1/2/2024
“Who” before “do”. That’s the priority. Uh, what? “Who” before “do”. That’s the order to follow when considering a new year’s resolution—or any other goal for life-change any time of year.
Before any of us rush into setting a list of “do” goals for ways we want our lives to be different in the new year, we first need to set “who” goals. We need to be clear about our “who” goals before we formulate our “do” goals.
“Who” goals focus on identity. “Do” goals focus on action.
I don’t generally engage in setting new year’s resolutions about all the things I want to do differently. I recognize that approach might be helpful to certain people, but that’s not what is most beneficial for me.
As I enter 2024, I’m thinking more about who Jesus wants me to be than about specific actions Jesus wants me to do.
If I embrace that I am a child of God, that’s who I am, that’s my identity, that influences everything I do.
If I embrace that I am to be love as God is love, that’s who I am, that’s my identity, that influences everything I do.
If I embrace that I am to be a forgiver as God is a forgiver, that’s who I am, that’s my identity, that influences everything I do.
If I embrace that I am to be a giver as God is a giver, that’s who I am, that’s my identity, that influences everything I do.
If I embrace the religion of “Meism” that’s rampant in American culture, if who I am is first and foremost about me, that’s my identity, that influences everything I do.
So, here’s my new year’s resolution that I want to make and to actually live out: He must become more and more important, and I must become less important. John 3:30 (ERV)
If who I am becomes less important to me than who Jesus is, then I’ll be able better to figure out what to do. How about you?
-Michael
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1/8/2024
The Bible says: Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. Be kind and loving to each other. Ephesians 4:31-32a (ICB) Jim White suggests reasons why he thinks people in our culture oftentimes are not kind and loving. He writes:
“David Brooks wrote an important article for The Atlantic that was simply titled, “How America Got Mean.” His conclusion was both insightful and deeply disturbing.
No one denies that we've become a mean-spirited culture. We've become increasingly rude and cruel and abusive and violent. Whether it’s toward a waiter at a restaurant, a nurse at a hospital, a teacher at a school or road rage on the interstate, we’ve become ... mean. Coupled with this is our increasing lack of compassion and empathy for others. In 2000, two-thirds of American households gave to charity. In 2018, fewer than half did.
As Brooks notes, there are many reasons offered for this.
There’s the technology story—that social media is driving us all crazy.
There is the sociology story—that we’ve stopped participating in community organizations and are more isolated.
There is the demography story—that America, long a white-dominated nation, is becoming a much more diverse country; a change that has millions of white Americans in a panic.
There is the economy story—that high levels of economic inequality and insecurity have left people afraid, alienated and pessimistic.
And obviously, all of these are having an effect. But Brooks argues, and I agree, that the deepest issue is that we are no longer schooled in kindness and consideration. Which means we live in a world where people feel licensed to give their selfishness free rein.
It’s all about morals.
In a healthy society you have a web of institutions—families, schools, religious groups, community organizations and workplaces—that help form people into kind and responsible citizens.
We don’t have that today. We don’t have moral formation, which, Brooks outlines, involves three things: first, helping people learn to restrain their selfishness; second, teaching basic social and ethical skills—things like welcoming a neighbor into a community or disagreeing with someone constructively; and third, helping people find a purpose in life.
We used to be concerned with teaching and developing virtue—with molding the heart along with the head. This wasn’t just in schools, but rather throughout all of culture—Sunday school, the YMCA, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
And here’s what’s important: what was taught along those lines was not seen as a matter of personal taste. There was an objective moral order, there was transcendent truth. Further, human beings were seen as creatures who were, by nature, sinners against that moral order.
This isn’t about trying to paint the past in some airbrushed, overly nostalgic way. An emphasis on morality—past or present—doesn’t create perfect people. But what can be said is that any and all attempts at moral formation are now gone. Any sense of an objective moral order is gone. Any sense of transcendent truth is gone.
We now have little more than radical individualism. Morality is not something that we find outside of ourselves in, say, a spiritual faith, or even within a community. It’s in ourselves. It’s our own voice. We are our own moral compass. Along with that is the rejection of any sense of being sinners. If anything, we are seen as naturally good.
And psychology has replaced morality in terms of how to raise children. While psychology is all well and good, it’s goal—and specialty—is mental health, not moral growth. So, you can even chart the decline of moral words in books, such as the words bravery, gratitude and humbleness.
Or look at college students. Researchers have asked incoming college students about their goals in life for decades. In 1967, approximately 85% of college students said they were strongly motivated to develop a meaningful philosophy of life. By 2015, the number one goal was to make money.
All this to say, as Brooks concludes, in a culture devoid of moral education, you have a generation growing up in a morally inarticulate, self-referential world.
Whatever feels good to us is moral.
We do what makes us happy.
But that does not lead to a “You do you, and I’ll do me” world. Or, as we used to say, “What is true for you is true for you, and what is true for me is true for me.” What happens is that we become internally fragile. You have no moral compass to guide you, no permanent ideals to which you can swear ultimate allegiance.
