Baptism: The Who, What, When, Where and Why, Why, Why

I’m going to let you in on a personal battle I’ve been having since my children were born:

To baptize or not to baptize?

See, Andrew and I are not the kind of people to do something religiously just because it “seems right”. We have to understand the ins and outs, the whys, why nots, who said it, why did they say it, who did they say it to, what’s the point, etc. In short, we need to understand the when, where, why, why, why and how of everything.

Sometimes I get pretty annoyed because this need for understanding makes decisions much more difficult. If I’m having this inner struggle over baptizing my children, the easy answer would be just to do it and not have to worry about it anymore, right? By not doing it, I still have to wonder if I “should be” doing it.

This is an excerpt of an email I recently sent to Quest’s founding pastor, Mike Hartzheim:

I’m still hung up on baptism. I think baptism is just a “nice thing” people do, symbolic of parents committing their children to Christ, something society expects of “good Christians”. Andrew and I are raising Livy and Ryan as the children of God they have been since birth– without the process of baptism having occurred. They already are God’s children, born into God’s family, just like everyone else. We’ll raise them to see the beauty, worth and responsibility in that, hopefully not turning away from their roles as children of God when they get older. So, I still don’t understand the point of baptism. Do you think it’s necessary?  (necessary for what… to “enter Heaven”? To be God’s child? To have a relationship with God?)

This is the great thing about Mike and Quest in general. When founded, Quest wrote core values and one of them reads: Following Jesus is a growing experience.  Mike’s first paragraph in response to my email questioning one of the basics of Christianity was, “Lots of good questions. I’m glad you continue to struggle with what it means to follow Jesus. It is a life-long process… we never stop growing and learning.”

Isn’t that great? I expected nothing different, but it still relieves me every time I remember that Quest is the perfect place for imperfect people. I mean, come on, I work for Quest, but I certainly don’t have it all figured out and never, ever will.  And that’s OK!  In fact, that’s what we are all about! If we don’t question, we can’t grow.  No one wants to be spoon fed anything because there’s just no value in that. Tell me what I have to believe and I’ll run for the hills, but allow me to do my own investigating and come to my own conclusions and I’m here to stay. Quest allows me to question Christianity and find my own answers after a lot thinking, praying, discussing and researching. I love it.

Mike went on to write:

The answer to the question, “is baptism necessary?” depends on what you mean both by “baptism” and “necessary”.

Is this a religion question (what are the “rules”?) or a relationship question (what does baptism have to do with loving God and/or neighbor?)? Is baptism simply symbolic (something we do to demonstrate to God our “commitment”) or is God “doing” something through baptism?

How you answer these questions influences how you answer the question about whether or not baptism is “necessary” and “the point of baptism” (what “benefits” come with baptism). I can share with you how I answer these questions. The more important thing is, “How do you answer these questions?”

Hmmmm, how do I answer these questions? I do not do anything in my faith life based on “rules”, so I wouldn’t take a rules-based, religious approach to baptism. For me, Christianity boils down to relationships with God and others. I didn’t realize it before, but based on Mike’s response, I must have actually been asking what baptism has to do with loving God and our neighbor. As far as whether baptism is something we do to demonstrate to God our commitment to Him, or something God does through baptism, well, I wasn’t so sure yet.

After I had some time to digest this and read the scripture passages he referenced in the email, Mike followed up with a second email.

Micah,

Thought I’d add some to what I said yesterday now that you (hopefully) have had a chance to read and reflect on those Scripture passages I mentioned in the earlier email.

Do I believe baptism is “necessary.” Throughout history, the Church has answered that question with a resounding  “Yes.” Some Christians see it as a “requirement” (you must make a public profession– something we do for God) and others see it as a “sacrament” (something God does for us).  I see it from the sacramental approach.

Is baptism necessary? Yes, but not because we have to (it somehow “saves” us) but because we want to because God gives us something tangible to cling to and recall God’s promise in Jesus. The focus is on what God is doing… it is not a one-time event (although we physically baptize only once), it’s an on-going, daily reminder of God’s presence, promises and power… a daily dying to self and living for Christ.

In its religious sense, baptism means “to identify” or “to be made one with”. It refers to the act of identifying one thing with another thing in such a way that its nature or character is changed, or it represents the idea that a real change has already taken place.

As a reference to identification, “baptize” means to place a person (or thing) into a new environment, or into union with some one or something else, so as to alter his (its) condition or relationship to the previous environment.

