ken castor

Romans 5:9-11 ~ How Much More?

I'm going to wrestle with this for a moment.  The truth is that I am not always comfortable with what I read in the Bible.  The letter-book of Romans brings out a myriad of reactive feelings in me.  Some of the verses help me sail to heaven... while others hand me into darkness.  Sometimes I'm gutted.  Sometimes I'm radically inspired.  Sometimes, lost.  Sometimes, in awe.  Sometimes, frustrated, angry.  Sometimes, insatiable.  And sometimes, like today, I am mixed up mess of all of these feelings.

Perhaps it's the mood I have as I approach the passage today... or perhaps it's the passage.  I have joy... the type of joy that someone who has an undeserved relationship with Jesus has.  But I also have a heaviness in my soul... the type of weight that someone who has a burden in their soul has.

Yes, there is life in these verses... but life comes out of death... and it's that part that causes me to pause today.

Blood is red.  I've seen it.  It's real.  And it's not pretty.  Except when it saves the life of one who has already bled out... then it is somehow tragically beautiful.  But this sort of thinking all shatters my comfort zone... It startles my nicely controlled climate and safe walk.  And I'm burdened as a result...

Here's the passage: ROMANS 5:9-11  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

So the Good News: We have been justified.  That means that somehow we have been declared "just".  Somehow, just in time, we just made it.  When the judgment was made, even though we had messed it all up, somehow we found ourselves innocent.

The Burdensome News for me today: Justification came about by the blood of Jesus.  I am declared "just" because he was declared guilty.  That's not fair.  And it guts me.  How much more of this can I take?

So the Good News:  We were reconciled.  That means that somehow we have been made right in relationship with God.  At some point, even though we were enemies--- fighting against God and God's ways in the world--- somehow we found ourselves as his friends.  How much more Good can Jesus be?  I can hardly embrace this thought at this moment without breaking down in agonizing joy.

The Burdensome News for me today: Reconciliation came through the death of Jesus.  I am declared God's friend because Jesus was executed.  That's not right.  This is much more than what is supposed to be true.

The Good and Burdensome News: We will be saved.  That means that somehow we have been snatched from imminent peril.  Our deliberate and undeliberate wrongs had consequentially put us in a position of endangerment.  So, at the end of time, instead of God's wrath being poured upon us for messing it all up... Jesus will proactively step in and accepts wrath upon himself.  On the day of our deserved sentencing, we will be saved.

So we boast, or rejoice, or praise God through Jesus who has made us right with God, present and future.  But HOW MUCH MORE of this can we take?  Jesus just keeps heaping on grace upon grace.  John 1:16 is right: "From the fullness of his grace we have reveived one blessing after another."  Wave upon wave... upon wave... upon wave... life pounding against me.

It's like burning coals on my head... because God's grace is so undeserved... and yet I welcome it whole-heartedly in unabashed thanksgiving to my Savior.  Amen.

present-ing himself

Here is Jesus presenting himself to Thomas, the doubting disciple.  Gently, patiently, invitingly.  Jesus gives Thomas a moment to take him in.  Nail scars still there, not fixed, not restored, forever wounded.  Spear piercing in his side- the reminder of that horrible Friday- the vividness of human sin crucifying the Savior.  It had really happened.  And now Jesus, the nail-scarred leader, invites Thomas, the doubter, to draw near.  (I wonder sometimes if perhaps Jesus might have even worn an encouraging "come-on-it's-okay" smile.)

Thomas must have shamefully stared at Jesus... who had most likely put out his hands, stuck out a foot or two, and gestured toward his side.  "Go ahead, Thomas, put your hand in them," says the Leader of the Universe.  "Prove to yourself that I AM alive.  Let the testimony of my scars speak forever."  Thomas must have been moved to the core of his soul... Imagine seeing those visible wounds- purposefully unhealed- on the most powerful human who was or is or who will be.

