George Lucas and Effective Bible Training

In a special advertising section of the October 6 Wall Street Journal, several CEOs and “thought leaders” share perspectives on rejuvenating the business sector. George Lucas chimes in as an “expert” on the educational needs of a future generation. His answer? Return to the basics. Hurry, all you education gurus out there, go back to educational practices that are centuries old and discard all your current experiments in effective teaching and learning.

Lucas says this is the best way to deal with mountains of information produced especially during this digital age. He explains, “Over the years, the oldest forms of learning seem to be the most effective forms of learning.” What are these oldest forms of learning? He divides this into two parts. The first is the Aristotle/Plato form of a teacher engaging and encouraging a small group of students, and the second is the hands-on “artisan school of learning.” According to Lucas, “Once we got into the Industrial Revolution, those two forms of learning got swept aside.” Amen George.

He goes further to state that this type of education significantly improves the character of the people engaged in it. Character comes from working in small groups, Lucas surmises, where members of the group learn to work together on projects and share in the success of the outcomes. This must be an extension of the lessons of Star Wars where character counts and develops in the context of a group of galactic heroes. Yoda and the Jedi had it right all along.

Let’s leap from these thoughts into the context of effective biblical training. A teaching philosophy determined to be effective with pastors and church leaders is the use of a traditional classroom setting with a mentor and several apprentices. The assimilation of practical knowledge and skills is an outcome of this philosophy. Students are personally involved with the teacher/mentor over a period of time where they learn to apply basic and then complex knowledge. The teacher combines lecture, question-answer, and discussion to insure productive interaction in a culturally relevant manner.

This sounds an awful lot like what Lucas espouses. It also makes one think of Jesus and the disciples spending time together. The disciples learned from the Master and they had direct contact with Him. Inept at seeing spiritual matters, the disciples stayed close to the Master for instruction. Jesus involved the students in order to enhance their abilities and skills. This was all in preparation for when He left them.

In this digital age, let’s reconsider the need for this type of training among believers. When you see a younger generation, and sometimes your own peers, using an I-Phone to read the Bible a verse at a time you have to wonder if they get the application. There is a connectedness that is missing from this type of learning. The body is cut off from the Head. We need to understand how to live the life as a believer and the effective way to get this understanding is to be a part of a body of believers where learning is a priority. Yes, there are times in life when we need to spend time alone with God, meditating on His word. But there are also times when we need the context that we can only get from being involved with others. Thank you George Lucas for reminding us Christians of this. May the Force be with you!

A Christian Perspective on the Third Man Factor

Not too long ago I used to run up and down the road doing development work for a college. During that time, I would stop by the public library and pick up some of the newer books on CD to take along for the ride. This was a new experience for me. I know that sounds a bit behind the times, but I discovered the joy of following a story in much greater detail and length than most of us experience among our tweets and texts these days.

One particular joy unwrapped itself in the telling of Ernest Shackleton’s great adventure to Antarctica on the Endurance. Caroline Alexander’s The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition provided the perfect escape from the day as I moved to and fro. If you don’t know this extraordinary feat of an expedition, you must find the book. I have been captivated only a few times like this.

For time’s sake, I can’t get into a detailed retelling. But I do want to focus on one moment where I sensed something beyond me, something that was quite spiritual. In fact, I was moved to tears. Toward what was to be an end to their journey and at the most extreme fatigue and impossible circumstances, Shackleton and two of his crew, Worsly and Crean, walked across a mountain without any equipment for mountain climbing. It would have seemed that death was close, however they moved on in determination to save their expedition and the lives of the other men waiting behind.

They made it under conditions beyond human endurance. At a later point in comparing notes about the trip, Shackleton shared that he had a strange feeling that there was a fourth person in their party. Crean confessed the same thing. All three remembered a strong arm helping them down the mountain. Hallucinations are not unusual under extreme conditions of suffering, but all three men shared the same account of a fourth man. You’ve got to read this book.

Well, I started thinking about this the other day when I read in the Wall Street Journal about a new book coming out next week called The Third Man Factor by John Geiger. Geiger retells the Shackleton experience among other accounts of humans that survived and transcended extreme conditions. Each of these accounts describe some force, some presence, that helped them survive or that guarded them from danger. Geiger surveys the theories behind the third man phenomenon and seems to endorse a biochemical explanation for this response. He does not shoot down any of the other theories for the third man, including the spiritual. But I am curious about this quote by the author, “Imagine the impact on our lives if we could learn to access this feeling at will. There could be no loneliness with so constant a companion. There could be no stress in life that we would ever again have to confront alone.”

I just reached down from the laptop to pet our cat Celeste, a constant companion as we sit on our porch. But I don’t think Geiger was talking about pets. Geiger comes to the edge of admitting a spiritual presence, but leaves us with his physiological theory of accessing this companionship at will. I felt sorry for Geiger, or I should say I feel sorry for Geiger because he is afraid to accept the existence of God.

