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Planning and Goals: Is There Room for the Holy Spirit? An Introduction
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, March 6, 2008
Can we make plans and formulate goals and still leave room for the Holy Spirit?
Should churches and other Christian organizations have formalized processes for clarifying vision and setting goals?
Can the Spirit of God speak to us in the midst of a goal-setting process? If so, how?
What can we do to let God guide our strategic planning processes?
I’ve been wrestling with these questions recently because I’m in the middle of a strategic planning and goal setting process with the organization in which I serve. Laity Lodge, where I am Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence, is part of the H.E. Butt Foundation, a Christian ministry that includes a wide variety of ministries. In additional to Laity Lodge, an adult retreat center, the Foundation sponsors Laity Lodge Youth Camp, the Foundation Free Camps, Laity Lodge Family Camp, The High Calling of our Daily Work, and the Leadership Forum. The Foundation, including leaders from all our ministries, is working to define with greater clarity our plans and goals for the next five years.
Recently, I was asked to present some theological reflections at one of our strategic planning meetings. I thought I’d share some of my ideas on the questions with which I began this post. My basic question was: Is there room for the Holy Spirit in a planning and goal-setting process? When I finished those reflections, I thought it might be worth putting them up on my website. So here they are.
Before I share my reflections, I must confess from the outset that I’m rather skittish about strategic planning and goal setting in Christian organizations. I haven’t always been allergic to big goals, however. In fact, I was making goals for my life when most of my friends were busy watching Gilligan’s Island and The Brady Bunch. When I was in seventh grade, for example, I ran for class treasurer. I wasn’t particularly interested in managing our measly resources, but I did see school politics as a way of enriching my resumé so that I might someday be able to get a scholarship to college. While most kids ran for positions in student government because they wanted to enhance their popularity, I was executing my six-year plan to get into and afford a good college. (For the record, I lost the election for seventh-grade treasurer.)
My hesitation about goal setting comes from two different experiences. On the one hand, I have watched churches and Christian organizations get sidetracked by their goals. Sometimes they set goals that seem all too human and not very godly (like “grow to 1,000 members by 2006″). At other times churches can be so constricted by their established goals that their unable to value the new things God is doing among them.
On the other hand, I have seen how God’s plans for my life have overturned my own. My youthful plans for getting a scholarship to college did work out, after all. But, since then, God has been surprising me with his unexpected agenda for my life. While in grad school in New England, I planned to remain there as a professor, never imagining that I would be a pastor in California. While serving on the staff of Hollywood Presbyterian Church, I never planned to become the senior pastor of a suburban church, and had zero interest in going to Orange County. And the last time I made plans for my life, they included remaining as pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Orange County at least until 2014, if not until my retirement somewhere around 2028.
You can see why I’m not immediately enthusiastic about long-range planning. But, I must add that I have seen careful planning and goal-setting as a context in which the Holy Spirit has been active. There were times in my tenure at Irvine Presbyterian Church when planning was essential to God’s guidance of our church, especially when it came to major building projects or developments in our worship and outreach ministries. (Photo: The Administration Building of Irvine Presbyterian Church under construction in 2004, representing three years of planning.)
So, if we allow that the Spirit of God can guide us through strategic planning and goal setting, when we surely want to know how we can allow this to happen. What can we do to foster an environment in which our goals are truly God’s goals for us? How can we pay attention to the Holy Spirit as we go about the business of strategic planning?
Beginning with my next post, I will suggest nine things that can help us attend to the Holy Spirit in the midst of our planning.
Topics: Planning & Goals & the Spirit | 2 Comments »
When Your Prayer Doesn’t Come Out Quite Right
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, March 5, 2008
I recently received the following blog comment from Mark Goodyear of goodwordediting.com:
Interesting series, Mark. Funny side story. My brother in law was the chaplain in his high school in the early 1990s. He was elected after a farcical Ferris Bueller style campaign.
At the first football game, he wanted to avoid the Jesus problem. And the God problem in general. And he was snarky. So he prayed, “O Righteous Being…” but the PA system garbled the last word and everyone heard “O Righteous Beast…”
I think that was the end of his chaplaincy.
I’m reminded of times when people’s well-intentioned prayers didn’t come out quite right.
This commonly happened when I was on the staff of Hollywood Presbyterian Church. Lloyd Ogilvie, who later became chaplain of the U.S. Senate, was our senior pastor. About once every few months somebody in a staff or elders meeting would open in prayer by saying, unintentionally, “Dear Lloyd . . . .” (Photo: The First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood)
Then there was the time when one of our associate pastors messed up a pastoral prayer in worship. He said, “O God, we lift you up to our needs.”
