Ash Wednesday

Two years ago, I addressed the topic of Ash Wednesday. I'm now reposting that message with the hope that the message of Ash Wednesday will be a blessing to you and yours.
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On Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, I'm reminded of the well-known words that Job spoke to God:

"I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6, NRSV).

Job's experience is typical - when God reveals himself to a person, a crisis inevitably results. Why? Because to be shown God in the fullness of his goodness and grace is to come to the crisis of decision - will we embrace the revelation and be transformed (as was Job), or will we turn away in self-imposed ignorance?

In this season of Lent - a time of reflection leading up to Easter Sunday - may we receive with open and tender hearts God's revelation to us of himself.

Of course, that revelation comes not merely as a book, a set of doctrines, or a theological treatise. Rather it comes to us as a living person - the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ. Indeed, in the person of Jesus, God is revealed to be who he truly is - the One who is full of grace and truth. Note Jesus' words recorded by John:

"If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" (John 14:7-9).

God, in the person of his Son has come to us. The stunning miracle of incarnation occurred (and continues). Jesus lived, died, was resurrected, ascended to heaven and now sends the Holy Spirit to humanity, awaiting his bodily return to earth. The revelation has come and continues to come in and through him, the Word of God.

During this season leading up to Easter, may we receive anew this revelation. And may the crisis that ensues be one that truly transforms us. And may we, having been transformed, be faithful messengers of this revelation and transformation. May we co-minister with the Holy Spirit so that, by God's grace, others may see what we see and be transformed as well.

Let us conclude with an ancient Ash Wednesday prayer from Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397):

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore Thee,
a heart to delight in Thee,
to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen

The Relational Pastor, part 2

For other posts in this series, click on a number: 1

Dr. Andrew Root

In this series of posts, we're exploring Andrew Root's book, The Relational Pastor: Sharing in Christ by Sharing Ourselves. As we saw in part 1, his thesis is that relationship is the goal of Christian ministry given that humans are relational beings, having been created by the tri-personal, relational God in his image. This being so, it is in and through relationship that we encounter the God-man Jesus Christ from whose humanity we receive our true personhood (our "new humanity" in Christ). For that reason, Root insists that in ministry (as in all of life), relationships should be viewed as ends in themselves, not mere means to some other end (see p19). In unpacking this thesis, Root emphasizes two vital and related concepts: empathy and sharing as transformation.

Empathy

Empathy is vital in effective ministry because it is by and through empathy that we relate deeply and authentically with others. Through emphatic relating we encounter the humanity of another (and of ourselves) in union with Jesus Christ who as fully God and fully human mediates all human-to-human, and human-to-God relationships.

A key here is to understand that our personhood is defined by and bound up in relationship. Scripture teaches us that we are "persons-in-relationship"--created by God, in his tri-personal image. Root describes this trinitarian anthropology:

Personhood, as opposed to individualism, sees relationship with others as the very ontological structure of humanity. Or to say it in a less jargon-y way, personhood claims that we are our relationships" (p18).

Sadly, the hyper-individualistic, non-personal cultures of our Western world tend to negate the possibility of true empathy, which, though innate in our God-given humanity, is often snuffed out in our fallen, individualistic mindset. Our proclivity for valuing the production of "things" and the achievement of non-personal goals tends to negate empathy and thus undermines opportunities for deep, other-centered relationship. As Root notes, quoting Jeremy Rifkin, "Turning relationships into efficient means to advance productive ends destroys the empathic spirit" (p20).

You'll probably agree that this individualistic spirit is a common problem in many churches where meeting certain goals related to "nickels and noses" (money and attendance) become more important than truly empathic relationship. This is unfortunate because, as Root emphasizes, ministry is fundamentally about relationship.

Sharing as transformation

Of course, we want to see people's lives transformed. Isn't that a worthy goal? Yes it is, but as Root notes, true and lasting transformation is not an end in itself, rather it is the byproduct of genuine life-on-life sharing (relationship). "The personal, empathic encounter possesses the power to bring forth transformation.... Personal encounter is transformation" (p20).

