The Saving Life of Christ

by Wayne Cox on July 2, 2010

in Reading

There is something which makes Christianity more than a religion, more than an ethic, and more than the idle dream of the sentimental idealist.  It is this something which makes it relevant to each one of us right now as a contemporary experience.  It is the fact that Christ Himself is the very life content of the Christian faith.  It is He who makes it ‘tick.’  ‘Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it’ (1 Thess 5:24).  The One who calls you is the One who does that to which He calls you.  ‘For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure’ (Phil 2:13).  He is himself the very dynamic of all his demands.

Christ did not die simply that you might be saved from a bad conscience, or even to remove the stain of past failure, but to ‘clear the decks’ for divine action.

So begins the rather obscure, dated book called The Saving Life of Christ, by Major Ian Thomas.  I’ve come back to this book several times over the past 20 years, especially in trying to grasp the gospel of grace.

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Dealing with the Mystery of Trinity

by Wayne Cox on May 31, 2010

in Thoughts on God

So, it’s the “day after” Trinity Sunday and I’m all caught up in the mystery!

Yesterday, my message at The Bridge Community was terribly short and shallow.  We were meeting outdoors and having a cookout and party afterward, so it just didn’t feel appropriate to plumb the depths of the mystery of the Godhead while sweating in the 85 degree sun!

The Holy Trinity

Maybe it’s because I didn’t get to explore it more in the sermon, but I’m left pondering the nature of God.  One of my lingering questions is why Jesus or the Spirit-inspired New Testament writers didn’t speak more directly to this thing we call the Holy Trinity?  Why couldn’t they have come out with a clear statement on God being three-yet-one/three-in-one?  Instead, we have a doctrine that emerges from the biblical narrative and remains elusive, like a mystery.

On his blog, JD Walt writes about parables and poets, and he gives some thoughts on why Jesus didn’t always make his teachings more clear.  I’ve adapted a couple of his thoughts on parables and applied them to the concept of mystery.

  • Mystery subverts our “mastery” approach to knowledge.  It requires submission leading to a “be mastered by” approach.
  • Mystery creates a context where epiphany can happen; where “reality” can be discovered.  I love this approach to understanding, because it seems that we remember and are shaped by truth more when we’re allowed to come to our own “ah ha!” moment.
  • Mystery works in the dynamic world of wisdom and imagination rather than the static realm of knowledge and information.

Knowing God, like all mystery, is not easy.  It is not something we can control, or tame.  But it is a fascinating pursuit, worthy of our lives!

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Giving It Up for Lent: Power, Control, and Bullying

by Wayne Cox on February 25, 2010

in Lent, Ministry

As I mentioned in here, I’m reading Maggi Dawn’s book, Giving it Up: Daily Bible Readings from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day as a devotional guide during Lent.

In reflecting on the third and final temptation of Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4:8-11, she writes:

Misusing power to take control is a temptation that comes to all of us in some way or another.  Not everyone wants to rule the world but most people at least want to control their own little world … when the human desire for control is mixed with belief in a God of unlimited power, the temptation to abuse power can hit overdrive.

The evidence of God’s power in our lives is shown not through controlling other people but through using the power we have to serve others.

As a leader in our local church, I see various opportunities to “control” through inappropriate uses of power.  Following Jesus’ example means overcoming this temptation by choosing the right use of power – the kind that equips and empowers others as a service to God.

Our community is currently in a season of transition.  We are renovating an old furniture warehouse to be used for ministry space, doing most of the construction work ourselves.  As this process caries on (seven months now), I feel pressure to employ a little of what Maggi calls “benign bullying” to get the work done faster.  And while I genuinely wish more people would volunteer and help finish the work faster, I struggle with how to lead through this.  I want to use the “power” God has given in the context of our church boldly and authentically, and yet always for the benefit of others, never manipulating toward a self-serving end.  So, I find myself praying for the strength of the same Spirit that led Jesus through this test — that I may not seek to control the situation by an inappropriate use of power.

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My home state of Kentucky is ranked next to last among the states in “well-being,” according to a recent Gallup poll.  Based on responses to questions on work environment, emotional health, physical health, basic access, healthy behavior, and life-evaluation, Kentucky scored a “D minus,” 62.3%.  The Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, where a score of 100 would represent ideal well-being.

Gallup Poll - Kentuck near bottom in well-beingIt’s the work of sociologists and economists to ask the “why” and the “how” questions about such data.  I want to ask, what is the impact on mission?  If God’s mission in Kentucky is to bring the kingdom here, just as it is in heaven, then what are his people to do?  If the realities of God’s reign, which include no more tears or pain (Revelation 21:4), is to become a reality in our state, what is the task of the church?

The church is to be an agent of “shalom” – a rich, multi-faceted, biblical concept of God’s best, wholeness, and wellness.  The message of Jesus we live out is not about minimal entrance requirements for heaven when we’re gone.  It is about “good news” now.  Shalom now.  Holistic well-being now.  Our whole selves – spiritual, physical, emotional – are to be affected by the gospel.

And that means the church in Kentucky has some work to do.

We must make a shift from a gospel limited to, “if you died tonight …” and encompass a more holistic, “if you live tomorrow” approach to faith.  The well-being of those in contact with a missional Jesus-community ought to be higher than a “D minus.”

So, what would it mean for the Jesus-message to take hold in the work-place?  What would it take for it to impact emotional health?  Physical health?  Basic access to necessities like clean water, medicine, food, shelter, and affordable fruits and vegetables?  How does the gospel affect healthy behavior choices?  And how might a follower of Jesus respond to a question of life-evaluation?

Whether you’re a Kentuckian or not, I’m interested to hear your response in thinking about “well-being” where you are.

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The Narrative That Re-Plots Our Identity

The Good News is not just a series of facts to which we yield our assent but a dramatic narrative that replots our identity. Think of it in terms of a theatrical play. Each week we come to church with our own scripts. If yours is anything like mine, it’s “the show about nothing.” Yet [...]

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Song for the Weekend: Ingrid Michaelson and Greg Laswell

Hope this brings a smile!  May you love someone like this, and find love like this …
You see the light that I can’t see
You see the light in me

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Brian McLaren’s New Book and the Use of the Word ‘Heretic’

Brian McLaren has written a new book, A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith.  I’ve followed some of the blog chatter in response, and while there are some supportive and gracious reviews, too many have taken on a vitriolic tone.  Healthy, vigorous discussion of ideas has given way to name-calling [...]

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Truth Is Not An Abstract Idea

I’ve written on this blog before about truth.  I’m “in process,” developing my thinking on this divisive concept (is it absolute, relative, or something in between?), but I thought this quote from N.T. Wright was helpful, if not provocative:
Truth is like health.  A doctor doesn’t keep ‘health’ in his or her back pocket simply to [...]

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