But my all time favorite is quite a bit like Mark Goodyear’s story. A friend of mine led in prayer each week for our college group. He would usually open by saying, simply, “Dear Father.” Sometimes he would begin by addressing God as “Master.” Yet one week he seemed to be thinking two things at once. Beginning with “Dear Father,” he switched midstream to “Master.” But what he said, plainly and clearly, was “Dear Fat Master.” No kidding! Of course the whole group began to laugh. But this poor young man kept on praying to his “Fat Master” as if nothing had happened.
Note to self: If you ever do anything like this, stop. Laugh at yourself. And then try to get back to prayer. God probably is having a good laugh too.
Topics: Prayer | 5 Comments »
Strange Book Bedfellows, Part 4
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, March 4, 2008
A few days ago I put up a post that responded to an unfortunate email promotion from Amazon.com. Because my books have been purchased by people who also purchased the excellent Christian books by Don Williams, the Amazon.com computer figured that buyers of my books would also be interested in a sexually-perverse book by another author named Don Williams. So hundreds (thousands?) of my book buyers got an email promotion from Amazon.com from a book that I’d never recommend in a million years.
This isn’t the first time my books ended up with strange bedfellows, however. The last time was even better . . . and funnier. It happened shortly after my book on praying the Psalms was published. That book was called No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. A few days after the book came out, I thought I’d to a Google search to see if any websites had reviewed it yet. To my surprise, several websites had highlighted my book. Were they Christian bookstores? No. Were they spiritual websites? Nope. They were wrestling websites, not serious Olympic-type wrestling, but World Wrestling Entertainment-type sites.
The images to the right are not Photoshopped jokes. They are screen shots from some of the wrestling websites that were featuring my book on prayer among the other wrestling books. I wonder how long it took before somebody noticed that their book recommendations contained a peculiar inconsistency and cleaned things up. After a while, my book stopped appearing on the wrestling websites.
I expect my experiences of strange book bedfellows aren’t unique. Anybody know of any other stories like mine?
Topics: Strange Book Bedfellows | 3 Comments »
Okay, Now I’m Getting Bugged . . . [Strange Book Bedfellows, Part 3]
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, March 3, 2008
Last Thursday I blogged on a email promotion from Amazon.com to folks who had bought my books. Amazon was urging my readers to buy a book by Don Williams on sexual threesomes. No joke! I wasn’t scandalized by this, but was a bit bugged and a bit amused. It was a bit ironic. I wrote to Amazon.com to let them know about their mistake, and received an email response in which they admitted their error and promised to fix it. At a minimum, this would mean no more perverse promotions sent to my readers. At a maximum, if Amazon.com were a smart company, they’d also send out the apology I had asked be sent to my readers.
Amazon.com’s response was sent to me on Thursday, 2/28/2008. Since that time they have continued to send out the same email promotion. I can only conclude that their initial response to me was just smoke and mirrors. So now I’m betting bugged, because the issue is no longer an imprecise algorithm that confuses authors named “Don Williams,” but Amazon.com’s failure to tell me the truth or to do as they promised.
So, on Saturday (3/1/2008) I sent another note of complain. This one includes some shouting (caps) to get their attention. I must say that as someone who has spent thousands of dollars at Amazon.com, and as an author who has six books for sale through this site, I’m disappointed in Amazon’s response. I expected better from them. Sure, their huge and I’m not even a tiny drop in their bucket, but, in these days, customer service is everything.
Here is my latest note of complaint, in case you’re interested:
From Mark D. Roberts to Amazon.com, 3/1/2008
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Your email dated 2/28/2008 from Gobi N. HAS NOT RESOLVED MY QUESTION. Let me explain.
Last Wednesday (2/27/2008) I sent you the following message:
Mark D. Roberts here. Several of my books sell through Amazon. I’m getting many emails today from readers of my books. They’re responding to an email sent from you. It reads:
Dear Amazon.com Customer,
We’ve noticed that customers who have purchased or rated books by Mark D. Roberts have also purchased The Guys Guide to Having a Threesome by Don Williams. For this reason, you might like to know that The Guys Guide to Having a Threesome will be released on March 12, 2008. You can pre-order yours by following the link below.
The Guys Guide to Having a Threesome
Don Williams
Price: $24.95
Release Date: March 12, 2008Product Description
Is your fantasy having two girls at once? If so this is the book you need to read. In this book the author discusses many of the issues involved including: Who is having threesomes and why Talking to your partner The pros and cons of having one Positions and techniques (including Photographs). Where to Find a Third This is the best book on the market on the subject of threesomes
This is a major mistake. I write evangelical Christian books. So does a Christian pastor named Don Williams. His books sell on Amazon. But he is not the Don Williams who wrote the book on on “having a threesome.” I expect your computer algorithm generated this promotion, but it needs to be corrected PDQ. Moreover, I would ask you to send a letter of apology to my readers. Your email suggests that many of them would be interested in a book they consider to be immoral and inappropriate.
