Where Does Criticism End And Bashing Begin?

In Tearing Down The Church: A Tool Of The Devil and “A Tool Of The Devil: Christian Fiction Or Christian Fiction Bashing?” I question the approach of some toward the Church and toward Christian fiction. Could it be that tearing down the Church, that bashing Christian fiction plays into Satan’s hand?

Is that idea the same as saying no one inside or out of the Church should criticize it, that readers ought not critique Christian fiction?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “bash” figuratively to mean “criticize severely.” The question, then, seems to be, what qualifies as “severe”? OED thesaurus gives some great synonym suggestions, but instead of simply listing them, I want to give my thoughts on what qualifies as bashing. Others may have a different take on the term, and that’s fine. For me someone is bashing when the criticism

* becomes personal (e.g. the author is shallow; the pastor of that church is hateful)

* generalizes (e.g. Christian fiction is shallow; Christians are hateful)

* exists for itself, either to make the writer look clever or to curry favor with potential readers. The opposite would be to give constructive evaluation that could help the writer/church or that is intended to warn away potential readers/church-goers from something harmful. (e.g. “Christian fiction is nothing but Amish romance”; Why Men Hate Going to Church or 52 Lies Heard in Church Every Sunday)

* is based on rumors and not facts (e.g. Christian fiction doesn’t engage the culture; Christians are hypocritical)

* jumps on bandwagons (e.g. “I don’t read Christian fiction because it’s so poorly written”; “I don’t need to go to church when I can worship God just as well at the beach”)

* becomes angry or insulting (e.g. nobody in his right mind reads that stuff; nobody in his right mind would go to that church)

* questions the integrity of others without foundation (e.g. they’re just doing it for the money [applied equally to the writing industry and churches])

* parrots others (e.g. Christian fiction is preachy; Christians must like fantasy because their bible is full of it)

* doesn’t let up. OED calls this “railing against” something or “complain or protest strongly and persistently about” something. (e.g. Christian fiction isn’t realistic because it doesn’t allow curse words; Christians are homophobic)

The bottom line is, criticism is not wrong. Constructive criticism can be helpful. Authors join critique groups or employ beta readers on purpose to receive feedback that tells them what’s wrong with their manuscript. Churches have any number of ways of receiving feedback too–all designed to help the group improve and flourish.

I wouldn’t write reviews if I didn’t have the freedom to point out weaknesses or to narrow my recommendation to the group of readers I think would enjoy a book. If I had to lavish praise all the time and make recommendations to everyone, then why bother? Reviews are designed to help, but they often contain criticism.

So criticism isn’t the problem. Criticism is different from severe criticism. And my guess is, most of us know bashing when we hear it or read it, but for some reason, we let it slide, maybe even join in (yep, I hate to admit it, but I’ve been there, done that).

I’ve singled out tearing down the Church and bashing Christian fiction, but I suspect this whole bashing thing might be a problem, containing the seeds of bullying. But perhaps that’s a post for another day.

What are your thoughts on the difference between bashing and criticizing? What did I leave out?

Tearing Down The Church: A Tool Of The Devil

I know some people will be thrown off by the idea that the devil has an active strategy to pull down the Church, but I think it’s a reasonable conclusion.

First, the Bible teaches that we have an adversary—not a flesh-and-blood opponent and not an advocacy group for some political ideology. Our adversary is spiritual. Paul says

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Peter identifies our adversary as the devil who “prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8b).

We’re also told that we are not to be ignorant of his schemes. On the contrary, we are to be alert. Consequently, we should pay attention to what the devil is doing. Many Christians know he’s not running around in red tights or holding a pitchfork. But what precisely is he doing?

Some may think he stands on our shoulder opposite our guardian angel whispering temptations into our ears. No. For one thing, Satan is not omnipresent. It’s highly unlikely, then, that he’s picked out an average Christian to lure into an illicit affair. (Our own sinful nature actually does an adequate job of presenting us with those kinds of temptations, so Satan doesn’t need to make that one of his schemes).

Still others think we need to go toe to toe with Satan in the same way Jesus did. There might be an instance when this is true, but I don’t think it’s the common scheme Satan uses. Even if he confronted men like Francis Chan or Tim Tebow, luring them with pleasure and power, it seems like a small reward for the investment of his time.

So what’s his great strategy?

Jesus told us one part of it. He identified Satan as a liar and the Father of lies. His grand plan, then, is to attack that which points people to the truth.

