Third-Person Christian

I think some people are what I would call third-person christians. I’m not a grammarian, and I don’t know if this metaphor holds up literally, but third-person christians read the Bible in the third-person. They think in terms of “they” instead of “me.” They don’t personalize it by reading it in first-person terms. And so Scripture is de-personalized.

Here’s another example. Third-person christians attend church in the third-person thinking about the people in their life that “need to hear this message” rather than processing it personally! They talk about church in “they” terms instead of “we” terms.

Here’s a thought. Simply insert the first-person “I” or “me” or “we” when reading the Bible. It helps you own Scripture. And more importantly, it helps Scripture own you.

Mark believes that it is time for another Reformation, and this book is a call to that Reformation. He believes that this new Reformation will be led by a generation instead of a Martin Luther. He believes that this Reformation will call us back to our roots as The Church, roots firmly planted in the Love of God. These roots will go deep into the catacombs of Rome where out of fear of death people gathered in order to worship together as the Body of Christ.

Mark believes that these roots will draw deeply from the command of Jesus to Love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and he explores what it means to do that through exploring with simple yet intricate details how our bodies work, how our planet works, and how our universe works. If you are not drawn to worship through the facts that Mark exposes about us, then I wonder if you’ve forgotten how to be in wonder. Hopefully, this book might call you back to childlike wonder, compassion, and curiosity.

If you think that you might be called to such a thing, then pick up a copy of this book.

Some favorite quotes:

“And when people think analytically, it can hinder their ability to act compassionately.”

“Sometimes our minds interfere with our hearts.”

“The bottom line is this: your focus determines your reality.”

Company of Translators

We have access to hundreds of Bible translations in every size and shape imaginable. So we tend to take Scripture for granted. But I’m grateful for the translators, across the centuries, who devoted their lives to translating the sacred text into new languages. I think of the 72 Jewish elders recruited by Ptolemy II to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek. I think of the 47 scholars who translated the Textus Receptus into Elizabethan English. Some translators, such as William Tyndale, even gave their lives to give us their translations.

The sacrifices they made ought to increase our appreciation for Scripture. But my point is much loftier than that: you are among the company of translators. For better or for worse, your life is your unique translation. Just like the Septuagint or King James Version, your life translates Scripture into a language those around your can read. God doesn’t just want to speak to you through Scripture; He wants to speak through you. He wants to write His-story through your life. And Scripture is the script.

While the Harpist was Playing

“While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha.”

Have you ever noticed this prophetic idiosyncrasy? The Message version of II Kings 3:15 says: “When a minstrel played, the power of God came on Elisha.” Is that a random connection? I think not. There are other instances in the Old Testament where music dramatically changes the emotional and spiritual climate. For that matter, it was the worship leaders who led Israel into war on occasion. Check out II Chronicles 20:21.

What am I getting at? As leaders we need to be intentional about creating atmospheres where people can hear God’s voice. And musical worship is one of them. I had this revelation during worship a few weeks ago. Some things cannot be learned from a sermon. They can only be experienced in worship.

I’m not suggesting that you rent a harpist. But you better figure out how to hear His voice more clearly. Just as athletes have pre-game rituals that help them get in the right frame of mind for a game. I think we need spiritual rituals that help us get in the right frame of spirit. That is what musical worship does. It tunes us to God.

Whenever I open a service I try to put a frame around the experience. Here’s how I did it this week. I simply reminded our congregation that we often feel unworthy to worship God but God is always worthy to be worshiped. We worship in that tension. And we have a saying around NCC: don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshiping what’s right with God. Why? Because He’s worthy!

Check it out.

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