The next day (Thursday, 2/28/2008) I received the following reply:
Thanks for writing to Amazon.com to bring this to our attention.
We build our web site information from many sources, and we really appreciate knowing about any errors which find their way into it.
I’ll see that this error is corrected as soon as possible.
For future reference, at the bottom of the product detail page of every item on our web site, you should see a blue Feedback or Suggestion Box where you can report any inaccuracies in that item’s listing on our site.
Thanks again for shopping at Amazon.com.
Please let us know if this e-mail resolved your question . . . .
Best regards,
Gopi N.
Amazon.com Customer Service
The error has not been corrected. I continue to receive emails from readers of my books informing me that they are getting the offensive email promotion. I just received an email from a man who sent me a copy of your email promotion dated March 1, 2008. So you are still sending the offending promtion to buyers of my books, three days after you promised to fix the error. [Photo: Maybe I’d get more respect from Amazon.com if they realized that I’m a pirate in my spare time.]
THE ERROR HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. YOU ARE IMPUGNING THE INTEGRITY OF MY READERS, NOT TO MENTION A FINE MAN WHO HAPPENS TO BE NAMED DON WILLIAMS, AND, IMPLICITLY, ME. THIS NEEDS TO STOP, AND AN APPROPRIATE APOLOGY NEEDS TO BE SENT.
By the way, I am chronicling this whole scenario on my website. Amazon.com is looking pretty bad right now. Just one more giant corporation that doesn’t give a rip about its customers. My 4,000 daily readers won’t make a big dent in your income, but your integrity — in making this mistake, then in promising to fix it, then in not fixing it — looks pretty bad right now.
But you still have chance to redeem yourself. PLEASE STOP SENDING THE OFFENSIVE PROMOTION. AND PLEASE SEND AN APOLOGY TO MY READERS WHO RECEIVED THE PROMOTION.
Sincerely,
Mark D. Roberts
——————————————————————–
Concluding Comments
As I’ve noted before, I’m not losing any sleep over this. But an ironic mistake is one thing. Misrepresentation by a company I trust in another thing. I hate being lied to. Oh well, it will be interesting to see if Amazon.com does anything else with this problem.
Topics: Strange Book Bedfellows | 1 Comment »
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling.org
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, March 2, 2008
God Is With You
About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said.
Abimelech, king of Gerar, appears for the second time in Genesis. In Chapter 20, he was delivered by God’s intervention after Abraham deceived him about the true identity of Sarah. In Chapter 21, he came to Abraham to establish a covenant of mutual benefit. Abimelech began by acknowledging that God was with Abraham, “helping you in everything you do” (v. 22). The original language translates literally: “God is with you in everything you do.”
Centuries later, Jesus promised that he would always be with his disciples (Matt. 28:20). Christians believe, at least in principle, that God is with us in everything we do. In everything: in our prayers and in our purchases, in our worship and in our work, in our family relationships and in our finances.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Do you live as if God were with you in all things? Does God’s presence make a difference in the way you work? In your relationships with friends? In your finances? In your private moments?
PRAYER: Gracious God, the words of Abimelech remind me of an astounding truth: that you are with me in all I do. Thank you for your incredible faithfulness to me, for hanging in there with me through thick and thin.
Help me, dear Lord, to live each moment with an awareness of your presence. Keep me from dividing my life into “God time” and “my time.” May every moment of every day be an occasion for me to live with you and for you. Amen.
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | No Comments »
MUST-READ: “The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel,” by Scot McKnight
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, March 1, 2008
Scot McKnight, a New Testament scholar, popular author, and outstanding blogger, has just published a must-read article in Christianity Today. It’s called “The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel,” and is part of The Christian Vision Project. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a more concise and powerful explanation of what the good news really is all about.
To whet your appetite, I’m going to quote the first few paragraphs of McKnight’s article. Then, by all means, go and read the whole piece. It is truly excellent.
“The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel” by Scot McKnight.
Our problems are not small. The most cursory glance at the newspaper will remind us of global crises like AIDS, local catastrophes of senseless violence, family failures, ecological threats, and church skirmishes. These problems resist easy solutions. They are robust—powerful, pervasive, and systemic.
