The “Real Meat” of Scripture is for the selfish.

I’ve always been bothered when churchgoers say that they want to go “deeper” in Bible study or want “the real meat” when it comes to approaching the word of God. First of all, I’ve found it insulting to the people currently leading the Bible study in question. It’s as if their hard work and preparation in leading people to the word of God was somehow inadequate. It wasn’t good enough. These people felt that they were above this. On top of that, it seemed to me like a very selfish request, as if they didn’t care about others who needed more “foundational” studies. For these reasons, it offended me greatly. I have always found these words upsetting.

However, it recently dawned on me the true meaning behind my uneasiness with this notion of looking for “real meat” or going “deeper.” Ed Stetzer in Breaking the Missional Code clarifies this for me eloquently (emphasis mine):

Ironically that “deep meat” is often a focus on the obscure or unclear in Scripture rather than the life-changing nature of what is clear. The irony is that most people crying for “meat” are really crying for minutia. They want to learn deeper truths about the times of the rapture rather than how to live the Christian life. True meat teaches people how to be transformed by the renewing of their minds so that they will live like Christ, love like Christ, and leave what Jesus left behind…but believers often think it is more important to [learn] about controversial subjects rather than transformational truths.

My seminary training has helped me to learn and sort through the minutia and theological controversy. I can discuss lapsarianism, dispensations, and the Zwinglian view of the Eucharist all day. But if that is what I am doing, I have failed. Jesus calls me to love God with all my heart, and then to love others.

The measure of a follower of Jesus is not how much theology they can discuss; it is how much they reflect the character of Jesus Christ, imitating Him. Are we putting His commands in action and transforming our behavior?

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. –James 1:22-24

Dr. Henry Holloman at Talbot is famous for saying “It’s not about your spiritual “IQ”, it’s about your spiritual “I do!” Are we always looking to learn as much as we can about the antichrist, double predestination, or the hypostatic union? Or are we letting God change our hearts so that we can impact others for His kingdom?

The people who had the highest theological IQ during the time of Jesus were the same ones that Jesus constantly condemned for their hypocrisy: the Pharisees. If we are trying to go “deeper” and get more “meat” without being changed to do good works and love others in the name of the gospel, then we are a group of Pharisees.

The passage in Hebrews about solid food is within the context of acts of righteousness:

¹³Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.  –Hebrews 5:13-14

Will we arrogantly say that we want more, that we are above all this simple stuff? That we want to create a “spiritual” elite group of people who have all head knowledge but without the hands and feet of Christ?

Or are we willing to die to self and consider the spiritual nourishment that our pastors and Bible study leaders have (by submission to the Spirit’s leading) offered us? Will we let the word transform us and live our lives like Jesus did, caring for the less fortunate, loving people with the good news, creating an inclusive environment that is redemptive?

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
–Ephesians 2:10

Ken Fong on the task ahead for Asian-American churches.

Tonight at the Asian-American Caucus for the American Baptist Churches biennial convention, Pastor Ken Fong of Evergreen LA discussed the task ahead for our churches. While the event was in the context of the AA American Baptist churches, the challenge applies to all Asian-American churches. Pastor Ken laments that our churches are generally stagnant, struggling; or dying. What do we do? How can we become the redemptive and transforming communities we talk about?

Pastor Ken directed us towards a paradoxical principle: “To go forward, think backwards.” In other words, start with the end in mind.
Instead of talking about structures and programs, think about people.

What kind of people has Jesus always wanted to send into the world?

• A kingdom-bringing people: living proof of God’s coming on earth.
• Fountains of grace rather than legalism.
• Bringers of reconciliation, peace, hope, and justice.
• “Heroic apprentices” of Jesus Christ to embody the good news.

Then, what kind of Asian-American churches do we need in order to raise up these kinds of people?

• Churches with a compelling vision of God’s future
• Willingness to die to self so we don’t become too complacent, self-righteous, and comfortable.
• Willingness to partner with others, because anything truly for God requires more than we have and more than we know.

Then, what leadership do we need for these churches?

• Pastors who are humble enough to know that all of us are followers, and that Jesus is our leader.
• Pastors who model our need for Jesus, not just talk about it.
• Pastors who truly believe that Jesus is alive today, and wants to use His entire body to love and change the world.

Don’t Blog It, Do It!

Dan Kimball write a reflection article for Leadership Journal this week  and convicted me to stop just talking and blogging about the kind of ministry I want to have, but to go out and do it:

Do It, Don’t Blog It | LeadershipJournal.net.

I suddenly faced a decision. Do I go home and read blogs about being missional, or do I go to the club and actually be missional? It sounds like an easy decision, but it wasn’t. In all honesty, part of me truly wanted to go to the comfort of home and just sit in front of my laptop.

Theories and definitions and debates are good, and they have their place, but could they be getting in the way of actually being on mission? After reflecting on my own habits, I concluded that in my life they were. I realized that I had subtly gotten drawn into the very thing I found so troubling about the Facebooking worship leader and the inattentive college students. I still read blogs and write one, too. But I’m trying to be much more intentional about finding balance and keeping my priorities right.

Anti-Asian-American Violence Still Persists…

Thanks to Danny Yang and the Next Gener.Asian Church blog for this reminder.

Almost three decades after Vincent Chin, I am saddened that we are still hearing about violence against Asian-Americans. As much as we think we’ve progressed, we have not.

2 Teenagers Are Accused of Killing Sleeping Man

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/nyregion/11arrests.html

Walking down a street in Flushing, Queens, long after the lights had come up on the Friday-night movie they had gone to see, a group of teenagers spotted a double-parked Lexus sport utility vehicle with a man asleep inside. The authorities said they hatched a plan to break into the S.U.V., put the man — a marketing executive for a Chinese-language newspaper — in a chokehold and steal his cash and car.

It was not the first time the youths had preyed on Asian men in Flushing, the authorities said, but this time it was more than robbery.

Mr. Levy and Mr. Azor were charged with second-degree murder, robbery and possession of stolen property.The three were also charged in the May 27 robbery of Jin Ton Yuan, 42, on Ash Avenue, in Flushing. The authorities said that the three followed Mr. Yuan into an elevator and that Mr. Wilthshire grabbed him from behind and placed him in a chokehold while Mr. Levy held a silver pistol to his head.

We must continue to pray for God to heal this land, brothers and sisters. And continue to educate people that race-motivated violence and prejudice still exists.

Local Churches Reaching Homeless People in Los Angeles

Christianity Today reports about how churches and parachurhces in the LA area are ministering to the fairly large homeless population of the metro area. Los Angeles contains 10% of the nation’s homeless people, and many of them go through their day undetected. The article profiles ImagineLA:

A City of Angels for the Homeless