I just laughed out loud from the question. “Have you had acting experience?” It was a sincere question but it made me laugh because I had always hated doing any type of acting. Anytime some type of acting was required I hated it. In seminary we were often called on to do small group stuff. In my mind the only thing worse than acting was role playing. I remember sales training in business and we would be required to do role playing. How can I say this—I hated it! On the top of my list of things to avoid were role playing and acting.
So here we were on a retreat and we had done several skits. Then this young man asks me this question about acting. It made me laugh for several reasons, one is it surprised me, but another thought ran through my mind. Why would someone think I had acting experience? Then a thought ran through my mind—as a pastor there is nothing worse I could become than an actor. In my Greek classes I learned we get the word hypocrite from the Greek word for actor. Hypocrisy is insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have.
We had a seminary professor come to our church this weekend. His sermon was a simple one. “What is being a Christian all about?” His conclusion was this—being a Christian means being conformed to the likeness of Christ. That is, becoming like Christ. Later Sunday evening he continued the talk about becoming like Christ. In his talk he spoke about the false-self and the real-self. In many ways the talk was painful, but then it got worse. He began to speak about the false-religious-self. That is, the worse false-self is the one that takes up religion as a tool to manipulate our own surroundings.
I think that Saturday night live captured the false-religious-self with the “The Church Lady”, played by Dana Carvey. The Church Lady is an elderly woman named “Enid Strict”, who is the uptight, smug, and pious host of her own talk show, Church Chat. Enid is a spoof of “holier-than-thou” Christian churchgoers. Two of the catch phrases that are used in the sketches are; “Well, isn't that special,” and my favorite, “How convenient.” We all chuckle but the serious point of this language is that it says, “I am better than you.” In my religion I am better than others.
For me this is the very same attitude of “keeping up with the Jones,” all-be-it covered in church language. In fact in the church it is even worse. This attitude becomes something ugly. It is sin with a veneer. The veneer covers up a dead and dying soul. Jesus speaks to the religious leaders of his day and calls them “hypocrites and whitewashed tombs.” That is they look good on the outside but on the inside full of death and decay. So now, I am a religious leader and I must ask myself what would Jesus say to me?
I now must answer my friend’s question, “Do I have any acting experience?” Yes I do. I have had years of acting experience. Years of acting like a Christian but not allowing God to conform me into Christ’s likeness. I must answer “yes, I have had too much acting experience, too much of the wrong kind.” I have been acting like a Christian but not being a Christian. Yet I finally did let go. I finally let God have his way in my life. I finally quit acting as a Christian and let God transform me into a Christian. That process is never ending.
What is interesting is that in becoming Christ like I now do not mind being in a skit. Role playing no longer bothers me as much either. Strange isn’t it? God is setting me free from my false-self. I am now able to be myself. I think that is what prompted my friend’s question. My friend saw in me a freedom. A freedom purchased by Christ.
Rev. Patrick Evans
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I just got to let it go
I just got to let it go
“I just got to let it go.” It was a phrase a man kept repeating as he walked forward during a forgiveness service. The look in his eyes told me that it was important to him. It somehow struck him as amazing. In this one event he realized why he was at this Kairos weekend. I was not sure what part amazed him, but as a pastor I assured him; “yes, you do need to let it go.” Each time he said the phrase the meaning seemed to change. It moved from being a question “I just got to let it go?” to a realization, “I just got to let it go.” to finally a statement “I just got to let it go!” Then the last time he said it looked as though a realization hit him. It was beyond his own power to forgive. To which I assured him, “Give it to God”.
The next morning Stephen said he really needed to talk with me. He had not slept all night, and I knew he really needed to talk. As we talked, he spoke of the wrong that had happened. A year before, his cell mate had attacked him in the middle of the night. Shortly after the incident, his cellmate had been moved to another part of the prison. Stephen said “I am a patient man, and I was waiting for my opportunity for some payback.” So for the past year Stephen had been working out, getting into shape and biding his time for revenge. Then the week before the Kairos weekend Stephen’s old cellmate was transferred right into the same tier as Stephen. The problem was that if Stephen got his revenge—right now—then he would not be able to attend Kairos and eat the great food we were offering, so he put it off and figured that on Monday his time would come.
