Arts and the Church

The arts shine a light on the experience of life: sometimes celebrating life in all its goodness and beauty; sometimes raging against life in all its evil and ugliness; in either case, the arts help us see more clearly something we might otherwise not see at all.

If the First Baptist Church of Kalamazoo turns our building into a Center for the Arts, we might well discover new opportunities to carry out God’s mission. Here’s how:

Building Connections with People: Laughing with those who laugh; weeping with those who weep; listening to the life stories of people, and looking for the image of God in each person: this is the way Jesus lived and the way he invites us to live. A Center for the Arts could provide new opportunities for us to build such connections. 

Inviting People into Community: The church provides invitational opportunities as we “party” together (sharing our lives and meals whenever possible), worship together (giving thanks for God’s presence in our beautiful yet broken world), and serve together (acting with compassion toward those in need and speaking truth to those in power). A Center for the Arts could give us many doors by which people could not only enter our building, but enter God’s mission. 

Connecting People to Jesus: The mission of the church is not to criticize, condemn, or debate; it is to help people experience the extravagant love of God revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Those in the arts who connect more easily with those on the margins of society than with those who are deeply religious are often closer to Jesus than they imagine.

Pray with us for discernment in knowing if God is indeed calling our church to a new future, and for boldness and courage in moving forward if we become convinced this is the case.

Book Intro

“I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, 'How many good things have you done in your life?' rather he will ask, 'How much love did you put into what you did?”

― Mother Teresa

As part of our daily routine, my wife and I watch the evening news with Brian Williams on NBC. It is important to us that we have an idea of what’s happening around the world, though some days we wonder why. The effect of hearing about pain and suffering, greed and violence, one tragedy followed by another, day after day is sometimes more than we can bear. Love of God and love of neighbor are both woefully absent.

The world is broken

 

This may be hard to imagine, but a century ago, there were countless people who believed the world was getting better and better. Among other things, they believed science and education would bring the necessary enlightenment to solve all the world’s problems.

Then came World War I, the Great Depression, World War II with the Holocaust and the atom bomb, and then the Cold War and its threat of mutually assured destruction. In a span of fifty years any talk of a better world had come to sound hopelessly idealistic.

Another fifty years have passed and the world strikes us as being so badly broken it can never be fixed. Occasionally there are signs of hope; even the NBC news ends with a “Making a Difference” segment that points out something good someone has done. However, most people today – and especially those who are younger – have a dim view of the world and its future.

The Bible says sin is at the heart of the world’s problems. Sin is not a matter of breaking some arbitrary laws God has insisted we obey; it is putting ourselves first, seeking our own well-being at the expense of others. Sin is ultimately a love of self that leaves little room for either love of God or neighbor.

In one of life’s great ironies, it is this love of self that inevitably becomes self-destructive. Too many end up as broken people living in a broken world that looks like this:

·        A man enjoys the intimate embrace of a woman, but has no time for the child born as a result of it.

·        A woman commits adultery and tells her husband of twenty years, “I never really loved you!”

·        A company executive lays off older employees, demands more work at less pay from younger ones and is given a bonus for doing so.

·        A general sends troops into certain death in pursuit of a military objective of uncertain value.

·        A society acts with hurtful prejudice toward those who are of a different race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

·        A leader kills tens of thousands of his own people in order to prop up his failing regime.

These are but a few examples of human sinfulness and probably not even the worst. What they share in common, though, is the devastation and destruction they produce.

Unfortunately, our attempts to fix what’s wrong with the world have accomplished little. We declared a war on drugs and imprisoned everyone who sold or possessed them, but what we ended up with 40 years and a trillion dollars later were overcrowded prisons and no appreciable decline in drug use. Many wonder what has accomplished by “wars” on poverty, crime, or illegal immigration, or by our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

God has a plan to fix our broken world

There isn’t actually much new about the problems we face today. Our weapons may be more destructive than what has come before, but those of us who wield them are probably no more evil than our ancestors.

Some days we might wish we could eliminate everyone who is part of the problem. If we did so, however, there might not be anyone left.

The biblical story of Noah describes this very thing. God wiped out the whole world and started all over with only one good man and his family. The flood didn’t solve anything, though, because afterward God could see the inclination of the human heart to evil remained unchanged.

God’s plan to fix a broken world began anew by calling Abraham, who was old and childless, to leave everything for a new land where he would be the founder of a new people. God revealed himself to Abraham and his descendants in ways that were personal and powerful. Through Moses God gave his Law to let people know how they ought to live; God also prescribed a means of offering sacrifices when people failed to live as they should.

