Gospel Suffering
My wife is the real writer in this family. She recently wrote about the topic of suffering and was very candid sharing the wave after wave of suffering we have navigated as a family. She nailed it and I wanted to share her words with readers of theMangoTimes.
You can read everything she says over at KendraFletcher.com, but this specific post can be found by clicking directly here:
When Suffering Comes Blow by Blow by Blow (and How to Help)
My favorite line in her post is this: “It is this suffering life to which we are called, but we cannot embrace its grace until we recognize that the Bible, Christ’s life, and ours in discipleship is a life called to pain and brokenness. God triumphs, though. This earth isn’t heaven.”
After the last few years of let downs, false starts, loss and pain, sometimes we need to learn to sit in that pain recognizing that God is still in sovereign control. We can kick and scream and yell all we want, but there is also a place of peace knowing that God knows, He cares and He’s got this. Anyhow, enough of my thoughts, go read her words.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
A Thin Veneer of the Gospel
theMangoTimes blog has been dead silent for more than a year. There were many things I wanted to write about during 2020, but it seemed like everyone was blogging and podcasting on the same subjects. I did not want to add another voice into the conversation about pandemics, sheltering in place, politics, racism, or why we should or should not be wearing masks. Lately though, I have not been able to shake a few thoughts and theMangoTimes always seems like a good place to write some things down and see how they land.
So, what would bring Fletch out of his blogging hiatus? The same as always: the gospel. It’s been over 10 years since I woke up from what I refer to as “gospel amnesia.” I know it sounds crazy from a guy who loves the gospel, but for a large chunk of my life I had done the unthinkable and forgotten the gospel. I got wrapped up with a group of people who thought and taught more about behaving than believing. Those years of pursuing religion through better behavior were some of the most fruitless years in my faith and I have no desire to return.
That's why theMangoTimes will continue to be a trumpet for gospel-centered promotion (and I hope discussion). It is also why I choose to surround myself with people who will regularly speak the gospel into my life. I appreciate the reminder to believe better because on my own I quickly return to focusing again on how to behave better.
This leads me to a trend I have seen this year. As 2020 blends into 2021, the virus and the politics surrounding the virus have continued to surge at a feverish rate. The desire for normalcy has led many in our community to a point of frustration and feistiness. The epitome of frustration can be seen in what the internet refers to as “Karens” or “Kevins” exploding in the local Trader Joes. What I find interesting is that this angst remains almost indistinguishable within the virtual walls of the church. Sure, it doesn’t represent itself in shared viral videos, but it remains suppressed within the minds and hearts of many in the church.
Our American culture has created a spirit of entitlement. In public we see this erupt in angry displays by people who will not “let their rights” be violated. In the church, I find it much more subtle. “Gospel amnesia” lives quietly under the surface and spreads quickly because many of us live with a very thin veneer of the gospel over our faith.
“The gospel becomes a banner we live under that says: You have been saved by faith. You are being saved by faith. You will ultimately be saved by faith. Period. ”
If we are being honest, the church has been hit by the perfect storm. For the past year, we have been forced to face a lingering pandemic, unavoidable issues of justice, and a front-row seat to one of our most contentious political seasons in history (Note: I am quick to be corrected by my father who loves to describe the similarities to the election of 1864).
For gospel loving Christians, we should be thriving in this environment. Who better than us to articulate the good news that God loves us and that His love is most clearly demonstrated in the redemptive work of Jesus on our behalf? Pushing this theology a little deeper, my favorite 16th-century monk, Martin Luther, would remind us that this happens only by God's grace. Jesus and only Jesus can do the work that saves us. We bring nothing to the table for negotiation of our salvation or our sanctification.
The gospel becomes a banner we live under that says: You have been saved by faith. You are being saved by faith. You will ultimately be saved by faith. Period. This knowledge should then translate into a demonstration of a deep love for one another or, to follow my metaphor, we should have a thick layer of the gospel that remains difficult to penetrate.
Has that been the case? I'm discovering something quite different. 2020 has revealed that because many of us have been living with a very thin veneer of the gospel, we are quick to forget these truths.
As I said above,, I’ve been working this out in my thoughts and with several in my community. I mentioned this recently as I walked with a friend who asked me to clarify what I meant. Think back over the last year with me. In conversations about politics, or our cultural/corporate behavior/response to Covid-19, or our response to justice, or any of the other challenging topics this year, have you witnessed a gospel response? I would argue that as soon as we begin scratching the surface in most conversations we will quickly find discussions and ultimately lives driven by "good or right" Christian behavior.
