Christian Standard | September/October 2022 by Christian Standard Media

The Struggle With Identity

fr o m th e pu bli sh er

The Struggle with Identity

dentity is a major topic in American culture today. What do I identify as? Who do I identify with? There are hot debates about race, gender, sexual orientation, victimization, and how we see ourselves and the world around us. The words we use or the words we are discouraged from using are all tied up in identity. The American Medical Association just recommended that we not put gender on our birth certificates. An AMA report said, “Imposing such a categorization system risks stifling self-expression and self-identification and contributes to marginalization and minoritization.” Some doctors are recommending replacing “breastfeeding” with “chestfeeding” or “body feeding.” Why? Because words mean things and some people don’t want the blanks of our lives filled in by anyone else. I did some research on how we arrive at our identity, and this is what it looks like. Your personal identity is how you view yourself, comprised of things you can control, like decisions and interests, and things you

can’t control, like family and race. Your social identity is how others perceive you. It’s you in the context of your community, your school or career, and your marital, financial, educational, occupational, religious, or behavioral status. These identities categorize us into groups. The world says our identities are constructed in three ways. Our core identity is our hard wiring as individuals, personality type, behaviors, values, and beliefs. Our chosen identity involves our status, traits, skills, residence, occupation, education, and affiliation. Our given identity consists of our gender, place of birth, race, and physical characteristics. That all goes into the machine of society, family, ethnicity, location, opportunity, media, personal interest, appearance, self-expression, and life experiences. The world says that all we are is the sum of these things. Our friends, the place we live, our hairstyle, the food we eat, the way we spend time and money—all of it comes from this.

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But what if there was more? What if you had a hidden identity that was always there but of which you just weren’t aware? And what if that hidden identity was far more precious and wonderful than anything you might construct for yourself or that society would shape you into? What if something at your core was greater than all your “givens” and all your choices? Would you trade all your constructed identity for this hidden identity that you have discovered?

your past, or anything else in your constructed identity. None of these things matter.

Ephesians 1:3-14 is just one Scripture passage of many that reveals your hidden identity. It describes who you really are and what you were created to be. You were chosen to be holy and blameless. This has nothing to do with your work since it was determined before the world was created, and it happens only “in him.” It describes who you are as God chooses to see you. You are adopted into his family, which is also his choice, and gives him great joy! God adopted you “in love”; you can’t earn this adoption, but he freely gives it. This describes you in the context of your spiritual family.

Carlos Whittaker’s book Kill the Spider says a “spider” is an agreement we make with a lie. Whittaker says we need to stop worrying about cleaning cobwebs and start killing these spiders. Ephesians 1 is like Raid for spiders that hide your true identity.

You are redeemed and forgiven, revealing that the reason we don’t know who we are is because of sin. It’s in us and all around us—the result of countless choices made by us and others against God’s will. God has already taken care of that amnesia and paid the debt for all we’ve done through Jesus. And he didn’t do it sparingly; he lavished it! He has revealed our hidden identity, and a day will come when all he has promised his children will be put into effect. We are chosen, but we must choose this identity for ourselves. It happens when we hear this message and choose to believe it. He marks us with his Holy Spirit. The words deposit and inheritance in Ephesians 1:14 sound like terms from banking or probate court, but they are far more personal than that. These terms are used for betrothal or something like an engagement ring. We are so much more than these identities we’ve constructed for ourselves; and interestingly, our hidden identity—our greatest identity—involves zero discrimination. This identity has nothing to do with how old you are, what race you are, what country you’re from, how much money you have, how much education you have, who your earthly family is, what’s on your birth certificate, your physical appearance, what you’ve done in

God says this is who you were meant to be! The question is, Are you willing to trade the identity you’ve constructed for yourself for the identity God has for you? That is a difficult choice—but shouldn’t be—because our constructed identities are so full of lies and we’ve been making agreements with lies our whole lives.

Randy Frazee’s book His Mighty Strength encourages us to give up the illusion of control. So much of our identity is bound to our need to control it, but control is an illusion. We don’t need to try harder; we need to yield harder. It’s when we surrender our constructed identity to our hidden identity that we truly begin to understand who we are, and that’s when we begin to experience what it means to be a new creation. I am not who my parents say I am, who my teachers say I am, or who culture, my boss, my race, my body, my friends, my bank account, my address, my age, the media, politicians, or even who I myself say I am! Only one voice has the right to tell me who I am, and that voice belongs to the One who made me, loves me, forgave me, redeemed me, adopted me, lavished grace on me, chose me, cleansed me, and promised he will come and take me home someday. I choose who he says I am! 

Jerry Harris is publisher of Christian Standard Media and teaching pastor at The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest. @_jerryharris /jerrydharris

CHRISTIAN STANDARD FOUNDED 1866 BY ISAAC ERRETT Devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.

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In Every Issue WHO ARE YOU? We s B e a v i s

THE WHITE-JESUS MYTH Jerome Gay Jr.

W H AT ' S T H E P R O B L E M W I T H POLITICS IN THE CHURCH? Ben Cachiaras

WHO ARE WE? A CRUCIAL QUESTION FOR WOMEN IN THE CHURCH Osharye Hagood

ETHNIC IDENTITY AND THE MULTIETHNIC CHURCH To k i s h i a D o c k e r y - R a g l a n d

THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF G L O W I N G R E C TA N G L E S Clayton Hentzel

THE MINISTRY OF BEING MISUNDERSTOOD Emily RIchardson

WHEN STORIES COLLIDE Matthew McBirth

2-3

from the publisher

6-7

from the Editor

8-9

BOLD

10-11

e 2: EFFECTIVE ELDERS

12-13

ENGAGE

14-15

26 32

8 Ways Church Growth Has Reached an Idolatrous Level (Part 2) Tyler McKenzie

HEAL

Why Doesn’t God Stop School Shootings? Wes Beavis

HORIZONS

18-19

INTENTIONAL

20-22

METRICS

24-25

PREACH

92-95

Interact

Primary Identity Jeff Faull

16-17

Are Church Leaders Prepared for Quicksand and Lava? Megan Rawlings

Unexpected Ministry Bears Fruit Laura McKillip Wood

Your Spouse Is Not the Main Thing Rudy Hagood

Why Do We Gather? Kent E. Fillinger

Stay The Course Chris Philbeck

f r o m th e edi to r

The Church’s Identity Issue

ever has our culture been more perplexed about how to answer the seemingly simple question, “Who am I?” It’s hardly a surprise: The more the world drifts from the Creator, the more people struggle with their identity. We lose our sense of who we are when we forget whose we are. Satan is complicit, of course, in this case of identity theft. In this issue, we address various matters of identity today. Our writers look at identity biblically, speaking truth in love, with a positive, humble attitude. And we hope our readers will have a similar attitude, seeking to learn about and better understand these issues so we can more effectively serve people in our churches and communities. While all that’s true, the church may have some identity issues of its own to wrestle with. What is the church’s identity in a culture that is increasingly secular and skeptical of Christianity and the church? As Christ’s church, who are we?

We can readily list several fundamental facets of our identity: we are family, dearly loved children of the most-high King; we are Christ’s chosen and cherished bride; we are Christ’s body, his hands and feet and heartbeat for the world. Yet, even as he said farewell, Jesus clarified his paramount vision for who we are as his church. He summarized it in five words: “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). The book of Acts provides other aspects of the church’s identity, but they all support that one main vision. For instance . . . • We are God’s servants. When the King says stay, we stay. When he says go to live out his vision, we go (Acts 1:4, 12; 2:1). • We are dependent on God. The early church demonstrated this in at least two ways: “They all joined together constantly in prayer” (1:14), and God’s Spirit led the way (2:2).

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• We seek to live “with one mind and one purpose” (Acts 1:14, Amplified Bible; cf. 2:44; 4:32). We have failed and will fail in our quest for unity, but we must diligently seek it “so that the world may believe” God sent Jesus into the world (John 17:21). • We are a Christ-centered, countercultural community. The New Testament church existed in community, to carry out Christ’s mission, for God’s glory (Acts 2:4247). As we care for and support one another, God will still add to our number daily those being saved. • Regardless of how “intolerant” our culture portrays us, we believe in and teach the narrow way of Jesus. We point people to salvation in Christ alone (4:12, 20). • Despite opposition and persecution, we always obey God rather than people and we always do what’s right in God’s eyes (4:18-19; 5:29). • We never stop “teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah” (5:42). The most loving thing we can do for anyone is to tell them about Jesus. The church has only one mission, and that’s it. Someone said, “Jesus started the church the way he wanted it and now he wants the church the way he started it.” He still wants us to be his witnesses. As someone else put it, “Jesus called us to be fishers of men, not keepers of aquariums.” Being his witness in our world today may not be as difficult as some people think. Most non-Christians (79 percent) say, “If a friend of mine really values their faith, I don’t mind talking about it with them.” Yet recent research indicates only about 30 percent of nonChristians say a Christian has shared their faith with them. We are unfortunately missing opportunities with many open-to-the-gospel non-Christians! Also, although nearly four in five non-Christians would welcome a conversation about faith with a Christian, about two-thirds (66 percent) said they are unlikely to attend a church service anytime soon. Today, statistically and tactically speaking, it may be more effective to engage our non-Christian friends in a conversation about Jesus than invite them to a church service. That doesn’t mean we don’t include them in the church, of course. We can’t separate Jesus from his body.

But we can help break down people’s distorted images of the church by personally representing Christ and his church as his ambassadors. We do this by spending time together in a group of friends, loving them, exploring God’s Word together, accepting and caring for one another, teaching and encouraging and exhorting one another, and serving others together. When I became a Christ follower at age 28, I wanted to tell everyone I knew about Jesus. I’m sure I wasn’t very good at it, so I read scores of books about evangelism and implemented what I was learning as best I could. Eventually, I used several different popular evangelism studies to teach others how to be witnesses. We may no longer use soul-winning approaches from 30 or more years ago, but that doesn’t mean evangelism has gone out of style; it’s just that many of the techniques have changed. The methods from the books I read and the classes I taught in the 1980s and ’90s likely would not work as effectively today. Our culture has changed, and so should our methodologies for reaching people in this culture. Especially now, as non-Christians are increasingly ambivalent or even antagonistic toward the church and its leaders, we must walk with people patiently and lovingly through a myriad of obstacles before they are ready to accept Jesus and become part of his church. We have many challenges to sharing our faith today. But we also have many opportunities. God, who is both sovereign and Savior, is actively drawing people to himself, and we get to join him on this exciting mission. Regardless of the challenges, we must never stop telling people about Jesus. That’s who we are! Do you know the condition of your flocks? Are you paying attention to your herds? Whether your “flocks” and “herds” represent your nuclear family, church family, or extended church family (our fellowship of churches), be sure to measure what matters and take God-initiated, God-honoring action toward health. 

@michaelc.mack @michaelcmack @michaelcmack /authormichaelcmack

BOLD

Are Church Leaders Prepared for Quicksand and Lava? By Megan Rawlings

hen I was a child, probably around the age of 10, I perceived a few natural phenomena as threats to me on my journey to adulthood. For example, I spent hours researching and watching videos on how to escape quicksand and run away from volcanic lava. I didn’t realize, though, that neither of those was a threat to me in my southern Ohio hometown! I have prepared for one natural disaster my whole life, knowing that living in southern Ohio it was possible (notice I did not say “probable”). I could experience a tornado. I knew that the many times I forced my family to practice grabbing a twin-sized mattress to cover us in the bathtub would pay off one day! But it hasn’t. In fact, I’ve never even seen a funnel cloud! As much as I would love to tell you that all the effort exerted toward easing my fears helped me, the truth is that I have never had an opportunity to put my impassioned skills to use. My childhood trepidations have thus far proven to be unwarranted.

What You Experience, Think, and Feel Might Not Be the Realit y Just as my childhood fear of quicksand, lava, and tornadoes led me to search for information about surviving disasters, many pastors and church leaders study and research how to combat “issues” projected upon them by someone with a platform. Assertions such as “Your church isn’t diverse enough” or “If your church is not a certain size, you are not successful” are just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s look at a couple of the most common debatable issues that are unjustly aimed at churches: Numbers: It’s not about numbers . . . but it is about numbers. I am not so naïve to think we can write off attendance, baptisms, or growth. I have been around long enough to see that these things do matter, but can we use these to identify success? Can we use these stats to mark our self-worth? The Gospel Coalition noted that about half of churchgoers attend churches with fewer than 65 members. Some reasons people gave for attending smaller churches had to do with the family-like environment, teaching that was relatable to the congregation, and closer relationships with ministerial staff. The size of one’s church obviously has nothing to do with its effectiveness or success. However, regardless

Diversity: It is not fair to tell a pastor his church is not diverse enough when it accurately reflects the ethnicity and the way of life of that church’s community. Not all areas are multicultural, especially some rural regions. Church leaders should keep their eyes open for opportunities to add to the diversity of their congregation, of course, but they should not feel guilty when opportunities are limited.

W h at S h o u l d W e B e P r e pa r i n g O u r Pa s t o r s a n d C o n g r e g at i o n s F o r ?

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Well, yes and no. Statistics are important for monitoring the accountability, growth, and effectiveness of our ministries. However, these numbers should not be used to compare churches or to determine our identity as messengers for Christ. God wants to use us where we are, regardless of the size of our congregations. We have other metrics for measuring success, including, “Is your congregation making disciples?” 

Church leaders should keep their eyes open for opp o r t u n i t i e s t o a d d t o t h e d i v e r s i t y o f t h e i r c o n g r e g at i o n , o f c o u r s e , b u t t h e y s h o u l d n o t f e e l g u i lt y w h e n opportunities are limited.

