scale?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Whups... We Forgot One.
We Fundamentalists tend to be big on obeying God's commands. We recognize the truth of I John 5:3 that the measure of our love for God is how well we keep His commandments. Done properly, this isn't legalism - we're not asserting that keeping a list of commandments will get us saved, but rather that we keep those commandments because we are saved.
But there is a command that Fundamentalism has forgotten. I see it neglected by the people in the pews, and I see it neglected by the preachers in the pulpits. In the times when it ought to be most obeyed, I see it most neglected.
The command? Philippians 4:4 : "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
Yet as I look about the pews (and our church is far better in this regard than many I've been in), the evidence of joy is so rare. Even the smiles often look like they barely extend beneath the makeup. (On the ladies, of course! Fundamentalist men don't wear makeup. Unless we're on TV. Then we wear lots, and the smiles often look even more fake.)
I'm not saying we should cover up our problems - on the contrary, we should be bearing one another's burdens, and to bear a burden, you have to know about it. But if we're obeying the Lord's commands, shouldn't that be evident to someone who looks? Shouldn't it show in something other than a pasted on smile that we're rejoicing in the Lord?
When I listen to believers, there is far more discussion of trouble than triumph in most conversations. Often, even the praises are a lead-in or a cover-up for the complaints. "All things work together for good, the Lord knows what He is doing, and He sure is good, but this bad thing happened, and that bad thing went on, and there's this terrible situation, and I don't know what we're going to do, and Aunt Edna is really sick, but God is in control... I just wish I was!" Well, okay, I rarely actually hear that last part verbally, but it sure seems like it's trying to get out past all the effort to make complaining sound like faith. We work hard to obey the commands to witness, to be different from the world, and so on... but we forgot the command to be joyful. Yet our joy is one of the greatest differences between us and the world and one of our greatest testimonies to the world.
What makes me saddest in this is what I see from some of our leaders. I attend a preacher's fellowship, and there is a time set apart for prayer. Now, I don't much care for the balance of the requests, but that's a post for another day. What really bothers me is the sense of unmitigated despondency that accompanies them. I understand that there is a rightful sorrow over sin and that our hearts may cry out in compassion for those in pain, and even that we may shed tears both within and without at the agonies of soul we endure. But is there any time we should be more joyful than when we approach together the throne of grace of our beloved Savior and God of all?
Through the compassion and the tears, our approach to that throne should be unmistakeably joyful. There is so much in Scripture about joy - in fact, one of the very REASONS for Scripture is to give us fulness of joy (I John 1:4). We who lead the flock of God ought to be leading in joy as well as in soul-winning and doctrinal conviction. I know well the weight that rests upon a pastor's shoulders and heart. Fortunately, I know also the God who helps him lift it.
How can we rejoice in every situation? Because Christ is with us in every situation. Our joy is dependent only upon the Lord, not the circumstances -- it is, after all "the joy of the Lord." We are told to "rejoice in the Lord." I think this is simply enjoying our relationship with God. Since He is perfect, yet infinite, there are infinite pleasures in His companionship. There are no skeletons in His closet, no dangers and no risks save to our flesh in knowing Him more deeply. We are blessed literally beyond measure in having this relationship. Shouldn't we enjoy it?
And if we do not, should we not confess that as sin and plead that the Lord would restore to us the joy of our salvation? It's a command, after all.
But there is a command that Fundamentalism has forgotten. I see it neglected by the people in the pews, and I see it neglected by the preachers in the pulpits. In the times when it ought to be most obeyed, I see it most neglected.
The command? Philippians 4:4 : "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
Yet as I look about the pews (and our church is far better in this regard than many I've been in), the evidence of joy is so rare. Even the smiles often look like they barely extend beneath the makeup. (On the ladies, of course! Fundamentalist men don't wear makeup. Unless we're on TV. Then we wear lots, and the smiles often look even more fake.)
I'm not saying we should cover up our problems - on the contrary, we should be bearing one another's burdens, and to bear a burden, you have to know about it. But if we're obeying the Lord's commands, shouldn't that be evident to someone who looks? Shouldn't it show in something other than a pasted on smile that we're rejoicing in the Lord?
