Month: March 2012

Race Weekend @ Bristol

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

It’s Race Weekend here in Bristol!  The crowds are pouring into town – just not near as many as usual.  I’ve heard the Administration claim the economy is fixed, but apparently that news hasn’t reached the people who vacation at NASCAR venues. 

I can’t say I am much of a NASCAR aficionado. But I do enjoy the spectacle that comes to town a couple times each year.  And, yeah, I’ll watch at least some of the racing.  As they say: “There’s Racing… Then there’s Bristol.” 

Give a holler if you come to town.

Why Do We Come For Worship?

/ Dennis Griffith / 3 Comments

The answer to the question, “Why do we come for worship?” determines everything about the service.  And it can only be answered one of two ways: We are in worship for God or we are there for man.

If we come to worship for man, we become principally concerned with such questions as:

  • Are we having a good time?
  • Is this service giving us a good feeling?
  • Are we getting good fellowship?
  • Do we like the preacher?
  • Are we moved by the sermons?

These questions have one common denominator: They reflect man-centered purposes for worship, because they all have to do with man.

Don’t misunderstand. Many of these question touch legitimate concerns. But they are not sound Biblical purposes for worship.

The Bible clearly teaches that the purpose of worship is for God. The Apostle Paul rebuked a group of Christians for putting their own selfish desires before God’s glory, for “coming together” for man-centered reasons. The Corinthian church cared only about stuffing their own mouths, having a good time, and celebrating together. They had lost sight of the real purpose which was to “show forth the Lord’s death” (1 Corinthians 11:26). They were not to be taking the Supper primarily for themselves, but for the Lord. How they felt and what they liked were not reasons for coming to worship.

As a matter of fact, Christians may not feel good when they come together. In the same passage the Apostle Paul says Biblical worship will make some people sick if they come for the wrong reason (1 Corinthians 11:30). They may begin to feel miserable or sick because there is sin in their lives. They are made to feel this way so that they will repent. How we feel or even what we think about Biblical worship is not the point. We are not the point at all. God is. We come to worship Him!

Once we’ve settled why we come for worship, the rest falls into its Biblical place.

Gauging Your Church’s Temperature

/ Dennis Griffith / 8 Comments

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in Life Together, talks about looking at our churches through critical lenses:

If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ.

In a tremendous and much needed post, titled On Constantly Taking Your Church’s Temperature, Jared Wilson expands upon Bonhoeffer’s insights, applying them to the contemporary church. Rather, Wilson applies them to ambitious pastors and zealous church members who are overly critical about their own local congregations.

As Wilson relays, Bonhoeffer also said:

When a person becomes alienated from a Christian community in which he has been placed and begins to raise complaints about it, he had better examine himself first to see whether the trouble is not due to his wish dream that should be shattered by God; and if this be the case, let him thank God for leading him into this predicament.

If this advice was followed not only would the Church be better off, but so would the very ones who put themselves above it.  If we followed Bonhoeffer’s perspective we would be regularly reminded:

  • that God is in control of all things, including where we participate in church life;
  • that God loves the church – in all sizes and forms, and various denominations – even with all the obvious flaws and shortcomings.
  • that God works out all things for his glory and the good of those called according to his purposes (Romans 8.28);
  • and that even being part of a congregation with flaws and weaknesses; one that has a long way to go before it even approaches impressiveness…  God can use even a church like that both for his glory and for the spiritual maturation of those who love others and participate in the life of such a congregation.

This does NOT mean that the local church is beyond criticism. But it does mean that the same principles that apply to interpersonal relationships should be applied to our churches. “Speak truth in love”, would be one important example.  (See Ephesians 4.15; 1 John 3.18) In other words, if (when) criticism is warranted it MUST be compelled by love for others involved and/or by love for the church corporate.  Criticisms should not be leveled simply because the church is not measuring up to our preferences or supplying us the status/identity we desire.

Somehow that has been forgotten or ignored. From stories I hear, and the statistics I see, about the prevalence of church hopping, it seems we have somehow elevated fickleness and selfishness to being spiritual virtues.  That’s a sad thing.