Do we have a gospel big enough for these problems? Do we have the confidence to declare that these robust problems, all of which begin with sin against God and then creep into the world like cancer, have been conquered by a robust gospel? When I read the Gospels, I see a Lion of Judah who roared with a kingdom gospel that challenged both Israel’s and Rome’s mighty men, gathered up the sick and dying and made them whole, and united the purity-obsessed “clean” and the shame-laden “unclean” around one table. When I read the apostle Paul, I see a man who carried a gospel that he believed could save as well as unite Gentiles and barbarians with Abraham’s sacred descendants. I do not think their gospel was too small.
I sometimes worry we have settled for a little gospel, a miniaturized version that cannot address the robust problems of our world. But as close to us as the pages of a nearby Bible, we can find the Bible’s robust gospel, a gospel that is much bigger than many of us have dared to believe . . . .
Topics: Recommendations | 5 Comments »
Amazon.com Responds
By Mark D. Roberts | Friday, February 29, 2008
Amazon.com responded to my complaint about the inappropriate promotional email (see yesterday’s post). They get credit for responding, especially since it looks like a human being actually was involved here. Gopi N’s response was pretty much boilerplate, and didn’t respond to my request that an apology email be sent to those who received the first mailing.
Here, for your information, is the bulk of the note I received from Amazon.com:
Thanks for writing to Amazon.com to bring this to our attention.
We build our web site information from many sources, and we really appreciate knowing about any errors which find their way into it.
I’ll see that this error is corrected as soon as possible.
[MDR: I’m impressed that these last two paragraphs seem to accept that there was an error made. Usually letters like these allow only that somebody perceived errors to have been made.]
For future reference, at the bottom of the product detail page of every item on our web site, you should see a blue Feedback or Suggestion Box where you can report any inaccuracies in that item’s listing on our site.
Thanks again for shopping at Amazon.com.
Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail.
To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help section of our web site.
Best regards,
Gopi N.
Amazon.com Customer Service
It will be interesting to see if Amazon.com does anything else with this complaint. I’m not crossing my fingers.
Topics: Strange Book Bedfellows | 6 Comments »
Oops! Amazon.com Makes a Big Mistake [or, Strange Book Bedfellows, Part 1]
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, February 28, 2008
Warning: Parents, this post is inappropriate for children. (Actually, it’s not really appropriate for anyone, but I think it’s worth posting anyway.
Today I received a dozen or more emails from friends, including a comment from my mother, who had received a peculiar email promotion from Amazon.com. It read, in part:
Dear Amazon.com Customer,
We’ve noticed that customers who have purchased or rated books by Mark D. Roberts have also purchased The Guys Guide to Having a Threesome by Don Williams. For this reason, you might like to know that The Guys Guide to Having a Threesome will be released on March 12, 2008. You can pre-order yours by following the link below . . . .
Product Description
Is your fantasy having two girls at once? . . .
No, this is not a sick joke. It is a genunie Amazon.com promotion. Ugh!
Like most Internet-connected folks in today’s world, I’m used to getting ugly spam in my inbox. But usually this comes from some questionable source overseas, not from a credible American company. I must say I’m insulted on behalf of those who have bought my books. I think it’s highly unlikely that many of these folks have purchased a book that instructs someone in sexual perversion.
I’m pretty sure I know why Amazon sent this promotion. It has to do with the name of author of the Threesome book, Don Williams. There is another author named Don Williams who has written several outstanding Christian books. In fact, I highlighted one of his books, Start Here, in a blog series I did a year ago. If you visit the Start Here page at Amazon.com and scroll down to “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought,” you’ll see five of my books listed.
When Amazon.com sends out promotional emails, I seriously doubt that any human being creates or even monitors them. The Amazon computers use a certain algorithm that matches potential buyers with new books. I expect the Amazon algorighm doesn’t distinguish between the different Don Williamses. So, as far as Amazon is concerned, buyers of books by Mark D. Roberts are likely to buy books by someone named Don Williams, no matter whether that Don Williams is an outstanding Christian pastor or a sleeze-bag who advocates immoral sexual activity.
So, for the record, let me say that:
1. I am quite sure that buyers of my books are not buying the Threesome book.
2. The Don Williams who has written excellent Christian books such as Start Here is no relation to the Don Williams who promotes sexual perversion. I guarantee it.
3. Amazon owes my book buyers an apology, since they were virtually libeled by the Amazon.com promotion. I wrote a note of complaint to Amazon asking for an apology to be sent to all who received the promotion. I haven’t heard back from them.
4. Amazon should improve its algorithms.
5. If you received one of those promotions, I’d encourage you to let Amazon.com know you didn’t appreciate it. Here’s a link to their customer service.