When I listen to believers, there is far more discussion of trouble than triumph in most conversations. Often, even the praises are a lead-in or a cover-up for the complaints. "All things work together for good, the Lord knows what He is doing, and He sure is good, but this bad thing happened, and that bad thing went on, and there's this terrible situation, and I don't know what we're going to do, and Aunt Edna is really sick, but God is in control... I just wish I was!" Well, okay, I rarely actually hear that last part verbally, but it sure seems like it's trying to get out past all the effort to make complaining sound like faith. We work hard to obey the commands to witness, to be different from the world, and so on... but we forgot the command to be joyful. Yet our joy is one of the greatest differences between us and the world and one of our greatest testimonies to the world.
What makes me saddest in this is what I see from some of our leaders. I attend a preacher's fellowship, and there is a time set apart for prayer. Now, I don't much care for the balance of the requests, but that's a post for another day. What really bothers me is the sense of unmitigated despondency that accompanies them. I understand that there is a rightful sorrow over sin and that our hearts may cry out in compassion for those in pain, and even that we may shed tears both within and without at the agonies of soul we endure. But is there any time we should be more joyful than when we approach together the throne of grace of our beloved Savior and God of all?
Through the compassion and the tears, our approach to that throne should be unmistakeably joyful. There is so much in Scripture about joy - in fact, one of the very REASONS for Scripture is to give us fulness of joy (I John 1:4). We who lead the flock of God ought to be leading in joy as well as in soul-winning and doctrinal conviction. I know well the weight that rests upon a pastor's shoulders and heart. Fortunately, I know also the God who helps him lift it.
How can we rejoice in every situation? Because Christ is with us in every situation. Our joy is dependent only upon the Lord, not the circumstances -- it is, after all "the joy of the Lord." We are told to "rejoice in the Lord." I think this is simply enjoying our relationship with God. Since He is perfect, yet infinite, there are infinite pleasures in His companionship. There are no skeletons in His closet, no dangers and no risks save to our flesh in knowing Him more deeply. We are blessed literally beyond measure in having this relationship. Shouldn't we enjoy it?
And if we do not, should we not confess that as sin and plead that the Lord would restore to us the joy of our salvation? It's a command, after all.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
What Is Christmas?
I'm becoming more convinced all the time that there are really two Christmases. They just happen to be celebrated around the same time of year.
The first is that one we celebrate by putting up manger scenes, singing "The First Noel," and talking about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Then there's that other one, the one we celebrate by having lots of family we can barely stand over, singing "Jingle Bells," and maxing out credit cards in an attempt to buy a few moments of the illusion of love. (What, me, cynical? Nah.)
For the longest of times, I didn't realize they were two separate things. Fundamentalists have either been opposed to them both or viewed the secular one as a corruption of the sacred.
But I'm thinking more and more that they are two separate celebrations. One is God's people celebrating an immensely important Scriptural event with representations of that event (like manger scenes, gifts, and songs about the nativity). This one strikes me as a lot like the Jewish people celebrating Purim. There's no command in the New Testament that we celebrate Christmas, and there is no example of believers doing it. That doesn't make it wrong to commemorate such an important event in Scripture. God didn't command the Jews to celebrate the feast of Purim, yet they did it to glorify Him for the deliverance recorded in the book of Esther. (Of course, this means that if a believer doesn't want to celebrate Christmas, there's no obligation to do it, either - the Apostle Paul made that pretty clear.)
The second Christmas is not a Christian thing - it's a cultural thing. It's a celebration of family, winter, and goodwill. This strikes me as being a lot like the 4th of July. There's nothing in the Bible about July 4th. There are lots of people who go beyond what I think is Scriptural in their celebration of this great nation. Some use it as an excuse for drunkenness. Some go way too far in glorifying an earthly nation to the detriment of their true allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Some have turned the event into an exercise in bad theology, applying promises and commands to the United States that were really only given to the nation of Israel. Yet there's also nothing wrong with thanking the Lord for the nation He's placed us in, supporting its troops, and remembering its heritage. Just because some people abuse the holiday doesn't make it wrong for me to use it. That applies to Christmas - even the social aspects like the sleigh bell songs - just as much as it does to the 4th of July.
