Trading Connections

In July I attended a preaching conference in a very comfortable venue with balcony seating that wrapped around the floor seats as far as the front of the stage.  It was like box seating, being above and alongside the audience.

The sessions were varied and practical, and after each session a phenomenon unfolded below.  As the speaker concluded, as if on cue, nearly every member of the audience reached into a pocket and pulled out a phone (Blackberry, iPhone, whatever) to do their cybernetic duty.  Stretched out beneath me a sea of glowing screens shimmered.

This somewhat amusing ritual conveyed a more melancholic tone after a session on the dominance and dangers of technological obsession.  What struck me at the moment was not only that the speaker’s prophetic words had been so quickly discarded, but that the audience had intentionally chosen to ignore one another.  During the session, it is proper, polite and practical to give the speaker undivided attention until he/she finishes.  But afterward, the gathering of humanity affords the opportunity to connect through conversation and actual presence.  Instead, those simple and immediate connections were traded for connections both distant and impersonal.  What is this craving within us to opt for one-dimensional community when multi-dimensional relationship is at our elbow?

This is a learned behavior.  Ever since “other” connections were made available to families and other gatherings, we have been drawn like moths to the flame of glowing screens.  Ever notice how many restaurants today have multiple televisions illuminating every corner?  And have you noticed how easily your eyes are drawn away from your table mates to that pixelated monster?

Our best friend at the end of a busy day is often an e-mail inbox, a TV remote, an mp3 player, or a web browser.  Too many times our home becomes a box for storing three or four individuals wired to the world, but disconnected from one another.  Once again our technological advancements have gifted us with the progress of alienation and pseudo-community.

And yet, the choice is mine (and yours) to opt for flesh and blood over LED displays.

Serendipity – Lessons in Trusting God’s Wisdom

For as long as I can remember I have longed to travel to Vermont to see the leaves dance with joyful color just before they glide to the earth.  Early in our marriage, Jana and I shared that desire, and, after twenty-five years of marriage, and the disposing of every excuse, we made our plans and made our way to the land of rural majesty.

This was, in many ways, the least planned vacation we have ever taken – and it was our first without children as our traveling companions.  The week was picked rather randomly because we had limited options due to schedules.  Our location was determined mostly by proximity to the airport, economic deals and availability of accommodations.  Our daily itinerary was left completely open, though I had done some research and marked a few things that I considered interesting possibilities.

We relaxed into our trip and took what came (a good thing considering the mess that our flights to and fro proved to be).  And in this innocent trust we experienced God’s treasures.

The lodging that we had “chosen” was at the epicenter of several potentially delightful experiences, and we drank them in.  During our first day in Stowe, Vermont, we stopped by a small grocery store to grab a few supplies and asked some of the locals for one or two sights or activities that we should not miss.  Our query tripped an avalanche of marvelous ideas, most of which required little or no financial investment.  One woman even chased us down in the parking lot when she heard about our inquiry and spent a half-hour firing suggestions, even giving us her well-marked map of New Hampshire to help with, what would prove to be, our next-day trip.  The Mount Washington Hotel at the base of Mount Washington was stunning.

One evening as I leisurely thumbed through a local magazine I came across a series of brief articles on local attractions – attractions that no one had mentioned thus far.  And so, our next morning’s hike to “The Pinnacle” (a peak of 2600 feet providing a 360 degree view of Stowe and the surrounding areas), while a challenging climb for two unprepared walkers, was a sacred moment.   We stood atop the world alone together on a sunny, frosty morning, looking upon the brightly dappled mountains surrounding us, and experiencing the awe of God’s creative hand.

Later that day, also urged on by the magazine article, we drove a few miles north of town to make the short and far less grueling hike to see Moss Glen Falls – a 120+ foot fan-shaped cascade slicing through a shady hillside.  It is jaw-droppingly beautiful, making the observer completely forget the muddy trek it takes to get there.

We saw covered bridges, gaps, notches, gorges, peaks and so much more in our daily excursions, all serendipitous gifts because we had no agenda except to simply “be” in this place, open to the suggestions of mouth, print, weather, heart and energy.