Unlike the disasters I only imagined might befall me when I was 10, there are now legitimate “disastrous storms” that are affecting (or will affect) the church. Here are three for which we all should prepare ourselves. Loneliness: Our people are going to experience serious loneliness as more and more people turn to online services. Humans crave relationships but tend to pick comfort over these desires. This isolation is a recipe for depression. What is the church doing to combat that loneliness? How are we going to orchestrate community in an evolving online world? Knowing the Gospel: Do your people know the gospel —the true, simple gospel that Jesus died in their place, taking on their sin and punishment, and conquering sin and death in the process? Are you sure? Have you asked the recipients of your preaching, “What is the gospel?” Their answers might surprise you. Never assume folks know the gospel. Preach it in every sermon. Recognizing the Great Commission: According to Barna, 51 percent of churchgoers have not heard of the Great Commission. To look at the issue from a different angle, Barna presented churchgoers with five Scripture passages and asked them to identify which one is known as the Great Commission. A little more than one-third of them (37 percent) correctly identified the passage from Matthew 28, while 31 percent identified other familiar New Testament passages as the Great Commission and 33 percent said they weren’t sure if any of the five passages listed were the Great Commission.

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Megan Rawlings serves as vice president of planned giving with The Solomon Foundation. She is the founder and CEO of The Bold Movement. She is an extrovert, pastor’s wife, and lover of the Scriptures. /tbmministry @tbm_ministry @tbm_ministry @theboldmovement theboldmovement.com

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So . . . Do the Numbers Mat ter?

of their size, every church and ministry should look for opportunities to reach out to others. Many choose to volunteer at nursing homes or with the homeless, but other ideas could include taking up donations of baby clothes and related items for organizations that help families in need or hosting a movie night at the church and inviting the community. The options are many!

e 2: e ffe ct i v e e ld e r s

ho am I? How do I see myself? How do I want to be perceived? Which aspect of my identity is most important to me? Is there a right way or a wrong way to settle these questions as a follower of Jesus? When considering these questions, some people focus on racial, ethnic, or national identity. Others are consumed with sexual or gender identity. Still others emphasize economic, professional, cultural, social, or even religious identity. With the furor over people, politics, passions, pride, power, perceptions, and pronouns, identity always seems to be an issue and an unceasing source of confusion and division. Church leaders can flounder when asked to address the conflicts stemming from these heated identity battles.

Primary Identity

The writings of the apostle Paul offer guidance in our own quest for self-identity. Taking time to consider Paul’s path can help us lead people who are struggling with identity questions. Paul’s statements and selfdescriptions provide several guiding principles for navigating our own expressions of identity.

By Jeff Faull N o A s p e c t o f O u r I d e n t i t y C a n C o m pa r e t o O u r Primary Identit y in Christ Paul’s great declaration in Philippians 3 recounts his national, ethnic, tribal, and religious identities. He wrote, Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless (Philippians 3:5-6). Paul immediately stressed, however, that his only reason for listing these identifiers was to point to his primary identity in Christ. In fact, he considered everything else rubbish compared with that identity. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith (Philippians 3:7-9). In the apostle’s mind, everything paled in comparison to his relationship with Jesus. However, Paul’s writings also give us another important insight about our identity.

The apostle referred to many descriptors of his identity. He spoke of his Hebrew heritage. He flashed his Roman citizenship card when necessary. He shared No wonder Paul said, “May I never boast except in his extensive résumé and credentials on several octhe cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the casions. He called himself a Pharisee. He revealed world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” his marital status. He appealed to the fact that he (Galatians 6:14).  was aged. He enumerated his many experiences and even his visions. He spoke of his physical limitations. Looking to his past, he called himself a sinner, a persecutor, and a violent aggressor. Finding our main identit y from something or someone

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o t h e r t h a n K i n g J e s u s l e a d s t o d i s h a r m o n y, d i s c o r d ,

As Christ followers, we certainly a n d d i s i l l u s i o n m e n t. should never glory in any identity that is immoral, unwholesome, contrary to God’s clearly stated will, or which purposefully demeans others and promotes division or hatred or self-righteousness. Paul openly shared multiple aspects of his personal identity, but his intention in revealing and leveraging them always served to further his primary identity in Christ. As believers, it’s completely acceptable to accurately describe ourselves in various ways. For example, I’m a male, a husband, a father, an American, a Caucasian, and many other good things, but though important, none of them supersedes my primary identity in Christ.

O u r M a i n I d e n t i f i e r s C o m e f r o m O u r R e l at i o n s h i p to Christ and Commission from Christ

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Finding our main identity from something or someone other than King Jesus leads to disharmony, discord, and disillusionment. Perhaps that’s why Paul was quick to correct believers in Corinth who wanted their identity to come from their association with him or Apollos or Cephas. Paul taught that his identity, and ours, is in Christ as children of God, new creations, more than conquerors, God’s workmanship, fellow citizens, and joint heirs. Paul shared some of his favorite self-designations in his letters. He referred to himself as a “bondservant of God,” an “apostle of Jesus Christ,” a “fool for Christ,” “a prisoner for the Lord,” a “steward of the mysteries of God,” and a “preacher and a teacher.” Someone suggested that if you want to identify the theme of nearly any book of the Bible, you generally can do so by looking for the words “in Christ,” determining the context, and understanding what flows

Jeff Faull serves as senior minister at Mt. Gilead Church in Mooresville, Indiana, and as a board member for e2.

/e2elders @e2elders

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out of that. When we consider who we are in Christ and passionately seek him and his will, we gain clarity concerning our own identity and in helping others to find theirs.

W e D o n’ t N e e d t o I g n o r e O u r ‘L e s s e r ’ I d e n t i t i e s

e ngage

hurch growth shouldn’t be the crowning pursuit of success among leadership. And yet, we’ve framed the pursuit of growth as natural and celebrate its attainment as health. In part one of this article, I shared four concerning trends I’ve observed in American evangelical churches/ ministries that can be explained (at least in part) as a consequence of the idolatrous pursuit of the gospel of growth. In this conclusion to the article, I share four more trends that may be indicative of that pursuit.

8 Ways Church Growth Has Reached an Idolatrous Level Part 2 By Tyler McKenzie

5. A C u lt u r e o f C o m p e t i t i o n o v e r C h u r c h ( b i g C ) Unity Sometimes I question if this is what really drives the multisite movement (cough-cough . . . my church has two campuses). The mindset can become, “We do church in such a uniquely compelling way that planting these new franchises will reach more people! Where do we already have a critical mass of current attendees that can financially sustain this, preferably over a 15-minute drive away? OK! Let’s go there!” What can happen is a potentially healthy new site is launched, but smaller churches—even healthy ones—can get cannibalized. They can’t compete with the bigger church’s facilities, talent, or menu. It makes me wonder . . . If we really feel called to a certain community, should we do a capital campaign to support the healthy sister churches already there?

6 . T h e N o r m a l i z at i o n o f C o n s u m e r C h r i s t i a n i t y As we grow bigger, we feel the pressure to keep expanding our footprint, attracting new people, and improving the entertainment quality of our gatherings. If we aren’t intentional, we can slowly compromise in the direction of soft prosperity, competitive multisiting, and extravagant services. Many of our people are subconsciously discipled to choose a church based on consumer appeals rather than actual health or locality. I’ve been guilty of fuming when someone leaves because the church down the road offers something better. Perhaps we have created the consumer mindset that fuels church-hopping and church-shopping. It makes me wonder . . . What sort of disciples are we making when we win them with convenience, entertainment, and perpetual optimism?

7. T h e M e n ta l H e a lt h C o l l a p s e o f c h u r c h l e a d e r s All this pressure for bigger and better has led to tremendous strain on pastors over performance metrics. When

It makes me wonder . . . Would the attrition rate be as high among clergy if we were measured primarily for our pastoral care and faithful preaching?

8 . T h e W e a k e n e d S tat e o f O n g o i n g D i s c i p l e s h i p The most tragic part of this is that we can end up losing any real vision for ongoing, lifelong discipleship . . . that “long obedience in the same direction” that Eugene Peterson wrote about. People have a preacher on Sunday, but do they have a pastor who knows them? Do they have a spiritual family? Do they have a burning passion to see their lives conformed to Christ until the day they meet him? This highlights the importance of some sort of healthy small groups system that nurtures pastoral care and leadership in larger churches.

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I would love any of your thoughts on what might be added to this list or if you connect at all with what I’m saying. It’s an area of great conviction and concern for me. How do we promote growth without being taken by it? 

P e o p l e h av e a p r e a c h e r o n S u n d ay, b u t d o t h e y h av e a pa s t o r w h o k n o w s t h e m ? D o t h e y h av e a s p i r i t u a l fa m i ly ? D o t h e y h av e a b u r n i n g pa s s i o n to see their lives conformed to Christ until the d ay t h e y m e e t h i m ?

I was at the grocery recently when I saw a lady I’d never met. She knew me. “You’re my pastor!” she said. She seemed starstruck to finally meet the person she had watched on stage for two years. “It’s like meeting a celebrity,” she commented. I was friendly but uncomfortable. In the car on the way home the situation broke me, “I’ve been her pastor for two years and this is the first time we’ve met.” This wasn’t the first time something like this happened. My prayer is that she is known and loved by other congregants in leadership at our church.

It makes me wonder . . . If we had a nameless picture album of every person who calls Northeast their church home, how many people could our pastoral team call by name?

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I could go on, but I’ve already filled two columns with my thoughts. I don’t want to be a cynic, but I approach the “church leadership industry” with a healthy dose of skepticism. My problem isn’t with leadership, it’s with what the industry promises. It usually goes something like this: 1. The problem? Churches are shrinking. 2. The solution? Adapt our leadership formula. 3. The promise? Shrinking becomes growing. There isn’t much room here for faithful ineffectiveness. What if faithfulness in a generation doesn’t lead to

Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

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growth at all? Is there room for leaders like Jeremiah? Is there room for models like St. Benedict’s Rule (prayer, work, study, and leisure) or Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together (Christian community in a time of persecution) where the solution is a community of resistance? Is there room for a generational remnant or must it always be a generational revival?

the growth metrics decline, as they have for many of us through COVID-19, it can feel like failure. It can be identity crushing. Most of us got into ministry because of our heart for pastoral care and faithful preaching. Before we know it, we find ourselves exasperated and we start to think, “I didn’t sign up for this.”

Hea l

“W

hy doesn’t God stop school shootings?” It’s a valid question. Many philosophers would add these follow-up statements: Either God is not a loving God or God is not all-powerful. (Surely a loving God would supernaturally intervene to protect the innocent lives of defenseless schoolchildren, they reason.) If a loving God does not intervene, then he obviously lacks the power to do so. Therefore, God must not be omnipotent. (It sounds logical.)

Making Sense of It All

Why Doesn’t God Stop School Shootings? By Wes Beavis

A tragic event like the unthinkable massacre of schoolchildren generates an understandable emotional response. Part of this response is to try and make sense of it all. To fix it so that it doesn’t happen again. The faith community often responds with the words “thoughts and prayers.” Secularists become annoyed and incensed at the offering of “thoughts and prayers.” They consider thoughts and prayers to be feel-good statements that give the impression of action but which really are “do-nothing” sentiments that keep the status quo in place. Secularists believe that government action is the solution to stopping bad people from committing abominable cruelty. They believe that human nature is changed through legislation, not through prayer. They believe that if prayer worked, if God were real, then God would intervene. He would stop these heinous atrocities perpetrated by angry young men.

How God Intervenes

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However, God does intervene. He does stop angry young men. Just not in a way that overrides free will. I believe God intervenes and stops more troubled boys than we realize. I wholeheartedly believe this because I was one of them—an angry young man who lacked the ability to moderate his emotions and mental states.

For every young man who invites Jesus to be his Lord, there is one less young man on a dark t r a j e c t o r y t o wa r d d e s t r o y i n g i n n o c e n t l i v e s .

As a 6-year-old, in a rage of jealousy, I slammed the business end of a garden rake into my brother’s head. He was rushed to the hospital where surgeons stitched his scalp back together. Some years later, fueled by insecurity and the desperate need for peer approval, I beat up my best friend at school. I picked on him because he was weaker than me. Two weeks prior to graduating from junior high, I got caught vandalizing a school bus. The school district did not press criminal charges but would not allow me to proceed to high school until I remediated the damage to school property.

Was I a school shooter in the making? I don’t know. Let’s just say my behavioral trajectory would have been a concern to any adolescent psychologist. Perhaps if additional layers had been added to the mix—absentee alcoholic parents, endless hours of playing violent video games, social isolation, social media bullying—I could have become a significant threat to society. Who knows where I would have ended up, had God not intervened. So, how did God intervene? In several ways. Over several years. Through several people. My Sunday school teacher witnessed me blow a gasket because things were not going my way and said to me, “Wesley, you have a mean streak and a bad temper. That makes God sad and Satan glad. I’m praying for you to learn selfcontrol.” Old Mr. Herring, a church elder, also noticed I was struggling. He took me under his wing and taught me how to fish.

w h at w e c a n d o In the quest to stop school shootings, is there a place for stronger regulations and procedures? I believe it is worth reflecting on and exploring what is helpful in reducing these tragedies. But let’s not forget that God uses the thoughts, prayers, and actions of dedicated Christ followers to change troubled young men into grace-filled, godly leaders. Let’s double down on our efforts to reach kids with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. For every young man who invites Jesus to be his Lord, there is one less young man on a dark trajectory toward destroying innocent lives. 

abou t the au thor

Mr. Huebsch, a church member, gave me lessons on how to become a backyard corn farmer. My youth pastor, Philip Wood, believed I had potential if I could just find a constructive outlet, so he offered to teach me guitar. One of the first songs he taught me was “Jesus Is the Answer.” George Melton baptized me and inspired me to use music as a ministry. John and Sarah Morgan, as a way of supporting my parents, became a second dad and mom to me. They were fun, down-to-earth Jesus followers and I felt liked and loved by their entire family. I am also thankful I had parents who, despite the grief I constantly brought them, were patient and long-suffering. They never gave up on me despite the many sleepless nights I’m sure I caused them. They encouraged me to pursue a life of serving Christ. And I eventually got there! These are just a few of the people who prayed for me and helped me find my way to redemption. I was influenced by people who were under the influence of Jesus. God used them to interrupt my troubling trajectory of antisocial and destructive behavior.

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Today, as a Christian clinical psychologist, I am the opposite of destructive. Instead, I help people navigate their challenges and find peace amid life’s uncertainties. It took many years, but I radically changed from aggression to compassion. I was on a trajectory of being a threat to society, but God intervened. How? Through the thoughts and prayers of his saints.

