If we’re honest, many of us have this impression that even though we may have “asked Jesus to come into our hearts” at some point, he seems to have left … sort of.

It’s as if we call on him to come pay us a visit, to help us out in this situation or that; and then his nearness dissipates. The God who fades. But what kind of assumption might this discouraging view of Jesus be founded upon?

We say that the Cross and Resurrection is about an exchanged life — his for ours. But don’t we look at this rather forensically — as if the whole deal occurs on paper, like a contract with each side’s lawyers signing off on it? Wouldn’t it be better to assume that something actual was exchanged: that a sin-sick and dead heart was removed, and a new and supernaturally radiant heart was given?

There is no virtual reality here. Not in this Kingdom.
I think our problem is that when we imagine Jesus giving something to us, we think he gives us a substance, something other than himself. For example, we ask for “more grace.” So is grace a solid, liquid, gas? - A powder or something transient and illusive? Of course not. Grace is Jesus saying to us, “Take me. …
I am what you need. I’ll bind myself to you, as you.”

So why do we think he comes for a brief visit to fix a problem or answer a prayer, yet slowly disappears again as a ghost? It’s because we don’t believe that the incarnation — the self-giving of Jesus — still continues within us today. Not just for us, within us.

It’s also why we don’t believe anything supernatural really happened to us at conversion. (Again, it’s that on-paper-only problem). When he rescues, he gives himself. When he performs spiritual surgery, he gives himself. When he gives us a new and supernaturally- purified heart, he gives us his own. That’s why the Christian’s heart is good now, actually good.

“Take mine. I am what you need. I’ll bind myself to you, as you.”
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Source: “As you..” The Rest of the Gospel, Dan Stone & David Gregory.
I

“Do I have to?”  was my first thought.  However, before rushing into a new year, I knew I needed to take some moments to hear what God might be saying about the next 365 days. I was disrupted by the idea that God wanted to tell me something - a gift for my heart - at the start of a new season. I always need his counsel, but especially so when there is a year-full of days to live, really live, and several paths that could be taken.

Jesus reminds us of the counsel that is now available to us: “I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.” You’re his friend. What does he want to tell you?
So I asked God the following questions and will continue to bring these questions before him at the launch of 2008:

1. “Father, what are You saying to me about this new year? Do you have a specific word for me?” (I hadn’t even completed the question when I heard the word, “hope.”) “Did I really hear You say, ‘hope?’” My heart lifts as I hear this.

2. “Are there specific directions you want me to pursue?” (I haven’t heard anything immediate here, probably because I went on to other things after jotting down the question in my journal. I’ll continue to explore any inklings God whispers here.)

Allies:
Hope these questions are helpful to you. As always, I value your prayers for my writing/speaking ministry. If you want to be on an intercessor team that prayers for me, my mission, and family, I would be honored. You’ll receive regular updates. Please click “Send Jim an email” at the upper right corner of the blog; and let me know you want to be an intercessor.
Jim

You can read a brief article I wrote for a great website called Walkable Neighborhoods. Walkable Neighborhoods “promotes livable, walkable communities that are vibrant, unique, and economically viable places to live, work, and play.”

The article I wrote concerns the number one issue for Christians and churches in the coming decade. The article is called, “Walkable Church.” Click here.

What happens when, in an effort to be “relevant” to culture, the Church ends up capitulating to culture? - Offering nothing different than culture, because it has become the culture? Christianity-lite, as Dick Staub calls it, offers its own brand of celebrity-adoration: preachers-performers who fill stadiums and mega-worship places. Or, you can find our own brand of ‘cool’ pop-grung worship leaders whose clothing styles, cool hair, and postmodern chic our local worship leaders love to imitate.

When we become culture rather than offer a meaningful alternative, we settle for mediocrity. Our current superficial art and artistry values self-expression and the self-indulgent rantings of the artist rather than enduring goodness and the mastery of craft that expresses an alternate Kingdom reality. Our lyrics, therefore, become vacuous and immature; and our music drones out the tired chord progressions and unthoughtful imitations that are now found in our churches as much as anywhere else.

When we imitate the surrounding culture rather than transform it, our preaching becomes driven by felt-needs rather than the thorough and glorious transformation of humanity. The richness of the Scriptures gets supplanted by sound-bite messages that offer nothing more than pop-psychology with a spiritual veneer.

When we give in to the reigning pop culture that surrounds us, we no longer have anything meaningful to offer. We have only the cotton candy gospel that tastes great but is less filling. It satisfies our sweet tooth but offers little nourishment. It’s pretty but can’t give life.

Solution: church leaders have to reconsider what ‘relevant’ really means. The relevance of Jesus means offering a meaningful alternative to superficial fluff. It means we must engage the whole person, not simply their felt needs. For, aren’t we to love God with all our heart, mind, and body? This means leaders must decide to more richly engage their own minds, hearts, and bodies in the Kingdom habits of Jesus - rather than expending the majority of their energies keeping the ministry machine running smoothly.

As leaders, we must read widely and deeply - a broader scope than the top-ten evangelical best-seller list. What have the old ones who have gone before us said? What are the current Christian spiritual masters saying? We must read work that is substantial and rich in content - which does not have to imply intellectual headiness.

We must consider our art, worship, and artistry, as to whether it offers lasting and enduring meaning to our culture. Is it good art? Good music? Or is it simply indulgent self-expression - expression that hasn’t been grounded in a deeper life. Or do we think we can call it worship merely because it focuses on God, yet doesn’t reflect the brilliance of the Maker’s Art?
We must remember why we got into this thing called ‘ministry’ in the first place. Surely, it wasn’t simply to manage the machine and function as event-planners. We must return to a richer and more thoughtful life as citizens of the transforming Kingdom.