C.S. Lewis excerpt from Mere Christianity

"Besides being complicated, reality, in my experience, is usually odd.  It is not neat, obvious, not what you expect.  For instance, when you have grasped that the earth and the other planets all go round the sun, you would naturally expect that all the planets were made to match--all at equal distances from each other, say, or distances that regularly increased, or all the same size, or else getting bigger or small as you go further from the sun.  In fact, you find no rhyme or reason (that we can see) about either the sizes or the distances; and some of them have one moon, one has four, one has two, some have none, and one has a ring."

"Realty, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed.  That is one of the reasons I believe Christianity.  It is a religion you could not have guessed.  If it offered us just the kind of universe we had always expected, I should feel we were making it up.  But, in fact, it is not the sort of thing anyone would have made up.  It has just that queer twist about it that real things have"

Re-Posted

Friendship seems like such a natural part of human life that we probably don’t stop to think about what it is and where it came from. Yet understanding why God created friendship is important for understanding ourselves and God.


Friendship and the Trinity

In systematic theology, the concept of friendship arises most frequently in discussions of the Trinity. God is a Trinitarian being of three persons existing in joyful community, love, and friendship. Each member of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—loves and serves the others and work together in common purpose. It is out of this perfect community God has enjoyed from all eternity that he created us for friendship with one another and, through Jesus, makes us his friends. 

Augustine on Friendship

Augustine, perhaps better than any other theologian, captures the essence of friendship in a practical, everyday manner in his work, Confessions: 

To make conversation, to share a joke, to perform mutual acts of kindness, to read together well-written books, to share in trifling and in serious matters, to disagree though without animosity—just as a person debates with himself—and in the very rarity of disagreement to find the salt of normal harmony, to teach each other something or to learn from one another, to long with impatience for those absent, to welcome them with gladness on their arrival. 

For Augustine, loving friendship isn’t just a feeling, but leads to concrete expressions of love: “These and other signs come from the heart of those who love and are loved and are expressed through the mouth, through the tongue, through the eyes, and a thousand gestures of delight, acting as fuel to set our minds on fire.” He recognizes the virtues of friendship to create unity as well: “Human friendship is also a nest of love and gentleness because of the unity it brings about between many souls.”

Augustine sees human friendship as pointing to a higher friendship with God. Matthew Levering writes,

As Augustine comes to appreciate... the practice of the ascent of the soul to friendship with the divine Trinity occurs through the friendship in and with Jesus Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit. This friendship takes effective shape in the community of believers, the church as the mystical Body of Christ united by her sacramental participation through the Holy Spirit in Christ’s saving work... The goal of the Trinity’s work in history, then, is to draw us into contemplative friendship with the Trinity. This contemplative friendship, Augustine is clear, cannot fully be enjoyed prior to the vision of God, eternal life. Yet in faith the first fruits have arrived.

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Jesus Christ is the concrete expression of God’s love for us. However, Jesus Christ, completely different from us in his righteousness and holiness, brought us to the table of God’s friendship through his reconciling work.

“

The gospel flips normal conceptions of friendship on their heads, for typically, friendship is based on compatibility.

”

Jesus also turns the conventions of friendship upside down by treating others in unexpected ways. He says,

“When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:12–14).

One scholar writes:

The rule of Luke 14:12 conflicts with the conventions of antiquity by rejecting the principle of reciprocity (cf. Matthew 5:46–47). Jesus breaks down the wall of an exclusiveness of fellowship and love. In Luke 14:12 friendship and table fellowship are correlative (cf. 15:6, 9, 29). The fact that Jesus eats with publicans and sinners is the basis of the charge that he is [a friend of sinners] (7:34). In fact, he loves sinners and is loved by them, as the washing of his feet, the kiss, and the anointing show (7:37 ff.).

Friendship and Mission

Theologian Jürgen Moltmann argued that “friend” should become one of the church’s titles for Jesus alongside “prophet,” “priest,” and “king.” There should be a direct connection between Jesus’ friendship with believers and our open friendship with the rest of his body, his church.

Jesus tells his disciples, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). As Peter Slade writes in his book, Open Friendship in a Closed Society, “This is no easy designation. Jesus indicates the import and cost of such a statement by linking friendship with the greatest possible human love for, as Jesus explains, ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13).”

We learn true friendship by looking to the example of Jesus, who gave up his life to make his enemies—us—into his friends.