As we talked, Stephen realized that he had placed a great deal of importance on gaining revenge. He had become defined by his desire for revenge. His life had become consumed by revenge. Stephen seemed stunned that God knew him so well. He was amazed that he had been placed at this moment at this place to learn about forgiveness. We spoke for quite some time when Stephen made a confession. Following the forgiveness service we had given the men an extra dozen cookies to give as a peace offering to anyone they desired. Steven did not have the courage to give this man his cookies. He considered sending the cookies through a friend, but he realized that would not be sufficient.
Stephen looked me in the eyes and said, “I must be the one to deliver the cookies and tell him that I forgive him.” I said, “You know that I can not tell you what you must do.” Yet I wanted to say “YES!” I could tell by the look in his eyes that he somehow knew that his road to freedom lay upon this path. His freedom from hate, and bitterness, and his freedom from his old life—it all was down this road. He knew the risk of following God. It was a path he had never chosen to walk, until now. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-8 “ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Stephen’s entire way of living was being challenged by God. His view of the world was being transformed. God was asking Stephen to let go of the most precious thing in his life. Revenge had become his reason for living. But now God’s love had replaced that reason and filled him with a more powerful passion. What is amazing is that what God asked for Stephen to give up was poison. Yet in the forgiveness of his cellmate Stephen provides a witness to the world of Christ’s redeeming love.
Rev. Patrick Evans
“I just got to let it go.” It was a phrase a man kept repeating as he walked forward during a forgiveness service. The look in his eyes told me that it was important to him. It somehow struck him as amazing. In this one event he realized why he was at this Kairos weekend. I was not sure what part amazed him, but as a pastor I assured him; “yes, you do need to let it go.” Each time he said the phrase the meaning seemed to change. It moved from being a question “I just got to let it go?” to a realization, “I just got to let it go.” to finally a statement “I just got to let it go!” Then the last time he said it looked as though a realization hit him. It was beyond his own power to forgive. To which I assured him, “Give it to God”.
The next morning Stephen said he really needed to talk with me. He had not slept all night, and I knew he really needed to talk. As we talked, he spoke of the wrong that had happened. A year before, his cell mate had attacked him in the middle of the night. Shortly after the incident, his cellmate had been moved to another part of the prison. Stephen said “I am a patient man, and I was waiting for my opportunity for some payback.” So for the past year Stephen had been working out, getting into shape and biding his time for revenge. Then the week before the Kairos weekend Stephen’s old cellmate was transferred right into the same tier as Stephen. The problem was that if Stephen got his revenge—right now—then he would not be able to attend Kairos and eat the great food we were offering, so he put it off and figured that on Monday his time would come.
As we talked, Stephen realized that he had placed a great deal of importance on gaining revenge. He had become defined by his desire for revenge. His life had become consumed by revenge. Stephen seemed stunned that God knew him so well. He was amazed that he had been placed at this moment at this place to learn about forgiveness. We spoke for quite some time when Stephen made a confession. Following the forgiveness service we had given the men an extra dozen cookies to give as a peace offering to anyone they desired. Steven did not have the courage to give this man his cookies. He considered sending the cookies through a friend, but he realized that would not be sufficient.
Stephen looked me in the eyes and said, “I must be the one to deliver the cookies and tell him that I forgive him.” I said, “You know that I can not tell you what you must do.” Yet I wanted to say “YES!” I could tell by the look in his eyes that he somehow knew that his road to freedom lay upon this path. His freedom from hate, and bitterness, and his freedom from his old life—it all was down this road. He knew the risk of following God. It was a path he had never chosen to walk, until now. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-8 “ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Stephen’s entire way of living was being challenged by God. His view of the world was being transformed. God was asking Stephen to let go of the most precious thing in his life. Revenge had become his reason for living. But now God’s love had replaced that reason and filled him with a more powerful passion. What is amazing is that what God asked for Stephen to give up was poison. Yet in the forgiveness of his cellmate Stephen provides a witness to the world of Christ’s redeeming love.
