EXPERIMENTS

I've said before that "Heretic!" is the theological realm's version of politics' "Racist!" 

Like "racist", "heretic" used to mean something fairly specific, but now the smallest step away from established orthodoxy gets labeled heresy.

And - like "racist", it's a great word to shout if you want to shut up your opponent. 

But what if we took H. G. Wells' framing?

“Heresies are experiments in man’s unsatisfied search for truth.”

If we didn't attach our egos so tightly to our doctrinal stances, we might be able to hold onto our "truths" a little more lightly.

And allow others to do the same.

SYNONYMS FOR SALVATION

It's starting to dawn on me that one of modern American Christianity's biggest problems is a basic mis-framing of the gospel. 

It's not intentional. We use the biblical term "salvation" (Greek soteria) and it's a great word, but I think everyone tends to mentally tack 2 words onto it that weren't originally there:

"From hell."

Salvation ... from hell.

And with those 2 imagined words, all of the carefully developed themes running from Genesis to Revelation get brushed aside in the effort to "save people from hell". 

The Greek word for "salvation" has connotations of "welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, and safety".

Think how differently Acts 4:12 sounds with any of those words substituted for the normal translation of "salvation".

Compare: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

To: "Preservation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be preserved.”

Or: "Safety is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be brought into safety.”

Or: "Deliverance is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be delivered.”

Any of those alternatives make it seem like God desires to rescue us from some present problem. And rightly so! 

Why do we automatically read "salvation" as rescue from some future problem?

Is it time to employ synonyms for "salvation"? Would that help to get the gospel back on track?

I KNOW A GUY ... OR A GAL

A little different sort of post here this evening, because I love telling people about an organization I am a part of called BNI. I have learned so much and have made some great new friends along the way...

Fixing the Hole Where the Rain Comes In

Last week I had an urgent need to get a hole in my roof fixed before a scheduled appointment with a house appraiser.

I considered attempting the repair myself … and then came to my senses.

Now normally I procrastinate on calling in the professionals on such projects because I don’t know who to call. How do you find someone you can trust to do the work well and charge you a reasonable price, you know?  

But this time? Well, I knew a guy.

Randy.

And Randy isn’t just a roofer. I consider him a friend.

We met through BNI.

What is BNI?

At 7:00 every Tuesday morning for the past year, I have driven to the Moose Lodge in downtown Columbus, taken the elevator to the basement, and then spent the next hour and fifteen minutes with about 20 or so businessmen and women. Strangers a year ago, I now consider these folks my friends.

Business Network International is an organization meant to foster trust and referrals between businesspeople. Meetings are structured to maximize relationships and communication. I am there to represent Mission Resource. 

Each week members get the opportunity to share a 30-second “commercial” describing some aspect of their business or a particular type of customer they are looking for. And each week one member gets a full 10 minutes in the spotlight to share about their business in greater depth.

Throughout the week members are expected to get together for one-to-one meetings, continue business networking education, and pass referrals.

I can honestly say, as I have gotten to know my fellow members, I would gladly and confidently recommend any of their businesses.

I Know a Guy … or a Gal

In my chapter we have a variety of professions represented.

So if you live around the Columbus, Indiana area and find yourself in need of a banker, an insurance agent, a realtor, a chiropractor, a roofer, an electrician, an investor, a graphic designer/printer, a florist, a CPA, an office cleaner, a payroll service provider, a window blinds installer, a radio advertiser, or someone who deals in promotional products, give me a call.

I can point you towards someone who is competent and trustworthy.

Randy needed several hours to replace a small section of decking and all the necessary shingles but only charged me $250 for supplies and labor.

I’m a tightwad, but even I thought that was a good deal! I will be calling Randy again in the future.

And I will gladly pass his number to you after the next hailstorm or anytime you need a free estimate on roof or siding work!

P.S. Come See for Yourself

If you are a business owner in the Columbus area whose enterprise might benefit from referrals, I would love to personally introduce you to my BNI chapter. Visitors are always welcome at our meetings. Give me a call and we will set something up.

INTERPRETIVE HUMILITY

I listen to a lot of theological debates on YouTube. They always feature individuals who are cocksure that their interpretations of various passages of Scripture are 100% correct while their opponents are mistaken.

