What Churches Can Learn From OCS

I have the privilege of serving as the Chaplain for Phase 1 of OCS for my region. Officer Candidate School brings together soldiers from a number of different states across the South and Midwest and throws them together in Salina, KS for two weeks of physically and mentally demanding training. Upon arrival, the candidates are divided up into platoons and squads. They are put with soldiers they have never met before in their lives but who they now must learn to trust and rely upon as they all work towards a common objective.

These candidates are an incredibly diverse group. Not only are they from different states but they are also from large urban areas and small country towns. They are a diverse group ethnically. They are a diverse group religiously. They are diverse in their ages with some candidates in their early 20s and others in their 40s. Some are married. Some are single. Some have kids. Some do not have kids. In some cases, if you took a group this diverse and put them together you would expect very little to be accomplished. Conflict would be the norm. That is not the case in OCS. The candidates put aside their differences in the pursuit of a common goal: the gold bar of the 2nd lieutenant rank. For them, earning that gold bar and becoming the leaders of soldiers is so important that getting sidetracked by their differences with their fellow candidates is the farthest thing from their minds.

I was thinking about how the church should function in much the same way. We are a diverse people in the church. We come from many different locales, socio-economic statuses, and backgrounds. Some have been Christians for a long time. Others have only been Christians for a short while. Some hold to varying degrees of Calvinism while others love the charts of Dispensationalism. Some like hymns and some like the latest praise and worship songs. Some like pews and hymn books and others like chairs and screens. Some like pastors who pace and sweat and shout and other like pastors who are more restrained in their preaching.

 

So there a lot of similarities between the diversity of OCS and the diversity of the church. Why is it that in OCS the candidates can so readily cast aside their differences and throw themselves wholeheartedly into their mission and so often the church is divided by nit-picking over tertiary theological issues and personal preferences? Is not the mission of the church the greatest mission in the history of the world? We are called by our Creator to be salt and light in the world but so often we spend our time bickering about worship style, preaching style, carpet color, money, and any number of other issues. Do we think so little of our calling that we are unwilling to sacrifice personal preference and comfort for the greater mission? What does it say about us that a man-made institution like the Army can engender such passion, devotion, and unity but many churches are nearly empty on Sunday mornings? What does it say about us that in OCS every single person serves actively but in our churches only a few serve and many just show up without ever serving?

It is imperative that our local churches be united in their mission to penetrate lostness in their communities. The only way that will happen is if we are willing to learn something from these Officer Candidates. We must be willing to put aside personal preferences and personal comfort for the sake of the mission. Now, don’t hear me wrong, there are some things that must be clung to tightly. But tell me this, how many of the disagreements in your church have been over the virgin birth, the eternal sonship of Jesus, or the nature of the Trinity? Not many? That’s what I thought. Most of the things that cause disunity in our churches are issues of personal preference and not doctrine.

We have the greatest mission in the world. It is a mission worth giving our all to. It is time for us to take a page from OCS. Instead of being distracted by our personal preferences let us run together towards our goal. That Christian on your left and on your right is your brother or sister. Your family. We are in this together and it is high time we acted like it.

All photos are from the Kansas OCS Facebook page.

Frodo, Sam, and Jesus

This past Sunday I preached a sermon on one of the most practical and foundational texts of Christianity. In Mark 8:34-38, Jesus defines what it means to follow him. He says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time the odds are good that you are familiar with this verse. I wonder, though, does our familiarity with it sometimes lessen the impact of what Jesus says?

Think about how radical and counter cultural the calling of Jesus is. Do you notice he doesn’t provide any options? He doesn’t say that only missionaries to closed countries have to forfeit their lives. He doesn’t say that only those in vocational ministry have to forfeit their lives. He says that anyone who would follow him must be willing to follow in his footsteps even unto death. Yes, this is a call to come and die.

Just a few verses back Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ. Put another way, Peter is confessing that Jesus is Lord, Messiah, anointed one. Now, Peter doesn’t fully grasp the significance of that confession yet but we know he will (tradition says he was crucified upside down). But think about what that confession means. Think about what we are saying in our own lives when we confess that Jesus is Lord. We are saying that he has absolute lordship, rule, and sovereignty over every aspect of our lives. There is nothing in the whole of our lives that he does not say, “That belongs to me” (to paraphrase Abraham Kuyper).

