A Pastors Painful Self-anylazation at Stewardship Time

I sat down the other day to update our family budget. This is a fairly normal occurrence, particularly with this being the time of year for our church’s stewardship season. I do typically try to sit down once a month or so to look at what we are bringing in as a family, what we are sending out and just where it all goes.

I don’t know what this process is like in your family, but for us this can easily become an exercise in futility. With a full house of 6 people, 4 of whom are continually outgrowing every item of clothing and toy we purchase, as well as inhaling every morsel of food that comes into the house (sometimes even before it can make it from the grocery bag to the pantry) it is way too easy to end each of those months with a negative number. And after you have seemingly cut everything to the bone and you still see little to no improvement, it can honestly get just downright depressing.

I recently heard about a group of individuals though who got me to thinking. I really haven’t made up my mind exactly where my thoughts fall out on this, but I am certainly drawn to their passion and commitment. That in itself isn’t a claim that their path is right or should be normative for everyone, after all there are lots of very cracked pots out there who are passionate and committed to some whacked out lifestyle or another. However, I am certainly convicted by the fervor with which they pursue the welfare of others and are willing to back it up with their lifestyle.

This group of people have committed to cap their family budgets at or below the median U.S income and then give the rest away.

U.S. census figures for 2007 list the U. S. median income at $50,740. For the state of Alabama that number drops to $40,596. For our specific area, here are how the median income numbers line up.

>

	median income	difference from state median	difference from national median
U.S.	$50,740
Alabama	$40,596
Jeff. Co.*	$44,908	$ 4,312	$-5,832
Shelby Co. *	$67,031	$26,435	$16,291
Pelham*	$54,080	$13,484	$ 3,340
Hoover*	$61,982	$21,386	$11,242
Vestavia*	$70,623	$30,027	$19,883
Homewood*	$45,431	$ 4,835	$- 5,309
Birmingham*	$26,735	$-13,861	$-24,005

(* most recent available figures from 1999)

So here is how it works. If someone living in Hoover makes the median income of $61,982, they would commit to capping their family expenses at the national median of $50,740. That would then leave an annual difference of $11,242 to give away, to your church, to a reputable charity, to save one child from a future of forced prostitution and rape for profit by adopting an infant girl from Thailand, India or one of the many African countries. You get the idea.

2 Cambodian girls, under age 12
recently rescued from brothel by International Justice Mission

“But wait,” you say. “I can’t cut my expenses by $11,000 a year. How would I pay my mortgage, my car note? How would I fund my 401K?” And there is the rub. It now begins to meddle in the area of preference and lifestyle choice. Really what we are saying is that we are unwilling to choose a Hyundai over a Lexus or one particular house over another in order to then give the monetary difference away.

But many of us don’t see it this way. We are surrounded by a culture who lives much the same way we do. We think nothing of the car we drive because everybody in our neighborhood drives something similar. We think nothing of the house we live in because everyone around us lives in a similar home. We look just like everybody else.

Now let’s look at this same concept, financially conforming to the standards of those around us. Take this and move it to the realm of moral standards and holiness. Do we conform to the standards of those around us? I read a CNN article recently advocating the end of monogamous marriage relationships because, according to the “experts” these relationships had outlived their usefulness and benefit to society. Do we as the church then chunk marriage because those in the broader culture advocate such a choice?

Remember, I am thinking out loud. I am not declaring a “holier than the rest” club nor am I saying that if you really love Jesus you will adopt this kind of lifestyle.

But here is the question, what would the world have to say about an American Evangelical church that actually lives this out? In what ways would God’s glory be revealed in our city and to the nations if a group of formerly narcissistic, idolatrous “stuff” worshippers began to sell their homes and their land and (gasp) downsize?

What would the employees of a company have to say about a CEO who shows up at work in a 2005 Ford Taurus instead of his shiny new Benz….and then explains why, for the sake of the gospel, he has made this choice? What if, instead of that new flatscreen you have been drooling over for Christmas, you as a family made a conscious choice to support a mother and an infant in a third world country through Compassion International. For $20 a month a mother and child unit can be supported with food and infant formula, vitamins, proper vaccinations and other helps.


I am truly not one to use guilt as a motivator…..very often. Actually I probably use it more than I care to admit, but it is mostly isolated to my parenting rather than my broader ministry, and it is always a sin for which I have to later repent. (Sigh.) I believe that guilt by itself is anti-gospel and only a short-term motivator at best, but can we truly sit at peace in front of our shiny new technological altar and worship the sacrifice of countless lives that our whimsical purchase could have averted? What will it take for revival to arrive on the scene?