6. Things like this happen in life. Names get confused by computers, also by people. I remember a phone conversation I had some years ago with an agent of the IRS. He was looking for a Mark Roberts that owed lots of money for back taxes, but had flown the coop. I spent several minutes trying to convince the agent that I was not that Mark Roberts, and that he was wasting his time. Finally he stopped hassling me.
7. Don’t take anything you receive in your email inbox at face value. Ever. Increasingly, I’m receiving spam from . . . me. That’s right. I’m getting junk spam from mark@markdroberts.com. At least that’s how it looks.
8. We live in a sad and sick world. But the only way we’re going to be salt and light in this world is by being out there in it. There will be times when we get slimed in the process. We should expect it.
9. If you received one of those promotional notices, don’t buy that book! Order Start Here by the other Don Williams instead.
Topics: Pet Peeves, Strange Book Bedfellows | 5 Comments »
Why I Don’t Say “In Jesus’s Name” at the End of a Civic Prayer
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Part 3 of series: Should Christians Pray “In Jesus’s Name” in Civic Gatherings?
Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
When I have prayed in civic gatherings, such as city council meetings or community luncheons, I have ended my prayers by saying, simply, “Amen,” rather than saying what I’d say when leading prayer in church: “in Jesus’s name, Amen.” I realize that others have a different practice, and I respect their convictions even if I don’t share them. In this post I want to explain why I don’t say “in Jesus’s name” at the end of my civic prayers.
If you’ve read my last post, you have seen that Christians are not required to say “in Jesus’s name” at the end of our prayers. When Jesus teaches us to pray in his name, this is not about the words we say. Rather, it’s a call to pray in his authority and under his sovereignty. This means we are free to say “in Jesus’s name” or not.
When I have prayed in public, secular gatherings, I have not said “in Jesus’s name” because I knew that many of the people whom I was leading in prayer were not Christians. My goal was to include through my words as many people in the prayer as possible. I wanted all who had gathered to be able to pray with me, to join me in the “Amen” without hesitation. I didn’t want to leave some people out if I could help it.
Some Christians are reticent to mention the name of Jesus because they’re embarrassed about their faith. I can honestly say I don’t fall into this group, though there have been times in my life when I did. God help us not to be afraid of identifying with Jesus! After all, it was Jesus himself who said:
“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)
Of course this passage was not addressing the issue at hand. Jesus wasn’t concerned here with whether or not his followers should say “in Jesus’s name” when they pray in public. But the sense of this passage does suggest that if one is motivated by embarrassment to omit the name of Jesus, in prayer or in any other communication, that person is skating on thin spiritual ice.
Ironically, it is my commitment to following Jesus that leads me to pray without saying “in Jesus’s name.” Jesus, after all, welcomed to himself those who hadn’t the faintest idea who he really was. They were drawn to his truth, his kindness, and his love. People did not flock to Jesus because he hammered them with religious language, but because he welcomed them with God’s own love. In this context he was able to speak of the truth of God’s kingdom and its implications for people, which included calling them to repentance.
I’m more than happy to talk with non-Christian folk about Jesus. In my experience, this sort of conversation happens best when I have welcomed people and have shown consideration for their convictions, feelings, and concerns. So, strangely enough, I don’t pray “in Jesus’s name” in civic gatherings precisely because I want to welcome people in Jesus’s name. I want to show the kind of consideration for people that Jesus demonstrated in his ministry.
There are some public (or semi-public) settings in which I would mention the name of Jesus in prayer. I think of interfaith funerals, for example, where representatives of different faith traditions pray ways that are consistent with their own religious convictions. I have often performed weddings or funerals in settings where many of those in the congregation are not Christian. Yet those who asked me to officiate (the couple getting married or the family of the deceased) sought me out to do an explicitly Christian service. The people in the congregation expected me, as a Christian pastor, to speak and pray as a Christian. (Photo: The sanctuary of Irvine Presbyterian Church, where I performed dozens of weddings and funerals.)
Now you know why I don’t say “in Jesus’s name” when I pray in civic gatherings, and why I believe that, nevertheless, I am praying in Jesus’s name. In my next post I want to examine some public prayers of one of the world’s most prominent Christian leaders to see what we might learn from his example.
Topics: Praying in Jesus's Name | 8 Comments »
What Does It Mean to Pray in the Name of Jesus?
By Mark D. Roberts | Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Part 2 of series: Should Christians Pray “In Jesus’s Name” in Civic Gatherings?
Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
In several passages from the Gospel of John, Jesus instructs us to pray in his name. For example:
“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14; see also 15:16; 16:23-24, 26)
This command has led many Christians to end their prayers with something like “in Jesus’s name” or “through Christ our Lord” before they say “Amen.”