Following the Great American Awakening, then, rationalism opposed belief in the work of the Holy Spirit. It was all emotionalism and imagination and superstition.

“Higher criticism” came along to undermine the Bible, to question its authority, its inerrancy, its inspiration.

So now we have no Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, and we have no sure Word of God to exhort and testify of the grace of God.

But Postmodernism still values community, and Jesus Himself said that the watching world would know we are Christians by how we love one another. A worshiping, caring community of believers in Jesus Christ serves as a testimony, a witness, to this culture that God transforms lives. So Satan’s next scheme, it seems, is to go after the Church.

Here are some of the ways I see this attack taking place.

1. False teachers – people who preach as true something that contradicts the Bible directly or something that magnifies one segment of the Bible to the exclusion of other parts.

2. Those who do immoral things in the name of Christ or in spite of the fact that they are known by His name.

3. Collaboration with the culture–a type of “bend, don’t break” attitude toward morality which, in the end, makes us look eerily similar to the unsaved we’re supposed to be winning for Christ.

4. Honoring tradition more than we honor God’s Word. For example, I had a pastor I respected greatly preach against syncopated music. Another one I know preaches that there were twelve apostles and no more, though Scripture clearly identifies more than twelve.

More than that, there are segments of the church that by doctrine choose tradition over Scripture. Hence, the Pope can declare that believers are not to eat meat on Friday . . . until a new Pope says they can.

The emergent church, of course, attacked the “traditional” evangelical church for honoring tradition more than it should be honored. Although I’m not sure what the offensive things the traditional church was supposed to be doing that was so egregious, I suspect one aspect was the spit-and-polish show that has become the Sunday morning worship service.

Other complaints seem to center on the fact that there are sinners in those pews! Well, that’s hardly something that will change whether the church is traditional or a small house assembly or one that meets out in a park. Hypocrisy, pride, greed, gossip, lust, it all follows us wherever we go–which is why Paul admonished believers to lay aside the old self with its evil practices, why James said to put aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness.

All these attacks against the Church should renew our efforts as part of the Body of Christ to create the community God intended. We are to represent Him to the world–not by haranguing the world to act more like Christ when clearly no one without Christ could possibly live a holy life, when we ourselves are works in progress. Rather, we should go back to basics.

First we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. I think it’s important not to rush past that most important command to get to the love-your-neighbor second command which people apparently want to emphasize these days.

Mind you, I don’t see how we can create loving communities without loving our neighbors. But I don’t think we can manufacture this love from our own nature. This extraordinary bond between rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, men and women, corporate execs and day laborers, comes because we first love God with all of who we are.

We don’t see ourselves as special or deserving or important. No matter who we are or where we fall in the pecking order of society, we can never be more special, deserving, or important than God. He is the one we are to magnify. And He’s asked us to do that by serving each other.

This is the clear teaching we need to focus on. This is the best way to counter Satan’s lie which would have us believe the Church is finished, washed up, on its way out.

God’s bride? We may appear a little tattered around the edges, but our Bridegroom has not forsaken us. He will bring His Church through, and as we submit to His plan for us, we will be the testimony of His amazing love and transforming power to the world, He intended from the beginning.

Missio Minded

Don’t ask me why, but Latin is in for some reason–hence we’re talking about “missio” instead of mission at my church. But we’re just following a trend. There are a number of “missio” web sites, all focusing on what God has called the Church to do.

In many ways, I’m happy about that, but recently World Magazine raised the question whether or not this emphasis on “being the hands and feet of Jesus” might not be the new legalism (see “The New Legalism” by Anthony Bradley). That thought crossed my mind again this past Sunday.

Part of it has to do with the fact that some people link the Church to Pharisees, in essence saying their problems are the same ones we in the Church now have.

What were their problems? They were trying to deal with the “secularizing” of their religious society. They believed (at last) that they were to obey God’s Law, but in the process, they added their own interpretations. Those became traditional practices, enumerated and revered much the same as if they were God-given law.

In the end, the Pharisees clung to what they believed about the Law and they rejected the Messiah to which the Law pointed.

Is that like the Church? Uh, no. The Church is the gathering of people who accept Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world.

True, we do believe we are to obey God’s Word, but not as a means to reach God but as a result of His having reached us.

It is also true that we may misinterpret what God requires of us. We are still sinful people with hearts bent toward pleasing ourselves. We still are susceptible to false teaching that tickles our ears.

