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Stop the Name Calling

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What do you call people who are not Christians? Have you ever thought about the terms we use, and how these terms are either (1) condescending and rude, and/or (2) biblically inaccurate?

The words we use to describe people who have not believed in Jesus for eternal life reveal a lot about our theology, what we think of them, and how we will interact with them. It could be argued, I suppose, that we shouldn’t have a title or term for those who don’t believe in Jesus. We are all just “people.” But I think some sort of term is appropriate and necessary to give Christians a sense of community, and to help help differentiate ourselves from the rest of the world, while at the same time inviting them to join us in our mission.

Whatever term we use, it must not reveal an arrogance about our present condition, but must be loving and kind. It should also reveal an openness to other people joining us. If possible, it should also be biblical. Below are a few terms I have either used or heard others use, and why they should not be used. I will conclude with two terms that I am currently trying to use. Tell me what you think!

Pagan
I have never used this term, but I’ve heard some Christians use it. I think this is a slanderous term and should not be used.

Non-Christian
I have used this one, and sometimes still do, but it has negative overtones. Also, most ‘Christians” are nominal (in name only) and so while they claim to be Christians, they really aren’t. So how do you classify them? Are they “non-Christians” or not? Besides, it’s not biblical.

Pre-Christian
I once had a pastor friend who used this term all the time. While it does do away with the negative connotation that “non-Christian” has, and does seem to indicate that others are welcome to join us, it is not very precise or biblical. Furthermore, it is terribly arrogant and condescending. It assumes that everybody is on their way to becoming a Christian and once they become full-fledged Christians, they have truly arrived. I detest this term.

Target
Wow. What can I say about this? I hear this one used by door-to-door evangelists and street preachers a lot. I guess when they see a “target” they take aim with their gospel guns and start firing.

Sinners
This one is negative and judgmental. Yet people use it (and I have too) because it seems to have some biblical basis. However, I don’t use this any more. In Scripture (and in experience) everybody is a sinner – even those who have believed in Jesus. Anyone who sins is a sinner, and since we all sin, we are all sinners. So aside from being negative and judgmental, it is imprecise and unbiblical. All of us are sinners. If we call a certain group “sinners” it gives the wrong impression that we don’t sin any more.

Unbelievers
For a long time, this was my preferred term. Though it has a negative connotation, there is some biblical basis to it. Furthermore, it brings out the main difference between people who have believed in Jesus for eternal life and those who have not – belief! However, I don’t use this term any more. This partly because of the negative undertones, but primarily because it is inaccurate. Everyone is a believer. Everyone believes in something. Even atheists are “believers” in that they believe there is no God. I have been called an “unbeliever” by Muslims, and my immediate thought was, “Hey! I believe; I just don’t believe like you believe.” Furthermore, there is much more to the Christian life than just believing the right things.

People who are Far from God
This one is gaining in popularity among “missional” churches. However, like “unbeliever,” it is just plain wrong.  It is often used to describe people who live in great depravity and sin. However, Jesus says that such people are closer to the kingdom of God than are most religious people (Matt 21:31-32). You might be more accurate if you refer to the people in the pews as those who are “far from God.”

Disconnected
This certainly seems to invite people to become connected, but in a negative way. It is also not found in Scripture. Thrid, almost everyone is connected to some group in some way, so they are not really disconnected. They are only disconnected from the church, and frankly, fewer and fewer people want to be connected to the church. Also, many people in the church are disconnected as well. They attend church, but are not really being the church.

The Others / Outsiders
These are the terms I currently try to use. I learned them from David Bosch, in his amazing book, Transforming Mission (p. 137). I think these terms avoid most (but not all) of the negative connotation of many of the terms above. They do not seem to be judgmental, and seem to be the technical term used by Paul in his letters (cf. 1 Cor 5:12f, 1 Thess 4:12). Also, these terms seems to invite others to come inside and enjoy the community that (hopefully) we have, even if they have not yet believed in Jesus. They do not imply that “belief in Jesus” is the end-all of the Christian life.

So what do you think? Have any to add? Disagree with anything above? Let me know!

Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, Ch. 4, fol. 37 recto

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How is that for a blog post title?

Ok, students, I have an assignment for you.

