Motivation by acceptance ...

For today’s thoughts, let me quote a section from a book by Brian McLaren. He is talking about the open nature of Christian community:

[ Sometimes belonging must precede believing. In other words, unless we let not-yet-Christians enter and participate in the Christian community, many of them won’t become Christians. Perhaps this is so obvious that you wonder how anyone could doubt it. But sadly, that understanding is still pretty rare. If you wonder why, I have to point you back to history. Many of our [churches have learned to practice] … what I call “motivation by exclusion.” Motivation by exclusion says something like this: We’re on the inside, but you’re on the outside. We’re right, and you’re wrong. If you want to come inside, then you need to be right. So, just believe right, think right, speak right, and act right, and we’ll let you in.

… We need to move beyond motivation by exclusion. Our motivation by acceptance will say something like this: We are a community bound together and energized by faith, love, and commitment to Jesus Christ. Even though you don’t yet share that faith, love, and commitment, you are most welcome to be with us, to belong here, to experience what we’re about. Then, of you are attracted and persuaded by what you see, you’ll want to set down roots here long-term. And even if you don’t, you’ll always be a friend.

This approach is more in sync with Jesus’ own example. He was criticized for being a “friend of sinners” – in other words, he welcomed and accepted people who did not yet “believe right think right, speak right, and act right.” But he knew something we need to know: If people can belong long enough to observe how God is alive among us, if people can belong long enough to see authentic love among us, if they can belong long enough to see whatever good exists in our lives as individual and as a community, they can come to believe. ]*

In order to attract and persuade outsiders, our churches need to draw others into belonging. For our little community, compassion and care are persuasive for the children in our care. Grace and generosity are the languages we must speak. Of course, not all of the blessings of community are possible until one chooses to completely accept the community and join it. Still, the love and inclusivity of the community must be felt by outsiders before any would wish to join. Some fear that this requires us to ignore our own standards, but this is not so. Instead, we have the opportunity to demonstrate what we really value – love and respect, and transparency, for example. When they understand what these values look like in the lives of real people, then they may choose the behaviors and virtues that these values produce. Eventually, they may choose to become, and completely so, a member of the community. Then, as our peers, such virtues and behaviors are appropriate expectations.

We are a part of the most loving and open community of God’s people I have ever known. May God help us to keep it so.

Show grace, be peace,

Ron

*Brian McLaren, More Ready Than You Realize, 89-90.

The parent of the virtues

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:1-17 (NIV)

There is so little in the Bible that give as clear an if…then situation than in this passage. When I desire peace, I must get rid of the things above and fill that empty space with the things suggested. It may seem formulaic, but it is so comforting to know that there really is something I can do to make things better. It is a promise that God keeps. It is not always that simple, because it is not simple to control our thoughts.

Blessings,

Shiann

Creating opportunities for virtue

Patience. Kindness. Compassion. Gentleness.

These are words that I heard quite a lot when I was in the 8th grade.
Well, maybe not.
But at least that's how all of my friends at school treated me.
Well, maybe not.
But at least that's how all of my brothers and sisters in the youth group treated me.
Well, maybe not.

None of these things happened. My experience with patience, kindness, compassion, and gentleness came mainly from the presence of some special adults in my life: Phyllis Morgan, Barbara Ellis, Janna Smith, Lucille O’Dell, and Gusta Hoffman, may they glorify God forever.

I believe that we ought to be particularly careful to model these virtues for our boys as school starts this year. That does not mean that we do not need to set boundaries and maintain them, but that there are certain ways to do that which are consistent with these virtues, and others that are not.

I believe that we need to teach these virtues,
but that teaching them is not enough.
I believe that we, as good mentors, ought to illustrate these virtues,
but that is not enough.
I believe that we, as God's children, ought to demonstrate these virtues,
but that is not enough.
I believe that we ought to try to catch them demonstrating these virtues and praise them for the doing of them,
but that is not enough.
I believe that ultimately, we have to create the opportunity for them to do something good
and then encourage the thunder out of the behavior.

To a great extent, life at Westview presents, by design, the potential for those opportunities. Let's put a lot of energy into highlighting the virtues that our kids display after they encounter the opportunities that God and we create for them this fall. I think that we'll find that, not only will it change our perceptions of their progress, but it will also change the behavior of the kids in our care for that period of time.

Grace and peace,

Ron

Confessing our vices

A prayer to challenge us, and a scripture to give us comfort.

Prayer of Confession - Our Vices and Virtues

O Father, we know that all of us have sinned
and fallen short of your glory.
We confess that we know personally the hatred which divides
nation from nation, race from race, sisters from brothers.
We admit that even though our words or thoughts
may conceal hate, our actions give us away.
Father forgive.
We realize that the covetousness of people and nations
to possess what is not their own is not distant from us,
but has taken up residence in our heart as well.
Father forgive.
We own up to stockpiles of the greed which exploits
the work of human hands, and lays waste to the earth,
Father forgive.
We concede that our bottomless hunger has sharpened the pangs of
our envy of the welfare and happiness of others.
Father forgive.
We acknowledge our deafness, our indifference to the plight
of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee,
Father forgive.
We allow our eyes to lead us into the lust which dishonors the bodies
of men, women and children,
Father forgive.
We confess the pride which leads to trust in ourselves and not in you,
Father forgive.

[Selah – a turning]

Father, help us to swallow our pride and fill our throats with your praise;
Correct our vision from lust to the discernment of beauty and truth;
Open our ears to your calling to forsake our indifference,
and embrace a passion that tunes our ears
to hear the cries of the oppressed for justice;
Refine our taste with your goodness that we may satisfy our hunger
With contentment instead of deepening it with envy;
Liquidate our greed to make room in our lives for
the conservation of our planet’s resources;
O Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Remove the dross of covetousness from our hearts and shape us
into vessels of blessing for others;
Train our minds to purge hatred from our thoughts
And fill the gap with love for others before our waywardness
replaces it with something worse.
Help us empty ourselves of evil, Father,
so that you may fill us with that which is good.

Continue your work of conversion in us, Father.
O Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Through your Spirit, shape us to conform to the image of Jesus;
In the name of your perfect imager we petition you,

Amen.

Enlighten us with your word, O Lord.

See, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule with justice.

Each will be like a hiding place from the wind,
a covert from the tempest,
like streams of water in a dry place,
like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
Then the eyes of those who have sight will not be closed,
and the ears of those who have hearing will listen,

The minds of the rash will have good judgment,
and the tongues of stammerers will speak readily and distinctly.
A fool will no longer be called noble,
nor a villain said to be honorable.

For fools speak folly,
and their minds plot iniquity:
to practice ungodliness,
to utter error concerning the Lord,
to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
and to deprive the thirsty of drink.

The villainies of villains are evil;
they devise wicked devices
to ruin the poor with lying words,
even when the plea of the needy is right.
But those who are noble plan noble things,
and by noble things they stand.

- Isa 32:1-8 NRSV

Grace and peace,

Ron