Rev. Patrick Evans
Monday, October 22, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Authentic Evangelism
Authentic Evangelism
I just got back from a Kairos weekend. Kairos is a prison ministry that is often able to reach hardened inmates. One of the men that I spent the weekend with was a self confessed “gang banger”. (Let’s call him Bill) The term “bang” comes from being willing to shoot it out with rival gangs. As we spent the weekend, Bill had several questions about Christianity. From his questions you could tell he had spent some time considering what Christianity is about. His deepest questions dealt with his own experience of being confronted by changed lives. What Bill was speaking about was not “a jail-house Christianity”—to which he never considered being a part of—but authentic Christianity evidenced by transformed lives. Bill spoke of seeing hardened gang members attend a Kairos weekend and then walk away from the gang to never return—and never to return to jail. It confounded his mind.
As we spoke about this, I could tell that Bill could not comprehend how a person could in one weekend accomplish such a transition. He also spoke of several members of the church inside the unit who had been attempting to reach him for years. One man in particular provided a steady witness. Bill had been watching the Christians for some time by now, and he observed one man who lived a Christian witness. Day in and day out he walked the walk. I later asked that man how he was able to reach men inside the unit. He said “I live the Christian walk.”
During the weekend, one of Bill’s friends walked by and said something in Spanish, about me. I asked, “What did he say?” Bill responded, “He is watching you.” We both laughed, but then Bill said, “He wants to know if you are the square deal.” I asked, “What does that mean?” Bill explained that ‘a square deal’ means to be on the level, not kidding. He then used it in context. He said if I want everyone to know I am serious I say, “This is the square deal”. In effect, I am not kidding. In a deep way we all want to know the person we are talking to is not kidding, either us or themselves.
During the weekend we asked the inmates to define the characteristics of a Christian. They struggled with the question, until I asked them to remember a Christian they admired. That is, a Christian who “walks the walk”. We then discussed that such people are a witness. The attributes of a mature Christian are found in Galatians 5:22. They are listed as fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A person with such attributes is an authentic evangelist. Their life is a witness that is attractive. The transformation of their life speaks effectively. As Bill said “they are the square deal”. For us living out side of the walls of the prison, we must remember we are being watched as well. As we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ we must remember—our transformation is a witness of our risen Lord.
Rev. Patrick Evans
I just got back from a Kairos weekend. Kairos is a prison ministry that is often able to reach hardened inmates. One of the men that I spent the weekend with was a self confessed “gang banger”. (Let’s call him Bill) The term “bang” comes from being willing to shoot it out with rival gangs. As we spent the weekend, Bill had several questions about Christianity. From his questions you could tell he had spent some time considering what Christianity is about. His deepest questions dealt with his own experience of being confronted by changed lives. What Bill was speaking about was not “a jail-house Christianity”—to which he never considered being a part of—but authentic Christianity evidenced by transformed lives. Bill spoke of seeing hardened gang members attend a Kairos weekend and then walk away from the gang to never return—and never to return to jail. It confounded his mind.
As we spoke about this, I could tell that Bill could not comprehend how a person could in one weekend accomplish such a transition. He also spoke of several members of the church inside the unit who had been attempting to reach him for years. One man in particular provided a steady witness. Bill had been watching the Christians for some time by now, and he observed one man who lived a Christian witness. Day in and day out he walked the walk. I later asked that man how he was able to reach men inside the unit. He said “I live the Christian walk.”
During the weekend, one of Bill’s friends walked by and said something in Spanish, about me. I asked, “What did he say?” Bill responded, “He is watching you.” We both laughed, but then Bill said, “He wants to know if you are the square deal.” I asked, “What does that mean?” Bill explained that ‘a square deal’ means to be on the level, not kidding. He then used it in context. He said if I want everyone to know I am serious I say, “This is the square deal”. In effect, I am not kidding. In a deep way we all want to know the person we are talking to is not kidding, either us or themselves.
During the weekend we asked the inmates to define the characteristics of a Christian. They struggled with the question, until I asked them to remember a Christian they admired. That is, a Christian who “walks the walk”. We then discussed that such people are a witness. The attributes of a mature Christian are found in Galatians 5:22. They are listed as fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A person with such attributes is an authentic evangelist. Their life is a witness that is attractive. The transformation of their life speaks effectively. As Bill said “they are the square deal”. For us living out side of the walls of the prison, we must remember we are being watched as well. As we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ we must remember—our transformation is a witness of our risen Lord.