I often end my prayers with “in Jesus’s name.” But when Jesus told us to pray in his name, he wasn’t talking about the words with which we end our prayers. Perhaps the clearest proof of this comes in the prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer, found in different versions in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. In neither of these exemplary prayers does Jesus end with “in my name” or something like that. In Luke 11, Jesus continues to teach about prayer, urging us to be persistent (vv. 5-8) and confident (vv. 9-13) when we pray. But nowhere does he say we should speak his name in order to get our prayers heard.
If praying in Jesus’s name is not saying “in Jesus’s name” at the end of the prayer, what is it? We get help in answering this question from other passages in which Jesus uses the phrase “in my name.” For example:
“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” (Matt 18:5)
“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matt 18:19-20)
Neither of these passages has to do with saying the words “in Jesus’s name.” Rather, they’re about doing something under his authority, or as his representative. So, in Matthew 18:5, “in my name” means something like “Whoever welcomes one such child under my authority and representing me, welcomes me.” Matthew 18:19-20 is especially telling because verse 19 speaks of prayer, and verse 20 speaks of gathering in Jesus’s name, but not using his name as some sort of ending to a prayer.
All Christians pray in Jesus’s name, and only in Jesus’s name, in that we approach God under the authority of Jesus and, if you will, by his permission and because of his effort on our behalf. We come before God’s throne of grace, not in our own merit, but in the merit of Jesus. I’m reminded of a time when I visited the U.S. Capitol in Washington as a guest of Congressman John Campbell. With him as my guide, I walked freely around the Capitol, entering many areas that were reserved only for members of Congress and their guests. I was welcome in that place, not because of who I was or because of anything I had done, but because I was there “in the name” of Congressman Campbell. So it is when we come before God in the name of Jesus. (Photo: The U.S Capitol in the spring.)
If we are to pray in Jesus’s name, then this means our prayers should reflect Jesus’s own values and purposes. Our prayers should be imbued with the kingdom agenda of Jesus. In order to pray “in Jesus’s name” in this particular sense, our minds and hearts must be shaped by Scripture. We must set aside times of quiet to attend to the still, small voice of the Spirit of Jesus. Ideally, when we pray in Jesus’s name, not only are we approaching God in the authority of Jesus, but also we are coming with Jesus’s own desires.
So, when I say that I always pray “in Jesus’s name,” I am saying, first of all, that I approach the Father only through Jesus, only through what he has done for me on the cross. I hope that my prayers are also consistent with his will, though I recognize that my own agenda can intrude into my prayers fairly easily. Yet my desire is to bring my prayers more and more in line with what Jesus desires.
Should Christians end their prayers with “in Jesus’s name”? It depends. If saying “in Jesus’s name” at the end of our prayers reminds us of whose invitation has allowed us to pray, then this is a fine practice. And if saying “in Jesus’s name” helps us seek Jesus’s own will when we pray, then we ought to say it often. But, if we think that saying “in Jesus’s name” is what it means to pray in his name, then we are missing the point. Moreover, if we believe, as I did when I was young, that “in Jesus’s name” is some sort of magic formula that ensures God will hear my prayers, then we might need to pray without these words, at least until our theology gets a tune up.
In conclusion, we can obey Jesus’s instruction about praying in his name without saying “in Jesus’s name” or some such phrase at the end of our prayers. This gives us the freedom, in our civic prayers, to say “in Jesus’s name” or not. Neither practice is more or less consistent with Jesus’s teaching on prayer.
Tomorrow I’ll explain why I don’t say “in Jesus’s name” when I’m praying in Jesus’s name in civic gatherings.
Topics: Praying in Jesus's Name | 4 Comments »
Praying “In Jesus’s Name” in Civic Gatherings: Introduction
By Mark D. Roberts | Monday, February 25, 2008
Part 1 of series: Should Christians Pray “In Jesus’s Name” in Civic Gatherings?
Permalink for this post / Permalink for this series
Recently I was talking with a friend about praying in civic gatherings such as city council meetings or community luncheons. “When you pray in meetings like these,” he asked, “do you pray in the name of Jesus?”
“Yes,” I answered, “always. But not in the way you might be thinking.” I went on to explain how I pray in the name of Jesus when I’m asked to pray in public, non-religious contexts. So I thought it might be interesting to share my practice here.