That summer, bored and stupid, I started a fire that ravaged the Fort Creve Coeur Nature Preserve. The fire caused immense damage and cost to the community. That stunt conferred upon me a police record of juvenile delinquency. While grounded for the entire summer, I entertained myself by using stale bread to lure birds into my backyard. I would then shoot the defenseless birds with a BB gun. I had no remorse in killing these beautiful creatures. It made me feel powerful.

Dr. Wes Beavis has served as a pastor in Restoration Movement churches in both the United States and Australia. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in helping ministry leaders navigate the leadership journey. His latest book is Let’s Talk about Ministry Burnout: A Proven Research-based Approach to the Wellbeing of Pastors. drwesbeavis.com text 949.246.7836

hori z ons

evin and Renee Payton talked as they did their Christmas shopping. It was December 2002, and they were home on furlough from their ministry in Simferopol, the central city in Crimea, which was still part of Ukraine at the time. Kevin had been teaching theology at a college in Crimea for about four years, but they saw their work with these students ending, as former students who had gone on to seminary were returning to teach at the college. Maybe the need for American professors was waning. But what would they do? As they talked, they believed God still had a plan for them in Simferopol. They went back to Crimea in early 2003, unsure of what their next steps would be.

New Direction

Unexpected Ministry Bears Fruit By Laura McKillip Wood

Not long after returning, they received a call from Ukrainian friends who led a student ministry in Simferopol. A large group of Malaysian students had arrived to study in the medical school there. Their Ukrainian friends asked Kevin and Renee to help plan a retreat for some of the students who were interested in Christianity and spoke English. That retreat led to a weekly Bible study in the dorms, which led to Sunday church services. The Paytons shared their lives with the students, caring for them while they were so far away from home. “We became like parents to them. We were with them all the time,” Kevin says. The Paytons knew how to navigate the city, where to buy what they needed, and how to speak conversational Russian. They also knew how it felt to be outsiders. They understood culture shock and had learned to deal with it well. They found they could pass their wisdom on to the students, who had just arrived and had a lot to learn. Eventually, that cohort of students finished medical school and returned home to Malaysia. “We are still in contact with a lot of them,” Kevin says.

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He and Renee helped them grow in their faith while they were in Crimea, and when they returned to Malaysia with their medical degrees, they took that faith with them. Some of them have experienced persecution for leaving their Buddhist and Hindu faiths, but some have shared Christ with their families back home. Kevin has even traveled to Malaysia to perform some of their weddings, and recently some of them asked Kevin to preach via Zoom for a church service they started.

W e h a d t o l e av e i n a h u r r y, a n d w e c o u l d n’ t e v e n r e a l ly s ay g o o d b y e . T h e r e wa s n o c l o s u r e . O n e d ay w e w e r e t h e r e , t h e n e x t d ay w e w e r e g o n e .

Abrupt Change of Plans In 2014, the unthinkable happened. The Russians entered Crimea and took over the government, creating a dangerous situation for expatriates. Team Expansion, the Paytons’ sending agency, urged them to leave. Shocked, they purchased train tickets to Odesa. Hoping just to stay a few months and then return, they packed Jacob’s schoolbooks and some important papers and photos and said tearful goodbyes to as many people as they could. The streets were completely empty as they made their way to the train station. As they rolled to Odesa, from the train windows they saw Russian troops posted every hundred yards or so. Since the Russians had shut down all access to outside information, people in Crimea heard only Russian propaganda. In Odesa, the Paytons were finally able to read the international news. They were shocked to learn Russia had taken complete control of Crimea and had bombed eastern parts of Ukraine. They knew then that they would not be able to stay.

Despite those difficult times, God has given Kevin and Renee a new and rewarding ministry, and he is continuing to use their passion for college ministry. These days, they work for Outreach International, traveling to colleges and campus ministries across the U.S. and encouraging students to ask God what he wants to do through them. “We want to challenge and equip them that no matter what they’re studying, God can use them to share the gospel anywhere,” Kevin explains. They share their experiences and all that God has done through them. They want to open people’s hearts to the possibilities God has in store. Looking back at their time in Simferopol, the Paytons feel a deep sense of satisfaction. “There are a lot of missionaries who don’t get to see the fruit of their work. They don’t get to see the people accept Christ and don’t see how it plays out long term,” Kevin says. “We were blessed and get to see a lot of that firsthand.” Now they relish the fact that they can participate in raising up a new generation of people dedicated to pursuing God’s plan for their lives.  abou t the au thor

Leaving Ukraine was heart-wrenching and “very tragic,” Renee says. “We were there 16 years,” Kevin says. “We got to know our neighbors. They watched the kids grow up. There were people in the market we saw several times a week for all these years. We had to leave in a hurry, and we couldn’t even really say goodbye. There was no closure. One day we were there, the next day we were gone.”

Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, now serves as bereavement coordinator and palliative care chaplain at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She and her husband, Andrew, have three teenagers.

On their trip back to America, the Paytons had an overnight layover in Vienna, where they ate dinner at a McDonald’s.

/laura.wood2

“We were sitting there, in shock, and we didn’t even say anything,” Kevin says. “Then Jacob and I started sobbing.” They felt they had lost everything.

lauramckillipwood.com

@woodlaura30 @woodlaura30

lauramckillipwood@gmail.com

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In the meantime, the Paytons’ own children were growing up. Their daughter, Kristen, went back to America to college, and their two teenage boys grew close to the students, who were almost like brothers and sisters to them. They helped a student who became a single mother care for her baby while she continued school, and the Payton’s younger son became like an uncle to the baby. Their older son, Isaac, eventually left for college, but Kevin and Renee had put down deep roots and planned to stay indefinitely.

Another New Direction

When those students graduated, a new crop of international students from Nigeria and India arrived—many of them Muslims—and Kevin and Renee began their work anew.

inte nt i ona l

can hear it like I’m still sitting in her living room. My mother-in-law, Mama D., was saying, “Keep the main thang, the main thang!” Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (English Standard Version). Well, bless the name of the Lord and let the church say Amen! Yet, a word of caution for both husbands and wives: Your spouse is not the main thang! Yes, we should be “very married.” Yes, the best gift we can give our kids is a great marriage. And yes, our marriages need to be a priority in our lives, but that priority is never to supersede the preeminence of God in our hearts. For it is common to drift from gratitude of our gift (our spouse) to worship of our gift.

The Best Thing

Your Spouse Is Not the Main Thing By Rudy Hagood (with Osharye Hagood)

I have found good things hinder our worship more often than bad things. Jesus stated, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life— such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Jesus lists several “good things” in that verse! Jesus is saying there is no discipleship if anyone or anything is above or even on par with our mental, emotional, convictional, or sacrificial commitment to the Lord. The moment anyone or anything exceeds or parallels God, our identity takes a drastic shift. Even in, and maybe especially in, marriage, we must be vigilant that our identity is in Christ alone, not in our spouse! Former NFL great Jerry Rice said, “The enemy of the best is the good. If you’re always settling with what’s good, you’ll never be the best.” As followers of the most high God, overindulgence in “good things” is frequently what gets in the way of what’s best in our lives. We must, of course, be wary of the major pitfalls of life, but what is equally destructive in our marriages and Christian walk are those “good things” that blind us from focusing on the best thing. When our identity transitions from child of God to spouse of . . . or parent of . . . we go from gratitude of our gift to worship of our gift. The phrase “the enemy of the best is the good” has both haunted and saved me since I first heard it. I mention this concept in the context of marriage because the gift of a spouse is a “good thing” but not the best thing. The best thing is a rock-solid, passionate relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and the foundation of our family. Marriage may form the foundation on which the family stands, but we must stand on Jesus as cornerstone of that foundation. Jesus must be the identity by which we are defined. When we have these two things in the correct order, the entire edifice of children and extended family have the proper foundation and identity.

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M a r r i a g e m ay f o r m t h e f o u n d at i o n o n w h i c h t h e fa m i ly s ta n d s , b u t w e m u s t s ta n d o n J e s u s a s c o r n e r s t o n e o f t h at f o u n d at i o n . J e s u s m u s t b e t h e i d e n t i t y by which we are defined.

This is not a new idea. This thought goes back to the roots of our faith in the Old Covenant, to the Ten Commandments: You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:4-6).

I will get more personal in my expression. I love Osharye, and l also love to love Osharye. She is my Osharyeamore! Since this is my truth, I must be ever mindful to make sure I don’t allow my heart for my blessing to become a rival for my devotion and adoration for my creator and sustainer Jesus Christ!

deprioritize our spouse in our lives, and our marriages will slip from what God intended. Marriage and identity are protected when we understand that the enemy of the best is the good. If you’re concerned that focusing on God will somehow hinder your marriage, remember that God calls husbands and wives to love and respect each other (Ephesians 5:33). Focusing on God brings our marriages into perfect and pure clarity. I still can hear Mama D. saying, “Keep the main thang, the main thang!” 

From the beginning, God has desired a distinctiveness in our affections toward him to the point that even things in heaven must not rival his position in our hearts. abou t the au thor

The Root of the Issue Just as God should have no rival in our hearts, so too no other human should be a rival for our affection and love for our spouse. Even in well-intentioned marriages that failed or that are currently failing, the decline generally did not begin with an affair, abuse, pornography, or neglect. Most often it began with allowing a good thing in one’s life to supersede their blessing, which is their spouse. From there the husband or wife slips further into more detrimental behaviors, such as in the list previously mentioned. The good thing could be ministry, work, a project, or even family. When God said, “leave and cleave,” he was teaching us the enemy of the best is often the good. It can even be our care and/or attention for our kids that causes us to neglect the foundation of the family, the marriage. And as with our faith, if Jesus is not the cornerstone of the marital foundation, that foundation falls apart and brings down the entire structure. Yes, we are to have strong relationships with our parents and our kids, but among our human relationships, the marriage relationship is to be the strongest. I just want us to see that a slight tangential shift in our attention eventually will

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T h e R i va l s o f t h e B e s t

Rudy and Osharye Hagood have seven children and nine grandchildren so far. Osharye is a women’s minister who is also certified as both a life coach and a health coach. Rudy is a lead pastor with a background in social work. They love being married and love to bless both married and engaged couples. @rudy.hagood @rudy_hagood_

met r i cs

s a movement, we’ve striven from the beginning to be a church based on New Testament principles. Where the Bible speaks, we speak, and where the Bible is silent, we are silent. No creed but Christ and no book but the Bible. When was the last time your church staff or elders stopped to consider what these maxims mean when it comes to worship gatherings? When did you last study the New Testament to see what it teaches about our purpose for gathering? Have your church leaders ever considered why you do what you do when you gather for worship?

Why Do We Gather?

It’s always important to start with the “why” when considering any initiative. Why do we gather? To worship? To fellowship? To pray? To study the Bible? To fellowship with one another? To reach the lost? To encourage one another? All the above?

H o w C h u r c h e s D e s i g n W o r s h i p G at h e r i n g s By Kent E. Fillinger

Our most recent Christian Standard survey asked church leaders to respond to this statement: “Our weekend services are designed primarily for people who already have a faith in Jesus.” Response options consisted of strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, and strongly disagree. Overall, almost half (47 percent) of the 405 Christian church and church of Christ ministers who participated said they either “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that their weekend services were designed primarily for Christians. Leaders of very small churches (average weekly attendance of 99 or fewer) were the most likely to respond this way, while leaders of emerging megachurches (averaging 1,000 to 1,999) were the least likely (66 percent vs. 26 percent, respectively). Small churches (averaging 100 to 249 weekly) were the only other size category where over half (55 percent) of the ministers responded this way. Conversely, only 19 percent of the church leaders overall said they “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed” that their worship services were geared toward believers. Almost half (47 percent) of the pastors of large churches (averaging 500 to 999) responded this way. By comparison, less than 10 percent of small and very small church ministers said the same. Just over one-third of the church preachers surveyed (34 percent) “neither agreed nor disagreed” that the focus of their worship services was on existing Christ followers. The Christian Church Leadership Network surveyed almost 1,500 active churchgoers from 26 Christian

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The longtime, engaged Christians in this study placed a greater emphasis on Sunday worship services “equipping the saved” rather than “reaching the lost.” Thus, these two studies show that church leaders and churchgoers differ on the “why” (or focus) of worship services.

How Long Should Sermons and Services Be? Comedian George Burns said, “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, then having the two as close together as possible.” A May 2017 Evangelical Leaders Survey conducted by the National Association of Evangelicals found that on average, evangelical leaders believe sermons should be 30 minutes and church services should be 75 minutes. Pew Research Center examined almost 50,000 online sermons from more than 6,400 churches in 2019 and discovered the median sermon is 37 minutes long. This research showed that Catholic sermons had a median length of just 14 minutes, mainline Protestant sermons were 25 minutes, and sermons in evangelical Protestant congregations were 39 minutes. Historically black Protestant churches have the longest sermons (by far) with a median length of 54 minutes. Grey Matter Research & Consulting surveyed more than 1,000 American evangelical Protestants and shared that 85 percent of evangelicals were “satisfied” with the overall length of the sermons and worship services at their church (as reported in The Congregational Scorecard: What Evangelicals Want in a Church in early 2022). Seven out of ten evangelical churchgoers (69 percent) were fine with the current depth of teaching in the sermons in their church. Among the 30 percent of evangelicals who want something different, they almost all wanted more in-depth teaching. Only about 0.5 percent would like the teaching in sermons to be less in-depth. The younger the evangelical, the more likely they want more in-depth teaching from a sermon. In fact, evangelicals under age 40 were nearly twice as likely as the

oldest evangelicals to call for more in-depth teaching at church (39 percent vs. 20 percent). The amount of music currently satisfies 76 percent of evangelical churchgoers. Close to one-third (29 percent) of those under age 40 said they would prefer more music, which was the highest of all age categories. Meanwhile, 68 percent of evangelicals were perfectly happy with the style of music their church uses in the service.

