by Joel V Webb | Apr 29, 2024 | Uncategorized
Article as published on lightandlife.fm
“How are you?”
“Good, just busy.”
This is a conversation that I bet just about everyone has had, maybe
on a weekly basis — especially for those of us in ministry roles. As of
2024, we have more tools of convenience than at any other time in human
history. Yet we are more enslaved to the things we do in life than ever.
This problem is becoming an epidemic of sorts in the church as we try
to do more and more in the same 24 hours we have all had since God first
breathed a breath in Adam.
So what has changed, and, more importantly, what do we do about it?
My life has always been busy and somehow keeps getting busier. Having
grown up in a pastor’s home, I know the general hubbub that goes on to
keep things running every week. But something has changed in the last
couple of years. I’m now married, expecting my first child, working
full-time, and part-time at church while also completing seminary,
producing a podcast, and a plethora of other small things. Phew, I’m
exhausted just thinking about it!
I’ve also noticed that my alone time with God has suffered, my blood
pressure is higher than it was a couple of years ago, and, even with
sleep, I just always feel a little bit tired.
Eliminating Hurry
Maybe this resonates with you and sounds similar in some of the broad
strokes on the million different things you have going on in your life.
There’s been this looming suspicion that something has to give to make a
change. Then I picked up the book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”
by John Mark Comer. It’s not a long book. And contained in those pages
is a monumental mental shift in how I need to organize my life.
Comer starts by pointing out the problems he faced in his life and
then progresses to lay out the history of how we as humanity have just
gotten too busy for anything. One of the most shocking realities is that
the rapid secularization we see in our culture and the church likely
has many of its roots in the contained busyness that we increasingly see
continuing to devour our lives.
Comer quotes John Ortberg (who wrote the book’s foreword): “For many
of us, the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is
that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we
will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives
instead of living them.”
When I read this, it brought the pit that had been growing in my
stomach right up to my throat as I had to grapple with the practical
reality of what I had just mentally consumed. The image was now clear;
some stuff has to go.
Here’s the tension that we all face. Most or much of what we do is
good stuff. Many of us are working for the kingdom, doing all we can to
share the gospel and see people’s lives transformed as they follow
Jesus. But what often happens is that we fill our lives so much that
life just passes us by as we rush from thing to thing.
In a recent prayer meeting of local pastors, someone shared something they heard that brings all of this to a point:
“If a church found out their pastor broke nine of the Ten
Commandments, the pastor would probably get fired. But if they found out
their pastor was breaking the commandment to keep a sabbath, the pastor
would probably get a raise.”
Let that sink in for a moment.
We live in a time and culture where much of the church is being
rocked by well-known leadership falling to their brokenness in public
ways. Yes, the church needs to deal with these issues and ensure that
those kinds of things have no place in God’s kingdom, especially in
leadership. But once it comes to the question of the Sabbath, we keep it
as an open secret that it doesn’t matter if our pastor does not keep
that one. Why would we want to?
Countercultural Solitude
Our culture and we in the church have become enslaved to busyness,
always working on something. Jesus presents a different way: one that is
slower, that provides a life lived with intentionality. Jesus took
intentional time to be in solitude, and never rushed even when He knew
someone was sick and dying (i.e. Jairus’ daughter or Lazarus). This kind
of life is countercultural in more than just a moral or political way.
It’s something that is practiced by just about everyone regardless of
political affiliation or career.
Many of us are racking our brains trying to find out “what is going
to bring in the youth.” What if presenting the way of Jesus to live a
slower life is the thing their hearts are longing for — not just to be
saved from their sins, but to literally have a different kind of life
where they actually live rather than going from appointment to
appointment?
I highly recommend that you grab a copy of “The Ruthless Elimination
of Hurry.” Comer doesn’t just diagnose the problem but provides a
thoughtful and practical guide from the life of Jesus. If we are those
who claim to be His followers, it also means living as He did. That
doesn’t mean we don’t have times where we are busy, or that life can’t
be full of things to do. But we need to take those things and live life
holding all of them loosely in the light of our relationship with Christ
that is the only thing that can satisfy.
by Joel V Webb | Apr 25, 2024 | Uncategorized
What do you think the bodily coming of Jesus will look like?
I grew up with and was taught to have this image of during the
complete destruction of humanity and everything, Jesus would come at the last
moment to save the day. Because of the antichrist and the great tribulation,
humanity would be devastated, and while some would be protected from the terror,
most would be subject to the evils of the “end times”.