Having said all this, does that make what you and Andrew are doing as you raise your children wrong? Not at all. You (and your whole family) are God’s children. Someday you (or they) may want to be baptized. If and when that day comes, I will be glad to assist in any way I can.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Ah, just want I wanted, right? Mike’s beliefs and opinions backed up by scriptural and scholarly evidence, yet opened-ended enough for me to formulate my own beliefs and opinions.

Just what I wanted and just what I didn’t want. See what I mean? It’s difficult to not just accept what educated people tell you as personal truth. I have been mulling over this information for a few weeks now and came to a conclusion (at least for now) when sweet baby Aidan was baptized last Sunday.

In my own words, baptism is a spiritual event that allows us to look back and gain strength and courage from the act of being physically identified as God’s child. Through baptism, we were born into new life. Mike later told me, “The baptism water is just plain water, but when we apply it with God’s promises, it becomes a life-giving event.” Jesus became all that we are so that we may become all that He is.  He became our sin so that we may become his righteousness. Though we only physically baptize once, it is actually a daily process. Baptism is a daily dying to self and living for Christ.

Are we all God’s children already? Yes.

Is baptism a necessary part of the Christian life for rules-based reasons? No.

Can we have a relationship with God without being baptized? Yes.

Is God with us through difficult times without being baptized? Yes.

Does baptism provide us with a tangible event to look back on and cling to when we need the reassurance that we are God’s child, identified by Him and called to live a life filled with His power, presence and promise? YES!

And so, sweet Aidan, I loved being a part of your baptism. You have been physically and spiritually identified as a child of God, born into a life full of the promise of Christ. Look back on this day and know with certainty that God is in you and with you, promising great things for you forever. We love you!

(These are only my personal thoughts, of course. I’d love to read your thoughts on baptism. Please leave a comment explaining what it means to you.)

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We Have Work To Do, Guys

Thankfulness.

I’m sure you’ve thought about what you’re thankful for this past week, having just celebrated Thanksgiving. Maybe it was just for a passing second or maybe you pondered your blessings for a while.

Corey talked a bit on Sunday about all that we have to be thankful for. Of course the list is long and wonderful to think about, but our responsibility goes beyond just counting our blessings.

I’ve been talking about my kids quite a bit on here lately and I think it’s because my oldest is about to turn 4. She’s experiencing aspects of the world without me and, to be honest, it kinda freaks me out! She’s learning things that I haven’t taught her. For instance, yesterday she came home from preschool, climbed in her chair for lunch and promptly said, “Mom, corn is stupid.”

Caught off guard, I told her we don’t say “stupid” and she replied, ever-so-innocently, “But, Mrs H said we don’t say ‘stupid’ in the classroom and I’m at home now!”

Ah, kids are so literal. Sometimes it’s a blessing to see things black and white like that, but sometimes we need to dig a bit further. As parents, not only do we teach and lead our kids, we also have to get on their level and figure out what they’re getting from the world. What lessons have we explained very well (in our own opinions) that our kids have understood completely incorrectly? Like with Livy, she thought it was perfectly fine to say “stupid” anywhere except the classroom. So black and white. Thankfully this small error was realized quickly, but I sometimes panic wondering what other things she has assumed so simply!

I’ve written a letter to my children with my thoughts on what I hope will be their upbringing in a nutshell and I thought I’d share it with you here.

Dear Livy and Ryan,

You, my sweet children, are beautiful gifts from God. You are beautiful in every sense of the word, but mostly you have the most innocent and open hearts I have ever seen.

Ryan, being barely one, we haven’t seen a lot of your personality traits yet, but do know you love life. You greet every new experience with eager anticipation. Your excitement for life is contagious and I hope you keep that forever. You have taught me what it means to truly “forgive and forget” as you instantly pick yourself up from a let-down and carry on with life, happy as ever. There’s serious truth in that ability to forgive, Ryan. You know, when you forgive someone, you are freeing yourself from the negative feelings tying you down. You free yourself to live and be a shining example of love to the world. Keep that up, buddy. Keep inspiring me to do the same.

Livy girl, you are a wonder to behold. Being that you are getting older, your true characteristics are showing and let me just say that you take my breath away. Really. You are so compassionate, so honest, so kind. I want to be like you, Liv. You are able to find wonder in the tiniest of moments. You find joy in the simplest activities and you find ways to show love at the most necessary times. I have learned so much from you, but you have particularly taught me the art of being content with being together.

