Lessons from Soldiers

In the 2002 movie, We Were Soldiers, a commanding officer portrayed by actor Mel Gibson, addressed his men about the upcoming mission:

Look around you in the 7th Cavalry. We’ve got a captain from the Ukraine, another from Puerto Rico. We’ve got Japanese, Chinese, Blacks, Hispanics, Cherokee Indians, Jews, and Gentiles—all American soldiers.

Now here in the States, some men here in this unit may experience discrimination because of race or creed, but for you and me now all that is gone. We’re moving into the Valley of the Shadow of Death, where you’ll watch the back of the man next to you as he will watch yours. And you won’t care what color he is or by what name he calls God. They say we’re leaving home—we’re going to what home was always supposed to be.

So let us understand the situation. We’re going into battle against a tough and determined enemy. I can’t promise you I’ll bring you all home alive, but this I swear before you—before the Almighty God—that when we go into battle I will be the first to set foot on the field and last to step off and I will leave no one behind—dead or alive. We will all come home together!

It is interesting that in this movie, it would be on foreign soil that a family of soldiers would find unity, trust, faith, camaraderie and a chance to live as we were designed by our Creator. While their mission was military in nature and ours is to change the world I think the commanding officer's words has application.  

All throughout biblical history, religion has been a divisive factor among people, faith groups and even countries. Men and women have fought over religion, religious leaders have been martyred and innocent bystanders have been caught in the fray and always the victor claimed, "We won because God was on our side." 

As we look deeper into each stream of world religions we find that even within a singular theological stream of thought, divisiveness continues to exist thus separating and causing debate within the body. Christians against Christians, Muslims against Muslims, Buddhists against Buddhists....all centering on the divisive issues surrounding the smallest theological differences or interpretations. In my opinion, the minutiae of these differences are negligible and exists only to divide and cause dissension.

In the name of religion, masses of people have been slaughtered, imprisoned, sentenced to a life of slavery in one form or another, used to support discrimination/prejudice and exclusiveness, and further used to foster a sense of superiority. Even today, in perhaps the smartest, most intellect and spiritually enlightened era, religion still divides, even within the same body.

Look at the issues that seek to divide us today: 

(1) Some prominent religious leaders have accused the President of the United States of not being a Christian, despite his acknowledgement that he is a Christian (Now we are judging who is and is not a follower?). 

(2) Political opponents are taking their lead from religious leaders by attacking the theology and the "correct or incorrect" exegesis of others (What happened to freedom of scripture interpretation and priesthood of the believer?). 

(3) Christians are debating on who to vote for based on a candidate's faith or perceived lack of rather than ability to lead and govern appropriately (Do we really want a theocracy? Is the Church wanting to give its responsibility to the government?). 

(4) Denominational leaders continue to argue over the role of females in Pastoral leadership (Who are we to question one's acknowledgement of God's call? Proof-texting is the foundation for such a belief but they employ that methodology inconsistently.)  

(5) One denomination recently questioned rather or not a name change would be in order to create a more positive witness (I really don't think the world cares about one's name, especially the folks that the Church should be reaching. A name does not carry a positive or negative view, one's actions defines who you are and how you are perceived.) 

(6) Meetings are held in secret to determine if one's leadership style or continuing leadership is still wanted. (The disturbers of today's church culture, those who are trying to shake things up and run against the streams of political correctness and institutionalism, are eyed with suspicion because institutional leadership want the ways of the past to rule the ways of the future.)

Maybe, perhaps the earlier analogy of military operations is valid. Our common enemy seems not to be the evils of the world but the issues within us and our families of faith.

As a Christian, I believe the only purest to walk on this earth was Jesus Christ. It was his ministry and teachings that set the bar for the emerging Church. The movement brought about by Jesus Christ was not a movement that began in the Church, within a political leader or established government. The Jesus movement was a movement of common and often outcast people of his day.

Jesus, the Messiah, didn't look to the Church because they were too busy trying to keep an institution alive, the laws enforced and leverage their position with ruling governmental authorities. Jesus didn't turn to the political leaders or government because it was a movement that couldn't be legislated, forced or institutionalized. So Jesus looked to the folk who needed a miracle in their own life, folk who could be taught a new way to do "church" and a folk who could let the baggage of the past go.

I wonder what would happen if during the next four years, whether than look to an institution, elected political leader or a governmental entity to change the world, we look within ourselves and our local community of faith to assume the role of a world changer? Changing how we relate one to another by setting aside our judgmental attitudes of who's right and who's wrong, who's in and who's out, who's called and who's not, and who's fit to lead and who's not might just put us back on the path that Jesus intended us to journey from the beginning.