We experienced the quaint friendliness of small towns and local “mom and pop” stores.  Twice we visited grocery/deli shoppes in New Hampshire and Vermont, feasting on sandwiches made simply, but with such pure product and experience, that we consider them a step above the more expensive formal dining ventures that our evenings held.

On our final day, traveling to Burlington to catch our late afternoon flight (which turned out to be an early evening flight. . .  that is another story), we assumed the best was done.  And then on a pristine day of sun and warmth, we cruised Burlington and came upon the view from Battery Park overlooking Shelburne Bay (part of Lake  Champlain) and the distant mountains.  Once again the jaws dropped and I reached for the camera.  A Burlington-er/ite/ian (?) even went out of his way, as we were snapping shots, to mention that that day was the most beautiful day he can remember.

Truly refreshing in almost every way.  That is how I would describe this vacation.  And all because we chose to not plan it into oblivion.  We decided where we would sleep at night, and when we would arrive and leave.  Beyond that, the details were left to God and the wisdom He would provide.  I think there might be a life lesson in that somewhere.

Planning is necessary to keep me from stumbling into foolishness, but the wisdom of Jesus to “not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself” is suddenly a little more real and proven.  Yes, I realize that our Lord was speaking about more essential things in life than vacation itineraries (specifically, food and clothing), but an obsession with control is often the pathway to snowballing angst.  Failing to relax into the guidance of God’s agenda not only knots my colon, but it deprives me of the gift of serendipity.  Apparently God knows better the discoveries which need to pop up on the horizon of my life than I do.  I drove the car, but He made the road.  And the view was exquisite.

Everywhere I Go

A trend in television commercials lately has been the “common symbol.”  With amazing creativity, the advertisers cause the consumer to see the brand they are selling in the most common of images.

Progressively taller bars (used on cell phones to indicate signal strength) is the image that  Cingular/ATT has used for several years to plug their brand of cell phone service.

Lowe’s does it with the appearance of a “T” in various forms popping up at the end of the Lowe’s sign on the store, thus emphasizing Lowe’s as the place where the Lowe’sT prices can be found.

Vizio has recently exposed the view to “V”s everywhere.

American Express presents a parade of “smiley faces.”

This practice of image stamping in our brains is highly creative, very entertaining, and apparently successful in causing consumers to see the featured product at every turn.

God’s desire is for His children to see Him at every turn.  He achieves this, not by some crass version of image stamping, but by placing His Spirit in us, and by leaving His fingerprints throughout creation.

I just returned from a week in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a federal park area running along the northeastern Minnesota/Canadian border.  Our first two days on the water were pretty miserable – relentless rain and blustery winds.  But the following three days were spectacular.

The Boundary Waters is one of those places on earth where the wonder and majesty of God can nearly be plucked out of the air and held in your hands.  One of the guys in our group mentioned what a privilege it is to be able to take the time to be in that place.  He stated that this beautiful wilderness has been given to us to enjoy and I began to consider our time there as a mandate.  Why else would God create such a stunning display, than to have man discover the magnitude of the Creator’s power and skill?  Human beings are practically obligated to spend time in primitive natural environs to become acquainted more deeply with the creative hand of the Maker.  It is in those places that we discover Him to greater and greater degrees.

Having been in those places less diminished by man’s “progressive” efforts enables me to see Him more clearly in the buzz and bustle of “normal” life.  Our eyes become dulled to God’s glory through the man-centered existence that is our obsession.  Often we must be willing to go to those places which can scrub the lens clean, revealing the radiance of holy majesty.

Rich Mullins wrote and sang about the training of his God-vision.