In Josh McDowell’s book, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, he references a quote from the Jewish Babylonian Talmud which supposedly says, “Woe unto us, for the scepter has departed from Judah, and the Messiah has not come!” (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 4,37A). The Rabbi who wrote this was speaking in reference to the prophecy in Genesis 49:10 that the scepter will not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes.

I looked it up, and as far as I can tell, no such quote exists on that page of the Talmud.

So either somebody “invented” this quote because it makes a cool point in a sermon, OR the reference in wrong.

I called a “Jews for Jesus” friend of mine to see if he uses this quote in his evangelistic efforts, and he said, “All the time. It is very effective.” I asked him if he knew if the quote was authentic or not, and he assured me it was, even though he didn’t know where it could be found.

Then I aksed my new Jewish friends to help me find it, but they say the quote doesn’t exist. They suspect that some Christian invented (aka “forged”) the quote in an attempt to get Jews to become Christians. If true, somebody better tell all the pastors and authors who use this quote in their teachings (e.g. Chuck Missler, me, and others).

Finally, I tried to do some research online to find it, and discovered that lots of people have the same question, but nobody has yet found the quote. I tried to check some Jewish websites, and in the process, found out that many Jewish websites “rest” on the Sabbath (e.g. www.artscroll.com – try to access this site on Saturday before sundown). Very interesting.

So, I decided to ask you! Let me know what you discover…if anything.

One Year Later

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teletreeI am approaching the one year anniversary of a particular personal crisis. While the situation still stings, I have a bit of perspective now, and am actually quite thankful about what happened.

As I was driving to work this morning, I saw a wooden power line pole that had resprouted limbs. When I saw it, I did a double take. At first I thought maybe the electrical company had just strung wires to a tree. But upon closer examination, it was clearly a power line pole. It apparently had been a tree at one point (I guess that’s where power line poles come from), had been cut down, stripped, and then used as a power line. Over the years, it has resprouted limbs. I didn’t know such a thing was even possible.  Even as I write this, I am doubting what I saw, and want to go take another look.

It seemed to me when I saw it that I was to be a picture of what has happend to my family and I during the past year.

I was like a tree that had been cut down, stripped of it’s limbs and bark, and then covered in tar and stuck in the mud to hold power lines. A year ago, we had our feet cut out from under us, and were stripped of all that we knew and held dear. I personally felt like my identity and value as a man had been stripped away from me. I felt dead and empty. All the plans, goals, and dreams I had for my life vanished in a day. I searched for new ways of gaining value, but for the most part, they were mere shadows of the dreams I held before, like a tree that had become a power line pole.

But recently, I feel like I am beginning to resprout. I see branches, buds, and roots beginning to form. New life is rising out of death and ashes. I am not sure what the future holds, but I am hopeful…

In the next week or two, I will unfurl one of these new branches, so keep posted!

Sophie's Choice Remix

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Have you heard of “Sophie’s Choice”? The story is told of a Jewish woman during WWII who had two children, a boy and a girl. She is told by a Nazi soldier to pick one child to live and one to die. The woman was unable to pick, and so the Nazi soldier grabbed the girl and started to walk away with her. The mother screamed, “NO! Not my daughter!” So the Nazi soldier returned and said, “You have made your choice.” Then he shot the boy.

Recently I was reading The Shack by William P. Young (If you haven’t read it, you should – if nothing else, it will make you think), where a similar situation is presented by God to Mack (the main character). So I blame the book for the following post:

God: Pick one of your girls to go to hell.

Me: NO!

God: Okay. Pick two of your girls to come to heaven.

Me: What about the third?

God: Don’t worry about her.

Me: Ummm…I don’t like the sound of that. If I choose two, what will happen to the one I don’t pick?

God: Well, since I cannot lie, the truth is that she will go to hell. But it’s not because you chose her to go to hell, you simply chose the other two to go to heaven.

Me: Pardon me for saying so, God, but that is pure nonsense.

I have heard some Christians use the logic presented by “God” above. They say He didn’t actually choose anyone to go to hell, He just chose some to go to heaven, and “passed over” the rest. Generally, however, when Christians talk about this, they try to make it more palatable. Instead of using parents choosing which child should go to hell and which child should go to heaven, they talk about some inanimate object, like a bushel of apples. They say that if you have a basket of apples, and you choose some to take home to eat, you didn’t condemn the others, you simply didn’t choose them.

Frankly, I think humans are a bit more valuable than a bushel of apples. We are not inanimate, unthinking, temporal, clods. Well, maybe some of us are, but that’s besides the point.