What will it take for Christ’s church to take her rightful role as a counter-cultural voice that causes the broader culture to then claim, “I don’t agree with everything that they say, but simply by the way they live their lives you’ve at least got to take a valid look at what they are claiming.” Or, as the pagan Roman Emperor Julian put it, “Nothing has contributed to the progress of the superstition of the Christians as their charity to strangers...the impious Galileans provide not only for their own poor, but for ours as well.”

May God grant us the grace to hear his voice, the strength to respond to his call and the wisdom to discern how to go about the task.

"No wonder they tune us out."

New release "Unfashionable" from Tullian Tchividjian (Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church)
The following is an excerpt.

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Years ago I was one of five thousand people listening to a panel discussion at a Christian conference. An editor of a conservative political-theological magazine was expressing his frustration with many of the political left-wingers and doing so in an unnecessarily sarcastic and condescending way. When he finished, John Piper (another speaker on the panel) turned to him, and with the utmost seriousness and precision, he said, "For a long time I have appreciated your ministry. You are an astute observer of our culture. I read your magazine every month. It's always insightful. But there's one thing missing from your ministry."

The editor looked at Dr. Piper and asked what it was.

"Tears," Piper replied.

The world so often senses our anger, but do they ever sense our grief? They think we are angry simply because we're not getting our way, but I am afraid they don't feel our sorrow over sin's negative, dehumanizing effects. We fail to communicate our anger in a way that says, "You were made for so much more than this." They assume our anger is only because we're not getting what we want. No wonder they tune us out.

Church Crazies and the Imago Dei

There is a group of people at our church who are crazy. That’s not really news. Every church has them.

How do I know they are crazy? It’s because of the way they talk and the ideas that they have. This group of people, they think that the gospel of Jesus Christ is SO big and SO transformational that it actually has something to say to the world that exists outside of the Sunday School classroom.

They believe that God, as Creator and as the Source of this image which we bear, has something to say to the creative classes of people which surround us. Painters, musicians, actors, sculptors, photographers, graphic designers, the list goes on. Whether they are Christian or not, they are all in some imperfect way, reflecting something of the character of the Most High Creator. And as a bearer of this image of God, they are worthy of honor, respect, love. In short, they are worthy of being shown worth.

This group of people at our church, you know the crazy ones, they are beginning to ask a simple question. What is our role in taking forth the gospel of Jesus Christ to this community of artists? By showing worth to this community of people who are often found far outside of our “respectable” evangelical enclaves of Norman Rockwell worship, could we actually be scratching the surface of what it means to be truly Christian?

See, I told you they were crazy.

And from where I am sitting, crazy kinda’ looks a whole lot like the stories I read about Jesus.

Does church membership really matter?

A thoughtful post from Kevin DeYoung on why church membership actually matters.

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“Why bother with church membership?”

I get that question a lot. Sometimes it’s said with genuine curiosity–“So explain to me what membership is all about.” Other times it’s said with a tinge of suspicion–“So tell me again, why do you think I should become a member?”–as if joining the church automatically signed you up to tithe by direct deposit.

I think for many people membership sounds stiff, something you have at your bank or the country club, but too formal for the church. Even if it’s agreed that Christianity is not a lone ranger religion, that we need community and fellowship with other Christians, we still bristle at the thought of officially joining a church. Why all the hoops and classification? Why box the Holy Spirit into member/non-member categories?

Well, believe it or not, membership matters. In addition to some very tangible benefits to membership (for example, only members can hold church office), here’s five good reasons why Christians should join a church.

1. In joining a church you make visible your commitment to Christ and his people. Membership is one way to raise the flag of faith. You state before God and others that you are part of this local body of believers. It’s easy to talk in glowing terms about the invisible church–the body of all believers near and far, living and dead–but it’s in the visible church that God expects you to live out your faith.

Sometimes I think that we wouldn’t all be clamoring for community if we had actually experienced it. Real fellowship is hard work, because most people are a lot like us–selfish, petty, and proud. But that’s the kind of group God calls us to.

How many of Paul’s letters were written to individuals? Only a handful, and these were mostly to pastors. The majority of his letters were written to a local body of believers. We see the same thing in Revelation. Jesus spoke to individual congregations in places like Smyrna, Sardis, and Laodicea. The New Testament knows no Christians floating around in “just me and Jesus” land. Believers belong to churches.

2. Making a Church commitment makes a powerful statement in a low-commitment culture. Most bowling leagues require more of their members than most churches. The church is often a sad reflection of its culture. Ours is a consumer culture where everything is tailored to meet our needs and satisfy our preferences. When those needs aren’t met, we can always move on to the next product, or job, or spouse.

