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Overcoming Tribalism and Politics at Elim: The Challenge of Our Day

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(Adapted by Larry Short from T. J. Addington’s Leading from the Sandbox)

Last week Pastor Ryan spoke compellingly of the fact that our identity is to be Jesus followers first and primarily, and all other labels (political or whatever) are to be far secondary. This touched me deeply, as I, too, have been struggling with the way we have been dividing ourselves into ”camps” or factions for reasons not related to Jesus.

In a recent blog, former EFCA leader T. J. Addington also shines a bright light on this issue.

This is what he had to say:

Politics today has become tribal, and frankly ugly. People use social media to demonize those who don’t think like them with nasty, unkind comments. Christians are not immune. I have been called nasty names when I have posted comments regarding racial injustice, for instance, that had no political intent at all. Our tribalism is invading the church, dividing congregations, killing friendships and creating divisions that sadden the heart of God.

This is not a new problem. Even the early church dealt with differing perspectives, world views and opinions. Paul addresses this in Ephesians 4:1-6 where he writes: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Read the rest here.

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Loving Jesus and Hating Mammon: A Beginner’s Guide

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By Jason Comerford

If you’re at all familiar with Jesus’s teachings in the Gospels, you’re likely familiar with the fact that much of it centers around money. Jesus has a lot of opinions about how the people of God should handle wealth. One of the more famous sections is found in Matthew 6, wherein Jesus says the following: “No one can serve two masters, for he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” Matthew 6:24.

Now, interesting thing about most English translations, they use the word wealth or money” in place of what it actually says, “mammon,” which seems to be a name. This is a small quibble: the meaning does just amount to money, but it’s interesting to me that the text and the name both personify wealth—they act as though it’s a person.

A person you can serve.

The main conflict set up here between God and Mammon is that they make competing claims about themselves. Both God and Mammon will tell you that they are trustworthy, that they are providers, and that they are worth of your admiration and worship. That you need them, because only they can provide for you.

And you can only believe one of them.

While overt worship of Jesus is important (think prayer, songs of praise, communion, etc.), what we do with our money demonstrates the truth of who we really worship in new and clarifying ways. So, I would like to propose some practical ways that we can honor our Lord Jesus and handle the money we have.

  1. Trust in Jesus: Give until it changes your lifestyle. Have you ever given so much that it changed your vacation plans? Delayed the purchase of a new car or a new home? Or even something as simple and small as forcing you to skip a lunch out one day? The one story that the Gospels record of Jesus being truly impressed with someone’s generosity was when a little old lady gave a fraction of a penny while others around her gave huge, significant sums. The difference was that she gave the only money she had to live on, while the others gave out of their excess. Their lifestyles were not changed by their gifts; hers was.

    And friends, don’t miss this. It delights our Lord when we sacrifice for the good of others.

  2. Trust in Jesus: Give immediately. Have you ever run into someone who would really be helped by an extra $500 in their bank account? While money isn’t our savior and provider, by giving it away, we can really help lift the burdens of our neighbors. A new set of tires is no big deal until it’s the thing standing between you and providing for your family. Don’t just limit your giving to the weekly collection at church or your World Vision sponsorship. Find the people around you that need help, listen to that small voice inside you, and help lift a burden right then and there.

  3. Trust in Jesus: Give indiscriminately. How often have you talked yourself out of giving money to someone? “They’ll just spend it on drugs,” we assure ourselves. Or “Maybe they’re not really homeless.” There are many excuses, but it amounts to this: precious Mammon is too valuable to risk on this person.

    While wisdom with our money can be good, I would like to propose that we demonstrate what our God is like when we imitate the God who “makes it rain on the righteous and unrighteous,” the God who instructs us to “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” into our homes to feast. The people who cannot pay us back, who might not use our money the way we want—indeed, the people who hate us—are fitting recipients of kindness and generosity in God’s kingdom.

  4. Trust in Jesus: Give until it turns to joy. Here’s the heart of the matter. Our hearts are naturally geared to believe that money gives us power and protection. We’re not naturally going to trust in Jesus to provide for us—we’re going to turn to money for that. Giving up wealth feels like embracing weakness, embracing risk, and embracing death. But what if we so trust Jesus to care for us, to do as He promises, that money loses this terrible psychological grip on us? What if generosity became a free and happy thing, knowing that the God of Heaven cares for us? I Believe one of Christ’s goals in our generosity is that we would, ultimately, delight in it. That His gladness would become our gladness and it would overflow in glad, sacrificial generosity.

Some last things to make clear: Giving money doesn’t earn more of God’s love for us or cause Him to favor us with good finances. It is because God loves us that He calls us to love and generosity. It is because God already loves us that we’re called to become more and more like His Son, Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for unworthy sinners because He loves them.

There’s great joy and peace ahead for us friends—and it’s not in hoarding wealth in a world where it can rot and get stolen. It’s in loving our neighbors so well that we come to find we’ve been storing up treasure in Heaven all along.

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How’s It Going?

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by Jeff Foerster

I’ve thought a lot about that question lately. I’ve seen many of you encounter obstacles, speed bumps, detours, and downright roadblocks in your paths lately. So, when I hear a question like “How’s it going?” it seems to me there are a couple of options.

First is the option to take that question at its face value and describe the circumstances and conditions of life, be they pleasant or unpleasant, like some kind of cathartic exercise. While identification of real experiences is important, it can be tempting to stop there. Instead, we have the option to describe the circumstances and conditions of life, be they pleasant or unpleasant, and answer the question underneath the question: “How am I doing in the midst of my circumstances?”

If asked on a regular basis, these two questions are useful in knowing one another and knowing oneself. They also, and maybe more importantly, provide good fodder for conversation with our Father.

Every day I have the option to look down (assessing my own circumstances), look around (comparing myself to others or an ideal I have concocted), or look up and take all that I have, all that I experience, and all that I hope for and bring it into the presence of our Holy God, my Savior and my Father, who loves me beyond words.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

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The Christ-Life

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By Lars Passic 

As I stop and reflect, this year has been one of wonderful mountaintop experiences and also a year of emotional, heartbreaking pain and loss. The year has also been extremely busy, and I have not always navigated it well. I have stumbled and failed my wife and daughter in numerous ways. But God has been so good to me, and I have so much to be thankful for. 

I’ve been reading the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis with a coworker of mine, Nathan, and I came across this part about what Lewis calls the “Christ-life”: 

As long as the natural life is in your body, it will do a lot towards repairing that body. Cut it, and up to a point it will heal, as a dead body would not. A live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can to some extent repair itself. In the same way, a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble—because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out. 

Last month I was blessed with the privilege of baptizing my daughter Violet. It is so wonderful to watch my daughter grow and see her embrace the Christ-life. As I let Violet down in to the water, the words I spoke to her were taken from Romans 6:4: 

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 

Violet’s life will have hurts and stumbles. It is my prayer that God will help Rebecca and I teach Violet how to nourish and grow the Christ-life inside her. 

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