When the urge to criticize seems too strong to resist, whether valid or petty,  consider these questions for reflection that Wilson offers :

1. Am I disappointed my church isn’t more like Jesus, or that it isn’t more like me?

In the diversity of the body is a diversity of callings and passions. It is not fair, nor gracious, to expect the other members of a body to carry the same individual callings or passions as others. If the problem is disobedience to a clear biblical command, that is one thing. If the problem is disinterest in your interest, that is another.

2. Is the problem a matter for church discipline? Is it an issue of gospel-denial?

Rebukes are for sin, not for disappointment. If your church affirms the gospel but denies emphasis on your area of concern, don’t make a federal case out of it.

3. Can you rehearse the blessings and benefits of your local body as easily as their flaws and failings?

If you are constantly unhappy there and cannot shake envy for the wish-dream, it is better for you to leave in peace than to stay and grumble.

4. Do you see others’ faults more readily than your own?

The answer to this question, for nearly all of us, is yes. So it is with great caution and great desire for grace that we ought to make the faults of others our business. Your church has a long, long way to go, no doubt. Every church does. But so do you.

Let me conclude by admitting I understand the temptations to be critical of the local church. I was once one of those pastors who was easily irked by the inadequacy of the congregation God had entrusted to my care.  While I would not admit it aloud, I viewed the weaknesses and lackings of that church as hindrances to my aspirations to do great things for God.  But what was even more true, and what I wouldn’t admit even to myself, was that deep down I really viewed the church as an obstacle to my own glory.  In short, I despised what Christ loved – and gave his life to claim.  (NOTE: Despise does not mean “hate”; it means “not feeling something is worthy of affection”.)  God prospered the ministry in that church, but something greater was lacking.

In his grace, and in time, God revealed to me the ungodliness of my perspective.  He showed me that the love of Christ is demonstrated in giving oneself to something that is unlovely, inadequate, and even often unappreciative.   He reminded me that this is how he has loved me – and continues to love me.  He also taught me that to be godly is to love whatever God loves, and that to be  Christ-like requires giving myself to what might to others seem unworthy.  But while God delivered me from myself, I can at times sense the old me – the one who desperately wants to gain glory for self  – thinking about making a comeback.  I hear him talking at times, often through the words of others unimpressed with the people I serve.  Fortunately, I have learned to ask myself questions like those Jared Wilson poses.  In fact, such questions provide me a means of progress toward Christ-likeness.

I hope many will take a few moments to read Jared Wilson’s post.  He offers a much needed corrective to a Christian culture more infected by consumerism than many of us want to admit.  In it’s place Wilson shows us the essence of gospel-driven ministry and church membership.

Ways of Grace

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

We will never find God unless he first seeks us, but we should remember that he can do so in very different ways.  Sometimes, God jumps on us dramatically, as he does with the younger son, and we have a sharp sense of his love.  Sometimes he quietly and patiently argues with us even though we continue to turn away, as in the case of the older son.

How can you tell if he is working on you now? If you begin to sense your lostness and finding yourself wanting to escape it, you should realize that that desire is not something you could have generated on your own.  Such a process requires Help, and if it is happening it is a good indication that he is even now on your side.

~ Tim Keller, from The Prodigal God

2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket Predictions

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

You gotta love this time of year: March Madness.  The NCAA Basketball Tournament kicks off this week, with the play-in games tipping off this evening (Tuesday March 13).  Below is my initial bracket predictions, all the way through the Final Four.  I will post updates after each round with predictions reflecting those who actually play. (Yes, this mean I expect to be wrong sometimes.)

A printable bracket can be downloaded by clicking: 2012 NCAA Tourney

Play-in Games

  • Western Kentucky > Mississippi Valley State
  • Iona > BYU
  • Vermont > Lamar
  • Californina > South Florida

Round One

East Region

  • 1 Syracuse > 16 UNC-Asheville
  • 2 Ohio State > 15 Loyola-MD
  • 3 Florida State > 14 St Bonaventure
  • 4 Wisconsin > 13 Montana
  • 5 Vanderbilt > 12 Harvard
  • 6 Cincinnati > 11 Texas
  • 10 West Virginia > 7 Gonzaga
  • 9 Southern Mississippi > 8 Kansas State