The reality is that we are not able to know even ourselves except through relationship with others. To be deeply known by another as we come to know them is to be transformed. Jesus alluded to this relational dynamic in John 15:1-8 in describing himself as "the vine" and his followers as "the branches." As we are deeply related (connected) to him (as we "remain" or "abide" in him), we are transformed in and by the relationship itself. In relationship with Jesus, we share in his personhood and as a result, our own is transformed.

In a community of people connected to Christ, he is manifestly present ("where two or three are gathered in my name I am there among them"--Mat 18:20), and his presence transforms us in and through those community relationships (p21). Christian ministry thus is fundamentally not about what the community "does" but about what it "is" together:

...Sharing deeply in the lives of others, for no other reason than to be with and for them as Jesus Christ is with us and for us as the one who is incarnate, taking on two natures in one person" (p21). 

Thus we must let go of any conception of Christian ministry that sees relationship "as a means to something else." Of course, this rails against certain notions and strategies that are popular in evangelical circles including "relational evangelism" (sometimes called "friendship evangelism") where believers are encouraged to build relationships (friendships) with non-believers for the purpose of gaining their trust so that when it is gained they can lead the new friend to Christ. Thus the purpose of the relationship is not the relationship itself but another end--in this case the friend's conversion.

Some, of course, might object, "Isn't conversion a good end--a laudable purpose? Yes it is. We all rejoice along with the angels in heaven in the conversion of a sinner. But we need to understand that it is in and through relationship that lives are transformed, not in merely getting someone we have befriended to pray the sinners prayer. This is why Jesus emphasizes disciple-making (a life-on-life, relational concept) rather than "decisions for Christ" (a transactional concept).

Next time in this series, we'll define Christian ministry in greater depth. I think it needs some re-defining--perhaps radically so. You be the judge. Stay tuned.

The Relational Pastor, part 1

For other posts in this series, click on a number: 2.


In a post last year, I referred to the work of Trinitarian theologian Andrew Root. I return now to his excellent writings--this time exploring his book, The Relational Pastor: Sharing in Christ by sharing ourselves (IVP 2013). In this challenging, yet practical book, Root examines the topic of pastoral ministry in the light of the biblically grounded, Incarnational Trinitarian Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (along with Barth, T.F. Torrance and others).

A key theological emphasis of Bonhoeffer's concerned the ongoing ministry of the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, who continues to share our humanity. Indeed it is Jesus' dual nature (fully God--fully human) that God and humanity are united. And through that hypostatic union, Jesus shares in the being of every human--truly, he is "God with us." Root, following Bonhoeffer, refers to this as Jesus' "place sharing," noting that by sharing in our humanity, Jesus enables us to encounter and share in the life and love of the triune God. As Paul told Timothy, "There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

This being so, Jesus' ongoing ministry is fundamentally relational. He does not "fax" himself in from a distance. Rather, through the Spirit, he actively, and thus redemptively shares our "place" (our lives) by being in relationship with all people - including both believers and non-believers.

What does this reality concerning who Jesus is and what Jesus is doing have to do with the practice of pastoral ministry? The answer is, everything. The calling of a pastor (and of anyone else serving in Christian ministry), is to join Jesus in his place-sharing ministry. What that sharing in the ministry of the Place Sharer "looks like" practically, as well as how it is to be understood theologically, is the twin focus of Root's book.

In a series of posts, I'll be exploring Root's book--offering representative quotes. I urge you to purchase and read it for yourself. I think you'll find it eye-opening and highly practical.

Relational beings necessitate relational ministry

In the preface to The Relational Pastor, Root notes that "at our core we human beings are our relationships." We are, by God's design, relational beings. That being so, we should not be surprised to learn from Scripture and experience "that God encounters us in relationships" (p9).

This, of course, is true both because of our relationality as well as the relationality of God himself, who as Scripture reveals is a tri-personal, relational being: Father-Son-Spirit. Given relational people and a triune, relational God, it follows "that pastoral ministry at its base is about facilitating relational encounters."

Given these realities, Root states this:

My goal with this book is to make a case that "relationship" is the very goal (not a tool) of ministry. That in sharing in each other's lives we share in God's own life through Jesus Christ.... Pastoral ministry can be nothing more and nothing less than making space for people to encounter the very presence of God... In this book, I claim that space is created in the sharing of relationships of persons (p10).

