gospel

Holiday Perfection and the Necessity of Christmas

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

christmas tree_warpedThe corner of my apartment where the Christmas tree goes does not allow for one of those full, perfect looking Christmas trees. In the past, I’ve tried to get that perfect tree but found that the hassle was not worth it and it would be better to get a narrow tree. Besides, I don’t like managing a big tree so transport is important also. Well, in my quest to obtain a low-cost, narrow Christmas tree, I ended up with something a bit more marred than I was comfortable with. When I first saw that big gaping hole at the bottom, I figured that against the corner you wouldn’t be able to tell. Of course I was wrong and the imperfection was very visible.

christmas tree_fig plantIt reminds me of a couple of years ago when I tried to cut corners by decorating our silk plant (fig tree as my son teenage son calls it) as a Christmas tree. Honestly, I laughed so hard at the results at this upside down Christmas tree and of course my son made fun of it. It was far from the picture of Christmas tree perfection that we want to display to the world.

Ah perfection…

I don’t know what it is about holidays that bring out our need to have this picture perfect model of the holidays

Perfect family photos

Perfect holiday decorations

Perfect gift giving

Perfect family gatherings

Perfect church festivities

Perfect, perfect, perfect Continue reading →

When the Goal of Criticism is Love

Lisa Spencer2 Comments

woman consoling womanI know that sounds strange. When we think of criticism, we think of something negative and destructive.  But being critical does not necessarily have to be a negative thing. Judging something critically involves an intense analysis of what is being presented and measuring it against an objective criteria. Now that can be done in an unloving manner. The blogosphere and numerous pulpits demonstrate show no end of unloving and vicious criticism.

But the other extreme is considering any mention of criticism to be mean-spirited. In the wake of the Shai Linne Fal$e Teacher$ brouhaha, it is no surprise that this charge is levied against him and those who support his song – charges of self-righteousness and unloving criticism. I have encountered it myself, at times when I tried to point out how so-so and so’s teaching didn’t line up with the message of Scripture. I’ve been told that it was corrupt to engage in such criticism.

However, when I look at Paul’s letter to Timothy, I see a different picture.  Young Timothy is the pastor of the church at Ephesus. Now Ephesus was as pagan as it comes and Timothy was a bit timid in confronting some funky stuff that was seeping into the church.  Paul as an apostle commissioned by Christ is giving him instruction concerning the church;

As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work – which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do now know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm (1 Timothy 1:3-7) Continue reading →

Wise Foolishness or Foolish Wisdom?: The Gospel is Offensive Enough

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

eastercrossEvery spring, DTS holds the World Evangelism Conference a week before spring break. This year’s message was on the abundance of the gospel. Dr. Mark Young, president of Denver Seminary was the plenary speaker. Each session dealt with the way of abundance in reference to the Christ’s reign and the gospel. He spends the first few minutes summarizing the themes from the previous three days.

On the third day, he talked about the way of abundance is not as the world defines abundance. He leverages that thought in his last installment as he talks about the way of abundance being foolishness. The key text he used was 1 Corinthians 1:17-25

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel – not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of the age? Has not God made the foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe…

Dr. Young brings some much needed clarification to this passage that it does not mean we neglect the intellect. Rather, it is that the wisdom of Christianity is foolishness to this world. What is that wisdom? That God made himself known through his Son, born of a virgin, taking on flesh, submitting himself to a lowly birth, a humble existence, and the execution of a criminal. He died, was buried and on the 3rd day he arose and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. To be in good favor with this God is not through ways deemed successful by the world’s standards but through acknowledgment of God’s upside down paradigm based on what he did through his Son. I encourage you to listen to his message. It is 50 minutes well worth your time.

Proclaiming the exclusivity of this message in a world going increasing pluralistic is foolish. Accepting that there is something dreadfully wrong with us that makes us unable to offer any righteousness towards God is foolish. Believing that the only way to be acceptable to God is to believe in the sacrifice of his Son is foolish. And it’s offensive to those who don’t believe. Yes, the gospel is offensive because it confronts humanity with their inability to earn their own righteousness.

This is what Paul is referring to in this passage. But what we should not do is make the wisdom of God look foolish. We should not take Paul’s words to mean that ignorance of our faith is acceptable as long as you have the Spirit.Yes, the Spirit empowers but Paul is not indicating that critical thinking is not spiritual but that thinking should be subject to a Christian worldview. We should not feel we need to help the gospel along with tricks, gimmicks and bait and switch techniques. We don’t need to deliver the message in a foolish manner but with wisdom and tact.

God’s wisdom in this upside down paradigm confronts people all by itself. So when proclaiming the message we ourselves don’t need to be foolish or offensive. The offense is already in the message.  Wisdom in proclaiming God’s wisdom means articulating the message in a manner that is clear and concise and welcoming. We need not be hostile people, but patient, wise and discerning.

Dear Contemporary Evangelical Pastor, On Easter….

Lisa Spencer4 Comments

eastercrossAt this time of the year, I’m sure you are super busy with Easter preparations and what may very well be your biggest church event. I truly hope that your services go well and that you bask in the hope this day represents.

However, I’ve noticed some tendencies that may not do the day, or Christ, justice and I wanted to express those to you in consideration of the day that celebrates the one signifying event of Christianity – the resurrection of Christ.

You know that this is the one time of the year where people buy new clothes and attend a church that goes neglected throughout the year (except for Christmas). You may be tempted to turn up the volume and make the church really attractive by putting on a good production. Bright lights and flashy shows may impress people and want them to come back. But it also conditions them to expect that Christianity must be cool because it has good entertainment. That is not the point – on Easter or any other Sunday. Actually, it can be kind of deceptive to do something different on Easter than you do the rest of the year…and a bit dishonest.

You may be tempted to look at the swelled crowd as an opportunity to grow your church and pull off those numbers that mean you hit it big.  You may think that a large crowd gathered at the altar in response to say a prayer means that you are succeeding. But remember that church growth comes through discipleship, intentional involvement in people’s lives 365 days of the year. Don’t put all your eggs into the Easter basket. Success is in the faithfulness to Christ and his word not how many people suddenly surge on one day out of the year. Besides, the Lord adds to the church anyway. Continue reading →

A Gospel Poem

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

I confess, I’ve felt a little overwhelmed the past couple of days. No, not the kind of schedule overwhelm that typically pinches me from time to time given all the balls I’m juggling. But the sense that I’m not doing enough, not achieving enough, not loving enough, not giving enough, not faithful enough and so on and so on for the kingdom.  But I realized that of course I don’t and you don’t either dear Christian. Because as long as we’re looking at our efforts and what we do and don’t do, we’ll miss the beauty of the gospel that breathes life into our Christian existence. And that btw, is based on what the Father did through his Son and continues by the Spirit. The gospel gives us rest from need to trust in our accomplishments. So I sketched this poem together this morning to remind me that we need the gospel every day.

The gospel is needed every day

Since relying on me I will fail in some way

It tells me He did what I could not achieve

That progress is made when I trust and believe

Not trust in my efforts to earn any praise

But looking to Him for the rest of my days

For by grace we are saved that He constantly gives

The same grace that helps us through this life we must live

So cease your self-striving and in Him abide

Knowing He sits at the Father’s right side.

“Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” – Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)