Religion, Sex, and Politics

This entry is a guest blog by our own Rachel Murawski. Rachel's comments here, and other things she's shared with me, have helped to shape the direction and focus of this year's Hillsboro Christmas emphasis. (See our latest newsletter for more info on that.) Here's Rachel's blog entry:

I have been convicted lately about how I have been using the things that God has given to me. I live in a nice home, sleep in a comfortable bed with added cushioning to make it even more comfortable, have food available at any time that I need or want it, an abundance of things to entertain me if I get bored, little things all over to make my house look attractive… The list goes on and on.
But throughout the past couple of weeks, between conversations with a friend and a couple books (most recently “Radical” by David Platt), I have begun to take a step back and see if I am using the things God has given me the way God wants me to use them. And the more I look into Scripture and the more I am honest with myself, I have realized that I am not.

I read passages like 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 and see how the early Christians approached their possessions and their giving. To give just a sampling of that passage, Paul says that the Macedonians were “very poor, but they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity…they gave not only what they could afford, but far more…they did it out of their own free will…they begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.”

That is not even close to how I give. I am not poor. If you or I have food to eat, a bed to sleep in, clothing, running water, and a roof over my head, I am actually quite wealthy (top 15% of the world!). And when I look at how I give, I think Paul would have written something a little more along the lines of, “she is well off, but filled with a desire for more, which has overflowed into selfish consumption…she gives what she can easily afford, but not any more…she did it because she knew it was what she was suppose to do…she wondered what new things she could purchase with the money that she kept for herself.” Not a very appealing picture.

As I wrestle with this area in my own life, I can’t help but think about the holidays that are just around the corner. I think about how much we spend each year on piles of presents, an over-abundance of food, Black Friday shopping sprees, and I can’t help but think of how nearly half of the world is struggling each day to find food, water, and shelter with the same amount of money that we spend on our French fries at lunch. There are 26,000 children that die each day from starvation or preventable diseases. There are people without homes or food who sleep in the parks of Charlottesville. And God has given us an OVER-abundance of material things, not for our own comfort and enjoyment, but to share it with those in need.

Yet I notice throughout Scripture, God doesn’t desire us to just give our leftovers. It isn’t hard to give a little of the money you have left over after buying what you want. It isn’t hard to give away clothing that you no longer want because you have bought newer things. But this isn’t the kind of giving God desires. The Christians Paul talks about in Macedonia gave not only what they could afford, but FAR MORE. God didn’t give us something that was easy for Him to give. He gave His ONLY. He gave sacrificially. And because of His loving gift to us, we should be giving in that same way.

I hope you'll respond to Rachel's entry in the comments box below. And I also hope you'll think about how her ideas could shape the way you celebrate Christmas this year. Instead of buying more stuff for people who are already "over-stuffed," perhaps you'd like to focus some attention on the poorest of the poor, on those who are most in need of a demonstration of the love and concern of God for their lives. Does that sound exciting to you? If so, we plan on helping folks find some good options for actually making a life-changing difference this Christmas, as we celebrate "A World-Changing Christmas."

But Rachel's thoughts aren't just a holidays emphasis. She's calling for a year-round life change. So what do you think?

OK, I'll just be blunt and get to the point. I think most of the corporate praying we do in church falls far short of God's intention for our prayer life together. We squander the opportunity that prayer affords. Week after week, we remain "small minded" in our prayers, focusing on the "discomforts of the moment" in our lives or the lives of those we care about, while the great issues of God's saving work in the world go unaddressed. And, I believe, this habitual abuse of prayer trains our people to remain immature and small-minded in their own prayer lives.

On any given Sunday, what does most of our prayer time look like?
- Praying for people who are sick.
- Praying for people who are facing surgery.
- Praying for people who are injured (broken arm, bad knee).
- Praying for rain when it's too dry.
- Praying for people who are having a tough time (home fire, unemployed, etc.)