As a result, we do constantly need to be called back to listen to the authoritative Word of God and to the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth.

But that’s the point. This new missio emphasis seems to miss the fundamental upon which our doing must be based. We must first hear the Word.

Jesus made this point several times. For example when He was told his family was outside, not being able to get past the crowd, He responded, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21). Notice, first we who are in His family must hear the Word.

The fact is, anyone who hears God’s Word will encounter what He says in the book of James:

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (Jam 1:22-25)

Of course, this passage makes it clear that hearers are only fooling themselves if they don’t put legs to the Word.

James was not initiating some kind of new teaching. Rather, he was picking up on the theme Jesus had proclaimed:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” (Matt. 7:24-27 – emphasis mine)

My point is this, the only way we know we are to act on God’s Word is by first hearing God’s Word. The measure, then, of those who actually are hearing God’s Word is the acting out of what they hear.

So maligning the Church for not being missio oriented is misplaced criticism. Those who are part of the Church that is truly hearing God’s word will already be doing. Those not hearing the Word, don’t need to be told to do–they need to be told to hear.

Those deluding themselves? No amount of prodding toward doing will make a difference. Those folks need to keep looking in the mirror of God’s Word and stop walking away.

I think that’s what’s happening to a lot of people who fill the pews on Sunday. They hear the Word proclaimed, then they go off and live Monday through Saturday without listening to so much as one word from God’s authoritative Scriptures. An hour on Sunday is not going to get the foundation of the house built.

So here’s the point. Anyone truly missio minded will first be Biblically minded. Doing starts with hearing.

A Christian Is Who Again?

On the eve of the US Presidential election, the great buzz in my little corner of the Internet has not been about politics but about Christianity. It seems my writing friend Mike Duran stirred up a hornet’s nest with his post entitled “The Anti-Evangelical Hate Machine.” In it he called to task a number of “progressive Christians” who have spewed vitriol onto evangelical Christians.

The response included a heap of additional garbage hurled at evangelicals. Here are a few samples:

“Maybe you wouldn’t carry the sign yourself, but do you silently agree with the sentiments of the Westboro Baptist Church… “God hates fags!” Because if you feel these issues have somehow been settled beyond all doubt, you haven’t really been paying attention. Both on the left or the right, it is easier to simply dismiss those who disagree, as opposed to the more difficult and adult work of figuring out how to coexist.

Don’t stay stuck in the sandbox if you feel you can step up and talk to the other adults.” (from Britt)

“Oh, get off the cross already. We need the wood.

The problem with religious liberals is that for far too long we’ve tolerated bullying and bigotry from the likes of you people because we adopted a “turn the other cheek” approach. Well, we’re done with that, and we’re reclaiming Christianity. You’ve turned it into something monstrous, hurtful, and oppressive, and yet you’re whining that we’re persecuting you.” (Ceryle Alcyon)

“You see, if you don’t pay him the respect of taking the time to comprehend what he is writing about, you end up looking even more shallow, petty, and mean-spirited than he could ever depict. ” (Jeri Massi)

As I was thinking about this apparent divide, what Scripture says about the Church popped into mind. We are the bride of Christ; the body of which He is the Head; living stones built into a temple of which He is the cornerstone; branches attached to Christ, the vine.

All these point first to a relationship with Christ and secondly to a unified purpose, though perhaps a diverse function.

I can’t help wondering, then, how it is possible for some in the Church to hate others in the church.

Actually, John seems to be saying it isn’t possible.

The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. (1 John 2:9)

The chapter goes on to elaborate, but the point is clear from this verse. It reiterates what Jesus said about the love between Christians being the winsome quality that would let others know we belong to God.

First He said “This I command you [disciples], that you love one another” (John 15:17). Then in His prayer to the Father about us, He said

I do not ask on behalf of these [disciples] alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23)

Love. Unity. These admonitions and goals Jesus has for His followers don’t seem to lend themselves to hate. Or name calling. Or ridicule.

So why the disconnect? People claiming Christ say they hate Christians, or Evangelicals at least, or “Fundies.” Yet they turn around and say the reason they do so is because of how unloving these Christians, Evangelicals, “Fundies” are.

The love of Christ, then, would seem to be for everyone else, but NOT for brothers and sisters of the faith with whom they disagree. Or are they saying these conservative Christians, Evangelicals, “Fundies” aren’t actually Christians?

