A friend of a friend once shared that, moments after his baptism, a church leader admonished him: “Well, Jesus has done his part. The rest is up to you.” For this individual, Christian character was a duty by which we get the rest of the way to heaven after the initial “boost” from Jesus.
The Three Most Important Relationships
Imagine that you are sitting in a chapel and a memorial service has just started.[i] There are faces in the crowd you recognize. Coworkers. Former classmates. Friends. Family members. Neighbors. A minister strides to the podium and reads the eulogy. Suddenly you realize this isn’t just any funeral—it’s your funeral. The minister indicates that several will be sharing thoughts about you this morning: a family member, a close friend, a coworker, and someone you worshipped with. What would you want them to say about you? What would you have hoped to accomplish in life? It’s likely that your hopes, regrets, or thoughts will revolve around these three areas: the quality of your relationship with others, the depth and authenticity of your relationship with God, and a perspective on material things which enabled you to be generous toward others.
Read More »Refresh: Connecting with Christ Through Detachment
Anne Rice is a best-selling author of gothic and religious-themed novels. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history. As a child, Rice had connections with the Catholic Church. As she grew older, however, she left that church. She also left the Christian faith in general. Rice became so removed from all religious faith that she eventually described herself as an atheist. In 1998, however, Rice returned to the Christian faith and to the Catholic Church. She announced she would now use her life and her writing to glorify God. It was a surprising conversion, one that shocked many of Rice’s readers. But twelve years later, on July 29, 2010, Rice publicly renounced her affiliation with the Catholic church. Yet she steadfastly proclaimed her commitment to Christ. Here is her announcement from her Facebook page: “For those who care, and I understand if you don’t: Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to “belong” to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.” Rice followed that post with this one a few hours later: “My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn’t understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.”
Read More »Right Turn: Turning Lives Around Through Character
Prayer as Active Asking
Several days ago the small group which my family and I attend discussed the prayer-life of Jesus. After a lengthy conversation, several of us confessed our desire to spend more time in prayer—like Jesus. But one group member spoke for more than just herself when she said, “But honestly, I don’t know what I would do if I spent more time in prayer. I’m not sure what else I would say. I’d run out of things to pray about.” She and we wanted to spend more time in prayer. But we were confused about how we’d actually spend that time.
Read More »Refresh: Connecting with Christ Through Contemplative Prayer