M
any of you will be surprised to learn that my great grandparents were slaves in America. Usually, we think of African Americans as those who represent the descendants of early American slavery, but there were also other peoples who were kidnapped, taken from the land of their ancestors and forced into slavery in America.
My father’s mother was the child of slaves who were taken from the Spanish Island of Menorca and used to develop the area in Jacksonville, Florida known as Mayport, where the Mayport Navy Base is located.
As a free American, I couldn’t imagine being owned by anyone. My dad and his brothers and sisters have shared stories with me of how my great-grandfather would not be allowed in the front door of a restaurant, but had to go around to the back to be served from a window or back door.
Some of us may have never thought about it, but if you owe anyone a debt, then you are their servant until the debt is paid.
Dave Ramsey shares some myths and truths about loaning money to relatives and friends:
“Myth: If I loan money to friends or relatives, I am helping them.
Truth: If I loan money to a friend or relative, the relationship will be strained or destroyed. The only relationship that would be enhanced is the kind resulting from one party’s being the master and the other party a servant.”
Paul’s letter to the Philippians follows the typical Greco-Roman form, but Paul makes some changes that cause his letters (not only his letter to the Philippians) to be uniquely Pauline. In studying Paul’s letter to the Philippians, one important aspect to note is that Paul does not introduce himself as an apostle, but as a fellow-slave of Jesus (Fee Letter, p. 62).
Often the word “servant” is used to translate the Greek word of this passage, but the Greeks, among the believers in Philippi, would have understood it to mean nothing less than a slave. In Greco-Roman societies, slavery was not like the racial slavery that devastated America, but it was still slavery. First century slaves in the Roman world were not free to do as they chose; they were under obligation as humble servants who belonged to someone. They were in debt to someone, who owned them until the debt was paid.
As David Arthur DeSilva explains, “…slavery in the ancient world was based on practicalities of conquest, criminal proceedings, birth into a slave family or defaulting on debts.”
And though being a slave would seem to represent the deepest loss of dignity for any person, the Savior of the universe would come to the world in the form of a slave.
Paul and Timothy mimicked the attitude of Jesus by living as slaves. In Philippians 2:7, Paul writes that Jesus “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a slave.”
The Septuagint’s use of the word δοῦλος (du-los) that is translated “servant” often refers to those who are called by God to be used for special and honorable service, such as Moses or David, but this letter from Paul, which has humility as its theme, would more than likely use the word to mean the less honorable role of someone owned by another (O’Brien The Epistle, p. 45). Paul and Timothy are not referring to themselves as honored representatives of God’s Kingdom, but as slaves of their Master, Jesus.
Paul, an apostle called by Jesus himself, and leader of God’s people, considers himself, along with Timothy, to be nothing more than a slave, owned by Jesus Christ.
As believers in Jesus, it is not our goal to be served, but to serve in honor of the one who owns us. We are in His service, serving in his household, and serving those whom Jesus calls his children.
In His dust,
Johnny
Writer: Capt. Jonathan Gainey was born in Jacksonville, FL in June, 1969. He has been married to Staci, the daughter of retired Salvation Army officers, for twenty years and they have four children ages 18, 16, 12, and 4. Jonathan was commissioned as an officer in June of 2002, and is currently serving in his third appointment in New Bern, NC, USA. He is working on a Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is the creator and manager of the Flocks Diner website, where his passion for learning and teaching is expressed and shared through writing and a weekly podcast.
Works Cited:
Gordon D. Fee The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995) p. 62.
Peter T. O’Brien The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michiagan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. and U.K.: The Paternoster Press, Ltd., 1991) p. 45.
Dave Ramsey The Total Money Makeover (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2003, 2007) p. 24.
by Mark Braye
“I would go on an errand to Hell, if the
Lord would give me the assurance that
the Devil should not keep me there.”
(Catherine Booth)
”In all discussions of Hell we should keep
keep steadily before our eyes the possible
damnation, not of our enemies nor our
friends… but of ourselves.”
(C.S. Lewis)
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love. He will
not always accuse, nor will he harbor his
anger forever; he does not treat us as our
sins deserve or repay us according to our
iniquities. For as high as the heavens are
above the earth, so great is his love for
those who fear him; as far as the east is
from the west, so far has he removed our
transgressions from us.”
(Psalm 103:8-12, NIV)
E very religion, Christian denomination/tradition, and theological school of thought has its own way of thinking about and stating hell. I’ve been reading, studying, and thinking about hell a lot lately over the last year in general, and particularly lately with the release of Rob Bell’s book Love Wins. In fact, it’s a subject that will continue to be on my mind, and I’m sure the minds of others, because a) it’s important, and b) over the summer three books will be released that speak into the scalding hot conversation lit and stoked by Rob Bell.
I’ve dived into the subject of Hell pretty deeply. That being said, I still have much to read, study, and learn. I do not have it all figured out, and I am in no way, shape, or form pretending to be an expert on the subject. Allow me, though, to share a few things I have learned as I try to better understand and to better think about and state Hell. The findings may surprise you; they surprised me.
How many times does the word “Hell” or an equivalent word for “Hell” appear in the original Hebrew and Greek texts that make up our English Bible today?
Answer: zero.
There is no Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek word for “Hell.” “Hell” is an old English word that means “the hidden place.” It was spelt h-e-l and meant “to cover” or “hide.” It generated related words like helmet and hole.
