Binding Tradition - A message that cuts to the heart of the matter - pushing off our traditions on others

You have certain traditions that you've grown up with that may have been surprising when you found out someone did it differently. There may be some traditions which you established when you became married and had a family of your own. Traditions can help moments be that much more special. However we can't expect all to fall in love with our tradition(s).

What about for those of you who are religious, by nature. What traditions do you hold as important, possibly going as far to say the lack of observing them may shake up your faith?

In Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus was approached by the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law to point out that Jesus' disciples were not washing their hands prior to eating. As my lesson pointed out, this was not a commandment, but it was something that had been observed as a traditional activity.

As we reflect back on that lesson, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• What's Important ~ Importance is one of those lovely subjective words. What is important to you may not be important to me. The reverse is also correct. If you view certain things in the worship setting as important and I don't - who is right? You can feel free to see that it is important and observe it all you want, but there are many matters in which I may not see them as important. I fear to make a list, so you can leave comments if you wish. However, may we watch our judgments when it comes to "who does what" in the religious circles.
• Three Fingers Pointing At You ~ Pointing a finger causes you to have three that are pointing at you. There may be the occasional "good" reason to point out a wrong in someone. However, as Jesus replies to the claim of the Pharisees, they were not doing what is right and needed to watch out!
• What Comes Out is Polluted ~ We've all likely had the stomach flu. When you vomit all that polluted food that you ate, plus stomach fluids are coming out. The food you took in was not bad, but this partially digested food was bad. Jesus points out that what goes in does not make us defiled, rather what comes out of us is what defiles us. Watch out and make sure that what is coming out is not full of defilement.
• Dumb Question ~ As a minister, some people have a warped view that I know"everything" about the Bible. I wish that were the case, though it is flattering to have people come to me with questions. I am always in a learning process. In the passage, Peter asks a question that Jesus responds with a sense of a rebuke. Almost giving the thought that this was a "dumb question" that he asked. When you ask God questions that may be "dumb" just know that you are in good company. Peter was a good guy to be paralleled with. Ask God all the questions...He knows we are just "us."

Pointing out that one's tradition is better or that others should be following it is treading in dangerous waters. Keep in mind that traditions are different than commandments. When we see commandments, they are something we should be observing.

Where is your heart when you are pointing out the wrongs of others...traditions or actions? May we look closely at our hear in those situations.

Now it's your turn...when have you been bound to a tradition you didn't agree with? Religious or otherwise...I'm eager to hear!

Taking the Easy Route - A message to let us "relax" (not become lax) in our journey to heaven

Have you ever had the chance to create something to help solve a problem? It could have been something with more of a massive size or it could be a jig or gadget to make life a bit easier.

I have built a few in my day that were "gadgety" and just did not work too well at all. For some of them, I could make them work, for others they were a flop. Either way, that was OK because it was also fun to exercise my mind.

When things work to help make life easier, they are really fun to watch and see what you "invented." If we don't take advantage of using what was created, we can tend to become very frustrating. As Jesus gives the invitation for people to "come" for help and be able to take the easy route, in Matthew 11:20-30. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Repentance ~ When I was growing up repentance was focused on before a person could become a Christian. Among others, Acts 2:38 tells the people to repent before being baptized. I have often left this "action" at that point (prior to baptism). That is not the only time I have repented, but it is not something that I think about much, to be honest. However, I have done a disservice to myself because there are things that I need to repent of, as life continues. What do you need to repent of? An attitude toward someone? A wrongful action?
• Soften ~ Being hard-hearted can cause one to be resistant. Resisting change in yourself can cause life experiences to be difficult. As you think about the idea of repenting, you must allow yourself to be softened so that you will be open to what is needed to be repented from. Plus, staying soft for God allows you to be moldable as He shapes you into what you may need to become.
• Come... ~ Without a tangible Jesus, some find such an invitation hard to understand. Coming to Jesus means to become closer and more knowledgeable about Him. Enjoying the mysteriousness of Him by seeing what the Bible says about Him, both in the Old and New Testaments. As this text describes Jesus as an interweaving with God, to be fascinated with the mysteriousness of Jesus means that you are also fascinated with God. The more you know, the more you want to know more. So...come!
• Take the Rest ~ Some jobs require people to take their vacation. That time off is supposed to be good for employees to get away from work. Jesus wants us to take a break from trying to be perfect; which is what the Law expected. He was wanting those hearers in Matthew 11 to relax from the heaviness of the Israelite leaders and enjoy what He brings to the table in the way of expectation. He wants us to relax and enjoy life, striving to live for God, not for religious leaders (or anyone else). Enjoy some vacation time, maybe permanently, from guilt and appreciate what Christ has done through His voluntary death on the cross. Then, live out your joy so others will be attracted to it.