God cares for us way more than we care for our children–even those of us who are clods. If we could not treat our children in the way described in the dialogue above, what makes us think God can?

Let's Party!

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I went to a Jewish party the other night. I think it had something do with the Hannukah being over, but I was a little unclear about the purpose for the party. Never having been to a Jewish party before, I was a little unsure what to expect.

When I first arrived, I realized that these were not “Seinfeld/Sandler” style Jews. These were the Orthodox Hasidic kind. They were all dressed in black from head to toe. The men had long beards and the little curly locks of hair on either side of their face. I figured that this party would probably be like most Christian parties I have attended, where people sit around with cups of punch or coffee, chatting quietly about the weather, politics, and Mrs. Haggerty’s new hair style, while music from the Gaithers plays softly in the background. (I’m only kidding! …Kind of).

At first, I was not disappointed. They began the party with some prayer. It was all in Hebrew, so I understood very little of it. The prayer was complete with lots of head bobbing which is typical of Hasidic prayer.

But then things got crazy.

Let me tell you – Jewish guys can dance! The place was rocking! One guy was doing flips and head stands on chairs. It was a little odd seeing a bunch of bearded men in black suits holding hands while singing and jumping around, but somehow, it all seemed natural. It was probably the most masculine type of dancing I have ever seen. I wondered if King David danced like this through the streets of Jerusalem. They need this kind of dancing on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Also, the party with the singing and dancing was strangely worshipful. I’m not exactly sure why, but there were numerous times during the party when I almost broke down in tears over the emotion being expressed in the singing and dancing. I asked one of them what they were singing (most of it was in Hebrew or Yiddish) and he said, “The Psalms.”

I was little confused about this, since I had recognized some of the tunes, and the words I knew for those tunes were definitely not from the Psalms. I asked about this, and he said that the Psalms do not have music, only words, so they sing the words of the Psalms to whatever tune they want. Sometimes, he informed me, they sing the same Psalm over and over, but to different tunes. They pick the tune based on the emotion they are feeling or want to express.

All in all, it was one of the best parties I have ever attended. The emotion and joy expressed were not what I had expected. Also, their love and acceptance of me — as well as people of many other religions and ethnic groups that were present — was astounding. I had always thought Hasidic Jews were a closed community, but this is not the initial impression I received.

Through it all, Paul’s words in Romans 9;3 kept ringing through my head. If you don’t know what this verse says, you’ll have to go look it up.

At the end of the party, I got invited to Brooklyn for another party, and was also invited to a Jewish BBQ (?!?!) later this year in upstate New York. I wonder if a “Jewish BBQ” has anything to do with the burnt offerings you can read about in Leviticus? …I think I’ll go find out.

Unexplained Mysteries

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Here is one of the greatest mysteries of life: Why do stores stop selling seasonal items once the season arrives that these items are for?

I am new to New York, and so don’t have any of the items that living and driving in New York require – like sand, salt, shovels, sleds, gloves, coats, hats, snowpants (for the kids), etc.

I went to numerous stores today to try to find all of the above, and every store gave me the same answer, “Oh, we stopped selling those things back in September.” In Walmart, I went to the “Seasonal” section, and the employees were stocking the shelves with coolers, lawn chairs, and beach balls! It’s 20 degrees and snowing today! We still have at least three months of winter left, and then a few months of spring before anybody will be using coolers and beach balls!

Am I really the only person in the United States who wants to buy snow shovels and ice salt in December and January when it is icy and snowing? In our procrastinating society, I have never understood why stores don’t carry season items all the way through the season that the items are for. Or at least half way through. It is one of life’s unexplained mysteries to me.

So help me out. Honestly, do any of you actually buy your snow shovels in September and your beach balls in January?

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Have a Happy Kwanzaa

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Happy Kwanzaa

I was asked today by one of the people I work with if it was okay for a Christian to celebrate Kwanzaa.

My immediate response was, “If you can’t celebrate Kwanzaa, you can’t celebrate Christmas either.”

Truthfully, I don’t know a whole lot about Kwanzaa except that it is a holiday with similarities to Christmas and Hanukkah, but is for the world African community.

But even with my limited knowledge, and without even doing a Google search, I can guarantee that there are many Christians and churches which condemn the celebration of Kwanzaa.

