Labels by Chad Hess

When I was a kid, I used to draw a lot.  One day when I was probably eight or nine, I drew a picture of Jesus on the cross and signed it "Chad Hess - The Christian."  I don't remember much about the picture, nor do I remember why I felt the need to add a title like that.  But I do remember wondering whether I should put "The Christian" or "The Adventist."  I knew that I was both a Christian and an Adventist, but I didn't really know the difference.  For some reason, I've always remembered this picture, and I've often gone back to the question of how I should have signed it.  

At some points in my life I think I should have signed it "The Adventist."  The Seventh-day Adventist denomination is a subset of Christianity as a whole, so it's more specific to say "The Adventist."  At other points I've thought that I should have signed it "The Christian" since my identity is not found in what church I belong to or what doctrine I espouse; my identity is found in Christ.  More recently I've felt that any label can have different connotations and lead to stereotyping and judging.  

What would happen if we didn't rely on labels to describe our religion?  What would happen if all churches dropped denominational titles and you had to visit the church to find out what their picture of God was?  I'm not suggesting that all churches or all denominations are the same.  They are not.  Nor do I believe that all churches of a particular denomination are inherently better than any church of another denomination.  They are not.  Nor am I saying that denominations are not important.  They are helpful for organization and identifying potentially like-minded people.  But too often denominations have been used for cloistering and judging.  What would happen if we viewed people not based on their labels, but based on their heart and their relationship with Jesus?  After all, I think that's how God sees us.

Chad Hess

Take Off Your Shoes by Francini Reis

When God called Moses He said:

“Do not come any closer,"…"Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:5.

How many times have you been aware of God’s plan for your life? It’s hard to understand His plan when we have our own.

In verse 11, Moses replied to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

There have been many times in my life when I have doubted, and many times when all I could do was just cry. 

Growing up, I thought I had the most perfect family until the day my dad left us – my mom, my brother (15), and I (14). My world just fell apart. He was my everything, my super hero. I would do anything to be around him. He was the most loving, caring, smart, creative, Christian dad in the whole wide world. He had promised my brother and I that he was going to be with us in every moment of our lives.  He promised that he would pay for our studies. He was going to choose the man I was going to date and marry.  He vowed he would die for us if needed. I believed it all.

Years went by after he left us, and in the midst of our life's chaos, my brother and I had to learn to do things on our own and stop depending on our father because by now we knew he would never return.

Then, we learned to be barefoot in the presence of God. In order to be successful we had to “Trust in the LORD with all (y)our heart and lean not on (y)our own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

Do you know what that means? It was the hardest thing ever. Can you imagine sleeping at night not knowing how you will be able to pay for school the next month? Thank God, He never failed.

I’ve fought God about my professional, academic, and personal life. Many times I asked God: Who am I that I should go there and do such a thing? I can’t do it! I can’t handle it! I have my limitations; can’t you understand?

We had to take off our shoes and do what God was telling us to do. We had no choice, no power, no money, no honor, no qualifications. However, He turned our fears and insecurity into blessings, he healed our pain, and He made us stronger. We had dreams, but God had real plans for us.

God took my limitations and turned them into opportunities. Nobody at their first year of college could teach math at an elementary school in Brazil, but God gave me the job. He knew I needed it, and I knew He was with me. He enabled my brother with his speech disabilities and turned him into a public speaker. He was able to preach to hundreds of people after having struggled all his life to speak to at all. I praise God for all He has done for us.

When we come into the presence of God and allow Him to use us, He can move mountains. What are your mountains?

He has great plans for you. Are you ready to be used by Him?

Then, take off your shoes!

Francini Reis

What Our Chinese Students Taught Me About Church by John Monday

Orlando Junior Academy (a Christian school associated with the Hospital Church) recently hosted fifteen students from China.  Our family hosted two of the students, Xiao and “Hank,” both age twelve.  China has been a communist country and officially atheist for decades, so I was extremely curious to see how these boys would react to being immersed not just in American culture, but in christian culture.  

For the first several days we got up a little early, got ready for school and work, and had a family devotional time before school.  Given the early hour, the language barrier, and their complete lack of spiritual context, the devotionals were a little confusing to them at best.  So after about the third day, instead of reading the bible and praying, we started acting out parables of Jesus.  One day Xiao was the loving father and Hank a prodigal son.  Another day Xiao was a lost sheep and Hank a good shepherd.  Our family would complete the cast. They loved it, but who knows how much they understood.  I tried a few times to ask them what they knew about religion or church and was consistently greeted with a shy laugh and quiet comments indicating that they knew nothing of religion or church.

I’ve been told a little about Christianity in China, but I really wanted a better understanding, so I spent some time talking to the liaison between the school and the chinese travel agency.  In China there are basically two divisions in Christianity: there is the legal church and the illegal church, and the differences are remarkably small.  Both churches operate under the watchful eye of the government. Both churches are allowed to preach the Gospel.  Both churches are likely to be attended by government spies at any time. And both churches are prohibited from speaking against the government.

As she explained this last part to me, I was fascinated.  The church in China is not allowed to speak against the government or politics or political systems or government officials or policies or goals or initiatives.  If you’re thinking “well yeah, we don’t talk politics in our church either,” then I haven't explained myself well.  In China, it’s not just a matter of not being allowed to take a political stand; they are not allowed to degrade politics or government at all.  Not mine, not yours - no ones, either now or in the future.  So they would not be allowed to say that some end time beast in the book of revelation is a symbol of a future government.  They would not be allowed to preach caution or suspicion about government.  They would not be allowed speak any evil whether it be in philosophy or in fact.

