Trust

I am repeatedly baffled at what we humans will trust.

We like to echo the phrase “in God we trust” but the very paper this phrase is printed on reveals something we trust more.

We struggle to trust other humans because at some time or another someone has disappointed us, betrayed us, belittled us, used or abused us. Determined not to be duped again, our self-protective walls grow high and limit the possibility of real, trust-based relationships.

We do, however, trust the fascination of technology that allows us to connect with the world from the safety of our isolated fortresses. We trust information that is often biased and rooted in partial truth. We trust our personal information and credit history to vendors who would sell us the world. We trust our secret thoughts and private moments to public walls where we can be encouraged, challenged, ridiculed, pursued or bullied. We trust our hearts to services that promise to find the right life partner for us. We trust our need for deep friendship to a network of contacts that can easily “like” or “unlike” us. We trust our sense of direction to an annoying voice that tells us where to go. We trust our lives to distracted driving practices believing that response to a text message is more urgent than human safety.

Before you assume that I am “anti-technology” let me assure you that is not the case. Technology is simultaneously wonderful, amazing, and mind-blowing in what it is able to do now, and will be able to do in the future. It has facilitated great advancements in the human condition and story. But technology remains neutral. It has no capacity to trust or distrust. Only humans have that ability.

How can we say we trust God when many of our decisions and actions betray our loyalty and prove that we are prone to trust lesser things?

One answer: We dissect our words and actions by redefining the word “believe”. In the Kingdom of God, “trust” or “faith” is the essence of belief. To say that you believe someone is to pledge your unwavering trust in him for every dimension of life.

Somewhere along the way we discovered that it is easier to believe in something rather than implicitly trust someone. So we reduced our understanding of “belief” to verbal consent or agreement with certain truth statements about God. This redefining of “belief” also redefined our mission as people of God. If we could get someone to verbally consent to their depravity as a human and admit their need for God’s gracious love, then we could declare them a believer and our efforts successful. Consequently the world is full of growing numbers of God believers who have never been challenged to fully trust in God.

I think the 21^st century church’s mission must recapture the essence of God’s vision for the world –to reconnect people to people, people to the created world, and people to the spirit and heart of God.

Trust, belief, faith, whatever you call it, is the mortar that holds us and God’s vision together. We have to start there.

From the Ancient Text…Proverbs 3:4-7 MSG

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!

Randy Bargerstock –Lead Pastor

The World Cup

by Jake Kline

This past week, I found myself doing something I usually don’t do: watching soccer.  Soccer can seem boring and pretty pointless at times (like when it ends in a 1-1 tie) but I love the World Cup.  If you don’t know what the World Cup is, all the nations of the world gather in one place and take part in a huge soccer tournament.  This happens every 4 years and this year it is taking place in Brazil.  For about a month, we are going to see nations become unified because of sport.  Say what you will about sports in our world, at times they can be overbearing, but very few things have the power to unite generations for one common goal.

As I was watching the United States play Ghana on Monday evening, they would continually show the reactions of groups of people watching the game.  By groups I don’t mean a couple friends at a bar or a home, but thousands of people. In the last few minutes of the game, with the score tied, Team USA made an incredible goal. The fans reacted like any fan would when their team pulls it out. Check it out.

Doesn’t that video give you chills?  A nation, united with one goal, regardless of age, race or gender, all kinds of people unified in one moment.  Beautiful.

It got me thinking, what if my relationships were unified with one goal?  I’ll be honest, I don’t always agree with the decisions the people closest to me make and that disagreement has caused division.  We have all been there, right? There is some conflict, and it’s just enough to drive a wedge in the relationship.  It’s not that we don’t like the person, we just say things like, “we are going in separate directions,” or, “we grew apart.” I understand this happens in life, but what if we intentionally tried to stay unified with our friends instead of letting life dictate who our friends are?  Why is it that divorce within the church is just as common as divorce outside of the church?  Why is it hard for us to have true authentic relationships?  Aren’t our relationships supposed to look different?  How come I look around the relationships in the church and see no difference between them and the relationships portrayed on daytime sitcoms?  Then I remembered something that Jesus says in John’s gospel,

            “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

As I was thinking about this, it hit me that the unity of my relationships with other people, no matter what kind of person they are or what kind of decisions they make, will be how they recognize me as a follower of Jesus.  Something should be different about our relationships as followers of Jesus.  Unfortunately mine tend to look a lot like everyone else’s.  Sure I may have healthier relationships than normal, but there are still relationships in my life that look a lot like everyone else’s.

What I love about the World Cup and the Olympics is that for a short time, the things that Americans argue about are going to be put aside.  Instead, we will be united as Team USA.  As I processed this, it led me to a very powerful question.  What would happen if followers of Jesus were united with one goal and one purpose: to go and make disciples of all the nations?  Instead of focusing on our division we focus on the one thing that brings us together, Jesus.  How would our community change if our church were unified in this way?  How would our families change?  How would our life circumstances change?  How would our relationships change?  Ultimately, how would our world change?

Integrity

by Andrew Saffell, Intern

I’ve been learning a lot about integrity this week, and what it means to possess it. There are several situations in my life bringing a deeper understanding of the word. As someone who grew up going to a great church, I’ve heard the word tossed around a lot. We were always told as little boys that we should want to grow up to be men of integrity. It sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? We also toss around this word in context to our leaders. We want our politicians to be people of integrity. We want our pastors to be people of integrity. We want our spouses, our children, our friends, and our coworkers to be people of integrity. We also, in theory, want to be people of integrity. However, the more I learn about what it means to be a 21 year old post-college student with integrity, the harder it is for me to accept.