Well…things have changed. While I certainly am open to
having disagreements with fellow Christians on perspectives of end times and
the book of Revelation, I hold a dramatically different view than what I grew
up with. I’ve come to understand that certain views of the end times can be used
to hold people in fear, keep them in line so they don’t ask questions. “If you
want to be protected in the evil days ahead, do as I say”
Are there other options on how to view His coming again? I
believe in the physically bodily return of Jesus to rule and reign over His
creation with His people in a New Heavens and a New Earth.
Jesus spoke of His Kingdom as a mustard seed. Something that
starts small, but over time grows into something very large. In all the
parables about the Kingdom we get the idea that His people will be
transformative to the world around them, making a difference through the new
life He offers empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The work of His Kingdom will not fail. Sadly, when we talk
about the end times there is excitement that the Church will fail at its task
and Christ will have to come in at the last moment to make it right. Here’s the
question that has been stuck in my craw…is the Church supposed to fail?
I don’t think it is. God has His Kingdom as representatives,
workers of His way of doing things to impact and change the world around them
to reflect how He originally intended His creation to be. The problem as I see
it is that some have hyper literalized obviously metaphoric language particularly
in Revelation. And instead of seeing the encouragement to God’s people to
remain allegiant to King Jesus in the face of anything that comes, we see it is
a calendar that once certain things take place, we can begin the countdown to
His return. But that’s not how that works. Not even Jesus knows the point of
His return. So to say we can have a timeline and know it once things begin to
happen contradicts Christ’s own words.
Instead, the image we see presented by Jesus and the apostles
is that we the Church are the do the work of spreading the gospel. Our
perspective should be that of hope. The Church does accomplish it’s task. Not
through our own strength and ability, but through the power of the Holy Spirit,
as we see our entire world transformed one life at a time.
And one day, whether its in 1 year, or 10,000 Christ will return
in the flesh to a people who will say ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of
the Lord !’” (Matthew 23:39)
by Joel V Webb | Apr 21, 2024 | Uncategorized
One of the things I remember when getting to apply for colleges was “do I have all the prerequisites?” Has
everything I have done up to this point made me able to proceed with this potential program?
I grew up in a church background that was all about qualifying. Have I done everything perfectly so that I will
merit God’s blessing and favor, will I be enough to be the best of the best Christians to be worthy of the highest
forms of revelation that God could dish out.
This of course leads to and breeds problems.
I have heard numerous sermons throughout my life that were making sure we knew all about qualifying for our
inheritance, doing everything to not miss out on the special promises of rewards and rulership that I could attain.
Then my dad showed me this pesky little verse in Colossians. (this after being out of this context for a coupe years)
Colossians 1:12 NIV giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his
holy people in the kingdom of light.
Wait…what is that!?
The text (and the surrounding context makes it abundantly clear) that it is Christ who qualifies us.
WE DON’T DO IT OURSELVES! This may seem really obvious, and it is. But for someone who
was taught (intentionally or unintentionally) to have a spiritual superiority complex, and that I make myself
qualify, this is earth shattering.
This simple truth strikes at the core of the Gospel. Really this is the reason Jesus had to come. We are unable in
and of ourselves, no matter how we try to qualify and make ourselves right before God.
But there can also be a slightly more nefarious implication. In the background I am from somewhere that
everything was about the special spiritual pedigree that we had because of the teaching. And in order to qualify
for the special benefits we had to qualify by staying true. This then could be used as a cudgel to keep people in
line with fear and trembling to obey what they are told. And why? To make sure that you qualify for the “special
blessings”
But this is all hay, wood and stubble. Yes, our allegiance to Christ is essential. We want to stand true to Him not
matter what is going on around us. By not matter what, that is not what qualifies us. There is not spiritual pedigree
or hierarchy that we can measure in this life for what is in eternity. And even if we could, it doesn’t matter because
whatever crown we have we will cast before King Jesus. Because no matter what we did, it was He who qualified
us first.
So be encouraged and know that it is Christ who qualifies us. For salvation or anything else. He is one through
His Holy Spirit that empowers us to be and live differently. When we put our allegiance in Him, that transforms
us into the human He intended us to be. And that starts with Him qualifying us.
by Joel V Webb | Apr 12, 2024 | Uncategorized
I never tested well when it came to math. Even if I studied, I would get to the test and I could never get the numbers to add up just right. I remember the distinct feelings of being in a math exam, knowing something was wrong, nut just not able to put my thumb on it. If I had, the answer would have been right!
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations in life where we have that pit in the stomach feeling that we can’t get rid of. Everything seems to be working, but something is just off an we can’t get our minds wrapped around it. This is often the case when it comes to being in churches that are toxic or cultish. How could anything be wrong? I’ve been told we have the best and highest level of teaching, and if I do what I’m supposed to I’ll be the 1% of believers at the end of days.