When I was Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I was called upon occasionally to pray in civic contexts. Sometimes I prayed before Irvine City Council meetings. Sometimes I prayed at community luncheons sponsored by secular organizations. When it was my turn to pray, I always made a point of actually praying, that is, of speaking to God and not using prayer as a way of addressing those gathered. I also made an effort to be relatively short. You may be surprised (then again, you may not be surprised) to learn that many pastors did just the opposite. They used their “prayer” as an occasion to preach. And they often went on way too long. One organizer of a community event thanked me profusely for being prayerful and brief. I expect this might account for why I got invited to be the prayer giver at many civic events. (Photo: Irvine City Hall, where the City Council meets)
When I prayed in civic gatherings, I did not end my prayers with the words, “in Jesus’s name” or something similar. This really bugged a pastor friend of mine, who insisted adamantly that all civic prayer should mention Jesus, and that I was failing to honor Christ by my practice.
I, on the contrary, believe that saying the words “in Jesus’s name” in civic prayer gatherings is something about which Christians may rightly disagree. I don’t think there’s one right answer to this question. Some of us believe that we should say “in Jesus’s name” at the end of public prayers. We should do this, they argue, both to in obedience to Jesus and to help draw people to him. Other Christians prefer not to say “in Jesus’s name” at the end of their civic prayers, because they don’t want to offend people or because they want to be more inclusive of those gathered, many of whom may not be Christians.
I fall in the second camp, in that I don’t say “in Jesus’s name” when I pray in civic gatherings. Yet I still claim to pray in Jesus’s name. This requires some explanation. So, let me address two questions:
1. What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?
2. Why don’t I say “in Jesus’s name” at the end of a civic prayer?
I’ll take on the first question tomorrow.
Topics: Praying in Jesus's Name | 2 Comments »
Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling
By Mark D. Roberts | Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sarah Laughed
So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
In Genesis 17, when God revealed his plan to Abraham and promised to give him a son through Sarah, Abraham laughed in disbelief. Now, in chapter 18, Sarah follows suit, laughing at the prophecy delivered by one of Abraham’s visitors.
In Sarah’s words we hear, not only disbelief, but also sadness and shame. She is a worn-out woman who had long since given up on the hope of bearing a child. Hers is a tired laughter, a wistful sigh over what might have been but never came. Perhaps she gave up on herself, and on the Lord, long ago.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Can you relate to Sarah? Have you hoped for something, indeed, prayed for something for years, without any sign of God’s answer? How do you deal with your disappointment in God?
PRAYER: Lord, how hard it is to put hope in you, only to be feel disappointed. Yes, yes, I know that ultimately you will redeem all things, and that our hope will be realized. But sometimes that seems a long way off. In the meanwhile, I pray and pray and pray . . . and it seems as if you haven’t heard.
Dear Lord, I know you hear me. I know you are gracious. I don’t think my theology needs adjustment here. But my heart needs the help only you can give. When I am discouraged, encourage me by your Spirit. When I am doubting, revive my faith. When I wonder if you’re even listening, draw near that I might enjoy your presence. For, indeed, nothing is better than being with you. Amen.
Topics: Sunday Inspiration | No Comments »
The Worst Bar-B-Q in Texas
By Mark D. Roberts | Saturday, February 23, 2008
Texans love their Bar-B-Q. They don’t use “barbecue” to describe meat cooked on an outdoor gril, however. Rather, “barbecue” refers to various meats cooked with spices that enhance the flavor. And if you don’t think barbecue is a big deal in Texas, just check out this documentary: Barbecue: A Texas Love Story.
Anyway, last week I had the worst barbecue in Texas. How do I know this? Because Rudy’s Bar-B-Q bills itself as having “The Worst Bar-B-Q in Texas.” You can be pretty sure this is meant to be ironic, though if you do a Google search you’ll find some detractors who really believe that Rudy’s barbecue is bad. Nevertheless, most people love Rudy’s.
You buy their Bar-B-Q according to the kind of meat and how much of it you want. You can get, for example, a half pound of turkey breast or a pound of brisket. The meat is cooked over slow burning oak with special spices. Rudy’s does not add barbecue sauce, but allows customers to add as much “sause” as they wish.
Rudy’s is found mostly in Texas, though it has stores in Oklahoma and New Mexico too. I went to the original Rudy’s, which is in Leon Springs, Texas, just to the northwest of San Antonio. It was Sunday afternoon, and the place was jammed with people. Still, we found ample room to sit for our feast.
Though Rudy’s offers some tiny efforts for the health conscious customer, like offering lean brisket, I wouldn’t recommend Rudy’s to anyone on a diet, unless you’re on one of those high protein, lo-carb diets, in which case Rudy’s might be perfect.