Lord, You’re leading me
With a cloud by day
And then in the night
The glow of a burning flame
And everywhere I go, I see You
And everywhere I go, I see You

And You take my hand
And You wash it clean
I know the promised land
Is light years ahead of me
And everywhere I go, I see You
And everywhere I go, I see You

Well, the eagle flies
And the rivers run
I look through the night
And I can see the rising sun
And everywhere I go, I see You
And everywhere I go, I see You

Well, the grass will die
And the flowers fall
But Your Word’s alive
And it will be after all
And everywhere I go, I see You
And everywhere I go, I see You

“I See You” by Rich Mullins

Co-signing our Prayer

When we pray “in the name of Jesus” we are doing more – or we should be doing more – than simply adding a tag line which fast-tracks our request to the top of God’s “to do” list.  We must be fully aware of what we are suggesting.  Attaching the name of someone to a contract, request, statement, etc. is attaching their life/soul/character to that action.  We are investing their reputation in our decision.  It is not simply invoking a mysterious power because we have deemed our life too weak to achieve the action we undertake.  We are calling their authority alongside us as an ally.

When Moses received the mandate of God for His covenant people which we know as the Ten Commandments, one of the laws forbade the using of God’s name “in vain.”  Vanity is emptiness.  To live vainly is to live with a half-hearted commitment to purpose.  Using God’s name in vain is pretending to revere it, while, in fact, simply using His name as a common word to lay alongside every other common word in language.  The word “God” becomes equivalent in worth to “chair” or “dog” or “mailbox.”  While all words may just be letters on a page of vocalizations which fade into the air, the One we speak of when we say “God” is of infinite value.  Any reference to “God” cannot be common, empty or vain.

And so it is with praying in the name of Jesus.  It is an holy act.  We are standing before the throne of God on the carpet of Jesus’ blood.  Our arrival into His presence is a divine gift.  Do not speak His name lightly or loosely.

“I pray in Jesus’ name” indicates an understanding of Jesus’ nature, purpose and will.  It implies that our conversation with God has been consistent with how Jesus would pray.  It suggests that we understand His purposes and view of things.  Otherwise we are committing spiritual forgery – we are forcing His name onto a request that He has not approved.

Caution should also be used when reciting the Lord’s prayer after the offering plates are marched back to the front of the church (or whatever occasion accompanies a congregational recitation of the prayer).  I contend that the most dangerous part of the prayer is:

Your kingdom, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. . .

We are soliciting God for the sovereignty of His purpose to order our personal, daily lives to the same degree with which He reigns over the affairs of heaven.  We are calling for God to totally rule every thought, word and action in every breath we take.  That, my friends, is a prayer which cannot be taken lightly.

If you have been raised in church like I have, these prayer habits can become shallow ritual rather than deeply considered and intentional prayer practices.  As each year passes, and each prayer is uttered by my lips or the lips of those near me, I am reminded that I have gained access to the courts of God.  And my path to that privilege is paved with grace.  I can do no less than pray thoughtfully.  Pray humbly.  Pray with reverent fear.  Pray in keeping with the wishes of my Savior.

Have Small Groups Become Dinosaurs?

At certain times in ministry, it is easy to get a complex.  When failure dogs your every move, you begin to wonder if you are cut out for this stuff.  Case in point:  the development and sustainability of small groups.

For most of my 25 years in ministry I have read, heard and seen the success of small groups all around me, and have rarely tasted of it personally on a church-wide scale.  After a promising beginning last year at our modestly-sized church, we have regressed.  Due to an aggressive recruiting strategy last year, we managed to maintain five fairly healthy, consistent small groups last September through this May.  This year we will be fortunate to have three groups.  We did not use the recruitment push from last year, for I assumed that last year’s success would give us a natural entry point this season.  WRONG!  Not only have many participants failed to sign on for another year, but four leaders who had successful groups last year – and we assumed would go for another round – backed out.  Another agreed to lead although was very reluctant to do so.

What gives?

American culture is screaming for greater intimacy among unconnected adults.  Our cyber-relationships are superficial and largely fictitious, and the dawn to dusk rat race lifestyle of most leaves a hole in the soul which begs for genuine “knowing.”  Nevertheless, many are content to live as they are accustomed.  We have learned to live alone.