Thank you, my loves, for being so absolutely wonderful.

I want you to know how thankful I am for you. Do you know what that means? That means I recognize what a blessing you are to my life. I don’t know where I’d be without you! But, thankfulness goes beyond just thinking about blessings. You see, thankfulness comes with a call to action.

I’m thankful for all that we have and know other people have far less blessings than we do. That means we have work to do, guys. We are blessed to be a blessing. If there’s one lesson in your entire childhood that I want you to remember, it’s that you’re blessed to be a blessing.

You, Livy and Ryan, have so much to be thankful for, so many reasons you are blessed. Your job is to pass on those blessings. Help others, love others, smile at strangers, donate to causes, support what you believe in. I know you will do all of that and more.

Being blessed is a big responsibility. Think about what you’re thankful for every day and figure out what you are gonna do with those blessings.

I’m so thankful you’ve given me the opportunity to realize what being thankful truly means. It’s more than counting my blessings, it’s pouring my blessings out for others.

I’ll love you always and forever.

Mom

 

Where Did It Come From?

We’re halfway through our series “Making Sense of Scripture” and from last week, if your brain didn’t melt trying to follow the post, you remember that the Bible, as the Word of God, points us to Jesus.

We discussed the Bible being like the manger, as Martin Luther said, having a few crooked nails and a few warped boards, but holding the perfect Christ.

I love this analogy. It gives me so much hope!  I mean, think about it– despite being swaddled in a manger, smelly, dusty, cold, and wobbly, Christ still did his thing.

and by “thing” I mean, you know, everything.

Do you see where my hope comes from in this? Isn’t it possible that God can still do his thing despite the vessels He now has to work with?  (ahem, us.)

Despite our flaws, our mistakes, our human-ness, God will still do his thing.  He will use us to accomplish his will.

Are you up for that?

Let’s come back to that question in a minute and get back to the first question I asked, where did the Bible come from?

The answer is two-fold. On one hand, the Bible is God’s book, through which God accomplishes divine purposes. This book points us to Jesus, the Lord and Savior of all creation. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible points us to Jesus.

On the other hand, the Bible is a very human book, written by inspired witnesses in a particular time, to a particular people, and for a particular purpose. The Bible is the gathered writings of ordinary people just like you and me who were so gripped by their experience of God that they had to share it with others.

In its human sense, the Bible is the faithful confession of ordinary people of their extraordinary experience of God.

In its divine sense, God used these confessions of faith to draw people to Him.

Divine and human, both.

That’s what the Bible is. That’s where the Bible comes from. God worked through humans, despite our flaws, to create a book that leads us to Him.

and you know what? He’s still doing it. He’s still working through humans to lead us to Him.

Back to that second question I asked earlier, are you up for that?

I’ve mentioned Bill Hybels’ book Just Walk Across the Room before. Despite how much it intrigues me, I don’t find time to read it often. My latest reading included something that I have to share, related to being open to God using us for His will.

Hybel writes,

I realize some of you believe that unless the plan of salvation gets explained, it’s been an unsuccessful conversation, spiritually speaking. And some of you probably put yourselves through an exhaustive self-deprecation routine unless you extend an invitation to your church each time God opens an evangelistic door. Still others might say that everything is A-OK on your evangelistic value meter as long as you give your personal testimony- all four volumes of it- at every opportunity.

This begs the question, who are we working for here? When sharing the love of Christ with others, are we doing it for our own personal satisfaction or are we doing it for God?

If you are sharing your testimony, inviting people to church and explaining the plan of salvation because you feel it tips the scale more toward the right, adding more weight on the “good deeds” end of the spectrum, you’ve got the wrong idea.

No matter how much we do, we will never be good enough for God. But, He didn’t leave us without hope! Jesus died and so paid for every bad deed we will ever do. We’ll spend eternity with Him because he loves us.

Therefore, we don’t need to play the obligatory “God card” in awkward situations. We do not neet to force Jesus down anybody’s throat. Leading others to Christ isn’t up to us. It’s not our gig! See, when we allow God to work through us to bring others to Him, we are allowing His spirit to guide us. We wait, we listen, and if He doesn’t tell us to act, we don’t. If he opens the door of opportunity for us, we go! (Oh, and it’s usually not easy, but more on that soon.)