If this little post has made you hungry for Rudy’s, but you don’t live anywhere near a store, you could also buy some of their “sause” online. Note: it is pretty darn spicy. So if you’re not up for a bit of kick from the sause, you can always settle for what Rudy’s calls “Sissy Bar-B-Q Sause.”
Topics: Only in Texas | 4 Comments »
The Commercialization of Lent?
By Mark D. Roberts | Thursday, February 21, 2008
Well, I never thought I’d see it. But, sure enough, somebody has figured out how to commercialize Lent. Amazing.
Luby’s Cafeteria, founded in San Antonio, now based in Houston, is making a run at a Lenten promotion. As I was driving by their restaurant in Kerrville, their sign caught my attention. In fact, I wasn’t sure if I read it correctly, so I doubled back to check. Sure enough. There it was in bold letters: TRY OUR LENT PROMO - LEMON BASIL TILAPIA - CHICKEN CORDON BLEU.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, Tilapia is a light fish. I can imagine a Lemon Basil Tilapia that actually tastes rather Lenten: simple, basic, healthy. I’m a little less convinced about the Chicken Cordon Bleu, however. This is a rather rich dish that combines chicken, ham, and cheese. If you’re looking for a Lenten lunch at Luby’s, I’d stick with the Tilapia.
And, that is exactly what I did. I took my colleague Steven to Luby’s yesterday for a bit of Lenten cuisine. He tried the Chicken Cordon Bleu; I went with the Tilapia. It was tasty, but not too tasty for Lent.
I did a bit of Googling and was surprised to find that Luby’s Lenten promotion seems to be working. An article on investing highlighted Luby’s, noting that:
In addition, Luby’s has enjoyed 10 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth, an unusual distinction among restaurant chains at the moment. This success could stem partly from Luby’s clever promotions, such as fish during Lent; . . .
So, there you go.
I don’t know how much potential there is for Lenten marketing. Let’s face it, the commercial possibilities of Lent are limited. How do you sell your product in a season that emphasizes renunciation? I suppose one could sell purple clothing, since purple is the liturgical color for Lent. I expect there’s a small market for Lenten devotionals. Still, Lent is a tough sell. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if some people give up shopping for Lent (shopping for inessentials, that is).
I must confess that I’m not terribly thrilled about the commercializaiton of Lent. But let me also confess that I’m impressed with Luby’s unusual creativity. It takes American ingenuity to find a way to make a few extra bucks in Lent, a season that encourages the opposite of consumption and materialism. Go figure!
Topics: Holidays | 11 Comments »
James Arlandson Finishes Series on the Historical Reliability of the Gospels
By Mark D. Roberts | Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Dr. James Arlandson, my first guest blogger, has just finished an in-depth series on the reliability of the Gospels. James in a fine scholar and an excellent communicator. I’ve been proud to supply a platform for his work. His final post includes a review of all previous fourteen posts, as well as some concluding thoughts. I’ll quote an extended excerpt from his post below. If you haven’t checked out this series, I encourage you to do so. And then save the link for the future.
Thanks, James, for your great work, and for allowing me to share it with my blog readers.
To explore the thesis that the four Gospels are historically reliable and accurate – that is the main goal. I did not discuss their inerrancy or infallibility, for how can we go that far if we do not first find out whether they are historically reliable, as inerrancy and infallibility have been traditionally understood? I leave those two doctrines to professional theologians, who have worked out clever means to argue for them.In case this Summary and Conclusion has not been clear already, let me state it categorically:
The four Gospels are historically reliable and credible and accurate, particularly measured by the standards of their own historical and literary context.
Still another goal: critics of the Bible get onto the mass media airwaves and throw mud on the Gospels, implying that these historical (and sacred) texts were imaginative fictions invented by anonymous disciples who did not witness the ministry of Jesus.
This series, however, contradicts that widespread belief that had been circulating even since the first-fifth of the twentieth century. To counter this belief, I brought onto the web scholarship that supports a traditional view of the Gospels. But rather than depending too much on the details of this high-quality scholarship, I chose those parts that uncover a lot of textual evidence (e.g. Richard Bauckham’s books). This kind of evidence stands the test of time. Or I chose to bring onto the web the conclusions that have in fact stood the test of time (e.g. Birger Gerhardsson’s books).
Finally, a minor theme that was threaded through all of the articles is coherence. The four Gospels cohere together remarkably closely (see Part Fourteen), despite the variations, which, it should be noted, all histories and biographies have about an historical person in the Greek and Roman world. In fact, the coherence of the Gospels is much closer than various versions of the life of Socrates, for example (see Part Four and Q & A Seven). Coherence is a good standard by which to measure truth and accuracy, but this criterion received only minor attention in the series.
Topics: Guest Bloggers | 2 Comments »