T h e W o r l d v i e w o f C h r i s t i a n Pa s t o r s An August 2018 Pew Research Center survey found that 81 percent of U.S. adults who attend worship services at least once or twice a month said they attend church “to become closer to God,” and 69 percent said they attend church “so their children will have a moral foundation.” These reasons sound encouraging, but the larger question is, What is the worldview of the pastors who are helping to shape the beliefs and actions of churchgoers? It’s not good, according to the American Worldview Inventory 2022 conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. The study asked 54 worldview-related questions of 1,000 Christian pastors; the questions fell within eight categories of belief and behavior such as “purpose, calling,” “God, creation, history,” “faith practices,” “Bible, truth, morals” and “sin, salvation, God relationship.” According to the May 2022 report analysis written by George Barna, slightly more than a third (37 percent) of U.S. Christian pastors overall have a biblical worldview. The majority (62 percent) possess a hybrid worldview known as syncretism, which is the blending of ideas and applications from a variety of holistic worldviews into a unique but inconsistent combination that represents personal preferences.

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churches and churches of Christ in late 2021. Their research showed that 75 percent of the respondents said they “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that Sunday worship services are the place to “train believers.” In the same survey, half of the respondents said T h e y o u n g e r t h e e va n g e l i c a l , t h e m o r e l i k e ly t h e y they “agreed” or “strongly wa n t m o r e i n - d e p t h t e a c h i n g f r o m a s e r m o n . agreed” Sunday worship services were the place to “reach the lost.”

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“This is another strong piece of evidence that the culture is influencing the American church more than Christian churches are influencing the culture,” Barna said. Only 12 percent of youth and children’s pastors have a biblical worldview. So, the people primarily responsible for teaching our children and students sorely lack a biblical perspective. Barna cautioned, Keep in mind, a person’s worldview primarily develops before the age of 13, then goes through a period of refinement during their teens and twenties. Discovering that seven out of eight of Children’s and Youth Pastors lack a biblical worldview helps to explain why so few people in the nation’s youngest generations are developing a heart and mind for biblical principles and ways of life, and why our society seems to have run wild over the last decade, in particular. In May 2022, Everett Piper, a columnist for the Washington Times, wrote the following warning regarding the American Worldview Inventory:

a b ou t th e au th o r

It has been said that wolves in sheep’s clothing are dangerous, but wolves in shepherd’s clothing are downright deadly. America’s church leaders have become wolves disguised as shepherds. Our pastors and Christian faculty, who are supposed to be salt and light to a dying culture and dark world, are now little more than pallid milk toast to a nation in desperate need of the strong drink of the Gospel. Christ himself said he would spit such a people from his mouth. Other research shows that most pastors believe they are theologically in tune with the Bible; Barna noted that this runs counter to the findings of the American Worldview Inventory.

Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting, Indianapolis, Indiana, and regional vice president (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan) with Christian Financial Resources.

/3strandsconsulting 3strandsconsulting.com

I encourage church leaders and preachers to take a long, hard look in the mirror to better discern how well their beliefs, behavior, and sermons conform to biblical principles and commands. 

preach

hen it comes to ministry, for me, one Scripture verse stands above the rest. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” I love this verse for many different reasons, but mostly because of Paul’s honesty in saying that doing good can wear you out. How else can you interpret those first eight words? While I invest my life in many “good” things, preaching is the one constant “good” thing that takes up most of my time because it is a holy and fixed activity that involves seeking God through prayer, studying God’s Word for understanding, and searching life for illustrations and applications that speak to people’s hearts.

Stay the Course By Chris Philbeck

Preaching is the dominant activity on my weekly to-do list. Preaching is the activity most associated with my role as a pastor. And preaching can sometimes wear me out. That’s when I need to remember the rest of the verse: “. . . for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” This is especially important to remember right now since, according to George Barna, more than 40 percent of pastors have considered leaving the ministry over the past year.

The Harvest Will Come I recently searched YouTube for an instructional video about golf, a game I love. When some part of my game is struggling, YouTube is a great help. On this occasion, I came across a video of Fred Couples’ World Golf Hall of Fame induction speech, so I decided to watch. The video began with soothing music and the voice of CBS golf commentator Jim Nantz—Couples’ college teammate—introducing his friend. Couples received a standing ovation when he walked on the stage. His short speech was filled with heartfelt thanks and humility. One thing that stood out to me were his references to his family, mentors, teachers, and contemporaries (his friends) because each played a role in his rise from playing at a municipal golf course in Seattle as a child to winning 63 professional tournaments including the 1992 Masters. The speech ended with Couples saying, through tears, “Thanks for taking a kid from Seattle and putting him in the Hall of Fame. This is the coolest night of my life.” When it comes to preaching, I don’t know what God’s harvest might look like for you or me. And I don’t know when that harvest will come . . . whether it’s something we will experience in this world or in the world to come. What I do know is that one day it will come, for God keeps his promises.

God does not forget his own. He knows how faithful you have been in your service to his people. And he will reward you for that faithfulness one day, even if it feels like you are growing weary today.

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I t d o e s n’ t m at t e r w h e t h e r y o u r c h u r c h i s l a r g e o r s m a l l . I t d o e s n’ t m at t e r w h e t h e r y o u r n a m e i s k n o w n o r u n k n o w n . W h at m at t e r s i s y o u r fa i t h f u l n e s s t o d o i n g t h e g o o d w o r k o f p r e a c h i n g , k n o w i n g t h at G o d p r o m i s e s a h a r v e s t i f y o u d o n o t g i v e u p.

D o n’ t G i v e U p In a March 2021 devotion, Robert Jeffress told the story of how in 1927, Gutzon Borglum and his men began the massive job of sculpting the faces of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson on Mount Rushmore. Over the years that followed, Borglum and his men used jackhammers and dynamite to remove 450,000 tons of granite to accomplish their masterpiece. But as the men went up that mountain with their jackhammers each day, they were not thinking about the size of the task before them. Many years later, Nick Clifford, the youngest man hired to work on Mount Rushmore, told a reporter, “At the time, of course, it was just a job. You went up there, went to work, did your job, and didn’t think much about it. You might have thought, Would it ever be completed one day? But the more you worked, the more familiar you became with your job, the more important the project became to each of us. . . . I feel like Mount Rushmore was the greatest thing with which I was ever involved.” The same is true about our work for God. It doesn’t matter whether your church is large or small. It doesn’t matter whether your name is known or unknown. What matters is your faithfulness to doing the good work of preaching, knowing that God promises a harvest if you do not give up. At the end of Jim Nantz’s introduction of Fred Couples for his Hall of Fame induction, the announcer said,

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“Never underestimate the power of a dream.” Here’s my encouragement to all my fellow preachers today. Never underestimate the power of a call. If God has called you to preach, be faithful to your call. 

The harvest may not be a Hall of Fame-type induction; still, like Fred Couples, we need to remember the people who helped guide and shape our lives. We need to let their love for us and their faith in us continue to guide and encourage our lives. We need to hear them say, “I believe in you” and “it’s always too soon to quit,” especially when we go through dry and difficult seasons of ministry. And we need to remember these words from Scripture: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10).

abou t the au thor

Chris Philbeck serves as senior pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, Indiana. He has been in ministry since 1980 and has had the privilege of planting a new church, leading a turn-around church, and now leading a megachurch. Chris is passionate about biblical preaching, effective leadership, and developing new and better ways for the local church to make an impact in the community and the world. /PastorCPhilbeck @cphilbeck @pastorphilbeck

Who Are You?

How to Respond When the World Tries to Dismantle Your God-Given Identity By Wes Beavis

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“I hear voices inside my head.” This statement raises the sensitivities of a clinical psychologist. Hearing internal voices can be a sign of schizophrenia, which can drive people into homelessness. But schizophrenia is not just limited to the down and out. John Nash, a brilliant mathematician, would carry on conversations with people inside his head. His story was made into a movie called A Beautiful Mind. Despite suffering from schizophrenia, Nash’s intellectual capacity and achievements led to him being awarded a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. However, without antipsychotic medication, Nash would spend his days under the influence of the voices in his head. You might be thinking, I’m glad that doesn’t happen to me! But we all have voices inside our head. In most cases, these voices do not merit a mental illness diagnosis, but these voices still have some influence. My father was a well-educated individual. At age 49 he had three doctoral degrees: doctor of ministry, doctor of theology, and doctor of divinity. Yet, my father would never lay claim to being an intellectual genius. He admitted his achievements did not come easily. His academic milestones were the product of a dogged determination to be an effective Christian leader. Yet, he was also motivated by a voice in his head. When he was a teenager, his high school principal told him, “David, you should leave school and learn a trade. You don’t have the brains for higher education.” Those words echoed in my father’s mind for years. I’m not saying my father’s ultimate goal was to prove his high school principal wrong. But, to a certain degree, his high school principal was an influential voice in his head . . . and it motivated him!

We must safeguard the identity God has given us.

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a lifetime of good deeds. There is no forgiveness or mercy. You don’t get a second chance. At times I fear being canceled. To reduce the possibility, I have established a personal screening system through which I filter every thought and behavior. Though it pains me to admit it, the heavy hand of “cancel culture” has played a role in influencing my identity.

Identity Crisis When I was a teenager, I was enamored with the rhythm and rhyme of the rap art form. Frankly, I wanted to be a Black artist. For many years I tried to incorporate rap style into my musical performances. I even wrote a rap song based on the steps of salvation outlined by Restoration Movement pioneer Walter Scott. I had immense fun performing “The Walter Scott Rap” at concerts all over the nation. Admittedly, my career as a rap artist never gained much traction, and my rap song has long been retired. Today, I wonder whether performing “The Walter Scott Rap” would be deemed socially unacceptable. Voices inside my head tell me it would be inappropriate. As a White man I could be guilty of “cultural appropriation” by performing that genre of music. Long before the concept of micro-aggressions had been formulated, I sang the rap with blissful ignorance. Now there are definite voices in my head saying, “Be careful, someone might take offense.” Over the last decade society has adopted new cultural norms. Stemming from these cultural norms are voices telling us who we are and how we should behave. This is the basis of identity politics. We have learned we should stay in our “identity lane” and not veer out of it. The price for swerving out of our lane can be very high. One ill-conceived comment or action can cancel an entire career and overshadow

In answering the question, “Who am I?” I want to say, “I am a child of God, made in his image, and put on this earth to do good works for which he has prepared for me to do” (ref. Ephesians 2:10). The sobering reality is that I am also influenced by the world telling me who I should be. If I am Caucasian, I should think this way. If I am a Christian, I should vote this way. If I am a male, I should be aware of my privilege. If I am a specific age, I should start thinking about retiring. If I am a psychologist, I must not impose my value system on a patient. Sometimes these voices threaten reprisal if I veer from the “acceptable” viewpoint. These voices exist on a national level as well. Currently, the United States is being torn apart by voices and viewpoints. The name United States of America is itself ironic. You don’t have to be a sociologist to recognize we are anything but united. Some people joke that our name should be changed to the Divided States of America. Is the U.S. suffering an identity crisis? Because if we’re not united, then who are we? Maybe the name was meant to be aspirational rather than descriptive. Did the Founding Fathers put “United” in the name to incentivize the people of a new nation to “live up” to the name? Did the Founding Fathers choose “United” to act as a magnetic force to pull divided people together? We may never know, but we certainly know the price of being “one nation” has been a hard-fought-for identity, often paid for in blood.

Who do you say I am?

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As a psychologist, I am a strong proponent of building one’s identity (and of not allowing the metaphorical “high school principal’s voice” within us to exercise undue influence in formation of our identity). As a Christian, I advocate building our identity firmly on the foundational identity God gives us—an identity his Son fought for and paid for with his own blood. Considering this, we must safeguard the identity God has given us. We must fight to protect it from the influence of alternate voices seeking to mold us into something the secular world would prefer.

I live in California, a state with an alarmingly high homeless population. Many of those living on the street suffer from schizophrenia. You don’t need to be a clinical psychologist to identify someone experiencing the turmoil of hearing voices. They are the disheveled person having a robust conversation with a voice inside their head. Schizophrenia is a debilitating condition.

The world tries to dismantle our God-given identity. The world wants our identity to reflect its values. Criticism by criticism, the world chips away at our divine identity with inferences like, “You’re not enough . . . you also need this!” and “Align with this position or you’ll be canceled.” These voices can be quite intimidating and cause confusion and doubt. So, when we are feeling confused about who we are, it is important to revisit the foundation of our identity. Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). Jesus said that identity is revealed from God the Father. This is as true for you and me as it was for Jesus. In answering the question, “Who am I?” we must first ask, “Who does God the Father say I am?” For our God-given identity keeps us anchored, upright, and stable. Conversely, culture’s voices induce identity anxiety because culture is always changing its mind. To avoid identity anxiety, we must screen cultural voices through the filter of our primary identity, which is “who God says we are.” When we do so, we become grounded again. We are less swayed and confused by culture’s demanding and ever-changing voices.

Some time ago, while on a road trip, I pulled into a fast-food restaurant. As I sat down at an outdoor table, an unkempt guy came and sat at the table next to me. He proceeded to light up a joint and have an intense and animated conversation with someone in his imagination. I initially was irritated he was interrupting my meal with the pungent smell of marijuana. Then a voice inside my head said, “Wes, that could be you. That could be one of your sons. Stop judging the guy and do what Jesus would do!” Guided by that voice, I went and ordered the guy some food and a drink. When I gave the meal to him, he didn’t even acknowledge me. He hungrily devoured the meal, all while carrying on a robust conversation with a person who was not there. He was busy conversing with a voice in his head. But so was I. In my head a voice said, “[Wes,] whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, . . . you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40, The Message). I wish I could say that in every situation, the first voice in my head is the Holy Spirit’s, but that is not always the case. Eventually, the divine voice that tells me who I am and what I am on the planet to do is the voice that gets my attention. The more I listen to his voice, the more gracious I become, and the less I fear being canceled. So, the answer to the question “Who are you?” is simple. You are who God says you are. It is an identity paid for with the blood of Jesus. When this is the foundation of your identity, you can avoid being sidetracked by the voices of the world and get back to doing good and godly work! 

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Identity at Work

Identity Revealed

The White-Jesus Myth The Historical Reality of the ‘Whitewashing’ of Christianity in America and Why It Matters By Jerome Gay Jr.