And so, what I’m saying is the Bible is still very much alive today. God is divinely using our human actions to bring glory to His name. Pray, listen, respond. The relationships you build with people are the biggest tool in pointing them to faith.

Oh dear. We’re getting deep!

How is the Bible the Word of God?

Wham. I asked it. Deep question, eh?

In chapter 3 of Making Sense of Scripture, Lose asks a few questions that nicely sum up my thoughts on the “Word of God” phrase:

A lot of people call the Bible “the Word of God” and I have trouble making sense of that. Does it mean to call the Bible the Word of God? Are we saying it’s different from every other book? That it kind of fell from heaven or has special powers? That it’s holy? We do call it “the Holy Bible,” after all.

What words come to mind when you hear “Word of God?”  Anything from the list below?

• A big, black leather-bound Bible
• A preacher striding the stage with the Bible in one hand and pointing with the other hand
• Truth
• Guidance
• The Ten Commandments
• Jesus
• Peanut butter and jelly

(Just making sure you’re still paying attention.)

Those words are all descriptions that come to my mind when thinking about the Word of God and a little research proves at least a couple of those are correct, in theological terms.

Hang with me.

First, I think we’ll all agree that the Word of God is the Bible. The Bible tells the story of God’s love for the world throughout history and so is God’s written Word.

Despite there being three definitions representing the Word of God, this one of the Bible seems to be the only meaning we typically think of. Christians have long claimed the Bible as the Word of God because the whole thing is a story about God. We believe the Bible is the best place to get to know God.

This is true, but it’s important to remember that the Bible is not the only way to think about the Word of God. See, the Bible is important not simply because of what it is, but because of what it does, which is to testify to God and to God’s work in Jesus.  This ties in with the last post on “Is the Bible True?” detailing that it’s important not to get hung up on analyzing the Bible for facts, but instead to read it for what God is telling us through it.

(Please keep reading!)

Second and most importantly, Jesus is the Word of God. The very first verse of John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And then a little later, it says, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” (Think Christmas. God took on our human flesh in Jesus, which we celebrate as Christmas.)

(We’re almost done…)

Thirdly, the gospel is the Word of God. The gospel is the good news of what God has done for us and all the world in and through Jesus.

Let’s sum this up: The Bible is a medium that holds the gospel, the gospel tells the story of Jesus, and Jesus is God made flesh. So, when we use the term “Word of God,” we are ultimately talking about Jesus or God.

Lose uses a great flow chart to represent this relationship:

The Bible shouldn’t be worshiped or held holy for its own sake. The Bible is important because of what it contains, which is the gospel. The gospel is the story of Jesus, told by various people. It’s important to remember that one person’s eye-witness account of the very same event can differ from another’s. Therefore, we use the gospel, various accounts of the life and death of Jesus, to point us to the real deal: Jesus.

The Bible and the gospel are mediums through which we get to know God.

Are you still with me? The main point of this post is the previous sentence. Read it again!

Now, go drink some coffee, think about this, and then come back and ask your questions.

The Bible Gets You Going, Right?

Do you remember the first time you read a book that you couldn’t put down?

I’ve read a lot of books in my day, but I can vividly recall the first book I couldn’t put down. This page-turner was Sophie’s Heart by Lori Wick. The jist of the story is that the beautiful and unsuspecting Sophie, new to America from Czechoslovakia, found herself unhappily keeping house for the gorgeous Alec and his family. Yes, I was all of 12 years old, reading a Christian romance novel. (Insert snorts of amusement here.)

So, there’s me, a bit farsighted in my early days, hanging on every word of this romance novel with my bifocals on. (Go ahead, let your snorts turn into all out roars of laughter.)

Regardless of this absurd situation, I couldn’t put the book down. I felt myself completely involved in the story, wanting to linger on every word, yet speed reading through the details to find out what happened next.

Have you read a book like that? Have you read a book that changed you, altered the way you think or feel about some particular issue or even about life in general?

Books, really good books, are powerful.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, for example, with its vivid depiction of the cruelty of slavery, changed the way Americans thought about African Americans and slavery. Really good books leave a mark upon their readers, changing them forever.

My guess is that the Bible has not been one of these books for you.  I know, the Bible is supposed to be the book and it has been incredibly popular for centuries, but if you’re being honest, is it the page-turner for you that Sophie’s Heart was for me?

So many people have set out on the grand adventure of reading the Bible start to finish, only to give up somewhere around… oh… Deuteronomy?  (I wouldn’t have personal experience with that or anything.)

