It’s inevitable. It’s going to happen sooner or later. Most likely, it will happen sooner rather than later. At some point in your lifetime, Christians will make you mad. I say this as a Christian, knowing that I will make you mad sooner or later (again, most likely sooner).

Unfortunately, we Christians will make you mad…we will make each other mad…not because we are too loving, too giving, too accepting, too merciful, too peaceful, too compassionate, or too forgiving. I’ve yet to meet someone who believes differently than I do who says that Christians are just too kind!

No, instead we Christians will make you mad because we are too judgmental, too closed, too selfish, too arrogant. I know that I am guilty of these things. Even now, as I type this, I am probably being too judgmental and arrogant.

This weekend, while driving the extremely boring stretch of 1-70 between Columbus, OH and Indianapolis, I was reminded of the ability of Christians to easily drive others towards anger and bitterness.

The first offense that made me mad dealt with billboards. First, I saw a billboard that simple read, “Hell is Real”. My first reaction was, “Well, that’s debatable.” Let’s be honest, we Christians do not agree on hell. Some of us are all too happy to send others to burn in a lake of fire while others of us don’t believe in a literal hell at all. Generally, my idea of hell is having to spend time with people who spend money on billboards that read, “Hell is Real”.

As I continued to drive, I witnessed another billboard. This one read, “Avoid Hell. Repent. Trust Jesus Today.”

Some of you are probably wondering why this billboard made me mad. Well, as a Christian and as a pastor, I do want people to trust Jesus. I believe that the Way of Jesus is the better way to live out our lives on this earth. And, I desire that we all might love God and love one another. So, the idea of trusting Jesus…I’m okay with that.

However, I get so mad when I see hell used as the motivator to “trust Jesus”. As soon as I read the first two words, “avoid hell”, I could feel myself tensing up.  I had just spent the weekend talking about how our concept of God is often too closed and that God is bigger than our narrow definitions. So, reading “avoid hell” just got under my skin.

It’s the old “fire insurance” method of evangelism. “Do you know where you’d spend eternity if you die tonight?” Well, in my case, my family is well aware of my desire to be cremated and my ashes spread around the Heorot Pub & Draught House in Muncie, IN. So, I guess that’s where I’ll go. Rather than offering hope, offering life and love, we are offering up an “out”.

Okay, back to the issue at hand…I have never been a fan of avoiding hell as a motivator for a relationship with Jesus. The ministry of Jesus seems to focus more on bringing a bit of heaven to earth than where we’ll spend eternity. Jesus was concerned about the least, the last, and the lost among him at that very moment. Jesus seems more concerned about whether or not we are feeding the hungry, providing for those in need, caring for the poor, the orphaned, and the widowed today. Jesus appeared to be more concerned with whether or not his followers were choosing to bring heaven or hell to earth today. In fact, I believe he even mentioned that the way we respond to those in need is closely related to our eternal destination (read Matthew 25:31-46 for more on that).

So, I got mad because this billboard totally ignores the heart of Jesus’ ministry…that we might live today in a way that honors God and all of creation. There should be so much more to trusting Jesus than simply avoiding hell. However, billboards like this simply reduce the beauty of the way down to a choice about eternity…heaven or hell.

I stopped to fill up the car and grab a quick bite to eat before continuing my journey. After filling my belly with some ridiculously unhealthy junk food, I decided to listen to the radio. As I scanned through the stations, I landed on a news report that was talking about Ellen Degeneres.

I stopped because I really like Ellen (I write that as if she’s a great friend, maybe I should just say that I really respect Ellen). She is simply a very good person. Her heart and concern for others is simply amazing. Not only that, she seems like a lot of fun! I mean, she’s married to a cast member of “Arrested Development”!

I figured I was listening to an NPR station. However, as the details of the story concerning Ellen continued, I quicklly realized I was listening to a conservative Christian radio station (I’m pretty sure there are only conservative Christian stations…I’ve yet to hear a moderate to liberal Christian station). The report featured “information” from the Family Research Council indicating that recent slips in sales at JC Penny’s is most likely related to their relationship with spokesperson Ellen Degeneres. At this point in my life, I shouldn’t be surprised to hear garbage like this spewed by certain Christian groups. Yet, my jaw still dropped. The report went on to say that they believe that JC Penny’s endorsement of the “gay lifestyle” be hiring Degeneres and using same sex couples in advertisements. The report claimed that sales had lowered because “families were rejecting JC Penny’s because JC Penny’s had rejected families.” All I could say was, “Seriously?”

I was mad.