If the gospel reminds us how deeply loved we are by God, that should motivate us to "do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously." (Micah 6) Instead, 2020 revealed a church split over so many issues: From wearing masks to responding to issues of justice, citizenship, political candidates, to gathering in person for worship, to whatever. Instead of the gospel motivating and informing our response to instinctively care for others over ourselves, I found over and over this year that folks seemed to be driven by religious responses driven by self-focus and personal rights.
The solution for this seems so simple: Preach the gospel even more, right? It seems easy enough, but here's where things got real. In my little corner of the world, I began to hear statements like this: "Hey Fletch, you can't keep talking about the gospel. That's all you ever seem to want to talk about. Can we move beyond that topic? You clearly do not recognize the importance of holiness. I get the gospel. What we need to talk about is what it means to live out our faith in the fear of God."
“In other words, the gospel doesn’t just earn your salvation, but it maintains your salvation and secures your salvation. ”
This is exactly what I mean by a thin veneer of the gospel. This is represented in responses like this: The gospel is great, but only for getting our foot in the door. Once I am there, I am responsible for all of my behaviors, so thanks for the gospel mumbo-jumbo, but I need to hear and learn how to behave better. Oh yeah, by the way, I need to hear way more about the consequences of all my bad choices too. I can’t live on a diet of the unconditional love of God alone.
It reminds me of a life-changing conversation I had with a pastor who told me that the gospel is not just the “A, B, C's” of the Christian faith, but the “A to Z”. In other words, the gospel doesn't just earn your salvation, but it maintains your salvation and secures your salvation. At no time do we move on from the gospel. At no time do we hit a place where our work is required to maintain our position before God or secure our salvation.
When we have a year like 2020, where our faith has been given multiple opportunities to be on display, where do we look for motivation? In this season where we can choose to humbly serve our weaker brother or boldly stand for brothers and sisters who have been seen "lesser than" because of the color of their skin, their gender, their political beliefs, etc, shouldn’t it be the gospel that motivates us? The gospel is the constant reminder that we have been reconciled to God by His grace alone that motivates us. It's never our behavior. It's never our good works. It's never our righteousness.
As I mentioned, these conversations based on a very shallow penetration of the gospel have become almost unavoidable. In fact, they have seemed to ramp up and I love when others say that they've heard enough of the gospel and want to move on and start focusing on their obedience or working out their salvation. For me, it's like pouring gasoline on the gospel bonfire. It motivates me to remind others that the gospel-centered life is a life where Christians experience a growing personal reliance on the gospel that protects them from depending on their own religious performance and being seduced and overwhelmed by idols.
“True faith takes its character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”
When you bump into others who have reached the point of frustration and feistiness, turning inward to the “quality of their faith” does not provide hope, rescue or relief. As a teacher once explained to me, when you meet a drowning man you don’t tell them to: “Paddle harder and kick faster.” We do not possess the internal power to get things right and unfortunately every effort within ourselves will only lead to further collapse.
In his book, The Christian Life, Sinclair Ferguson had an amazing quote: “True faith takes its character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!”
Now it's your turn. How important is your behavior to your faith? What do you bring to your salvation? What do you bring to your sanctification? Does the gospel get you in the door or is it the fuel behind every step in your faith? Have the challenges of 2020 and 2021 pushed you one way or the other. Let me know in the comments or feel free to connect with me privately by email. I’d like to hear from you.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
The Gospel Revisited
I can't review this enough times...and he kills it.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Dropping Nate At College
I wrote a blog post over at Homeschooling In Real Life today. I shared a little of my experience dropping Nate off at college and the advice I gave to him as we parted ways. Are you wondering what we talked about?
Let me give you a hint. It's Fletch, all my conversations boil down to the same thing: The Gospel.
Click on the picture to read: What I Said To My Son When I Dropped Him Off At College.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
C.S. Lewis - Because He Loves Us
Yes. I'll never get sick of hearing this story.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Doing Math With Mark Driscoll
I saw this on Facebook this morning. Read it slowly. After reading through the 122 comments, it's clear that most people did not read the whole statement and just wanted to attack the messenger. In this case, forget the messenger and focus on the message.
This statement isn't so much about our obedience to God, but about our motivation. We still obey, we still submit, we still honor, but when we do it to "get something from God" it's a form of religion. When we know the love of God, it motivates us to obey. That's the gospel. That's Christianity.
