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A Surrendered Soul – Part 3

In Part 1, we defined Critical Race Theory (CRT), a secular academic theory, which is used to refute people of color’s experiences within many Evangelical Churches.

 

In Part 2, we went to the balcony to review the tenents of fellowship within a faith community which is the locus for change and transformation in society.

 

Today, in Part 3, we put the eight preached CRT assumptions to the Universalism of the Gospel test.

 

As a reminder, God created and gave humankind the gift of free will — the gift of choice.
Our beliefs determine how we label people and situations. Labels most always are the opposite of reality, serve to cement certain beliefs and dictate how we (and our community) choose to engage or disengage with people. The result obscures and distracts from a serious critique about the division currently splitting American society.

 

Theology sets in the mind of people a particular psychological view of life. In other words, how you see God determines how you see people. In Matthew 12:34, Jesus teaches, what we say is a reflection of what’s inside us.
As we discuss each assumption, we will step back to see how the Bible views these assumptions.

 

Assumption 1 – CRT is at the center of addressing this culture’s racial issues in the church. 
The central problem is the Imago Dei. Seeing people as God sees them. Not respecting a person’s values, selfhood, ideas, experience, and expertise. Then, challenging or dismissing their lived experiences within your faith community. True inclusion requires that you truly see a person and respect them enough to make room for all the good they have to give.

 

Assumption 2 – People of color are the poor, widow, foreigner, deaf, marginalized, and blind spoken of in the Bible, and we do acts of service for them. 
This assumption automatically sets up a class-based “us” versus “them” mindset of superiority. The categories mentioned are not limited to People of Color. Many believe prosperity is a sign of favor from God. But in the Bible, wealth is no indication of God’s favor. Neither is poverty an indication of God’s punishment. “God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).

 

Assumption 3 – The Love taught in the Bible is demonstrated by small “acts of service” (McDonald’s gift certificates, mission trip overseas, feed the hungry, etc.)  
In this view, Christian love is primarily a charitable condescension. Love given without personal self-sacrifice and Christ-centered otherness is antithetical to Scripture. Sacrificial love is what we celebrated on Good Friday in Jesus’s death on the cross; emphasizing both the degree and manner in which God expressed the greatness of love.

 

Assumption 4 – Opportunity exists for everyone who wants it. People of color are not taking full advantage and are trying to take what we have.
This scarcity mentality assumes life is a zero-sum game and focuses on materialistic stuff rather than on relationships. People don’t want your stuff; they want the opportunity to provide for their families. Access to capital, opportunities, jobs, contracts, promotions, etc., tend to go to those one feels “remind them of themself.” Those decisions have always produced skewed outcomes. But God instructs us “treat the stranger as a native among you. . .” (Lev. 19:33-34)

 

 

Assumption 5 – If you doubt or disagree with what a Person of Color says, your racist.
Both sides suffer from misperceptions about motives. Feelings of defensiveness are common responses, but ultimately, they’re counterproductive. Different lived experiences led to very different understandings of life.

 

One side thinks you shouldn’t be tagged as racist unless you subscribe to racial supremacist doctrine and are part of some conspiracy to keep people of color down; otherwise, it is making a virtue of victimhood. The other side, who feel if you disregard, dismiss, or demean their experience, you are engaging in amoral, narcissistic manipulative display of racist attitudes.

 

The more we spend time with each other in spaces we normally don’t (backyard barbeque, Church small groups, home gatherings), the better we can see none of us is a monolith, and we likely have more compassion, and in common, than we thought. Engage, as Jesus did, in the practice of presence.

 

Assumption 6 – I’m really sick of Cancel Culture, they want to rewrite our history as if something is wrong with it.
The label “Cancel Culture” serves mostly to gesture away from what actually happened in a given scenario. Usually, a normal, benign or unexceptional event that did not break in favor of conservative interests and toward a generalized sense of what is viewed as a right-wing grievance. Canceling has spread as a term and phenomenon in the public consciousness mostly about issues of discrimination and racism. This argument is akin to declaring an epidemic of people having opinions.

 

When you love like Christ does, you release your fears of others in the congregation instead of doing what is being complained about, canceling them. One could say that Saul sought to “cancel” David when he called upon his son and servants to kill his perceived rival (1 Samuel 19:1).

