Detour Ahead

As I was listening to the Hope + Help podcast on the “Age of Self” this week, I was thinking back over my life and the various things that have brought me to where I am today. It occurred to me that if I had been the author of my story, it would have been a straightforward progression from A to Z. For example, knowing what I know now, it seems more logical that I should have majored in accounting in college. But if I’d majored in accounting I would have had to attend a different school and connected with different people and may not have ended up in this job, and so on.

Choosing a college? Not the one you'd assumed for most of high school.
   Majoring in biology? Not leading to the career you intended.
      Grad school major? Sorry, program cancelled.
         Job opening? Not in the state you want.
            Change of departments? Not for long.

And those were just the career related changes. There were plenty more twists relationally, emotionally, and spiritually.

God had His owns reasons for taking me down a winding path to get me here. At the time, each turn in the path felt like a little death to self. (Maybe that’s why they’re called dead ends.) The plans I had for myself had to be surrendered and changed to fit God’s plans. Each one was a wound to my pride in thinking I had everything figured out and under control. And each was a test of whether I was going to trust God’s designs or cling to my own ideas.

Many of us probably memorized Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” We get this mental picture of the road that goes straight ahead without any detours, but that’s rarely how it works out, because God’s ways are not our ways. (My pastor had a great illustration of a path that looks straight until you unfold the paper and see a different line.) We may think we know God’s will, but along comes a dead end and we wonder where God intends for us to go next. Does He know what He’s doing? Does He know that this changes everything in our plans? Of course He does, but we need to grow in faith and humility in order to get where He’s taking us.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” Although Paul was talking about major challenges he’d faced, the same is true of minor course corrections too. Anything that brings death to self is an opportunity to find our true life in Christ. It’s actually a good thing even though it is painful at the time. God specializes in raising the dead to new life.

Paul also wrote, “[Put] off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires… put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22, 24). Our plans are usually for our career and family, but God’s plans are for our sanctification and growth in Christlikeness. We are more useful for His kingdom work when we come to the end of ourselves (again and again) and learn to rely on His strength and wisdom and guidance.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Skinny Cows

Last fall Christianity Today published an article called “Here Come the Skinny Cows.” The authors present several cautions as well as valuable reminders as they look at trends in the church and culture. However, I admit I struggle with their concluding assessment, “To position our churches for long-term sustainability we must avoid unnecessary fears and the intrinsic limitations of a scarcity mindset.” The question for me is: what are unnecessary fears and what are realistic concerns?

I agree we can’t just hunker down and only do the bare minimum of ministry to try to make funds last. We always need to exercise faith in the One who gives us all things. But at the same time, we need to be good stewards of what He has already given us. Just as Joseph helped Egypt conserve grain for seven years before the seven years of famine came, we need to plan carefully for what seems likely to come. God put Joseph in that position for that very reason (Genesis 50:20).

Jesus, in His parable, commended the steward “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Matthew 25:21 ESV). The servant who was chastised was the one who buried his talent in the ground so it couldn’t be lost or used for anything. He wasn’t willing to try something and risk failing.

At another time, Jesus said, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28). While it is tempting to claim this as a divine mandate for strategic planning, that is to ignore the greater context of counting the cost of discipleship. “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple… So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that He has cannot be My disciple” (27, 33). Perhaps then our planning needs to take the form of reminding church members that what they have is not their own.

The early church was fully invested in following their Savior as a united body. “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45). The “rugged individualism” of America today makes this seem like an impossibility. In many cases our churches are funded by what’s left, not what’s first. We are reluctant to surrender any of our comforts or advantages in order to follow Christ wholeheartedly and contribute freely to the ministry He has given us. It’s hard to even get church members to give of their time to assist in the functions of the church, much less contribute sacrificially.

If the “skinny cows” are indeed coming in the near future, we as leaders need to begin preparing now by clearly teaching the cost of discipleship and all that means for our tithes and offerings, our time and talents, and our daily priorities. If members aren’t willing to commit to their church body while things are easy, what will they do as our culture continues to turn away from Christian values? In some countries around the world the decision to be a Christian is a choice of life or death, not a choice of whether to go to church or to the kid’s ballgame. We’ve had it easy for a very long time when compared to the majority of church history.

