Blogger Jon Acuff has written about what he calls “Jesus Jukes”. Here is his definition of the “Jesus Juke”:

Like a football player juking you at the last second and going a different direction, the Jesus Juke is when someone takes what is clearly a joke filled conversation and completely reverses direction into something serious and holy.

I would argue that “Jesus Jukes” are not limited to “joke filled conversation.” I believe the “Jesus Juke” can happen in serious conversations as well.

This morning, I was reading a report about an Indiana UM church that has an incredible ministry feeding hungry people in their community. They average about 110 in worship. And, they tend to serve over 100 meals to hungry children, men, and women. They serve lunches anytime school is out (Spring Break, Christmas Break, summer vacation). They also provide free books and tutoring. The story was incredible. 

Then came the “Jesus Juke” in the comment section. The comment simply said, “This is good – but are you teaching them Jesus?”

In my opinion, the author of the comment should have stopped with “This is good.” Generally, when someone inserts a “but” they are going to discredit whatever they said prior to the “but.” Kind of like, “I really don’t mean to offend you, BUT…” and then you proceed to say something ridiculously offensive. 

Seriously…you hear a story about a church feeding hungry people and your question is “are you teaching them Jesus?” It’s like the author of the comment was discrediting the feeding of the hungry because the pastor and church members are not “preaching the Gospel” or offering altar calls at the end of lunch. 

Church-folk have a tendency to do this…to overlook the incredible ministry that is taking place in order to get to the bottom line. “Are you teaching them Jesus?” “How many people got saved?” These are questions we commonly hear.

I’ll never forget having someone ask me how many people we “saved” in Guatemala. My response was, “Well, we built tables and benches for a feeding center that feeds around 100 kids everyday. We worked on the foundation of a house for a soon-to-be-homeless family. We did a lot of work on the clinic, which sees a great deal of people on a daily basis. So, while we didn’t exactly pray the ‘sinners prayer’ with anyone, I’d guess we probably ‘saved’ around 300 people…give or take.” 

Of course, it wasn’t the answer he was looking for. However, it might be the answer Jesus is looking for. It doesn’t seem like Jesus is keeping a “souls saved” score card for his followers. At the end of my life, I don’t think Jesus is going to ask me “how many people did you save?” 

However, Jesus might ask me how many hungry people I fed. He might ask me how many naked people I clothed. He might ask me how many sick and imprisoned people I visited and cared for. He might ask me how I cared for the orphaned, the widowed, the least of these. He might ask how I provided shelther for the homeless.

While I might like to talk about how many kids “came to Jesus” at a middle school camp I directed…and Jesus might be pleased…I think he might indicate that, while that’s “all good stuff”, I may have missed the point. 

Maybe, as Christians, we could stop “Jesus Juking” everything and start celebrating together. We should celebrate people “getting saved” through the means of verbally preaching the Gospel. We should celebrate people “getting saved” by being fed, tutored, and cared for in practical ways.

I don’t know…feel free to “Jesus Juke” me anytime. Just know that I’ll probably make fun of you!

 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’  Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’   And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life.” ~Matthew 25:34-46

By now, many of you have read the headlines or viewed the evening news stories regarding the arrest of a Lafayette area pastor on some bizarre charges. Given that these events are basically happening in our own backyard, I felt like responding in some manner.

First, my heart breaks for the church, the innocent victims, the family of the pastor, and for the pastor himself.

Second, it appears that we live in a “guilty until proven innocent” culture, rather than one where a person is “innocent until proven guilty”. While it appears that the evidence is pointing in the direction of the pastor, we do not know for sure that he is indeed guilty. Yet, the media is already on top of the story…plastering patchy details and images all over the place. And, so, I struggle with this too…I’ve already cast my judgment. But, at the same time, my heart wants to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe a disgruntled employee is setting him up? Who knows? In this world, anything is possible.