And what is the essence of our every prayer? "Lord, fix it. Make the discomfort go away. Make the illness go away. Remove the struggle from our existence. Give us what we think we need."

Shallow, selfish, short-sighted, small-minded... maybe you're catching on that I detest this abuse of congregational prayer.

In contrast, what did Jesus pray about?
- The choices that would shape his ministry (like choosing disciples).
- The spiritual strength of his followers.
- That others would see God's glory, hear God's truth.
- That we as God's people would be unified.
- The spiritual protection and growth of his followers.
- That the Father's will would be done.

Jesus clearly cared about sickness and suffering. Otherwise he would not have done so much healing. But shouldn't the salvation of the lost rank a little higher on our concern list? When I die, it's not going to be a tragedy but a victory. And when we pray for those who are suffering, do we ask God to mobilize US to help, or are we just trying to skirt any ministry and dump the responsibility on God?

And what did the Apostle Paul pray about?
- The spiritual insight and discernment of his Christian friends.
- The growth of God's people in love and ministry.
- Strength for his friends in times of trial.
- Praise for God's work in the lives of new believers.
- That God's will would be demonstrated in Christian's lives.
- That the gospel of Jesus Christ would spread.
- That God's people would bear spiritual fruit.

If I were an outsider, using the communication between God's people and their Heavenly Father to figure out what was most important to the church of Jesus Christ, what would I conclude? Wouldn't it seem that the mission Christ gave the church was to promote Christians living physically healthy and pain free for as long as possible? And wouldn't it seem that Christians don't think THEY bear responsibility for caring for the sick, but only for telling God what to do about it?

How long before I would hear a passionate prayer asking God to guide us in addressing...
- those who live without Christ and without hope,
- neglected children,
- sexual abuse,
- poverty,
- the exploitation of the weak,
- crumbling marriages,
- the needs that surround us in our community,
- our need to know God more deeply,
- our responsibility for the sick, imprisoned, hungry,
- our need to surrender ourselves to God's will...
...and in all of these, a clear emphasis on "God, what is it you want us to do - this group of people, in this place, on this day - to demonstrate your active love and concern for the needs around us" vs. a passive "God, you take care of it, because I'm too busy."

Let me invite you to respond by listing those things YOU see us neglecting that are most certainly on the heart of God. And, you Hillsboro folks, maybe you'd like to also write it down on that "prayer request" slip in the bulletin and drop it in the offering plate: "Please pray for Hillsboro to act against predatory lending."

I'll be checking the comments box and the notes in the offering!

A local Children's Ministry leader and friend shared with me a bit of personal writing that I want to pass on to you. This person has been observing all the things that parents are allowing to keep their children from being regularly active in church. So my friend composed this list of 9 reasons why these parents don't prioritize their children's church-based spiritual development.

Tell me what you think!

9 REASONS WHY I DON’T BRING MY CHILDREN TO SUNDAY SCHOOL OR CHURCH

1. It won’t help my children get into college. College admission is competitive. So I need to make sure they play team sports, earn merit badges in scouts, take ballet lessons, learn to play the piano, etc. You can’t put Sunday School and church on a college application, so it just has to take a backseat to these college-oriented pursuits.

2. Our family life is already too scheduled and stressful. We don’t need another weekly obligation. Bible study and church are good, but who’s got time? We’ve got baseball, swim practice, competitions, homework, soccer, trips to see the family, sleepovers, the academic enrichment classes… How are we supposed to make time for Bible study and worship?

3. I talk to my kids about God. I tell a Bible story every night... OK, many nights. At least I did when they were preschoolers. And we say a blessing at every meal... when we’re home. Plus, I often mention how a Christian should act when they talk about problems at school or with their friends. I’m probably covering the main points. Before they go to college, that’s all they really need to know. They can figure out the rest on their own.

4. When they go to Sunday School or church, they start asking questions I can’t answer... at least not comfortably. Like, “will Uncle Phil go to hell if he says G-D it?” And, “why would Jesus say to turn the other cheek when you say ‘fight back’? Who’s right?” How can I be comfortably immature in my faith if my kids are growing spiritually?

