God is in everything...A rant against labeling.
I happen to enjoy and find value in many things that probably are not very "Christian"....I like heavy metal music (the non- Christian kind), I like going out to bars, having a drink and singing some karaoke. I love working on theatrical productions and horror films and the USS Nightmare Haunted boat. I once had a blast backstage at a drag show. Yes, yes, I know...I probably should have instead been at church praying for the salvation of all those drag queens....BAD Christian! But you know what I found there? I found a group of people who were enjoyable to be around, who laughed and loved on me, welcomed me in, gave great fashion tips and were fellow performers who I could share backstage stories with.
I suppose I could look at it in one of two ways - this welcoming in was a ploy of the devil to tear me away from my Christianity and lure me into a lifestyle of sin and degradation...Or I could see that I spent time with a group of folks who differ from me in some foundational areas but who are loved by God just as much as I am, who have at their fingertips the same abundant love and grace and mercy as I do, who Jesus died for as much as He did me. I could look at this as an opportunity to wage spiritual war with any forces of darkness that might be plaguing them or I could see that these are people created in the image of God just like I am and acknowledge that I too have forces of spiritual darkness that loom around me. Mine are just different from theirs. I also have to acknowledge that I had absolutely no idea what relationship any of these people had with God. At that time I was given no prophetic word from God as to the nature of that, and therefore, I had no reason at all to even assume anything one way or the other. What God was doing in their lives was a big NUNYA. I can say this for my friends at the karaoke bar, and who I see evil "secular" concerts with or who I perform "secular" plays with. Just because I know Jesus doesn't mean I am loved more than someone who doesn't, nor does that automatically make me responsible for bringing salvation to everyone I meet who doesn't. Only God knows that timing and I have to let Him lead. The best I can do is be me without an agenda. Seeing that I am one with God through Christ should make this effortless. I would hope that by default, Jesus would be seen in me just being me.
Rob Bell (yeah - that heretic who dares to teach Christians that deep breathing and meditative prayer are good) explains in his book Velvet Elvis that the term Christian is a great noun but makes a terrible adjective. I agree. Sadly, many things labeled "Christian" are simply BAD.
Christian plays and movies are usually bound in unnatural language and two-dimensional characters. Everyone must behave - except that one bad kid who wears torn jeans and has spiked hair. By the end, of course, he is neatly trimmed and wearing a suit to church as if his clothes were his problem. Once, just once, I'd like to see a Christian film where a character gets so pissed off that they drop the F-bomb in frustration...Because, truly, that is what people do! I'd bet 95% of all Christians on this planet let out a good satisfying "SHHHHHEEEEIIITTT! that HURT!" every once in a while. I do. And I rarely apologize. I don't think I need to unless I use Papa's name in vain during my vent or my words offended someone else. Frankly, I don't think God is affected one way or another by my use of an occasional expletive.
Sometimes I think that even after Jesus came to show us we cannot save ourselves, we still want to try and be in charge. We put everything in neat little boxes - even God - and say "This is what it should look like, don't cross this line!" But it's just not going to happen. Humanity is messed up. We get 'saved' and our spirits are made whole, but in this earthly realm we're still messed up. We are royal, gloriously screwball saints who God loves and delights in. Just because.
I think I am realizing that God is God. He is not worried. He is not in Heaven fretting over whether I turn on AC/DC or Casting Crowns or if I will be perfect today. He knows. He's already there. He's always working, always talking, always reaching out. He is with me in the karaoke bar as much as He is with me in church. He is with me in my struggles, and he is with those drag queens who I had so much fun with.
Living this out is terrifying because it means I have to relinquish control. I don't like that. It means I acknowledge that I don't know as much as He does.
All God ever asks us to do is LOVE one another. He does the rest. Really. It's true! LOVE 'EM ALL (Christian or not) and LET GOD SORT 'EM OUT. That is something I learned from Pastor Dave Workman. If I isolate from everything "Unchristian" for fear that I will be contaminated is to distrust the Power of God. But if I walk with Him and listen, He will guide me. And if I am somewhere unsafe He will let me know. I really don't have to over think it. This is where I get into the most trouble...Thinking, analyzing and fearing long before there is any reason to.
God is everywhere and is in everything...There is nothing to fear. When Jesus says "Be anxious for nothing" He means it.
