The Next Step Blog

I understand that when Pablo Casals, the famous cellist, was found still practicing his cello four to five hours a day at age 90, he was asked why would he continue to work so hard at that stage in life. His answer was simple but direct: “Because I think I am making some progress.”

 

There’s truth in that statement that would do all of us some good. Regardless of our growth in a given area or ability, there’s always room for more. Especially is this truth worth remembering in the area of discipleship. As long as we’re breathing, there’s something more of Jesus for us to learn.

 

During this “Next Step” emphasis we’ve been underscoring how each of us has a “next step.” My fear has been that some of us might think that this emphasis doesn’t apply to us – that it’s for a younger group that has the rest of their lives ahead of them.

 

But all of us are called by God to strive to become more for Christ’s sake. All of us could benefit from a willingness to humble ourselves and continue seeking God in every area of our lives.

 

I mentioned Sunday Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 Hour Rule.” If you wish to become outstanding in a particular field, then you must be willing to commit 10,000 hours of practice in that area. But Casals extends that rule by quite a stretch – just as did Jesus. “If anyone would become a disciple of mine, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34). That’s an everyday requirement, and one that we should strive toward until we can’t get it wrong. And that’s a goal that always will take a lifetime.

All of us have heard the story of “the Dash.” I’m referring, of course, to the markings on gravestones that identify the “bookend dates” of a person’s life. The person was born on this date and died on this date. But what was of primary significance was how that person lived during the years identified by the “dash.” At times you may look at a gravestone and see where a loved one has expanded on the dash a bit by offering an epitaph that summarizes the life of the deceased.

 

Somewhere I came across a Victorian epitaph from a pet cemetery. It read, “Major – Born a dog; Died a gentleman.” Clearly, its owner saw an improvement in the dog’s behavior so that by the end of its days it had become something greater than its canine instincts would have led it to be.

 

Of how many people can it be said that they transcended their limitations? I know too many who act as if they are consigned to a certain life because of family history or social handicaps or physical limitations. But the gospel holds out the hope that in the grace of Jesus Christ we can become more than we ever thought possible. We can become “truly human,” in terms of exhibiting the life that God created us to know.

 

No one knows how much time on this earth he or she has. But what each person does know is that there is this present moment that God has given us to rely on His grace, which has the power to bring about changes that are in our best interest. Use this day wisely and faithfully. Call upon the Presence of the Spirit to guide and empower you. Then each day of your life will be a landmark day and you will be leaving a legacy that will continue to inspire others until Jesus comes to take us home.

 

 

 

 

Have you ever noticed how sometimes in order to move ahead you have to take a step back for just a moment? Why that retreat is sometimes necessary is beyond me, though I would imagine it would have something to do with making sure that we don’t get ahead of ourselves – and from a faith perspective, that we don’t get ahead of God.

 

For example, I have always been taken with Jesus’ instruction that unless his disciples become like little children, they would never see the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14). Their innocence and dependence model what genuine faith is all about.

 

In his book, Wishful Thinking, Frederick Buechner has a fascinating take on this teaching of Jesus:

 

When the disciples, overearnest as ever, asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus pulled a child out of the crowd and said the greatest in the kingdom of heaven were people like this. Two thousand years of homiletic sentimentalizing to the contrary notwithstanding, Jesus was not playing Captain Kangaroo. He was saying that the people who get into heaven are people who like children, don’t worry about it too much. They are people who, like children, live with their hands open more than their fists clenched. They are people, who, like children, are so relatively unburdened by preconceptions that if someone says there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, they are perfectly willing to go take a look for themselves. Children aren’t necessarily better than other people. Like the child in “The Emperor’s New Clothes, “they are just apt to be better at telling the difference between a put-up job and the real thing” (Wishful Thinking, pp.15-16.)

 

Growing up is tough work, probably because we make it that way. Jesus has given us a better path, which is tough only because humbling ourselves doesn’t come easy. But when step back and do so, it’s amazing the strength that comes our way that ends up propelling us forward with amazing power and joy.

 

 

 

 

As a counseling and guidance major in college, I was introduced to the pioneering work of the great philosopher and psychologist of religion, William James. His famous book, Varieties of Religious Experience, opened up a “faith world” for me that I had not known about in my rural, Alabama upbringing. In particular, I had been brought up on the importance of a person having a “born again” experience with Jesus, but little attention was ever given to what a person does with that experience in terms of his everyday life. It was as if after conversion there was nothing else to anticipate. James’s perspective helped me to see that in fact there is much more.

 

Specifically, James believed that many people are able to experience a “second birth” that varies from the traditional evangelical understanding. He wrote that while some people are “naturally Christian” or are raised in Christian homes, there is with many of those persons a second stage of religious experience where they go through a “conversion” that enables them to learn a greater depth of being a Christian.