This partially explains why it is such hard work to establish small groups.  And this seems to explain why even leaders in the church find it acceptable to choose other activities over the development of community in the local church.  Few of us are adept at the art of community.  Otherwise, people would be lining up to gather in groups.  It seems ridiculous that we have to “recruit” people to meet together for the strengthening of common bonds, yet this is our acquired reality.

Amid the paucity of healthy small group life within my sphere of influence are small pockets of resistance.  For instance, every Tuesday morning at 6:30, for the last half dozen years or more, I have met with a small group of guys at a downtown diner for a home-cooked breakfast, some small talk, the group reading of a Bible passage, a brief discussion of the passage, and a time of prayer.  Through the years the faces have changed a little, but in recent months the regulars have been. . .  well. . .  regular.  And some new faces have even emerged.  The veteran members of this group wouldn’t miss it.

What happens in this magical time?  I pretty much laid it out already.  A visitor might be very unimpressed.  Some days we barely can maintain a conversation – fatigue, boredom, low attendance, or simply guys being guys (i.e. non-talkative).  And yet there is something about sitting around the table together with a hot cup of coffee/tea, some greasy hash browns, and our open Bibles.  We find it something to anticipate, and something that fuels us for the day ahead.

How can that passion for getting together be transfused into other people/groups?

I have come to discover that some people just do not require group time to feel fulfilled.  Let me re-phrase that.  Some people just do not require organized group time to feel fulfilled.  In fact, if we ever labeled our Tuesday morning gathering a small group, we just might kill it.  It has moved from being a manufactured time, to a natural part of the rhythm of our week, and this is, I believe, a key to its success.

Some people are energized by their co-workers because they are part of a great team of people of like mind and they actually love going to work.  Okay.  Those situations are very rare.  Still, they do exist.

Others find in family, or friendships forged through years of common life, all the “group” time they need.

I fear that many, if not most, people are simply opting out of some kind of consistent, structured group life because they do not have the energy or the experience to meet for time together.  We have become a culture of lone rangers and we like it that way.  We may even admit that it is not healthy, but we have too many other “have to do’s” on our list already.

Solution?  Not sure.  It seems that groups must be established which meet on the terms of most potential participants.

• Groups which are more social than spiritual at first while trust between the members is slowly garnered.
• Groups which meet for brief periods, less than weekly, and for a pre-determined span (September through December, for instance).
• Groups based on common interest or purpose.

Like so many things in ministry, you begin where people are and pray for the wisdom and Holy Spirit conviction to move them to where God wants them to be.

Your thoughts?  I’m definitely listening.

Lens Prayer

Father,

Use me as a lens through which Your light may shine

   unhindered,

   focused intensely,

   in full brilliance,

that all in Your creation might see You

   as You desire to be seen.

Use me as a lens through which all in Your creation might see You

   with greater clarity,

   in fullness of majesty,

   magnified.

Use me as a lens,

   which is not seen,

   scarcely noticed,

for the Image seen through me is all that matters.

Amen.

Sin, Revenge, Justice & Forgiveness

Does that about cover it all? Can a brief post tackle these huge issues?  Probably not, but endure a few thoughts.

Sin is bad.  Profound, I know.  But I am not sure that we very often understand the damage that sin inflicts on the sinner, the sinned against, and God (the Ultimate One violated in all sinful behavior).  Sin brings tension and the need for reconciliation in every direction.  And every party involved senses that need for reconciliation at some level at some point in time.

The pain of our rebellion against the will of God is so panoramic and fathomless, we, often without realizing it, choose a number of pathways to stop the agony.  For those who have been blind-sided by the rabbit punch of moral violation, three primary options are available.

Revenge seeks to inflict pain on, and in, the one who hurt us.  We reason that for every ounce of pain I can inject into my offender, an ounce of pain will flee my bruised soul.  This pain transfusion is unsuccessful because sin is not an exclusive entity that can be bartered.  Sin’s agony multiplies in every being it touches and is deaf to our commands.  Sin’s disease is intent on one thing:  to kill every being in the path of its influence.  It can only be destroyed in one way. . .  which I will share later.