The humility of the resurrected Jesus strikes me perhaps more than anything else about him.  Here is Jesus gently appearing to grieving women in the garden.  Here is Jesus making breakfast on the shore for his disciples... serving them fresh fish over a fire.  Here is Jesus eating a humble meal in Emmaus with two no-named men - who, by the way, didn't even realize who he was.  Here is Jesus restoring the love of Peter.   Here is Jesus presenting himself to only a select number of people, instead of rubbing his presence in the face of his killers.  He didn't mock the Sadducees who sentenced him to death- and who rejected the idea of a resurrected body.  He didn't spit on the soldiers who spit on him.  He didn't turn on the crowds who had turned on him.  He didn't seek revenge on Barabbas.  He didn't massacre Herod's family... or beam himself to the throne room of Rome to make Caesar wet his pants.  Here is the King of kings and Lord of Lords, the Great I AM, friend.  Here is Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Who could possibly be a greater leader than the resurrected Jesus?  He conquered death!  What more could a person do?  Jesus was the essence of brilliance and glory.  Splendor was his.  The sound of his resurrected voice alone could have blown like a nuclear blast.  One wave of his arm could have forced everyone to their knees.  And yet, here is Jesus presenting himself to Thomas, the doubting disciple.

(See John 20:24-29)

Generational Transference in the Bible: Implications for Today's North American Church (Part 3)

(Continued from previous post...)

            Second, a local church should structure itself adaptively.  The church’s life, both in concept and in action, should be based on organic and missional metaphors.  Snyder notes that Scripture transforms even the static “building” and “temple” images of the church into organic ones: “living stones,” a growing building, and even a temple alive in the Spirit.^[1]  When the identity of the church is viewed as Christ’s body^[2] or as his bride,[3] then the life of the church naturally involves movement as well as issues of health and growth and reproduction.  According to Stevens and Collins, this biblical approach to structuring leadership and ministry means that the “most productive direction will be to work with the culture and systemic organization of the church” and reinforce the mutuality and interdependence of a congregation.^[4] 

            In an adaptive structure, an organization resists possessive leadership, resists institutionalization, and releases creativity to address paradigmatic challenges.  Stevens and Collins point out that a flexible network structure discourages goals that elevate leaders to the detriment of the rest of the body.^[5]  In other words, possessive leadership and rigid establishment cannot be bedfellows of the bride of Christ.

            In this way, generational transference principles will tend to reflect the adaptive practices of organic and missional communities within the contexts of life rather than static traditions, buildings or programs.^[6]  Transference principles will perpetuate beyond the construct of tools and resources, echoing the ongoing life breathed into the church by the Spirit.  Furthermore, because the church is alive acts as a living family, transference principles will tend to echo cooperative and partnership themes.

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^[1] Snyder, 90; See 1 Peter 2:4-6; Ephesians 2:19-22

^[2] E.g. Romans 12:5

[3] John 3:29; Revelation 19:7

^[4] Stevens, R. Paul and Phil Collins.  The Equipping Pastor: A Systems Approach to Congregational Leadership (Alban Institute, 1993), xviii-xix

^[5] Stevens, 7

^[6] “Mission is therefore not a program or project some people in the church do from time to time; the church’s very nature is to be God’s missionary people.” Roxburgh and Romanuk, The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006), xv

Generational Transference in the Bible: Implications for Today's North American Church (Part 2)

From this overview of the Biblical Foundations of generational transference evident in Scripture a few theological principles can be derived:

           First, a local church should always keep its mission as its central focus.^[1] Churches that lose the priority of mission become concerned about self-preservation rather than propagation of the Gospel. But long-lasting and successful organizations will not forget who they are and why they exist.  Of course, keeping focus on mission involves first and foremost keeping an interactive relationship with God as the core aspect to a church community. The commands to love others and to make disciples stem first from an active love for the Lord and from his active empowerment of people.[2]  Ecclesial mission must be intertwined with God’s work of spiritual formation in the lives of people.  As people focus on God and are marked by a response of obedience to his call, subgroups such as generations cannot help but to partner in mission.  And, as noted, if a primary aspect to God’s mission involves one generation proclaiming to the next, generational transference of ministry leadership is naturally grounded in the theological foundation of worship and mission.  The primary task of leadership, then, is to cultivate an environment in which people are encouraged primarily to live for God and, consequently, to live for others.