When the Bible was translated into English, translators used the word “Hell” in place of the words “Gehenna” and “Tartarus.” Gehenna is the Latin name for the Valley of Hinnom. It was a place of sacrifice; children were sacrificed in flames there to the Cannanite god Molech. There is also speculation the site was used as, in essence, a smoldering garbage dump; the community’s refuse was burned there day and night. The word Tartarus appears in the Bible once and refers to the place God will send rebellious angels: “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell (Tartarus), putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment…” (2 Peter 2:4, NIV).
The word “Hades” is often associated with Hell as well. This is incorrect; “Hades” is not another word for Hell. Hades is the place of the dead; for all people. Hades is the Greek version of the Hebrew word “Sheol,” which is a grave or final resting place.
I’ve referenced and quoted from the NIV during these thoughts. I will continue to do so. It’s a good translation; it’s not perfect. The NIV seems to be the Bible of choice for us, if you want to use labels, conservative evangelicals. Now, I am not using these terms in a derogatory sense whatsoever. Terms like these help at times. We have pros and cons. That is, however, another post. This one is about Hell. (NOTE: I took a little heat, not Hellish heat, just a little heat, for a shot I took towards Conservatives and Republicans in a previous post here on theRubicon. It was not so much a political statement as it was referring to the dangerous rhetoric these parties tend to use more than other parties.)
How many times does the word “Hell” appear in the New International Version translation of the Bible?
Answer: fourteen
The word is not found in the Old Testament and it occurs fourteen times in the New Testament. The word “hell” appears in Matthew seven times; Mark, three times; Luke, twice. The word does not appear in John. James uses the word once in his letter and it appears in 2 Peter. With all the pressure we put on people, with all the talk about how important Hell is (”TURN OR BURN!”), with all the hellfire and brimstone sermons that make for an exciting listening experience, and among the hundreds of thousands of words contained in the Bible, you would think the word “Hell” would appear more. But it doesn’t; it appears pnly fourteen times.
There are many images, words, and phrases used to describe hell and punishment after this life is over. The most blatant phrase used to describe the horrors of punishment seems to be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” However, what about people who do not have teeth? (Will they be provided as the comedian Dave Allen once suggested?)
The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” occurs seven times in the New International Version translation of the Bible; six times in Matthew and once in Luke. The phrase is accompanied by the words “fiery furnace” twice, “darkness” three times, being cut into pieces once, and simply being thrown out once. I would encourage the reading of Matthew and Luke to see and understand the context and message of these passages.
We’ve taken a look at the Bible regarding Hell; not let’s take a look at the four main theological frameworks and ways of stating and thinking about Hell. Time and space does not allow a full and thorough description; again, I would encourage further reading and study in this area.
The Literal View
The Literal View of hell is a traditional conservative evangelical view of Hell. It states hell is the home of the devil and the place where wicked people suffer eternal punishment after death. Hell is thought of as within or below the earth; it has an actual location. Hell consists of fire, lakes of fire, and burning and rotting for all eternity.
The Metaphorical View
The images, stories, language, and words associated with hell and eternal punishment in the Bible are metaphors; figurative language used to describe something that we humans cannot totally comprehend. Have you heard of Rabbinic Hyperbole? Rabbis, teachers, used hyperbole, colorful expressions, and overstated something to make a point or to make people think.
Read Luke 14:26. Do you think Jesus wanted people to hate their family and friends? Of course not. This was Rabbinic Hyperbole. Christ was overstating himself to highlight the importance of commitment to him. He was not calling people to hate others; he was calling people to be devoted to him and his cause.
Read Matthew 5:29. The context surrounding this verse refers to lust. Blind people feel sexual desire and lust; people do not take Viagra or Cialis to help their vision. Removing our eyes has nothing to do with our sexual desires or eliminating lust. Jesus was, again, using Rabbinic Hyperbole to make a point and elicit thought.
The Purgatorial View
This way of thinking about and stating hell comes from our Catholic sisters and brothers in Christ. Purgatory is where the majority of people go. Some will be cleansed and move on to heaven. Others have no chance at redemption and then move on to Hell. (NOTE: I hope I’m explaining that accurately and appropriately. If a Catholic happens to read this, please correct me by leaving a comment below).
The Conditional View
The Conditional or Temporary view of Hell sees it as a conditional or temporary state, and then annihilation or total destruction is what lasts forever. Persons, after punishment, cease to exist in any way, shape, or form. They are not consciously tortured for all time; they cease to exist for all time.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in Hell.” (Matthew 10:28, NIV).
I’ve tried to capture these views of Hell in a nutshell. If I’ve left anything important out; if I’ve got something wrong, please let me know. There is much we need to learn about Hell; there is much we need to unlearn about Hell; if we even want to use the word. Hell, if you want to use the word, is, in some way, shape, or form, real. And it’s bad. There is, after death, in the words of our eleventh doctrine in The Salvation Army: “…eternal happiness of the righteous” and “endless punishment of the wicked.” What does the “endless punishment” look like? How is it carried out? Where is it carried out? I do not know.
Do you?
Writer: Mark and Nancy Braye are the pastors/officers of The Salvation Army Tri-Town Community Church in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario, Canada. They have two children, pictured above, Hannah and Micah. The four of them love to play and watch Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and The Wiggles.
(Note from Joe: About five years ago (2006) I wrote a brief series on this subject over on my “Slightly Irregular” blog. Because of recent developments and an exciting upcoming project, I feel Spirit-led to revisit these post here on The Rubicon, adding to them as relevantly inspired.)