It's not about mere influence

In this book and elsewhere, Root is critical of the currently popular construct of relational ministry. It's not that he's against being relational, but that he is against doing so as a strategy for accomplishing another ministry goal. For example, one might develop a relationship with a non-believer in order to gain access into their confidence in order to get them to come to your church or to accept Jesus as their savior. In these cases, forming the relationships is a means to another end-- a strategy for influencing another person. But for Root (like Bonhoeffer), relationship is not a strategy, it's not a means to something else--it is the end--the goal--the telos. According to Root, when we view relationship as a strategy for influence, it...

...becomes a generic term used to signal what people are loyal to. People can be in relationship with things as much as people, with ideologies as much as fellow human beings. So the church's relational ministry becomes about using relationships to win such loyalty from individuals. It becomes about using a relationship to get them to become loyal to the idea of Jesus, as opposed to encountering the person of Jesus Christ (p18).

It's about the person of Jesus 

The relational, place sharing ministry that Root advocates is grounded in the reality of Jesus who is the unique divine-human person. As Root reminds us, God became a [human] person in Jesus Christ, and therefore, "personhood becomes the form in which human beings encounter the God who becomes human" (p19).

Root explores this concept, reminding us of the teachings of the early church fathers concerning the "hypostatic union"--the relationship between the divine and human natures in the person of Jesus. Divine-human relationships are not merely what Jesus does, they are what Jesus is. He does not use relationship as a tool to influence us to come to him to be saved. Rather the relationship that he has (that he is) with us in his own person, is salvation.

And so we understand that Christian ministry--our sharing in Jesus' own, ongoing ministry--is about relationship--not as a mere strategy, but as the very point of our ministry. "In and through relationships people encounter the person of Jesus Christ and [are thereby] given their own personhood--a true personhood free from sin and death" (p19).

In the next post in this series, I'll explore what Root contends are the two great witnesses that relationships are ends and not means of ministry. Stay tuned.

For a GCI You're Included interview with Andrew Root, click here.

Get in the game: union & participation

In the video below, GCI president Joseph Tkach provides a helpful analogy from the game of baseball concerning our life in Christ, which involves both union and participation. Put me in coach!

What happened at Pentecost?

On the day of Pentecost following Jesus' crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension, the Holy Spirit moved with power among Jesus' followers who were gathered for prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:1). Miraculous signs and wonders resulted, including some disciples being enabled to speak to the crowd of festival pilgrims in languages those disciples did not know (Acts 2:2-4). Baffled by this, some of the assembled pilgrims proclaimed that Jesus' followers must be drunk (Acts 2:5-13). In reply, Peter said this:

"...Let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams'" (Acts 2:14-17).

What did Peter mean by indicating that on this day of Pentecost, God, in accord with Joel's prophecy, had poured out his Spirit on all people?

What Peter, the other disciples and the assembled crowd witnessed was a monumental event in salvation history. Joel's prophecy was in line with the Jewish understanding of the coming of the promised Messiah--the one who would pour out the Spirit not just on a few leaders and prophets of Israel but on all people--both Jews and Gentiles. This universal outpouring would be a sign that the "last days"--the age of the Messiah--had dawned.

This outpouring was an important part of a seamless "Christ event" that included Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. Through this event, humanity was recreated and renewed to God. Note Irenaeus' comment:

The Holy Spirit, through whom the prophets prophesied, and the fathers learned the things of God, and the righteous were led forth into the way of righteousness; and who in the end of the times was poured out in a new way upon mankind in all the earth, renewing man unto God (Demonstratio 6; SC 62, 39–40).

What occurred on that Pentecost together with the rest of the Christ event was stunning and monumental, affecting all humanity. As Paul wrote, through the Christ event, Jesus became the new (or second) Adam (1Cor. 15:21-22). Objectively speaking, the whole of humanity was re-created--born again and through that event released from its bondage to Satan. And thus we proclaim on this blog the good news that “all are included in Christ's love and life.”