-The Resurgence Blog

"Guard your hear above all else, for it is the source of life.  Don't let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don't let your lips talk deviously.  Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.  Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established.  Don't turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil"
-Proverbs 4:23-27

"The quality of your life is determined, to a surprising extent, by the direction of your thoughts.  If you focus your thoughts and energies on matters that honor your God, your family, and yourself, you will reap rich rewards.  But if you focus too intently on the distractions and temptations of our 21st century world, you're inviting large quantities of trouble."

"What is your focus today?  Are you willing to focus your thoughts and energies on God's blessings and upon His will for your life?  Or will you turn your thoughts to other things?  Before you answer that question, consider this: God created you in His own image, and He wants you to experience joy and abudance.  But, God will not force His joy upon you; you must claim it for yourself.

 Secrets About Spirituality

Secrets are not a bad thing.

o   If they were, God wouldn’t have them.

·          There are some things that He keeps completely to Himself

o   “Secret Things” as the Bible calls them (Deut. 29:29)

·          He has other information that He reveals only to

o   “his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7)

·          In fact, Proverbs 25:2 says, “It’s the glory of God to conceal a matter”

·         If it’s acceptable for God to conceal things, to have secrets, then why is it not completely acceptable for men to have secrets, “to conceal a matter”

·         The difference between God keeping secrets and men keeping secrets reveals one of the core disparities between the two: Motive.

·         The bottom line is this, and every man knows it: most of the secrets men keep are held out of fear—the fear of embarrassment, shame, guilt, loss of respect, loss of stature and favor, repercussions.

o   In other words, men keep secrets for all the wrong reasons.

·           Not all of men’s secrets are sinful.

o   For instance, it’s no sin for a man to have done a less-than-adequate job of planning for retirement.

§  It’s not a sin, but it is a chink in a man’s personal armor, none which he is to proud to reveal.

·          Other secrets are sins.  And if a man finds it difficult to share his non-sinful secrets, how much harder is  it for him to share his sinful ones?

·           So tonight we will talk about 3 secrets that guys struggle with as it relates to Spirituality.

Wake Me Up When Church is Over

·          I’ve never met a man yet,

o   Including the one speaking

§  Who doesn’t have strong opinions about the church.

·           Those views aren’t all negative, but they are all energetic and heartfelt.

o   For the most part, the church in America has fallen on hard times when it comes to men:

§  They don’t like it.

·            That’s a sad fact given that the founder was a man and His first “board of directors” were all men.

·          There are a lot of men who currently attend church who, if they had the chance to stop, probably would.

·          A large number already have.

·       Many of the men who do attend church regularely do so more out of a sense of obligation to God and family than because they really want to.  Is church supposed to be like castor oil---something you hould your nose and swallow because your mother said it was good for you? 

o   Or should it be something a man needs for replenishment like a parched runner gulps water?

·          Here are some stats for you

o   Out of 3,600 Church Going Men surveyed,

·          29% they are often bored by the idea of church and church activities

·          5% are always bored by the idea of church and church activities.

·          Consider these stats:

o   The typical American congregations draws an adult crowd of 61% Female, 39% Male

o   On any given Sunday there are 13 million more adult women than men in church.

o   This Sunday almost 25% of married church going women will worship without there husband.

o   More than 90% of American men believe in God, and 5 out of 6 call themselves Christians.  But only 2 of 6 attend church on a given Sunday. 

·         What’s fascinating about men and church in recent years is that while their church attendance has      waned, their involvement in small groups has actually increased.

o   One reason why Men’s Small Groups are successful is because they provide stimulation, acceptance, camaraderie, and good humor.

§  Which is exactly what C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien enjoyed in their community Brotherhood.

·          As Hebrews 10:24-25 states, it’s for the purpose of encouragement and motivation to pursue love and  good deeds.

o   It should go without saying that men have a biblical responsibility to be active participants in the communal life of the church.

·           The numbers don’t lie; there are a lot of men who are keeping church avoidance a secret.

o   Yet the church can only be strengthened when they return.

 Questions to Ask with 2 or 3

·          What excuse to you make up to miss church?

·          What excuse do your friends make up?

·          What would encourage you to be more faithful in attending church?

  2^nd Secret about Spirituality: “Being a True Spiritual Leader

·           There is no lack of issues—secrets—in a man’s life to keep his guilty conscience occupied.

o   And one subject that he is not allowed to forget, due to reminders from the church and future spouse,

§  Is that of spiritual leadership in the home.

·         Men know they should be good leaders for their children, even for their wives, but many men aren’t   sure what that means.

o   Influence? Modeling? Instruction? Discipline? All of the Above.