Christian, think again. God is with us. He is ever present. His name is called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” One of His characteristics is His omnipresence. Are you award of this as a believer, as one who is experiencing salvation? I take great comfort in reminding myself of this each day. When I awake, when I work, when I play, when I lie down again, God is with me. I don’t have to summon some biochemical response to remind me. The Holy Spirit reminds me.

If you don’t realize this as a believer, find something in God’s Word to awaken you. One of my favorite thoughts is expressed in James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” Approach Him with clean hands and a pure heart. God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 as quoted from Deuteronomy 31:6). Does that not excite you? Wow, the God of the universe is with me!

It is reassuring for the Christian to know these things and it helps us understand when others try to explain the phenomenon of a presence they can’t explain. We are His creation, we belong to Him, and He is present with us all the time. Our senses are surely heightened when we are in stressful situations, and I am thankful that God made me to draw near to Him during those times so that I am reminded of His presence.

The Quiet Testimony of a Faithful Soldier

Do you ever stop and consider how your testimony for the Lord looks? Should we as followers of Christ be concerned about this?

I was blessed to attend the funeral of a great man earlier this year. He never served as the CEO of a major corporation, nor did he lead a life of notoriety in the eyes of an adoring public. He did not serve in the halls of government or join the ranks in a prestigious profession. What he was and did is perhaps more important—he was a WWII Army veteran, winner of two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star.

He led a quiet life in this lovely Southern town. He was born 91 years ago in some far away time that eludes accurate depiction for us in this early 21st century. A skilled person he was, always working with his hands to create wonderful treasures from wood. His home shone brightly in the old neighborhood next to the hospital—the shrubs trimmed, the trees with their inviting shade, a flower here or there in season.

He and his wife enjoyed 67 years of togetherness through the best years of their lives. She gave him a small Bible when he left to serve the U.S. in the European arena of the war. He still used the same Bible today (how did he read that small print?) In the Bible, he carried two poems. One poem was about a soldier, it may have been called “The Soldier.” The other simply called “Comfort.”

His son and daughter shared touching words during the funeral. The words comforted all of us. They carried us into a timeless place that reminded us about the important things in life. I would have rather heard these words than any of the eloquence that accompanies the funerals of well-known people. They honored a man that represents a generation of Americans with an innate knowledge of the good life.

His work after the war centered on the hardware business until his retirement in 1980. He enjoyed fishing, particularly trout fishing in the small streams of the mountains. The church he served already misses his faithfulness, a man that served as deacon and treasurer through some of the church’s best years.

He was never loud. He was steady. He exuded dependability. He held traits that even great leaders aspire for. This common man was really uncommon. His generation will be missed for their contributions to this nation as citizens, as warriors, as protectors of the greatness we seem to see slipping at times today.

I saw a row of men just like him serving as honorary pallbearers. All in their early 90s, they came to honor their fallen friend while wondering perhaps when their time would come. They still smile and share kind words with everyone. Their veneer is tough, their words few, and their presence makes you think about angels.

Let’s remember this victorious generation with honor. America needs more people like these. We need a revival in our spirits to help us understand what is truly important. These soldiers remind us of this need.

After the funeral I thought about these words from Scripture, words that I have underlined and that all of us could use in these days of uncertain world events. “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.

This quiet life bears a powerful testimony for the Lord, of a life lived in His blessing. Are we not soldiers of the cross? Take time today to consider the quiet testimony of a faithful soldier and what this means to you.

What is Google Doing to the Christian Mind?

A scenario you have probably seen recently—you and your friends are debating certain issues and you come up on a question. Where do you go to find the answer? Just Google it. That seems to be the first response these days. If it relates to an event, entertainment, food, money, relationships, politics, the economy, and the like, we find today that often we go to Google for help in finding the answer. It’s quick and easy. Also, you don’t have to work hard for the answer. What a joy!

Is it the same among Christians today? When we want an answer to a question about the Christian life, do we Google it? If there is a matter related to any of the same categories above and you are looking for an answer from a Christian perspective, do you Google it? What about deeper issues of our faith and doctrine? Let’s Google it and take a chance that what we see is biblical and correct. What is the effect on the Christian mind when we do this?

This has been nagging me a lot over the past few years as a believer. I have a hard time reconciling this with diligent, systematic Bible study. After all, we are supposed to involved in studying the Scriptures, aren’t we? Now I can even read the Bible in Tweets. Maybe some of our brains can’t handle more than that anyway. Leave it to the preachers to teach us.

But wait, now we just stay at home and get the preacher’s podcast. I can lounge around in my pajamas Sunday morning and play the service in the background while petting the dog. Get me a cup of Joe, the morning news, and my preacher on webcast. Man, this Christianity thing is great! I wonder what Jesus would do? WWJD?

