Just thinking about...

From leading role to "walk on"

I remember watching a TV show where a very recognizable star from the seventies had a small part in the story. It was just a “walk-on” part with a line or two, and then they were gone. I remember it well because I commented to Joyce that the person had once had their own series and now they were playing bit parts on the series of someone who probably wasn’t even born in the seventies.

This past Saturday night I attended my son’s 40^th birthday party in Nashville with about 50 of his friends and family. His band got back together to do 5-6 songs and everybody took turns sharing their favorite stories or memories or questions about him. It was so wonderful to see how he had so many friends who loved him and respected his huge heart. Yes, I wiped away tears several times.

But then my self-centered self kicked in and I noticed that no one was there to talk about me or Joyce and the wonderful job we did raising Jason. No one was watching to see how we reacted to the many praises, tender moments, and laughs he received. It was as if Jason was the featured attraction of the evening, not us.

That’s when I realized: it was about him. Our time to be center stage with all of our friends and generation, is passing, and now it’s their turn to lead. Now they have taken on the task of changing the world, and making a difference; and my generation will have the “walk-on” parts, or might even be extras only used every now and then.

But that’s the way it works. That’s the way each generation passes on the leadership role: we give what we have to our children, and then pray that they will pass it on as well. To some degree, they must increase as we decrease. They must assume the lead roles, while we slowly assume the "walk-ons". It’s not a bad thing; it’s actually a good thing to know that there are capable ones to whom we may pass “it” on- like my son and his wife Renee. They both have huge hearts and a desire to change the world. I have every confidence in their stepping into lead roles and doing what needs to be done to make the world a better place.

One day Jason and Renee will be at a party for Emerson or Emma; and they will be introduced as Emma’s Dad or Emerson’s Mom, “walk-ons”. They will smile at the young faces, then find a place to sit and watch as the world continues. And that’s a good thing.

Happy Arrival Day, Jason!

My amazing one-of-a-kind son is 40 today. He has managed to grow older and deeper over the years; but has kept his heart young, imaginative, creative, and always curious. (I remember him poking a snake with a stick to see what it would do when he was only 2!) He is an amazing, compassionate, and generous husband, Dad, friend, and Follower of Jesus. I love you, Roscoe! Happy Birthday!

The War On Christians

This article by Ayaan Hirsi Ali in last weeks' NEWSWEEK really bothered me.  There is just too much factual evidence here to ignore and pass off as a few isolated events.  It is a travesty that should be opposed, spoken against, and (hopefully) acted upon by the international community.

Talking to the TV

OK... I’ll admit it! I sometimes talk to the TV.

It’s true- especially when I hear something that is really outrageous.  I talk to the tube and even loudly sometimes.

It happened Saturday while I was watching the news and running on my treadmill. One of the panel members discussing the political machinations related to the President’s “compromise” with the Catholic Church cautioned that the Catholic Church was in danger of alienating the American People with their position on abortion.

What?? You’re kidding?!?! I can imagine some journalist telling the prophet Jeremiah that he was in danger of alienating the Hebrew people and/or king with his positions on righteousness. Thank God for the Catholic Church saying what their convictions are on this issue and not putting a finger to the wind asking if everybody would like it.

I’m not Catholic. I am a conservative, Evangelical, Christian of the Baptist variety; but I think the greatest danger the American people face is further alienating The God of the Universe. What does it profit a people/nation if they gain the approval of the majority of people in that nation and lose their soul in the process?

 Truly we are flying upside down.

 

 

The Prophet & The Presidwnt

A few weeks ago in the Hamrick Lectures at First Baptist Church, Charleston, I heard Eric Metaxas, the author of Bonhoeffer, the definitive biography of one of my heroes, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The lectures were amazing; but what really thrilled my soul was this conservative, articulate spokesperson for the Jesus I love.  I was moved and encouraged to develop my ability to articulate my Christian faith in a secular world. It was great. For far too long, we who hold conservative views on Scripture, Jesus, and  life, have been caricatured as uninformed and somewhat backward. It's not unusual to hear the southern dismmissal: "He's a conservativbe. Bless his heart." Forgive me, but I am!

I have discovered earlier this week that Metaxas was the main speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast. Here's a link to the entire prayer breakfast meeting. Metaxas is about 35 minutes in.

He spoke simply and yet profoundly, and I recommend checking it out. It is not wrong to be conservative in our culture. It is not wrong to think we can do a better job following God's word. It is not wrong to think Jesus is The Truth, The LIfe, and The Way to connect with God. And it is OK to reject what anyone tells us when it contrasts with clear teaching of the Scriptures. Guess I was pumped by Eric! Thx.

Curt's opinion.

 

 

 

An Epic Win

I spent the latter part of last week with Reggie McNeal and 40 or so other Christ Followers in some “God conversations”. Reggie called it the Unconference which was quite appropriate for the time together.  One of the conversations was to look at our current culture/world and dream of some “Epic Wins” where the church could lead. An Epic Win would be something so wonderful that only God could pull it off.  Of course, we imagined the day when every knee would bow and every tongue confess Jesus. What an Epic Win that will be! But it seems as if there are other broken places God wants to redeem.  And these places could be redeemed if the church were mobilized not only for salvation redemption, but the redemption of the rest of life.

