Mistakes I've Made

I keep the poem, "Man in the Glass" on the inside cover of my Bible. It is a reminder that regardless of what everyone else in the world might think, I have to live a life of integrity. That doesn't mean that I don't make mistakes (I make plenty), but that I take responsibility for them.

During some of the most challenging years of my life I was part of a men's study group that helped keep me accountable. It was a place where we could bring our problems, our cares, even our struggle with sin and know that we would recieve support while still being held accountable for our behavior.

The church is supposed to be that safe place. That means that God's people have to learn the difficult balance between holding people accountable for their behavior and providing the love, mercy and support they need to grow.

I recall a situation years ago where a young lady refused to "come forward" for sins she had committed in her life. She had seen other young people treated so badly after repenting that she wanted no part of it. The very people who should have held her in their tender arms became her judge and jury.

I always struggle with where to lay the blame. When we mess up in life we need to simply ask forgiveness and move forward. When others come to us with a penitent spirit we need to forgive and support them. Some will blame the church for an environment that isn't forgiving, others will blame individuals who will not be accountable for their mistakes. The truth is that both things are true. We make it easier when we create the right kind of culture in the church, but we also contribute to that kind of environment when, as individuals, we are open and honest about our own struggles and mistakes.

Bridging the Gap

I will always recall one of my Bible teachers telling us, "boys you have to learn to preach across the gap." Of course we struggled to understand what Brother Carr was talking about. His response has stayed with me all these years, "Boys, you are going to have to learn early on that you can't live perfect lives, but you have to preach a perfect gospel. Sometimes that means you have to preach lessons that are mighty close to home.

There are places in our lives where we all have to preach across the gap. It is hard to train and correct our children when they throw our own failures and inadequecies up in our face. In teaching a Bible class we sometimes have to deal with topics that haven't quite mastered in our own lives. Some people may call this hypocrisy, but the truth is that we are called to "preach the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

Recently I have been facilitating a men's study/prayer group on Monday mornings. It is a thrill to have a such a great group of men who are committed to starting their week with Christ. Our current topic of discussion is Patrick Morley's book, "The Man in the Mirror." The title alone illustrates how hard it is to facilitate this discussion. Reading each chapter and trying to evaluate my own life is painful at times. I know the lessons we share on Monday are helping me, challenging me, but sometimes it is like a doctor probing around for an abcess. When he finds the troubled area - it doesn't feel very good.

Preachers aren't the only ones who have to cross that chasm. We all have the difficult challenge of living what we believe and teach. That should also remind us of the importance of showing some grace and understanding to those who walk in leadership positions. They don't live perfect lives, but like the rest of us, they pursue that perfect pattern.

Christ & Culture

It was the fourth Sunday in a row for Olua Kemi to bring her prayer before the church in Abuja. Kemi has waited for years in hope that God would open her womb and give her a child. Now she has taken her petition before her brothers and sisters in Christ.

Four weeks of prayers and still no answer from God. What Kemi's Christian family doesn't know is this afternoon she will visit a spiritual advisor and pour out offerings to her ancestors. While syncretism and pagan worship is taught against in our African churches, it is still practiced on a regular basis.

Kemi is caught between Christ and culture. She wants to have faith, she longs for an answers to her everyday problems, but she is immersed in a culture of paganism and idolatry. Like Christians around the globe she caught in conflict between two worlds.

Let me share another story with you. Rachel is a single mom living far too close to the poverty line. She just came out of an abusive relationship and is struggling to keep food on the table for her two children. Every day Rachel struggles with depression, dispair and low self-esteem. She attends a 12 step program at her church, goes to a Christian counselor once a week, and faithfully attends services every time the door is opened.

Saturday night Rachel has a date with a brother in a neighboring congregation. Her self-esteem soars to know that someone might be interested in her. After a quiet dinner at a nice restaurant the couple return to her home, where Rachel's date ends up spending the night.

Kemi and Rachel may live in dramatically different worlds, but they have one thing in common - they share the struggle of living for Christ in a culture of sin. Kemi is surrounded by idols and talisman; Rachel is drowning in a sea of sexuality and promiscuity. Both women respond in a similar way: Kemi begins to doubt if God is hearing her prayers and Rachel isn't sure if the church understands her heartache and loneliness.

The challenge in both situations is to develop an outcome-based ministry. The church needs to find practical answers to life's daily problems. Our preaching and practice needs to be application based. We need to put tools in the hands of church members that help them cope with the cares and concerns of the world.

I am not suggesting we change the gospel, but that we deliver it in a manner that helps people to live for Christ and trascend an ungodly culture.