I was talking to the teens yesterday morning at our Bible study about ways Hebrew varies from English as a language - 

• completely different letters
• no vowels
• written and read right to left
• no punctuation

When you add all those considerations to all the other language distinctives like idioms and verb tenses as well as the overall fact that the Bible was written in and to an entirely different culture thousands of years ago ...

It's amazing to me that we don't exercise so much more humility in our interpretation of it! 

GROWING CLARITY IN MY DISSERTATION

Officially, I haven't made much progress on my dissertation work these past few months.

Unofficially, though, I have done the most important work: zeroing in on the best approach for the ministry I want to pursue. 

Originally, I wanted it to be all online. I imagined automating a series of 40 short, daily emails. That aspect of my prospectus got shot down by my professor. He thought it needed a face-to-face component. 

In retrospect, I now agree. Too much of our lives are disconnected and online as it is. Matters of faith are transmitted primarily through relationships. 

That said, I haven't tossed the email concept - I just decided that it would not be the best starting point. 

A new direction was inspired by a call from the youth pastor at my church yesterday evening. She had the teens at a campground for the evening and I was still in the car returning from Milwaukee when she called. She was excited to report that our youth had been talking about wanting me to organize a weekend fall retreat at the Baptist camp. 

A retreat!

Now THAT could be a good starting point. 

An educational retreat followed by an automated chain of emails to reinforce the learning might be the perfect combo for what I have in mind.

My interest is in fostering the spiritual discipline of regular personal Bible study among believers. (Perhaps specifically among teenagers. We'll see.)

I see two main obstacles which currently stand in the way of this being as widespread of a practice as it ought to be:

1. Having a framework for understanding the Bible as a whole. 

    Our approach to Scripture within the church at large is scattershot. We assume people know more about Scripture than they really do and then we jump from passage to passage without context.

2. Exercising self discipline.

    This is where it would be so useful for individuals to have an understanding of what James Clear and others have uncovered about how the mind works in forming habits. 

If I could organize a retreat where believers are given some training on those two pillars and practice with a practical way to study the Bible at home on their own and then follow up with 40 days of emails - THAT might be the winning combination. 

BIG DIFFERENCE

"It is the inner life of the soul that we must aim to transform, and then behavior will naturally and easily follow. But not the reverse." 

This quote from Dallas Willard sums up much of what his book, The Divine Conspiracy, is all about. (p. 144)

The Christian life isn't so much about changed behavior as it is about a changed heart.

It put me in mind of some teaching from James Clear about habit formation. 

"Many people begin the process of changing their habits by focusing on what they want to achieve. This leads us to outcome-based habits. The alternative is to build identity-based habits. With this approach, we start by focusing on who we wish to become."

The key is to take our eyes off what it is we hope to achieve - in the case of the Christian, true righteousness - and focus instead on our identity: what type of person we desire to become.

This is the difference between striving to do good deeds on God's behalf ... and becoming like Christ Himself, loving God and loving neighbors. 

ALEX'S WEDDING

Today was a picture-perfect day for a wedding and Melissa and I thoroughly enjoyed our time with friends and family. Nephew Alex was joined to lovely Karina at a ceremony in a large Catholic church outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Since we arrived last night, Melissa and I got to enjoy a relaxed morning with Samuel and Hannah exploring a small town situated on the shore of a local lake. 

The wedding itself didn't begin until 2 pm. It's great being a part of a wedding in which you have no responsibilities beyond showing up on time!

(But I do look forward to someday serving in the role of father of the bride or groom.)

We enjoyed the opportunity to spend a little over 24 hours with Samuel. So glad he decided to take a couple of days off from selling books to be here.

Our two got to reconnect with some of their cousins - and, I believe, found opportunity for deeper friendship now that the cousins are teens.

The bride and groom were stunning and seemed to revel thoroughly in being surrounded by their loved ones. 

And the reception was such a good time - right there in the ballroom of the hotel where all the guests were staying. It made it so convenient. 

Good to spend time with brothers Russ and Ryan and their wives. 

And what a treat to see my mom's sister Ann and my uncle Dave - it's been years now. (And it was like having part of mom present for the occasion.)

Alex and Karina are off to a grand start. We're praying that God grants them many happy years together.