Oh, the miracle of Webcasts. To think that I could be sitting on my 25th floor lanai in Hawaii, soaking in the tropical beauty around me - sunset views of Waikiki, Diamond Head, Punchbowl, Manoa Valley (I could go on ad nauseam) and simultaneously be transported into the bowels of the Tustin Ranch Corps auditorium (the home of a congregation I once-up-on-a-time Corps Officered) as a 2500 mile, faraway spectator for the “Welcome of Cadets.” And some still have trouble believing that Peter walked on water?
With these conditions, why would anyone in their right mind want to be physically present, especially with the price of gas the way it is (except those participating - well, some of them maybe). From this distance, I was still able to experience the intimacy of the moment. I had the perfect seat, elevated directly behind TEC row as they sat uncomfortably scrunched together in perfect protocol order (I know because “been there, done that” - another subject that I will tackle one day). To witness this spectacle above and behind the backs of these graying, thinning, balding and some fully coiffed heads was not only pleasurable (in my lounge chair, virgin Mai Tai in hand), but also comforting indeed. And to think of what we might have been able to accomplish had this innovative technology been available a few years ago (Webcasts, not hair replacement, mind you).
The National Commander (Commissioner Izzy Gaither) was brilliant as usual (he served as my CS for a short period of time). I was encouraged to hear him repeatedly use the phrase, “release and empower,” during the duration of his challenge. I know he meant it, but here is the 64 million dollar (inflation) question, CAN HE DO IT? “Release and Empower!” It is easy to say, but very difficult to do, believe me.
WHY? Do you think it might have something to do with the culture that has created and formed us?
There is a story told in, Orbiting the Giant Hairball, about chickens who are hypnotized by a chalk line. MacKenzie illustrates the story saying: The same thing that happened to those chickens can happen to you. When you join an organization, you are, without fail, taken by the back of the neck and pushed down until your beak is on the line - not a chalk line, but a company line. And the company line says things like: ‘This is our history. This is our philosophy. These are our policies. These are our procedures. These are our politics. This is simply the way we are.’ If you are not careful, you will be hypnotized by the line. And what a pity if that happens (and it isn’t even TSA that he is talking about).
I wonder, is it because the more authority given, the greater responsibility one feels to guard and protect the proverbial “line?” “Release and empower!” It is easy to say, but very difficult to do.
WHY? Might it have something to do with the fear of failure?
I have another great book in my possession, Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society by John W. Gardner. Unfortunately it is no longer in print (my copy is falling apart). This was required reading while doing graduate work a hundred years ago. Actually, I was a brash, young, naive Territorial Youth and Candidate’s Secretary at the time. So taken with the book, I purchased a copy for every Staff Officer on THQ. I even had the audacity to send one to The General. Gardner has a section titled, “Courage to Fail,” and it says in part: One of the reasons why mature people are apt to learn less than young people is that they are willing to risk less. Learning is a risky business, and they do not like failure. In infancy, when a child is learning at a phenomenal rate - a rate he will never again achieve - he is also experiencing a shattering number of failures…With each year that passes he will be less blithe about failure. By adolescence the willingness of young people to risk failure has diminished greatly. And all too often parents push them further along that road by instilling fear, by punishing failure or by making success seem too precious. By middle age most of us carry in our heads a catalogue of things we have no intention of trying again because we tried them once and failed - or tried them once and did less well then our self-esteem demanded…We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth.
Do we hang on tight because of this compelling, powerful fear of failure? We don’t want our children (those under our authority) to fail do we? How would that reflect on us? I wonder? Are we paying too heavy a price for it? “Release and empower!” It is easy to say, but oh so very difficult to do.
WHY?
(To be continued …)
Writer: Commissioner Joe Noland’s ministry can be summed up in three words: chaos, creativity and controversy - three elements implicit in any successful innovative endeavor. Cecil B. DeMille, renowned producer of Biblical epics, once wrote, “Creativity is a drug I cannot live without.” Joe’s mantra reads, “Creativity is my drug of choice.” Access Joe Noland’s complete bio, among other things, by clicking into his website.
At one stage last year my mate Dazzler (self-evidently not his real name) went on a news media-free diet.
He spurned newspapers and magazines. His iPod was on; his radio and TV off. He re-read novels, forsaking his laptop for anything but work (prompting his facebook buddies to send out cyber search parties).
Cultural cold turkey may not sound like a big deal, but Dazzler felt he needed a break from a harsh universe. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy the mass media and/or social media. On the contrary, he loves it. It’s just that he’d reached a stage where the news coverage he saw or heard got him down.
My friend is hardly the first or only person to be overwhelmed by the nature and span of life’s extremities. The Australian lead agency for depression, beyondblue (beyondblue.org.au), notes that one in five Aussies will wade through depression at some stage of our lives. We have gone to some lengths to educate people about this - so far we’ve had four annual ‘anxiety and depression awareness’ months (a bleak thought, admittedly). Every October is billed as a ‘chance for everyone to raise awareness of depression and anxiety - and to help reduce the stigma that can often prevent people from getting help’.
Just talking about depression can be depressing. But please hang in there with me; let’s think this through. What’s the solution to feeling like a sizable chunk of the moon has whacked you upside the head?
Some people need chemical intervention to lift them out of a funk. For others, professional counselling and debriefing with close friends goes
a long way towards helping them find their way back to a balanced view of life.
