New Blog Location

Dear readers,

I do so appreciate all of you who check in and regularly read Choosing to Trust. Because I wanted it to be easier to find and I also wanted to give the blog a new look, I am changing my blog's address.

The new address is ChooseToTrust.com, bookmark it!

So click the link and hop on over. When you get there, sign up for email updates to make it more convenient to read.

Thanks for reading.

Scott

Image Part 4: Reclaiming the Image

Jesus gives an interesting answer to an impossible question. When entrapped by the Pharisees and Herodians with the line "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" Jesus calls for a coin.

This question was intended to sift Jesus, to see whose side He was on, so I'm sure the air was thick with anticipation. One side was going to rejoice that they'd found His weakness. When the coin comes, Jesus focuses solely on the image. Instead of determining whose side He was on, Jesus turns the tide like Maverick putting on the breaks for the MiG to blow by, and it becomes a question of whose side the question-askers were on.

"Whose portrait is this?" Jesus asks. He draws everyone to look at the image on the coin. It is clearly Caesar's. "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's..." and then the most fantastic part "and to God what is God's."

Jesus is reclaiming the broken image. Claiming ownership over all those who would have known the Genesis story by heart. God's image, though broken, was still part of everyone who heard Jesus' voice, and He was making a declaration that they should give themselves back to God.

In effect Jesus is dismissing this thing they have put so much value in. The Herodians with their identity in Rome and government support and protection. The Pharisees with their identity in following the rules and cleanliness. Jesus wants them to shed those false selves. See this coin, it belongs to Caesar, what's the big deal. Give it to him.

The false identities, attempts to cover the broken image, are self effort - products of the old, sinful self. Jesus is not trying to change their behavior here, He is reclaiming their image.

The image of God implies ownership and security. Jesus takes the shame away so we don't have to cover it by proving our own worth. Through Jesus we don't have to worry about Rome (or Washington), our spouses faults, body image, money, popularity, education, church size - we can stop pretending that our value and acceptability comes from those things.

That is freedom. That is rest. That is available only in Christ.

What are you seeking to be freed from?

In what ways do you struggle to let Christ reclaim the image?

Eddie Murphy and the Spiritual Life

Remember the movie Coming to America? Eddie Murphy starred as an African king who has come undercover to America to find a wife who would fall in love, not with a king, but with a regular guy. In typical romantic comedy fashion, after a misunderstanding that nearly kills the relationship, Eddie lands his girl.

The connection to be made with the spiritual life is from the father of the love interest. He owns a fast food joint called McDowell's. As the name suggests, it bears a striking resemblance to a multinational hamburger chain. Throughout the movie, Mr. McDowell denies that he is ripping off McDonald's (their Big Mac has seeds, ain't no seeds on the bun of a Big Mick).

Outside the watchful eyes of others, within his own office, Mr. McDowell pours over the McDonald's corporate manual. He wants to do everything by the book. Success is to be found in imitating the big boy's playbook to the letter.

That is what we do in our spiritual lives. We want rules to obey. Steps to follow to get to a clearly attainable goal. A way to know if we are doing things right - and by right we mean by comparing ourselves to how others are following the rules.

It's religion. Masking the false self. Breeding shame. Ultimately rule following and comparison ends in death. Self-effort drives us away from God.

Yet we want this in our marriages. Give me the corporate manual so that I can do the things that will get me the things that I want. Then I'll be happy and satisfied.

And in parenting we want a user manual to give us tactics to practice on our kids so we will get predictable results. Kids that behave the way we want them to.

Some start churches, ministries, or programs with the same one size fits all manual. Ignoring culture and context, we edit out God and want best practices that will make people fall in love with what we are doing.

Worst of all, that is how we treat Christ. The Bible is a user manual with the rules for us to follow so we can act just like Jesus. A worthy desire, but one that won't be realized until heaven or His return, whichever comes first.

Instruction manual spirituality ignores our world's broken condition. It ignores the war of the two selves. Ultimately, it ignores the need for Jesus by proposing that we can reform our own behavior and achieve our own perfection.

My aim, spiritually speaking, is not to be McDowell's, but to be McDonald's. Which require me to make space for Christ, the Author and Perfecter of my faith.