Some of these “Progressives” are deeply offended that in comments or conversations conservative Christians, Evangelicals, “Fundies” have suggested the “Progressives” are not Christians, so they wouldn’t be turning around and saying the same thing, would they?

But I have a serious problem. The facts don’t add up.

Scripture says we are one, that if we hate a brother we are not in the Light.

Progressive Christians hate on conservative Christians, Evangelicals, “Fundies” who also name the name of Christ.

Why this disconnect?

Luther’s Protests Go Viral

The date was October 31, 1517. Reformation Day. Martin Luther chose that day to make public the disagreements he had with his church.

The major issue dealt with the practice the church had begun regarding indulgences–”a grant by the pope of remission of the temporal punishment in purgatory still due for sins after absolution” (Oxford English Dictionary). The latest iteration of the practice included selling them, something that contradicts what Scripture says about grace being “the gift of God” and salvation “not of works.”

Luther also protested against doctrinal policies regarding purgatory, particular judgment (judgment given by God that a departed person undergoes immediately after death), Catholic devotion to Mary, the intercession of and devotion to the saints, most of the sacraments, the mandatory clerical celibacy, and the authority of the Pope.

In all, his disputation contained ninety-five points and has become known as the Ninety-five Theses.

What’s particularly interesting is that this document, written in Latin, was translated into German by January 1518. Two weeks later, it was printed and passed around throughout Germany. Within two months, it had circulated throughout Europe.

I can only imagine the despair men like Luther and John Wycliffe and Jan Hus felt at the state of the church. Corruption abounded. For example, one Pope, Alexander VI, the head of the church and according to church doctrine, God’s representative on earth, fathered seven children by at least two mistresses. Beyond that one man’s immorality was the systemic corruption which allowed the church to get rich at the expense of the common man and the increasing departure from what Scripture said.

Yet God was at work. Who knew that a little thing called the printing press would be such a powerful tool in God’s hands to bring about sweeping change. People read Luther’s Ninety-five Theses pamphlet and flocked to hear him speak.

His study, lectures, and writing in the years leading up to and shortly after he made the document public, focused on the doctrine of justification.

From 1510 to 1520, Luther lectured on the Psalms, the books of Hebrews, Romans, and Galatians. As he studied these portions of the Bible, he came to view the use of terms such as penance and righteousness by the Catholic Church in new ways. He became convinced that the church was corrupt in its ways and had lost sight of what he saw as several of the central truths of Christianity. The most important for Luther was the doctrine of justification – God’s act of declaring a sinner righteous – by faith alone through God’s grace. He began to teach that salvation or redemption is a gift of God’s grace, attainable only through faith in Jesus as the Messiah. “This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification,” he wrote, “is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.” (Martin Luther)

Why did the Reformation take off? The time was ripe. People were ready for an end to the corrupt practices of the church, more so once the Bible was translated into vernacular languages. In addition, the means was available to disseminate information widely. This was something new. Because of the printing press, people in England or Italy could read Luther’s thoughts about salvation.

It was the Medieval equivalent of going viral.

I find the story of the Reformation encouraging on many levels. No, the men involved in initiating change were not perfect–not by a long shot. But God used them. That’s one of the encouraging things. He also brought change when it looked like the church couldn’t get much worse.

From time to time, I’ve decried the abundance of false teaching that seems to flood Christianity today. Sometimes it seems like revival is the only thing that could stop the tide, and yet revival seems remote and unlikely. As it undoubtedly seemed October 30, 1517. A day later, the tide turned.

Music And The Church

As I sat before my computer this afternoon, a tune flitted through my mind–one I associated with my childhood. And surprisingly, I could remember the first words, though I don’t recall when I last heard it. It’s not a traditional hymn that my church sings even when we do sing hymns.

Upon checking, I found it in the old Mennonite Hymnal my parents gave me years ago, so I assume it was a song I heard at church countless times as a preteen. The tune stuck and some of the words stuck.

Interestingly, I consider myself fortunate to be in the in-between generation when it comes to church music. I did grow up singing hymns Sunday morning and evening and at Wednesday prayer meeting. But when I reached college, contemporary Christian music burst on the scene, and I embraced the songs that seemed more in line with my generation. I continued to do so long after I graduated and began teaching. Petra and Steve Camp and Michael Card played a big part in my spiritual growth, right alongside the great hymns of the faith we still sang at my church.