We know the Bible is an amazing book and it may even change our lives if we read it, but we just can’t get wrapped up in the pages. It just doesn’t do it for us.

Do you know what I mean?

That’s where Quest’s current Sunday series comes perfectly in to play.  See, our topic from now until November 20, entitled ”Making Sense of Scripture”, is going to show us how and why the Bible is an amazing book, difficult and complicated, but still amazing. There’s a reason people have been reading and rereading it for thousands of years and we’re gonna figure it out.

We are focusing on the book Making Sense of Scripture by David J Lose. His hope is that by studying his book, we will gain the confidence to explore the actual content and claims of the Bible in our own ways.

Bring your questions, ask them anytime here on the blog or on our facebook page, and follow along to engage the major questions about the Bible that people of good conscience and abundant curiosity often ask.

Before we get started with topics over the next several weeks, take a moment to think about where you are with the Bible at this very moment, as Lose urges us to do in his introduction to the book. What are your feelings toward the Bible?  Is it sacred or secular, inspired or interesting? Does it reveal God’s will for you and the world, offer a record of ancient history, or offer timeless wisdom and inspiration? Has your experience of reading the Bible been positive or negative, illuminating or confusing?

Feel free to share your feelings in the comments!

What Do We Do With This?

Wrapping up our series on being “Blessed to be a Blessing”, Sunday’s message from Corey discussed what we are supposed to do with what we’ve been given.

In 2 Corinthians 9:8-15, we hear the words of Paul encouraging the faithful to be grateful for all that God has done and is doing. Paul is giving a pep talk, challenging the faithful to be “cheerful givers”. The reward for generosity is the provision for more generosity, the ability to be blessed to be a blessing. Remember we are not simply receptacles for good things, instead we are pipelines, meant to pass the good deeds along. We want to pay it forward. When we give out, God gives back.

Not only is Paul telling us to be generous, he is also asking us to be cheerful, to give willingly and joyfully. When we give reluctantly, we will not be satisfied. “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Giving cheerfully doesn’t just have to do with your wallet. Giving cheerfully means giving gifts, time and talents. As you know, Quest recently moved to a new location. The generous hearts of all involved allowed us to finish the building two weeks ahead of schedule!  We had people doing demolition work, electrical tasks, scrubbing and painting, shampooing carpets, babysitting kids and supplying food. What a happy time for Quest! The generosity was overwhelming.

Most importantly, generosity means giving yourself. When you give out of the kindness of your heart, people are changed in ways you may never know. What we choose to do, both good and bad, affects others. Choose to change lives for the better!

When we act generously, we are living witnesses to the grace of God. Giving is an avenue of worship to God! When we give from our heart, we are worshiping God and prompting others to worship God. Generosity is a powerful tool! Its power never ends. It continues traveling the pipeline, changing lives at every turn. Keep it going!

(Side Note: The 2nd Annual 30 Deeds in 30 Days is beginning Nov 1! What a perfect opportunity for cheerful giving. Get ready to change the world!!)

Go on Now, Change the World!

(This post is based on Sunday’s message by Quest pastor, Mike Hartzheim)

We’re discussing Abraham again. You remember this guy:

Now that I’ve jogged your memory of Doubts: The Ants in the Pants of Faith, let’s look a bit further into Abraham’s story. We know that early on, God told Abraham to leave his country and go to an unknown land. In return, God promised three things: to make Abraham a great nation, to make his name great, and to bless him.

What we are looking at this time is the stunning reason behind these promises: that Abraham and his descendants might be a blessing to the whole world. See, Abraham was not merely the end recipient of God’s abundance, but a conduit through which God seeks to bless the world. The importance of God’s blessings on Abraham is that he was then a pipeline of those blessings, not a repository!

Take a peek at your own life. Do you pass on your blessings?

If I’m being honest, I’ve often overlooked that important “pay it forward” part and ended up thinking of myself as privileged rather than a purveyor of God’s promises.

Ever been there?

Why is it so easy to fall into the trap of accepting God’s blessing, but then ignoring the call to pass on those blessings to others?