For everyone, the natural solution is perhaps the hardest: finding joy.
We have it so easy in comparison to the overwhelming majority of the world’s population. We should be grateful and rush to embrace life’s challenges, knowing that we are loved and we are called to share that love. That we have experienced grace and are obliged, in turn, to share that grace.
Joy, deep, unfathomable, limitless joy, comes from beyond ourselves. When we have it, joy possesses us, we don’t own it. Nevertheless it radiates from us to others when we are joyful. That’s how we are made. That’s how the maker marks us as his own.
We talk about enjoying food, or a movie, or catching up with friends, or a good night’s sleep. We enjoy - we find joy -in many things. But where do we find deep happiness? Real contentment?
Perhaps the meaning of the word holds some clues. People in France first started using the word ‘joy’ in the 1300s, when it meant the ‘feeling of pleasure and delight’. The irony is that ‘joy’ emerged during the Dark Ages; arguably the most horrific periods of recorded human history.
There is a spiritual, paradoxical truth here; we can find joy, love and peace - those most sought after gifts - even in the bleakest of days. ‘Rejoice that your names are written in heaven,’ Jesus told his mates.
We can take joy (we can find joy) in knowing that God loves us. He knows our name. Christ’s words are not a guarantee against pain or sorrow. He didn’t intend them as an ironclad promise that we will get through life without scars; that life will be just, or that we won’t be depressed. Joy is not a guarantee against workplace bullying or violent confrontations or traffic hazards. Joy is no talisman against cancers or other diseases and illnesses. Joy doesn’t promise you happiness or an easy ride. It’s actually quite the opposite really, when you consider what Jesus and his followers went through. How they lived and died.
Consider the life of one of the most famous of Jesus’ apostles, St Paul, who wrote to the fledgling church in Philippi and told them to ‘always be full of the joy of the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!’ Shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, whipped and eventually martyred, Paul knew the joy he found in God was his strength.
Central to Christianity is the repeated experience of people who found joy, and God, through helping others and sharing their own lives. When we read about Jesus and his friends we glimpse lives lived to the full. We see selfless happiness.
Dazzler lasted three and a bit weeks on his self-imposed holiday from the world. It is, he reckons, a personal best. And he’s not above trying it again (though he did miss the footy something shocking). He’s still occasionally in danger of grinding his teeth down to their roots. But Dazzler knows that nothing can separate him from a loving, joyful God.
Not hardships, war, freak events, atrocities, stupidities, tragedies, devastation, assassinations, terrorism, controversies, inanities, hatred or greed. Not even the materialism, banalities and self-absorption with which we sometimes face such tragedies.
Writer: Barry Gittins is a Melbourne-based writer, lifelong Salvationist, husband (to Trudy) and father(to Emily and Benjamin) who seeks God in everyday encounters. A frustrated poet and playwright, he has worked for the Salvos’ Australia Southern Territory in various roles since 1991: as a journalist (for Warcry, The Young Soldier/Kidzone, The Musician),technical writer and CD-ROM author in corps program (mission development), senior review editor (Warcry) and editor (On Fire). He currently works as a social program and policy consultant (writer/researcher) for the social program department.
by Mark Braye
”For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways,” declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8)
”It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a
thought without accepting it.” (Aristotle)
Pardon the pun, but it seems like Hell is a hot topic these days; scalding hot; white hot! In fact, Hell is such a hot topic that Donald Trump is trying to build a golf course there.
Rob Bell, founder and pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, recently released a book entitled Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, And The Fate Of Every Person Who Ever Lived. The book is garnering a lot of heat, attention, and criticism. Search the internet and you’ll find read posts on blogs, articles on websites, and comments from all kinds of people either slamming the book as heresy or claiming it’s merely misunderstood and has been misrepresented.
I fall into that second category. I think the book has been, at best, misunderstood and, at worst, misrepresented. I think some folks got hot under the collar as soon as they read the books subtitle. Sadly, some folks may have even made up their minds reading the words of the subtitle and not the words of the book.
Why?
What is our strange attachment in conservative evangelical Christianity to a particular set of beliefs and statements about Hell?
Are we afraid to learn something new?
Are we afraid to learn something different?
Are we afraid to learn we had something wrong?
Bell wrote:
Love Wins “for all those, everywhere, who have heard some version of the Jesus story that caused their pulse rate to rise, their stomach to churn, and their heart to utter those resolute words ‘I would never be a part of that.’” and ”because the kind of faith Jesus invites us into doesn’t skirt the big questions about topics like God and Jesus and salvation and judgment and heaven and hell, but takes us deep into the heart of them.” (Love Wins, viii-ix).
Jesus was never afraid to answer and ask questions. Are we?
Several denominations and theological frameworks will take issue with what they perceive Bell is stating. Read the book again. Is he saying
what you think he’s saying? Or, are people guilty of eisegesis? Are people reading their theological paradigm, or the lack of their theological paradigm, into Bell’s text?
Bell talks about Heaven and Hell in the book. He talks about the salvific work of Jesus Christ in the book. Love Wins does not deny the existence of Hell, it merely states the fact that there’s Hell, and Heaven, on Earth.
I’m not about to claim my understanding of the Bible and God and the school of theology I identify with is the theological framework out there. It’s sad when we Christians are that arrogant. We are creation trying to understand our Creator.