 

I don’t believe William James saw a contradiction between the “traditional” evangelical understanding of the second birth and his recognition of how one’s faith experience deepens over time. I certainly don’t see one. As I read the Scripture, God expects us to move in that very direction. A good part of our spiritual maturity demands that we focus our energies on putting ourselves in a position where the Holy Spirit might awaken in us perspectives and passions that allow us to follow Jesus more effectively.

 

So, use this week as a time to consider how your experience with Jesus is deepening. Never be satisfied with where you stand in relation to him. Seek to be filled even more with his Spirit and to be controlled by his Presence that each day with Jesus might in so many respects become “new” and better than the day before.

 

 

 

 

When I first became a pastor, I spoke a lot about the church as “family.” That was easy for me to do. The church I pastured only had about 150 members and on any given Sunday about half of them would be there. The church really did have a “family feel.” That’s probably because most of them were related to one another as well. 

 

Now, I pastor a church that is much larger and far more diverse. “Family” doesn’t seem to be the right word to capture the nature of the fellowship to which we are called. If anything, we’re too big to be considered a “family.” You might consider your small group a “family,” but to think of the larger church in that way, probably stretches the figure of speech too far.

 

Quite honestly, I always felt like I was surrendering something too precious when I quit using the term. That was until I came across this quote from Molly Marshall-Green, who was my grader in systematic theology at Southern Seminary. Molly is now president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. Some years ago, she was preaching at First Baptist Church, Austin, Texas, and in her sermon, “Going Public: A Bold Church in Changing Culture,” offered this quote:

 

 

I’m not saying that intimacy should be avoided. I’m just saying that we should make sure that our “circles” are expandable enough to allow for the strangers God sends our way. Who knows? The strangers may in time become our dearest friends and even family. And deep relationships amazingly form when someone takes the “bold step” of inviting the unfamiliar to come in. 

 

 

 

 

The world-renowned contralto Marian Anderson was once asked why she always used the first person plural “we” when speaking about herself. She answered, “Because the longer one lives, the more one realizes that there is no particular thing that one can do alone.” She went on to explain that when you consider the people who wrote the music, the people who made the piano on which the accompanist plays, and of course, the accompanist herself or himself, every performance is in a very real sense a “group event.” “We” truly does capture the communal nature of every performance.

 

How much better would our faith go if we understood the same principle? One of the weaknesses of our evangelical faith is that we have overemphasized the personal dimension at the exclusion of the communal. It’s not just “me and Jesus.” It really is “we and Jesus.” My obedience as a follower of Christ is definitely influenced by my relationship with other believers. When I consider the impact of my witness on others and link my efforts with theirs, things actually go pretty well in terms of my faithfulness. But when I strike out on my own, that’s when discouragement and disillusionment tend to set in. It’s probably the same way with you.

 

St. Cyprian, a third century bishop, wrote a famous line: “There is no salvation outside of the church.” Unfortunately, the line has at times been used to justify a dogmatic stance as to the superiority of one denomination over another. But in its purest form, Cyprian, writing before the division of the Church into its Eastern and Western expressions, simply meant what all of us know to be true – we really do need one another.

 

So, let’s watch our pronouns. “Me” and “my” have no business in our conversation. “We” are in this together. And of course, Jesus is with us, too. Remember, after all, what he said: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). 

 

 

 

 

People who live outside of Florida really associate our state with Disney more than anything else. In fact, I bet that more people find their way to Florida because of Mickey and friends than for any other reason.

 

It’s understandable. Disney does things right. They have quality attractions. They have clean facilities. They have exciting rides. And they have one other thing…friendly employees.

 

As I understand it, people who work at Disney aren’t referred to as “employees.” They’re characterized instead as “cast members.” That is to say that the people who run Disney recognize how the effectiveness of the entire operation depends on everyone from those on the trash detail to those in corporate management understanding how vital his or her role is to Disney’s overall mission.

 

How much more should that be the case with the church, especially for a Baptist congregation that emphasizes the priesthood of all believers! Though a strong and productive pastoral staff is critical to a church’s effectiveness, there’s only so much they can do to advance the church’s mission. The bulk of the heavy lifting is done by people in the pews who are serious about living out their own callings in consistent and passionate ways.

 

In the end, what makes for either a strong organization or strong church is nothing “magical.” That may be the tag line for the “kingdom” that Disney is working to build, but in actual practice they realize that the real key is everyone doing his or her part and sensing that all contributions are equally vital. For us at First Baptist, the same holds true in an even greater way. Your contribution is critical; it either lifts us up or holds us back. So, don’t ever feel as if your role is insignificant; it isn’t. Not only do you belong to this church. In a very real way, this church, or at least its mission, belongs to you. Perhaps it’s time for you to “step up” to that challenge so that First Baptist might more fully advance the Kingdom of God and manifest Christ’s Presence in a way that makes life on earth the “wonderful world” that God created it to be.