Let’s turn this around a bit and take a look at Matthew 18:21-35. We, as humans, tend to want forgiveness from people, but don’t want to give forgiveness when someone does wrong to us. The parable mentioned talks about a king who wants to settle accounts with his servants. He came to one servant who was unable to repay, so he ordered that the servant’s wife and children be sold to pay for the debt. The servant fell on his knees and begged the king to be patient with him. The king had compassion and cancelled the debt completely. When the servant left he came across one of his fellow servants who owed him money and demanded to be paid back. The fellow servant was unable to pay, so the recently forgiven servant had his debtor thrown into prison. The king heard about what happened and called the servant in. He asked the servant, “Shouldn’t you have shown mercy on your fellow servant just as I showed you mercy?” The king was furious and had the servant tortured till he repaid his debt.

All of us are like this servant!  We owe God a massive debt– a debt we can’t pay, but God has extended his grace to us and cancelled our debt.

In life, we tend to want to protect ourselves, we want to limit how much people use us, we feel we need to draw the line.

When asked how many times a person should forgive someone, Jesus replied “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”  The number seven was symbolic of completeness, so Jesus was saying there is no limit to the number of times you forgive someone. You don’t stop forgiving!

The servant in the story has just been forgiven a massive debt, yet he goes out to find the man who owes him much less and acts violently toward him.  How quickly we forget God’s grace!

How does this picture make you feel?

For me, it brings about feelings of pain, hatred, sadness, fear, helplessness and all around sickness. It’s not easy to look at this picture, to remember that day, to think about the lasting repercussions. It’s certainly not easy to extend grace in a situation like this, but Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Being forgiven means we have the responsibility to forgive others. We don’t just have the ability or the choice, but the responsibility to forgive others. God has blessed us so we can bless others.

Hatred, anger and negativity only serve to further distance us from Christ and from each other. As Christians, we must learn and remember to pay it forward. We must live in such a way that the world recognizes we are different. We must love those that hurt us, just as God loves us despite the ways we hurt Him.

Nothing we have done or will do will ever separate us from God’s love.            

Do we extend that same grace to everyone we meet?

Two challenges this week:

1. As Christians and Americans, let’s commit ourselves to building peace and standing against hate and fear.

2. Let’s literally count our blessings each day this week. For example, we have a couch to lay on, water to brush our teeth with, the ability to hear and talk on the phone, etc. Our challenge is to be a pipeline of those blessings to others around us!

I’m Gonna Level With You…

This post is based on Sunday’s message by pastor Corey McDonald.

You’re not alive.

Are you?

You’ve gotta die to live.

Have you died?

OK, let’s think about this another way. Do you have kids?  I have a 3.5 year old and a 1 year old. They are the light of my world and it’s safe to say I would die for them in a second.

I get excited when I think about their futures. They’re going to experience a lot growing up, but they aren’t going to have everything handed to them. They aren’t going to have weird piercings or tattoos, but they will be respectful of others who do. They’ll always wear sunscreen. They are going to get good grades, be involved, and go to college (and finish). They will make healthy choices. They won’t have credit card debt or otherwise live beyond their means. They’ll have great jobs, get married (sometime after the age of 26), have well-behaved children and make a difference in the world. Most importantly, they are going to love Jesus and live for Him.

I have their lives pretty well mapped out. I know what is best for them because I’ve been down the road before them.

Before you question my mental health, rest assured that I haven’t lost my marbles. I’m still in touch with reality. I know my kids won’t always follow my perfect plan. They’ll veer off, try their own things, get lost in their own selfish lives for a while.

But I believe they’ll come back around. They will realize there is more out there than thrill-seeking, independence-exerting activities. They’ll reach an age when they understand that life isn’t all about them and they just might even concede that mom really does know best! (Right?)

This is how it is with God. He has a pretty sweet life mapped out for each one of us! He’s been down the road before us and He knows we are capable of doing big things. Unfortunately, we (in our ever-intelligent ways) will divert from this path, deciding that we know best. We will be self-centered, self-indulgent and narrow-minded all too often. We will live for the here and now, we will get what we want, and we won’t always love our neighbor who badgers us about our trash cans, our tricycles, and our drought-stricken flowers as ourselves.

We have to die to ourselves and live for Christ.

Er, what?  You’re probably wondering what in the world that means.

Die to ourselves? 

Is there kool-aid involved?!

No, no, no. It’s actually a simple concept, but a hard commitment. You see, salvation comes not to those who simply call Jesus “Lord,” but to those who actually live for Him. Recognizing that Jesus is the Son of God is not all there is to it.

To explain further, I’ve got some unpleasant news. We, as disciples, are to walk a grim path. A grim path full of discomfort. 

