Unity In Diversity Part 3- The Pursuit of “Excellence” Did Jesus?

I have found myself thinking about my life experiences educationally, socially, interpersonal relationships, and vocationally and inside and outside the Church/Ecclesia.

Partially, because one of the meetings I have this week is going to have to do with those things and also, because I was blessed with reconnecting to some degree with someone who knows me far better than most who shared in what at least feels like the best experience I have ever had with genuine community with other Christ followers.

A community not driven by anything, but the love of about 70 people for Jesus, Father, for one another, and our neighbors about 26 years ago.

Anyway, I found myself thinking about how wonderful it is to reconnect with people who have known you at both your best and worst and have taken the time to genuinely know you and yet they still love me.

These are people with whom it is safe to be so real that they see just how fake you really are.

To me there is nothing closer than that to Father’s love.

Then this week I found myself thinking about how within institutional church I never felt accepted, loved, respected, and more often ignored and/or used by those who were considered strong, mature, and the greatest.

People who in truth were not considered those things for their Christ likeness, but for their exceptional Charisma, and/or good looks, intelligence, talent, gifts, affluence/wealth, business savvy…

They were popular and considered the greatest for all the reason’s people are considered the greatest in the world’s systems and society at large.

Last week Kathy Escobar in her wonderful thoughtful and often provocative blog found at www.kathyescobar.com she posted an entry titled Jesus & "Excellence."

A quote from Kathy's entry (Note: One of Kathy’s trademark is writing in all lower case): “hey, i’m all for doing a good job, and i’m a perfectionist at heart. but when i read the gospels and see the ministry of Jesus, “excellence” is not a word that i’d connect to him, at least not in the definitions we seem to use.

to most leaders, “excellence” means top-notch, focused, seamless, entertaining, powerful, inspirational, compelling, squared-away, strategic and organized events, gatherings, structures, and teams. and excellence sells. people are strangely drawn to it. the bar keeps getting higher and the need for “excellence” keeps increasing. no one means bad by it, but i also think we need to be aware of how much damage “excellence” can cause to the body of Christ. i really do think it does more harm than good overall. it creates a false sense of what’s really important in the “christian” life. it makes the less-excellent feel less-worthy & valuable. it perpetuates power & strength instead of humility & sacrifice. it feeds egos. it creates an “us and them.” it reflects the culture & not the kingdom.” -Kathy Escobar

I would like to add a couple things to the last bolded section of the quote above it also becomes a source of pride in the lives of those whom are treated as if they have achieved “excellence” as is causes creates a false sense that they are experts regarding the “Christian” life.

It also creates a false sense in other’s that those who have achieved “excellence” are greater than others and should be listened to and followed like gurus.

It not only causes the supposedly “less-excellent” to feel less-worthy & valuable, it causes the supposed above average and others to treat the supposed “less-excellent” or "The least of these" that way too.

"Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."
- 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (The Message)

I would like to encourage my readers to checkout Kathy Escobar’s blog entry Jesus & “Excellence” found @ http://kathyescobar.com/2010/02/25/jesus-excellence/ please cut a past the link into your browser.

Unity In Diversity Part 2, Inclusive Community

I long for deep and meaningful relationships, but I recognize that I keep people at arm’s length.

I especially do this with professing Christians, nevertheless to some degree even though I do not want keep people at a distance I have a feeling I do so with nearly everyone.

It is as if I expect that everyone is going to eventually reject, use and/or betray me in some significant manner.

Then again at the same time I a desire to build bridges between others and myself and those who choose to participate in institutional church and those like me who have chosen to leave institutional church for more organic relationships.

Hundreds of others have left and are leaving institutional churches in hopes of finding something more in line with what we believe the New Testament demonstrates and that the Holy Spirit has taught us regarding what it means to be a follower of Christ and who the church is and what it looks and functions like.

It appears to me that I have always had a different viewpoint than others.

To be honest I feel I have been misunderstood and rejected by most people including professing followers of Christ my whole life unless they recognize in me something that want to use.

