Organizational Pride and Shame

As I’ve read the various reports coming out of the Southern Baptist Convention (including the 288-page report from Guidepost Solutions), it has struck me how many of their decisions were based on the image they wanted to present to the world. Up until recent years, the SBC might have been described as growing, influential, mission-minded, and reaching the world for Christ. And yet under the surface there was abuse, deception, and decay. The safety and security of vulnerable men, women, and children was sacrificed to the idol of the institution. Many Protestants, while watching similar events play out in the Catholic Church in prior decades, knew that the story wasn’t going to end there. Similar themes of the abuse of authority played out in the Mars Hill Church downfall. Russell Moore commented in the July 2022 issue of Christianity Today,

“[I]nstitutions seeking to protect themselves will take on the name of Jesus to say that victims, survivors, or whistleblowers are compromising ‘the mission’ or creating ‘disunity in the body’ when they point out horrors. But God will not long abide the misuse of his name for those who worship their own twisted appetites.”

Satan has expertly warped people’s priorities in order to undermine the influence of the Church as the Body of Christ. Some have no doubt concluded that if the Church can’t be trusted, then neither can the God it claims to represent. There are a number of things that I think we can learn—as individuals, churches, and denominations.

1) No human being besides Jesus Christ is infallible. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). When we put our pastors, elders, and denominational leaders up on pedestals, they will be sure to disappoint us in some way. We need to look for ways to guard against sinful actions through true accountability, and we need to have plans in place for when someone does fall.

2) No human institution is infallible. While the universal Church is not manmade, many of our existing programs and polity are created through human ingenuity and consensus. None of us have perfect knowledge or foresight to predict every possible outcome or prevent any possible abuse, but we should endeavor to do our best. “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2.Cor. 4:1-2).

3) The Church can only have one priority. Up until the past hundred years, the word priority had no plural. The Church exists to glorify God by obeying His Great Commission and Great Commandment. We cannot “prioritize” people, pastors, buildings, money, or statistics. To do so is to remove God from His throne. “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13).

4) The Church and its leaders will have to give an account to God. We should desire to do whatever it takes for each person to have a clear conscience before God. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your soul, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things” (Heb. 13:17-18).

5) When any segment of the Church has failed, we should seek to make amends and hold sinners accountable. We are called to confront sin in the local church (Matt. 18:15-17), and to come alongside those who have been wounded by the sins of others (Rom. 12:15-17). Those who seek to cover up sin by showing partiality are just as guilty as those who have sinned. “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (James 2:8-10).

Sometimes that may mean removing a person from church membership or leadership and sometimes that may require dismantling the manmade institutions that have been corrupted (1 Cor. 5:1-13). The glory of God requires that we do not seek to protect the reputation of sinful individuals or institutions. “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

“And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:17).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Six Feet Under

A few years ago I wrote some thoughts on cremation and burial for my pastor. I was reminded of that by a recent podcast from Russell Moore and Stephen Prothero, which I would recommend. My own views have changed over time. I once would have preferred cremation, largely because of the lower cost involved. However, now I would press for burial so long as it can be done simply and as inexpensively as possible.

I have read arguments both for and against cremation. In some cultures, cremation is tied to pagan religions. But how a body is handled after death is less important than how the person lived. This is not an essential point of doctrine. Faithful Christians can come to different conclusions. I agree with Russell Moore’s comments in this article:

“We are put away in sleep in order to be awakened, in order to see the resurrection of the entire body one day. And so, it’s not so much about what happens to the person as it is what we are communicating. And we care what we communicate about death because of the very high view that the Bible has of the body. The body isn’t just a disposable container of the person.”

The physical body when we are alive is important. We (collectively) are in fact “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19) and should treat our bodies accordingly. Joseph made provision for his bones when he died (Ex. 13:19, Josh. 24:8). This may say more about his faith in God’s promise of a new land than it does his theology of the body or eternal life. The Bible speaks often of burial; however, the bodies of Saul and Jonathan were burned and their bones were buried (1 Sam. 31:12-13). When Jesus was put in the tomb, the women intended to honor Him by anointing the body with spices (Mark 16:1). The bodies of the dead were treated with the honor or dishonor due to them from the way the people had lived (2 Chron. 28:27, Jer. 16:5-6, et al).