 

Holding someone accountable for how they are treated in their house of worship isn’t cancel culture. There are too many people who haven’t acknowledged mistakes, reconciled for them, nor have they gone on to make amends. They are using the label “cancel culture” to shield them from accountability.

 

Assumption 7 – We rebut the notion that White privilege augments our lives. Perhaps you are being lifted by a race-based privilege but surely it is not I. 
The two-word term packs a double whammy that inspires pushback. 1) The word white creates discomfort among those who are not used to being defined by race. And 2) the word privilege sounds like a word that doesn’t belong to those who have struggled. White privilege is not the suggestion that people have never struggled, or everything accomplished is unearned.

 

The best metaphoric description I have heard is that “privilege feels like people of color are trying to cut ahead in line, meaning America is now trying to cater to others before you. The line-cutting angers you, although you never question why you should occupy the first position. That implicit assumption — I should be tended to before all others encapsulate how privilege is viewed as natural, invisible, and a whites-on-top racial hierarchy.”

 

Assumption 8 – Juxtaposing Biblical Justice to Social Justice, Systemic Racism and being Oppressed. 
Biblical references to the word “justice” mean “to make right.” Justice is, first and foremost, a relational term — people living in right relationship with God, one another, and the natural creation. Biblical Justice means loving our neighbor as we love ourselves and is rooted in God’s character and nature.

 

Biblical Justice is a penetrating analysis of using power unjustly to affect the human condition and stems from social, individual, environmental, and spiritual causes. The fear leading to the parsing of the experiential definitions is that if authority and power are given up, People of Color will use the power in the same ways as has been used on them. But the congregants of color understand an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.

 

Biblical Justice is based on the character of God and gives us a model for changing how power is used in this world. As Christians, the building blocks of social justice lie in human dignity, human flourishing, and the sacredness of life. The source of justice is God’s perfect righteousness and radical love for all.

 

One writer explains the misrepresentations this way, “Just as I may consider myself a patriot, yet disagree with aspects of the Patriot Act, in the same respect we should be able to have objective conversations about specific policies or behaviors without chastising those raising concerns as though they broadly do not think lives of Black people matter.”

 

“God values perseverance in community more than visible success;
and faithfulness in calling more than felt comfort in community.”

 

If your instinct is telling you, it’s more comfortable to retreat or reassure yourself that you are correct, think instead, what actions can I take to surrender to God’s perspective instead of my own?

 

From the balcony, the solution, while challenging, can be accomplished. Jesus engaged in dialogue with people, others felt he shouldn’t, to demonstrate love. Think about what your Christian example of love might do to heal some of the fissures in America. We want to love God, live like Him, and demonstrate Him to a watching world.

 

In this case, we will work to arrive at solutions built on biblical virtues of contentment (Philippians 4:11–12), unity (John 17:21), and humility(Colossians 3:12).
Solutions that demonstrate a surrendered soul to the Will of God.
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A Surrendered Soul – Part 2

Christianity looks quite different depending on where and how you worship on Sunday mornings, what stories you read, what voices you listen to, and who you call a friend. People and values that shape diverse communities can conflict with each other. Determining what is actually of God and what is true only to your community requires remaining faithful to God’s nature and character.

 

In Part 1, we provided the definition of Critical Race Theory (CRT) used to refute people of color’s experiences within many Churches. I have studied several pastors who are preaching and teaching on CRT. They gravitate to 7 major assumptions to ground their teaching.

 

Before I unpack the seven, let’s go back to the balcony to remind ourselves of the prize – “setting our mind on God’s purposes, not man’s.”

 

We don’t have a lot of practice having “real talk” about race. Most times people are talking at each other. So it’s not easy for people to engage in thoughtful conversation. If human equality is a vital first principle of faith (Imago Dei), we must not scuttle it when confronting complex issues but instead place faith in God’s moral coherence and seek deeper wisdom.

 

Theology sets in the mind of people a particular psychological view of life. In other words, how you see God determines how you see people. Language is additive and can obscure and distract from a critique that should be taken seriously if we are to avoid the division currently splitting American society.

 

While social justice has taken center stage in the secular world, God is still at the center of the conversation for Christians of color. People of Color have used religious teachings to turn the other cheek, to show mercy, grace, and forgiveness. When we all come to a place of human respect, the Church can reach atonement. Until then, He is and will be the instrument to heal those who can’t find a “balm of Gilead.”