·          In a survey, 18.1 percent of the men surveyed always or often “feel awkward about being the spiritual  leader in the family”

·        There are Bible passages that direct fathers to bring up their children in “training and instruction of the  Lord (Eph 6:4).

o   But there are also verses that suggest equal responsibility and participation by mothers (Proverbs 1:8)

·            Here is the critical point though

o   It is the religious practice of the father of the family that, above all, determines the future attendance at or absence from church of the children.

·            Here are some stats:

o   If both a father and mother go to church regularly, 33% of their children will follow in their footsteps, while 41% will become irregular attendees. 

o   If a father attends irregularly while his wife goes regularly, only 3 percent of the couple’s children will become consistent church-goers, while 59% will become irregular. 

§  Interestingly enough, if a father doesn’t go to church at all yet is married to a consistent churchgoer, that first statistic is only slightly different: 2 % of the couples children will become regular attendees, while 37% will attend irregularly.)

o   If a father is a regular at church but his wife either is sporadic in her attendance or doesn’t go at all, the percentage of children who will become regular churchgoers actually goes up to 38%, while 44% will become irregular worshipers as adults.

·       The results are…about as politically incorrect as it is possible to be; but simply confirm what   psychologists, criminologist, educationalists, and traditional Christians know.

·          You cannot buck the biology of the created order.

o   Father’s Influence…is out of all proportion to his allotted, and severely diminished role, in Western liberal society.

·        Men and power go hand-in-hand.  We thrive upon seeing our own influence among others, especially  our offspring.

·          Here are 5 things to think about as you become a True Spiritual Leader

·          KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL

o   Men lead and accomplish at work because they know what to do.

§  Contractors build, accountants count, lawyers argue, and doctors diagnose and prescribe.

§  Doing the same thing 8 hours a day for a decade leads to competence and confidence.

·       When it comes to leading your family Spiritually,

o   The place to develop Knowledge and Skill starts in your own quiet time.

§  Are you reading, are you praying, are you learning?

·          TIME

o   Who has time? 

o   It’s almost a miracle for a family to eat together.

§  If you’re not intentional, you’ll never be able to invest into your family spiritually at home.

·          PERSPECTIVE

o   Many fathers bring their vocational mentality to their own family.

§  We have to remember we are suppose to love and lead like are heavenly Father, not our earthly bosses.

·          GUILT

o   At one point or another, you will get upset with your child.

§  Just because you loose your temper in a situation, does not mean that you are not fit to lead your child spiritually, but you have to be willing to ask for their forgiveness so that you can continue to lead them spiritually.

§   Making a mistake does not equate to you stop leading.

·          LACK OF SUPPORT

o   Some of you may be in the rare situation where your wife does not encourage you to lead spiritually.

§  2 things:

·       Make sure you marry a woman who encourages you spiritually before you get married.

·       Just because she doesn’t support you, doesn’t negate your responsibility to lead the family spiritually.

·         Resolve to do 3 things:

o   1.  Endeavor to live a life worthy of imitation by your future wife and children.

o   2.  Correct and discipline your future children with love, just as God the Father does towards you.

o   3.  Affirm and encourage friends, your future spouse, your spouse, as a special gift from God.

·       Spiritual Training in the home is a team effort.  But every team needs a leader, and it appears from Scripture that God expects men to set the pace.

·         I heard it said once

o   “At the center of my vision of manhood is no lone man standing tall agsint the sunset, but a blended figure composed of a grandfather, a father, and a son.  The boundaries between them are porous, and strong impulses of care, wisdom, and delight that pass across the generations”

§  All it takes for that process to begin, or to be derailed, is for one man to choose to lead—or to abandon his role—in his home.

  Spiritual Inadequacy

·           In our survey, a whopping 68% of the men said they don’t measure up to women spiritually either some of the time (53%), often (14%) or always (1%(

·         But what exactly does it mean to “not measure up to women spiritually”

o   2/3rds of men are saying they don’t feel like they measure up.

·         What exactly, then, do men feel inadequate “for”? 

o   It has to be those things they consider to be the practices of the Christian life.

·         What does a man truly means when he says he feels inadequate?

o   Why do these men feel so badly about themselves spiritually compared to women? 

o   I believe this is a significant secret men keep, and on that’s important to recognize.