I was mad because I get lumped in with Christians who are too preoccupied with hell. Seriously, I think some get a strange “high” from letting others know they will “burn for eternity”.

I was mad because I get lumped in with Christians who go out of their way to point the finger of “blame” at people like Ellen…a woman who embodies that message of “love one another” so well. At this point, have we not figured out that there are bigger, more pressing issues than our views on sexuality? Have we not figured out that some of the ways we have dealt with issues of sexuality actually create more distance between the Church and the people God loves (which is everyone, by the way)?

Now, some will justify the billboards, saying that one is “loving others” by trying to steer them clear of hell.

Some will justify the attack on Ellen, saying that she is “living a sinful lifestyle”…well, aren’t we all???

As a Christian, my call is to love God and to love others. I fail everyday…To be honest, it’s generally hardest for me to love other Christians…the ones I feel misrepresent the Way I so love (of course, I’ll be the first to admit, I know many on the “other side” feel I am misrepresenting the faith too).

As a Christian, my call is to lead a life of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control.” I fail everyday…I fail to do all of these things.

As a Christian, my call is to feed the hungry, offer a drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, care for the orphan and the widow, love and care for the least among us. I fail everyday…my belly is overly full while others starve. I will consume a $4 beverage today, while someone goes without clean water.

Yet, I find hope in the Way of Christ. It’s not a hope that I might slip through the cracks and avoid hell. It’s not a hope that God will cut me some slack because I’m not gay.

It’s a hope that says there is a better way than this. It’s a hope that says “all people are of sacred worth.” It’s a hope in a God that calls us into so much more than avoiding hell. It’s a hope that a God of love truly loves all. It’s a hope in a God that calls us all to love one another…regardless of race, political party, denomination, sexual preferences, socio-economic position…It’s a hope in a God love that calls us to lead lives of love.

Today was one of those days when I experienced the wide-range of highs and lows one can experience in ministry.

The day began with reading through the Genesis accounts of creation and re-creation…A story painting the picture of a Creator bringing order out of chaos. A story demonstrating the desire of humans to take matters into our own hands…A story of hope that a God of love and grace will care for us when we make a mess out of things.

The day continued with an exciting lunch meeting focused on a new ministry that will help address the hunger needs in our community…in a healthy manner.

Following this meeting, I immediately learned about a young, single mother who is living out of her van. She came to the church looking for help and hope. And, we did our best.

After doing some reading and writing for a “Hebrew Bible” course I am taking, I picked Sammie up from school and took her shoe shopping. Some special dad/daughter time.

This evening, I was in a room of great people committed to helping make Christ UMC a place where people encounter the love, grace, and mercy of God.

And, here I sit, enjoying a Founders Centennial IPA.

The events of this day reminded me that we are still in the midst of chaos. There are some great things happening all around us. Yet, at the same time, there are too many people who will have their basic needs (food, water, shelter) unmet.

And, that is why I cling to the hope found in Jesus Christ…hope that says we are capable of addressing the basic needs of all people. Hope that remindes me it’s not God’s desire that some go hungry while others starve…it’s not God’s desire that some live in mansions, while others live in boxes…it’s not God’s desire that I enjoy an incredible craft beer, while others don’t have access to clean water. I cling to the hope that there is something greater…something better than the world as we currently see it. My hope is that you and I can play a vital role in bringing a bit of heaven to earth.

And so, in the midst of the chaos life can bring, I choose hope.

 

Lately, I’ve been reminded of how we, as Christians, often get it wrong. We miss the point.

You know, Jesus tried to make things pretty simple for us. The challenge from Jesus was this…”You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37, CEB). In addition to loving God, Jesus extends the challenge and adds in this…”You must love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:39, CEB).

Jesus gives us two “simple” rules. Love God and love one another. Jesus goes so far as to say that all the law and prophets are summed up in these two great commandments. It’s really pretty clear.

Two rules…And, yet, we still get it wrong.

We are called to love God and love one another. I don’t know about you, but I struggle to get these right. There are days when loving God is extremely difficult. So, if loving the God I believe to be complete and perfect is difficult at times, imagine how difficult it is to love others (who are far from complete and perfect).

However, each day, I give it my best shot. Of course, I rarely get it right. But, I’m not afraid to admit that. I fail to completely love God and neighbor. And, you won’t hear me make an excuse for my inability to love God and others. I’ll own up to it because I’m convinced that Jesus would not call us to do something that we are incapable of doing.

The way I’ve been reminded of how often we get it wrong is in our inability to own up to the fact that we may not have all the answers…that we too are simply figuring this out as we journey through this life.