I believe the other tangible step that we as churches and denominations can take is to assess the true needs for ministry in our communities. Do we need to have church buildings, land, and parsonages that require maintenance? Do we need to purchase Sunday school materials and bulletins? Do we need as many paid staff members? Are there things we should be doing that we aren’t? Are there less expensive ways to do what we believe God has called us to do? We should count the cost, not just in dollars and cents, but in obedience to the One we claim as our Savior and Lord. If we are not following His lead both individually and collectively, we are not being faithful stewards.

Even as we see the trends and evaluate where we are, we can find hope and peace in the fact that God will build His church “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Our favor with culture may disappear entirely, but God’s purposes will prevail. We may lose everything else, but no one can take us out of the Father’s hand (John 10:29). If we continue to plant and water by faith, God will give the growth as He has determined (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Christ and Culture

In 1951 Richard Niebuhr published Christ and Culture, a book that has influenced theological conversations for generations now. You can read a brief summary and critique here and here. Though I don’t plan to address his specific categories of the ways Christians tend to relate to the culture, he does provide food for thought.

Every time an election rolls around, I wonder what Christian voters are expecting to receive from their preferred candidates. All too often, it seems like many are thinking “If my guy gets elected he’ll finally fix all our problems.” They probably know that they can’t pin all their hopes on a politician, but you’d never know that from the rhetoric swirling around on social media. At times like this, I find myself leaning more toward a “Christ against culture” framework, and wishing I could withdraw from the mess altogether. At the very least, I see the tension between Christ and culture.

There are several things we ought to keep in mind regardless of what country we live in, what political party we support, or what church we belong to.

1) Scripture never promises us a comfortable or supportive culture. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword… And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:34, 36 ESV). If we never find ourselves at odds with our culture, chances are good we’re placing our faith somewhere other than in Christ.

2) We are not awaiting a reformation of this sin-broken world, but a redemption from it. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). The whole creation will continue to struggle and groan as we wait for that day (see Romans 8:22-25).

3) The end of time will not come as a gradual, peaceful transition from this world to the next. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matt. 24:7-8). We should not be surprised when conflict comes even within our own nation. No human institution can bring about the utopia we desire.

4) Our allegiance is first and foremost to God. “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” (Galatians 3:28). He is not only our Savior and Lord who has all authority over us, but He should also be the One we most glorify and praise with our words and deeds— “to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 25).

5) We are called to love one another even when we disagree. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:13-15). People may be able to tell your political party by your posts, but can they tell you are Christian by your love (John 13:35)?

If, like me, you are tired of sin, disease, disasters, strife, and turmoil, remember that our ultimate hope is in the God who created this world and sent His Son as a redeeming sacrifice. Let the brokenness of this life drive you to His Word and prayer. Find encouragement in His promises, and look for ways in which the Body of Christ is united and working together for His Kingdom.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world… For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Before a Fall

It has become increasingly common for well-known pastors to make the news because of some questionable words or deeds. In some cases, it is secret sin that has been uncovered. In others it’s a series of poor choices that have resulted in people being hurt. Quite likely there has been some latent pride that created a lack of accountability and led to their downfall. Reputations have been tarnished, and Christians are left wondering whether they can trust anything that person has said or written during their career. I have books written by some of these men, and I have to weigh their value and decide if I’ll ever be able to read them again without being distracted by the author’s failures.

That’s not to say that failure outweighs every good thing a person has ever said or done. If that were the case, we’d all be in trouble. It is only by God’s grace that we have anything good to contribute to the Kingdom. The Apostle Peter had to be confronted for his hypocrisy (Galatians 2). The Apostle Paul was clear in stating his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) and his imperfection (Philippians 3:12). Paul warned, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

We see the results when people we have come to respect fail to live up to those high standards, but all of us are guilty of pride to one degree or another. A little bit of success or recognition and we may soon find ourselves thinking I did good, I am good. And if the success grows, those thoughts may turn into things like: I’ve got it all figured out. I don’t need any help or advice. No one can tell me what to do. They don’t understand the situation like I do. I can do what I want…

We often forget that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 ESV). Pride creates its own blind spot. We may not see it because we don’t really want to see it. Life seems far simpler when we can pass judgment on others without ever seeing the sin in our own hearts. Pride can manifest itself in many ways. It doesn’t always show as seeking the limelight, patting yourself on the back, or taking credit for what others accomplish. It may be a subtle or even blatant disregard for the opinions of others because of their age, gender, race, education, employment, or other factors. It could be ingratitude for what others have done, finding fault with their efforts, or many other variations. Pride is frequently at the root of other sins.