Life will have its good days. Enjoy those days! Enjoy taking the easy route as you go through life. This route is with Jesus carrying your yoke and, as a result, you will be given the light and easy yoke.

Now it's your turn...what will/do you enjoy most about having your yoke taken away and be able to wear the yoke of Jesus?

Which Side of the Table Are You? - from the calling of Matthew

"Look over there at that person, can you believe what they are wearing?" This is just a minor comment that can be phrased in a judgmental way, to introduce this writing.

It can be easy to become wrapped up in someone's talk or even your own thoughts. Just as enthusiasm is catchy, negativity is infectious. Complaining about something seems to be ever present in the lives of people.

Are you one that tends to be a victim of the "complaint snowball?" You start off with one thing, but the conversation just keeps going downhill, picking up complaints as well as speed? I know of people who would fall into this category. I've been there at times in my life and been caught up in their snowballs. There are several times that I have not allowed myself to be on the other side of the table in these situations. I complain or gossip instead of thinking what it is like to be in their shoes. As we discussed the calling of Matthew, from 9:9-13, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Envision ~ Imagine what it would be like to hear the comments you are saying. I am sure you've heard negative comments about you. How do they feel? If they are not pleasant, practice the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12 - treat others the way you want to be treated). I hope you do not say to yourself, "I had to hear it, they should too." That is a very petty excuse to put someone down.
• Stop It! ~ When the "complaint snowball" takes off, be aware of it. Also, be the one to stop it. You may not even have to make it a formal, make-the-other-person-feel-bad, stop. Just deflect the conversation to something else. If you feel like sticking up for someone, go ahead and do that. Possibly, just by pointing out something positive, they will get the point (maybe not). I've tried this and had the person say, "But you know, Jarrod, _____" and they just go back to complaining. You may have to be persistent!
• Be Sympathetic ~ It is easy to look on the surface and judge someone. Unfortunately, we are often at a disadvantage about knowing what has happened to them prior to you seeing them. Be it something immediate, like being late, they could have had some real issues that caused them to not show up on time. Maybe cut them some slack before you judge their tardiness.

Take some time to sit on the other side of the table and see what it is like to hear or see the comments, jeers, or looks that come your way.

Now it's your turn...what have you learned from being on the other side of the table?

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus - My View

cc Within the past few months a video on YouTube was released that was titled “Why I hate Religion, but Love Jesus,” by Jefferson Bethke. At the time of this writing the video currently has been viewed 20,757,918 times. This video went “viral,” which is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing. I am sure that some of those numbers were repeated views. However, that number is still astonishing. It definitely raises some questions for us all.

If you haven’t viewed the video, what are your initial thoughts from the title? Does it strike you as true or false? Regardless of your answer, why did you answer it the way you did?

If you have viewed the video, what was your reaction? Agree or disagree? Why or why not?

Often times the term “religion” has been symbolic of “Christianity.” The problem seems to be when “religion” becomes equal to “Christianity” because they are not. Religion shows the institutional side of Christianity, which many seem to not be attracted to at all. Christianity is about Christ, which I see is about relationships. Religion is about showing up and checking off a list of duties you deem necessary. Christianity is about putting self second to other things to live a life of servitude.

Religion attempts to look good, from the structures or décor of the buildings to the clothes you are wearing. Christianity may look nice but that isn’t a priority.

