Religion, Sex, and Politics

OK, I'll just be blunt and get to the point. I think most of the corporate praying we do in church falls far short of God's intention for our prayer life together. We squander the opportunity that prayer affords. Week after week, we remain "small minded" in our prayers, focusing on the "discomforts of the moment" in our lives or the lives of those we care about, while the great issues of God's saving work in the world go unaddressed. And, I believe, this habitual abuse of prayer trains our people to remain immature and small-minded in their own prayer lives.

On any given Sunday, what does most of our prayer time look like?
- Praying for people who are sick.
- Praying for people who are facing surgery.
- Praying for people who are injured (broken arm, bad knee).
- Praying for rain when it's too dry.
- Praying for people who are having a tough time (home fire, unemployed, etc.)

And what is the essence of our every prayer? "Lord, fix it. Make the discomfort go away. Make the illness go away. Remove the struggle from our existence. Give us what we think we need."

Shallow, selfish, short-sighted, small-minded... maybe you're catching on that I detest this abuse of congregational prayer.

In contrast, what did Jesus pray about?
- The choices that would shape his ministry (like choosing disciples).
- The spiritual strength of his followers.
- That others would see God's glory, hear God's truth.
- That we as God's people would be unified.
- The spiritual protection and growth of his followers.
- That the Father's will would be done.

Jesus clearly cared about sickness and suffering. Otherwise he would not have done so much healing. But shouldn't the salvation of the lost rank a little higher on our concern list? When I die, it's not going to be a tragedy but a victory. And when we pray for those who are suffering, do we ask God to mobilize US to help, or are we just trying to skirt any ministry and dump the responsibility on God?

And what did the Apostle Paul pray about?
- The spiritual insight and discernment of his Christian friends.
- The growth of God's people in love and ministry.
- Strength for his friends in times of trial.
- Praise for God's work in the lives of new believers.
- That God's will would be demonstrated in Christian's lives.
- That the gospel of Jesus Christ would spread.
- That God's people would bear spiritual fruit.

If I were an outsider, using the communication between God's people and their Heavenly Father to figure out what was most important to the church of Jesus Christ, what would I conclude? Wouldn't it seem that the mission Christ gave the church was to promote Christians living physically healthy and pain free for as long as possible? And wouldn't it seem that Christians don't think THEY bear responsibility for caring for the sick, but only for telling God what to do about it?

How long before I would hear a passionate prayer asking God to guide us in addressing...
- those who live without Christ and without hope,
- neglected children,
- sexual abuse,
- poverty,
- the exploitation of the weak,
- crumbling marriages,
- the needs that surround us in our community,
- our need to know God more deeply,
- our responsibility for the sick, imprisoned, hungry,
- our need to surrender ourselves to God's will...
...and in all of these, a clear emphasis on "God, what is it you want us to do - this group of people, in this place, on this day - to demonstrate your active love and concern for the needs around us" vs. a passive "God, you take care of it, because I'm too busy."

Let me invite you to respond by listing those things YOU see us neglecting that are most certainly on the heart of God. And, you Hillsboro folks, maybe you'd like to also write it down on that "prayer request" slip in the bulletin and drop it in the offering plate: "Please pray for Hillsboro to act against predatory lending."

I'll be checking the comments box and the notes in the offering!

A local Children's Ministry leader and friend shared with me a bit of personal writing that I want to pass on to you. This person has been observing all the things that parents are allowing to keep their children from being regularly active in church. So my friend composed this list of 9 reasons why these parents don't prioritize their children's church-based spiritual development.

Tell me what you think!

9 REASONS WHY I DON’T BRING MY CHILDREN TO SUNDAY SCHOOL OR CHURCH

1. It won’t help my children get into college. College admission is competitive. So I need to make sure they play team sports, earn merit badges in scouts, take ballet lessons, learn to play the piano, etc. You can’t put Sunday School and church on a college application, so it just has to take a backseat to these college-oriented pursuits.

2. Our family life is already too scheduled and stressful. We don’t need another weekly obligation. Bible study and church are good, but who’s got time? We’ve got baseball, swim practice, competitions, homework, soccer, trips to see the family, sleepovers, the academic enrichment classes… How are we supposed to make time for Bible study and worship?

3. I talk to my kids about God. I tell a Bible story every night... OK, many nights. At least I did when they were preschoolers. And we say a blessing at every meal... when we’re home. Plus, I often mention how a Christian should act when they talk about problems at school or with their friends. I’m probably covering the main points. Before they go to college, that’s all they really need to know. They can figure out the rest on their own.

4. When they go to Sunday School or church, they start asking questions I can’t answer... at least not comfortably. Like, “will Uncle Phil go to hell if he says G-D it?” And, “why would Jesus say to turn the other cheek when you say ‘fight back’? Who’s right?” How can I be comfortably immature in my faith if my kids are growing spiritually?