5. We like to sleep late on Sundays. “God time” is good, but we need some “Me time.” It’s work getting everyone up, fed, dressed, and in the car. And I don’t want my commitment to God to be hard. I know we got up early when we took the kids to Kings Dominion or the beach for the day, but church isn’t exactly King’s Dominion, right?

6. Our kids don’t need a strong faith until they go to college. We’re Christian parents. They can lean on us, until then. We’ll protect them spiritually. And, c’mon, what kind of trials and temptations can there be in elementary and middle school? We’ll let the Youth Minister catch them up on the deep stuff just before they head off to the moral and ethical choices of college. That should be enough foundation to handle the frat parties, substance abuse, spiritual questions, and major life-choice of college.

7. Frankly, I’m not all that happy with God. I’m having a hard time. If God were doing more for me, I’d have the energy, the time, and the desire to make Bible study and worship a priority. But if God’s going to let me struggle, then I’ll keep sending him this message about being ticked off at him by skipping church. When God does more for me, I’ll do more for Him.

8. My kids don’t want to go. When they get started on their video games, it’s just hard to get them to stop. And I want my kids to like me. Why make them do something they don’t want to do? (…unless it’s homework, school, piano practice, going to the dentist, etc.)

9. God definitely comes first, but not right now. I appreciate all that Christ has done for me, but I’m just too stressed. I’m sure you’ll be able to count on me some day, just not now. I know my kids aren’t getting the God-comes-first message. But I can’t say “no” to these other things, right? Someday everything will calm down and we will definitely make God a priority then.

There's an old story about a wealthy couple who needed a new household servant to be their main cook. As they interviewed one promising candidate, they said, "So do you know how to serve guests?" And she said, "Yes, I know how to serve them both ways."

"What do you mean by 'both ways'?" they asked.

"Oh, so that they want to come back, and so that they don't," she said.

We can also serve people both ways. I had two conversations within the last week that illustrate that truth on the church level.

First, I spoke with a church member who said, "We came to church a couple of weeks ago, and drove through the already-full parking lot. My husband said, 'Let's just go home.' But I encouraged him to keep looking for a place to park. We finally parked over by the church office and walked to the Sanctuary. When we got there, the room was already full. My husband said, 'See, I told you we should have just gone home.' He would have been OK with going back to the car, but I encouraged him to go in and - ultimately - we had a good worship experience."

Now keep in mind that this is a well-connected church member. What might have happened had this been someone who didn't have family ties to the church, or someone who was bringing his/her spouse for the first time. Would they have made it in the doors, or been back home? And do we care that we are serving people in such a way that they may not come again?

(A recent first time guest also made a comment asking if there were some "secret parking" that she couldn't find, and asking if she could expect every Sunday to be a struggle to find a parking space for her and her children.)

The second conversation was with someone who's been attending Hillsboro for 2+ years. This person is not a lifelong church-goer. In fact, I think this friend had some pretty negative ideas about church before finding Hillsboro. Those first experiences with worship and other activities were a real risk, and were way outside of this person's comfort zone. Church had been a pretty meaningless experience and, before we connected with this person and this family, they were not attending any church at all. And I was told, "If someone had told me a few years ago that I would be attending a Baptist church, having lunch with church people, and staying for a 'hillbilly' music time (that person's words, said with a chuckle), I would have said 'You are totally nuts.'" Now the Hillsboro family is an important part of this person's life, and their family life, and they are an important part of who we are, too.

I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to see someone find the joy and hope and love that Christ offers, especially when they didn't think Christians and churches had much of value to share with them. Reaching one of those folks is more exciting to me than gathering 50 more traditional church folks. I do love them too, but I know they'll find a church no matter what. But here's someone who wasn't being reached who is now a part of God's big family. They've been blessed, and so have we!