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On February 15, 1974, the TV show Good Times aired an episode called “Black Jesus.” Good Times featured a strong Black family with loving parents, creative children, and caring neighbors living in a Chicago housing project. The main character in the show was the flamboyant James “J.J.” Evans Jr. with his rousing signature wail, “Dy-no-miiiite!” In this episode, Florida (J.J.’s mother) became terribly upset when Michael (J.J.’s brother) hung J.J.’s painting of a Black Jesus on the wall next to the family’s framed print of a conventional rendering of a White Christ. Michael was amazed by the painting of a Black Jesus, so he took down the painting of White Jesus and declared, “A Black family should have a Black Jesus on the wall.” Upon returning home, Florida noticed the switch immediately. A debate ensued wherein Michael pleaded with his mother to at least allow the painting of Black Jesus to hang next to the picture of White Jesus. “The only Jesus I know is him,” Florida declared, pointing at the painting of White Jesus, “and the one thing he don’t need is a partner. This picture has been in my family since I can remember. When I was a baby,

I don’t know what I saw first: my momma, my poppa, or this Jesus [pointing to White Jesus again]. Now, he’s the one I know and love, so let’s close the subject. If Jesus was Black, the Bible would’ve said so.” “But it does say so,” Michael replied. He grabbed a large Bible and turned to the final book: “The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters” (Revelation 1:14-15, English Standard Version). Florida grabbed the Bible from Michael with a look of disbelief. “Oh, Lord have mercy. It sure do say that, don’t it?” his mother cried. Michael held out the painting of Black Jesus to make comparisons and concluded, “Momma, how do we know Jesus wasn’t Black? He could’ve been from the lost tribe of Israel; they were supposed to be Black.” J.J. ended the segment by saying—in true J.J. fashion— “If ever a people were lost, we’re it.”

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Why Does Jesus’ Race Matter? Florida’s statements highlight how the American church has responded to the idea of a Black Jesus and how proponents of the White-Jesus myth have fought vehemently to perpetuate the Christian faith as almost exclusively influenced by White people. Florida told her son to “close the subject.” Closing the subject—that is, refusing to address the subject of whitewashing— has been an extremely effective tactic in keeping the White-Jesus myth active for centuries.

While the verses from Revelation read by Michael on Good Times had nothing to do with Jesus’ race— but primarily were symbolic of his power and judgment—it’s important to note that Jesus’ race has been a concern for centuries. Particularly, it’s been a concern with the way Christianity has been presented in America. Jesus has been presented as a White man, with White disciples, who will come back surrounded by White angels.

People deploy statements such as “His race doesn’t matter,” “This just takes away from the core message,” “I’m color-blind,” or the all-too-popular, “This is CRT” to close the subject. But “closing the subject” only nurtures the delusion of those who think Jesus was White and those who make an eternal decision to reject him based on this grossly incorrect assertion.

White Jesus is the elephant in the sanctuary who has been comfortably presented as historically accurate in churches, seminaries, and households for far too long. White Jesus is the beneficiary of centuries of whitewashing, and the American church is the victim. In many cases, America has been a willing victim.

When thousands of Black and Brown people are turning away from the faith, in part due to the perpetuation of a White Jesus, we should not close the subject. In essence, whitewashing is an evangelistic issue rather than a racial one. When one community’s contributions are highlighted while another community’s are neglected, we cannot close the subject. When an entire faith is misrepresented, we cannot close the subject.

It’s easy to say Jesus’ race doesn’t matter; it’s too late to say that, however, when inaccurate depictions of him have been circulating and erroneously affirmed for centuries. The omission of the African presence in Scripture and history has millions functionally saying that White Jesus is “the only Jesus I know.” This is a travesty that must not be ignored or dismissed as divisive. What’s divisive is presenting

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religion as early as the fifth century CE, but fought off Arab Muslim invasion in order to maintain an indigenous, Black Christian kingdom that would flourish for a thousand years. It is noteworthy that the “Ethiopian” eunuch mentioned in Acts 8 was likely from Cush, rather than the southern Axumite kingdom of Ethiopia.

The notion that Christianity is the “White man’s religion” is an observation that does not find resonance in biblical or historical reality. Christianity is not a faith that’s “becoming” a global religion; it has been a global religion since Acts 8.

The reality that facts like this aren’t widely known, shared, or taught is another reason why this subject must be broached, and we simply cannot “close the subject.”

What Christ has done through atonement is create a people from all people. He wants to see people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9, ESV). The proclamation of the psalter that “Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God” (Psalm 68:31, ESV) finds unique application in the reality that the descendants of the Cushites—the Nubians— not only embraced Christianity as the national

Why does Jesus’ race matter? This is a good question, a fair question, but in many cases, the wrong question. While Jesus’ race doesn’t hold any weight as it relates to salvation, it does have anthropological and social implications. Rather than simply asking why Jesus’ race matters, we should ask, Why has Jesus and the entire Christian faith been whitewashed? Knowing that Jesus was a Jewish man of color, why have we been bombarded with images depicting him as a blond-haired, blue-eyed, White man? Jesus’ color is an integral part of his ontological being, for he was both human and divine (John 8:58; Colossians 1:15).

nearly every biblical character as White. What’s divisive is presenting the Brown-skinned, Middle Eastern, Jewish Savior as a White man, presenting it as fact, and labeling those who address this lie as troublemaking dissenters and race-baiters. What’s truly divisive is presenting one race of people as the entire representation of the Hebrew nation.

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whitewashing is an evangelistic issue rather than a racial one.

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Why Whitewashing Must Be Confronted

There’s a growing sentiment among people of African descent and people around the globe that Christianity is a Western-created, European-influenced, White-owned religion. While this is historically inaccurate, many have adopted this assertion for legitimate reasons. Church historian Dr. Vince Bantu said, “Christianity has been perverted into a mechanism of tyranny by many Western nations.” The main reason for this growing sentiment is historical and cultural whitewashing; contributing to it is the underemphasized reality that the gospel took firm root in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia long before even an idea of it traveled to the West. To properly present the gospel and the Christian faith accurately, it must be understood that Christianity is not the cultural property of any single racial or ethnic group. On the contrary, it exists for every nation, tribe, and tongue. Because many have been made to feel culturally alienated from the gospel, it is imperative to explore the neglected history of non-Western Christianity. This is one of the many reasons whitewashing must be confronted. Dr. Carl Ellis addressed this in his sociological and historical masterpiece Free at Last when he pointed out how Black militants responded to what he called “White Christianityism,” yet failed to distinguish the difference between the true “Christianity of Christ” and the “Christianity of this land.” Dr. Ellis wrote,

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When Christianity was rejected, secularism and humanism filled the void. Secularism is the belief that human life is independent of God and his revelation and that the sociological struggles of a people transcend all forms of religion. Humanism is the belief that humans are the final judge of all truth. Ironically, both of these are worldviews, with their own belief system and demands for faith. Since this is the essence of religion, secularism and humanism do not transcend religion. They are religions themselves. Not realizing this, the secular militants ended up merely switching from a God-centered faith to a human-centered religion. They were justified in rejecting White Christianity-ism and asserting that we should replace White definitions of us with definitions of our own. So, what exactly is whitewashing? Like much of Christianese, or religious jargon, used in churches all over the world, definitions are essential to understanding, engagement, and transformation. With this in mind, I want you to think of whitewashing beyond political propaganda used by “the left” to divide us (as many would assert), but rather a historical reality that still

affects the way we think about and present the Christian faith. This will help us to explore the concept with a more balanced perspective as we review historical realities that shape how we engage Scripture, humanity, and Christian history. I’m asking you to reject your motivational reasoning (what social scientists call the process of deciding what evidence to accept based on the conclusion one prefers, despite evidence to the contrary). The evidence is clear both spiritually and historically that many races were used in Scripture and Christian history; the evidence also shows that this is not highlighted in churches, seminaries, film, and print. Why? Because whitewashing has been an acceptable norm in America. The dictionary defines whitewashing as an attempt to stop people from finding out the truth about a situation. This is essentially hiding facts to control or even change a narrative. A secondary definition of whitewashing is using White people to represent people of color in film and history. This helps us to understand the version of Christianity that’s been presented for centuries, one void of any significant ethnic diversity.

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So, how do we define whitewashing as it relates to the Christian faith? Here is my attempt: Whitewashed Christianity refers to the affinity of White Christian scholars to dominate Bible teaching, Christian art, literature, and history with White people at the expense of authentic ethnicity and true scholarship in order to resonate most deeply with White audiences, primarily based on their experiences, presuppositions, and worldviews. As inner-city missionary Dr. Ernest Grant says, “Whitewashing occurs institutionally and structurally when the contributions of the African Diaspora to theology, ethics, and culture are largely ignored, and the influence of people groups of European descent are accentuated.” Whitewashing wrongly validates and champions the implicit cultural and historical bias within conservative evangelical communities and bolsters the notion that people of color will remain unequal to our White counterparts, regardless of our credentialing or accomplishment. This doesn’t mean that every White scholar is racist, nor does it mean that every White Christian scholar

was complicit in the historic whitewashing that plagues Christianity in the West today. However, we must not ignore how our White-dominant history has affected how the Christian faith has been presented and propagated, especially in the West. When we look at whitewashing historically, we’ll find that it was dishonest, deliberate, and oftentimes destructive. The primary issue of whitewashing isn’t the inclusion of White people, but rather the exclusion of Black and Brown people. The gospel empowers us to confront these issues with truth and love while simultaneously not making a feature of who we are (i.e., our race) the foundation of who we are. 

Jerome Gay Jr. is the author of The Whitewashing of Christianity: A Hidden Past, a Hurtful Present and a Hopeful Future, from which this article is excerpted. He serves as lead pastor of Vision Church, a nondenominational church in Raleigh, North Carolina. @jerome.g.jr @jeromegay @jeromegay jeromegayjr.com

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH POLITICS IN THE CHURCH? BY BEN CACHIARAS

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Over the last two years I have listened to pastors and witnessed churches across the country share sad stories. They tell of congregations splitting, longtime members leaving, and pastors getting fired. I’ve seen tight-knit small groups blow apart, families feud, and longtime friendships abruptly end. Has this happened primarily because of major scandal in the church or moral failure? Or was it false doctrine—a refusal to recognize the divinity of Christ? Or perhaps a mishandling of Scripture? No. It was politics. We can barely even discuss politics anymore. We polarize over every issue, demonize those with differing viewpoints, and categorize everyone with unkind labels we learn from our favorite news channel. Everyone seems politicked off. And no one is ever wrong; it’s always the other guy—the enemy who is ruining our country, an idiotic fool who must not be tolerated. The only reason some of you are reading this is to see if you agree with me. We’ve long known that those rejecting Christianity —and the trend becomes more acute with each generation—cite our overinvolvement in politics as one of the biggest turnoffs. The perception that we care more about our partisan ideology than biblical theology and have fashioned a Jesus in our own likeness is hard to shake. The world we’re sent to reach with the good news is often seen running the other way, not because they can’t accept the claims of Jesus, but because they can’t swallow the politics of those who claim to follow him. But these days, politics isn’t just driving away the lost, it’s driving wedges among the saved. Perhaps now is a good time to find our balance between spiritual devotion and political fervor. How do we navigate the stormy waters churning around us?

Some Christians are so annoyed and apprehensive they have distanced themselves completely from anything remotely resembling a social issue, convinced it’s better to “plead the Fifth.” I understand this impulse. Who wants to nervously broach thorny subjects only to be misunderstood, misquoted, and mistreated? I don’t want to preach wearing a bulletproof vest. But those who avoid all political discussions and engagement essentially are casting a vote for the status quo. Some churches in the 19th century didn’t speak out against slavery for the same reason. But they actually were supporting slavery, because sometimes “not talking about politics” is very political. Joseph and Daniel held important posts in pagan governments, and we too can work for better treatment of the poor, ending racial inequity, or providing better schools. Seeking to avoid getting dirty in the messiness of the real world does not reflect how Jesus lived and served. When huge issues dominate every news report and conversation, a church that never speaks to those issues or helps its people frame a biblical worldview—whether concerning the election, racial tensions, abortion, immigration, or what have you—is a church teaching a faith that doesn’t apply to our lives. It misunderstands the way Jesus subverted the powers. Avoidance is irrelevance. But there is a monumental difference between Christians being involved in political issues and Christians being identified by their political position. Our larger problem today isn’t that too many Christians are unconcerned with political matters; it’s that too many of us are consumed by them. So, what’s the problem with too much politics in our churches, pulpits, and classrooms?

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IT DISTORTS OUR IDENTITY

IT DIVIDES OUR BODY

Paul said, “for to me, to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). He identified himself as a servant of Christ. His identity was found completely in the Lord Jesus, and he said it’s the same for us.

In John 17, Jesus prayed that we would be one. So, anything that divides us is working against God’s will. The current climate that tells us to make enemies of those who disagree with us drives us apart. And the COVID-19 pandemic only seemed to make matters worse.

We may be persuaded by a political viewpoint. But when it becomes our worldview and shapes our reading of Scripture and view of reality, we can forget we are children of God, set apart, to be holy as God is holy. Are we more confident in our political positions than our identity in Christ? Are you primarily a Republican or Democrat who happens to be a Christian? Or are you primarily a Christian who happens to be a Republican or Democrat? If you believe God has all the same opinions as your political party, you probably are not worshipping God. And your identity has been stolen. My eye doctor told me I had cataracts, but she could put in new lenses to permanently affect how I see everything. Now, when I look at your face, I see you through those lenses. When I look out the windshield, in the mirror, at the TV news channel— everything I see, I see through those lenses. Followers of Jesus have surrendered their eyeballs to the Lord Jesus. We acknowledge sin has clouded our vision and we welcome the new worldview lenses he provides. The mind of Christ dwells in us, and we now are new creatures. The old has gone and the new has come, so “from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view” (2 Corinthians 5:16). Our identity in Christ changes how we see everything and everyone. Unless, that is, we are so caught up in a political ideology that it becomes our primary identity, and we ask the Scriptures and God to bend into its mold. During high school, when I was leaving the house for an evening with friends, my mother would sometimes say, “Remember who you are!” Remember your family name. Remember your identity in Christ. It’s time for us to remember who we are, because Jesus hopes when people look at us, they will see him.