Well, apparently we are no longer asking “WWJD” but we are asking “WWGD,” that is, “What Would Google Do?” The book has been written, I am not kidding. The author Jeff Jarvis has prophesied in the new book What Would Google Do? that if we are not asking the question we are going to be left behind in the dust of some prior model of obsolescence. Google is our new model for thinking, according to Jarvis, and it is hard to find a sector of life and business that has not already been affected by its influence. Jarvis goes on to say, “Google is changing our societies, our lives, our relationships, our worldviews, probably even our brains in ways we can only begin to calculate.”

That’s where I got concerned for Christians. We are new creations in Christ, the old has gone, the new has come. Our minds should be set on what the Spirit desires as we live with the Holy Spirit within us; the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace (see Romans 8:5-8). We read Scripture, we pray, we turn our minds toward God, toward His goodness, toward life in the Son. Yet we seek quick answers to spiritual things by Googling it. Dangers abound when we do.

Fight the reflex. That’s right, fight the reflex to Google an answer to a spiritual question. Go to the Source. We are told to “take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). We are even told we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). Dwell on this a bit, and when you have a question go to God’s Word. Ask the Lord to know your mind, to know your thoughts, and to lead you in the way everlasting (Psalm 139).

I know what I am saying may sound contrarian, but I maintain that Jesus was a contrarian. So I am returning to WWJD next time I am seeking an answer. I hope you will follow.

Does God Want Me to be Rich?

I commented on this a while back, but now that we are mired deeper in our worldwide economic dilemma I have returned to an article on the ministry of Joel Osteen, “God Wants Me to Be Rich,” from the August issue of Conde Nast Portfolio. Can everyone say, “prosperity gospel revisited?”

They are really packing them in at Lakewood Church in Houston. Over 40,000 regular attendees swoon over the words of their “Reverend Feelgood” and why not? Most of those regular congregants face high gas prices, swollen credit card balances, possible mortgage issues, and job insecurity. We deserve to hear a great message of hope, to hear what we deserve, to hear an encouraging word on our situation.

But a closer look may reveal that Americans still look to Scripture for answers, especially to those large questions about their finances. This is good—God wants us to look to Him for answers, for help, for trust, for mercy. These represent those attributes of our Heavenly Father that make us run to Him over and over again through life.

Can one man soothe the suffering? Does Osteen bring anything new to the plate that helps us understand the care of our Lord in these troubled times? We might want to examine closely the words of all of our spiritual leaders as we move through this part of history together. Do they invoke Scripture as support for their position? Do they defer to the masses over tricky doctrinal issues that deserve closer attention? Are they avoiding the issues in order to remain popular?

One thing for sure—many of our spiritual leaders today have perfected their “branding.” Osteen made his brand the “inspiration brand.” I am waiting to hear from someone who says he has been “branded by God.”

The next generation deserves better and we must encourage them to embrace a biblical perspective on the economy and their personal financial situation. It seems easy to talk about what we deserve; it is harder to talk about what we should give up for the sake of the Kingdom.

Narcissism and God’s Will Don’t Mix

It is heartening to see the number of churches today that offer enriching courses to their members. The courses cover the gamut of biblical topics. At my own church it is always interesting to see which classes fill up the quickest, perhaps as a commentary on where the heart of the church is at the moment.

In a recent conversation with a pastor friend of mine, he shared that it is never a problem to fill up a class covering the topic of God’s will. I thought to myself, “This is good that so many want to know God’s will for their lives.” Doesn’t Scripture tell us we are fools if we do not know God’s will? “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” per Ephesians 5:17. But really, what is the reason so many people want to attend a class on God’s will, yet eschew classes on evangelism, doctrinal studies, how to study the Bible, and missions?

Maybe it’s narcissism. I rarely hear someone say things like, “I want to know God’s will for the church” or “I want to know God’s will for mankind” but rather we hear “I want to know God’s will for me.” That is good and fine, but what if God’s will for you is not a path of rosy comfort? The false perception about God’s will is that it is all about us, when it really is all about Him.

One key to discovering and readily accepting God’s will is to die to yourself. We talk about it quite a bit, but have we made the step to really die? One passage from Scripture that perhaps sheds a little light is in Hebrews 9:16-17: “In the case of a will it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when someone has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.” My lawyer friends agree with this assessment.

God agrees with this assessment as well. Our surrender is a first step in discovering God’s will. It requires obedience, and may require some sacrifice. It will always require surrender so that our death to ourselves makes way for becoming alive to God’s will, whatever that may be. His purposes, His plans are what matters. We adjust our lives to this as we discover God’s will. It is for His glory and not our own.

Check your motives next time you want to know God’s will about a matter. Take the narcissistic self off the throne and put the Lord there in your heart and mind. We might need to stop asking questions about whether we are reformed enough in our theology, but rather whether we are transformed and conformed enough.

Walk with the King today, and be a blessing!