Rev. Patrick Evans
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
It's only Money
It’s only Money
I watched a show the other evening. It was this guy who was helping people out with their finances. Most of the people on the show consistently spent more money then they made in income. It seemed like a straight forward problem. Stop spending so much money! But many of the people did not realize how much they were spending. They did not have the discipline to work out a budget. So anyway, I watched a couple of episodes of his show and there was a formula. First he shows each of the people the excess they had in their lives. He showed them excess of clothes, jewelry, cars, and other stuff. He then estimates a cost for all that stuff. He shows how their daily decisions affected their financial position. He then goes through some other steps. He puts the people on a budget, and they sign a contract. Yet I think one of the most important issues he often deals with is matters of the heart. Why are they spending so much money on stuff? What void are they trying to fill?
Did you know the Bible has over 3,000 references to money? (There are several excellent Christian money management courses. If you have never taken one I can highly advise taking one.) You see the Bible insists that there is some connection between this world and the spiritual world. While many religions are world-denying; the goal is to escape from this world desires. Christianity insists on a connection between the physical and the spiritual. Many of the verses in the Bible about money expose the spiritual nature our relationship to money. The Bible has books of Wisdom which have down-to-earth practical material concerning money, work and other day to day living. As such, practical matters reflect on spiritual matters.
Much of today’s living is about material wealth. The philosophy of the modern world is that wealth equals happiness. Watch any advertisement, read any magazine and the message is; obtain these things and you will be happy. The truth is that sort of happiness is fleeting. Real lasting joy, peace, or happiness is not obtained in such a way. Ecclesiastes was written by a man who had everything that his heart could desire. He denied himself nothing, and he could afford it, yet he found no meaning in it.
If we try to fill our lives with things we will never be filled. If we try to find meaning in ourselves alone, we find the world a shallow place. Pascal, said “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” I would like to add, once God fills that vacuum, He creates in us a real love for other people. Once we reach that place we realize that “its only money.”
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
I watched a show the other evening. It was this guy who was helping people out with their finances. Most of the people on the show consistently spent more money then they made in income. It seemed like a straight forward problem. Stop spending so much money! But many of the people did not realize how much they were spending. They did not have the discipline to work out a budget. So anyway, I watched a couple of episodes of his show and there was a formula. First he shows each of the people the excess they had in their lives. He showed them excess of clothes, jewelry, cars, and other stuff. He then estimates a cost for all that stuff. He shows how their daily decisions affected their financial position. He then goes through some other steps. He puts the people on a budget, and they sign a contract. Yet I think one of the most important issues he often deals with is matters of the heart. Why are they spending so much money on stuff? What void are they trying to fill?
Did you know the Bible has over 3,000 references to money? (There are several excellent Christian money management courses. If you have never taken one I can highly advise taking one.) You see the Bible insists that there is some connection between this world and the spiritual world. While many religions are world-denying; the goal is to escape from this world desires. Christianity insists on a connection between the physical and the spiritual. Many of the verses in the Bible about money expose the spiritual nature our relationship to money. The Bible has books of Wisdom which have down-to-earth practical material concerning money, work and other day to day living. As such, practical matters reflect on spiritual matters.
Much of today’s living is about material wealth. The philosophy of the modern world is that wealth equals happiness. Watch any advertisement, read any magazine and the message is; obtain these things and you will be happy. The truth is that sort of happiness is fleeting. Real lasting joy, peace, or happiness is not obtained in such a way. Ecclesiastes was written by a man who had everything that his heart could desire. He denied himself nothing, and he could afford it, yet he found no meaning in it.
If we try to fill our lives with things we will never be filled. If we try to find meaning in ourselves alone, we find the world a shallow place. Pascal, said “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” I would like to add, once God fills that vacuum, He creates in us a real love for other people. Once we reach that place we realize that “its only money.”