I thought of several issues that would be potential Epic Wins, issues that the supernatural hand of God must redeem: hunger, poverty, war, the economy, marriage.  But one particular issue stirred deeply in my soul- racial harmony. My heart and mind say the division prompted by racial differences is far greater than we realize. And unless there is an intentional and spiritually driven effort, we will see the divide deepen. And the church of Jesus Christ must not only lead the way, but make the sacrifices to see it become a reality that “red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight”. O God, make it so.

After sharing it with Reggie and my buddy Marshall Blalock, I began to ask God how I could be an instrument in His hands to facilitate racial harmony in the US and world. If God would use His Church to lead the way in racial harmony, it would be an Epic Kingdom Win where only God could be praised for the solution. We would be the blessed peacemakers Jesus called us to be in Matthew 5.

But where do we start? Of course, to pray for racial harmony would be a good start, but learning to live with my brother or sister from another tribe will require more than prayer closet praying. We who follow Christ must take the initial steps across racial or cultural differences to become friends with people from a different ethnic or cultural background. We must bring others into our world and step into their world as a learner, a student. We must eliminate all the qualifications for “brother or sister” status other than Jesus, and become a student of those who are the same kind of different than me.

What do you think? I would love to know your thoughts, and I would apreciate your praying about this with me. Pray especially that I would know what the next steps are for me personally and as lead Pastor of Riverbluff Church. Send any thought to cbradford@riverbluff.org

A little Gaither theology...

This is the first day of the rest of your life. 

I don’t really remember where I first read that idea, but it came up again today as I read Philippians 1:3-6.  The text is from Paul who assures the Christians of Philippi that God had begun His wonderful work in them and would continue to work in them. He says God will “bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

When I served as Music and Youth Minister in Goose Creek, South Carolina, we did a children’s musical by the Gaither’s called “Kids Under Construction”. I have very fond memories of the people at FBCGC, and the theology presented in that musical. This song pointed out the very profound truth that we are a work in progress. The lyrics of the theme song were “Kids under construction, maybe the paint is still wet. Kids under construction, the Lord may be not be finished yet.”

It is reported that Ruth Graham, Billy’s wife, wrote that she wanted her epitaph to say “End of Construction. Thanks for being so patient.”

The work of God in us is a work of change, but gradual change at the pace He chooses and in the way He chooses. If you are a disciple of Jesus, God is at work in you and He knows where to work, when to work, how to work, and how fast to work. Our relationship to Him is secure in that we are His children; and as His children we can trust HIs absolute commitment to our well being. As His children who are disciples, our responsibility is to love Him, follow Him, and trust Him and His word to do the work in us that needs to be done. Our obedience is based on trust. We obey because we trust the loving God who is working in us.

Bill & Gloria Gaither wrote many a fine melody, but the value of their songs was most often found in the practical theology they presented. The lyrics to one of their songs captures my thinking this morning:

* "I'm Not What I Want To Be"

When I started out on my journey, I had such a long way to go;
It was just a start when I gave him my heart, There was such a lot I needed to know.
Now I look back over my shoulder, I can see that I have come a long way.
I'm not what I want to be, but thank God I'm not what I was.

I'm learning to be happy just growing. for struggle is a part of life.
Believing always comes before knowing and victory comes after the strife.
I'm not what I want to be, I'm not what I'm gonna be, but thank God I'm not what I was.

I'm learning to trust in the process of what Jesus is doing in me.
Since I made Him my Lord, I believe His Word, There's no end to all the things I could be.
I am lying back in the promise that He's working in it all for my good
I'm not what I want to be, but thank God I'm not what I was.

Doing always comes with believing, Believing comes when I obey
If I take the risk and just follow, He'll be there to show me the way.
I'm not what I want to be, I'm not what I'm gonna be, but thank God I'm not what I was.

This is the first day of the rest of your life. Enjoy life in His presence as He works in you.

 

*Words by Gloria Gaither, Music by William J. Gaither and Gary S. Paxton
Christian Grit Music Press, 1978

Spiritual awakening...

At Riverbluff Church, we're entering the last week of 21 days of praying for revival in the Church and spiritual awakening in our land and world. It has been a wonderful time in the Lord, and I'm grateful for all He has done in so many of our people during this time.

The word revival is best applied to the church, while spiritual awakening is generally applied to people who are not part of the church. The two work together as a regular, ongoing way of life where God does a work in HIs people and HIs people do HIs work in the world. His work consists of blessing others in multiple ways through ministry, meeting needs, kindness, and other ways. As God draws people to HImself who may not know Him, he uses the people who do to respond.

At Riverbluff Church, we have hundreds of people involved in ministries to the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the broken, and the marginalized peoples of the low country and world. I thank God for the heart of the Riverbluff Family to extend grace to all.