The Bible discusses integrity at length, and that’s where we’re headed, but first, let’s look at the dictionary definition. According to Webster.com, integrity means having a “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility” or “the quality or state of being complete or undivided.” I like the word “incorruptible.” Corruption doesn’t have to be on a grand scale. I think back to a time when I was 12 years old. We were at a family friend’s house in the winter, and my dad said, “Son, do not go into the creek with Phil. If you fall through the ice, you’ll be soaked. You could get frostbite by the time you get back to the house.” What did I do when Phil asked me to go play on the frozen creek? I went. I was corrupted. That happens for all of us daily. We are faced with moral dilemmas, usually small ones, and we have to choose what to do. That’s the struggle with integrity. It rarely seems as black and white as we want it to. Was I hurt at all by going to play on the creek? No. It was a great time. Was it wrong? Yes. The problem is we see decisions in terms of consequences, not necessarily what is right or wrong. This is where the rubber meets the road with integrity.

I want to show you an example of outstanding integrity, and for that we will go to scripture. I’ll be paraphrasing, but this story is found in 1 Samuel 24.

This is a story from King David’s life. However, he isn’t a king yet. Saul is currently the king of Israel, and David has been his servant for many years. The conflict begins when Saul learns that Samuel, a known prophet of God, has already appointed David as the next king. David is not one of Saul’s sons. Saul’s flawless plan is to hunt down David, now one of his most successful generals, and kill him. When David hears of this, he gathers any men that are still loyal to him, and runs away with Saul’s army close behind. David’s army finds themselves in a canyon barely ahead of Saul, and with no clear way out, they take cover in a cave. When Saul’s army is journeying through the canyon, the unbelievable happens. Saul, the King of Israel, has to go to the bathroom. He stops the entire army, and tells them to wait. As Saul looks around, he sees a cave and decides it’s probably the best place to relieve himself. This just so happens to be the same cave that David and his men are hiding in.

Here is where we have to pause.

If we read this story too quickly we miss it. David knows he’s going to be the next king. His men know he’s going to be the next king. David’s men turn to him and say, “David, this is the day the Lord has made!” To paraphrase, “David, right ahead is your greatest enemy. He is hunting you down trying to kill you, and now he is right in front of you in the most vulnerable position possible. What are you waiting for?”

The problem with integrity is that frankly, it’s just easier to not have it. Life is much simpler. In fact, in many industries and professions, you will be more successful the less integrity you have. We want the people around us to have integrity, but when it comes to our life, we think we’re the exception to the rule. We say things like, “For most people I would agree, but for me…” and, “Well, yeah, but my situation is different.” What I am learning about integrity is that as much as I want those things to be true, they just aren’t. In the story, David could have said “Well, God said he would make me king of Israel. This seems pretty clear to me that this is what he meant. How can this golden opportunity not be from God?”

The story wraps up in spectacular fashion. David sneaks up on Saul and cuts of a corner of his robe without him noticing. When David returns to his men, who are no doubt wondering why he didn’t just kill Saul, he says to them “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” After Saul leaves the cave and has rejoined his army, David exits and stands on the hillside. He yells out to Saul, and shows him the corner of his robe, and bows to him saying, “My lord the king! I had the chance to take your life. God gave you into my hands, but I spared you because you are his anointed. See that I am not rebelling against you! May the LORD judge between you and me, but I will not harm you.”

David, by choosing the path of integrity, reveals to us a principle. Integrity is doing what is right as God defines right, regardless of the consequences. The reality is that sometimes integrity is rewarded. Working hard while your coworkers slack of may eventually pay off in the end, but that is not why we should work hard. Sometimes, integrity is punished. Lying in the business world can get you far, and in some professions, refusing to do so can cost you a job, but fear of that punishment isn’t why we shouldn’t lie. I want to challenge you with that, even as I grow in my own integrity. What would our lives look like if we were a people that did what was right as God defines right, regardless of the consequences?

I have just a few questions for you.

What excuses do you make when you have to make hard decisions?

What does being a man or woman of integrity look like for you in your workplace, school, or home?

How can you begin to practice integrity in your life?

Seeing Jesus Everywhere

At Crossroads, we are a community committed to following Jesus Christ by reaching out with open arms to welcome and receive all people. Our calling is to love everyone well, to echo God’s gospel of grace and hope, and to encourage and empower them for the journey of faith.  We hope this blog is a way for you to be encouraged and empowered throughout the week as the pastoral staff shares personal insights and experiences. 

We believe that knowing others and being known is important, and this is a way for you to know us.  This is a place where we can share our thoughts and experiences as we walk with you toward Christ.  We are always learning something, sometimes through spiritual disciplines or through the world around us. 

Paul writes in Colossians,

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

These words remind us that everything in this world points us to Jesus to the Gospel, everything from movies to music, from art to science, from pop culture to the Bible.  Through the guiding of the Holy Spirit, we are constantly receiving images of Jesus from the world around us. 

Our hope is that this blog will inspire you towards new ways of thinking and deeper conversations that will reveal Jesus to you. 

Crossroads Pastoral Staff