Jesus told us, “Go and do as I’ve commanded you to do” and just what did he command? To love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul and to love our neighbor as ourself. This means we love those we can’t stand, those who’ve hurt us, those with whom we don’t want to associate. We are to be examples of Jesus and to do that, we must die to ourselves. We have to let go of the willy-nilly things that don’t matter and that get in the way of being the hands and feet of Christ.

So, have you died?

Are you welcoming to everyone except those people who don’t live like you think they should?

Are you a patient, understanding person unless you show up to the grocery store at the same time as the OATS bus?

Do you fit Christianity into the open spots on your calendar?

Are you too inwardly involved, focusing on yourself instead of the big picture?

It’s easy to become paralyzed by our lives. We can become so concerned about what others think that we are unable to think for ourselves. We can become so busy that we don’t have time to do anything for anyone. We can get so tied up in the outcome that we forget the process. We must put aside the fears, doubts, and distractions that paralyze us, take up our crosses, and follow Christ.

And not just once. We have to take up our cross daily! Every minute of every day is a new opportunity to commit to Christ. Jesus died on the cross so we may live and we must do the same. We must take up our cross, die to our selfish selves, and truly live.

Real discipleship requires real commitment. When we wake up in the morning, we should thank God, walk out the door with Him in the lead and be ready to love everyone we meet. We have to think and do as Jesus did all the time.

In his book Just Walk Across the Room, Bill Hybels stated one of Christ’s desires this way:

Live as though you actually believe that your parent, your coworker, and your neighbor would be better off if they knew my Father- if they were on the receiving end of his counsel, his wisdom, and his guidance. Be people who are willing to seize every opportunity I give you- not motivated by guilt or fear or obligation, but just with an eye on me, a pliable heart, and a passion for my people.

This week, I challenge you to find out what is on your cross. Find what’s getting in your way of being the face of Christ to everyone you meet. Then, let those distractions die away, take up that cross and follow Christ!

Doubts: The Ants in the Pants of Faith

This post is based on and uses direct quotes from Sunday’s message by Pastor Mike Hartzheim.

Do you ever wonder if the whole faith adventure is a bunch of hoopla and hilarity? Do you ever wonder if God will show up for you? Do you ever wonder if you’ve taken yourself out of the game and God has abandoned you?

You’re in good company.

Frederick Buechner once wrote, “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.”

With that said, the Bible has a reputation of being rather stuffy. Dry as toast and as dusty as a desert full of camels.

But when you really dig around in it, you start bumping into a rag-tag cast of characters and begin to appreciate the human element at its best and at its worst. You realize that you fit perfectly in the story because the characters are just like you. You see yourself in the Bible. This is good news for us because if the Biblical characters did the things they did and were still used by God in a big way, maybe there is still hope for us!

Let’s jump right in to this week’s message, the story of Abraham and Sarah. There are a few things we know about them already:

• God sends Abraham and Sarah on an adventure despite their old age.
• Abraham once asked Sarah to tell foreign leaders that she was his sister. This isn’t a great moment in the history of husbanding– basically, Sarah gets stuck in a harem and God has to intervene. Pharoah, the ruler of Egypt, ends up giving a lesson about integrity to Abraham, the man of God.
• There was that time when Abraham and Sarah decided to jump-start their promised family with a little help from Hagar…
• Abraham brought the covenant of circumcision to the people, purposed to be a sign that they belong to God.

Despite their times of folly, the faith and trust that Abraham and Sarah had for God is highlighted all over the Bible and is certainly worth emulating. Their faith wasn’t perfect, but we can find hope and inspiration from this imperfect, real-life, day-to-day faith, which might look something like our own.

The story of Abraham and Sarah ultimately reminds us that God is faithful even when we are not. Even when we are wishy-washy, fearful, conniving, silly, doubting and broken, God continues to love us, show mercy, and lead us back into a life-giving relationship with Him.

If this story is ultimately about you and me, what do we have to learn from Abraham? Well, for one thing, you’ve got to go when God says “Go!”

God called Abraham to leave his home and family at age 75 and move to a new land. God says, “I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. …All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

The next words in the story are simply: “So Abram left…”

That’s it! He got up and went! He didn’t make any excuses, he simply trusted and obeyed.

Do you ever trust God like that? Is God asking you to leave anything? Any idol, fear, or sin? Is God asking you to go someplace? Some new adventure in your life of faith? Is God calling you to bless someone in your sphere of influence?