I should interject here that I am a card carrying, full-on, patriotic, red-blooded American who cherishes the right to criticize my government and all the politicians that populate it.  But I was struck in an unexpected way by the implications of the Chinese Church’s restrictions.  
It means that they cannot attract people by being against something.  It virtually eliminates their ability to motivate by fear.  They are prohibited from hate.  The Chinese Church is compelled to attract people by preaching Jesus’ love.  By telling the story of a God that said, “Fear not.”  By teaching that we must bless those that curse us, we must pray for those that hate us, we must love those that would harm us.  In short, the Communist, Atheist government of China is compelling the Church of China to do exactly what Jesus told us all to do 2000 years ago!  And the Church in China is growing at an astounding rate.  

The last weekend our students were here we took them to church.  The church was full of love, energy, excitement, acceptance, and worship.  The next day Xiao came to me with a pen and paper and asked "What was the song from church yesterday?"  I was a little confused but asked "which song?"  He said "All of them!" I stammered a little then told him I could get a list of them tomorrow, but why did he want them.  The huge smile never left his face as he said, "I love them."

No longer content to get the list tomorrow, we went to the computer and looked up last week’s service format and printed it.  I gave the format to him and circled all the songs.  We then looked up two of the songs on youtube ("If We Are the Body" and "Forever Reign") and listened together.  He wanted to know how it is that everybody could sing these songs.  I explained that we get together every week and sing, and that every few weeks we learn a new song.  He responded with his patented, "Wow."  I went on to tell him that millions of Christians all over the world sing these same songs, so we could go anywhere and sing with them - to Korea, Australia (where one of the videos was filmed), even to China.  He was clearly thrilled at the notion.

He then told me, "I just love your Church! I'd like to go all the time. We could have so much fun there."  Perhaps Xiao has opened a door for God in his heart. Perhaps God has prepared a church in China to love and nurture a young boy.  Perhaps God wanted to deepen my conviction that he wants to draw his children with love, not fear.  

Perhaps God wants to astound us all.

John Monday

Words of a Friend by Greg Creek

Over the course of my relatively short life I have bought and been given many books. When I was doing my course work, especially in my graduate program, the books were never ending. I always had a professor handing out a new book assignment or in-class assignment for reading. While I loved the content and some of the books I read, I never got EXCITED to be getting books.

           

It is very rare that I get a book where I know the author. Apparently I don’t roll in those circles. But, I recently received a book from a friend that was written by a pastor I had worked with for several years. Even though I had received many books, this one was different – I knew the author!

           

As I started to dig into the book, I was reminded of my pastor friend. It had been a little while since I had seen or talked with him. But as I read, I started remembering things about my friend. After a while, I could sense his cadence for the words I was reading. I started hearing his voice spill out from the pages. I was becoming acquainted with my friend again through the words he had written.

           

The thought struck me that this is the same opportunity afforded us with the Bible. We have an opportunity to get acquainted with our Friend. We have an opportunity to sense His cadence and hear His voice as we read.

           

To be reminded of this fact with a pretty tangible example was awesome for me. It inspired me to dig into the Word with a new approach and a new fervor. Our Friend is waiting for us. Will you join me in growing closer?

Greg Creek

Spinning Our Wheels by Tami Cinquemani

I recently went back to the health club.  I had dropped my membership several years ago when we purchased a treadmill and an assortment of hand weights.  I’m a fairly disciplined individual, so I figured I would save money and work out at home.  So, three times a week I hooked my computer up to the flat screen in front of the treadmill and ran, walked, or climbed my way through an assortment of Hulu offerings.  It took me about two years before I admitted to myself that I was bored silly by my own company and desperately craved a more “social” exercise plan. 

During the past few months I have been introduced to the most current aerobic classes, weight machines, and my very favorite new thing – Zumba!  I tend to enjoy getting my workout taken care of first thing in the morning, so I have also rediscovered the “joys” (tongue firmly in cheek) of spinning. 

At 5:45 am last Monday morning I walked into the spinning studio.  I adjusted my bike, strapped on my gel seat (yes, I am a weanie), dropped in my water bottle and towel, and began pedaling.  This was probably the third spinning class I was taking after my return to the club, and it was an instructor I hadn’t met before.  The music began, and off we went.

The leader was obviously competent and loved her job.  She had a lively style and was clearly engaging with the students . . . well, most of the students.  I’m not sure if I was the only one unfamiliar with this particular instructor, but it became apparent very early on that, had you not take her class before, you were not a part of the group with whom she was engaging.

“Come on!  You know this song!”  “I don’t have to tell you what you’re supposed to do here!”  “It’s the Screamin’ Jimmy!”  I began watching the other students around me and tried desperately to take my cues from them.  When they sat, I sat.  When they rose, I rose.  When they climbed, I climbed, and when they raced, I raced.  When the instructor sang a phrase of a song and the other students parroted a familiar phrase back, I just gave a “Woot!”  I lasted about 35 minutes of the 60-minute class, and I went back down to the treadmill area.

I was frustrated and disappointed.  I was really looking forward to an intense workout.  The leader didn’t need to water down the routine for me.  I was seeking a kick-butt workout.  She just needed to be a bit more inclusive to those unfamiliar with the routine and the culture she had created in her class.

As I drove home that morning, the thought occurred to me that, if we’re not careful, many walking into the doors of our church may have this same experience . . . and this same frustration.  If we’re not intentional in our language, in our leadership, and in our expectations, we can easily alienate those seeking to engage and build community with us by presuming everyone walking through the door has the same cultural church background that we do.

I’m not suggesting we “water down” our message.  I believe people are seeking a bold and dynamic presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is a powerful and life-changing reality.  But if what we offer in our church does more to distract and muddy that message, I think we may just be spinning our wheels.

Tami Cinquemani