Paul spoke to wildly divergent groups of Jews and Gentiles; he celebrated that, by means of the cross, Christ “has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). Sadly, we have erected new divisive walls of hostility. When we glom together in sociological groups that mirror the political gatherings the world offers, we lose the beautiful diversity that Christ intends for the church and which we will enjoy in heaven. We also lose a tremendous ability to convince anyone that Jesus has power to bring real change to the real world. If the gospel is not powerful enough to break down the dividing walls of hostility between Republican Christians and Democratic Christians, what good is it? If I hang out only with people who agree with me on everything, it seriously impedes my ability to know, love, and value people who are different from me. If my version of the gospel does not include loving my enemies, it’s not Jesus’ gospel. We tribalize and cannibalize the body of Christ when we cling demandingly to our politics. It’s time to remember we are one.

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IF SOME CHRISTIANS WERE AS EXCITED ABOUT THE MISSION OF CHRIST AS THEY ARE ABOUT THEIR POLITICS, WE’D HAVE A REVIVAL.

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IT DESTROYS OUR WITNESS The rise of the “nones” (those who say they have no religious affiliation—the fastest-growing religious group in America) and the “dones” (those who have exited the church, often disillusioned) has ties to this politicizing habit of some Christians. Like it or not, we are viewed by many as being pawns in the hip pocket of the party. The result is a generation with many who want nothing to do with Christianity. The problem isn’t Jesus or Christ’s church. It’s just that people often don’t get exposed to either one because of the political roadblocks unwittingly strewn behind. Jason Price wrote in Christianity Today, “The Christcentered trait that evangelicals most need in the political arena (and on social media) is . . . meekness.” But showing humility on social media in a time of extreme political divisiveness will require us to subordinate our own political passions and rights in order to preserve our witness for Jesus Christ to our unbelieving friends. If, by engaging in (often needless) political debates on social media or in person, your neighbors and friends primarily identify you by your politics, you may have unintentionally lost or severely diminished your Christian witness. The current social climate tends to bring out aggressiveness in people. It is evident among Christians on social media who insist they are right before first weighing whether it is wise or helpful to say it. Can we choose to subordinate our political opinions so we can prioritize our witness? J.D. Greear said, “I might be wrong in my opinion on universal healthcare, or I might be wrong in my opinions on global warming, but I’m not wrong about the gospel, and I don’t want to let my opinions on the former ever keep people from hearing me on the latter. And it means that I show a restraint about talking about certain things that I think I’m right about.” It’s time to remember who is watching and strengthen our witness.

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In City Slickers, the character played by Jack Palance held up a single finger and talked about the one thing that’s important in life. Jesus has given us the one thing that towers above all other priorities: Seek first the kingdom of God. Make disciples of all nations. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. When we get caught up in making everything political, we forget we have much larger priorities. When we dabble in the political realm to a distracting degree, it pulls focus and energy off mission. When I see pastors repeatedly post political pronouncements, I wonder if they realize their political views likely are what they are known for. You can have only one main thing. Why should church leaders refrain from taking a public stance for a candidate or aligning with a party or political position? Because we are weak and timid, afraid of standing up for truth? No. Because we don’t believe Christians should have a political opinion? No. Because we don’t want to lose our taxexempt status? Again, no! Because we hate conflict or can’t stomach debate? No. Because there are no issues of justice important enough to weigh in on? No! The reason churches should not align with a candidate or partisan perspective is because we have been given a much higher calling. And we must not do anything that prevents us from executing our God-given mission. I’m a Christian and a pastor. If I make it clear I’m a “Trump guy” or a “Biden guy,” I have immediately forfeited my ability to represent Christ to anyone who disagrees with me politically. That puts Jesus in the background, and everyone who disagrees with me on the opposing side. I become merely one more droning voice among many, blending in with the news cycle rather than standing out as a proclaimer of God’s good news. Christians aren’t called to have their primary focus on gun rights, border issues, abortion legislation, or even religious freedom. Some will contend, “But

IT DISTRACTS FROM OUR MISSION those things are important!” Yes, they are. I’m not saying they are unimportant, I’m asking, What is your main thing? If some Christians were as excited about the mission of Christ as they are about their politics, we would have a revival. Paul said, “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed” (1 Corinthians 4:1). We are stewards of the mystery. We don’t own it— we just share it. And nothing is to get in the way of this. Only one thing can truly change the world, and that’s Jesus. God has placed the gospel in our hands. We are not free to empty our hands of it to take up another tool. Like it or not, a watching world is largely disgusted with what they believe to be our politics. We must not compromise on the all-important mission Jesus gave us by aligning with the left or right, liberals or conservatives, in a way that sends people on an offramp instead of on the road to Jesus. When someone comes through the doors of your church, they do not need to know where you stand on various issues; they need to know where they stand with Christ. They need Jesus. He is the only source of healing and hope for the people of this country. It’s time to remember the main thing and stay focused on our mission. 

Ben Cachiaras serves as lead pastor at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Maryland.

A Crucial Question for Women in the Church:

Who Are WE? By Osharye Hagood

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A godly woman knows what God says about her and that she does not have to wait until she is thin enough, smart enough, perfect enough, strong enough, or socially accepted enough to add value to the church. A woman needs a place that understands and accepts her inevitable failings along the journey, just as a man does. Jesus learned obedience through suffering, and women will do so as well. We need to experience that the church is not a culture of shame but a family of love, acceptance, and support. Yet, for so many women, this has not been our story. We are often the excluded partners of the faith. Here’s one incident from my life that highlights this truth. Every spring, a large group of my friends, both male and female, would meet for the annual Bible lectureship at Pepperdine University’s beautiful campus in Malibu, California. We would attend different sessions, then gather for lunch, discussions, and debate (mostly the fun kind). It was so invigorating! We would meet again in our suite at night and wrestle with different ideas. One day, seven of us, four women and three men, were headed back to a main session when a young man, a lecturer, stopped us and wanted to hear “our” exegetical thoughts on his take on a certain Scripture. But it turns out he wasn’t asking our entire group . . . he was only asking the men. It was the first time I understood that

I would be privy to but not necessarily invited into the world of theology. My gender played a significant role in whether or not a brother in Christ would look to me for help with a perplexing exegetical Bible question. The young man was kind and socially respectful, but upon finishing with the pleasantries, he straightway turned to a man and asked his question. After my friend answered, the lecturer gestured for a response from another male in our group . . . and then another. I was prepared to offer my perspective of the biblical text, but not once did he look to or gesture toward the women for an answer. Not once. When his conversation (with the men) was completed, he thanked everyone (including the women) and was about to go on his way. I couldn’t believe it. Suddenly, so many uncomfortable moments in my life made sense—it was because I’m a woman. Then I spoke up, “Excuse me, can I ask . . . why didn’t you ask any of the women the question? Do you think we’re incapable of answering an exegetical question? Do only men know the Bible?” He paused as he considered my questions, and then he sincerely apologized. He said, “It was not intentional.” (Even though he asked each man individually.) He also said he would ponder his actions and perspective because this also perplexed him.

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The Worth of Women to the Church That moment was formative. It was painfully disturbing for me. By this time, I had taught Bible studies for years and led and taught weekly in youth ministries, young adult conferences, and women’s conferences. I had formed many discipleship groups and taught many individuals the art and science of hermeneutics. Yet my gender precluded me from sharing my perspective. Occurrences like this are all too common and quite damaging. Women experience this while their children watch. The sons and daughters being nurtured and taught by these women have front-row seats to this practice of disregard. According to Barna’s “Households of Faith” research among practicing Christians, mothers are more likely to provide encouragement, advice, and sympathy to their teenagers than fathers. Teenagers seek out their mothers more often than their fathers to discuss faith, the Bible, and things that bother them. On a variety of metrics, these Christian women appear to be more present in their children’s lives than men. This statistic alone should highlight the need for a paradigm shift.

Educator and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune stated, “The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood.” I would borrow her words and say, “The true worth of the church must be measured by the character of its women.” Bethune also stated, “Next to God we are indebted to women, first for life itself, and then for making it worth living.” What we do or don’t do for, to, and with women in the name of a Holy God is crucial to the church’s fruitfulness. Barna also reported, The average level of church attendance is down for all groups, but the rate of decline is much steeper for women, particularly those in the older age group. In 2003, half of women 35 and older attended church once a week; by 2019, that declined to just three in 10. While attendance has also declined among older men, the decline is far less significant. Women younger than 35 have always been more likely to be weekly attenders, but the rate of decline is similar. In 2019, 26 percent of women under 35 were actively churched, which is five percentage points lower than their older female counterparts. These are staggering numbers.

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Jesus embraced women, who were undoubtedly shamed by the culture, and these same women, the Bible says, financially supported Jesus and his disciples.

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The Worth of Women from God’s Perspective How the church embraces and understands God’s daughters is paramount. We must actively engage her with the essential and powerful truth in which she should be functioning now. Acts 2:17 says, “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (English Standard Version).

God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him. Also, some women were with him. They had been cured from evil spirits and various illnesses. These women were Mary, also called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, whose husband Chusa was Herod’s administrator; Susanna; and many other women. They provided financial support for Jesus and his disciples (Luke 8:1-3, GOD’S WORD Translation).

Since we are in the last days, God has undoubtedly poured out his Spirit on both sons and daughters, and thus we must make room for them both to prophesy. Yet, how can they do this if they’re not asked? How will they if they are not present? How can they if they are not received? How can we, the church, show up for an invisible war if we haven’t trained or allowed training for most of the warriors? The statistics clearly show the church is losing its women. We must never forget we are in a spiritual war and women are among the casualties. For far too long, we have been left on the sidelines.

Jesus embraced women, who were undoubtedly shamed by the culture, and these same women, the Bible says, financially supported Jesus and his disciples. Can you imagine how many more women followed Jesus because of that? These women were supported and accepted by Jesus and clearly, in response, they supported him. Jesus valued women beyond cultural stereotypes and limitations.

Look at who Jesus allowed to travel with him. Jesus traveled from one city and village to another. He spread the Good News about

Can you imagine what these women learned? Can you imagine how they spoke with their children about God? Also, imagine their ability to answer the challenging, complex, and perplexing questions that everyone likely had. Do you think Jesus only taught them how to tithe, or do you think Jesus taught them the whole counsel of God?

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The Worth of Women in the Church Let’s transition to today: Is the church intentionally creating opportunities for women? Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13). Women, not just men, have a wealth of gifts that are not being used in the church. Woman does not exclusively mean mother, cook, wife, and friend. The church must see that woman also means prophet, teacher, leader, influencer, CEO, publicist, doctor, financier, learner, professor, and more. Until the church sees, understands, and appreciates this, the growth of the church will be inhibited. The world is providing opportunities for women to give, care, love, support, belong, and heal, but many of our churches only provide places for women to sit. Is that who we are? Many women are abandoning the pursuit of motherhood in exchange for the pursuit of professional success. If the church would help, I believe, women wouldn’t have to choose. If women found significance, self-worth, and value in the church, I believe it could change everything. Paul told Timothy, “I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your

sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:4-5). Paul saw the significance of Lois and Eunice in the life of Timothy. Do we see the significance of female influence in the church leaders around us? Some Christian traditions view Mary Magdalene as an “apostle to the apostles.” Certainly, Jesus sent her to the apostles to tell them about the resurrection (John 20:17-18). Luke relied heavily on the testimony of women in writing both Luke and Acts. Please hear me: until women see themselves in significant ways in the church, they cannot see themselves as significant to the church. Jesus saw this, yet somehow, we often seem blind to it. As more women make history and find their significance outside the church, we must ask ourselves a question: Who are we? Here’s my answer. We are among those who will shout, “Here am I, send me.” Who are we? We are the ones who will equip, prepare, and promote our women. Who are we? We are the ones who recognize that biblical literacy also rests in the minds of women. Who are we? We are those who understand that the influence of women is crucial to the success of the church and the world. Who are we? We are the ones who have been entrusted with the words and the ways of Jesus. That’s what I say, but this is a question each of us must ask and answer. Who are we?  Osharye Hagood serves as women’s director at University Christian Church in Los Angeles, California. She has also been leading people and coaching couples as a spiritual director and life coach for over 25 years.

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Ethnic Identity and the Multiethnic Church By Tokishia Dockery-Ragland

I believe ethnicity should be acknowledged and that ethnicity does play a part in our faith. MerriamWebster defines ethnicity as “ethnic quality or affiliation” and ethnic as “of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background.” These definitions delineate us all. We all are affiliated with a class of people with whom we share commonalities, such as race, a nation, religious background, language, and social culture. All of these factors shape our identities as people, our faith, and our beliefs. So, by default, our ethnicity is a part of our faith. It’s out of our control. Faith, meanwhile, is defined as “belief and trust in and loyalty to God” and “belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion.” We express our faith in a variety of ways based to our ethnic background. Denominations have been birthed from our ethnicities; the historical struggles of a nation or race of people contribute to our faith in God. For instance, an immigrant with a strong faith might sacrifice everything and venture out on a dangerous journey believing God will shield and protect them as they seek a better life for their family. Ensuing generations of that family will pass down stories and lessons about faith and prayer moving mountains and sustaining them through tough times. Seeds of faith will be planted and replanted through generations.

hat part should one’s ethnicity play in their faith? Or should it play any role at all?

These are huge resounding questions for me, especially over the past 20 years, during which I’ve served or been a part of three multiethnic churches (and been part of multiethnic ministry staffs). But these questions certainly are not new. If we’re honest, these questions, this discussion, predates us all.

Enslaved people, conversely, might also have been taught to have faith, but despite their belief and prayers, they endured captivity and torture. This group will have opposing lessons to pass on. The many variables that make up the recipe of our ethnicity affect our faith, producing different churches and denominations, and nonidentical levels of faith. How can so many church congregations produce so many different followers—all with differing ideas of faith—that all cloak themselves with the cape of “Christian”?

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How Does Ethnicity Affect Faith?