Just think what could happen if we began to focus on cooperative efforts to eradicate hunger, poverty, abuse, lawlessness, disease, alienation, and the unending list of human struggles through a literal “cup of cold water” and the gift of the “Living Water” that is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. This mission would require cooperation, trust, respect, and diversity with faith in Jesus Christ as the unifying foundation, not the theological minutia, in order for this to be successful. We would have to be willing to rise above our self, and see beyond our differences, color, gender, theology, and political views.

The only way to really change the world is to realize that as a people of God, we have to change first and then move out—out of the sanctuary walls, off the church campus, and into the world—to places where the Good News of Jesus Christ was meant to be preached and lived in spite of our differences, so that at the end of the day We will all come home together!

StoryTelling

Recently after delivering a sermon, an elderly lady approached me and said, “I love hearing you preach. You should leave the Convention and go back into ministry!” I laughed and asked why she liked my preaching. She responded, “Because you are a storyteller, and we needed you to tell us the story about who we are and what we can become.” This was perhaps one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten, and it put me to thinking…This lady knows that we live according to our stories, and if the story we’re living isn’t great, it can be changed.

Jesus did that with the woman at the well. She went to the well during the heat of the day as a social outcast. Her story was that of a fallen woman, and she worked when she would not be seen or taunted. She bought into the town’s story of who she was. Jesus looked at her and saw her old story hovering around her. He told her the story she knew so well. Then he talked about her thirst, a thirst beyond any need for a drink or a man, emanating from her very soul: If you knew who was talking to you right now, you would ask him for a drink of Living Water and know that you will never be thirsty again. She went from believing that she was an outcast to someone running back in the middle of the day to recruit the whole town to come and see him.

Perhaps no entity has been as effective at changing lives outside the church as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). People enter AA at their lowest depths of despair with their old stories and have the opportunity to re-enter life with a new story. Their first step in the journey towards recovery involves admitting one’s powerlessness over alcohol and that their lives have become unmanageable. The second step leads to a belief that a Power greater than themselves could restore them back to sanity. They walk in to a gathering of souls with old stories feeling alone and have the opportunity to walk out with a new Higher Power on their side to help re-type their future story.

Many therapists use a technique involving their clients working through old stories to find new meanings. Only when they transfer to believing the new stories does healing take place. In his book, How Customers Think, Gerald Zaltman writes that the words store and story are very similar for a reason. The mind stores what it attaches emotion to, and by working stories around information, memory improves. Memory gurus teach people to remember a name by creating a story around it.

Do you know that the stories we tell about ourselves often tend to come true? The truth is we live out daily the stories we believe about ourselves. What story is that? Is it the story you created or the story someone else created for you? Do you need to rewrite the story you are living into? If so, start writing today!

Service: A Series Part Four

Service is...Incarnational, Evangelical, Relational and Nutritional

Nutritional. Many pastors consciously or subconsciously subscribe to a “growth” or “spiritual formations” model in helping their congregations mature in faith. They know that the Bible has something to do with growth; but is the Bible, by itself, sufficient for spiritual health and growth?

Good nutrition alone cannot make a person healthy. Good Bible teaching alone is insufficient for spiritual maturity. People need exercise for physical health and serve for spiritual health. We learn from Scripture, but we grow by serving others.

In serving, people have opportunities to have their faith stretched. Of course, it is possible to serve without growing spiritually, just as some people can stuff themselves with knowledge and never really do anything with the wisdom gained. Some people are scared of serving outside their circle of friends. One of the neatest congregational models of service I’ve seen was at Taylor Road Baptist Church’s in Montgomery, AL.

This project of service was the brainchild of then pastor, Dr. Joe Godfrey, who engaged every Sunday School class in at least one act of service during the year. Each class elected a missions leader who was responsible for attending a mission fair and coming back with ideas for the class. Once committed to a project, the Sunday School class prepared for the act of service and then reported back to the church.

Serving in groups, especially through the Sunday School clusters, benefits congregations. I believe that four strategic things can happen through this type of service model:

1.      Service gets small groups out of their comfort zones.

2.      Service causes groups to bond together in tight relationships.

3.      Service is a vehicle for groups to use the spiritual gifts of the “whole” and take advantage of evangelistic opportunities.

4.      Service of the group provides visual goodwill in the community of that church.

Another benefit of serving as a group is that there is often an immediate gratification that swirls around in the group and motivates continued growth. People thrive on opportunities to give back to others, to make a difference, to positively influence the world around them, and to be a part of enhancing their community.

A wise person once stated that “we begin to grow when we take responsibility for the growth of another person.” Are you ready to serve, yet? Are you ready to grow deeper in your faith journey? If so, dive in and serve someone in need today!