I got this backwards for many years and worse than that taught my kids some crappy math along the way. We never measured up (much like Dolores Umbridge) and entered a vicious cycle of trying harder to achieve.
Don't believe me? Do you think your acceptance is about obedience to God? Do you really believe He will love you more if you obey Him better? Let me encourage you to stop trying so hard to be a better behavior and become a better believer.
Quetly making noise,
Fletch
Beach Rules
I've been living according to this principle for years, but didn't even know it was a rule...
Thanks to Howiesgal for pointing this one out to me!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
New Perspective
Are you having a tough day? A tough week? A tough month? A tough year? Check out David's story for a new perspective.
I love I Am Second.com and the work they produce. Some videos more than others will grab me in the moment. This week it was David's story that I found particularly good!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Easter 2013 Thoughts
To accommodate a recent surge in growth, our church celebrated Easter this year at a large community center that we rented in downtown Modesto. Esthetically, I love worshipping in this building. In a prior life, the building and grounds housed an old multi-bay brick garage where the county vehicles were serviced and maintained. Since then, this large building has been gutted and beautifully renovated for community events, but the old brick walls remain and it maintains a historic look.
The location is perfect too. The building is located in the center of downtown Modesto and sits across the street from the Stanislaus County Jail. What a perfect venue for an Easter celebration.
We sang loudly this morning. We sang about Jesus. The Redeemer. The one whom the Bible declares came to set the prisoners free.
Throughout the entire Easter service, sitting a few hundred feet away from a literal and physical prison, I found it hard not to make the connection. My imagination drifted to what it would look like if someone walked in to the county jail and unlocked the prison doors to let each of the prisoners free.
Prisoners would run out, right? They would run from their cells as quick as they could, right? That is what our Easter celebration was about this morning. Easter is about celebrating Jesus and the freedom He brings us from sin and bondage.
Yet I am baffled by those who choose to remain in prison. Although freedom is offered, they refuse. I am baffled by others, who accept the gift of freedom only to return to a new prison cell that they create out of their own religious behavior and morality, they've exchanged one prison for another.
If we are free, we are free indeed. Free to follow Jesus and serve Him, because of His work on our behalf. It reminds me of the line in the hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing: "Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee."
The goodness of God. The love of the Redeemer. It draws us out of our prisons of sin and religion into loving obedience to our savior.
Happy Easter.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Good Friday 2013 - It is Finished
It Is Finished
“So, by all means work! But the hard work is not what you think it is—your personal improvement and moral progress. The hard work is washing your hands of you and resting in Christ’s finished work for you—which will inevitably produce personal improvement and moral progress. Progress in obedience happens when our hearts realize that God’s love for us does not depend on our progress in obedience. Martin Luther’s got a point: “It is not imitation that makes sons; it is sonship that makes imitators.”
The real question, then, is: What are you going to do now that you don’t have to do anything? What will your life look like lived under the banner which reads “It is finished?”
Religion and Affections
From Convergence, Spiritual Journeys of a Charismatic Calvinist by Sam Storms
"There is a lot of "religion" in the world, rituals, rites, gestures, beliefs, acts of moral virtue, charity, as well as organizations and institutions and traditions designed to perpetuate and promote it, ostensibly to the glory of God. But without holy affections, all such activities and the effort to advertise them are nothing but wind.
Those who would insist on the intellect of man or the doctrinal accuracy of his thoughts as the pinnacle of religous expression need to consider that no idea or attitude or theory or doctrine is of value that does not inflame the heart and sir the affections in love and joy and fear of God.
Those who would argue that moral obedience is the essence of religion fail to see that such behavior is only good to the degree that it springs from and finds its source in the holy affections of the heart as they are described in Scripture."
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
The Gospel - A Golden Ticket?
Are you sick of hearing about the gospel around here? I hope not. I need it. You need it. That's the point. I repeat this theme often here on theMT, because we are so quick to look for our identity elsewhere. We are so quick to shift our hope to anything but Jesus. We will try to find purpose, value and security in the things of the world or in religious behavior and it is the gospel which centers us.
We need reminders that the gospel is the only thing that has the power to save us. The world will try to lure us in by appealing to our flesh, providing quick fixes to help us feel better about ourselves in the moment. Religion does the exact same thing, only it's wrapped up to look acceptable. We may not feel good about what the world has to offer, but we will run enmasse to get our "fix" from religion.