Consequently I’ve never felt at war with anyone regarding music in church . . . until the past five or ten years. There was a stretch there that contemporary Christian songs seemed more vapid than ever. Granted, they didn’t have a lot of meat in their inception. “It only takes a spark/To get a fire goin’/And soon all those around/Will warm up to it’s glowin’/That’s how it is with God’s love/Once you’ve experienced it/You spread His love/To everyone/You want to pass it on” wasn’t packed with theology, to say the least. But the new songs bothered me more. They seemed void of Biblical truth, self-centered, and repetitive.

Somebody else must have thought so too, because some song writers like Keith and Kristyn Getty started putting out music of a higher caliber. And still, I’ve been unhappy, even when our choir is leading us in traditional hymns. Why?

Last March I came across a blog post at the Rabbit Room put up by Andrew Peterson entitled “An Open Letter To Praise Bands” which gave voice to what I was feeling. Here’s an excerpt:

In particular, my concern is that we, the church, have unwittingly encouraged you [worship leaders] to simply import musical practices into Christian worship that–while they might be appropriate elsewhere–are detrimental to congregational worship. More pointedly, using language I first employed in Desiring the Kingdom, I sometimes worry that we’ve unwittingly encouraged you to import certain forms of performance that are, in effect, “secular liturgies” and not just neutral “methods.” Without us realizing it, the dominant practices of performance train us to relate to music (and musicians) in a certain way: as something for our pleasure, as entertainment, as a largely passive experience. The function and goal of music in these “secular liturgies” is quite different from the function and goal of music in Christian worship. (Emphasis mine)

The author of the letter, James K. A. Smith (Andrew Peterson was quoting it), went on to make three excellent points:

1. If we, the congregation, can’t hear ourselves, it’s not worship.
2. If we, the congregation, can’t sing along, it’s not worship.
3. If you, the praise band, [or choir] are the center of attention, it’s not worship.

Dr. Smith elaborated on each point, and I encourage you to read the entire post, particularly the letter.

Nevertheless, I realized today as I hummed that old hymn from my childhood that there’s something else our contemporary practices that mimic the world are robbing us of: we aren’t putting worship music into our hearts. Rather, we’re moving from one song to another, changing with the frequency of a top ten pop chart, reading the words on the screen, and promptly forgetting them. Will pre-teens today remember one tune from their church days? Will any of the words come back to them?

I realize music in the church is a touchy subject. As it turns out author and friend Mike Duran wrote about the subject today as well. I appreciate what he said because I do think a lot of complaints about music are more about personal preference than anything, but that, I believe, is a byproduct of the thing that Dr. Smith wrote about–we have come to see the congregation as the audience, and the band or choir and orchestra as the performers. We therefore reserve the right to like or dislike what takes place “on stage.”

That’s not worship. I tend to think, if we capture the spirit of worship again, many of the complaints about music will fade. No, they won’t go away. I mean, let’s be realistic. But I think they’ll fade.

Oh, that song I was humming? The title is “Jesus Calls Us.” You can listen to the tune played much as I remember hearing it, and here are the words:

1. Jesus calls us o’er the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

2. Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

3. In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these!”

4. Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Savior, may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.

A Choice Keeper Nugget

I’ve really appreciated my church’s missions pastor, Dan Crane, who has stepped in to shoulder the bulk of the preaching while we searched for our next senior pastor. Pastor Dan has a real knack for seeing the way Scripture passages divide in an organized way or how they relate to one another.

So too, this Sunday when he preached from the end of Ephesians 3. As he reminded us, Paul spends the bulk of the first three chapters giving us the truth about our position in Christ and what that means for us.

He then noted some particulars Paul presented for praying for others. Good stuff.

The nugget, though, came right at the end. Paul closes this section with a wonderful statement of praise:

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Pastor Dan’s point regarding these verses? High theology leads to high doxology. Now that’s a keeper.

Teens And Retirees In The Same Body

Western society has created two periods of uselessness in a person’s life — adolescence and retirement. Both are artificial.

Once upon a time, children moved gradually from the “can’t do” stage of life to the “can do” stage, and then to the “do it on your own” stage.

Today’s youth, however, largely as a result of child labor laws (instituted to curb the abuses of the Industrial Revolution), have little purpose in their lives. They do school and … party, play, gang-bang, hang. Little wonder that youth sports have grown — the team is the one place that a teen can find purpose, even if it is ephemeral.