A friend of mine works at a Christian bookstore in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This is a statement that was left on their Facebook page:
Rob Bell is a heretic and this book is heresy. I thought better of [the owner of the bookstore] that he would prize truth over profits… I guess there are very few left now with integrity. [Publisher "A"] [has] refused to print this because it is heresy, and they prize truth over profits. Family Christian bookstores, CBD, and others refuse to sell [Love Wins]. [the owner of the bookstore] what are you doing? You unashamedly promote this poison to the Christian community. Rob Bell is a wolf and you have let him in the sheep pen… shame on you!!!
Wow! No one deserves this kind of attack. The person who left this message must work for the Conservatives in Canada or the Republicans in America. Sadly, this person hasn’t even read the book. I am sure of it. They’ve heard about it on the radio or they’ve read about it. What strikes me is the person’s notion that Publisher A prizes truth over profits. Maybe they do. Ninety-nine percent of the time simply seeing Publisher A’s logo is a sign the book will be good. However, and this is not a shot at the publisher per se, there is that one percent. Publisher A has also published Sarah Palin and Kate Gosselin.
What the Hell?!
What, if any, are your thoughts/comments/observations/issues with Love Wins?
You don’t have to like Love Wins; you don’t have to agree with it. Read it, though. Don’t be that Christian.
Writer: Mark and Nancy Braye are the pastors/officers of The Salvation Army Tri-Town Community Church in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario, Canada. They have two children, pictured above, Hannah and Micah. The four of them love to play and watch Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer, and The Wiggles.
Let’s stop “cooking the books” says Terry Camsey
I n Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” these words appear spoken by Polonius…
“This above all, to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou cans’t not then be false to any man…”
My father used to quote that frequently to me when I was a young lad growing up. The words have stuck with me ever since.
A few years ago, a colleague Salvation Army Officer shared with me a book entitled, “Lies, Damn lies and Statistics - the Manipulation of Public Opinion in America.” As I recall it basically said that statistics can be manipulated to “prove” whatever you want to present as truth.
It is difficult to get accurate statistics from the very early days of the Army because few records were kept. One source has suggested that, if such accurate stats were available, they may not have affirmed the early gains claimed as Booth reached out to his initial primary target group…the submerged masses!
Ed McKinley, describing the Army’s membership in the USA in his book, “Marching to Glory,’ indicates that membership failed to keep pace with the overall population of the country as a whole and started to decline after the mid 1960s. This, despite the fact that in 1975 religious periodicals hailed the Army as the “fastest growing U.S religious body,” and cited a 5% increase. He goes on to say that…
What those periodicals may not have known is that such growth was the result of the Army changing its accounting procedures to include everyone who had made use of its community-center youth programs and cops facilities!
Many corps officers have been frustrated over the years in finding that attendance figures reported by the outgoing officer have failed to reflect reality! For example, an officer who “inherits” a corps with, say, a reported average attendance of 100 in Sunday morning worship…then finds it to be actually 50, can be chided - even if he increases average attendance to 75 (a fifty percent increase!) - for failing to reach the previous officer’s figure!
This can be both demoralizing and de-motivating! If corps officers’ morale is to be significantly improved in such circumstances, there is an urgent need to insure that what the new officer inherits is true reality, not an inflated version of it.
We can also find statistics manipulated when, for instance. corps are challenged to compete in increasing Sunday School average attendance over the year to reach preset goals. I have seen for instance a desirable prize - such as a new van - offered to the winning corps during a competition at the “eleventh hour” in the twelfth month! It pushed average attendance up for one month. There was no significant increase in average attendance over the previous eleven months…and, without that final sprint, the average attendance per week would have been much lower.
A few years ago, a good friend of mine - soldier at a “large” corps - attends a corps that seats 300, sees an average weekly attendance of around 240 people, and 868 on the roll…many of them dead! The stats are sent to HQ and used along with the collective reports of other corps, as the basis for its statistics. Now, we all know that some on the roll are merely (merely!) inactive so we hesitate to take them off. But, surely, those who have passed on to their reward belong on a memorial, rather than active roll.
But who is willing to correct such misleading statistics? Year after year corps officers may be forbidden to take anyone off he rolls!
It seems as if we can do addition, but not subtraction! While God’s math is multiplication! It’s as if no-one wants reality to be faced on their watch. But how in earth can we move forward if we cannot look the facts face-on in order to move on.
We need an amnesty, a “no blame” truce, so that we can again level the playing field and move on. We need “net” results, not additions without reflection of losses…. and our “net figure” should be “fish caught!” That’s what the Master Fisher of Men” taught us.
Let us at least be true to ourselves!!
What do you think?
Writer: For thirty years Terry Camsey has been immersed in Church Growth and Health issues at local, middle and upper administrative levels. He is author of the book “Slightly Off-Center” (Crest Books) and is working on “Beyond the Cusp of The Curve..exploring the single most critical influence on the life, health, growth, vitality and decline of Christian denominations and the churches within them.”
He is founder of the new ChurchCatalystsInternational focusing on the role of interventionists as catalysts: shedding light, creating heat, inspiring energy and accomplishing transformation. More details are on his new website http://churchcatalystsinternational.org./
by Joe Noland (See Part 1 for reference)
What To Do?
This is today, over a Century later, an Army firmly established with systems galore - some of them necessary, many not. What to do? - “…less restrictive, more imaginative and accommodating.” A tall order indeed!