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Affluenza
I have a cold today and I do not feel good. So it has me reflecting on illness. Sickness is part of the fallen world. Yet the real disease I often see as a pastor and as a dad of a teenager is Affluenza. I check Wikipedia and here is how they define the word. Affluenza is a social condition arising from the desire to be more wealthy, successful or to "Keep up with the Joneses." Affluenza is symptomatic of a culture that prides financial success as one of the highest pursuits to be achieved. People who are said to be affected by Affluenza typically find that the very economic success they have been so vigorously chasing, ends up leaving them feeling unfulfilled, and wishing for yet more wealth – you might say they become addicted to their economic pursuits.
To tell the truth, I was afflicted with this disease. It bit me as a young man, and through out college and my younger working life I was consumed by it. It works much like a cold. It made me feel more and more absent. It left me with no feeling of belonging, and I was often miserable. I often associate such a disease with living in an upwardly mobile society. Both Kingwood and The Woodlands suffer from this disease. I have now lived in both communities and could lay the reason for the disease at our consumer minded society, yet I believe there is another cause.
The real reason for Affuenza is the “me syndrome”. We somehow buy into the idea that the world is all about me. I have come to find that the more I think the world is about me, the more miserable I become. The interesting thing about the word “sin” is that it contains only one vowel. That vowel is I. I…I...I…I…I. Sin!
Sin at first appears appealing, but then we come to find that it leads to isolation, pain, and hollowness. Jesus says something about this subject. “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? ” (Luke 9:24-25). Since Jesus talked about this in Biblical days, I get the feeling that it is more than just a modern problem.
I could easily make this to be a modern problem only suffered by teenagers of wealthy parents, but that is not the truth. In Matthew 23:25 Jesus is ruthless to the religious leaders of his day. He tells them they are about looking good, while being “filled with greed and self-indulgence.” And there it is: self-indulgence, the belief that it is all about me. As a result they are all nice looking on the outside but dead on the inside. WOW.
What is the cure to Affluenza? It is accepting Jesus Christ’s forgiveness, and in doing that learn that we are valuable. We are valuable not because of what we do, or what we have, but because God loves us. The lesson that then follows is that God loves everyone. Everyone is valuable in God’s eyes, and as such we should be concerned about justice, mercy and faithfulness.
Affluenza affects our minds, just like my cold makes it hard for me to think, Affuenza make me overly concerned with me. Affluenza clouds our thinking. We somehow come to the conclusion that life is all about me. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
Here is a link to a video about Affluenza.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFZz6ICzpjI
To tell the truth, I was afflicted with this disease. It bit me as a young man, and through out college and my younger working life I was consumed by it. It works much like a cold. It made me feel more and more absent. It left me with no feeling of belonging, and I was often miserable. I often associate such a disease with living in an upwardly mobile society. Both Kingwood and The Woodlands suffer from this disease. I have now lived in both communities and could lay the reason for the disease at our consumer minded society, yet I believe there is another cause.
The real reason for Affuenza is the “me syndrome”. We somehow buy into the idea that the world is all about me. I have come to find that the more I think the world is about me, the more miserable I become. The interesting thing about the word “sin” is that it contains only one vowel. That vowel is I. I…I...I…I…I. Sin!
Sin at first appears appealing, but then we come to find that it leads to isolation, pain, and hollowness. Jesus says something about this subject. “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? ” (Luke 9:24-25). Since Jesus talked about this in Biblical days, I get the feeling that it is more than just a modern problem.
I could easily make this to be a modern problem only suffered by teenagers of wealthy parents, but that is not the truth. In Matthew 23:25 Jesus is ruthless to the religious leaders of his day. He tells them they are about looking good, while being “filled with greed and self-indulgence.” And there it is: self-indulgence, the belief that it is all about me. As a result they are all nice looking on the outside but dead on the inside. WOW.
What is the cure to Affluenza? It is accepting Jesus Christ’s forgiveness, and in doing that learn that we are valuable. We are valuable not because of what we do, or what we have, but because God loves us. The lesson that then follows is that God loves everyone. Everyone is valuable in God’s eyes, and as such we should be concerned about justice, mercy and faithfulness.
Affluenza affects our minds, just like my cold makes it hard for me to think, Affuenza make me overly concerned with me. Affluenza clouds our thinking. We somehow come to the conclusion that life is all about me. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Rev. Patrick Evans
http://pastorpatscorner.blogspot.com
Here is a link to a video about Affluenza.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFZz6ICzpjI
Monday, October 1, 2007
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