Retirement is a mirror image of adolescence. Western culture doesn’t respect age, so the best we can do is retire young in order to get back to playing hard. Except, Mankind was made to fulfill a purpose, and travel, golf, gardening, travel, eventually gets old, especially for someone getting old. Sleeping in a strange bed isn’t so easy any more. And creaky joints don’t make hikes around tourist spots as fun as the pictures would suggest.

For the Christian there’s the same implication that what’s true out there in the world is also true in the Church.

So youth are given their own church or groups where they do a lot of silly games, sing a lot of contemporary songs, and hear a speaker who tells more jokes than he does exposition of God’s word. OK, I’m exaggerating for effect, but even in churches with good youth programs, we tend to talk about preparing the next generation for leadership rather than what those teens can and should be doing here and now.

Retired Christians aren’t so different — once retirement comes, it’s someone else’s turn to shoulder the load. That seems off to me. Christians who reach retirement should have the most wisdom and now the most time to spend in ministry. It seems to me, retired Christians should be the most fruitful because I don’t see anywhere in Scripture a place for retired body parts or retired branches. No, the Bible calls us members of one body whose head is Christ, fruitful branches of one Vine who is Christ. Are we to retire from the body? from the vine? And if not, then we have purpose.

Granted, the purposes of an adolescent and of a retirement-age Christian aren’t the same as those of the young or middle-age adult. All the better, though, because if we all were doing exactly the same jobs all of our lives, there would be a lot of stuff left undone.

Let me be specific. Teens have a lot of energy. Why not use them in some places that require a lot of energy — the nursery or toddler classes come to mind. Many are also very tech savvy. Why not put them in roles that let them use that ability — not alone with thousands of dollars of expensive sound equipment, but with an adult who can partner with them to do the job as a team.

Retirement-age adults, on the other hand, are slowing down, perhaps not driving at night any more, doing less, going less frequently. So what can they do? With the Communication Revolution, much, much more can be done from home. What about email to missionaries? Or maintaining a church blog? For the less tech oriented person, there are phone contacts that can be maintained. And what about prayer?

No matter who we are, what stage of life we’re in, we can all pray. No exception. God doesn’t honor the prayer of a forty-year-old more than that of a teen or a retiree.

Daniel was a youth when he went into service of the Babylonian king, and he developed the regular routine of praying. In only his second year of service, he was faced with the task of telling Nebuchadnezzar his dream and then interpreting it. His response?

Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery. (Dan 2:17-18a)

They prayed!

On the other side of the spectrum, the aging Apostle Paul wrote letters to Timothy and Titus, young pastors he was mentoring. But that wasn’t all. He also prayed.

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day (2 Tim 1:3 — emphasis mine).

Personally, I think it’s time teens and retirees take back the purpose God intends for them. The world can say those who fall within certain age groups are good only for a beer keg or a rocking chair, but God has a different perspective. Children can come to Him. Teens can serve Him. Retirees can produce a bumper crop of fruit through prayer alone. Isn’t it time the Church looks to all ages of life to fill up the Body with useful members?

It’s Time To Revive Scripture Memorization

Recently my church did a survey as part of the process of looking for a new pastor. We’re quite deliberate about this, and I’m glad. First we are taking stock: looking at what Scripture says about the qualifications of a church leader, a shepherd of God’s people, and then looking at ourselves as an organization to see who we are and what we need most.

Recently the pastoral staff asked us to fill out a demographic survey. When they had compiled the results, they passed them along to us. As it turns out, we are an older congregation (no surprise there — a quick scan on a Sunday morning tells you this) but also a fairly mature one. The stat that jumped out at me was in answer to the question about reading the Bible daily. Seventy-five percent of those filling out the survey said, yes, they spend time reading God’s Word. Of course, not quite half of those who attend our church filled out the survey, so I suspect that number may be a little high for the entire congregation. Nevertheless it reflects the emphasis our pastoral staff put on Scripture reading the past three years.

Noticeably absent was Bible memorization. Absent. As in, it wasn’t on the survey. Prayer was. Church attendance, participation in a fellowship group (i. e. Sunday school class) or Bible study, participation in a ministry, meditation (in disguise), witnessing (also in disguise), and fasting all made the list. Not Bible memorization.

I suspect Bible memory went the way of old technology about the time educational professionals began disparaging memorization as a learning method. No more rote learning for us! That’s not real education!