I remember something Tony Campolo once said: “Until a person is willing to stand up and turn his back on the culture, he really can’t be a follower of Jesus.” There are many ways one could take that quote. But one way few people consider is what it means in terms of our belonging.

 

Simply put, this is a culture that celebrates a person’s refusal to belong. I’m not just talking about church; I’m talking about pretty much everything else in life. People are reluctant to join much of anything anymore. Civic organizations, social clubs, and recreational leagues have all felt the sting of decline in participation. There are many reasons for this decline but surely none is more prevalent than the desire of people not to be tied down to any commitment beyond themselves. In other words, ours is a culture of individualism.

 

Amazingly, in that respect our culture is not much different from the culture in which Christianity was birthed. Roman culture was such that every person attended to his own needs and paid little attention to what he might do to support others. That is why when they looked at Christians, they saw their way of life as being peculiarly communal, and therefore, countercultural.

 

We’re back to Campolo’s comment. “Until a person is willing to stand up and turn his back on the culture, he really can’t be a follower of Jesus.” It may be that one of the most powerful expressions of witness today is our willingness to belong to a fellowship that is richly communal. By that, I mean that our enthusiasm for genuine friendships with those from diverse backgrounds, our shared purpose of being the presence of Christ in the places God puts us, and our abiding care for one another are all ways of distinguishing us from a culture that values homogeneity, self-centeredness, and self-care.

 

In fact, our refusal to curry favor with the prevailing culture may in fact when us the hearing the Gospel deserves. What was it the Romans said of the Christians in their day? “See how they love one another!” And that witness ultimately changed the culture. And it can do the same today, if only we will take a stand.

 

 

 

 

One of the most misunderstood aspects of Christian worship is the belief held by many that we go to church only for our own benefit. Clearly, I need the inspiration that worship regularly affords me. But when my satisfaction becomes the barometer by which worship is evaluated, to paraphrase Shakespeare, “something is rotten in the state of Dortch.”

 

So, how should we look at worship? Obviously, we begin with God. Worship, as you probably know, is a word taken from another Old English word, “worthship.” In worship we acknowledge the worthiness of God.

 

But there’s another reason why worship is important to the life of discipleship. Ideally, our presence in worship matters to others. Our being together in worship serves as support and encouragement to other congregants. 

 

In her book, Amazing Grace, Kathleen Norris points out this truth most convincingly. Commenting on the passage in Mark 6, where Jesus and his disciples retreat from the crowds for a time of rest, only to find them having followed them for a word of encouragement and support, Norris says, “A Presbyterian pastor once reminded me…that we “go to church for other people. Because…someone may need you there.” And, of course, the reverse is true – you may need someone who is there as well.

 

The point is that it does each of us great good to see a smiling face, to catch up with old friends over a cup of coffee and a doughnut, or to have someone call your name without reading you the riot act afterward. As Norris puts it, in a world where things always seem to be on the verge of spinning out of control, “Church is a place where we go to stop the madness.” We stop it through our speech, our smiles, and our touch, if only for a moment; but what respite that always turns out to be.

 

A church that functions with such a spirit of community is hardly a rotten place. Instead it’s a ripe place; it’s ripe for effecting the sorts of changes that enable everyone to know the abundant life that Jesus came to give. And when it’s all said and done, who doesn’t need that?

I mentioned C.S. Lewis in yesterday’s sermon and his vision of the “hellish church” where members move ever farther from one another. Dallas Willard, in his Divine Conspiracy, quotes another Lewis talk, titled “The Inner Ring,” where Lewis comments on how in every person’s life there is a desire to be on the inside of what he called “the inner ring,” as well as the terror of being left on the outside. His point was that “to belong” is a vital need that is based on who we are as spiritual beings.

 

That’s a significant observation. Many of us struggle with the ambivalence we experience in connecting to new groups. On the one hand, there is that strong pull to be a part of something beyond ourselves. But on the other hand, there is that initial awkwardness that comes from being “the new kid on the block.” But if Lewis is correct, the former pull always outweighs the latter awkwardness.

 

Some of you reading this blog are on “the inside.” You’ve already found your place in our church. It’s important for you now to be thinking of ways that you can minimize the awkwardness for those who are looking to step in. 

 

For those of you who are inwardly yearning to be more connected, you simply must pray for the grace to help you step past that initial awkwardness, believing that such anxiety has a very short shelf life. And if people in “the inner ring” want you to join them and are waiting for you to join them, then taking the step makes very good sense.

 

God has clearly created us for community. I am so glad to be a part of a church that has a place for everyone. I’m even gladder to be a part of a church that desires to help everyone find his or her place and to know that the “rings” in our church always have room for one more. Consider this your invitation to step inside.