- Examine the systems now in place. Eliminate those that are outdated, ineffectual and dysfunctional - “We would say the church of Christ is never an experiment, but where that church is true to its mission it will be experimenting, pioneering, blazing new paths, seeking how to speak the reconciling words of God to its own age. It cannot do this if it is held captive by the structures of another day” (Elizabeth O’Connor, Call to Commitment).
- Establish a “Creative Space” (Call it what you may) to compliment and balance out the “systems” that necessarily remain - “Our God is a God of beginnings. There is in him no redundancy or circularity. Thus, if his church wants to be faithful to his revelation, it will be completely mobile, fluid, renascent, bubbling, creative, inventive, adventurous, and imaginative. It will never be perennial, and can never be organized or institutionalized” (Jacques Ellul, The Subversion of Christianity).
- Appoint a “Chief Creative Officer” (CCO), one who is set apart from institutional boundaries and systems, yet “remains connected to the Spirit of the corporate mission” (”Responsible creativity”) - “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now! (Van Goethe).
Behold!
I never use the term, “out-of-the-box thinking” because with God, boxes (boundaries) don’t exist, nary a one to “think out of.”
Out-of-the-box thinking is nonsensical,
It’s absurd, boring, silly and whimsical
Would God be accused of thinking such?
Alas! He wouldn’t have created much.
Boxes non-existent with the all-seeing,
Boundary free when ‘bringing into being.’
No old boxes when creating you:
“Behold! I’m making everything new.”
God Boxes: Oxymoron.
There is nothing more exciting, stimulating and emboldening than creating something new - “genius, power and magic in it.”
LET THERE BE!
Brainstorming Questions:
1. Make a list of “systems” impacting your ministry, preferably those under your control. Place them, accordingly, under two categories: Relevant and Irrelevant (”structures of another day”). Discuss ways in which the “irrelevant” can be eliminated and/or modified without negatively influencing the spirit of your mission.
2. Explore the idea of a “Creative Space,” one set apart from systems and institutional trappings, yet remaining connected to the corporate mission. Reread the Book of Acts and reexamine this concept in light of Paul’s journey beyond the boundaries, all the while firmly connected to The Great Commission. Through discussion and interaction, interweave contemporary success stories in this regard, both secular and ecclesiastical.
3. Discuss those persons within your circle of influence who might fit the description of a Chief Creative Officer, commissioned or local. In a small corps setting, it might very well be the Corps Officer, so appointed (released and empowered) by the Divisional Commander. This challenge and exercise must be undertaken at every level. Begin it now!
(For a copy of the book, contact: New.Frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org)
Writer: Commissioner Joe Noland’s ministry can be summed up in three words: chaos, creativity and controversy - three elements implicit in any successful innovative endeavor. Cecil B. DeMille, renowned producer of Biblical epics, once wrote, “Creativity is a drug I cannot live without.” Joe’s mantra reads, “Creativity is my drug of choice.” Access Joe Noland’s complete bio, among other things, by clicking into his website.
by Jonathan Gainey
In the original movie, “The Karate Kid”, Daniel is a boy who is being bullied by some very skilled karate students. When he meets a karate instructor (Mr. Miyagi) who is willing to teach him how to defend himself, Daniel is more than enthusiastic to learn. Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel how to wax cars, sand floors, and paint fences and houses, which frustrates Daniel, until he realizes that the techniques he has been using to do all of Mr. Miyagi’s chores are actually preparing him for his goal of learning karate.
A really cool part of the story is when Mr. Miyagi surprises Daniel by giving him one of the fancy, classic cars that he has been waxing. This was a complete surprise to Daniel, who had no idea that, while he was making those cars sparkle with his sweat and elbow grease, Mr. Miyagi was going to give him one of them.
Jesus knew that he was going to the cross to die a cruel death. But his goal was not to receive the throne and name of God. Throughout his life and his death, he did not consider being God as something that he could take. Instead, as God, he emptied himself, and, as man, he humbled himself. And, like the beautiful car that Daniel did not consider as something that he could have, but was given to him by the graciousness of Mr. Miyagi, God graciously exalted Jesus and gave him the name that is above every name.
What exactly do those two things (”exalted” and “name that is above every name”) mean?
The second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians begins with an emphasis on humility, which is expressed in considering the needs and importance of others as greater than one’s self. In v. 5-8, Paul reminds them that they are to be humble as Jesus himself was humble, even to the point of a humiliating and embarrassing death on a Roman cross.
Vv. 9-11, explain to the Philippians the gracious response of God to Jesus’ humility throughout his life and his death.
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phi 2:9 NIV).
The first century world in which Jesus lived, worked, and taught was one filled with religion and worship of many gods. Even those who worshiped many gods believed that there was a Most High God who was pleased by mankind’s worship of the lesser gods. Among some Jews, there was an understanding that there were many celestial beings known as the “hosts of heaven” or “lesser gods”, which Christians speak of in a familiar doxology, saying, “Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts.” But even among the gods or the celestial beings, YHWH (Yahweh) was the Most High God, or sat in the highest position as Creator of the gods and all other creation.
It is this language which Paul borrows when he states that Jesus was exalted to the “highest place”. The Greek word, ὑπερύψωσεν, that is translated, exalted, is a hapax legomenon, which means it is used nowhere else in the N.T. This word means “supremely exalted to a place where nothing higher exists.”
Along with Jesus receiving the Highest Position in the universe, he is also granted “the name that is above every other name.”