I grew up with “religion” in mind. The denomination I have attended since birth made “doing it right” a priority over what it actually means to “do it right” outside of the church building. I had no idea what I was supposed to “do” in my everyday life; how I was supposed to live out my Christianity. I only knew I was trying to get “you” to look like me.

In one portion of Jefferson’s poem he challenges by saying, “Religion might preach grace, but another thing they practice; Tend to ridicule God's people, they did it to John The Baptist; They can't fix their problems, and so they just mask it; Not realizing religion's like spraying perfume on a casket.”

I think that grace is one of those “Christianese” words that we have used in churches forever. However, the depth of its use has become stripped and devalued. It has become a selfish word, meaning that you like grace given to you but have a difficult time giving it to some people. It is a challenging word to practice. The time you need to practice it may be the most difficult. The religious will sometimes throw the “Jesus” card out there to think He will fix everything, when, in fact, He may not. So, His name is used as a mask when a situation may not actually get better. On occasion, using phrases like “God will make a way,” “He doesn’t give us more than we can handle,” or “God works all things out for good” are phrases that have truth in some circumstances but are not guarantees for every situation.

Here are some additional lines from Jefferson’s poem, “See the problem with religion, is it never gets to the core; It's just behavior modification, like a long list of chores; Like lets dress up the outside make look nice and neat; But it's funny that's what they use to do to mummies while the corpse rots underneath.” Have you ever had a religious experience where you didn’t feel you made it past the surface? Instead, you did your religious things out of duty? Or dressing up to look nice. How about the thought of looking like religious “mummies” by dressing up? Religion just seems to be about the wrong things. It tends to keep away the relationship and is concerned about the “what” you do in life and how often it’s done.

We can all put on a good front, as that is what the institutionalized part of “religion” seems to cause us to do. It is like Jefferson put it, “like [we’re] saying [we] play for the Lakers just because [we] bought a jersey.” We want to look like we belong to Jesus but it doesn’t go past the covering.

The “religious” in the Bible were often corrected for their outside acts and dead hearts. Jesus called them fools. All they were doing was living a life following the rules. The church needs to let Jesus in, not just spew “Jesus” out from their mouths. Jesus is the cure for sin and “religion” can cause you to have an infection. It makes you feel good but it doesn’t go deep. Religion causes us to work but Jesus already did the work.

Understanding what Jesus did and why God allowed what Jesus did should cause us to be eternally grateful and humbled. It is not us who had to pay the penalty we deserved to receive because of sin. When sin came into the world, in the Garden of Eden, God separated Himself from us. To allow Jesus to die was God’s plan to be able to have the intimate relationship with us. Religion simply does not do that. Those that have a relationship with Jesus are religious, in nature, but those that are religious do not necessarily have a relationship with Jesus.

I am thankful that Jesus died so that I can have a relationship with Him, His Father, and the Holy Spirit. May I never be just religious.

Knowing Ourselves Better

Personalities, everyone has one.  Some are outward bound.  Some are inward bound.  Some are funny. Some are serious.  Some are witty. Some are nerdy.  It takes all kinds of personalities to make this world the wonderful place to live that it is.  Sometimes, however, we think our personality is the standard to live by and other personalities are judged on that measuring stick.
When my wife and I were in preaching school and looking into the possibility of joining a mission team we took a personality test, of sorts.  It was actually a spiritual gifts test.  But it revealed certain things about our other teammates that maybe we didn’t know.  It also revealed a sense of sympathy in me toward some of the teammates because I could now understand them better and they me.  It also uncovered an excitement in knowing some of the teammates were very similar.  This brings us to this week’s quote…

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.  ~Carl Jung

WOW! When you look into the lives of others you get to know something deeper than you ever knew before.  You may be able to see the miles they’ve been through.  Which brings the trials and victories they’ve encountered.
You may be one that is quick to assess someone based on how they are acting.  Maybe there are times you feel “above” someone or times you feel “below” someone.  Either case can cause you to be “irritated” with them for one reason or another.
May your interactions with others not lead you to make a judgment, but rather may you be moved to understand yourself a bit more.

For a little extra, read this verse (just click) and see how it fits in to today’s quote Luke 18:9-14