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What Are the Distinctives of Multiethnic Churches? What is the “multiethnic church,” and what sets it apart? The multiethnic church recognizes and celebrates ethnic diversity in its attendees, and seeks to bridge—not erase—the gaps that make us multiethnic. The multiethnic church accepts everyone as they are, wherever they are in their faith, and it strives to unite everyone through the gospel. This is not to say multiethnic churches look past diversity or sugarcoat it—it’s the exact opposite! The multiethnic church recognizes our differences, celebrates them, creates safe spaces to learn from one another, and accepts one another the same way Christ loves and accepts each of us. Christ accepts us in our messiness, he approaches us at the well and he heals us when everyone else shuns us. Christ even laid down his life for us. Christ embodies the multiethnic church. One can look at the entire ministry of Jesus and see, through his choice of people, that he sought to disciple and help a diverse— maybe even controversial—group of followers. Jesus wants us to be one in our belief of him and in God the Father who sent him. So, in him, through his gospel, the multiethnic church strives to unite us in faith, in our love of our Father God. Jesus prayed that his followers “may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me— so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23). So where does that leave churches who look around and recognize that their community of believers is not multiethnic? Does it mean they are lacking in faith? No. The composition of their church might accurately reflect their area or region. If, however, the church makeup is a direct result of discriminatory thinking, biased teaching, or certain ethnicities being welcomed in a less than friendly manner, then there clearly is a problem and the church is failing in its role as the bride of Christ. Instead, it is an exclusive social club disguised as a community of Christ believers.

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Christ embodies the multiethnic church. One can look at the entire ministry of Jesus and see, through his choice of people, that he sought to disciple and help a diverse—maybe even controversial—group of followers.

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What Can Single-Ethnic Churches Do? So, what do we do? Look around on Sunday morning and ask yourself, “Am I a part of a diverse community of believers?” If the answer is no, ask yourself—and the leaders of your church—why. Is this intentional, unconscious, generational, or traditional exclusion? Or perhaps it isn’t exclusion at all! Maybe you’re inviting people to church, but they aren’t showing up or they aren’t returning. What then? I suggest you look even further. Is your worship music diverse? Are the sermons relevant to more than one group of people? If not, then the interpretation or personal-driven emphasis placed on that day’s Scripture or lesson could well indicate bias and exclusivity. Is the staff or leadership diverse? Some church bodies adamantly claim to be diverse and multiethnic, yet there is no diversity among those in leadership roles. Church leaders effectively are saying to the congregation (and anyone else who walks through the doors), “We accept you as an attendee and even as a member or partner, which clearly makes us multiethnic and diverse—but that is where we draw the line!” The key point is this: many factors may need to be addressed. Examine whether you are “doing life” only with people who look like you. Don’t just strive to live a life that is reflective of whom Christ calls you to be, but actually live it out. Step into loving people who don’t look like you and don’t live in your neighborhood, or don’t vote like you, or have the same background and alma mater as you. When you do this, then inviting a person to your church community will be a natural act and less of an unnatural recruitment. Those around you will begin to see the reflection of Christ in you, and because of you, they will seek to draw nearer to him. Any church that desires to be multiethnic should take a multiethnic approach to everything they do as a church community. In short, be Christlike in all your ways!  Tokishia Dockery-Ragland serves as children’s director at Relentless Church in Garner, North Carolina.

the growing influence of glowing rectangles HELP YOUR CHILDREN USE TECH WISELY AND LIMIT THE DANGERS By Clayton Hentzel

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As parents and leaders, we grew accustomed to having multiple conversations about technology over an extended period because advances came at us slowly and in stages. During my growing-up years, a technological advancement was getting a long phone cord that could reach all the way down the hall. Over time, there was call waiting (for some of us), maybe even a separate phone line. Each of those moves involved separate family conversations. Then there were TV-related and gaming console conversations. “Can I have a TV in my room?” “When are we going to get cable?” “Will we have access to all the shows and content?” “Can we get Super Nintendo? . . . Sega Genesis? . . . Sony PlayStation? . . . N64?” Of course, we also asked about the hand-held Game Boy.

station. Now they are readily available online or sent directly to their phone. Still, I will admit, these glowing rectangles improve our lives on many fronts. In a single evening, we can learn much about any area of life we wish. Deepdive research is no longer limited to libraries or your grandparents’ Encyclopedia Britannica. Our ability to connect with those far away has never been easier. Receiving text messages from the hospital during my dad’s recent heart surgery, and my sweet FaceTime call with him while he was in recovery, were precious gifts from Silicon Valley. Like I said, technology is complicated. Jesus offered a perfect illustration of what it is like trying to lead through change when he told John’s disciples,

Then there were conversations about computers and eventually the internet. Parents didn’t have to worry about you sneaking onto the internet because the dial-up sound was so awful. (If you know, you know.)

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:16-17).

These days, however, when we hand our kids a smartphone, we give them all these things and more. Our kids now hold in their hands a phone, a messaging device, the internet, email, cable, camera, VCR, gaming device, etc.

In other words, the new patch of technology will not work if we try to use our mom and dad’s parenting style. The newness of technology will burst old parenting techniques. Too much has changed and too much is at stake. We need new methods.

There was a time when kids were isolated from the craziness we saw coming from the East and West Coasts. (I live in the Midwest.) It was easier to protect the purity of children because many impure things were out of reach. The impure things were in the back of a video rental store or behind the register at the gas

Our desires as parents may be the same, and our principles may be the same, but our methods and approach must be drastically different and kingdom focused. Here are three places to start.

Technology is complicated. No, I’m not referring to the challenges of remembering passwords or helping your parents log on to Netflix. Rather, I’m stating that technology is evolving faster than we can process. And, like most parents, I get frustrated at how much of my kids’ lives are consumed by glowing rectangles.

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DO A HEART CHECK God gives us clear instruction how we are to live and how we are to parent our kids. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). We must commit ourselves to guarding our hearts and the hearts of our kids. There is too much at stake. I hear parents regularly talk about their frustrations with social media. There is plenty to frustrate us. A simple Google search reveals the brutal statistics on the links between social media and depression, anxiety, and self-harm. Since the introduction of smartphones, there has been a 65 percent increase in the suicide rate among 8th- to 12th-grade girls. A survey of 1,500 teens and young adults by UK’s Royal Society for Public Health found that Instagram and other social networks are associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Kids with smartphones are sleeping one hour less at night than their peers who do not go to bed with their phones. Almost two-thirds of teenagers (62 percent) say they have received a nude image on their phone, and 40 percent say they have sent one. Furthermore, smartphone and computer users are targeted by algorithms designed to keep our attention and keep us online. An algorithm notices how long you pause on certain pictures, videos, and

posts. Even if you don’t click on it, it notices how long you linger. Then it sends you similar content. A pastor recently lamented on Twitter that his TikTok feed was nothing but an endless stream of indecently dressed women dancing, and he told his followers to watch out for this evil. He received lots of praise and agreement from his followers until someone pointed out to him that TikTok is an algorithm. The reason his feed was full of these videos was because that was what he was watching . . . or at least lingering on. This algorithm impresses upon us that the whole world is doing the same thing, because that is all we end up seeing. That is why people get caught up in conspiracy theories or continually get more and more convinced of their position on issues. It is why your kids can find themselves pressured to experiment sexually and with drugs. It is a reason kids ended up eating Tide pods.

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TAKE A TIME CHECK Paul warned us, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Another reason glowing rectangles are complicated is because they are a time trap. Algorithms are designed to do that—keep you online. Time is one of the most important factors in your child’s development. I heard these six statements about time many years ago, and I have never forgotten them (though I have forgotten the person whom I should credit). They hit me hard. Time over Time Is History. If you lose time with your child, you won’t have the history necessary to be a consultant in their future. Love over Time Is Worth. If you lose time with your child, your child will not have a true sense of their worth. They will not see themselves through your eyes or through God’s eyes. Love is most powerful over the long haul, not in grandiose moments. The Use of Words over Time Is Direction. If you lose time with your child, you will not be able to guide them when you are no longer in control. The Telling of Stories over Time Is Perspective. If you lose time with your child, you lose the ability

to help them see the bigger picture. They will see your words as controlling instead of wise counsel. Tribe over Time Is Belonging. The longer your child spends within your circle of influence, the greater sense of belonging they will have. They will spend more time trying to impress you instead of trying to impress unnamed faceless people online. Children who have a strong sense of belonging with their parents will not spend so much time trying to fit in with people who are not so interested in their well-being. Fun over Time Is Connection. If you don’t have time for your kids, you will not have fun with them—and “fun” is the language of kids. If you do not have fun with your kids, you will not have a deep and meaningful connection with them. You must make time for memories. Lots and lots of planned and spontaneous memories.

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Every parent I talk to wants their kids to put down their phones and go outside and have fun. Well, take a wild guess what kids want their parents to do. They want them to put down their phone, close their iPad, shut down their computer, and go outside with them.

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PERFORM A GUT CHECK Glowing rectangles are the major complicating factor for individuals as they seek to carve out their identity in the age of social media. Everyone thinks everyone else is the problem. “Other people” are posting stupid things. “Other people” are online too much. It’s time for a gut check. As you read this, were you thinking about how you are impacted by social media and technology, or were you thinking about your spouse and kids? Every parent I talk to wants their kids to put down their phones and go outside and have fun. Well, take a wild guess what kids want their parents to do. They want them to put down their phone, close their iPad, shut down their computer, and go outside with them. Everyone thinks everyone else is the problem. Maybe it is time for us to identify our role in the chaos. Are we online so much that our time in the Word and in prayer are diminished? Do we waste valuable hours that we could invest in our health or in the development of others because we are drawn into a night of endless watching, scrolling, and posting? Do we stay up later, have less time for sleep, get more tired, and expend less grace to those who need and deserve our very best? My family has started having technology-free nights. We shut off technology from 6 to 8 a couple nights a month. We cook a meal, sit around the table, laugh, and play board games. We walk with the dog I hate and wrestle on the floor. Do you know what my kids keep asking for? “Can we have another no-technology night?” Try it a couple of times and see if you come to the same conclusion. Even if you don’t, I’m guessing you won’t regret it. 

Clayton Hentzel serves as lead pastor at The Crossing, a multisite church with 11 campuses in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.

The Ministry of Being Misunderstood BY EMILY RICHARDSON

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You’re not that great. I apologize if that’s a blunt way to start, but I think it needs to be said. If it makes you feel any better, I’m not that great either. If you know Jesus, it shouldn’t hurt to hear the brutal truth that you’re not that great. It should make you laugh, because much of Scripture highlights human sin and depravity and mess. Yet somehow, we still often buy into the lie that who we are and what people think about us is of utmost importance, that our identity is constantly on the line. But is it?

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OUR HARD LESSONS My husband is a pastor. He took over the lead position at our church a little over two years ago, and one of the biggest lessons we’ve had to learn is to stop caring about what others think of us. This should be obvious, right? A pastor and his wife should be humble. We’re supposed to know our ministry has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Jesus. Ah, but my husband and I also found out we’re as human as the rest. Bummer. We learned this most deeply when we recently went through a season of ministry that rocked us and our sense of identity. A group of people we loved left our church over a difficult staff choice we had to make. Try as we might to take all the right actions with all the best intentions, we were continually misunderstood. We were slandered and accused of toxic leadership; we were called out, and people demanded we be

held accountable for things that never happened or things that were twisted to look like something else. We lost friendships and, along with them, our good reputation. I don’t think I fully understood the meaning of indignant until this season, when suddenly it became the emotion I felt for months on end. We tried never to get defensive, though that was difficult. We prayed probably more than we ever have as a couple. We were on the brink of walking away from ministry completely more than once. But then we came up with a phrase that stuck, and it has been a weird little lifeboat we affectionately call “The Ministry of Being Misunderstood.” It doesn’t matter whether you and I work in a church or elsewhere, we all have a ministry because Christ calls us to minister and preach the gospel

to those around us. A CEO might be called to minister to their employees. A stay-at-home mom might be called to minister to her children. But no matter how sincerely you minister and preach the gospel, at some point you will be misunderstood. You can have the best intentions and take the correct biblical actions, but at some point a person or group will take offense to something you do or say. Those people might even turn on you and slander your character, based on their misunderstanding of your actions and intentions. This is the hard part. Ministry is not just being willing to serve with the best intentions—to truly love the people put in front of us—ministry is also being willing to do those things while simultaneously being misunderstood. Ministry is being willing to put your idea of identity to the side to take on the identity of Christ and follow his example.

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JESUS’ PERFECT EXAMPLE Jesus was perfect, so he had the right to feel indignant and defend himself when people misunderstood who he was and why he came, yet he never did because he knew his identity came from his Father. Jesus, who came to love and save his people, was misunderstood to the point of death on a cross. Look at Matthew 26:57-68. Jesus was arrested and brought before Caiaphas the high priest and the rest of the council. He was bound. As these men accused him, Caiaphas stood and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” (v. 62). Jesus had every right to defend himself, to clear things up, and even to reprimand these men for their misunderstandings and slander of his character. “But Jesus remained silent” (v. 63). Jesus knew he should not defend his character in this moment. He knew his identity came from his Father. He also knew that arguing with his accusers in this

moment was not God’s will, for Jesus knew he was to be crucified for us, and that meant letting the misunderstandings and slander slide. How agonizing would that be to endure? To have a chance to defend oneself and choose silence? Most of us mere humans would never make it through without a snappy comeback. Caiaphas then asked Jesus if he was the Messiah, and Jesus’ responded yes. This is important, because after the silence, Jesus did speak. He spoke truth. And yet, these words were what condemned him. The high priest’s reaction was to call for Jesus’ death, and those gathered spit in Jesus’ face and struck him. Silence did not satisfy the chief priests and whole Sanhedrin, and neither did words of truth. They wanted to hear only what they wanted to hear, and nothing Jesus said or did was going to sway them. In fact, the truth brought a wicked response.

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This is the hard part.

Ministry is not just being willing to serve with the best intentions—to truly love the people put in front of us—ministry is also being willing to do those things while simultaneously being misunderstood. Ministry is being willing to put your idea of identity to the side to take on the identity of Christ and follow his example.