 

We know this topic of CRT in the church comes from the events of the organization BLM, which is not a faith based organization. But we must be careful not to paint everyone with a broad brush. Everyone must take time to understand the difference between the organization and the phrase that represents the sentiment of a movement. Conflating the sentiment with the organization of the same name can limit that which warrants broader discussion.

 

During the Civil Rights movement many prominent Black ministers who gathered to organize the marches and boycotts faced the same rebuke from White pastors as is occurring today. Some even thought that segregation was a biblical mandate but mainly that Christians should not concern themselves with material issues rather than simply focusing on conversion. How they treated people was of little consequence or concern.

 

God created and gave humankind the gift of free will — the gift of choice.
Our beliefs determine how we label people and situations. (Labels are the opposite of understanding). These labels serve to cement beliefs and dictate how we (and our community) choose to engage or disengage with people.
The congregation is a locus for change and transformation in society, so it will be interesting to unpack how CRT is used to analyze the tenents of fellowship within the faith community:

 

    • Loving one another (John 13:34)
    • Building up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
    • Giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10)
    • Stimulating one another to good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
    • Bearing with one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
    • Being hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
    • Praying for one another (James 5:16)

 

In the next issue, Part 3, will discuss each of the seven assumptions, comparing them to the seven tenents of fellowship above, to better understand the messages these pastor’s are communicating to their congregations.

 

Let me close this issue by saying, nothing good ever happens when people care more about our differences than what we have in common. That’s why the forces that seek to divide us will never succeed over the forces of love that keep us together. It might not happen when we want, but we trust in our hope, our hope that is Christ Jesus.

 

Until then, mankind needs a fresh start to remove the stones in our hearts. The only way it can be achieved is by surrendering to the Holy Spirit. Now is the time for a fresh start in Christ.

 

 

 

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A Surrendered Soul – Part 1

 

We find ourselves again at a critically important moment of needing to bring unity to very divisive patterns of behavior. It’s understandable; we are sinful people trying to live in community with other sinful people, and that can get messy.

 

In one sense, this is nothing new. Jesus knew unity among Christians would be important, so much so that He devoted time in prayer to the topic the night before His crucifixion. In John 17, Jesus asks His Father to bring unity to all those who will come to believe in His message.

 

Believing that racism is outside of God’s realm has long been part of mainstream Christian practice in the US. Sometimes we want to contrast gospel work with social work. Not all social work is indeed gospel work, but all gospel work puts us right in the middle of the public square.

 

An academic concept called Critical Race Theory (CRT) is being touted as a method of understanding this divide. Some churches teach CRT is opposed to the Christian Faith and communicate that CRT is “At the center of understanding the theological implications and tenets of addressing race.”

 

Those for or against this concept ground their narratives in Scripture. The messages could not be more different, yet both are based on an interpretation of the same Christian faith:

 

“There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither slave nor free
. . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal 3:28

 

Let’s break CRT into digestible bites.
First, A “critical theory” teaches truth is achieved by taking a critical approach to ideas, beliefs, and practices.

 

Second, adding “race” is intended to offer a critical perspective on the causes, consequences, and manifestations of race, racism, inequity, and power and privilege dynamics.

 

The combined concepts lead to the definition:

 

“CRT is the Idea that the law is inherently racist and designed by Caucasians to maintain or further their standing in politics and economics over minorities. As with Marxism, the idea is to have improvements and reform; conflict is necessary to bring about a resolution.”

 

 
As members of the faith community, we must view this definition from the balcony to remind ourselves of what’s really at stake – setting your mind on God’s purposes, not man’s.

 

Does this definition provide a theological perspective of Christ-centered otherness, or is it an attempt to defend or refute strongholds? St. Anselm defined theology as “faith seeking understanding. For it is not the replacement of faith with knowledge; rather, it is faith that motivates understanding and leads us in the pursuit of knowledge.”

 

Biblically speaking, racism is the sin of ethnic partiality or prejudice (James 2:8–9; Leviticus 19:15). As Christians, we know racism is wrong in society, as we are all one race in Adam (Acts 17:26), especially within the church (Galatians 3:28). We should be concerned about racism and aim to think biblically about it.

 

Allow me to take you to the balcony to bring nuance to this charged conversation.

 

Everyone sees things from their perspective and creates a set of beliefs to support their argument. On Sundays, 9 in 10 Christian churches nationally are predominantly of one race group, according to LifeWay Research. Is it the preaching style, musical preferences, or something else?