·         Whether the issue is spiritual competence or another area of the male-female relationship, most men live with some amount of intimidation when it comes to women.

o   Where did the expression “the old ball ‘n’ chain come from?

o   Why do we see t-shirts that read “If Mama Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy?

o   Why do we equate crossing a woman with getting between a mama bear and her cubs?

·        Maybe it starts when men are little boys who are raised predominantly by their mothers at home or by other women in daycare settings.

·       Whatever Adam was feeling in the Garden ---inadequacy, fear---he shouldn’t have been… and we shouldn’t either.

·         God created Adam first and then created Eve to be his helper---not visa versa.

·       Don’t worry, I’m not now going to say, “and then Eve came along,” as if to infer Eve spoiled Adam’s perfect party with God.

o   Not at all.

§  Eve was a beautiful gift of God to Adam who likely enjoyed the same spiritual success Adam did until that fateful day in the garden.

·        But the point is this: Adam had no reason to feel inadequate in his relationship to Eve, nor did he need to be intimidated by her.

·        HE certainly should not have been silent.

o   He should have intervened.

§  Why he suddenly chose to clam up and stand by while his wife disobeyed God---and then join her in that disobedience—is a mystery unsolved.

·       Inject into the balancing act the modern women’s movement and you have the potential for men to  become silent once again.

·       If you think my point her is for you treat women poorly and to not have them succeed as individuals, your missing the point.

·         Stop competing for ascendancy and power, and start serving and lifting one another up so that God get’s glory and Christ is served.

·         So His people, His Bride, His Church would be encouraged and strengthened.

Blog Entry from a Fusion Member:


Oh, you may not necessarily describe it like that. Because let's be honest, you believe in God. And you accepted Jesus into your heart and got baptized at church camp the summer after third grade. You go to church every Sunday, well, most Sundays, and you come to the Tuesday night Fusion gatherings and tithe...some.

But there are those little moments that give you pause. It could be curiosities like the way someone in your ABF class prays or the way that one person in the row in front of you always seems to be worshipping on a...different plane...or something. Or you hear a story about someone who has truly given upeverythingfor the sake of the gospel and wonder "how could I do something like that?" or think "I could never give upallthat" (or maybe you don't think it, but deep down you know). Or it could be that sense of inadequacy you feel when that cute girl in Fusion you like talks about Jesus like she's actually dating a physical, flesh-and-blood person named Jesus. Or that subtle twinge of conviction when Dalton asks the group if they've read their Bible or prayed for 10 minutes and you know that not only did you not, but you could have and you chose not to...

Well, nobody is perfect right? Absolutely. Even the apostle Paul made the observation that in his case "I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." But he was also the one who said of his devotion to the spread of the gospel that "five times I received...forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers...robbers...my own people...Gentiles...in the city...in the wilderness...at sea...in danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." Paul himself described him to be like a madman. WHY? Why would he go through all that????

Paul got it. See, before going to Damascus, he only thought he got it. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisee, the Jew's Jew. This man had it going on when it came to church. Heck, he was even one of the motivated faithful chasing down the heretics in this one cult that followed a guy who blasphemed about being God. But on that road to Damascus, Paul actuallymetJesus and hegot it. And the rest of his life was devoted to Christ and through it all Jesus' prophesy was proved true that he "would show [Paul] how much he is to suffer for the sake of my name." Yet through it all Paul also looked forward hopefully with the expectation that "this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Hegot itand by extensionlived it.


I don't really know where you are at, if you truly get it or not, but I have been there too. I thought I was cruising along nicely, believed in God, participated in Campus Crusade while in school and was going to church regularly; you know, being what I thought was a good Christian. But I didn't really get it. It was when God used my (truly accurate) sense of inadequacy relative to a girl at church that I liked that he opened my eyes and I had an encounter with Jesus that leaves me irrevocably changed. I'm not perfect, though. I still lose focus on him and pursue stupid things. I still act like I don't get it. I still get distracted by the waves all around me and find myself sinking. Sometimes, to my own shame, I act like I never got it. But God is faithful and every time he pulls me back to him and his grace.

The thing that kills me though, is that I can't make you get it. Dalton can't make you get it. Neither Billy Graham, Charles Spurgeon, Pastor Grant, Louie Giglio, your girlfriend, Jonathan Edwards, John Piper, Matt Chandler, your mom or dad, nor your small group leader can make you get it. But it is my prayer that through God's grace you too will meet Jesus on your own road to Damascus. That he will open your eyes to the wonder of who he is and what he has done on your behalf. That you will be radically, magnificently, and magnifyingly changed. That you willget it.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.