I know that this hinders me building strong relationships and I am taking measures to overcome that regardless whether it is or is not the truth.

Whether falsely perceived or real it is an awful feeling and it feels as real as the earth beneath my feet and I am tired of it!

This is strange to me, because the few who have chosen to get to really know me without preconceived assumptions respect, like, and value what Father has given me to contribute to them and the body of Christ as a whole.

There have also been a few who have recognized my gifts and talents and then have chosen to use and take everything I have to give and acted as if they value me only to betray my trust and the honor and loyalty I demonstrated toward them.

In addition, there have been others that I have felt have never accepted me, because I do not conform to them or their expectations.

I spent most of my life fighting to figure out how to fit in with the in crowd in both Church and society/the world.

Yet even “in church” surrounded by people I have nearly always felt alone.

Just the other day I was talking to a husband and wife who also has left institutional church who “said it is so lonely without “going to church” though.”

I asked “but was it much less lonely when you were going to church?"

Their reply was “point taken.”

I then said to them “for me it is not like the people in church are paying less attention and demonstrating less care toward me now. Besides just how well do you get to know people while staring at the backs of each other’s heads and how much do you benefit from the gifts that each of us have been given to each for the benefit of one another when gathered or from the short 10 minute conversations with people faking everything is perfect that take place before and after main event.”

Mind you, this couple was one of the few that I had meaningful relationship with when participating in the institutional church and though our relationship is not perfect we are transparent with and genuinely care for each other.

Something I found very little of during my 31 years I spent in institutional church.

One reason I share this is I know this couple and I are not the only Christ followers who have had these and other similar experiences.

I have read and heard hundreds of similar stories and for those who read this blog who have had this experience I want you to know you are not alone.

I also share this in hopes that a few who continue to attend and find value in institutional church will read this and hopefully seek Father to learn how to better grow a truly inclusive community of faith where the same value is demonstrated to the least as those thought of as greatest.

I am not saying that there are no “institutional churches” who have done a good job of growing genuine community that values and accepts all its members as individuals and valuable contributors to the community as a whole.

I however only personally know of one that has done a good job of it, I believe it cannot be the only one though as my experience is obviously limited.

If you are part of that kind of community of Christ followers I want to encourage you to continue to seek deeper relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each other and your neighbors.

If you are not and you find that you are alone much of the time as I do I want to encourage to not give up and to trust that Father will place the valuable relationships in your life that you need.

I also want to encourage you to not give up on cultivating growing relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Continue to grow in living loved and living love.

We all have people around us through out each day; let us ask Father to teach us how to grow those relationships and to grow by them.

Unity, Because of Diversity! #1

As human beings we so want to be right in what we believe, our way of life and living, our opinions, preferences, desires…

Those who differ from us we view as threats, because in our minds if they are right I am necessarily wrong.

If I am right then they are necessarily wrong!

We then rather than learning from one another polarize separating from each other based on what makes us different from one another.

We form opinions based not on truth, but assumptions about each other.

In my experience, there is nowhere this is more true than among professing Christians.

The spirit of religion has created divisions based on these vary things.

Some people have built entire organizations based on pointing out the differences within the religion of Christianity and themselves.

Vehemently calling everyone who disagrees with his or her understanding of scripture heretics.

They create among their followers a feeling of superiority over others who are in Christ who disagree with them that allows them to justify separating themselves from those that do not agree with their theology and doctrine.

In the last year I have learned a great deal from those I do not completely agree with.

I have learned that much of what they have said about what I have believed is truth.

As I have read what people who disagree with what I believe I have found that the following words John wrote to those he referred to as his children are true “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.”

In other words rather than listening to and taking the instruction of supposed experts I have read what others say and the Holy Spirit has shown revealed what is truth and what is error and what is significant what is not.

I have also really learned and do not just pay lip service to the idea any more that people with whom I do not completely agree are not necessarily falsely claiming to be followers of Christ.