As Steve Brown says "Go out and do something that will make uptight Christians doubt your salvation". Maybe we will discover something deeper and surprising about God. Maybe we will have an opportunity to point Jesus out to someone who doesn't yet know Him or who doesn't see Him.
Turn the radio up and don't apologize if it's Van Halen you feel like jamming to today! You know who you are! The devil will flee just because you're enjoying music he wanted to accuse you with!
I suppose I could look at it in one of two ways - this welcoming in was a ploy of the devil to tear me away from my Christianity and lure me into a lifestyle of sin and degradation...Or I could see that I spent time with a group of folks who differ from me in some foundational areas but who are loved by God just as much as I am, who have at their fingertips the same abundant love and grace and mercy as I do, who Jesus died for as much as He did me. I could look at this as an opportunity to wage spiritual war with any forces of darkness that might be plaguing them or I could see that these are people created in the image of God just like I am and acknowledge that I too have forces of spiritual darkness that loom around me. Mine are just different from theirs. I also have to acknowledge that I had absolutely no idea what relationship any of these people had with God. At that time I was given no prophetic word from God as to the nature of that, and therefore, I had no reason at all to even assume anything one way or the other. What God was doing in their lives was a big NUNYA. I can say this for my friends at the karaoke bar, and who I see evil "secular" concerts with or who I perform "secular" plays with. Just because I know Jesus doesn't mean I am loved more than someone who doesn't, nor does that automatically make me responsible for bringing salvation to everyone I meet who doesn't. Only God knows that timing and I have to let Him lead. The best I can do is be me without an agenda. Seeing that I am one with God through Christ should make this effortless. I would hope that by default, Jesus would be seen in me just being me.
Rob Bell (yeah - that heretic who dares to teach Christians that deep breathing and meditative prayer are good) explains in his book Velvet Elvis that the term Christian is a great noun but makes a terrible adjective. I agree. Sadly, many things labeled "Christian" are simply BAD.
Christian plays and movies are usually bound in unnatural language and two-dimensional characters. Everyone must behave - except that one bad kid who wears torn jeans and has spiked hair. By the end, of course, he is neatly trimmed and wearing a suit to church as if his clothes were his problem. Once, just once, I'd like to see a Christian film where a character gets so pissed off that they drop the F-bomb in frustration...Because, truly, that is what people do! I'd bet 95% of all Christians on this planet let out a good satisfying "SHHHHHEEEEIIITTT! that HURT!" every once in a while. I do. And I rarely apologize. I don't think I need to unless I use Papa's name in vain during my vent or my words offended someone else. Frankly, I don't think God is affected one way or another by my use of an occasional expletive.
Sometimes I think that even after Jesus came to show us we cannot save ourselves, we still want to try and be in charge. We put everything in neat little boxes - even God - and say "This is what it should look like, don't cross this line!" But it's just not going to happen. Humanity is messed up. We get 'saved' and our spirits are made whole, but in this earthly realm we're still messed up. We are royal, gloriously screwball saints who God loves and delights in. Just because.
I think I am realizing that God is God. He is not worried. He is not in Heaven fretting over whether I turn on AC/DC or Casting Crowns or if I will be perfect today. He knows. He's already there. He's always working, always talking, always reaching out. He is with me in the karaoke bar as much as He is with me in church. He is with me in my struggles, and he is with those drag queens who I had so much fun with.
Living this out is terrifying because it means I have to relinquish control. I don't like that. It means I acknowledge that I don't know as much as He does.
All God ever asks us to do is LOVE one another. He does the rest. Really. It's true! LOVE 'EM ALL (Christian or not) and LET GOD SORT 'EM OUT. That is something I learned from Pastor Dave Workman. If I isolate from everything "Unchristian" for fear that I will be contaminated is to distrust the Power of God. But if I walk with Him and listen, He will guide me. And if I am somewhere unsafe He will let me know. I really don't have to over think it. This is where I get into the most trouble...Thinking, analyzing and fearing long before there is any reason to.
God is everywhere and is in everything...There is nothing to fear. When Jesus says "Be anxious for nothing" He means it.
As Steve Brown says "Go out and do something that will make uptight Christians doubt your salvation". Maybe we will discover something deeper and surprising about God. Maybe we will have an opportunity to point Jesus out to someone who doesn't yet know Him or who doesn't see Him.
Turn the radio up and don't apologize if it's Van Halen you feel like jamming to today! You know who you are! The devil will flee just because you're enjoying music he wanted to accuse you with!
Comments
Nuff said.