Monday's Meditation: Riotous Faith
Monday, June 20, 2011 at 11:20AM  |
| From: "La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc" |
It’s a worthy meditation for the week, and altogether appropriate for a Monday-mood: what is threatening about my faith? Acts chapter 19 details the story of Paul’s three years in Ephesus. During that time Paul took off his apostle robe and wore instead the garb of a pastor. Under his direction the church in Ephesus impacted the city socially and economically as well as spiritually. There was plenty at stake. Ephesus was no small city. The growing Christian community began to change the behavior patterns associated with the town--think of New Orleans gaining a new reputation as the city of holy living.
When their way of life was threatened the ruling powers in Ephesus manifested violence and anger toward Jesus and his followers. In fact, Ephesus was not the exception: consider Jerusalem, Thessalonica, Berea, or Rome.
Do I have riotous faith? Do we? Is there anything about the way we follow Jesus capable of threatening those around us?
- Does our faith threaten our family?
- Does our faith threaten the economy?
- Does our faith threaten the powers and principalities about us?
I have no death wish. Believe me. I’m also allergic to pain because, well, pain hurts. Yet today’s meditation is about the kind of faith that leads to pain, or even death. It's about beligerent faith.
Finally, consider this worship song from the house churches in China. When our Chinese brothers and sisters gather, this is one of the songs they sing:
To be a martyr for the Lord, to be a martyr for the Lord
I am willing to die gloriously for the Lord
Those apostles who loved the Lord to the end
Willingly followed the Lord down the path of suffering
John was exiled to the lonely isle of Patmos
Stephen was stoned to death by an angry crowd
Matthew was stabbed to death in Persia by a mob
Mark died as horses pulled his two legs apart
Doctor Luke was cruelly hanged
Peter, Philip and Simon were crucified on a cross
Bartholoew was skinned alive by the heathen
Thomas died in India as five horses pulled his body apart
The apostle James was beheaded by King Herod
Little James was cut in half by a sharp saw
James the brother of the Lord was stoned to death
Judas was tied to a pillar and shot by arrows
Matthias had his head cut off in Jerusalem
Paul was a martyr under Emperor Nero
I am willing to take up the cross and go forward
To follow the apostles down the road to sacrifice
That tens of thousands of precious souls can be saved
I am willing to leave all and be a martyr for the Lord.
Perhaps we could sing with our Asian brothers and sisters? Imagine using those lyrics as an act of worship!
Reader Comments (8)
that's some ugly worship
Thanks, Caleb. I know you're too polite to plug your new website here, so let me do it for you:
Check out Chad and Kristy Turner's new song, "You Saved Me." at http://www.uglyworship.com
You'll be glad you did!
As a practitioner of what I have labeled as "Smashmouth Christianity", I enjoyed this post.
I detest the politicization of The Gospel by both ruling political parties and have not once believed that man's governments have ever needed "President Jesus". I also firmly, firmly believe that governments have acquired power over us because The Church has failed to do what Jesus has commanded us to do.
As to being a martyr, I have yet to find where Jesus has commanded us to die for Him or His glory, so we can attain or obtain an after-life reward. We're not Muslims. Yet, the brutal truth is that in the future (and in the present in some countries around the world) Christians will be killed because of His Name.
This post is not depressing at all. It is a battlecry against complacency and apathy, two spirits that have set up shop within the churches of America. In the true Church of that Jesus is building, these two lies have no hold nor influence. Like so many others like them, they were cast down after being nailed to The Cross. For some reason, Christians like to pick them up again, brush them off, and breath life into them in the name of religion.
Fah.
Hi Mathetes:
Thanks for stopping by. It's true: I don't think Jesus commands or requires martyrdom in the sense as it's popularly used. There have been plenty of faithful disciples who have gone to their rest in peace. As you know, we *are* called to faithful witness, which can put us at odds with the powers of this age.
What prompted this post listening to a message by Tim Keller where he tried to inform his listeners that following Jesus--his priorities and his value system--will most certainly put us at odds with the prevailing wisdom around us: sometimes as local as our own families, other times as widespread as the political and economic forces that shape our society.
Peace to you!
Ah, NT Wright nails it. Good questions Ray. A similar question is something like this, "Why did people want to kill Jesus if he was such a nice, loving, peaceful guy?" These are the questions that keep me up at night.
I think you're going to be awake a lot of nights, Ed. We know with certainty that "God is Love," yet for many of us the trouble comes when we overlay our ideas of love on top of God. It should be the other way around: "What can I learn of love by watching Jesus?"
As to peace, well, Jesus is the Prince of Peace; Melchizedek was King of Salem (Peace) and priest of God Most High. It would take a book-length treatment but there's got to be a connection between authority, rule, reign, and peace. I can't to read it after you write it!
I think you're going to be awake a lot of nights, Ed. We know with certainty that "God is Love," yet for many of us the trouble comes when we overlay our ideas of love on top of God. It should be the other way around: "What can I learn of love by watching Jesus?"
As to peace, well, Jesus is the Prince of Peace; Melchizedek was King of Salem (Peace) and priest of God Most High. It would take a book-length treatment but there's got to be a connection between authority, rule, reign, and peace. I can't to read it after you write it!
that's some ugly worship