Because sin is a rapidly multiplying cancer, it uses the tumor of revenge to destroy rather than heal.  Revenge never brings closure for anyone.  Revenge always escalates.  Perspective becomes lost in the wake of traded violence for, as blows are traded, with each new strategy for inflicting misery, the original wound is opened afresh in the soul of the victim-turned-offender.  The scar never heals.  In slicing our adversary to pieces, we are cutting our own soul to bloody ribbons.  Each self-assault is misinterpreted as a stab from the enemy, so we react “rationally” by lashing out with greater fervor.  In time, we mutilate our own soul in suicidal punishment.

Justice requires allowing retribution to be administered by an uninvolved party.  The knife is held by another with prudence, that it might be wielded with surgical, not homicidal, intent.  Justice requires an objective law be applied, so that escalation not occur.  Thus the old code:  and eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. . .  This was not put in place  to maximize the penalty, but to keep justice even-handed.  The offended is tempted to take out two teeth for the one he/she has lost.  The law of justice keeps the pain of sin evenly distributed.

And that is that.  Sin’s misery is simply distributed to the parties involved so they can both taste its fruit.  No one is cleansed of the blood.  Justice simply insures that one victim becomes two.  Justice illustrates the futility of sin.  No one wins.  Everyone loses.

This is not to suppose that justice is an invalid response to sin, however.  It simply recognizes that justice does not mend the destructive impact of sin.  There is one exception to this.  The substitutionary death of Jesus provides justice and redemption because He, the sinless One, willingly died, and He was the One ultimately assaulted by our sin.  When the target of sin is willing to become the target of justice, the destructive force of sin is obliterated.  This is the power of grace.

Forgiveness is surrendering our pain to the process of justice and rejecting the vicious cycle/circle of revenge.   Forgiveness is NOT, however:

• Forgetting the wrong committed against you.  Forgiving and forgetting are different, and it is fairly important to remember what has transpired in order that future violations are handled with grace and wisdom.
• Surrendering to abuse.  “Turning the other cheek” was not intended as a passive, doormat strategy.  It is actually confronting the offender with the brutality of the offense.  To acquiesce in the face of abuse empowers and justifies the offender and the offense.
• Ignoring the pain.  What we bury will eventually emerge from the tomb – not in a glorified, renewed body, but as a zombie corpse raining terror on your soul.  The embedded splinter festers while it is hidden beneath the surface, and it slowly ferments into death.
• Condoning the sinful behavior that inflicted the pain.  We can be very clear that we have forgiven the offense, while still calling the behavior what it is – sin.  We can even be accepting when punishment is exacted by those who rightfully administer justice.
• Reconciling with the offender.  This can only be a result of forgiveness, but even that sometimes never occurs.  Reconciliation requires both parties (the offender and the offended) to come together in humility and repair the brokenness.  Often the offender may refuse to admit wrong and repent.  Reconciliation may never occur, but forgiveness (by the offended) can still occur.
• Administering justice.  This is a separate issue which should happen for the sake of the offender, lest he/she be under the mistaken impression that his/her behavior was morally acceptable or neutral.

Forgiveness is essential for the health of relationship.  Consider this parallel illustration sculpted as a question:  Is it possible to have a relationship with God without His forgiveness?

A relationship with God may, indeed, come in degrees, but the reality is that no genuine, lasting relationship with God can occur until we have come to Him through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness is an essential predecessor to any meaningful relationship with God.  Until the wall of sin has been dismantled, we will remain alienated from Him in nearly every way.

And so it stands in our earthly relationships.  Until the offender and the offended both come to the table with open hands and open souls, forgiveness remains in exile.  Until we emerge from the shadows and inhabit and extend grace, truly knowing one another is an impossibility.

Forgiveness is perhaps the hardest of all acts to achieve (as the brutality of the Cross reveals), but brings the greatest joy, the brightest glory, and the most lasting peace.