What is that name? We might be tempted to think it is the name Jesus. But that would be wrong.
Reverence for God’s holy name was so thoroughly expressed by first century Jews that they would not even say it. Therefore names such as Adonai, ha shem (the Name), the Place, and Lord were used in its place. Another expression used by reverent Jews who didn’t want to say God’s name was to say, “The name that is above every name”.
The name which was regarded as forbidden to say was Yahweh. YHWH was the name of the Most High God. YHWH was the name of the One who created all that exists, whether finite or infinite, mortal or immortal.
When Paul says that Jesus was given the name that is above every name, he is saying, “Jesus was given the name YHWH!” In other words, Jesus is the God of all creation, heaven and earth, and to say the name Jesus is the same as calling on the name of YHWH.
In v. 10, Paul says, “…at the name of Jesus…” The of in this passage is a possessive genitive, which means it refers to that which belongs to Jesus. To better understand this, we should translate the phrase, “…at the name that belongs to Jesus…” That name which has been granted to the Son by the Father is the name that is above every name…Yahweh.
The day will come when every nation will recognize that the Most High God, the One who sits in the highest position in all the universe and is called Yahweh, is “…Jesus, whom you crucified…”(Acts 2:36).
In His dust,
Johnny
Writer: Capt. Jonathan Gainey was born in Jacksonville, FL in June, 1969. He has been married to Staci, the daughter of retired Salvation Army officers, for twenty years and they have four children ages 18, 16, 12, and 4. Jonathan was commissioned as an officer in June of 2002, and is currently serving in his third appointment in New Bern, NC, USA. He is working on a Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and is the creator and manager of the Flocks Diner website, where his passion for learning and teaching is expressed and shared through writing and a weekly podcast.
© 2010 Jonathan P. Gainey and Flock’s Diner. All Rights Reserved
by Joe Noland
Commissioner Jim Knaggs has recently published a visionary statement via the USA Western Territory. I was one out of a cast of several invited to write a chapter on one of those vision statements as follows:
‘ONE DAY! …that our systems would be less restrictive and more imaginative in order to accommodate the new things God wants to do among us.’
First, let me applaud the Commissioner for including this pesky vision in his “One Day” dream. And for the courage of asking me to write about it!
Pesky Dream
Pesky: troublesome or irritating (Encarta). “Pesky” because the “systems” types are going to find this dream “troublesome or irritating.” And many will resist it.
Imaginative systems: an oxymoron. Systems imply borders and boundaries - safety nets. Boundaries are antithesis to imagination, innovation and creativity. They, by definition (and nature) are designed to be “restrictive,” made up of “do’s” and “don’ts,” the latter serving as borders encapsulating the former. Consider the following definition:
Sys-tems: An organized society or social situation regarded as stultifying or oppressive: Establishment (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
Systems have purpose, of course. Bookkeeping systems keep us accountable financially. Some systems are necessary for moral, ethical and legal accountability. Systems give an organization structure and cohesiveness. Without them, there would be chaos, disorder and anarchy.
Creative Space
A visionary leader understands this necessity, yet provides a creative space wherein imagination and innovation are given the freedom to flourish. Gordon MacKenzie refers to this space as “orbiting” in his book, Orbiting the Giant Hairball.
Hairball: (Systems) “Every new policy is another hair for the Hairball. Hairs are never taken away, only added…The Hairball grows enormous.”
Orbiting: “Responsible creativity: vigorously exploring and operating beyond the Hairball of the corporate mindset, beyond ‘accepted models, patterns, or standards’ - all while remaining connected to the spirit of the corporate mission.”
John W. Gardener in his book, Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society, refers to this creative space as “hospitable environment” and “institutional arrangements;” those that provide for “Openness, Flexibility and Capacity to Find Order in Experience” - “But the truly creative man is not an outlaw but a lawmaker. Every great creative performance since the initial one has been in some measure a bringing of order out of chaos.”
“Walt Disney Imagineering” (WDI) is the creative space established within this company, it’s head honcho given the title, “Chief Creative Executive.” Disney’s current Imagineering projects number 10, with 29 others having been completed since 2006. No need to tout the importance of this “space” to the enduring success of this corporate giant.
Chief Chaos Officer
The Founders of Google have carved out a large creative niche in their relatively young company, calling it “structured chaos” - chaos being the incubator for creativity and innovation. The person in charge is described as their “Chief Chaos Officer” - love that title! As a result Google is growing exponentially, the 9th Wonder of the World, as I refer to it.
Think about those early-day disciples. The Apostle Paul might easily be described as first-century Christianity’s “Chief Chaos Officer.” Read the Book of Acts if you don’t believe me. In the 26th Chapter, during one of those chaos experiences, Paul explains to Festus why he is doing what he does. Festus listens incredulously and then responds, “Paul, you’re crazy! You’ve read too many books, spent too much time staring off into (creative) space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real world!” (26:24 TM) A little later on Festus exclaims, “Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!” (26:28)
In Galatians 6, Paul writes, “Live creatively, friends… Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life” (6: 1, 4). Chaos, creativity and flexibility are what set Paul apart and made his ministry so extremely successful. And the Church “added to its numbers,” growing exponentially!
Catherine Booth was easily The Salvation Army’s “Chief Chaos Officer” during its infancy days. Her “Never!” was the Army’s seminal creative, chaos moment, wasn’t it? There were no systems to begin with, its mission developing boundary less, accompanied by risk-taking, imagination and innovation.