I do need to regularly bring myself and the Riverbluff family back to the greatest blessing of all- a heart and life transformed by Jesus.  It's so easy to do the work of Jesus among the poor and neglect  His mandate to take the Gospel to the Poor as well. While we are confident we have a responsibility to meet the physical needs of people; their greatest need is to experience the love of God that was ultimately expressed in Jesus Christ. God has reconciled us to HImself and given us the task of sharing that Good News.

God regularly reminds me as I give the piece of bread to the hungry soul, "Look for the opportunity to give them the Bread of Life- Jesus".

My prayer is for revival in the church to live like Jesus so we may respond with bread AND Good News when He sends spiritual awakening among those yet to Know Him.

Just thinking...

A very good beginning to the week!

This morning was amazing because of two events.

The morning began with three beautiful Scriptures (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18) from our emphasis on prayer and fasting for spiritual awakening at Riverbluff Church. We have dedicated 21 days to praying and fasting asking God to do a work in us, His Church, and in the world. The Scriptures this morning reminded me that the effectiveness of my prayers, life, and witness are based on the power of the Holy Spirit living in me. It is possible to “do good” in my own strength and power; but the Kingdom “fruit that remains” (John 15:16) comes from the Spirit who is working in and through me. It is HIs power that produces lasting change. That’s the way God has chosen to work to change the world. He works in us, and through us, in the world.

The second event was attending a lecture at First Baptist Charleston with Eric Metaxas, author of the biography Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.  Metaxas was wonderful in presenting Bonheoffer as the great hero of the orthodox Christian faith.  Many on the more liberal side of theology claim Bonhoeffer became a humanist in the latter days of his imprisonment; but Metaxas expertly shows his heart for the Gospel, the Bible, Orthodoxy, and the Church. He was martyred by Hitler just days before the end of the war, but even in his last hours served communion and preached from Isaiah before his death. I long for such courage and bravery.

I’m grateful to God for the Bible which gives us truth about Jesus. (I am grateful for heroes of the faith like Bonhoeffer. I am also thankful for the Christians such as Metaxas who clearly articulate the Christian faith to the man in the street and the cultural elite.

Lord, my prayer is that we (Your Church) would be filled with Your Spirit so that we may be fit vessels in your hands; and may we be people of courage and conviction in our culture daring to represent you in that culture. I also pray for clear and articulate communication from your church to those who are seeking to know You.  Amen.

Repentance gets a bad rep!

In the first recorded teaching of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, he says “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 (ESV)

In Baptist life, repentance is usually connected with the salvation experience or backsliding. Simply put,  you repent when you get saved, or when you “backslide” after you’ve been saved.Traditionally during revivals, we hope that backsliding church members will repent. Repentance, however, is bigger than just the salvation experience or the backslider’s rededication. …way bigger!

When Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by nailing his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church for discussion, his first thesis was about repentance. Here’s my paraphrase of what Luther wrote: “For the Believer in Jesus Christ, all of life is repentance”.

In agreement with Luther, I think that repentance should be a regular discipline for the Christ follower, not an event only for salvation or revivals. The Scriptures tell us “God is at work in us” ; and, that we are being conformed to the image of God’s Son, Jesus. That means that God the Holy Spirit regularly shows the disciple of Jesus what needs to be done in his/her life; not just about salvation and sin, but about life itself. He constantly shows us where we need to “repent and believe”.

Repentance is about putting off old ways and putting on the ways of Jesus. Since our hearts and minds were corrupt prior to our new birth, the rest of life after conversion is regularly learning a new way to think and to live. Paul calls it “putting off the old man and putting on the new”.  Repenting is not just saying “I am sorry for my sin”; it is saying “Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me a better way to live or think or act or believe. Now, out of my love for You, I want to live as You lived. Out of my gratitude for what You did for me on the cross, I want to trust Your every teaching and replace my ways with Your ways.” We repent because we trust Him and know that He loves us and wants the best for us.

We are talking about a way of life that involves repenting and replacing old values with the values of Jesus. It is repenting and replacing the ways of the world with the ways of the Kingdom. It is repenting and replacing the sins of the self with the godly practices of the Savior. Indeed all of life is a repenting, because God the Spirit is always working is us at the pace He chooses to replace the ways of the world, the flesh, and the devil with the ways of the Lord Jesus. When He convicts us of sin, He is calling us to be changed, to repent of those things that are destructive to God’s people, and to embrace the things that build the saint and the Kingdom.

I think we who follow Jesus must rethink repentance. It is not some painful and terrible practice to be avoided. It is the loving God pointing out ways that are destructive to us, to others, and to the Kingdom. It is not an “every now and then” religious event, but rather an ongoing, faithful work of the Spirit of God living in us. And because God will continue His work in us until the day of Christ, all of life for the Believer will involve repentance. It will not be a scheduled event, but a regular practice of the growing disciple. Watch for it. Hope for it. And when He draws you to repent, say “Yes, Lord. Thank you for loving me”.

Just thinking ….