Third, the damage has been done. Regardless of the verdict, lives have been forever changed. Trust has been compromised. Integrity has been questioned. Allegations have been made…and, even if this pastor is proven to be innocent, the damage has been done…to the church, to his family, to the victims, to his ministry. There will be fallout…people will leave that particular church….people might walk away from the Church (big “C”…as in the universal church)…people might walk away from their faith. This may be the final strike for some.

Fourth, I struggle with how to respond. Part of me cries out, “That sick _______ (fill-in the blank with some offensive term).” Part of me wants to know how to respond in love, grace, mercy, and humility. Part of me is filled with anger because of the damage that this causes to the Church…this is not a case where “any press is good press.” This doesn’t help the Movement! Yet, part of me wants to respond in compassion because I know this can happen anywhere.

Fifth, I reminded of the importance of taking steps to protect myself…my family…my ministry…my church…my denomination. Scripture calls leaders to live “above reproach”…leading “blameless” lives. While that is essentially impossible…that is the call…that is what we strive towards (as Wesley would encourage all to “strive after perfection in love.”). Therefore, we need to take steps that protect our ministry from allegations that could destroy the very things we love. Sure, we take risks to share the love, hope, joy, grace, and peace of Jesus with all. But, we do so in ways that, at the end of the day, won’t produce ministry-ending repercussions. I mean, it is one thing for a pastor to get arrested for protesting a violation of civil rights…it’s another thing to get arrested for the pending charges in this case.

Sixth, I believe it is important to get help before it’s too late. If the allegations in this story are true, then there must have been some indications that something was messed up. Pastoral pride, you know…the “I’m the pastor, so I’m supposed to have it all figured out” thing…sometimes gets in the way of pastors seeking the help they need. Too often, pastors (and others) repress their struggles. They operate in “super-pastor” mode and fail to honestly deal with their humanness. Therefore, instead of dealing with their issues in a healthy manner, they act out in destructive ways.

Seventh, I’ve seen this way too many times. I’ve experienced it from a distance. I’ve experienced it a lot closer to home. Whether it’s a megachurch pastor getting “happy endings” from a known male prostitute, a pastor having an affair with a member of his congregation, a pastor crossing ethical lines with one of her staff members, or a pastor who hides his addiction (to whatever)…we’ve seen it too often.

Eighth, at the end of the day, we simply need honesty. Because, let’s face it…aren’t we all messed up? Maybe you’re not messed up in a way that will land you on the 11 o’clock news or the front page of the paper. But, if you’re going to be honest with yourself (and others), you know you have some issues. I mean, my language, my overly-cynical attitude, my eating and drinking habits, my tendency to be quick to judge, my lack of compassion, my failure to truly love the least in meaningful ways, my desire to convince others that “everything is okay” even when it’s not…these are issues that if not dealt with in a healthy manner could eventually cause some major problems.

So, we need to ask ourselves how we are going to handle our issues. Will we deal with our stuff in a healthy manner? Will we get professional help, if necessary? Will we find some trusted friends who will help hold us accountable? Or will we attempt to take the focus off of our “stuff” by pointing out others shortcomings? Will we strive to hide our stuff or will we strive towards honesty and love?

So the church’s supervisor must be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, sober, modest, and honest. They should show hospitality and be skilled at teaching. 1 Timothy 3:2, CEB

This weekend, I found myself going overboard on the whole “judging others” thing…

While attending a class at MTSO, I began to have ideas for blog posts based on types of pastors. And, that’s where the judging began…

There would be a post titled “The Creepy Pastor”. This post would have been based on a man that I do not know. I have only seen him and observed some of his actions. Based on his appearance and his actions, I have made a snap judgment and labeled him as “creepy.”

Following “The Creepy Pastor” would have been a post on “The Lazy Pastor”. This post would have been based on a whole group of pastors who prefer to get in their cars and drive to the dining hall, rather than walking across the street and up the sidewalk. I don’t know anything about the physical health of these pastors. So, my judgment was just based on observing them driving from one building to the next building over. Yes, there is a hill that could be physically demanding for some. But, in my labeling these folks as “lazy”, I was making an uninformed judgment.