Of course, then we have to have a cage match, no holds barred, in 15 rounds over what to do about Santa Claus. Is it okay to tell the kids he's real when he's not? Is it better to encourage them to sneer at their poor misguided and deceived friends led astray by their parents?
I'm going with the "It's a bad idea to deliberately deceive your children" theory - but I don't get irate about a picture of Santa any more than I do a picture of a troll in a children's book. They're both pretend conventions of our society. Treated rightly, they're not wrong. The fact that they can be abused doesn't mean they should never be used.
So whichever Christmas you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it. If you celebrate the version of Christmas most Fundamentalists love, I hope you remember that Christ was born (though almost certainly not on Christmas day), and I hope you remember why He was born. I hope you remember that His birth has nothing to do with hot chocolate, Christmas trees, and how much money you spend on each other.
If you celebrate society's Christmas, have fun with your family, laugh at the clean shows, and leave your credit cards home when you go shopping. Just don't turn liberty into license, abusing that which you've got every right to use.
The first is that one we celebrate by putting up manger scenes, singing "The First Noel," and talking about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Then there's that other one, the one we celebrate by having lots of family we can barely stand over, singing "Jingle Bells," and maxing out credit cards in an attempt to buy a few moments of the illusion of love. (What, me, cynical? Nah.)
For the longest of times, I didn't realize they were two separate things. Fundamentalists have either been opposed to them both or viewed the secular one as a corruption of the sacred.
But I'm thinking more and more that they are two separate celebrations. One is God's people celebrating an immensely important Scriptural event with representations of that event (like manger scenes, gifts, and songs about the nativity). This one strikes me as a lot like the Jewish people celebrating Purim. There's no command in the New Testament that we celebrate Christmas, and there is no example of believers doing it. That doesn't make it wrong to commemorate such an important event in Scripture. God didn't command the Jews to celebrate the feast of Purim, yet they did it to glorify Him for the deliverance recorded in the book of Esther. (Of course, this means that if a believer doesn't want to celebrate Christmas, there's no obligation to do it, either - the Apostle Paul made that pretty clear.)
The second Christmas is not a Christian thing - it's a cultural thing. It's a celebration of family, winter, and goodwill. This strikes me as being a lot like the 4th of July. There's nothing in the Bible about July 4th. There are lots of people who go beyond what I think is Scriptural in their celebration of this great nation. Some use it as an excuse for drunkenness. Some go way too far in glorifying an earthly nation to the detriment of their true allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Some have turned the event into an exercise in bad theology, applying promises and commands to the United States that were really only given to the nation of Israel. Yet there's also nothing wrong with thanking the Lord for the nation He's placed us in, supporting its troops, and remembering its heritage. Just because some people abuse the holiday doesn't make it wrong for me to use it. That applies to Christmas - even the social aspects like the sleigh bell songs - just as much as it does to the 4th of July.
Of course, then we have to have a cage match, no holds barred, in 15 rounds over what to do about Santa Claus. Is it okay to tell the kids he's real when he's not? Is it better to encourage them to sneer at their poor misguided and deceived friends led astray by their parents?
I'm going with the "It's a bad idea to deliberately deceive your children" theory - but I don't get irate about a picture of Santa any more than I do a picture of a troll in a children's book. They're both pretend conventions of our society. Treated rightly, they're not wrong. The fact that they can be abused doesn't mean they should never be used.
So whichever Christmas you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it. If you celebrate the version of Christmas most Fundamentalists love, I hope you remember that Christ was born (though almost certainly not on Christmas day), and I hope you remember why He was born. I hope you remember that His birth has nothing to do with hot chocolate, Christmas trees, and how much money you spend on each other.
If you celebrate society's Christmas, have fun with your family, laugh at the clean shows, and leave your credit cards home when you go shopping. Just don't turn liberty into license, abusing that which you've got every right to use.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