5. We like to sleep late on Sundays. “God time” is good, but we need some “Me time.” It’s work getting everyone up, fed, dressed, and in the car. And I don’t want my commitment to God to be hard. I know we got up early when we took the kids to Kings Dominion or the beach for the day, but church isn’t exactly King’s Dominion, right?

6. Our kids don’t need a strong faith until they go to college. We’re Christian parents. They can lean on us, until then. We’ll protect them spiritually. And, c’mon, what kind of trials and temptations can there be in elementary and middle school? We’ll let the Youth Minister catch them up on the deep stuff just before they head off to the moral and ethical choices of college. That should be enough foundation to handle the frat parties, substance abuse, spiritual questions, and major life-choice of college.

7. Frankly, I’m not all that happy with God. I’m having a hard time. If God were doing more for me, I’d have the energy, the time, and the desire to make Bible study and worship a priority. But if God’s going to let me struggle, then I’ll keep sending him this message about being ticked off at him by skipping church. When God does more for me, I’ll do more for Him.

8. My kids don’t want to go. When they get started on their video games, it’s just hard to get them to stop. And I want my kids to like me. Why make them do something they don’t want to do? (…unless it’s homework, school, piano practice, going to the dentist, etc.)

9. God definitely comes first, but not right now. I appreciate all that Christ has done for me, but I’m just too stressed. I’m sure you’ll be able to count on me some day, just not now. I know my kids aren’t getting the God-comes-first message. But I can’t say “no” to these other things, right? Someday everything will calm down and we will definitely make God a priority then.

When I served at Camp Alkulana, one of the counselors brought several hundred dollars worth of puppets to camp for us to use with the campers. The puppets were stored in a black trash bag. And, you know what happened when we cleaned up camp at the end of the summer. Somebody grabbed that bag and threw it away without ever looking inside. Because what's in a trash bag? Trash! The wrapper sends a message about the contents that guides people's reaction.

On January 12, 2007, an experiment took place in a Washington, D.C. subway station. (True story) A reporter had Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world, give a free concert on his $3.5 million Stradivarius violin right there in the subway station beginning just before 8:00 a.m. - during one of the busiest times at the station.

Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, he played beautiful classical music - the same kinds of music that people sit for hours to hear, paying $100 per seat at the concert hall. But here, at the subway station, though more than a thousand passed by, only a few people even paused to listen, and then for only a few seconds. The most attention came from a 3-year-old boy, whose mother finally had to drag him away. Some tossed money in his violin case, for a total of $32.17 for his 45 minute world-class performance.

The lessons and revelations from this experiment are many. For one, people clearly take a cue on the value of an experience or opportunity or message or product from the context and packaging through which it comes to them.

Imagine with me that what is being offered is not a free world-class violin concert, but a free opportunity to hear about God’s available blessings for your life - everything from wisdom to eternal life. It seems clear that, if we put it in the wrong packaging or context, people will discount its value before they ever hear it.

Do people flock to the famous TV preacher’s church because he’s just that good, or because they assume he must be good because there are TV cameras everywhere and it’s hard to find a place to park? Does the beautiful building convince people, “This is important stuff” in a way that they don’t get when they drive by some other smaller facility?

If we have the most amazing children’s Sunday School teachers you can imagine, and the most talented Student Pastor in the state of Virginia, but we ignore the context and “packaging” with which we present these assets to our community, will they just drive by assuming there is little of value there? The Joshua Bell experiment seems to say, “Yes, they will.”

So what do we need to do about the context and setting of the amazing, life-enriching message of God’s grace that is ours to share... so that people in our community will say to themselves, “This must be worth hearing”? How can we improve the wrapper to reflect the value of the contents?

There's an old story about a wealthy couple who needed a new household servant to be their main cook. As they interviewed one promising candidate, they said, "So do you know how to serve guests?" And she said, "Yes, I know how to serve them both ways."

"What do you mean by 'both ways'?" they asked.

"Oh, so that they want to come back, and so that they don't," she said.

We can also serve people both ways. I had two conversations within the last week that illustrate that truth on the church level.

First, I spoke with a church member who said, "We came to church a couple of weeks ago, and drove through the already-full parking lot. My husband said, 'Let's just go home.' But I encouraged him to keep looking for a place to park. We finally parked over by the church office and walked to the Sanctuary. When we got there, the room was already full. My husband said, 'See, I told you we should have just gone home.' He would have been OK with going back to the car, but I encouraged him to go in and - ultimately - we had a good worship experience."

Now keep in mind that this is a well-connected church member. What might have happened had this been someone who didn't have family ties to the church, or someone who was bringing his/her spouse for the first time. Would they have made it in the doors, or been back home? And do we care that we are serving people in such a way that they may not come again?