Some great things happened as the Chosen People lived in the Promised Land, but there were still huge problems. Rather than being a light to other nations, the Chosen People too often ended up being just like them. This national failure included a leadership problem as many of the kings lived in open rebellion against God.

Prophets arose to confront these evil rulers and to speak of God’s plan for a coming king, an anointed Messiah, who would rule in righteousness, establishing a kingdom where the “shalom” (peace and well-being) God desired for the world would become a reality. People began to look forward to this “Day of the Lord” when the broken world would be fixed.

Hundreds of years passed before Jesus burst on the scene saying, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Turn from your evil ways and believe the good news.” This proclamation of the coming kingdom was accompanied by acts of healing and other miraculous signs.  God’s light was shining in the darkness as the “shalom” of God began to impact our broken world through Jesus.

Excited crowds followed him in eager anticipation of what was to come if he truly was the Messiah, but no one was prepared for Jesus to be arrested and crucified. Jesus had given hints of his sacrificial death all along, but everyone was too excited about his expected triumph to pay much attention to them.

The death of Jesus, however, was central to God’s plan. Human depravity is simply too great to be overlooked. God’s love is vast enough to forgive everyone who does wrong, but doing so would trivialize every victim’s pain and suffering in ways totally inconsistent with God’s love.

Neither is it possible for humanity to atone for the wrong we have done. A drunk driver who sobers up and convinces hundreds of others to act responsibly has still done nothing to make it right with the family whose child was killed in an alcohol-fueled accident. 

We all stand condemned for the things we have done and for the things we have failed to do. Doing nothing to restrain evil allows it to thrive.

God’s plan recognizes there is a price to be paid for all of this, a price beyond what any of us or all of us could pay even with our lives. 

The only suffering that could possible atone for the suffering of humanity would be the suffering of God himself. This is the mystery and the miracle of the cross: Jesus, the Son of God who knew no sin, took our sins upon himself and died in our place.

The cross was at the heart of God’s plan, but it was not the end of it. God raised Jesus from the dead, affirming the truth of everything Jesus had said and done. The resurrection also assured the return of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords, and our own resurrection in the recreated heavens and earth.

You have a place in God’s plan

This is God’s plan to fix a broken world and you have a place in it. Simply believing the story is not enough; God wants you to live it day by day.

God has not left us in the dark concerning how we ought to live. In Matthew 22:34-40 Jesus gave us a summary of everything God asks of us: 

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

By summarizing the Law in this way, Jesus made it simple to obey God, but he did not make it easy.

To love God with all our heart, soul and mind calls for total commitment. It changes how we worship, what we value and how we live every aspect of our lives.

Likewise, to love our neighbor as ourselves sets the bar high. This is not about tolerating each other or learning to get along, but about caring as much about the well-being of others as we do about our own.

Neither love for God nor love for neighbor comes to us naturally because we live in a world that teaches us just the opposite. In order for us to love our neighbors – and even our enemies – in the way God wants, there is much for us to learn, and much for us to unlearn.

The purpose of this book is to help you grow in your love for God by learning to love your neighbor. As you experience this journey over the coming months, may you indeed find your place in God’s plan to fix a broken world, and may the process of discovering it be the adventure of a lifetime!

Postscript: Duck Dynasty

I didn't expect to add any more postings to this blog, but the Phil Robertson (Duck Dynasty patriarch) controversy over his GQ interview comments on homosexuality concerns me in many ways.

I could comment on the political correctness issues or the attacks on religious liberty or the liberal/conservative tensions, but those things have been around for years and have received plenty of comments.

What caught my eye was the official Duck Dynasty response found at www.duckcommander.com. Included in that response is the following statement:  Phil is a Godly man who follows what the Bible says are the greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Let me begin by saying Robertson's interview is a strange expression of "Love your neighbor as yourself."

I suppose he thought he was doing a loving thing by witnessing to the interviewer and saying Americans should repent of their sin and accept Jesus as Savior. When asked what he thought was sinful, Robertson responded, "“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men." Considering all that the Bible says, I found this a strange and generally unhelpful way to explain sin.

How different things might have gone if Robertson's response had defined sin as something other than sex. Suppose he had talked about pride or materialism or prejudice? Surely that would have been less like preaching and more like a heart-to-heart talk.