Disturb the Present
If she had had a “creative space” office, the placard on the desk facing the viewer might have read, “If we are to better the future we must disturb the present.” In a message delivered during the last Christian Mission Conference she preached, “Cast off all bonds of prejudice and custom, and let the love of Christ, which is in you, have free course to run out in all conceivable schemes and methods of labour for the souls of men.” The italics are mine, hers the words of a quintessential, “systems” balancing CCO! From this moment on, the Army numbers (souls won and enrolled) multiplied dramatically.
What To Do?
But this is today, over a Century later, an Army firmly established with systems galore - some of them necessary, many not. What to do? - “…less restrictive, more imaginative and accommodating.” A tall order indeed!
(Stay tuned for Part 2 and my take on “What To Do?”)
(For a copy of the book, contact: New.Frontier@usw.salvationarmy.org)
Writer: Commissioner Joe Noland’s ministry can be summed up in three words: chaos, creativity and controversy - three elements implicit in any successful innovative endeavor. Cecil B. DeMille, renowned producer of Biblical epics, once wrote, “Creativity is a drug I cannot live without.” Joe’s mantra reads, “Creativity is my drug of choice.” Access Joe Noland’s complete bio, among other things, by clicking into his website.
Is teetotalism a problem for our growth?
ALCOHOL, the demon drink; I’ve never touched the stuff, ever. So it’s not a problem area for me personally, but there is a question that begs an answer - at a time when most of our other church colleagues have relaxed or completely deleted their alcohol ban for church members, why are we still so vehemently against it?
I know our history and the many people in the early days who were saved from the gin palaces, and then there are the tens of thousands who we still help every year to “give up the grog” (as we say in Australia). Integral to this is the strict temperance pledge and the famous 12 steps. But it could be argued that this extremely high standard has had a marked effect on the number of people who want to join or remain in our ranks.
Australian social commentator and futurist Hugh McKay recently told a journalist colleague of mine that the SA’s temperance stance is one of the main reasons why we will never be a numerically large force in Australia. Our standards mean that young people who feel the need for a “social drink”, business people who entertain clients, couples who want to enjoy the sophistication of a winery tour or anyone who wants to celebrate with champagne or relax with scotch at the end of a hard day cannot be active Senior Soldiers. Then again, neither could Jesus, who apparently enjoyed the odd drop of red. Let’s not forget His first miracle where the water was turned into wine and the last supper where he set the template for communion with bread and wine as his body and blood.
In most circles, drinking alcohol is seen as common, completely acceptable, behaviour. Whereas our strict stance marginalises us to the extent that many think edges towards cult levels. If it’s an historical thing, then why didn’t we maintain the other Booth family choices of vegetarianism and homeopathy as well?
It could be argued that apart from the downsides of over-indulgence, alcohol-fuelled violence and alcoholism, that alcohol is a gift from God for us to enjoy in moderation. But when it comes down to it, does drinking really glorify God and help us in worship of Him? Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not talking about binge drinking or “getting smashed”, the bible is very clear on the spiritual gift of self control.
18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 (New International Version)
Something that has always mystified and disappointed me personally is how when friends leave the SA for another church they inevitably start drinking almost immediately. Was their promise to avoid alcohol a promise to God or just the SA? When I attended a pentecostal mega-church it was common to see the youth pastors fervently preaching the word and then find them an hour later at the public bar guzzling pots of beer. Some of the penti old timers said that relaxation of the alcohol restrictions were essential to their recruiting drives and them seeming like “normal” people (in spite of their tongue-talking, excorcism, faith healing, prosperity teaching, holy rolling), and besides, stopping people from drinking was actually a form of “spiritual bondage”. I kid you not.
Am I saying that this our most sacred of cows should be put out to pasture? That we should lower our very high standards? No, no, I’m not, but I am suggesting that we be realistic about things like church growth and retaining young people and that we get serious about this conviction and remember WHY we do it. If it really is about being “clean” and a “temple of the Holy Spirit” then let’s do that across our other self-indulgences as well. If it is to help our friends in recovery then why don’t we come down off the platform or down from the balcony and shake their hand, take them home for lunch, look after their kids, take them to a job interview and generally get alongside of them instead of treating them like second class citizens.
If teetotal is going to be a cornerstone of who we are and what we are then let’s get really serious about it. Be loud and proud. We should be
the first port of call for journalists when there is a story about alcohol controls or tragedies, or when the government wants to work out some alcohol legislation. The SA in Australia recently commissioned an extensive survey on alcohol use and the media were all over it, uniforms on TV on the morning shows, creating major cut-through. That’s what I’m talking about.
Officers (and let’s face it everyone else) should be better trained in how alcohol addiction works. We leave it up to a handful of hard-working Social officers. There is a degree of misunderstanding about alcohol amongst some officers which is only eclipsed by their ignorance of mental health issues. I know of one who insists on taking new adherents into bars, collecting, when they are fresh from a recovery program. It’s hard to see this as nothing but a sort of test for these poor souls. It’s actually a cruel, ill-informed, self-fulfilling prophecy as most inevitably “fall off the wagon”. Anyone who knew the slightest thing about addiction or who genuinely cared for our struggling brothers and sisters just would not do that.
So let’s not just reject alcohol just because we always have, let’s know what it’s all about and why we do it, and have the courage of our convictions.
I’ll drink to that!