We get it wrong when we choose to be judgmental. We get it wrong when we choose to make others feel guilty and convicted instead of loved. We get it wrong when we choose hatred over tolerance. We get it wrong when we attempt to justify these behaviors.

Too often, I have heard Christians claim that they are “loving others” by condemning them. We get it wrong when we fail to remember that we are called to deal with the “log” in our own eye before addressing the tiny “splinter” in our brother or sister’s eye (see Matthew 7).

I’m convinced that we might be getting it horribly wrong when we say we “love the sinner, but hate the sin.” That is placing conditions on our love for our neighbors. We’re basically saying that we cannot fully love and accept another until they become like us. Jesus didn’t say “love the sinner, hate the sin”…He said, “love God” and “love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

We get it wrong when we ignore the needs of the least, the last, and the lost (see Matthew 25). We get it wrong when we are so focused on how sinful everyone else is that we fail to love others by helping meet their very basic needs (clean water, food, clothing, health care). We get it wrong when we focus on elephants in the room instead of Jesus.

We get it wrong when we are harsh. We get it wrong when we are self-righteous. We get it wrong when we adopt the “I am right and everyone else is wrong” attitude. We are told that the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (see Galatians 5). We get it wrong when we are anything other than loving, joy-filled, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-control. We get it wrong when we lack compassion for our fellow humans…or for any of creation.

Some might say, “Well, read the words of Paul. He was harsh. He was kind of judgmental.” This is another way in which we get it wrong. We take Paul’s words out of context. We use them to justify our unChrist-like behaviors. We forget that Paul was addressing a very specific group of people at a very specific time and place. We forget that, in reality, Paul’s harsh tone (much like Jesus’) was reserved for the pious religious group that attempted to exclude people by imposing unnecessary rules and regulations on “outsiders”. When Paul was harsh, he was attempting to get “religious” people to follow Christ – a man whose message focused on love, mercy, grace, compassion, and forgiveness…not on judgment, hatred, and guilt.

So, I am reminded that too often I get it wrong. I am reminded that too often, many of my Christian brothers and sisters get it wrong.

And, I am reminded that it’s probably time that we start being honest about it. We get it wrong. We are imperfect people attempting to do our best to follow the Way of Christ.

 

Last night, while watching Frank Ocean’s bizarre performance at the Grammy’s, I found myself thinking about the Church.

 

Ocean’s strange tribute to “Forrest Gump” had me wondering if all the hype surrounding him is undeserved.

To be honest, I wasn’t all too familiar with Ocean’s work. However, I was intrigued. I was interested to view his performance because of all the praises I’ve heard about Ocean and his music.

And, Ocean has a pretty incredible story! That is part of the reason I was so intrigued. In the midst of the hip hop genre, Frank Ocean came out regarding his sexuality. That took a great deal of strength and courage. I admired his honesty. He has done his best to hold his head high in the midst of mixed reactions (some applaud his courage, and then there is Chris Brown…enough said).

With all of the hype…with the story…I was eagerly anticipating my first exposure to Frank Ocean. I wanted to find out if the hype was deserved or if it was simply generated due to his story.

And, then, last night happened.

As I watched his performance, I kept waiting for his greatness to shine. I kept expecting this enormous breakout of incredible music. Instead, I was met with an uninspired, “pitchy” at best, performance. It really is a bad sign when I’m more impressed with your imagery than your music.

I found myself hoping that Kanye West would rush the stage and make an ass out of himself in order to save Ocean.

At the end, I found myself not wanting anything more to do with Frank Ocean. I found myself cheering against him throughout the remainder of the awards show (unlike SPIN magazine, I was glad Mumford & Sons won!). I was greatly disappointed. And, I found myself questioning the judgment of friends and music writers I once respected for their pro-Ocean views.

And, this is exactly when I began thinking about the Church…

Like Ocean, we have a great story. Even though there are growing numbers of “nones”, there are still people interested in Jesus, the Church, and Christianity.

Like Ocean, there is a lot of hype and even some praise surrounding the Church. Some are intrigued and interested in finding out what the Church is all about.

And, then those interested individuals visit a church. Sometimes it is a wonderful experience. However, sometimes it is bizarre, strange, uninspired, and “pitchy”. Sometimes people walk away from a church gathering wondering, “what in the heck just happened?”

Ocean’s performance reminded me that we should be good stewards of our great story. People should at least walk away seeing our passion, our love, our joy…they should be convinced of our commitment to the story. But, is that what happens?

When people check out your church, do they walk away wanting more or do they simply walk away?