South Region

  • 1 Kentucky > 16 Western Kentucky
  • 2 Duke > 15 Lehigh
  • 3 Baylor > 14 San Diego State
  • 4 Indiana > 13 New Mexico State
  • 12 Virginia Commonwealth > 5 Wichita State
  • 11 Colorado > 6 UNLV
  • 7 Notre Dame > 10 Xavier
  • 9 Connecticut > 8 Iowa State

Midwest Region

  • 1 North Carolina > 16 Vermont
  • 2 Kansas > 15 Detroit
  • 14 Belmont > 3 Georgetown
  • 13 Ohio > 4 Michigan
  • 5 Temple > 12 California
  • 11 North Carolina State > 6 San Diego State
  • 10 Purdue > 7 St Mary’s
  • 9 Alabama > 8 Creighton

West Region

  • 1 Michigan State > 16 Long Island Univ.
  • 2 Missouri > 15 Norfolk State
  • 3 Marquette > 14 Iona
  • 4 Louisville > 13 Davidson
  • 5 New Mexico > 12 Long Beach State
  • 6 Murray State > 11 Colorado State
  • 7 Florida > 10 Virginia
  • 8 Memphis > 9 St Louis

Continue reading →

2012 NIT Bracket Predictions

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

The NCAA has announced the pairings for the 2012 NIT Championship – the tournament featuring schools that couldn’t get into the Big Dance.  For better and for worse, my Tennessee Volunteers are among the NIT headliners.  It’s disappointing only in that they were so close to NCAA Tourney consideration. But in all honesty, I have been hoping the Vols would go to the NIT rather than NCAA anyway.  In the NCAA they are likely one-an-done; in the NIT they could be the ones cutting down the nets in Madison Square Garden in a couple weeks.

While I have not done this in the past, and probably few will care now, below is my initial bracket predictions for the NIT’s:

Round One

Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Region 4

Here are the actual NIT brakcets from the NCAA: 2012 NIT.  Below are my initial predictions for the whole tournament.  I will update it after each round to reflect my new predictions with the teams that are actually still in contention.

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Sentimentality in Worship

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

In his book, Worship: Together We Celebrate, Leslie Flynn notes:

In many churches the art of worship has markedly declined. The so-called hour of worship has become a time when mind and emotions are anesthetized into neutral. Out of habit, church obligation, affection for the minister, peer pressure, family togetherness, patriotism, or community expectation, people sink into their usual pews.

I don’t know Leslie Flynn, nor much about him.  (In fact, I didn’t even know Leslie was a “him” when I wrote the first draft of this post.) But while I may not know much about Leslie Flynn, I do concur with his assessment.

Worship of the One True God, which is  an action hardwired into the essence of humanity and, as John Calvin once said, is “our highest calling and most noble endeavor”, is a largely misunderstood and vainly practiced experience. Genuine worship, as Tozer lamented, has too often been replaced by a “program” or “show”.

While I sympathize with Flynn’s lament of vapid reasons that motivate many people to occupy a pew, his assessment that emotions have been “anesthetized” resonates even more.  I am disappointed whenever I participate in an emotionless worship service, whether the absence is from within me or in the general atmosphere.  Genuine and acceptable worship carries deep and real passions, and engages both the head and the heart.  But I am at least equally chagrined when I participate in a service where emotion is present but substance is lacking.  In such cases, which are all too common,  what is passing for worship is really various forms of sentimentalism.

What’s the difference?

I am thankful that the folks from the Center for Christian Study in St Louis  have taken the time and effort to describe the differences, giving both examples and historical patterns.  Their perspective in a Q & A session below is worth consideration:

Q: You say biblical music is emotional, but you reject sentimental music in corporate worship. What’s the problem with sentimentality, and how can you develop emotion in worship?

Sentimental music is music with lyrics directly addressing the affections. All worship music should work on the affections, but there are two ways of doing this.

The biblically faithful way to work the emotions in music is indirect – through God-centered content. A song addressed to God, a song that proclaims his holiness, power, transcendence or grace, or which expresses to him our utter needfulness of him; such songs work the heart with the head.

A sentimental song seeks to bypass the mind and speak to the emotions directly. It’s the “I’m so happy” syndrome. If you sing about being happy, you won’t necessarily be happy. In corporate worship, sentimental lyrics communicate how we’re supposed to feel, rather than directing us to a God who is altogether desirable.

