While at the church office today I retrieved phone messages and returned one to someone who was interested in more information about Faith Fellowship. I returned her call, she answered and I explained who I am and why I was calling. Instead of rambling on about what a wonderful community we are I decide first ask her what questions she has.

She gathered her thoughts a little, stated that the title of our church did not tell her much about the church. She then questioned our view on the Trinity, if we are affiliated with any larger organization/denomination and some questions related to how conservative verses liberal we are with a determined emphasis on the all pervasive homosexual issue.

I explained to her our Baptist roots, historical Baptist policy which includes the autonomy of the local church, the fact that we are American Baptist and a member of the Northwest Region. I expected to tell her about our worship style, children and youth ministries and other key elements to our day to day living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ but she primarily wanted to know where we stood on the homosexual issue.

Either I was particularly dense (which looking back I vote for dense) today or she did a great job in not tipping her hat at what type of answer she was hoping for.

I would tend to answer to those that believe that the homosexual lifestyle is acceptable differently than those that believe homosexuals are wrong, even though my convictions on this topic are firm. I guessed wrong, without knowing it, which view fit her better. I believe the bible does not support homosexual practice and in fact it is a sin but one that should not be elevated as worse than all others.

I answer differently because, depending on your perspective, people tend to hear differently. I also try to fight out of the predetermined boxes American Christian culture has created around this particular issue. To the homosexuals are wrong group I try to remind them of God’s grace and the sanctification process. To the God is love so let us love how ever we see fit group I want to make them aware that God created us and has the right to determine what love is and is not. Part of loving God back is doing it God’s way regardless of whether you like it that way. We can and should have a healthy debate over what God’s way is but our feelings can not be trusted as a final determinate on either side of any issue.

I wish I could have started the conversation over with her. In the end she probably would not have attended Faith Fellowship either way but I could have shared better my hope for her to be closer to Jesus tomorrow than she is today.

Once again I was reminded that one size does not fit all. Each encounter provides a unique opportunity for me to share the Jesus that I reside inside of. May God help me learn from this encounter so I can share Jesus better in the next.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Clay

In a not-for-profit/charitable organization like a local church it is against the law to make money. In theory such organizations exist for the betterment of society. The rub often comes in when we disagree over what makes society better.

I think the idea I am getting ready to present has application beyond the local church but that is what I am most familiar with and will focus on.

One way of looking at the church of Jesus Christ is “the people of God doing the work of God.” It is about mobilizing people into kingdom life and service. The product we are partnering with God to create is changed lives.

It seems to me there are two ways to change lives and both ways have their place in organizations and societies. There is the “you should” force that creates new behaviors and sometimes thoughts and beliefs; and there is the “you could” pulling force which causes us to create in our mind’s eyes a preferred future we begin to live now. Or another way to say it, there is a guilt way to motivate change and a grace way to motivate change. Both can lead to real and lasting change. Often people graduate from you should to you could. They stop drinking because being an alcoholic is wrong and then they continue in their sobriety because they are reaching for a better life.

The Kingdom of God is an economy based on grace which often gets lost in the local church. Guilt motivation is so much easier and gets quicker results. The beautiful thing is when people who were motivated by guilt begin to exchange their guilt currency for grace currency at the cross of Jesus. For some, the exchange seems to happen over night (a classic example would be the Christian reformer Martin Luther) and for some it is a long process, but both are very beautiful.

The purpose of deserved guilt in the Christian life is to cause repentance so we can move less encumbered to the goodness of Christ. Unfortunately many of the leaders I have worked with in local churches over the years were primarily motivated by the “you should” economy of guilt. They did a lot, and often did it better than others but Christ came to set us free and they were still working for their freedom. Very sad. What is even sadder is many of them when confronted with their ways would not embrace grace, guilt felt more comfortable or natural to them. They were comforted and believed they were doing something spiritually good if they felt bad. That seems very far from the Apostle Paul’s repeated admonition to Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say Rejoice.

May we be more motivated by the light we can participate in, than the darkness we fight against. Amen.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Clay