Joining a church in such an environment makes a counter-cultural statement. It says “I am committed to this group of people and they are committed to me. I am here to give, more than get.”

Even if you will only be in town a few years, it’s still not a bad idea to join a church. It lets your home church (if you have one) know that you are being cared for, and it lets us know that you want to be cared for here.

But’s it’s not just about being cared for, it’s about making a decision and sticking with it–something my generation, with our oppressive number of choices, finds difficult. We prefer to date the church–have her around for special events, take her out when life feels lonely, and keep her around for a rainy day. Membership is the way to stop dating churches, and marry one.

3. Church membership keeps us accountable to each other. When we join a church we are offering ourselves to one another to be encouraged, rebuked, corrected, and served. We are placing ourselves under leaders and submitting to their authority (Heb. 13:7). We are saying, “I am here to stay. I want to help you grow in godliness. Will you help me to do the same?”

Mark Dever, in his book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, writes,

Church membership is our opportunity to grasp hold of each other in responsibility and love. By identifying ourselves with a particular church, we let the pastors and other members of that local church know that we intend to be committed in attendance, giving, prayer, and service. We allow fellow believers to have great expectations of us in these areas, and we make it known that we are the responsibility of this local church. We assure the church of our commitment to Christ in serving with them, and we call for their commitment to serve and encourage as well.

4. Joining the church will help your pastor and elders be more faithful shepherds. Hebrews 13:7 says “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.” That’s your part. Here’s ours: “They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.” We take seriously our responsibility before God to watch over your souls. At almost every elders’ meeting, as per our denomination’s Book of Church Order, we “seek to determine whether any members of the congregation are in need of special care regarding their spiritual condition and/or not making faithful use of the means of grace.” This is hard enough to do in a church like ours where there is constant turnover, but it’s even harder when we don’t know who is really a part of this flock.

To give just one example, we are trying to be more diligent in following up with people who haven’t been at our church for a while. But if you never became a member, it is difficult to tell if you are really gone, because we might not be sure if you were ever here! It’s nearly impossible to shepherd the flock when we don’t know who really considers this their flock and really considers us their shepherds.

5. Joining the church gives you an opportunity to make promises. When you become a member here, you make promises to pray, give, serve, attend worship, accept the spiritual guidance of the church, obey its teachings, and seek the things that make for unity, purity, and peace. We ought not to make these promises lightly. They are solemn vows. And we must hold each other to them. If you don’t join the church, you may miss an opportunity to publicly make these promises, and in so doing, invite the elders and the rest of the body to hold you to these promises–which would be missing out on great spiritual benefit, for you and for us.

Think about why membership might matter more than you thought. And if you are looking to make a counter-cultural commitment and invite more accountability and responsibility into your life, why not join a church?

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If you are interested in learning more about membership at Oak Mountain Church, give me a call at 981-4364 or shoot me an email at jtucker@ompc.org.

Who are the poor? A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

I am still chewing on the implications of the following video from Claudio Oliver. It is a brief yet deep glance into the idea what it means to be poor. His conclusion is a thought-provoking one. Basically the premise is that poverty is NOT and economic issue. It is intrinsically a relational one. The solution to poverty (okay, “solution” may be an overstatement) is not to direct more financial resources in a particular direction. Since the core issue is relational, a better plan of addressing this issue is for us to actually befriend those recognized as poor.

And here is where we, as the independent, Western evangelicals that we are, begin to feel uncomfortable. Surely we can’t actually befriend the poor. We can’t invite them into our homes. What if they steal from us? What if they abuse our friendship? What if they take advantage of us?

Have you seen Les Misérables? I fear we too often worship at the false altar of safety and security.

Another great contemporary example of this is Robert Downey Jr.’s character from the film The Soloist. Downey never can quite understand this mentally ill, classically trained, homeless musician until he ends up spending the night on the streets of LA’s Skid Row with him. Something remarkable happens as this homeless man is transformed from a journalistic experiment to a real live human being, who is a friend. Were there risks? I will simply reference the scene where Robert Downey Jr is crawling away after being beaten by the very friend he was attempting to help.

Again, I fear we too often worship at the false altar of safety and security.

Claudio Oliver’s point cuts home. What happens to the poor if they are truly surrounded by those who care, say for example like the church, or like you? Can a person like this really go without a place to sleep? Would we let one we call a friend live on the streets? Obviously we don’t have all the answers, but my brain and my heart are enjoying the discomfort brought on by the topic. Sometimes, it is this discomfort stirring in my heart which brings a welcome reminder that there are still dragons left to slay.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.