The early church had to refute the claims of the Gnostics who said in part that our goal is to get rid of our physical bodies. Gnosticism has gained ground in recent years. Prothero makes the comment that the increasing frequency of cremation even among Christians may be an indicator that we are adopting our culture’s view that the body is not essential to who we are. If the body is merely a temporary container for the soul, then it doesn’t really matter what we do to it either in life or in death. But that is counter to Scripture. The fact that Jesus became incarnate reflects the high value God places on our human bodies. If the body is irrelevant to who we are, then the idea of a bodily resurrection is absurd.

First Corinthians 15 reminds us that the perishable must put on the imperishable. Our final bodies are not dependent on the continuing existence of our earthly bodies. Those believers whose bodies are lost in fire or ocean are still eternally secure. The atoms that make up our bodies today have dwelt in other humans, animals, and plants before us. God can make new creations by His Word. He needs no existing entity.

Some of our modern “traditions” may reflect a fear or denial of death and an idolatry of life, though there are legitimate concerns for health and the time needed to gather family together. Draining the fluids and pumping in unnatural chemicals (that are bad for the environment) is an attempt to delay God’s natural process of decay. It’s ironic that Scripture states “the life of flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11ff), and yet we try to preserve an imitation of life by removing the blood. Sealed caskets are another invention to slow natural decomposition, perhaps trying to avoid seeing the “great equalizer” that death really is. “They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them” (Job 21:26, cf. Eccl. 3:19-20).

Burial expenses often seem excessive, which leads many families to choose cremation. A sealed casket and vault may not be essential, though some cemeteries require a vault. Embalming may not be necessary depending on timing of services and whether or not there will be a public viewing. Churches might consider ways to help people with limited finances, whether through financial assistance or directing them to lower cost alternatives like natural caskets.

While the word cemetery comes from the Greek for dormitory, cemeteries tend to exist more for the living than for the dead. It is a place to visit and remember their loved ones. For Christians, the cemetery should also be a reminder that this life is temporary but eternal life is coming. Churches should consider carefully what message is communicated by providing a columbarium or, conversely, by refusing burial of ashes. How can we best promote a scriptural view of the value of the human body and of the coming resurrection?

The day will eventually come for each of us unless Christ returns in the near future. Funeral planning is important, but it’s even more important to be prepared for eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Are you ready?

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Who Am I?

In many things I’ve read and listened to recently, I’ve seen a variety of comments about identity. In this helpful video from the ERLC, Katie McCoy described our cultural conflict as being an emphasis that “identity is self-created versus identity is God-given.” Whether we’re discussing gender and sexuality, personality tests, or a myriad of other topics, we’re being told that your identity is defined by how you feel. People are urged to adopt whatever labels fit them at a particular time, and then change them as often as they wish. It’s confusing for all of us to try to keep up.

The deeper issue is that every person is trying to figure out where they fit in the grand scheme of life. Those of us who have been out of school for a while can remember the various cliques that existed in our day. My high school had the jocks, popular kids, band geeks, nerds, and stoners among others. There wasn’t a whole lot of question who was in each group. After graduation most people settled into life-stage categories—college, singles, married, children, middle age, and retirees.

Now it seems like the labels are constantly changing for every age group. That can largely be tied to the increasing individualization of Western culture. No longer are we defined by our place in our local village, but we have infinite choices—where to live, what kind of work we do and who to work for, what entertainment we pursue, where or if we go to church, who we want to associate with, etc. Each choice tends to group us with certain people and segregate us from other people. If we decide we don’t quite fit in one group, we’re free to relocate to another group. So we’re constantly trying to determine what identity label best fits us at any given time. Expressive individualism is the rule of the day.

We’ve lost our sense of belonging to a relatively consistent community. The church ought to be a pillar of light and truth in this darkness and uncertainty. Andrew Walker said in the above video, “We need to recapture the idea that there are universals—universal truths… consistent with our design as human beings.” Our identity needs to be tied to how and why God created us, our role in His eternal family, and how He has gifted us with abilities and relationships.