Grace and gratitude are two potent weapons against pride and its offspring. Scripture reminds us that our salvation and sanctification is by grace alone, so we have no reason for boasting (Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:1-10). We are all great sinners in need of a great Savior. If we have a proper view of God’s grace and mercy to us, it is easier to view others in the same light. And similarly, when we are grateful for God’s many blessings to us, we become more grateful for other people as well.

We often have to start with actions and pray that our attitude will follow suit. If I make an effort to find reasons to be grateful for the people who are irritating me, I start becoming more thankful and patient with them. Humility, forgiveness, and thankfulness are all interrelated, as Paul wrote in Colossians:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (3:12-17).

We probably all need some work in the area of humility, lest we find ourselves stumbling over the pride in our hearts. Thankfully, God is more than willing to change us from the inside out if we will let Him do so.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:3, 12-13).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Who's Who

The Gospel Coalition posted this brief video on the subject of identity. Although the title ties it to sex and gender, it really applies all discussions of identity. It reminded me of a quote from Brennan Manning: “Be who you is, ‘cause if you ain’t who you is, you is who you ain’t.” The problem is that who we think we are often does not align with who God has made us to be. He is our Creator and He has absolute ownership rights over us, so He is the one who defines us. If that is true then:

I am not my temptations.

I am not my sins.

I am not my history.

I am not my wounds.

I am not my failures.

I am not my successes.

I am not my relationships.

I am not my academic degrees.

I am not my career.

I am not my abilities.

I am not my nationality.

I am not who I once was.

Who am I?

I am adopted as a child of God (Rom. 8:16).

I am chosen by God (1 Thess. 1:4).

I am a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 4:23).

I am clean (1 Cor. 6:11).

I am justified (Rom. 5:1, 1 Cor. 6:11).

I am sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11, Heb. 10:10).

I am free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

I am a member of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27).

I am God’s workmanship (Eph. 2:10).

I have been set free from sin (Rom 6:18).

I am loved by God (1 John 4:9-10).

I am His worker and ambassador (Eph. 2:10, 2 Cor. 5:20).

We all need to be reminded of the truth frequently—perhaps multiple times per day. The experiences of this life often seem more real than the truths of God’s Word. The old self seems all too lively in spite of having been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6). As Sam Allberry said in the video above, “the old self hasn’t left the building yet, and I feel his presence daily.” Scripture is full of the reminders we need, if we’ll just take the time to read it, pray through it, and believe it.

“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3 NJKV).

Here are a few songs I’ve found helpful as well:

  “You Are More” -Tenth Avenue North

  “I Belong” -The Digital Age

  “Remind Me Who I Am” -Jason Gray

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Worship Reflections

I’ve been reading on the subject of worship lately. The books I’ve read have all agreed that the Bible does not give much specific guidance on how Christian worship should look and sound. Each author has their own emphases and preferences, some of which I agree with and some I don’t. But rather than state my own opinions, I’ll simply offer a few quotes that caught my attention:

D.A. Carson, Worship by the Book:

“[You] cannot find excellent corporate worship until you stop trying to find excellent corporate worship and pursue God himself… one sometimes wonders if we are beginning to worship worship rather than worship God” (31).

Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters:

“Our great privilege as worship leaders is to help people see through the eyes of faith how great God has actually revealed himself to be… We’re called to clearly and specifically remind them what God has shown us about himself” (62).