So clearly we have the potential to serve people so that they will come back, and we also have the potential to serve (or fail to serve) them in such a way that they consider turning around and going home. It's happened before! How we eliminate obstacles, and how QUICKLY we do it, shows our community whether we REALLY want them to come back, or not.

It doesn't matter that salvation is found in Christ alone, it doesn't matter that we're proclaiming the peace and joy people long for, it doesn't matter that we have answers for struggling marriages, for lonely hearts, for troubled teenagers... if we are maintaining obstacles that discourage people from coming in the door.

Which way are we going to serve people... starting this week?

Beginning in early summer of 2009, we began having trouble with our satellite signal. I had changed the wiring a bit recently, so I figured it was my fault. So I jiggled wires, checked connections, pulled up the satellite set-up menu to check signal strength... and I couldn't find a problem. But our favorite shows (which is all we watch) were plagued with static and signal drop-outs. Then Bill and Rachel Murawski came to stay at our house. So now it wasn't just a problem, it was a real embarrassment. Our friends were having important parts of their shows drop out. "And that proves that the killer is..." [loss of signal]. "So now I'm ready to reveal to you all that I am..." [loss of signal] You are who? Batman? An alien from Mars? Their real father?

So, being a fix it guy, I even tried re-aligning the satellite dish. Turns out that it was aligned just right already. So finally I broke down and called the satellite provider. And they had me go through all the steps I had already gone through. "OK, unplug the box and wait 2 minutes. Now plug it back in. Now push and hold the power button for 30 seconds. Now put your left foot in and shake it all about." And after a 30 minute dance, he says, "Yep, you've got a KPI."

"What's a KPI?"

"Oh, that's a Known Product Issue. That model satellite box often has this problem. We'll need to call and get you a replacement box installed."

OK, so I endured months of less than satisfactory viewing (at the regular full price), spent hours trying to find the problem, blaming and second guessing myself, and being embarrassed over our poor signal as Bill and Rachel suffered through critical signal dropouts. "And the winner is..." [loss of signal].

...and the company knew all along that this might happen, just what it looked like, but didn't warn us and didn't fix it. They could have sent us a letter saying, "The box often works fine, but if you experience any of these problems, call us immediately." But no, they just let us experience problems without any warning. For that, I was extremely perturbed, and I demanded some extra short-term perks, which they did agree to, at the threat of losing a customer.

But here's my question: As a church, what do we do about KPIs? Do we fix them, or do we warn guests about them, or do we just let them suffer in silence and then vow to never come back again?

If we know that we have too few paved parking spaces, that people have to park on grass to find a space, that the grass areas aren't marked as "available parking," and that, when it rains, the people who park there have to walk through wet grass and soggy muck to get to their cars, what do we do about that KPI? If we know that a high heel shoe is going to sink in that mud, and shiny shoes will come away with a Plimsoll line of debris, will we correct our parking needs, or just let them suffer through without any warning. (I hope they don't hit a soft spot and drop a child!)

If we know we have too few seats, so that a day is coming soon when a new family walks in the door and doesn't have a place to sit together comfortably, do we correct it immediately out of a passion for reaching people? Do we at least warn them, "If you come late, seating may be a problem," or do we just sit back and let them suffer through one of our KPIs?

If we know we have an inadequacy in our ministries - not enough small groups, nothing left but inadequate meeting spaces, not enough trained group leaders or teachers - how do we respond? Do we take care of our KPI, or do we just expect people to get all of the depth, all of the personal connections they need as part of Christ's body from one worship time a week and a few conversations afterward?

We know we have some KPIs at Hillsboro. What we do about them is a test of the honesty of our claims about our love for others, our desire to reach and touch people's lives. If we do nothing, we'll send them away disappointed - maybe even angry. And maybe they'll become a customer of another church (best alternative), or maybe they'll give up on God's people altogether (worst alternative).

Do Jesus' words apply here when he says, "Whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea" (Mark 9:42).

And what about those words from James: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17).

So who's with me on immediately addressing our KPIs?