Searching for Kwanzaa

So here is a fun little exercise to do this Christmas after you wear yourself out opening all your presents: Search on Google for “Why Christians shouldn’t celebrate Kwanzaa.” (If you really want some fun, search Google for “Jerry Falwell on Kwanzaa.” I’m not sure if he ever said anything about it, but if he did, it’ll make for a good Christmas laugh. Update: I searched for it, and Jerry Falwell did write against Kwanzaa).

Once you have found some good Christian articles online condemning Kwanzaa, read these articles and substitute the word “Christmas” every time you see the word “Kwanzaa.” As it turns out, many of the objections against Kwanzaa can also be made against Christmas.

Pagan Kwanzaa = Pagan Christmas

Pagan Christmas TreeFor example, here is what you might read: “Kwanzaa is not Christian! It was started by people of other religions who wanted to spread their false beliefs and practices.”

Right! But did you know that “Christmas” was a holiday long before Christ was born? It wasn’t called “Christmas” but it was celebrated on December 25 by decorating trees, beautifying them with glitter and lights, and then passing out presents. Christmas has pagan roots – lots of them.

Here is something else you might read: “Kwanzaa has so many negative elements…like greed, a focus on self rather than God, self-esteem, and profit.” Again, I’m just making these criticisms up. I have no idea what sort of things go on during a Kwanzaa celebration. But again, just stick in the word “Christmas” where we read Kwanzaa above, and the statement is still true.

Christmas and Kwanzaa Redemption

Am I trying to say that we should not celebrate Christmas either? Of course not! I believe that Christ is a Redeemer, and there is nothing beyond the reach of His redemption. Both Kwanzaa and Christmas can be redeemed by Christ and celebrated by any who wish.

Festivus, however, is a completely different matter…

Luke 10:25-37 Retold

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One of the blogs I read is De-Conversion, which is a blog for and by people who struggle with many of the elements of religion–especially Christianity. If you want your faith to be challenged, or you want to know what many people in the world think of your beliefs, this is the blog for you!

One of the contributors, Quester, recently made a post about hell. He concluded this post with the following retelling of Luke 10:25-37, the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This retelling struck me, because it reflects my own journey over the past 4-5 years in my understanding of Jesus, grace, and missions.

Here is what he wrote:

One day, a theologian decided to challenge a street preacher. “Preacher,” he asked, “what must we do to be saved?”

“What is written in the Gospels?” the preacher replied. “What do you read there?”

The theologian answered answered: “It is through Jesus that we are saved. We must believe in Him.”

“You have answered correctly,” the preacher replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But the theologian wanted to justify himself, so he asked the preacher, “And who is this Jesus that we must believe in?”

In reply, the preacher said: “A man was walking downtown, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stole everything, even his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him to die. After he died, Jesus came to him, wearing a frayed loincloth and a crown of thorns. Blood dripped from his hands, feet, brow and side. He was beaten but not broken, and there was a fanatic gleam in his eyes when he raised his head to snarl,

“Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.” (Mt. 25:41b-43)

Again, Jesus came to him, blond and blue-eyed with a sad smile and a pure white robe. He sat in the midst of quiet children and clean sheep and gently told the man,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Mt. 7:21-23)

A third time, Jesus came to him, almost unrecognizably: a young, Jewish man with traces of sawdust on his faded blue jeans. When he saw the man he took pity on him. He went to him and healed his wounds, tears of compassion falling down his face. Then he took the man up in his arms, and carried him to our Heavenly Father. “Look after him,” he said, “I have paid for any debt he may owe.”

“Which of these three do you think was a saviour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The theologian replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

The street preacher smiled, “Go and do likewise.”

You Gotta Love that Sh*t

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church planting I have been a long time reader of Chris Elrod’s blog, and he recently announced his departure from the blogosphere. To say goodbye, I am posting one of his final posts below that all church planters (and all who are followers of Jesus), should read. I strongly encourage you to also go and browse his archives (which are still active).

You will be missed Chris! (2014 Update… It looks like he’s back)

You Gotta Love that Sh*t
by Chris Elrod

Curse words are just words … but oh what a tapestry of division they can weave.  

Recently I was meeting in a restaurant with some other church leaders.  Sitting near us were two truck drivers that were cussing up a storm in their conversation.  In between f-words and a-words one of the guys said REAL LOUD… “You gotta love that sh*t!”  