 

How should the church respond to the racism that many believers have endured from within their faith community? And how does the watching world respond to the Great Commission when viewed through the lens of our actions?

 

Three of the words could be viewed as problematic in this CRT definition and cloud a thoughtful analysis:
  1. The capitalized word “Idea” is code for I don’t believe this principle, and neither should you.
  2. The reference to “Marxism” puts the definition (and issue) into a frame of materialism and capitalism.
  3. “Conflict” is a code for disagreement with the status quo.

 

Instead of adopting secular methods and applying secular thinking to fix spiritual problems, Christians should look to the whole of Scripture to address relational behavior within the body.

 

We must be thoughtful about our actions and conversation, so we can deal with the underlying issue: the sin of self-interest and Satan’s efforts to continue to breed prejudice, mistrust, and chaos.

 

We understand the original Biblical idea that life gets better through difficult times, and we keep going because there is hope. It’s when we are tested that we learn who we really are. There is no better time than this Lenten season to access how we view our fellow brothers and sisters.

 

Take some time to do your own research on the subject of CRT. Then you can effectively engage with Part 2, as we will explore the assumptions made and how their interpretations may cloud or clarify a Christ-centered resolution to race within the church.

 

Most importantly, you will discover if you are operating from a soul surrendered to the will of God or the will of self-interest. . .

 

 

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10-33. We’ve Lost The Line

The usage of the police code 10-33 means “Emergency All Units Stand By”. It’s designed to make the communication between police crews easier, faster and clearer. So today, I hope this article helps you clear the noise and filter out the rhetoric that assumes life is a zero sum game. Now more than ever, the Church is needed to demonstrate how to love one another; to love those we may consider to be our enemy, and renew our commitment to be like Jesus.

 

During the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:9, Jesus taught, “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.”
Enjoy.

 

 

Guest Author: William Uray

 

“It is so tempting to blame those
with whom we are in conflict.
Blaming makes us feel innocent.
We get to feel righteous & superior.
And blaming also nicely deflects
any residual guilt we might feel.
We are overlooking whatever part
we may have played in the conflict
and are ignoring our freedom
to choose how to respond.”

 

 

The most difficult person we ever have to deal with in life isn’t who we imagine it to be. It’s not the person on the other side of the table. It’s the person on this side of the table. It’s the person we look at in the mirror every morning. It’s ourselves. The biggest block to our success in life is ourselves. It lies in our very human, very understandable tendency to react: to act without thinking. As Ambrose Bearce once quipped, “When angry, you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” So what’s the alternative?

 

To get a clear perspective, you have to go to the BALCONY in order to see the third side. Imagine you’re negotiating on a stage and part of your mind goes to a mental and emotional balcony, a place of calm, perspective, and self-control where you can stay focused on your interests, keep your eyes on the prize. A place that allows you to see the third side of the situation. Let me give you an example of one of my favorite negotiation stories. It’s the story of a man who left to his three sons 17 camels. To the first son, he left half the camels, to the second son, he left a third of the camels, and to the youngest son, he left a ninth of the camels.

 

The three sons got into a negotiation — 17 doesn’t divide by two. It doesn’t divide by three. It doesn’t divide by nine. Brotherly tempers started to get strained. Finally, in desperation, they went and they consulted a wise old woman. The wise old woman thought about their problem for a long time, and finally she came back and said, “Well, I don’t know if I can help you, but at least, if you want, you can have my camel.”

 

So then, they had 18 camels. The first son took his half — half of 18 is nine. The second son took his third — a third of 18 is six. The youngest son took his ninth — a ninth of 18 is two. Nine plus six plus two adds up to 17. They had one camel left over. They gave it back to the wise old woman.

 

This story is a little bit like many of the negotiations or conflicts we engage in. They seem impossible to resolve and no apparent end in sight. We start off with 17 camels. Somehow we need to step to the balcony, change our assumptions, and find an 18th camel. And if you think that’s hard sometimes, you’re right, but it’s not impossible.

 

The most fundamental way in which the third side can help is to remind you of what’s really at stake – “setting your mind on God’s purposes, not man’s.” What I learned is that one of the greatest powers we have is the power not to react but rather to go to the balcony and keep your eyes on the prize. So that’s the power I wish for you in your life – the power of the balcony.