As Christians, we have all confessed that Jesus is Lord and that our lives are his. Jesus tells us what that looks like practically. It means denying yourself, even to the point of death, and following him. Talk about a hard teaching. This is an area where I don’t think any of us can ever say we have fully arrived. As long as we live we will wrestle with putting our own desires and needs above the glory God. Thankfully, sanctification is a lifelong process as God reveals more and more of himself to us through the study of his Word and the fellowship of the saints.

Now, let me get to the title of this post. When Jesus gives this hard command he does not tell the disciples and the crowd that they have to try and walk the path discipleship alone. He gives the command to a group of disciples and a gathered crowd. Most importantly, he tells the gathered group of people that they will be following him on the path. To try and wrestle with this text and live it out as a “rugged individual” is folly. You can’t deny yourself and take up the cross and follow Jesus alone and you weren’t meant to.

This text was meant to be lived out in light of our ongoing sanctification and in fellowship with other believers. In The Lord of The Rings there were times when Frodo thought about bearing the burden of the ring of power alone. He didn’t want to put the fellowship of the ring through the difficulties that bearing that burden would bring. Thankfully, faithful Samwise Gamgee would not allow that to happen. Sam, with his unwavering friendship and simple faith, followed Frodo every step of the way. Ultimately, when Frodo had come to the end of himself and could not continue up Mount Doom to throw the ring into the fires which would destroy it, Sam picked Frodo up and carried him.

Frodo could not bear that burden in isolation and was not meant to. This teaching of Jesus is hard and demanding and it is not meant to be wrestled with in isolation. We recognize that Jesus walked the path first and will give us the grace we need to walk the path he has put in front of us and that he has given us a community of faith, a fellowship, to hold us up as we all wrestle with bearing the cross and following Jesus in our lives.

“Sam fell on his knees, trembling. “Get up, Sam!” Said Gandalf. “I have thought of something better than that. Something to keep you quiet, and punish you properly for listening. You shall go away with Mr. Frodo!”
“Me, sir!” cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. “Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray!” he shouted, and then burst into tears.”

“Sam, clinging to Frodo’s arm, collapsed on a step in the black darkness. ‘Poor old Bill!’ he said in a choking voice. ‘Poor old Bill! Wolves and snakes! But the snakes were too much for him. I had to choose, Mr. Frodo. I had to come with you.”

“It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam,” said Frodo, “and I could not have borne that.” ”Not as certain as being left behind,” said Sam. “But I am going to Mordor.” “I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I’m coming with you.”

“Come, Mr. Frodo!’ he cried. ‘I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he’ll go”

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Army National Guard Chaplains Minister to The Military After Moore, OK Tornado

This article was brought to my attention via the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps Facebook page. The two Chaplains referenced in the article are friends from my days in the Oklahoma Guard. They are both great guys and wonderful Chaplains who deeply care about their soldiers. I’m grateful that they have been on the ground during this tragedy.

Here’s the full text of the article written Sgt. Anthony Jones on the Army.mil website.

 

Chaplains aid guardsmen during tornado aftermath

May 23, 2013

By Sgt. Anthony Jones

Master Sgt. Edgar Rodriguez of the 146th ASOS, Oklahoma Air National Guard, conducts search and rescue operations in Moore, Okla., in response to the May 20, 2013, EF-5 tornado that ripped through the center of town.

MOORE, Okla. – While soldiers and airmen of the Oklahoma National Guard work to support local agencies in the wake of the devastating tornado that struck Moore, Okla., May 20, a group of military chaplains are on scene to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the service members themselves.

“As chaplains we work as a ministry of presence” said Chaplain (Capt.) Jeremy Dunn, battalion chaplain for the 700th Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “Right now we are filled with a sense of purpose: to help those both physically drained and spiritually shaken.”

The team of chaplains, five in all, is providing spiritual assistance to the National Guardsmen and women who are helping with the relief effort in Moore. The team is working in shifts, traveling between checkpoints and meeting with National Guard members throughout the disaster zone to speak with them about what they are seeing as they search through debris and deal with people returning to find their homes in ruin.

One of the chaplains working on the ground is Chaplain (Capt.) David Jordan, chaplain for the 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry, 45th IBCT. Jordan’s hometown of Shawnee, Okla., had been struck by another tornado the previous day and he left there to help the service members in Moore.

“We had a tornado come through Shawnee on Sunday then on Monday the [Moore] tornado came through here very close to the May 3, 1999 tornado path,” Jordan said. “People already very familiar with destruction had to deal with this again and we were activated to assist,” said Jordan.