            Churches are first and foremost to identify themselves as servants of God. With this in mind, churches are understood to exist as countercultural missional communities.^[3]  In other words, churches are sent into the world as agents of transformation rather than conformation.^[4]  As Jesus came to the world not to condemn the world but to save it,^[5] so the church becomes the incarnational witness of God within culture. As a countercultural community, churches will offer restoration and integration to a broken, fragmented world.  This theological principle gives shape to the appropriate strategies needed within local churches in terms of raising-up next generation leaders. 

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^[1] Snyder suggests the most crucial DNA involves having worship and mission as the central focus of the church. Snyder, 89

[2] 1John 4:10

^[3] Snyder, 92

^[4] Snyder, 92; Romans 12:1-2

^[5] John 3:16; 1 Timothy 1:15, Psalm 104:30

ken castor ~ hub video ~ serve and love (april 18, 2010)

My very last hub teaching of the spring focuses on a passage that grips me, twists me, and fills me with wonder about Jesus. We did have an audio glich so sorry about the sound! But it's still worth a listen!  (John 13)

ken castor ~ hub video ~ following Jesus

Tiger and Phil and Crazy Horse and Lazarus?  Who you follow determines what happens to you.  Following Jesus means something more than most of us usually consider.  At hub, Ken Castor (who looks like some kind of televangelist-waiter-magician in this video!) explores the cost of being a disciple of Jesus.

Ken Castor ~ Hub video ~ Believing God

Jesus is who Jesus is. Do we still want to follow him? At hub, Ken Castor explores who Jesus is what our response to him should be; based on John chapter 8.

Following Jesus vs. @%#$&!!!

It's frustrating... but I still get some flack from some corners of the globe about using the term "Jesus Follower" as the designation of my faith.  Strangely, the flack comes from Christians... Christians who for the most part seem to truly believe in Jesus and dare-I-say follow him.  What they are concerned about is what they perceive to be my rejection of the word "Christian" as the designation I take upon myself.  Oddly, some have accused me of liberalism while others of ultra-fundamentalism.  In the end, I don't care.  I just want to follow Jesus.

First of all, I never have rejected the word "Christian."  It's a fantastic word, and should be a badge of honor carried by those who follow Christ.  In fact, I consider myself to be a very passionate Christian according to it's original usage!  Originally it was a title given to those who followed Jesus (see Acts 11:26) in the city of Syrian Antioch during the days of Paul and Barnabas.  In that church community there seemed to be a great emphasis on the power of the Lord, an environment of encouragement, on the Holy Spirit, on serving people and giving resources to help others... oh... and also on "great numbers" of people being  brought to the Lord... all in a culture where persecution impacted the practice of faith. 

In Acts 11, the term "Christian" was a label given to those who followed Jesus so that people could identify them for what they were all about.  At that time in Syrian Antioch, those who followed Jesus were all about walking in the way of Jesus Christ.  That clearly meant they were "of Christ" (Christian), or Christ-like. 

And so this is my beef.  In North America today, the term "Christian" is rarely synonymous with the qualities of the church in Syrian Antioch back in those days in Acts 11.  Today, the term "Christian" implies all kinds of connotations.  Some connotations are bland (eg. cultural, religious upbringing, family heritage, conservative or liberal politics) and some connotations are blatantly negative (eg. judgmental attitudes, superiority complexes, hypocritical behaviors, conservative or liberal politics).  Very few references to the word "Christian" in the media or common jargon in the West today are construed as positive with Jesus Christ as the central component of the term.  In other words, I'm not sure "of Christ" is the idea most people have when they think of North American "Christians" today.

If "Christian" meant what it once did, I'd use the phrase all the time.  But I wonder which scenario is more likely today:

1. Imagine seeing me help someone on the street and witnesses were to say, "Wow, that was really cool.  There's another Christian!"
2. Imagine seeing me preach about behavior and then getting caught in a public sex scandal and witnesses were to say, "Wow, that hypocritical, arrogant @#%&%!!!.  There's another Christian!"