Dealing With Weakness

The apostle Paul had a lot to say about weakness. Since we heard so much from a person who had so much input in the text of the New Testament, you would think that the church in our American culture would be a lot clearer on how to deal with the weakness and brokenness that is the reality of our lives.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul has this to say regarding his plea to Jesus to take away his thorn in the flesh -

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

As I continue to put one step in front of the other on this journey of trust, I find it significant that in order for Paul - the "super" apostle - to be conformed to the image of Christ, God did not heal him or release him from temptation or release him from whatever form of brokenness this thorn represents. This is Paul. If anyone lived victoriously, it was Paul.

Aside from that, I think there are three ways that we stray from the conclusion (what comes after the 'therefore') Paul makes to Christ's declaration that His grace is sufficient.

First deviation: instead of boasting, we deny our weakness. Maybe we are trying to help Christ out. Possibly we are trying to make Him look good. But the truth is, in our church experience we tend to lead people to believe that everything is just fine. Marriage is good. Kids are good. Work is good. Finances are good. Spiritual life is good. "No weakness here, I am a Christian after all." Weakness is distasteful. It seems like a lack of progress (for a great visual check out this blog by J. R. Briggs) and a waste of time.

Problem is, denying our weakness is an attempt to highlight our own power and righteousness. Creating our version of what the new creation should look like, which pales in comparison to what God has in mind. It denies Christ's power.

Second deviation: rather than approaching our weakness gladly or openly, when we do talk about it, our desire is to call God to the carpet. We challenge God with contempt, pointing our finger and giving ultimatums. Mind you, our complaints are not made in an effort to be honest about our disappointments - which I believe God welcomes - but are declarations of what we will and will not tolerate.

The last way we stray is rather than allowing Christ's power to rest, we create an identity of weakness. As an identity, we cry "woe is me" in every trial or perceived trail and walk around beaten. Never attempting to overcome with Christ, we become happy with weakness as a way of life.

Paul became open regarding his weakness so that others could see the power of Christ at work in him. That is the example of Christ, leaving heaven and putting on flesh. Humbling Himself on our account.

Our own weakness is not to be hidden. Not to be adopted as a way of life. But it may be the cross we have to bear, the example of Christlike expectation that is on display for those around us.

My default is to deny my weakness. Which of these three deviations are you most prone to?

What I've Given Up For Lent

To be totally upfront with you, I have not celebrated Lent since high school. At that point, I also would not have called it a celebration. More like a nightmare. No dessert for 40 days. No treats. Just an exercise in will power.

It is that view of the spiritual life that caused me to abandon church during the college years when my girlfriend and I were out of the watchful eyes of our parents. Only reason I mention my girlfriend in that sentence is that she is the reason I was going to church. Sunday night was an extra opportunity to have a date with her. Now you have a complete picture of my adolescent spiritual life.

Not this year. It has occurred to me that Lent is about the false self. It is about turning away from something or somethings that give the false sense of value and acceptance. Something that, it is possible, you love more than God. It is denial of the things that give comfort and keep me from having to trust. Even as I continue to develop my identity in Christ, conforming to His image, it is possible to let the Lie creep in, to drift, and function as if something other than Jesus is necessary to make me whole.

It is with those thoughts running though my little brain, that I encountered this in one of the blogs I follow, the New Exodus by Chuck DeGroat (check it out):

Lent invites us to intentionally frustrate ourselves, to engage in a season of deprivation, which actually makes us more aware of the depth of our dependence on any number of things – a substance, our reputation, control, achievement, being right, being comfortable, being secure.

That became the catalyst for me. If you've read any of my past postings, you know that I'm a people pleaser. As I go through the daily process of denying myself and taking up this cross, I have been surprised by the number of ways the need for affirmation manifests itself. My pride wants satisfaction.

Which takes me to what I am giving up for Lent. I maintain this blog for me. I'm working out my thoughts on all this false self, identity, and spiritual life stuff as God directs. Anyone is invited to join, that is why the blog is open. My hope is that if people read they will find something helpful or something that resonates within them - I want God to use this journey.

Lately, though, I've gotten to looking at my 'stats'. Often. Too often. Then either being ecstatic or bummed depending on the number of you that are joining me. It's nice to be noticed. This is not your problem or me asking you not to read. I want you here, bring your friends, tweet and email anything you find of value. The problem is mine - it is my crafty false self in yet another new form. It is insecurity and the desire for affirmation to supplement what I get from God.