Like an anchored pendulum between both extremes you will find the gospel, the good news. In the gospel, we find we are accepted by God because of what Jesus has done. In the gospel we find that we have worth and value as sons and daughters of God. In the gospel we find that we are secure in Christ, because He has secured us a place in eternity. Last but not least, we find our identity in Christ. We do not need to find our identity in sex, drugs and rock and roll. Neither do we need to find our identity in a church or a religious behavior. Our identity is hidden in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Amen?
That's why we keep returning to the gospel here regularly at theMangoTimes. Funny enough, I was in a conversation last week with a friend about this exact thing. I encouraged him toward a lifestyle of gospel centrality, but he told me that he had recently heard a sermon at church that seemed to contradict this exact advice. He relayed that the sermon had equated a daily return to the gospel with a stagnate marriage. Dwelling daily on the message of the gospel would be like never growing in your relationship with your wife beyond the feelings and experiences you shared on your wedding day. My friend had been taught that a daily dose of the gospel would mean zero growth. It would be no different than repeating the events of your wedding day over and over and over again.
Naturally he had questions for me and what I meant by daily reminders of the gospel. We laughed together as I dismissed the thought that I was describing gospel centralilty as a religious version of the movie Groundhog Day, where things stay the same perpetually.
Ground Hog Day? A stagnate marriage? Obviously, those comparisons are absurd and totally misses the point of living centered on the gospel.
To help clarify my point, I am excited to point you to Tullian Tchividjian's new website, Liberatenet.org, which went live last week. It contains blog posts and a variety of other resources. One of my favorite finds on the site is a section called "Conversations" and I would recommend all of them. For this post, let me recommend a great conversation between two panelists from The Whitehorse Inn radio program and Tullian Tchividjian on the topic of The Gospel in the life of the Christian. In this conversation, they specifically mention that the gospel is not just "your ticket into Christianity" but that which sustains the life of the Christian.
(Embeded courtesy of liberatenet.org)
Good News vs. Good Advice
"All other religions give advice, and they drive everything you’re doing on fear."
Tim Keller
I am reposting and linking because the Resurgence blog post is good. I am reposting and linking because Keller's original talk is good. In truth, I'm reposting and linking because I needed to hear it again. That's the funny thing about "gospel amnesia," I'm never really cured of that pesky illness.
This post and Keller's original words at the GC event caused a bunch of thoughts to begin swirling around my brain. I know it is a common theme around here, but a good one to keep in front of us regularly. I've started my own list below. Feel free to join me.
Good advice is offering up fancy theology.
Good news is telling others the simple story about Jesus.
Good advice will teach security in traditions, vestments and liturgy.
Good news will teach security in Christ alone.
Good advice takes people to a perfect church.
Good news takes people to an empty cross.
Good advice leads others to memorize a catechism or confession.
Good news leads people to memorize three words: "It is finished"
Good advice says "this is how we do it right."
Good news says "This is what Jesus did. It's done!"
Good advice nails a list of "do's and don'ts" to the wall.
Good news points people to three bloody nails.
Good advice talks about dressing your best for church.
Good news talks about being dressed in the garments of Jesus.
Good advice gives a pair of gold-plated/diamond-studded handcuffs.
Good news gives a pardon.
Good advice says, Jesus plus something.
Good news says, Jesus plus nothing.
That will get the ball rolling, feel free to leave your own in the comments below.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
I Resolve...2012
I'm not working so much on measurable resolutions this year, mostly because I've been a huge failure every year at maintaining my New Year's resolutions much past the month of January.
I have found that I'm not a very good rule keeper, but I do well when I focus on general changes in life. We can call them themes or like a good pirate, maybe I will just call them guidelines.
As I kick-off this year, one of the major themes for 2012 will be "Jesus + Nothing = Everything" which is based on a new book of the same title by Tullian Tchividjian (Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church). It has already started, but I know that "J+N=E" will work itself into my conversations, blog posts and social networking.
It is a catchy phrase and a simple articulation of the gospel, but it serves as a daily exercise in mathematics for me to see if I am trying to change the equation. On his blog today, Tchividjian communicates the principle like this: "The gospel is not a command to hang onto Jesus. Rather, it’s a promise that no matter how weak and unsuccessful your faith and efforts may be, God is always holding on to you."