"But wait a minute!" some might object, "I don't see evidence that this universal change to humanity occurred at that time or any time since. How can you say that the Spirit was poured out on all humanity on that day of Pentecost?"

A key here is understanding the distinction that Scripture makes between what is objectively true of all people and what is personally (subjectively) experienced by individuals. For us to be faithful to the whole testimony of Scripture (and the reality of Christ to which it testifies), we must account for both aspects, and understand the role of the Triune God in both.

Dr. Gary Deddo of GCI addresses the subjective aspect in his article, “Jesus’ Acceptance” (online at www.gci.org/jesus-acceptance). What is true objectively of all people (their acceptance by God in Christ as evidenced at Pentecost in the pouring out of the Spirit on all humanity), must be realized personally (subjectively) for it to become a personal reality.

This subjective outworking of the objective reality is what Jesus is now doing through the Holy Spirit, one person at a time (sometimes one family or group at a time). The Spirit brings individual persons to what the ancients referred to as “illumination” (having one’s "mind opened”). As the person responds in faith to this converting work of the Spirit, they are enabled to “see” (personally experience or appropriate) what had been true of them objectively all along. As the song says, they had been blind, but now they see!

The glorious truth of Pentecost is that with the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and his outpouring of the Spirit, God is present to and with humanity in a new way--a transforming, converting way; a way now open to all people. In Christ, all have a new Father--a new home if you will. And as they come home, through Jesus to God their Father, they will experience that reality and in doing so will personally/subjectively receive what was theirs all along.

As to the question of what happened to all humanity at  Pentecost, we see the evidence only “in a mirror darkly.” The results of this stunning re-creation of the human family are now only dimly, partially seen—indeed the new life of humanity is “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3).

Note also that this re-creation of all humanity in Christ, reaches from the point of the Jesus event backward in time and forward in time to encompass all of humanity. How can this be so? Because all time is in the possession of Christ, its Creator, Sustainer and Lord. He is the Source of all humanity (the "new Adam") and the Source of the rest of the cosmos as well. In him, the created order has been recreated, though the full impact of that recreation is yet to be revealed (seen), and, indeed, will not be until the Lord’s “coming”(parousia, meaning “appearing”—see 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8, 9; James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28).

Some have argued that the stunning advance of humanity on many fronts since Pentecost shows how much has changed in the “re-wiring” of humanity accomplished in Jesus. Perhaps there is some evidence of this, and we should note that from that point forward, the gospel has spread throughout the world, bringing about many positive changes. However, Peter’s main point in Acts 2 in referring to the outpouring of the Spirit, was that Jesus is the promised Messiah—he is the one prophesied to pour out the Spirit of the living God on all people—an event the crowd was witnessing then and there.

An issue related to this topic is the nature and mission of the church. If the Spirit has been poured out on all flesh, how is the church distinct from the whole of humanity? Gary Deddo addresses this question in a paper titled, The Holy Spirit in the Theology of T.F. Torrance:

The church...is the immediate sphere of the Spirit’s operation, but the world is nevertheless the mediate sphere. The church is the community where reconciliation is intensively actualized through the Spirit. But this is done “in order that it may be fulfilled extensively in all mankind and creation.” The church is “the new humanity within the world, the provisional manifestation of the new creation within the old." [Quoted from Torrance's The School of Faith].

Those outside the church are to be regarded in the sphere where this reconciliation has not yet been subjectively actualized but is nevertheless objectively accomplished for them in Jesus Christ. In Torrance’s view “no one has being apart from Christ” for “that is the decisive, final thing about the whole Incarnation including the death of Christ, that it affects all men, indeed the whole of creation, for the whole of creation is now put on a new basis with God, the basis of a Love that does not withhold itself but only overflows in pure unending Love."

Consequently the Spirit empowers the church for a mission beyond itself since all humanity is related to Christ by virtue of creation and incarnation. Torrance notes that “we have to take seriously the fact that the Spirit was poured out on 'all flesh' and operates on 'all flesh.'"

May we, like the Apostle Peter and like T.F. Torrance and other faithful ministers of Christ, proclaim that outpouring--that miracle, that hope--to as many as we can!
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For a previous post related to this topic, click here.