For the next 40 days I will not click the 'stats' link on my blog's back-end (is that OK to say?). I'm disabling Google analytics. And I'm going to work through the symptoms of withdrawal as they bubble up.

You are invited to check-in with me on this as often as you care to. Ask me about my Lenten commitment. Ask me how I'm dealing. I'd appreciate your friendship.

Image Part 3: Covering Up the Broken Image

The moment they partook in the fruit that was forbidden by God they realized their nakedness. Everything changed. One moment their greatest worry was finding a new place in the garden to experience the beauty of all God made and the very next moment they realized that they stood naked before one another. That perfect image was broken and the first couple experienced shame.

Their vulnerability was on display and it was overwhelming. As they each looked at the other, instead of security, they were filled with questions and doubt. Shame entered the picture - the fear of not being loved nor accepted - and the result was an uncontrollable urge to make themselves more acceptable to the other.

So they sewed together fig leaves. To cover up their nakedness. The openness in which they lived with each other was now hidden behind a protective layer of chlorophyll. It might as well have been a wall.

New questions must have flew through their mind - Does this person love me? If s/he really knew me, deep down, they would run away. They are just using me. - Trust was in doubt. Instead of oneness, there was fear.

But this was not the end. Far from it - there are footsteps in the garden - God is coming! We must hide. Shame caused Adam and Eve to lose touch with the image. It was broken, and so was their relationship with the Creator

Rather than trust, there was now doubt about God's goodness, doubt about whether He really wanted what was best for them. With the Creator, the realization of nakedness was even worse - fig leaves were not enough - they needed to run away and hide among the trees. To cover their broken image, they hid from the one who created it.

We do the same things. In our relationships, instead of sewing together fig leaves we pursue social status, wear new clothes, are seen with the right people, have the right job, recycle, work out, believe what others do, are overtly sexual, etc. These things cover our shame, we think, and make us acceptable. Creating a barrier so that others will not know the real us, because to do that would open us to not being loved nor accepted. There is less risk with the fig leave. If we are rejected, then either I can fix my leaf or blame it on the inadequacy of the other.

Confronted by God, we run. We ignore. We blame and curse. We question God and his motives and ways. Throwing everything we can between Him and us.

The trees are all around us. Religion looks nice, but it is a forest to cover our nakedness. We create our own standards and truth so that we can make ourselves more acceptable, covering our broken image from our Creator.

The false self we create serves a dual purpose - it is a barrier to others knowing us, and a way to hide from God. In our broken state, the false self is our attempt to fix ourselves. Fig leave and forest.

In your relationships, what are the fig leaves that you struggle to overcome?

How do you mimic Adam and Eve's flight into the woods with God?

Repentance and Identity

I have been reading a wonderful book - The Divine Embrace: Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life - by Robert Webber (highly recommended) and encountered an amazing definition of repentance that I wanted to share with you. Read, reread, and digest this.

God's vision for us is a reversal of our present identity...The old identity, like Adam, turns in on the self, worships and adores the self, preserves the self, lives out of the self. The new identity with Jesus is an identity with the second Adam. Now it is Jesus who shapes our self-understanding and action.

Repentance is to hear God's story and to be struck by its truth, in the heart - in the innermost chamber of our being - every day. Repentance is the desire to leave behind our old identity with the first Adam and continually turn toward a new identity in Jesus.

What do you think?

Image Part 2: Shattering the Image

Hand crafted in the image of the Creator, experiencing no shame, the man and woman were left to tend the garden God had placed them in. For an unknown amount of time, the two of them lived in this idyllic state. Until the Lie.

A serpent appears on the scene with the ability to talk. Myself, I hate snakes. Since I can never remember if it is "yellow on black, better step back" or "red on black, friend of Jack" or "red on yellow, you're a dead fellow", I just play it safe and avoid them all. Much more so a snake that could talk.

But that bit of wisdom was not available to our happy couple and they engage the crafty serpent in conversation. This serpent is intent on spreading a Lie; God held back on them, He really did not have their best interest at heart and could not be trusted. They were really less valuable then they were going around thinking. There was something they were still lacking if they were going to be complete.