One of the challenges we face, even while we attempt to preach the truth of God’s Word, is the tendency to adopt stereotypes that are not based in Scripture. There is a saying that “If you’ve met someone on the autism spectrum, you’ve met one person on the spectrum.” In other words, the traits and characteristics are so diverse that stereotypes are often meaningless. The same can be said of many other labels. Yes, there are some binary categories—for example male (XY) and female (XX)—but the interests, abilities, and traits of men or women, married or single, young or old, educated or uneducated, are highly variable and often overlapping. If we focus too much on cultural stereotypes, we may unintentionally alienate people who are looking for their place in our community.

I’ve wrestled with the question of identity in a variety of ways. As a Gen X single woman (among other labels), I often focus more on the things that separate me from other people than on the things that unite us. But I’ve been reminded that if we actually take time to get to know one another deeply and spend unstructured time together, we’ll usually find that we have a lot more in common than we might otherwise assume. One recent highlight for me was several hours in a van with coworkers just chatting and asking goofy questions. Even though most of us have worked together for years, it made me feel more connected to our little community.

We in the church need to remember that relationships are not built by sitting together through a worship service, but by sharing life together in a wide variety of circumstances. Our identity is not simply as children of God, but as brothers and sisters walking together through life. We can’t have the Father without also connecting to our siblings. If we find our place in the “village” of our local church, it will go a long way toward helping us feel secure, loved, and accepted in our unchanging identity in Christ and in this world.

“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:27-28).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Fruitful in Affliction

Most Christians know the basics of Joseph’s story in the second half of Genesis—favored by his father; sold into slavery by his brothers; jailed because of false allegations; and eventually freed and raised to second in command in Egypt. In the years leading up to the famine throughout the land, we learn that Joseph and his wife had two sons.

“Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. ‘For,’ he said, ‘God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.’ The name of the second he called Ephraim, ‘For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction’” (Gen. 41:51-52).

It seems that Joseph had a perspective that many of us could learn from. He gave God the glory for the blessings he had received while at the same time recognizing that difficult times are part of God’s purposes for us. We see this reiterated in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Somehow, I can’t imagine Joseph ever being called a “desperate man,” even when he was sitting in jail for no good reason. Throughout it all, he remained faithful and obedient to God. “The keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners… because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed” (Gen. 39:22-23). It wasn’t just that God worked through Joseph, but that Joseph was consciously dwelling in God’s presence and doing His will.

Often when we face affliction, we may think that God has left us and we just have to wait and hope for His return. But Joseph is a reminder that God is still present and working, and our job is to be faithfully obedient.

We all encounter difficulties and suffering of various kinds as we live in this broken world. We are all literally living in the land of our affliction until Jesus returns to make all things right and to recreate the world in perfection. The question is whether our hardship points us to God or draws us away from Him. Are we bearing fruit in this land or are we drying up just hoping for something to change?

Perhaps we need to remember what God considers fruitful living, since most of us won’t be involved in saving our nation from famine. Fruitfulness is:

• Repenting of sin and pursuing sanctification. “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8). “The fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life” (Rom. 6:22).
• Speaking words that build others up in faith and love. “The tree is known by its fruit… The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good… I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give an account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:33, 35-37).
• Obeying what we know to be true in Scripture. “Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing… By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples… If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love… This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:5, 8, 10, 12)
• Pursuing the good works set before us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). “Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Eph. 5:8-9).

That might look like: raising your children in a Gospel-centered home; working to the best of your ability in your career; trusting God to provide when you have needs; praying for wisdom in trying times; pointing others to Christ as your strength in suffering, etc. As I mentioned in my last post, the fruit of the Spirit looks a little different in each person’s life. Rather than getting discouraged because “I’m not doing anything outstanding,” we should simply ask, “Am I endeavoring, by God’s grace, to do all that I believe God has set before me at this particular time?” God asks nothing more than that.

“Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan text and picture. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.