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YOUR SERVANT’S HEART This is why it’s important to find your identity in Christ. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (English Standard Version). When your identity is “pastor” or “mom,” then anyone who hinders that is going to offend you, and you will strive to change their mind. But when your identity is “in Christ,” your sole focus is sharing Christ’s gospel, regardless of how it makes you appear to those around you. It’s not about you anymore. You’re not loosely associated with Christ; you are in Christ. When you know who you are and whose you are, you stop focusing on what people say about your character, even when they spread falsehoods. If you actively seek Jesus and his way for your life, if he is the sole source of your identity, then you can overcome mistakes because you know those mistakes are not your identity. On the other hand, even when you make all the right choices, if your identity is in Christ, your pride won’t

grow in how well you live your life, but in how well Christ lived his so that you also could live. We went through the ringer in that season of ministry, and unfortunately, we learned that many people just refused to see the good in us (though we tried to prove we were “good”). But honestly, we’re just not that great. In some ways, they were right. We fall below the standard daily. We sin. We mess up. Yet these simple facts were just one more thing that brought us peace because we realized that Jesus was perfect, and he also was misunderstood. We don’t need to strive to show others our good character. We simply need to live it and find our satisfaction in the God who sees us and loves us and knows our hearts. Our identity should be so wrapped up in pleasing him that pleasing people goes out the window. I know that somewhere inside each of us is likely a desire to people-please— to be seen as important, competent, and relevant. We might “humbly” try to dismiss these feelings, but if we are honest with ourselves, we can admit it’s in there somewhere.

No shame from me, friend. Again, I’m not that great either. Clinging to other people’s ideas of our identity is toxic. It leads to leaders who don’t stand firm in their convictions because they’re too busy molding their convictions to those around them. We need to cling to Christ and walk confidently in this ministry of being misunderstood. This means having a servant’s heart, even when we feel indignant, because we know that people’s perception of our character is not the ultimate fulfillment of who we are. If our identity is rooted in Christ, then our identity is never on the line. We are simply to walk in God’s will, and if we do that, we are to shake the dust off our feet when others refuse to follow. 

Emily Richardson is married to her best friend, Matt. She's a stay-at-home/homeschool mom to their two children. She is incredibly passionate about teaching biblical literacy through her writing and working with the women in her church. She co-hosts The Bold Movement's Talk Bible to Me podcast for the purpose of training women how to study and understand Scripture. In her more restful times, you’ll find her in a cozy corner with a good book and a coffee.

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WHEN STORIES COLLIDE HOW CRT ADDRESSES IDENTITY . . . AND ULTIMATELY FALLS SHORT OF JESUS’ ANSWER BY MATTHEW M c BIRTH My grandad is from the South. While my dad grew up during the Civil Rights Movement decades of the 1950s to 1960s, Grandad was raised during the age of Jim Crow. I have a vivid memory of watching a home video of Dad and Grandad visiting Grandad’s childhood community in the rural South during midsummer. While watching the highlights of the trip, the video showed Grandad next to a massive field covered in white. Upon seeing this, preteen Matthew (me) said aloud, “Wow, it snowed while y’all were there?” With a slight chuckle, Dad responded, “No, that’s cotton.” That conversation was seared into my memory as Dad mentioned the softness of the cotton and the vastness of the field.

My grandad is from the South. While my dad grew up during the Civil Rights Movement decades of the 1950s to 1960s, Grandad was raised during the age of Jim Crow. I have a vivid memory of watching a home video of Dad and Grandad visiting Grandad’s childhood community in the rural South during midsummer. While watching the highlights of the trip, the video showed Grandad next to a massive field covered in white. Upon seeing this, preteen Matthew (me) said aloud, “Wow, it snowed while y’all were there?” With a slight chuckle, Dad responded, “No, that’s cotton.” That conversation was seared into my memory as Dad mentioned the softness of the cotton and the vastness of the field.

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THE CONFLICT OF TWO STORIES

CRT’S CONFLICT RESOLUTION

In my mind, the image engendered history that took place throughout the country. I thought about what life was like for Dad growing up as a black teenager in the urban South and what life was like for Grandad growing up during the reign of Jim Crow. But I also considered what life was like for so many people during and before those times. This history is part of who I am. These stories—the bad and blessings included—are part of my story.

I want to explain critical race theory (CRT) concisely, how it addresses identity, and how, albeit helpful in a sense, it ultimately falls short of Jesus’ answer. But, I want to make two statements before doing so.

On the day I was baptized, I accepted an invitation to be part of another story—the story of God, through Christ, redeeming and reconciling creation to himself. However, a conflict occurred upon entering this story. Within one person, and one church, there now exist multiple stories. Let’s call the first set of stories “ethnic history” and the second story “the gospel.” Herein lies the tension: How are Christians supposed to view ourselves regarding our ethnic history? This question, I’ve noticed, is answered vaguely; it often involves quoting Galatians 3:28 (“There is neither Jew nor Greek . . .”) or saying something like that—out of context—and then ending the conversation. We need to recognize one of the unfortunate ramifications of not letting the text win in this conversation on ethnic and Christian identity. Namely, another option claims to have the answer to this question, and this option has become so notorious that most people know it by its acronym: CRT.

First, the debate on CRT is not a superhero movie. Superhero movies are simple: the plot is discernable and it’s easy to identify the heroes and villains. Our conversations on CRT should not be treated this way. We should not label people as either heroes or villains based on where they stand on CRT. The gospel tells us that there is only one hero (Jesus) and there really is only one team of villains (sin, death, Satan). Second, I’m not here to totally affirm or denounce CRT. With this said, how in the world is this acronym causing so many not-sopeaceful debates? CRT originated in the late 1970s/early 1980s as a response to the persistent racial inequality in the United States, primarily in areas of society that could benefit or harm an individual or community (e.g., education, housing, job market). Legal scholars decided to use their discipline to ask and answer the question of how—even after passage of Civil Rights legislation—racial inequality could persist.

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CRT contends that a system of racial inequality persists, despite the fact that the racially discriminatory laws that gave birth to that system have been ruled unconstitutional. Due to centuries of legislated racial discrimination, the U.S. is a society wherein the majority of one race (Caucasians) receives an overabundance of wealth and access to social benefits, while the majority of racial minorities (non-Caucasians) receive an inequitable amount of these social benefits. The removal of such overtly racist laws—though undeniably beneficial—cannot alone change the inequitable environment because we still must live with the harmful consequences of centuries of such laws.

systemic racism and intentional work toward the demarginalization of racial minorities.

CRT’s solutions to this problem are diverse, but they all share two commonalities: (1) the idea that racism is persistent and pervasive in the post-Civil Rights era because racism is a part of our nation’s DNA and (2) the resolve that the only way to bring racial equity is to construct new racially conscious laws and procedures that will socially benefit the racially marginalized.

Acts 6:1 says, “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” The New Testament church struggled with treating every ethnic group fairly, but Luke tells us the Twelve responded to this ethnic tension not by saying, “Hey, we’re all Christians, don’t make this an ethnic thing.” Instead, they acknowledged it as ethnic discrimination and responded by designating leaders to fix it. CRT reminds Christians that the way to deal with ethnic inequality is not by overlooking ethnic distinctions but by acknowledging that differences can lead to injustices.

CRT has developed streams into the area of education. It must be stated, however, that “critical race theory” as a subject is not being taught in schools (unless you are taking a class on law); instead, two common components of CRT are being taught. This normally looks like the pedagogical recognition of

So, how are Christians supposed to view one another with regard to ethnic and Christian identities? CRT’s answer is that our ethnic history and the gospel are to coexist without the latter compromising the former. Therefore, we are to see ourselves as Black Christians, White Christians, and Brown Christians, where race is primary. I appreciate this approach in at least one way: it reminds us that inequality can exist even within the church due to ethnic/racial distinctions. However, I don’t think this observation originates with CRT.

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RACISM AS TOO DEEPLY INGRAINED IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO OVERCOME, JESUS SHOWS US THAT HE CAN BRING LIFE OUT OF DEATH, PEACE OUT OF CHAOS, JOY OUT OF SORROW.

INSTEAD OF SEEING

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THE GOSPEL’S CONFLICT RESOLUTION Yet, I don’t believe CRT is offering something new to Bible-reading Christians when it comes to the idea of acknowledging ethnic distinctions and history. An overwhelming number of passages show that God’s family isn’t “colorblind.” In fact, Scripture seems to highlight and celebrate the ethnic distinctions that are physically present in the church (e.g., Matthew 25:35; Luke 10:29-37; John 4:1-39; Acts 13:1; 17:22-32; Ephesians 2–3; Revelation 7:9). We must read Scripture in light of Scripture, which includes reading Galatians 3:28 within its own context (which is an argument against cultural uniformity) and in light of the above references. To think that Paul was stating that our ethnic stories are annihilated in the waters of baptism contradicts the rest of the New Testament and would contradict Paul’s own practice of becoming Jewish to win the Jews and Greek to win the Gentiles so that we might all share in the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). As a college freshman, I worked a phone-athon to help raise money for a nonprofit. I always looked forward to work. The job provided snacks, I worked with friends, we got breaks, and the nonprofit provided the nectar of energy called coffee. When I started there, I had never had coffee. So, one night, I headed over to the pot of already-brewed coffee. My colleagues—seasoned coffee drinkers— watched as I poured some coffee into a cup, filling it less than halfway. I then reached for

the creamer and poured it until the cup was almost full. I then emptied several packets of sugar into the cup and stirred it all together. Before I could take a sip, one of my peers asked, “Got enough coffee for your cream and sugar?” That first “cup of coffee” didn’t taste like coffee at all. The creamer practically consumed the distinct taste of the coffee. The Bible doesn’t deal with a Christian’s ethnic history this way. The gospel doesn’t become like the creamer in my example and gobble up the distinct ethnic flavor and stories of Christians. The two can coexist without one annihilating the other. However, this is when CRT ceases to be helpful with regard to identity, and here’s the reason: CRT desires for racial history to be left uncompromised by the gospel. This often leads to pessimism and further division. Scripture, however, offers us a better solution. Jesus is in the business of redemption. Every person and everything Jesus encounters is transformed: the leper, the deceased, the sick, the lame, the mute. Even death was transformed by Jesus. I believe the gospel of Jesus is powerful enough to do the same with our identities. When Jesus encounters our ethnic history, he doesn’t annihilate it (colorblindness), but neither does he allow those stories to have equal say in who we are (the CRT approach). The gospel redeems the ethnic history. Instead of seeing racism as too deeply ingrained in our communities to overcome, Jesus shows us that

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he can bring life out of death, peace out of chaos, joy out of sorrow. So, what becomes of our distinct ethnicities? The gospel says the church is a family of people who have been wholly redeemed by Christ—and that includes our ethnicities. We are, therefore, Christians from different ethnic stories who are all being redeemed by Christ.

person I am today?” The story of the gospel tells us we don’t have to forget it, but we must let Jesus reign over and redeem it so it is put in its proper place. If Jesus can reign over and even transform death’s effects on creation, I’m sure he is powerful and gracious enough to do the same for our identities. 

I am not a “bi-ethnic” Christian, because in that sense my ethnicity is left untouched by Jesus. If true, the story of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, hate crimes, and inequality would remain unredeemed. Instead, I am a Christian who was born into a bi-ethnic family with a lot of painful and beautiful history. In this sense, I proclaim that Jesus is making all things new, including our history of progress and pain. By the amazing grace of God, I see those who are ethnically different from me not solely or firstly based on their ethnicity, but as sisters and brothers in Christ with different stories who are also being redeemed. In Christ, we can have unity (John 17) amid celebrated distinctions and not feel the extra-biblical view to have uniformity. As I think back to that image of my grandfather in the cotton field, I consider all the ethnic heritage that comes with being born into this family and culture. And I wonder, “How can I forget all that history that makes me the

Matthew McBirth serves as director of diversity at Ozark Christian College in order to raise up servant leaders who love, honor, embrace, and encourage ethnic and cultural diversity for the sake of the gospel. @matthew.mcbirth @MatthewMcBirth

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ALLIES

By Renee Little with Marshall Mead and Daryl Reed

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I sit through long meetings to review and approve loans twice each month. We review financials, discuss property location and value, and debate ratios of risk in order to decide whether to approve funding. As a lending institution, due diligence is required, but as lovers of Jesus, we have an even larger responsibility to review and discuss doctrine, leadership, and church direction. We are more than a lender; we are, in fact, a ministry partner. Our mission is to honor God, and the best way to honor him is not just to help his church grow but to ensure a particular church is aligned with God’s design for it. We prioritize being an ally to Restoration Movement Christian churches first while, of course, following all financial rules and regulations. Independent Christian churches often are Restoration Movement churches but do not even know it. Other churches might be very similar to Restoration churches, and we covet the conversations we are privileged to have with them about small changes they can make to become more like the church described in the New Testament. One change, for example, is to offer weekly Communion instead of monthly. The veteran ministers who serve on our field team are not salesmen; rather, they are Restoration experts who help restore the church to how God designed it. They support the church by connecting church leaders with other church leaders; they become friends and accountability partners through covenant groups. These men show up to celebrate wins, of course, but even more so they ally with church leaders to help fight battles in the trenches. Church leaders can count on them. Most people love restoration. It could involve restoring antique furniture or a classic car, restoring a church to its original design, or restoring a human heart to its creator. Whatever the case, restoration is the story line we all innately seek. I am continuing to learn about the Restoration Movement’s depth and breadth, and

how it “never ceases” and “always reaches.” Whether they are Christian Churches, Churches of Christ, African American Churches of Christ, or churches with other names, we can be reasonably sure they are Restoration Movement churches if their leaders attended schools like Ozark Christian College or Boise Bible College. Then there are other church leaders we meet, such as people serving with the International Churches of Christ. And most importantly, there are churches we are restoring—churches that thought they were alone or churches that can be led to make small yet powerful changes to restore their church to God’s design—and churches that are just being planted. Christian Standard has compiled a booklet titled “What Kind of Church Is This” which describes distinctive features of our churches. (It can be purchased by going to www.ChristianStandard.com and clicking on the “View More” button under “Digital Resources.”) Defining any movement is difficult if not impossible. The Bible, thankfully, defines the nonnegotiables for us. We are then left with a choice. Gray areas can sometimes be interpreted differently, which can lead to discussions among leaders. I encourage you to read “What Kind of Church Is This?”; perhaps use it in your membership classes or leadership training sessions. Determine whether your church is part of a larger movement; seek allies with whom your church is aligned. In the nondenominational realm, true allies are hard to find . . . which is even more reason you should find them. Marshall Mead and Daryl Reed are two allies of the Restoration Movement. I’ve asked each of them to share their story, and I encourage you to consider becoming their ally.

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