The psychiatrist and holocaust survivor Victor Frankl famously said, “He who has a ‘why’ to live for can bear with almost any ‘how.’” But those without a “why” fall apart when storms hit.
Now play this out.
If you are morally naked and alone, having no skills to know how or even why to be decent or kind to someone, what does that lead to? Couple this with how we see ourselves as the center of the universe. Social media has helped us become addicted to thinking about ourselves.
We’re anxious and insecure.
We’re sensitive to rejection.
All of us this leads to triggers of distrust and hostility. When there is no moral framework, it leads to a breakdown of relationships. You become estranged from others. And sadness and loneliness often turn into bitterness. And violence. We get callous, defensive, distrustful and hostile.
Now here’s where this plays into the political situation.
Brooks notes that over the past several years, people have sought to fill the moral vacuum with politics and tribalism. We’ve become hyper-politicized. Ideology has replaced theology, even in the lives of Christians. Good and evil aren’t about the human heart—they’re about groups: us vs. them and good guys vs. bad guys. Morality isn’t about personal conduct, but rather where you are on the political spectrum. Much of it fueled by resentment.
And that is how we got so mean.”
-Michael
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1/17/2024
This past weekend, youth of Journey Church embarked on a mission to serve people in need in Bland, VA. Our plan was to depart on Friday night, dedicate our time to service on Saturday and Sunday, and then enjoy a well-deserved day of fun at Winterplace Ski Resort as a reward for our hard work.
The core of our mission revolved around the Bland Ministry Center, where we worked in the food warehouse and in the clothing closet. Our objective was clear: to embody the teachings of Jesus by assisting the less fortunate in the Appalachian region. Our students took on special assignments, including cleaning and painting, actively serving people in that community.
At Journey, we take the call to serve “the least of these”, as Jesus said, seriously, recognizing that our actions are not just obedience to the Lord's commandments but also a way of serving Him through serving others.
Throughout the weekend, our students didn't merely work together; they also participated in devotionals, sang praises, and enjoyed games and laughter. It was more than a mission trip; it was a shared experience where faith and fellowship intertwined.
Despite unexpected challenges, such as the cancellation of our ski trip due to inclement weather, the resilience of the youth shone brightly. Surprisingly, not a single negative comment was made when the decision was made to cancel the resort day. Instead, they continued to serve diligently, understanding that their sacrifice was part of a greater purpose.
One touching moment highlighted the depth of their commitment – a student shared that as he prepared each box of groceries, he prayed for the individuals who would receive them. This simple act of kindness showcased the genuine compassion and empathy that fueled their efforts.
I am incredibly proud of our students at Journey. Their dedication, hard work, and unwavering positive attitude left an indelible mark on the staff at the Bland Ministry Center. Dee Dee, the ministry director, expressed how their staff genuinely looks forward to our students' visits and is always amazed at the amount of work accomplished in such a short time.
I am genuinely grateful for the continued generous support that makes mission trips like this possible. Your faithful giving enables impactful weekends like this one, providing our students with the opportunity to embody Jesus' teachings in a tangible and meaningful way.
-Jackie
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1/22/2024
Do you find it difficult to connect with God in a meaningful way? You’re not alone.
Henri Nouwen was a priest and a professor. He taught theology at divinity schools. He authored books on ministry, spirituality, and community. Still, he wrote:
For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God. I have tried hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life—pray always, work for others, read the Scriptures—and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself. I have failed many times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.
Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?”
And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.
I invite you to be found by God and to be loved by God through worship at Journey this week.
-Michael
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1/29/2024
I was in a conversation with someone who recently started attending Journey. He was trying to describe his experience of the Journey community of faith.
At first, he began to use words to describe Journey, like “accepting”, “caring”, “transparent”. But he was struggling to come up with what he thought was the right word, and then the word surfaced: “authentic”. He said that’s what attracts him most to Journey.
It’s interesting. Merriam-Webster Dictionary announced its “Word of the Year” for 2023. Guess what it was? Yep. “Authentic.” “Authentic” was the word that was looked up more than any other word.
They picked a word that reflects what so many people right now seem to long for, especially in light of political posturing, celebrity culture, leadership hypocrisy, deep fakes and, of course, social media.
Merriam-Webster notes that the word “authentic” has a number of meanings, including:
“not false or imitation”, a synonym of “real” and “actual”, “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.”
What does the Bible have to say about being “authentic”?
Don’t just talk of turning to God; you’d better bear the authentic fruit of a changed life. Luke 3:8 (VOICE)
Love others well, and don’t hide behind a mask; love authentically. Despise evil; pursue what is good as if your life depends on it. Romans 12:9 (VOICE)
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious. Philippians 4:8a (MSG)
How “authentic” are you and I being every day in our words and in our actions?
-Michael