When you grow up in a system like that that seems normal. When you don’t know what different is you just keep on going like nothing is wrong. That is until you start to notice stuff just doesn’t add up.
What about those people that recently left the church? “well…they got bitter and left”, or “they took up another person’s offense and left because of it.” These phrases and many others like it are often paired with language of warning to not become like that person lest you “miss God’s highest for your life”
Maybe you find yourself in a situation like this and you don’t even know where to start. My suggestion, start with math!
Christian Cults do 4 things:
1. Add to God’s Word
2. Subtract from the person of Jesus
3. Multiply the requirements of salvation
4. Divide their followers loyalty
(from https://www.brentcunningham.org/)
Keep your eye out and you will be surprised by what you see. Fudamentalism and legalism in different way find a way to implement each of these math fundamentals (see what I did there). It may not be obvious at first (it wasn’t for me), but you will begin to realize what is wrong. Things have been taken out of balance. The truth of who God is has been removed from the love and mercy of who He is and utilized as a tool to keep people in their place, and order their lives how the leaders wants them to be. The math of Christian cults is used to force people to stay with their adulterous and abusive spouses, keeping people in shame for their habitual sins with no way to find freedom, keeping people in immaturity unable to make basic decisions without feeling guilty of “not seeking counsel” and the list goes on.
The gospel is different. In Jesus there is freedom and new life from whatever was before. There is a new day that has dawned because of King Jesus, and He’s offering it to each and every one who says yes.
If things don’t add up, come to the one who said “it is finished!”
by Joel V Webb | Apr 9, 2024 | Uncategorized
A Synthesis and Review of J. Richard Middleton’s Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God
One of the buzzwords in our culture is that of “deconstructing”, where those of usually Christian faith begin a process of tearing down their beliefs and usually becoming atheistic. What has led to this phenomena that has grabbed a hold of many, especially in the younger generations? While there are many who go down various tracts of talking about various elements of spiritual abuse, toxic environments, bad theology and hypocrisy (all of which are reasons why people are deconstructing) one that many seem to be forgetting to address is that of the problem of pain and evil.
Much of the time, in our world full of brokenness and pain, we look at the problems and issues before us, and seem to get frozen in a state of knowing what to do. Much of our evangelical western Christian culture has given us the view that in the face of pain and suffering we are to unquestioningly respond that “God knows”, and while we may be with people through their pain and suffering, it doesn’t really go beyond that. This at least for me was the way and method of dealing with pain and suffering. “Don’t show your emotion, just swallow the tears, be stone faced and know God has it in the end” Obviously, for someone on the pastoral track, that is not a very good way to conduct pastoral care!
What is the Biblical example when it comes to pain and suffering? I have recently read J. Richard Middleton’s book called Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God which deals with this very question. While it is a more academic work and goes deep into the text, I still find it is very accessible for the regular reader.
Middleton proposes, as I have come to agree with him; that our response to God in the face of suffering is very different from the characters in Scripture. Before we break down what this response is, let’s look at a couple direct examples and see if we can notice the response to God.
Psalm 10:1, Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Psalm 39:4, “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.
Exodus 31:11-12, But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.
Job 15:11, God has turned me over to the ungodly, and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
These are just a couple examples of many throughout the Old Testament (though they are in the New as well) of people during times of pain and/or lament, and their response is to question or push back to God as to why it is happening. Why is this important? Because the idea of pushing back or questioning God goes right to the heart of His reason for creation. God wanted a family, people like Him who could know and love Him. How does one get to know another person? Through dialogue, understanding what motivates them, and through that there is understanding and relationship.
This is where I will again recommend checking out Middleton’s book, as he elaborates this concept much more thoroughly than I ever could. It is masterful, and goes to the heart of God’s desire to know each one of us, and lays out how through our lamenting and questioning God, He meets us in that.
For our modern day what is this to look like? Firstly, in the face of suffering and pain we should go to God. But how we go to God may need to look a little different. In Hebrews we are encouraged to, “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV). Do we press in and ask God the what and why of what is going on? Do we recite who we know He is, and ask at this time why it is happening? It is in these times of suffering that God can draw near to us. Instead of being settled with “accepting the pain”, do we press into who God is, questioning what is going on.
Having this perspective could drastically change our interaction with pain and suffering in the world around us. If we had the response to pain as our default, would the answers we give as to why there is pain and suffering be more satisfying for those potentially deconstructing? It wouldn’t be a 100% bet, but it would provide a response that is Biblically grounded, and allows us to comprehend the reality of suffering and evil.
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