“My personal job is to check on our guys manning checkpoints, check on their morale and seeing how they are dealing with the local people… just making sure they have what they need.”

Jordan and the other chaplains move from location to location meeting with a mix of Army and Air National Guard personnel at more than 20 checkpoints across the affected area. When meeting with the airmen and soldiers, chaplains are faced with the challenge of breaking the ice and getting them to open up to speak about their feelings.

“Every soldier and every airman is different and the best thing a chaplain can do is listen. If you set the stage for them to talk, you will hear the concerns on their heart,” Jordan said. “Whether they be spiritual needs or not, opening your ears to what the soldiers are saying about their mission and how proud they are about the work they are doing lets us know where they are [emotionally and spiritually]. From there, we can make our ministry specific to the one person at that time.”

During his rounds, Jordan met with Spc. James Kimball, an Army National Guard soldier, who grew up in Moore and whose family still lives in the area. Kimball, manning one of the checkpoints that surround the devastated neighborhoods, spoke with him about how the area changed in the minutes the tornado tore through.

“All I could think about was my mom’s house and my school. I talked to my mom about a minute after it passed her house,” Kemball said, adding his mother’s house was only two blocks from the devastated area. “It’s great to see the chaplain come out to care for us and make sure we are okay, physically and spiritually. I love our chaplains.”

While chaplains are spending time talking with service members and listening to their concerns about the disaster, they differ from counselors in their mission.

“My job is more broad. I’m not just a counselor, not just someone who does counseling in an office. I bring the faith component to the discussion. There is and old saying that we bring God to soldiers and soldiers to God,” Jordan said. “When soldiers and Airmen talk to me they know they can have a faith perspective. It doesn’t have to be my faith and we don’t have to share the same faith, but they know it comes from a faith perspective.”

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Book Review- “Humble Orthodoxy” by Joshua Harris

When you see this book on a shelf you will be tempted to dismiss it because of its diminutive size. Don’t. Packed into every one of the pages is straight to the point wisdom about how Christians should conduct themselves without becoming the modern day equivalent of Pharisees: right in doctrine but unable to make an impact with the truth because of prideful attitudes and arrogant presentation.

This is a useful book for any Christian who cares about proper belief (which should be all Christians) but I can especially see it being useful for those in the blogging world. If you maintain a blog (or regularly comment on blogs) and write about issues related to Christianity, it can be easy to use that platform to pummel those with opposing views without giving any thought to humility or patience or charity. Harris provides a much needed corrective to the vitriol often seen on Christian blogs where brothers and sisters in Christ effectively destroy their witnesses in an effort to score points.

A final thought on the length of the book. Yes, this is a short book but I like it that way. Harris could have made this book much longer if he had desired to do so. By keeping it short it forces everything to stay very practical and to the point. You won’t find a lot of deep theological ruminations in this book. It is meant to be a timely and easy to digest book about a practical issue related to the Christian life.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review.

A Mini Vacation in Hot Springs, AR

The past month has been more than a little crazy. Stress levels went up and rest levels went down. So it was with much relief that Laura and I hopped in the car for a mini vacation in Hot Springs, AR last week. I say “mini vacation” because it was only for two nights but they were two much needed nights.

We were also very fortunate to get to make the trip toddler free! Now, don’t get me wrong, we love our little velociraptor but a seven hour road trip to a cozy bed and breakfast in Arkansas is not exactly a recipe for relaxation when a toddler is in tow. Thankfully, my mom was able to take some time off of work and come hold down the fort while we were gone. From the report I heard after we got back it sounded like both grandma and grandson had a good time but grandma was reminded why people have kids in their younger years after a few days of corralling a toddler.

We were blessed with great weather that was a bit on the cool side for this time of year. The cooler weather really made it enjoyable to get out and walk around downtown Hot Springs. We didn’t have any big plans. We just knew we wanted to stay at a nice place and eat some good food. Check and check. We also made a little day trip into Benton to watch “Oblivion.” We don’t get out to see movies as much any more. It is tough to find a babysitter and we live an hour from good theaters in Wichita. So we took advantage of the opportunity to see a movie and we both really enjoyed the film.

If you are ever in Hot Springs I can’t recommend highly enough the Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast. It is definitely on the expensive end but it ranked right up there with the BnB where we stayed on our honeymoon in Victoria, B.C. Absolutely wonderful breakfasts, friendly staff, great atmosphere, and a whole bunch of other nice little touches really made the stay enjoyable.