If those who walk with Jesus today in North America can overcome the loss of the term "Christian" to what has become in many usages a mockery of Christ, then I would rejoice.  I'd love to see the word "Christian" redeemed from it's tragic trajectory.  But in order for this to happen, Christians must once again commonly exhibit the traits of those who follow Jesus Christ first and foremost with their lives.  In John 8:12 Jesus says that those who follow him won't stumble in the darkness.  In John 8:31 Jesus says that those who truly are his disciples are those who keep obeying his teachings.  In John 10 Jesus describes those who listen to his voice as being his sheep... and everyone else as being thieves, robbers, hired-hands and wolves.  In John 12:26 Jesus says that anyone who wants to be his disciple must come and follow him, because his servants must be where he is.  In John 15 Jesus says that his people should remain in him and should produce much good fruit.  And this is just scratching the surface of what it means to truly be "Christian."

I pray that we Christians get back to the place where we are known for having a great emphasis on the power of the Lord, an environment of encouragement, on the Holy Spirit, on serving people and giving resources to help others... oh... and also on "great numbers" of people being  brought to the Lord... all in a culture where persecution impacts the practice of our faith... When we are doing that, then the term "Christian" will once again have it's useful rather than deluded or stumble-causing meaning. 

Ken Castor ~ Hub video ~ Knowing God

God is who God is.  So why do we often want God to be different?  Through an overview study of John chapter 7, we explore accepting God for who God really is.  [Hub video, March 14, 2010]:

Your Private Life: Part 2a

Okay, so yesterday I forced your private life on you and suggested that YOUR private life is NOT really yours.  Today I want to continue antagonizing you... for the sake of protagonizing you, of course.  So I've got a second question for you regarding your private life... and I'm going to explore it in two parts.  Catch that?  Second Question.  Two parts.  First part of the second question starts now.  I want to ask:

Is your private life really private?

We like to think that our private life is to remain private.  A politician or a major sports hero who gets caught having affairs might make a public statement like, “In this difficult time of my life and my family’s life, we would ask you to respect our privacy.”  Well every reporter blows that request off.  There is no way any privacy is going to be respected.  We like to think that our private life should be private, but do we really believe that?  It’s interesting that when someone else gets caught doing something wrong, we expect them to fess up and divulge everything they’ve done wrong.  I mean, Tiger Woods is a golfer.  A golfer.  He hits a little white ball around the grass.  And yet people are saying he needs to have a public press conference where he deals with his marital infidelity before he should be accepted back on the golf course.  Seriously, does what he does in the privacy of his own life impact whether or not he can hit a sand wedge?  Wait a second, I thought you thought that your private life was private?            

We seem to have a double standard here.  We assume that as long as what we do in private stays private, then we are entitled to keep it private.  But there are two problems with this idea:            

Problem number 1:  Your private life is not private because your private life is known by God.  Psalm 44:21 asks, “Wouldn’t God have discovered [what you’ve done], since he knows the secrets of the heart?” Proverbs 5:21 states, “For a person’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all the person’s paths.”  Your life never really was private, ever.  To God’s eyes, your private life is a window.  He sees everything.  He’s not a paparazzi.  He’s not following you around in secret with cameras looking to dig up the dirt or catch you in the act, “Ah ha!  I knew it!  I had a hunch you were up to something evil.”  It’s not like that.  God is out in the open about it.  He can’t help it.  He simply sees all things; he knows all things.  And there will come a day when what God sees and knows will become seen and known by everyone.  Jesus said in Luke 12: “The time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public.  Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear, [and I would add] whatever you have texted to your mistress will be publicized by TMZ.  Look, nobody is happy that your private life will be publicized.  But part of the problem is that we assumed that a private life is private… when it never really was.  God sees and God knows.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve did something wrong and they tried to cover it up.  They didn’t want God to know, so they hid and they covered up their bodies.  Before sin, everything was out in the open.  As the great philosopher, Cosmo Kramer, once said, “I’m out there, Jerry, and I’m loving every minute of it.”  But ever since then, we have turned inward, we have become quite capable of thinking we can hide things.  But God knew what they had done.  And when he presented himself to them, Adam and Eve put on leaves started making excuses.  We were naked, Adam said, so we hid.  And so God asked them, “What’s wrong with being naked- that’s how I made you?  Did you mess something up?”  From the beginning, people have tried to hide and keep private those things that they don’t want others to know.  Adam and Eve, male and female, created in the image of God, had nothing to hide, until they did wrong and then they became addicted to privacy.  We’re just like them.  We like to pretend that we can cover up our privates, but we really can’t.  God sees.  God knows.  Your private life is public knowledge to God.