The next post would have been, “The Boastful Prosperity Pastor”. Now, some may think that this would focus on the types of pastors who brag about how “big” their churches are…how “big” their budget is…how “cool” their ministry is…and so on. But, nope, that’s not the case here. This post was going to be about this one pastor who draws attention to himself through his vehicle. He has a “UM Clergy” plate on the front and a “Pastor 1” license plate on the back. And, I guess business as a UM Clergy in the state of Michigan is “good”, as the plates are on a very expensive, very new SUV. Now, I don’t really know they guy driving this particular vehicle. All of my judgments are simply based on license plates and the make and model of his vehicle.

At first, I tried to justify my judgments. I convinced myself that it’s okay to make these judgments because our first impressions are usually fairly accurate. I mean, if I get the vibe that some dude is creepy, the dude is probably creepy. If I get the impression that someone is lazy, that person is probably lazy. If I feel like a pastor is all about prosperity, then that’s probably an accurate assessment.

And, I tried…all weekend…to justify these judgments. However, as I sit here this afternoon, I find myself realizing I’m the judgmental jerk who didn’t give any of these folks a chance. Sure, my assessment of each person might be totally right. But, does that matter?

Maybe those folks I’m judging are thinking, “Man, that guy is one judgmental jerk who thinks he’s better than us.” And, they would have been right.

I’d like to judge people less. It will be a challenge because my natural tendency is to write someone off before I even give them a chance. 

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” ~Matthew 7:1-2

While checking out the Twitter feed for the United Methodist Church General Conference session, I read a tweet that posed the question, “What model of church should we save?”

With only 140 characters to use, the question did not provide any more depth than that…

However, I found myself asking the questions, “Doesn’t the idea of picking a ‘model of church’ to save sort of miss the point?”

Too often, we reduce the Church down to a style of worship, a form of theology, a system of organization…and we miss the point.

Church isn’t really about any particular “model” other than the Way of Jesus. And, it’s my considered opinion that the Church hasn’t had a great track record of following the Way of Jesus as we wrestle with worship styles, theological debates, and organizational structures. We allow these things to interfere with and sidetrack us from following the Way. 

Too many “church folks” spend too much time debating which theology is “right”, which “style” of worship is superior, which “system” is better, and numerous non-essentials that they forget what the Way of Jesus looks like. 

We allow our diversity of theological perspectives to divide us…rather than celebrating that people can have unique views on a variety of topics and still be on the journey with God…with the same goal of bringing about a Kingdom reality on earth as it is in heaven. 

Shouldn’t we celebrate the fact that you and I can disagree on non-essentials, but still be following the Way of Jesus? 

Hasn’t the Church spent enough time trying to convince people that you have to believe everything exactly the same way?

Years ago, I was in a room with Doug Pagitt as he challenged us to share our dreams for the Church. As I read questions about “what model of the church should we save”, I find myself dreaming for the Church once again…

I dream of a Church where we unite to celebrate our diversity.

I dream of a Church where questions are not only “okay”, but are encouraged.

I dream of a Church where people are encouraged to think.

I dream of a Church where the hungry are fed.

I dream of a Church where the naked are clothed.

I dream of a Church where the sick and imprisoned are visited and cared for.

I dream of a Church where the enemy is truly loved.

I dream of a Church that turns the other cheek.

I dream of a Church that understands the Way of Jesus in not simple or easy.

I dream of a Church that embraces peace.

I dream of a Church that embodies love.

I dream of a Church that truly has “open hearts, open minds, and open doors.”

I dream of a Church that does not discriminate based on race, sexuality, or socio-economic issues.

I dream of a Church that is inclusive, rather than exclusive.

I dream of a Church that takes the Way of Jesus seriously.

I dream of a church that demonstrates the Way of Jesus.

I dream of a Church that works for justice in our communities and in our world.

I dream of a Church that cares for the “least of these.”

I dream of a Church that cares for the orphan and the widow.

I dream of a Church that is known for its fruit, rather than its scandals.

What dreams do you have for the Church?