Discussing the prejudice with which we all struggle, however, would almost certainly not have come easily to Robertson. When asked about growing up in the south during the pre-civil rights era, he commented that he had never seen the mistreatment of any black person. Those he saw during this "pre-entitlement, pre-welfare" era "...were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

The naiveté of these comments on race relations and the harshness of some of his other statements in the interview reflect little grasp of either the depth of sin or the breadth of grace. 

I believe Phil Robertson's family when they speak of the central role God plays in his life; I also believe he has a long way to go in his spiritual journey, especially if he keeps trying to convert those he hasn't bothered to understand at all with a gospel he hasn't bothered to understand much either. 

Perhaps this time in Phil Robertson's life will give him a unique opportunity to grow in grace and become more like Jesus. And perhaps it will give all of us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Epilogue

On September 1, our “90-Day ‘Love Your Neighbor’ Adventure” began. Yesterday was Day 90. Many have contacted me to let me know they appreciate these daily devotionals. I have to admit, I did them as much for my own benefit as anyone else’s. Indeed, I have been greatly blessed by the "neighbors" God has brought into my life during these past three months.

Now a new chapter begins and I want to let you know about two things that might interest you:

1. In early January, I expect to begin a new “Love God” series of devotionals in a similar format to what these have been. I think this will be the prequel to the Love Your Neighbor series. Taking December off lets me prepare for the new series. It also lets some readers catch up with devotionals they have put away to read later. :-)

2. By Easter, I hope to have the Love Your Neighbor studies revised and published in book form for small group use. Such a format, I suspect, will allow for the kind of discussion and interaction that will deepen the impact of these Scriptures.

Thank you for being part of this Love Your Neighbor Adventure. If God has used this material in your life in some special way, please let me know. I would especially like to know if God has led you to reach out and touch the life of someone else during these past 90 days.

As we enter the season of Advent, I have no doubt God will give you many opportunities to Love Your Neighbor in the incredible, extravagant way that God has loved you!

Dave Nichols

dnich1803@gmail.com

 

Day 90: Beloved Community

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Comments

After Pentecost and with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the early church grew rapidly. It’s growth was natural; it’s growth was supernatural.

It is hard to read the Acts 2 description of the church without noting the love they had for one another:

· They learned together, fellowshipped together, ate together, prayed together, worshipped together

· They shared their meals, their homes, their property, their possessions, their lives

Reflections

Christian faith is not about me preparing for heaven some day; it’s about the beloved community living for God right now. In what way has this been (or not been) your church experience?

How will you come together with others to love your neighbors, showing God’s love in tangible ways to each other and to a world that is desperate to know that someone cares?

Prayer

Dwell in our midst, Lord, as we seek to share our lives as your people now and always.

 

Day 89: Abiding

John 15:5-10

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Comments

Jesus uses the grapevine as a vivid image of what it means to be his disciple. The vine draws its life from the branch and produces fruit as a result.

“Remain” appears seven times in this short passage. Other translations have Jesus saying, “abide” in me or “live” in me or “dwell” in me. All of these point to the same intimate, life-giving connection.

Reflections

What part of your day or week is given over to abiding in Christ? Do you set aside a block of time or find that several brief periods work better?

Most importantly, are you experiencing the life-giving nourishment and producing the love-bearing fruit of that connection?

Prayer

Help me never think of myself as being so busy, Lord, that I can’t find time to stay connected to your love and life every day.

 

Day 88: Spirit Power

Acts 1:3-8

He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Comments

The crucifixion dashed the disciples’ hope that Jesus would restore the kingdom to Israel and make all things right. The resurrection gave them new hope, but Jesus made it clear that the Second Coming was not immediately on the agenda.

The true and immediate hope of the disciples was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would empower their witness and bring God’s kingdom in a different way.

Reflections

Many people become obsessed with figuring out when Jesus will come again even though Jesus clearly discouraged such thinking about "times and dates." In what way has the teaching of any such “prophecy expert” helped you become more like Jesus?

Have you experienced the promised power of the Holy Spirit in your life and witness?

Prayer

Fill me with your Spirit, Lord, that my life and witness might be, not in my power but in your power, and not for my glory, but for your glory.

 

Day 87: Promised Spirit

John 14:23-27

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Comments

Jesus says, “If you love me, you will obey me.” He doesn’t say, “If you obey me, you will love me.” Unlike the chicken and the egg, this is a case where what comes first truly matters.

Loveless obedience is common in legalistic churches. Such an approach, unfortunately, leaves a trail of frustration and destruction wherever it goes.