The Lie was that there was something in addition to God that would make them whole.

Sound familiar? The enemy convinced God's image bearers that they were incomplete and not fully acceptable. It is the same Lie that all of us at some point believe. It is the source of our false self and it comes in a million forms. "I am not wanted." "I am not lovable." "God is nowhere to be found." "I am unnoticed." "I am defective." This list could go on and on.

Instead of being met with Truth, the Lie was met with acceptance. Rather than comparing what they heard with God's fixed truth, they verified according to another standard. Looks good. It is edible. It will make us more acceptable. Sin was born.

The image that God so meticulously made a part of Adam and Eve was shattered. It could not remain in tact alongside the violation of God's rule.

We still bear the image, but it is horribly broken. Our attempts to make ourselves more acceptable causes us to lose touch with the image. Consequences that the first couple will see immediately, and we'll look at in the part 3 of the image blogs.

What Lie do you try to satisfy in order to make yourself more acceptable?

Book Review: Afraid to Believe in Free Will by Carl Begley

Free will is a topic that evokes a myriad of responses in church world, so when I picked this book up I was fully expecting to be reading a theological treatise on the subject. It did not take long to realize that, while written by an author with a Christian lens, this book is about the effects a negative view of free will in psychology has had in the public square.

The modern trend in psychology is to deny that humans have free will. This deterministic view, asserts Begley, is the result of psychologists desiring to have their field of study viewed as a hard science, such as physics. Like any hard science, the objects being studied (in this case humans) must behave according to unbreakable laws of nature in order to produce consistent and predicted results. Hence, according to the deterministic view our behaviors are completely determined by the system and circumstances in which we find ourselves.

According to Begley, while we cannot prove free will, neither can we disprove it and it is essential that we adopt a belief in the idea of free will for the good of our culture. If our behavior is indeed determined, then that frees us from the responsibilities and consequences of our actions; a trend, which Begley notes with numerous examples, is already upon us.

My initial reaction was surprise to find that there was a free will conflict within the field of psychology, which is a subject with which I am just beginning to become familiar. But the more I read, I was fascinated by the origins and consequences of this one core belief. This book is not overly technical in its use of terminology and lays out a good historical foundation so that the reader can understand the origins and development of thinking in this area.

That, along with the applications, made this book worth the read for me as a member of a church staff. If you are looking for stars, I would give this book four out of five. I learned a lot and it caused me to reflect on my own philosophy in this area.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through theBookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Image Part 1: Created in God's Image

As I have been pondering identity and formalizing my thoughts on the topic, I've been drawn back to the beginning. Back to the garden in which God saw that everything He made was good, but looking around something was still missing.

Out of a pile of dust on the ground, God formed man. Still, that was not enough, the creation needed something special, something of more value, something that in the end was going to have him up the ante from good to very good. So, God made man just not another creature, but an image bearer of the Creator Himself.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27

Mankind was created to bear the image of God. It is part of our being and is what makes us human. This image given to Adam and his bride, Eve, gave them the capacity to accomplish their purpose to rule over the creatures and subdue the earth.

It is the image that gives us special value within the creation. How is a human different than a dolphin, cat, hamster or spider? People were crafted in the image of God, while the others were not.

The special gift of God's image also gave special standing in the creation - united with God, having a relationship with Him and serving Him, while at the same time stewarding the creation.

Because of the untarnished image of God, there was perfect identity in God. The man and his wife had a perfect sense of self, their purpose and position, and the source of their value. At the end of the creation account, the last thing we are told about them, the last glimpse that we get of the perfect couple is that they were naked and felt no shame.

Naked not just in form but also in their openness, vulnerability, unity with each other and with God. With the result of this nakedness, this abandonment to absolute truth, was that there was no resulting shame.

Shame is the fear of not being love nor accepted. Adam and Eve felt none between themselves or with God. Intimacy without fear. No fear of rejection. No fear of abandonment. No craving separation.

At this point, there was no doubt about God's love for them. That in the end, God had their best interest as His own.

At this point, there were no barriers to giving or receiving love from the other human. No self-protection. No protective walls. No coping strategies. No shame. Only a perfect sense of self.

No wonder God's assessment was that this was very good.

What are some ways you see God's original goodness in the creation?

How would you expect to respond in a relationship in which there was no shame?