Sentimentality can work in private worship, provided you actually feel the way the lyrics say you should feel. It doesn’t work in corporate worship, however. What actually frees us to worship God is a demonstration of who God is and how he is committed to us. It’s the truth that sets us free, not singing about how syrupy we feel (or don’t feel, turning us further inward on ourselves).

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All I Have is Christ

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

I once was lost in darkest night/Yet thought I knew the way/The sin that promised joy and life/Had led me to the grave/I had no hope that You would own/A rebel to Your will/And if You had not loved me first/I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race/Indifferent to the cost/You looked upon my helpless state/And led me to the cross/And I beheld God’s love displayed/You suffered in my place/You bore the wrath reserved for me/Now all I know is grace

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone/And live so all might see/The strength to follow Your commands/Could never come from me/Oh Father, use my ransomed life/In any way You choose/And let my song forever be/My only boast is You

~ from The Gathering: Live from WorshipGod11

Can Mission Become an Idol?

/ Dennis Griffith / 7 Comments

“There is a first-rate commitment to a second-rate mission.” That is what Roger, a leader in global church planting, said as he looked at the rock climbers ascending a cliff in the Alps. Many of us called into ministry feel the same way. Rather than giving our lives to climbing a rock, building a business, or amassing a fortune, we are committed to what really matters; a first-rate mission – advancing the Gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ.

But what if we’re wrong?

Roger spent decades serving Christ by planting churches on four continents. But after reflecting on his labors for the kingdom of God, his confession surprised many of us. “I’ve given most of my energy to a second-rate mission as well,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. Church planting is important. But someday that mission will end. My first calling is to live with God. That must be my first commitment.”

What Roger articulated was a temptation that many of us in ministry face. To put it simply, many church leaders unknowingly replace the transcendent vitality of a life with God for the ego satisfaction they derive from a life for God. Before exploring how this shift occurs in church leaders, let me take a step or two backwards and explain how I have seen this tendency within the Christian college students I’ve worked with in recent years.

Is impact everything?

The students I meet with often worry about what awaits them after graduation. This is a reasonable concern for any young adult, but for many of them the worry extends far beyond finding a job with benefits. They fixate, and some obsess, about “making a difference in the world.” They fear living lives of insignificance. They worry about not achieving the right things, or not enough of the right things. Behind all of this is the belief that their value is determined by what they achieve. I’ve learned that when a student asks me, “What should I do with my life?” what he or she really wants to know is, “How can I prove that I am valuable?”

When we come believe that our faith is primarily about what we can do for God in the world, it is like throwing gasoline on our fear of insignificance. The resulting fire may be presented to others as a godly ambition, a holy desire to see God’s mission advance–the kind of drive evident in the Apostle Paul’s life. But when these flames are fueled by fear they reveal none of the peace, joy, or love displayed by Paul and rooted in the Spirit. Instead the relentless drive to prove our worth can quickly become destructive.

Sometimes the people who fear insignificance the most are driven to accomplish the greatest things. As a result they are highly praised within Christian communities for their good works. This temporarily soothes their fear until the next goal can be achieved. But there is a dark side to this drivenness. Gordon MacDonald calls it “missionalism.” It is “the belief that the worth of one’s life is determined by the achievement of a grand objective.”

Continue reading →

God’s Glory Among the Nations: What’s it Worth to Us?

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

by Rick Wood

As evangelical Christians, we often speak of living to glorify God. I usually sign my columns here with, “For His Glory.” But what does that really mean in our everyday lives? How does this desire to glorify God affect the way we live, the commitments and sacrifices we make, and the price we will pay to build God’s kingdom so He will be worshiped and glorified by all peoples?

As we seek to establish God’s kingdom within every unreached people and destroy Satan’s dominion over their lives, we must ask ourselves the question, “Are we willing to pay the price needed to see these peoples come to Christ?” Is there a price we are unwilling to pay? Will we say to God, ‘I am sorry, but Your glory among the nations and Your worship by all peoples is not worth my time, my money, my ________?'” You fill in the blank. Are we willing to give up the possessions we hold dear, to suffer, or even risk the loss of our lives for the sake of His glory and His kingdom? These tough questions strike at the heart of our concept of God, the nature of our relationship with Him and our priorities in life. They are difficult for all of us to honestly face and answer.