The key to obeying in love is the Holy Spirit, whose presence in our lives reminds us of Jesus’ teachings. The fruit of the Spirit’s work in our life is peace and a noticeable lack of fear.

Reflection

Was there a time in your life when obedience came out of a sense of obligation rather than out of love? What was that like? What changed things for you?

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, for promising us your Spirit and giving us your peace. In our hectic, harried world, these are priceless treasures.

 

Day 86: Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Comments

The crucifixion of Jesus was such a devastating turn of events that, even after the resurrection, some of the disciples still doubted. What Jesus said next, though, was addressed to all the disciples, even those who had doubts.

The Great Commission, to “go and make disciples of all nations,” focused on teaching new disciples to obey. Jesus emphasized orthopraxis (correct living) rather than orthodoxy (correct doctrine). The commands at the heart of correct living centered on love: love God, love your neighbor, love your enemy, do not love the world.

The disciples were not left on their own to fulfill the Great Commission; Jesus promised to be with them always.

Reflections

To what extent is the Great Commission central to your life and the life of your church?

Jesus told the disciples to go into the world, not to wait until the world came to them. How much of your time is given to “go and make disciples” versus “go to church?”

Prayer

Show me, Lord, what I can do to fulfill the Great Commission, and reassure me that you are with me every step of the way.

 

Day 85: Sabbath Reflections

 

I rarely have trouble falling asleep at night, but I often wake up early, sometimes in the middle of the night. A doctor treating me for an ulcer long ago told me not to worry about not sleeping because that would only make it worse. Now I see it more as an opportunity to spend quiet time with God.

This week I had one of these episodes and I began to reflect on my prayer life, which is certainly not one I would lift up as a model for others to follow. I struggle the most with intercessory prayers. When I pray for God to heal someone or fix some problem in a person’s life, I sometimes feel like I’m just complaining or demanding: “Come on, God. How could you let this happen? Get to work and make it right!”

When I get in this frame of mind, I realize I need an attitude adjustment and God helps me put things in fresh perspective. When I pray for God’s intervention, I realize that God knows what I want even before I ask, and the message I hear from God is often “In time” or simply “Trust me.”

What I was thinking about this week in the middle of the night were other prayers for which God’s answer is an immediate “Of course!” These prayers invite God to shape my life, making me into the person I was created to be, someone more like Jesus. Such prayers often begin with short phrases: “Humble me. Encourage me. Remind me. Lead me. Teach me. Use me. Stop me. Help me. Embolden me. Convict me. Forgive me. Empower me.”  

Almost always these prayers lead to another prayer that begins: “Thank You!”

--

 

Day 84: Prayer Challenge #12

This is the final prayer challenge in the 90-Day “Love Your Neighbor” Adventure. If not the greatest challenge, it is perhaps the greatest opportunity because it is such a privilege to invite someone to follow Jesus.

I suppose it would be possible to become the follower of almost any well-known historical figure. For instance, you could become a follower of George Washington if you read what he wrote, learned as much about him as you could, and then tried to be like him.

Following Jesus is very different for one simple reason: God raised Jesus from the dead. You might emulate George Washington, but you can’t really have much of a relationship with him. With Jesus you can. Not only can you talk to Jesus, but he can talk to you and even fill you with power through the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.

This final challenge begins with this prayer: “Lord Jesus, lead me to someone who is already sensing your call. Through your Holy Spirit, give me the words to say to invite them to follow you.”

Here is one way you might go about this. Read Kyle Idleman’s book, “Not a Fan. Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus.” Then ask God to show you someone to whom you can give the book. After the person has read at least the prologue, just ask, “What do you think?” It should be the beginning of a wonderful conversation!

Day 83: Back to Work

John 21:3-6

“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Comments

The weeks between the resurrection and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost had to be difficult ones for the disciples. For three years they had followed Jesus, but now he was no longer with them in the way he always had been.

Uncertain what to do next, Peter decided to go back to what he had been before: a fisherman. Fishing was a business for him, not a leisure activity. He may have followed Jesus for three years, but he had never gotten rid of his boat and nets.

Peter went back to what he knew well, but it didn’t exactly work out for him; he was now a fisherman who was catching no fish.

Reflections

Do you remember what your life was like before following Jesus? Could you go back to that life again? Would it work out better now than it did then?

Prayer

Help me realize, Lord, that even when I become discouraged following you, I can’t go back to what I was. Keep me moving forward, encouraged by your grace.