Book Review – "Eyes Wide Open" by Jud Wilhite

First impressions can be misleading.  The cover by which I judged this book included not only the image you see at the left.  The physical copy of Wilhite’s work is thin and paperback.  Add to that the fact that Wilhite is a young preacher in a mega-church. . .  in Las Vegas.  And the subtitle “See and Live the Real You” made me think Joel Osteen has a cousin in Nevada.  Nevertheless, Eyes Wide Open was a fairly delightful excursion into familiar territory.

What unfolds in Wilhite’s 189 pages is a sharpening of focus on essential elements in Christian conversion and initial growth.  Some of the stories amount to name-dropping, and the emotional inspiration that is wrung from several of the tales bear only a very loose connection to the topic at hand, but generally the content is helpful, especially for those one might label as “seekers.”

The four sections of the book set the course quite neatly and maintain the theme of the book consistently.  The first several chapters bring to the reader a clear vision of God’s nature, especially in regard to how He views us/sinners.  The second section clarifies our role as those redeemed by the grace of God.  Section Three focuses on practices and attitudes that enable the Christian to mature.  And the finale turns our eyes to the ministry each believer has before him/her.

Whether you have a passing interest in following Jesus or have been “in His yoke” for years, you will find in each section some nugget of insight and encouragement.  As a reader who figured this book might be too elementary, I was pleasantly humbled and challenged in my ever-growing faith.

For more information, click the link below:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601420725

I happen to have an extra, brand new copy of Eyes Wide Open and would gladly give it away to the first person who can leave, in their comments, the metaphor that Jud uses to describe himself as a Christian who does not have it all together.  Go to the left sidebar on the Random House website (above link) and click on “Read an Excerpt.”  I can only ship it in the continental US.

Book Review – “The Disappearance of God” by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

Until two months ago I had never heard of Albert Mohler.  About the time I received a copy of his book The Disappearance of God I also downloaded a podcast of a message he gave at the Together for the Gospel  (T4G) Conference in 2008.  Mohler is the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a very articulate, scholarly and fundamental (that term is not meant as derogatory) Biblical teacher and preacher.  I listened to his message before I read the book which, oddly enough, often helps me feel more attached to the writer because I can imagine his voice and style accompanying the sterile words on the page.

The preface and first chapter gave the impression that Mohler would heretofore wade, in a Falwell-esque manner, through numerous issues that secular culture was using as battering rams to crumble the walls of “Christian” America.  Instead what follows is a very diverse collection of insights, each one throwing the reader in a different direction like the twists and turns on a roller coaster.

Chapter Two is a frontal defense of the Calvinistic doctrine of the perseverance of the saints which, frankly, seemed rather weak, in that, the Scripture texts used largely emphasize the assurance of salvation through faith.  Drawing a line from that truth to the belief that those who are in Christ can never fall from grace (else they never were in Christ to begin with) is a non sequitur.

In the next four chapters Mohler laments the loss of Biblically-honed concepts of sin and hell in post-modern culture – and each chapter is sound Scripturally and logically.  But Chapters Seven through Nine should stop the reader in his/her tracks.  This three-part section on “A Christian Vision of Beauty” is another drastic twist in the coaster ride and marvelous material.  I consumed these chapters with joy as Mohler defined true beauty and the world’s distortion of it.  These chapters alone are worth the price of the book.

Sections on neo-liberalism, the emerging church phenomenon, and openness theology are all fair-handed with helpful critiques and gracious discussion.  The four chapters devoted to church discipline are also challenging and constructive for today’s church leaders.

The closing moments of Mohler’s work, however, seem to take an ugly turn.  With great passion he makes a case for the moral, spiritual and theological decay of the American church and culture to such an extreme that the reader may close the book feeling greater weight from the gloom presented than from the hope that Christ and His Church hold.  What seems most disconcerting is the notion that the secularizing of American culture is something new, unexpected and undeserved.  Too many have bought the lie that America is the apple of God’s eye and a nation that has, from its inception, been thoroughly Biblical in its rule and reign, and Mohler appears to have bought that bargain as well.