I snapped a few pictures while we were out and about. Hot Springs is truly fascinating. It is a mix of urban decay, well kept old buildings, and a lot of interesting history. We mostly just stuck to walking the streets and peering into the old bath houses (of which only two are functioning as bath houses today). There are also some neat shops. We stopped in one that sold homemade soap and bought my mom a little something to say thanks for watching the velociraptor.

Blogging for Books- “Who Do You Think You Are?” by Mark Driscoll

Who Do You Think You Are? is the most recent book by Mark Driscoll who is the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. I’ve read a number of his books and this is one of his best. It is pastoral, practical, and very helpful for Christians at any stage in their relationship with Jesus.

The book reads like an exposition of the book of Ephesians. The overarching theme that ties the chapters together is the identity that Christians have in Jesus versus the identities we create for ourselves. Each chapter begins with a text from the book of Ephesians and proceeds to use that text to reinforce different aspects of Christian identity. The names of a few of the chapters should give you an idea of what to expect: “I Am New,” “I Am Forgiven,” “I Am Adopted.” Each chapter serves as a reminder to Christians that their true identity is not in their job, their past, or their stuff but rather in Jesus.

The biggest weakness of this book, from my perspective, is the personal stories that Mark Driscoll shares at the beginning of each chapter to serve as practical examples of people who have had their identities changed by Jesus. Many of them have a common thread of sexual sin and sexual abuse. Those are certainly huge and pressing issues that many people face but I think that some folks will have a hard time identifying with some of the examples included in the book. Perhaps this is a symptom of his last book being Real Marriage and still having a host of unused stories and examples. Whatever the reason, it is something to keep in mind should you decide to pick up this book.

Overall, this is a strong effort by Mark Driscoll. It is an especially useful book for a new Christian who is wanting to learn more about their new identity in Christ.

Disclaimer- I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review.

 

He Is Here and He Is Not Silent

Tragedy. Again. And again. And again. From the killing of people in a movie theater to the gut-wrenching murders of children and teachers in Newtown. From the complete and utter depravity displayed by Kermit Gosnell to the attacks on a marathon finish line on what was supposed to be a day of celebration for one of America’s most storied cities. What is happening? Why is it happening? Where is God?

The answer is incredibly simple yet so easy to dismiss and analyze away. Sin. Sin is the reason why humanity time and time again destroys itself. Sin is the reason we have mental illness. Sin is the reason why taking innocent life can seem like a viable course of action. Sin is the reason our minds and souls become so dark and so blackened that an image bearer of God would place explosive devices, laden with ball bearing and BBs with the sole purpose of ending lives and maiming bodies, near crowds of unsuspecting people. Sin is the reason why we don’t think twice about a baby being killed in the womb (and in some cases outside the womb). Sin is the reason a “doctor” can become so hardened to the gift and beauty that is life that he would snuff it out even as he held it in his hands and it cried out for love, protection, and care. Sin takes what God intended to be good, human beings created in his image, and twists and distorts and strangles and blinds. It makes the unthinkable both thinkable and doable. It is the reason evil happens and the reason it continues to happen. It is the driving force behind the bombs on a marathon course, the starvation of untold numbers of people in North Korea, and the unspeakable genocide of people in Africa. It seems so pervasive. So unstoppable.

Where is God? When tragedy strikes, whether it be within our own homes and families or on a much larger stage, where is God? Does he care? Is he there? Is he silent? To borrow from Francis Schaeffer, God is here and he is not silent. When tragedy happens, no matter how horrific or unthinkable, we can rest assured that God is not distant and silent. Why? Why shouldn’t we believe in the God of deism where a cold and uncaring being creates a world and then leaves it to implode while he watches from a distance?

Because of a manger and a cross. A manger was the unlikely place where the creator of the universe inserted himself into human history. A manger signaled that change was coming. A new beginning was on the horizon. Spring was in the air the day that Jesus was born. But winter was not done yet. Despite the proclamations of a new beginning and a new kingdom. Despite the healings, the feedings, and raising of the dead the people did not welcome this new kingdom or the God who was inaugurating it. Winter pushed back. God sweat blood in a garden as it seemed that the long and bleak darkness of human sinfulness might indeed have the last laugh. That Satan might win. That winter might be permanent. That there would be no hope.