(A recent first time guest also made a comment asking if there were some "secret parking" that she couldn't find, and asking if she could expect every Sunday to be a struggle to find a parking space for her and her children.)

The second conversation was with someone who's been attending Hillsboro for 2+ years. This person is not a lifelong church-goer. In fact, I think this friend had some pretty negative ideas about church before finding Hillsboro. Those first experiences with worship and other activities were a real risk, and were way outside of this person's comfort zone. Church had been a pretty meaningless experience and, before we connected with this person and this family, they were not attending any church at all. And I was told, "If someone had told me a few years ago that I would be attending a Baptist church, having lunch with church people, and staying for a 'hillbilly' music time (that person's words, said with a chuckle), I would have said 'You are totally nuts.'" Now the Hillsboro family is an important part of this person's life, and their family life, and they are an important part of who we are, too.

I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to see someone find the joy and hope and love that Christ offers, especially when they didn't think Christians and churches had much of value to share with them. Reaching one of those folks is more exciting to me than gathering 50 more traditional church folks. I do love them too, but I know they'll find a church no matter what. But here's someone who wasn't being reached who is now a part of God's big family. They've been blessed, and so have we!

So clearly we have the potential to serve people so that they will come back, and we also have the potential to serve (or fail to serve) them in such a way that they consider turning around and going home. It's happened before! How we eliminate obstacles, and how QUICKLY we do it, shows our community whether we REALLY want them to come back, or not.

It doesn't matter that salvation is found in Christ alone, it doesn't matter that we're proclaiming the peace and joy people long for, it doesn't matter that we have answers for struggling marriages, for lonely hearts, for troubled teenagers... if we are maintaining obstacles that discourage people from coming in the door.

Which way are we going to serve people... starting this week?

It will come as no surprise to many of you for me to admit that I'm obsessive-compulsive about some things. I remember the comments when we had an early service meeting in the Fellowship Hall: "It doesn't matter how you set up the chairs, because Al is going to move them all before Sunday anyway." I wanted the chairs to be in an arc that allowed worshipers to see each other, to emphasize the "family" feel of our worship gathering, and everyone else seemed to be addicted to straight lines. So, yeah, I moved them every week back into "proper formation."

I believe that little things can make a big difference.

And I ran across a theory - actually 25 years old - that supports my position, and has been proven tremendously effective. It's called the "Broken Windows" theory. It was applied to some of the crime-infested urban areas of our country over two decades ago, with dramatic success. The theory states that little things, like a broken window in a building that doesn't get repaired, like graffiti on the walls of a subway station, like an abandoned car alongside the road, can be the trigger for big problems in a community. These things send a message that nobody cares, nobody is watching, the standards are low here. So criminals feel free to step up their illegal or violent activity. And ordinary citizens find themselves breaking laws because, hey, who cares? Why should I be the only one paying for my subway ride?

So in New York and some other out-of-control cities, they tested this theory. Instead of loading neighborhoods with policemen, they simply cleaned the walls of subway cars and stations. They cleared debris from the streets and beautified the neighborhoods. They tore down abandoned properties. And crime dropped off suddenly and dramatically. The environment we create, or tolerate, sends a message.

I remember many years back, right here at Hillsboro, a new family walked in the door one November Sunday morning. They were not invited or brought by a friend. No one knew them. But there they were. They became active, and our church played a big role in their lives. So I asked, "What caused you to come to Hillsboro?" And the father said, "I work right down the street. I drive by your church on my way to work every day. And, for all these years, I didn't give your church a second thought. It looks like nothing is going on. But I drove by here on the Friday before Halloween, and the church yard was full of people. Teenagers were decorating the trees. People were setting up hay bales. And for the first time I thought, 'Hey, maybe our family would like to be a part of that.'"

All of this makes me think: how many families did we miss during the years when our roof was rusted and in need of replacing - families that looked at the roof and said to themselves, "Those folks don't seem to have very high standards. I can't imagine their ministries are much better." Or what about the years when we desperately needed a new sign in front and down at the intersection with 250? And I could go on.

Could the difference between a family finding life in Christ or not finding it be whether we took the time to trim the hedges? It sounds hard to believe, but I am convinced the answer is YES.

This is also why I obsess over the look and contents of our church newsletter. It sends a message about every other aspect of our church's attitudes and ministries and passion. For most of our community, that newsletter tells them everything they know about our church. I sure don't want them to see any "broken windows" when they look at it. It's within my control, so I insist on excellence.

There are other places in our church's ministries, programs, and facilities that I identify clearly as "broken windows" that are sending the wrong message to the people we want to reach with God's amazing grace. What about you? Do you see some "broken windows"? ...and most importantly, how do we get them repaired quickly?

I invite you to respond to this blog by listing broken windows, and making suggestions about how to fix them as quickly as possible.