Despite my misgivings with some of the major sections of this book, there are some real gems to be mined here, and The Disappearance of God is a worthwhile expenditure of book time.

For more information on the Random House website, click the following link:

The Disappearance of God

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601420817

Loving Like Jesus

I used to think that Mark was my favorite Gospel.  It seemed the coolest Jesus-story because it is fast-paced, succinct, the perfect read for people in an on-the-go culture.  But I am increasingly drawn to John’s account.  And I have discovered I am not cool enough to be part of Mark’s target audience.

John’s take on Jesus’ life/ministry/purpose is truly unique.  He is classified by scholars as the non-synoptic Gospel with good reason.  Only about ten percent of his material is common to Matthew, Mark and Luke.  Even within common passages, John shares exclusive material that provides fresh views of Christ.

This should not be too surprising, in that, John writes near the end of the first century (the latest of the New Testament writers) and by this time is able to survey what has previously been recorded and edited his material accordingly.  Why rehash what is already in circulation?

One of my favorite sections in John is chapter 13.  Again, the setting is common to each of the gospel writers – the final supper with the disciples – but John, alone, allows us into that beautiful/tense/intimate/dark/insightful moment when Jesus washes His followers’ feet.  The action and the words of Jesus are so pungent with meaning, with multiple layers of wisdom, but the dominant shadow cast over the scene is the Cross.

This is an essential understanding for this section, because it is obvious by Jesus’ words with Peter, that what is going on is about much more than washing feet.  He has come to make them “clean” and it is an essential service He is rendering.  The priority of serving is an obvious lesson, but the metronome dictating the tempo of His mission is the approaching Cross.

John, master storyteller that he is, weaves together the beauty of Jesus’ sacrificial love with contrasting threads of Peter’s prideful self-reliance and Judas’ destructive self-interest.  And even when Peter, near the end of the chapter, declares his willingness to die with Jesus, there seems something thin and impotent about it.

A part of me is rooting for Peter to grow into his nickname – Rock – but there is a significant distance between the sacrificial love that Peter professes, and the sacrificial love that Jesus is and will be displaying.  Peter is willing to die for Jesus (which is high irony, in that, only if Jesus dies for Peter does Peter have any hope), but Peter’s sacrificial mindset is revealed in John 18.  He is willing to die for Jesus if death is a consequence of defending the Master.  His preference, however, is to come out alive.  We can only guess, but if following Jesus all the way had overtly guaranteed Peter’s death, Peter may have asked to think about it and get back to Jesus later on his final decision.

Most soldiers hold this view of sacrifice – a willingness to give life for another, but still desiring to come out alive.  The sacrificial mindset of men and women in military service is an amazing and honorable commitment, but Jesus’ strata of love soars ever higher.

Jesus’ sacrificial mindset is other-worldly.  He steps into the conflict with no delusions or illusions.  He understands the price.  He realizes that it is not an if quest, but a when quest.  He fully and willingly intends to die in this mission for others, and He has no intentions of escaping the Cross.  That is why He came.

To make that leap of love is supernatural.  It is the difference between being willing to die for others and choosing to die for others.  I have been guilty of softening the challenges of Scripture.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. . .  if it is absolutely necessary.   – John 15:13

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross (in some limited, extreme cases) and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it (if it should come to that), but whoever loses his life for me (worst case scenario) will find it.   – Matthew 16:24-25

live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. . .  but understand that death is an unlikely extreme.   – Ephesians 5:2

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (and since Jesus already did that, you are off the hook. . .  just love her really well – you know, occasional roses, dinner and a movie, that kind of stuff. . .)   – Ephesians 5:25

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. . .  figuratively, of course.   – 1 John 3:16

Yes, the bold font indicates my self-preservationist revisions.  Tragically, they are not too far from my previous paraphrases.  To read, understand and apply these texts at face value is, well, messy, painful, costly. . .  inconvenient.  I’ll die if I have to, but I’d just as soon come out alive with a superficial wound.  After all, following Jesus is about a life of blessing, right?