So where is God? Having his back ripped to shreds. Carrying a cross in front of jeering and mocking crowds; the very people he created. Dying between two criminals. In the greatest tragedy that sinful humanity has ever perpetrated, we executed God. The only truly innocent man and we killed him. Our hearts so blinded and consumed by sin that we could not see that our creator was staring us in the face.

Where is God? In a cold borrowed tomb. Dead. Gone. Lifeless. Winter has won. Death has won. Sin has won. There is no hope. No hope for Boston, Newtown, Aurora, North Korea, Africa, and on and on and on. Life is bleak and meaningless and winter has won the war.

But it hasn’t. The most horrific act in history was planned by God. He allowed himself to be killed. He then walked out of that borrowed tomb. Spring has arrived and it signals new life  and a new beginning amidst a bleak winter. Thanks to Jesus, the winter is ending.

Why should a brutal execution bring us comfort when we consider our own depravity? When we think about the horrible things that human beings do to each other? Because God knows and understands these things. Because he has been on the receiving end of an unjust execution. Because in the midst of that most horrific of sins in which we plunged nails into the body of our creator is our only hope. Our God knows what it is like to have a foreign object, created by humanity, pierce his skin. He understands the suffering of the marathon bombing victims who had BBs and ball bearings tear through their bodies. He is not distant in tragedy. He has lived it.

The only hope for humanity is in the God who is here and who is not silent. The God who knows rejection and suffering. The God who put himself in the hands of his own creation that he might rescue them. The God whose heart breaks when tragedy strikes because he has experienced the greatest of tragedies. The God who is not silent in the midst of unspeakable horror because he has given us his heart, his mind, and his words in the text of Scripture. It is only in the one who defeated Satan, sin, and death on a brutal instrument of terror and torture that hope can be found in a broken world.

But we know it will not always be so. The world will not always be broken. The first buds of spring that broke through the bleak winter when Jesus stepped out of a stone tomb are still there and they are spreading and growing. It is inevitable. The snow and ice are melting. Winter does not want to go. It is fighting back with everything it has. It is Attempting to snuff out life and keep human hearts lost in blackness and despair. But spring is here and it is coming and winter stands no chance. Despite the best efforts of sin, the calling of God on a human heart is irresistible and with each heart that turns to Jesus winter is pushed back and the full onset of spring grows nearer.

So we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We do not look at winter as it gasps and writhes in the throes of death and submit to a master who is already dead but just doesn’t know it yet. No, we look at the spring, the spring that has already come and the spring that is yet to come, and we join our voices with the voices of Christians past and cry out to the God who is here and who is not silent, “Come quickly!”

100 Movies to See Before You Die- “Raise The Red Lantern”

Raise The Red Lantern is a 1991 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou (he also directed two wuxia films that I really enjoyed: Hero and House of Flying Daggers) and starring Gong Li. The film was an adaption of a novel by Su Tong entitled Wives and Concubines. The film is set in 1920s China and centers around the story of a young woman named Songlian who leaves her home to become the “Fourth Mistress” by marrying into the wealthy Chen family. The film was very well received upon release and been included on numerous “best of” lists through the years. The film also won a number of ” Best Foreign Language Film” awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film” but did not win. So does this Chinese drama deserve to be counted among the all time greats and wear the label classic?

Source

Should this film be considered a classic? I think this Chinese period drama should definitely be a classic. I enjoyed it far more than the Hong Kong drama In The Mood for Love that was released in 2000 and is also on this list. One of the things I enjoyed the most about this film was beautiful camera work. Zhang utilizes static shots for the majority of the film. This means that no artificial drama could be created through the use of the much maligned “shaky cam” that is so popular in modern movies. The actors, their delivery, and their movements are what solely sell the drama. The score is also a perfect fit. It is minimal but very effective when employed and is used to clue us in to major happenings in the plot. This film seems to be an exercise in minimalism that truly puts the focus on the actors in front of the camera and that is a very good thing. This deliberate use of static shots and minimal music makes one of the final scenes where the camera goes handheld all the more effective because it so unexpected. This is definitely one to see if you enjoy foreign films and period dramas.

Would I own this film? Probably not. While I enjoyed it and would definitely consider it one of the classics, it did not have a story that I feel the need to revisit. It certainly was not a bad story. In fact, I thought it was a very compelling and very emotional story that was well told. It is certainly a film that will stick with me. Maybe that is why I don’t see the need to own it. It was memorable enough that I don’t feel the need to revisit it.

Check out this opening scene from the film that perfectly illustrates the static camera I mentioned above.