“Biblically speaking, no worship leader, pastor, band, or song will ever bring us close to God. We can’t shout, dance, or prophesy our way into God’s presence. Worship itself cannot lead us into God’s presence. Only Jesus himself can bring us into God’s presence, and he has done it through a single sacrifice that will never be repeated—only joyfully recounted and trusted in” (73-74).

“Eagerly expecting the Spirit’s power in our meetings goes hand in hand with a radical commitment to the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word… A church that’s dependent on the Spirit’s power in worship will be committed to the study, proclamation, and application of God’s Word in its personal and congregational worship. The Word and the Spirit were never meant to be separated. In fact, God’s Spirit is the one who inspired God’s Word” (89).

Robert Webber, Worship Old & New:

“[The] overriding concern of worship is… a personal meeting with God. On one side, the emphasis is on God who has acted; on the other side, the emphasis is on humans responding. In this way something happens in worship: God and his people meet. Worship is not simply going through the motions of ceremony. It becomes the visible and tangible meeting of God through the signs and symbols of his presence” (ch. 7).

“The external and internal elements of worship must be assembled properly to give worship a sense of movement and a dynamic quality. Because the entire congregation constitutes the players in the drama of worship, it is important that all of the members know their parts, understand the meaning of what is being done, and participate purposefully. For this reason it is important to remember that worship is a group activity and that the meaning of worship must be learned” (ch. 7).

“Music must be seen in its pastoral context as fundamentally an enabler of fuller congregational participation. Music must serve the text of worship rather than function as an interruption or an interlude” (ch. 11).

Many articles and books have been written about “worship wars,” usually referring to musical styles. Here in the suburban Bible belt there are churches every couple miles, so it is easy for someone to bounce around until they find a church that fits their preferences. But I do think most Christians are pretty tolerant of variations from week to week. No single church or person has the final word. God created us with great diversity and calls all of us to worship Him both individually and collectively. Every facet of our lives can be worship if we remember that it is all by God’s grace and for His glory (Romans 12:1-2).

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:4 ESV).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Seeing Results

One Sunday recently in Sunday school we were talking about God sightings, and a few people shared ways they had seen God at work that week. This week I had a few answers to prayer. One was a specific solution to a technical problem that came to me during the night. The next day I found Psalm 16:7 (ESV), “I bless the Lord, who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” God had done exactly that.

Another answer to prayer was that multiple people came to basically the same conclusion on an issue independently. It seemed clear to all of us that God was closing that particular door. That led me to Psalm 38:15, “But for You, O Lord, do I wait; it is You, O Lord my God, who will answer.” God provided the answer when it was needed.

Earlier in the week I read 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” I was really puzzling over how that kind of encouragement can be accomplished when so much of what I deal with from day to day is confidential for various reasons. But by the end of the week I knew that friends don’t necessarily need to know all the details of a problem in order to pray for you and thereby encourage you. Some prayer requests must be shared only in general terms, and prayer must be offered in faith that God knows all the details.

However, that doesn’t mean that prayers need to be vague. I always wonder what people mean when they pray “God, be with so and so” or “bless them.” God is always with us and He is always blessing us in one way or another, so what do those prayers accomplish? I know those phrases have become a kind of Christianese shorthand for “accomplish good things in that person’s life,” but we can tend to use words without much thought or purpose. Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7).

There are plenty of biblical prayers that we can pray even when we don’t know the details of what a person is dealing with. Praying for wisdom and guidance is usually a good idea (Colossians 1:9). Who doesn’t need wisdom in the complex decisions we have to make every week? Prayer for the right words at the right time is beneficial for the wide variety of relationships we have (Ephesians 6:19). And we could all use prayers for growth in faith (Ephesians 4:15-16). We may not know exactly what to pray, but “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

In the situations I’ve mentioned, my primary prayer was for wisdom in what I should do. God gave clear direction in each case. If I had prayed only vague prayers, though God would still have done what He willed, I probably would not have noticed His answer. My faith was strengthened by seeing how God was at work not just in my own life and circumstances but in other people as well. “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith… praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:16, 18).

May we all be spurred on to pray specifically and persistently for those we know, and may we find encouragement in learning how God has answered those prayers.

“In the day of trouble I call upon You, for You answer me” (Psalm 86:7).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.