This year, it is my hope that I remember more and more what the "nothing" means in this equation.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Identity Theft
"The surprising reality, however, is that Christians are, by definition, people who have someone else’s identity. They’re called “Christians” because they’ve taken the identity of someone else: Christ. Not only have you been given an identity that you weren’t born with or that you didn’t earn the right to use, but you’re invited to empty the checking account and use all the benefits this identity brings!This is so much better than identity theft—it’s an identity gift!"
Fletch
Letters to the Editor: "Purpose or Burden"
I feel pressured to be "productive for God." For me this means being "good," homeschooling, having lots of godly kids, being a witness in the community, being in tune with the Holy Spirit's additional directions, etc. I feel like I need a full resume for God--not so that he will love me but so that I will be useful to Him.
My grandparents were missionaries to India, grandfather headed up seminaries, wrote books, etc., and were extremely productive for the Kingdom. That seems good, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed at what I "should" accomplish.
Is that Godly purpose or is it an ungodly burden? Any thoughts?
"So, by all means work! But the hard work is not what you think it is–your personal improvement and moral progress. The hard work is washing your hands of you and resting in Christ’s finished work for you–which will inevitably produce personal improvement and moral progress. Progress in obedience happens when our hearts realize that God’s love for us does not depend on our progress in obedience. (Martin) Luther’s got a point: “It is not imitation that makes sons; it is sonship that makes imitators.”The real question, then, is: What are you going to do now that you don’t have to do anything? What will your life look like lived under the banner which reads “It is finished?” What you’ll discover is that once the gospel frees you from having to do anything for Jesus, you’ll want to do everything for Jesus so that “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do” you’ll do it all to the glory of God."
You Already Have an "A", part 2
"In other words, grace mobilizes performance; performance does not mobilize grace."
Pastor Tullian Tchividjian
I blogged on this before (You Already Have an A!, Part One) and I included an audio clip, but The Resurgence Blog posted the text this morning, so I thought I would link there again for those that prefer to read instead of listen:
The Resurgence Blog - Pastor Tullian Tchividjian
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Another quick note to the young men at my table
Hey guys, it has been awhile since I last wrote a post in theMangoTimes to you about our discussions around the table. As you get older, we have less time around the table, so we need to use this virtual table here on theMangoTimes.
In this first section, Driscoll is speaking about something he calls "reformission" which involves being a missionary to your culture. I love this portion that I have highlighted above, because I think it speaks to behavior you have seen in me over the past few years. He does such a great job communicating the tension we've experienced in our family. I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone warn me that the exercise of my freedom can be a slippery slope into sin for either myself or someone around me. Here's the deal: Be wise, but don't let fear keep you from being Christ to a dying world.
Slam dunk and so true! It will never be rules that prevent sin, but it seems we sure hear a lot of talk about how to live. Living in the conservative homeschool community we saw this exact thing. Most of the time, the hushed discussions were wrapped in concern and warnings. Encouragement to avoid certain movies or certain types of music or boy/girl relationships. It's the same old argument: "it's all about how you live and choices you make," but it just doesn't work. Think of how many kids we know who lived one way in front of their parents and a completely different life behind the scenes. Like Driscoll said, the potential for pride is enormous! Remember: it is our love for Jesus and His love for us that will enable us to engage folks within our culture without abusing our freedom and falling in love with the things of the world.
Enough said. Stick close to Jesus. Live free. Be reformissionaries. I love you guys!
Quietly making noise,
Dad
Twice a year?
Face it. Some folks only make it to church twice a year, once for Christmas and once for Easter (and the occasional weddings/funerals). Maybe you are one of them. Others attend church every week, but they have lost Jesus along the way. Maybe you are one of those who have forgotten that the same power that conquered the grave, lives in you. Either way, I want to personally invite you to worship with us this Sunday morning.
We will be in downtown Modesto at Graceada park. You don't need to worry about breakfast, because we are serving pancakes at 9am (and all the moms cheered!) and then worship at 10am.
On a personal note, Kendra and I will be sharing our story about our recovery from "gospel amnesia." What is that you say? We will talk about how we were lulled to sleep with "behavior-focused" Christianity and how we excepted a subtle exchange of religion for the gospel! You will get to hear a personal story of what happened in our own lives to remind us that doctrine is not what saves people and that it wasn't theology that conquered the grave. Ah shucks...I'm giving too much of our story away! Come join us and hear the full adventure.
Easter 2011 from Redeemer Modesto on Vimeo.
Quietly making noise,
Fletch