Then again, I have also learned that those with whom I intellectually agree with doctrinally and theologically are not necessarily born of the Spirit either.

In this regard, I encourage everyone reading this to read the letter of First John.

If for no other reason to see if what I am writing here is truth or if by quoting John I am taking those words out of context and using them to falsely justify what I have written here.

For far too long many of us and to some degree even myself have worshiped at the idol of education assuming that because someone has had a formal education in a Bible College or Seminary and they are confident, convincing, well spoken, and intelligent what they are saying it is necessary truth.

Paul the Apostle was all of those things and he wrote “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

It is time that we who follow Christ begin to test what others say by examining the Scripture to see if what they are saying is true.

We would do well to trust that the indwelling Holy Spirit (the anointing) we have received will be our teacher and believe that if we do we not need to feel threatened by what others believe if it is different.

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” -Jesus

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” -Jesus

In doing this I am finding and believe we all will discover often our supposed apposing understandings are actually both incomplete and when placed together with the illumination of the Holy Spirit provide more complete understanding.

If we had remained separated based on differences we would never have learned from each other and our understanding would have likely remained more limited than necessary, because of our hard headed pride.

New Beginnings in a New Year!

Hello to all my regular readers and friends who have been kind enough to give me this month break from writing during January and to all who are new here.

The month of January was busy, joyful, stressful, challenging, trying and productive for me.

Much was spent feeling like I was in some kind of middle ground between what has been and what will be a new beginning and a season of growth and fulfillment of things longed.

January became the time for me to beginning learning about some lifelong personal challenges and the beginning of learning how to work with them in a way that they are no longer disabilities, but challenges that free me even more to live loved and to live love.

I am becoming more and more convinced that the root of all sin, interpersonal difficulties, and conflict in this life is the result of not living as fully loved by our creator, God, Father… and not living love.

That the more we, become convinced of and understand Father is selfless, sacrificial, transformational love the more we we/I will love one our neighbors in that same way.

It is the key to freedom from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

As we will become content with what Father has provided us with, the measure provided, and our esteem will be in our relationship with him.

Therefore, we will not lust for more and live humbly preferring one anther above ourselves.

This progressive process increases as our relationship with Father, Son, Holy Spirit and each other grow.

This month I purchased a Mazda Miata MX-5 convertible roadster/sports care I mentioned in December I was planning to purchase in January.

It is a red/black 2001 with only 44,000 miles on the odometer and until now spent most of its life garaged only driven in warm weather on weekends by its original owner.

It would be a base model except that the owner rather than purchasing one of the factory packages special ordered it with the features he wanted resulting in a factory build one-off custom automobile.

I had watched many vehicles via internet automobile sales websites that I was interested in looking as potential purchases.

This one in particular came available for sale about a month ago and of all it was closest and in the best overall condition and the one, I liked the looks of the best and had all of the specific factory installed features I was looking for.

It was being offered for sale $2000 below Kelly bluebook, which is what most car dealers and many car enthusiasts use to decide dollar value of used vehicles.

I really believe that Father chose this specific vehicle for me.

Last week one of the goals I scheduled for completion in January was finally complete and that enabled me to be able to make the purchase and the dealer I purchase, which is one without negotiable prices dropped the price that Monday another $1000 below Kelly Bluebook.

I believe that was a “God thing.”

Well I am pleased to be “back in the saddle” writing again and I hope you all enjoyed and benefitted from my first post of 2010.

I have some changes I am considering this year for this blog and I believe my writings will become more Christ centered and speak much less about what’s wrong and simply focus on building relationship with Father and each other and growing community in the Church/community rather than building manmade structures and programs.

I hope to build a bridge between myself and those who choose to participate in more structured instructional settings.

To be honest I have painted it as if no one in institutional churches has a genuine heart for authentic relationships and real community and true.

In doing so I believe to some degree, I have given reason for some to doubt my love for the Church/ecclesia and I must confess I believe some of that was I speaking through the filter of unhealed wounds, perhaps even bitterness.