Another story about Abraham and Sarah reminds us that God can make a way where there is no way. God told Abraham he would be the father of many nations, but Abraham and Sarah saw one big problem with this: no kids.

Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands and sent Abraham to sleep with Hagar, her maidservant. Hagar gives birth to Ishmael, but no dice. That was not the plan for Abraham that God was talking about.

God came back to Abraham again with a little more clarity on his promise this time, saying “You will be the father of many nations, and you will have a son by Sarah, your wife, and you will be my people and I will be your God!”

God adds, “There’s going to be a sign.” (Signs were a big deal in those days.) He said this promise He made Abraham would have a sign and the sign was circumcision. I can just imagine Abraham’s reaction to this,

 ”Whaaaat? Come on, God, Noah got a rainbow!! I get circumcised?!”

But guess what, Abraham obeyed.

God says, “I will surely return to you this time next year and Sarah will have a son.”

Now, Sarah happened to be listening to this conversation between Abraham and God from the doorway and she laughed as she thought about having a baby at 89 years of age. She’d be the only woman at the wholesale club buying Pampers and Depends at the same time. She’d have a child in the geriatric ward with Medicare picking up the tab. She’d be making pureed vegetables for the whole family because no one would have any teeth!

The Lord asked her,”Why do you laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Abraham is pushing 100 and is about to push a stroller. Sarah pushes through contractions. God pushes the promise that nothing is too difficult for Him.

Do you have doubts? If you’ve ever said “there’s just no way,” here’s the promise for you:

There is nothing too hard for God. God is in the business of making a way where there is no way. It may be beyond your imagination, but the promise is sure. Nothing is too difficult for God.

This week’s challenge is to allow doubt and faith to live side by side. Yes, doubts are the ants in the pants of faith, keeping it awake and moving. Be honest with God about your doubts and fears. Grab hold of that mustard seed-sized faith inside you and step into your future. Go when God says, “Go.” 

What’s your story? When has God led you in the midst of a struggle? Or, what struggle are you experiencing that is causing you to doubt God’s faithfulness?

A Baptism, a Potluck, and a Really Good Time!

This past Sunday, Hillary was baptised at Quest. It just so happened to be the same day she left for college– talk about some new journeys!

We started the service with great songs from our worship team

and ended, of course, with cake: 

Mike Hartzheim, the lead pastor at Quest, wrote the following about baptism:

Rob Bell, in his book Love Wins, does a good job describing what baptism means for me.

Our invitation, the one that is offered to us with each and every breath, is to trust that we are loved and that a new word has been spoken about us, a new story is being told about us.

Note the direction from God, to us. In baptism, we experience an affirmation of God’s decision, to trust that God is for us, to become the person God dreams for us, to be transformed, set free from the power of sin, free to be who we are. We say at Quest, “God loves us just as we are, warts and all. But God loves us too much to leave us just as we are.”

Rob Bell continues…

Jesus calls us to repent, to have our minds and hearts transformed so that we see everything differently.

It will require a death,

a humbling,

a leaving behind of the old mind,

and at the same time it will require an opening up,

loosening our hold,

and letting go,

so that we can receive,

expand,

find,

hear,

see,

and enjoy.

Mike goes on to explain a battle that goes on within us. A deep struggle. We recognize that we are not the person we can or ought to be. We are “sinners.” Out of sync with God. Lost and condemned. In this life we always will be. And yet, and yet, at the same time, we are God’s beloved. All that Jesus has done is ours! We are heirs and co-heirs with Jesus. We are loved. We are both the lost son and the lost older brother, the lost coin, the lost sheep. God comes looking for us… and finds us. For me, the story of the Bible and of Jesus is all about how God comes “down” to us because, no matter how hard we try, we can never successfully climb “up” to God.  

So, love greatly. Take a risk. Be who you are in Christ, knowing you are loved. As Bell says,

Whatever you’ve been told about

the end of your life,

the end of time,

the end of the world—

Jesus passionately urges us to live like the end is here,

now,

today.

After the baptism, we had a potluck to celebrate all the big things ahead for Hillary. We a great time with each other, cute kids to play with, and a ton of good food!

Also, our new magents came in, so these bad boys can go on the sides of the van when we are out working disaster relief!  (Side note: The next trip to Joplin is September 10! Can you come?? Email me: micah at quest2819 dot com. That’s spelled out to keep spam software from picking up my email address!)