That was the final straw for one of the pastors at our table and he asked the waitress if we could move to a different location … because he was offended by the language of the men.  

That’s when it hit me … some people are offended by cussing … but it’s music to my ears.  When I hear cussing … I hear people far from God.  When I hear people far from God … I hear an opportunity to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.

I seriously don’t understand “leaders” that plant churches that appeal to themselves.  I don’t understand “leaders” that plant churches to reach other church people.  I really don’t understand “leaders” that plant churches with no real heart to reach people far from God.

Don’t get me wrong … reaching people far from God is messy.  

They cuss … they have serious issues … they smell … they drink … they live lifestyles that are at times really repulsive.  Reaching people far God also means going to places that church folks have been taught not to go.  People FAR from God do not hang out in Starbucks or Junior League meetings … they hang out in bars, porn shops, downtown streets, bowling allies, courtrooms, emergency rooms, and R-rated movies.  

It’s not easy … it’s not pleasant … it’s not always rewarding.  

However, reaching people far from God with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what the Father called us to do.

I know that quite a few potential church planters read my blog so let me say this to you:

If you don’t want to do ministry that is messy … don’t plant a church.  

If you just want to “feed the saints” … don’t plant a church.  

If you just want to stop having to take orders from your current pastor … don’t plant a church.  

If you just got fired, let go or laid off from a ministry position … don’t plant a church.  

If you are still trying to impress seminary professors with your preaching skills … don’t plant a church.  

In fact, if you think planting a church is cool … don’t plant a church. 

If you think those things, it’s probably going to be best for you to get a job in your state denominational office … where it’s safe, there’s a steady paycheck and you only have to interact with other Christians.

On the other hand…

… if you love the smell of vomit and beer 

… if you love to hear about people’s addictions 

… if you love hearing the f-bomb dropped by every member of a family (including kids) 

… if you love people wearing halter tops and Budweiser t-shirts in the Sunday service 

… if you love people putting three dollars cash in the offering plate and crossing their arms during worship 

… if you love getting 3 a.m. marriage counseling calls 

… then by all means … plant a church.  

I’m not talking about you liking that stuff … I’m talking about … you gotta love that sh*t!!!

Church planting done right is messy … and attracts messy people.  

If you don’t have a passion for the mess … if you don’t hear someone cussing and think, “That person is a potential guest for my church” … if you don’t wake up every day with an unquenchable thirst to see people far from God come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior … church planting is going to be a miserable experience for you!!!

New York Church Planting

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Though the reason I came to New York is for a government job, I am convinced that one reason I am up here is for “church planting.” I won’t do this at work, of course! First and foremost, I will be a good employee.

However, after work, one of the things I want to do is plant a church. So in a sense, I’m church planting on the government’s dime! This kind of church planting does not require any fundraising. In a sense, since I am a government employee, all of you who pay federal taxes are technically supporting my church planting efforts. So thank you! I appreciate your generosity!

Anyway, I have already realized that it would be nearly impossible to plant a typical church in area of New York. In fact, as I meet more and more people, I am convinced even more that the only kind of church that will make any progress at all up here, is the type of church that most Christians would not consider “church.” It wouldn’t even be similar to what has come to be called “house church.” I doubt we would ever have a “church service” or have any paid “staff.” There will probably not ever be a “church building” or any sort of “church programs.” Definitely no bulletins, songbooks, Sunday school classes, overhead projectors, worship teams, or websites. We would not give ourselves a “church name.” I am convinced that the less “churchy” we are, the better we will do as the church in this area.

We would be so unchurchy, that most of the people in the church would probably not even know we are “church.”

Is that possible?

Right now, the church consists of five people (not that I’m counting numbers! ha ha): myself, my wife, and our three girls. This next year or two, we are going to focus on loving and serving each other, and loving and serving one or two of the families in our immediate neighborhood (within 100 yards of us). There will be no strings attached. We just want to love and serve.

Some people will say, “That’s not church planting! That’s just following Jesus’ instructions for believers!” Yep. I believe that if we follow Jesus, we will naturally be the church. And wherever the church is, the church gets planted. That is my entire “church planting strategy.” Simple. Organic. Reproducible.

Will this strategy result in a mega-church? Nope. But that’s not my goal. My goal is to change lives, and that gets done one person at a time.

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