 

SOURCE: William Ury, The Third Side: Why We Fight and How We Can Stop

 

 

 

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Inoculation Against Hopelessness 💉
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us,
O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
Psalms 33:20-22 (NIV)

 

We made it to the new year! Between the pandemic, economic stimulus, racial tension, and political upheaval, 2020 brought on an endless onslaught of emotions. At the end of the long and grueling year (it was just a day or so ago), most of us could use a few words of inspiration and wisdom. So take a virtual seat beside the fire and let’s chat.
First and foremost, we can take solitude that God is still in control. Our dependence can remain in Him and in Him alone. He has promised to not put more on us than we can bear. Nothing happened or is going to happen of which He is not already aware. With that knowledge we can pray,

 

“So, in my trials, God, help me to fix my eyes not on what is seen, the temporary things that burden me, but on what is unseen, that which is eternal. I praise You that You comfort me in my troubles so that I can comfort others with that same comfort.”

 

Our trials are not to be eliminated but seasoned and buoyed up with love and hope because they sharpen us for our destiny.

 

Second, we don’t need to make resolutions this year. We can choose to focus on the outcomes you want and avoid getting caught up in the obstacles to achieving them. Getting mired in a daunting list of obstacles will prevent you from stimulating awareness of all the options you have for succeeding. Adapt your action plans as life unfolds differently than you originally planned, ensuring your actions align with your values and the Word of God. We tend to give too much power to things that are out of their control. You don’t have to be perfect and a big part of accepting this is learning how to embrace your failures, imperfections and fears. Confronting them so you can grow and become the person you are called to be.
Refrain from focusing on self-interest based on acquiring power, status, social recognition, tangible, or intangible rewards. Instead, focus on self-sacrifice based on personal growth and understanding of your patterns of behavior that affect family, friends, health, and relationships. Think about relating more deeply to others, building community, demonstrating love to the unlovable, being of service, or learning something new that enables you to serve others better.

 

You can walk in the grace of resilience, strength, and, yes, hope. Never lose hope – the world was a mess, but God, because He loves us, gave us His son. God has promised victory to all who remain faithful throughout the generations; regardless of social location, race or economic status. God includes and protects each of us, and we are guaranteed a place in his presence. We can be assured that God hasn’t given up on us, let’s not give up on each other.

 

Biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. So demonstrate the power of love and hope one to another. As Wuthnow says, “If we see our own identity [as] part of a divine or transcendent plan, then those who are not us must have an identity within this understanding as well.”

 

When you feel you are losing hope remember – “love your neighbor. . .” came from a man the people slandered. “Forgive them. . .” came from a man who the people crucified on the cross. “I know the plans I have for you. . . to give you a future and a hope. . .” came from the man who promised better things are yet to come!

 

Now go be great in 2021!

 

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The Journey 2021

PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR

 

Your  practical, inspirational resource for supporting your spiritual walk

 

 

After a year of focus on God’s faithfulness to us, we shift to how we remain faithful to Him by dedicating 2021 to accessing our patterns of behavior that don’t always agree with the Word of God. Patterns of behavior that, when not dealt with, spread like cancer. Those that start in private or out of sight of the public. Once they become entrenched into your lifestyle, it’s only a matter of time until they manifest in other areas of your life.

 

For the maturing Christian, sinful patterns of behavior are an agent of decay. Once sin is introduced into a relationship, a community, or an individual, spiritual productivity is diminished. The enemy gains a foothold when these defeating patterns of behavior rob you of your confidence in the power of God to give you victory over it.

 

You must be willing to get involved again in the process of working with God to gain consistent victory over the temptations your patterns of behavior create. To get the truth back the enemy has convinced you are a lie. The fact that David was a man after God’s own heart illustrates that the righteous person is not sinless but is always eager to correct his errors. There is no magic plan, prayer, or practice. There is, however, a loving Father who is ready to provide “the way of escape” if you are prepared to engage and take advantage.

 

All our struggles are spiritual in nature. Our inner turmoil, not  issues with other people. Each one is part of an ongoing struggle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan to control our patterns of behavior. Paul could not have been more explicit about this when he wrote:

 

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”                                                                                              (Eph 6:12)

 

 

My prayer for you this year is that in all you do, how you think about yourself, how you treat others, what you say about yourself and others, and that you will realize there is a war going on; you better fight!

 

“For thought we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”                                                                        (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)