In a world wrapped up in the passionate pursuit of materialism, comforts, pleasures, safety and the abundant life, where do the examples of a Jim Elliot or a Graham Staines fit in? Both were martyred as they attempted to bring the Gospel to an unreached people. Do we see their lives as well spent, or do we pity them for being so foolish as to leave the comforts of their homes and risk their lives to bring the love of Christ to people who were unworthy of their attention?

Who chooses most wisely: the one who plays it safe and seeks all of the things this world has to offer or the one who “gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose,” as Jim Elliott wrote, so that God’s kingdom would be established and His glory made known to all peoples? The answer that each of us gives to these very important questions will reveal a great deal about where our heart is, what we value most and the quality of our walk with Christ.

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Children of God With Orphan Mentalities

/ Dennis Griffith / 2 Comments

There is a scene I recall from Little Orphan Annie worth taking note.  Annie has just arrived at her new home, a virtual palace that has been set up for her and for her enjoyment by her adopted father, Daddy Warbucks.  Upon entering the foyer, with household staff lined up to greet and welcome her, Annie gazes at her new surroundings.  Daddy Warbucks asks: “What do you think, Annie?”  “It’s beautiful”, she replies.  “Well, where do you want to begin?”  She muses for a moment, then shrugs her shoulders: “Bring me a bucket. I will start with the stairs.”

This scene presents a vivid illustration of the way many Christians, those adopted by God the Father through the blood of Jesus the Son, view life and their relationship with our Redeemer-Creator.

Jesus makes the promise:

“I will not leave you as orphans.” (John 14.18)

Yet, like Annie, we are conditioned to think like orphans and feel we must do something to earn our keep, or else face some kind of rejection.  Even if our theology tells us otherwise, this is a common dilemma.  This cognitive dissonance is the difference between our confessional faith and our functional faith.

What does it look like to be a Child of God with an Orphan Mentality?  Consider the distinctions from the two lists below:

ORPHAN FAITH

  • Confidence in Self, People, and/or Circumstances
  • Confidence constantly shaken by disappointments with circumstances, people, or self.
  • Fears increase through life; fears fluctuate depending upon circumstances.
  • Confused handling of criticism from others – moving back and forth between denial/self justification and self flagellation/discouragement/depression.
  • Gossip and lack of tongue control reveals defensiveness and judgmental attitudes.
  • Lifestyle characterized by insecurities, jealousies, and concealed grudges.
  • Ignorance of the potency of prayer in securing the Spirit’s presence and power.
  • Purpose of life is living for our significance (sometimes even erroneously basing our identity & reputation on Christian endeavors & successes rather than in our Union with Christ…) and/or our own comfort.

SONSHIP FAITH

  • Confidence in Christ ALONE.
  • Confidence in Christ increases even as self, people, and/or circumstances disappoint.
  • Fears are increasingly overcome by faith and love.
  • Sifting through criticisms, and discerning in light of the gospel, rejecting false and misplaced allegations, while accepting valid criticisms, finding even the kernels of truth in them, and repenting of sin while believing the gospel anew.
  • Speak the language of Praise to the Father, affirmation of others and, when wronged, forgiveness & reconciliation (directly to the persons involved whenever appropriate).
  • Gospel is made the center of motivations and the basis for behavior.
  • Lifestyle characterized by forgiveness, blessing, and prayer for our enemies and those who have wronged us.
  • Understanding the potency of prayer in securing the Spirit’s presence and power.
  • Purpose in life is to discover true happiness, and understands that true happiness is found in laying down life for Christ and for others.

As we think through these two lists we will likely notice, if we are honest with ourselves, that even on our better days we have characteristics of both, or that we fluctuate between them.  This is not cause to despair, but rather opportunity to believe anew what Jesus has done for us.  Don’t make the mistake of unreflectively assuming and assigning to self only the better qualities.  The psalmists provide us with a model worth emulating of raw honesty – both confessing and believing.   Honest reflection is the essence of spiritual authenticity and genuine vitality.