I could argue that point, but I don’t really need to. Even if it were true, Scripture explains the benefits of knowing God’s Word intimately — meaning that even if all other memorization was worthless, learning what the Bible says, still has value. “Your word I have treasured in my heart,” Psalms says, “that I may not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

Take a look at a few others:

The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip. (Psalm 37:31)

I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8)

Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
A people in whose heart is My law;
Do not fear the reproach of man,
Nor be dismayed at their revilings. (Isaiah 51:7)

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. . . . then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD (Deuteronomy 6:6, 12a)

Are these “heart” verses necessarily talking about memorization? I think a case could be made against that position, but I don’t think anyone could show that memorizing Scripture leads away from a person becoming intimately involved with God’s Word.

Here’s the thing. As I’ve said elsewhere, I believe prayer is most effective when we pray for the things we know God wants for us and for us to do — things we learn about in the Bible. How can we effectively pray according to God’s revealed Word if we don’t know what His Word says?

How can we formulate a Biblical approach to politics or romance or work or suffering if we don’t know what the Bible says about these matters? Yes, reading the Bible and listening to preaching that explains it are huge parts of our being equipped to face our world.

But the fact is, when someone pulls me aside to tell me the latest bit of gossip, my pastor isn’t there beside me to remind me what God thinks about that. When I’m ticked off and looking for someone I can voice my complaints to, my Bible isn’t going to pop open to the verses about grumbling.

These are things I need to have as a part of me. They should be part of an ever expanding body of knowledge that the Holy Spirit can then bring to my remembrance when I need them. Because He is present when I face temptations or when I’m bowed in prayer. How powerful when He works by calling up the verses I need.

God’s Spirit bringing God’s Word to bear on the needs of God’s children. I’d say it’s time to bring back a little Bible memorization.

Some 2011 Stuff I Like (That’s A Date, Not An Amount)

Every year has its unique trials, some personal and some national or even global. But there are good things too, and I want to focus on those. Too often they get shuttled to the side, so here are things I like from this year, in random order — and even saying that is giving this list more credit for organization than it deserves.

More truthfully, this is an “as I think it, down it goes” list.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 movie came out.
• God provided the resources I needed so I didn’t have to move.
• My friend Sally Apokedak signed with a literary management company.
• Critique group member Mike Duran‘s debut novel Resurrection came out.
• Tim Tebow became a starter for the Denver Broncos and led them on a six-game winning streak.
• Fred Warren joined the Spec Faith team in January, and John Otte came on board this summer.
• I finished book four of The Lore of Efrathah.
• Thanks to my crit group, I saw how to re-write a section of book 3 and the opening part of book 4 — work that is also finished now.
• I finally found a candidate for President I could support with my whole heart — Rick Santorum.
• God surprised me with the generosity of friends, some in small ways, others in big ways — each encouraging and a reminder that God never leaves us or forsakes us.
• My church did a summer sermon series on faith from Hebrews 11.
• Our pastor search team announced the top things our congregation identified as qualities we want in our pastor, and number one came in as expository preaching.
• Books 1-3 of D. Barkley Briggs’s Legends of Karac Tor came out with AMG.
• I learned about Katie Davis, an inspiring young woman who is serving Christ in Africa by working with orphans, even adopting many. She started when she was sixteen!
• After a long wait, Andrew Peterson’s third book in the Wingfeather Saga released this summer.
• The LA Galaxy won the MLS championship.
• I entered the 24-hour Short Story contest twice and ended up with two stories I like.
• I picked up a handful of new editing clients, some who have already brought repeat business.
• I started memorizing Scripture again — currently working on the book of Colossians.
• Agent Lee Hough (Alive Communications) learned that his first scan after treatment for an aggressive brain cancer showed he is cancer free.
• Trish Miller, my sister-in-law, lost her job only to find a better one a month later.
• Following the sermon series on faith, my church followed up with a study of the book of Mark entitled, Fix Your Eyes on Jesus.
• I’m starting to figure out how to use Twitter.
• I got new windows in the living room.
• Our apartment building was painted this fall.
• Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family was fantastic.
• I got to see my nephew run in a cross country race I used to coach.
• The blog traffic at my editing site — Rewrite, Reword, Rework — has increased, and I think it’s in large part because of a Facebook group I’m in, PenTalk.
• Writing group meetings have been helpful and encouraging and thought-provoking. Our members keep me working to improve.
• Friendships near and far have brought me closer to Christ.

That’s a good place to end, thinking about iron relationships — the ones that sharpen one another (Prov. 27:17).