The One Thing Christians Should Stop Saying

Very interesting perspective - don't you think?

Let’s retire this phrase immediately, and say what we really mean to say instead.

I was on the phone with a good friend the other day. After covering important topics, like disparaging each other’s mothers and retelling semi-factual tales from our college days, our conversation turned to the mundane.

“So, how’s work going?” he asked.

Or, as we say in Canada, "How's it goin', eh?"

For those of you who don’t know, I make money by teaching leadership skills and helping people learn to get along in corporate America. My wife says it’s all a clever disguise so I can get up in front of large groups and tell stories.

I plead the fifth.

I answered my buddy’s question with,

“Definitely feeling blessed. Last year was the best year yet for my business. And it looks like this year will be just as busy.”

The words rolled off my tongue without a second thought. Like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or placing my usual lunch order at McDonald’s.

But it was a lie.

Now, before you start taking up a collection for the “Feed the Dannemillers” fund, allow me to explain. Based on last year’s quest to go twelve months without buying anything, you may have the impression that our family is subsisting on Ramen noodles and free chips and salsa at the local Mexican restaurant. Not to worry, we are not in dire straits.

Last year was the best year yet for my business.

But that is not a blessing.

I’ve noticed a trend among Christians, myself included, and it troubles me. Our rote response to material windfalls is to call ourselves blessed. Like the “amen” at the end of a prayer.

“This new car is such a blessing.”

“Finally closed on the house. Feeling blessed.”

“Just got back from a mission trip. Realizing how blessed we are here in this country.”

On the surface, the phrase seems harmless. Faithful even. Why wouldn’t I want to give God the glory for everything I have? Isn’t that the right thing to do?

No.

As I reflected on my “feeling blessed” comment, two thoughts came to mind. I realize I’m splitting hairs here, creating an argument over semantics. But bear with me, because I believe it is critically important. It’s one of those things we can’t see because it’s so culturally engrained that it has become normal.

But it has to stop. And here’s why.

First, when I say that my material fortune is the result of God’s blessing, it reduces The Almighty to some sort of sky-bound, wish-granting fairy who spends his days randomly bestowing cars and cash upon his followers. I can’t help but draw parallels to how I handed out M&M’s to my own kids when they followed my directions and chose to poop in the toilet rather than in their pants. Sure, God wants us to continually seek His will, and it’s for our own good. But positive reinforcement?

God is not a behavioral psychologist.

Second, and more importantly, calling myself blessed because of material good fortune is just plain wrong. For starters, it can be offensive to the hundreds of millions of Christians in the world who live on less than $1 per day. You read that right. Hundreds of millions who receive a single-digit dollar “blessing” per day.

During our year in Guatemala, Gabby and I witnessed first-hand the damage done by the theology of prosperity, where faithful people scraping by to feed their families were simply told they must not be faithful enough. If they were, God would pull them out of their nightmare. Just try harder, and God will show favor.

The problem? Nowhere in scripture are we promised worldly ease in return for our pledge of faith. In fact, the most devout saints from the Bible usually died penniless, receiving a one-way ticket to prison or death by torture.

I’ll take door number three, please.

If we’re looking for the definition of blessing, Jesus spells it out clearly (Matthew 5: 1-12).

1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him,

2 And He began to teach them, saying:

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I have a sneaking suspicion verses 12a 12b and 12c were omitted from the text. That’s where the disciples responded by saying:

12a Waitest thou for one second, Lord. What about “blessed art thou comfortable,” or 12b “blessed art thou which havest good jobs, a modest house in the suburbs, and a yearly vacation to the Florida Gulf Coast?”

12c And Jesus said unto them, “Apologies, my brothers, but those did not maketh the cut.”

So there it is. Written in red. Plain as day. Even still, we ignore it all when we hijack the word “blessed” to make it fit neatly into our modern American ideals, creating a cosmic lottery where every sincere prayer buys us another scratch-off ticket. In the process, we stand the risk of alienating those we are hoping to bring to the faith.

And we have to stop playing that game.

The truth is, I have no idea why I was born where I was or why I have the opportunity I have. It’s beyond comprehension. But I certainly don’t believe God has chosen me above others because of the veracity of my prayers or the depth of my faith. Still, if I take advantage of the opportunities set before me, a comfortable life may come my way. It’s not guaranteed. But if it does happen, I don’t believe Jesus will call me blessed.

He will call me “burdened.”

He will ask,

“What will you do with it?”

“Will you use it for yourself?”

“Will you use it to help?”

“Will you hold it close for comfort?”

“Will you share it?”

So many hard choices. So few easy answers.

So my prayer today is that I understand my true blessing. It’s not my house. Or my job. Or my standard of living.

No.

My blessing is this. I know a God who gives hope to the hopeless. I know a God who loves the unlovable. I know a God who comforts the sorrowful. And I know a God who has planted this same power within me. Within all of us.

And for this blessing, may our response always be,

“Use me.”

Since I had this conversation, my new response is simply, “I’m grateful.” Would love to hear your thoughts.

By Scott Dannemiller

My name is Scott Dannemiller.  Several years ago, my wife Gabby and I quit our corporate careers to spend a year doing mission and volunteer work.  We learned a lot about God’s world and our place in it while living with a Mayan family in Southwestern Guatemala.

Bible-Bombing: Swedish Church to Barrage ISIS Areas with Word of God

Livets Ord in Uppsala © Wikipedia

A Swedish church wants to bomb areas controlled by Islamic State in Iraq with mini-Bibles in Arabic. The church argues that people need a reminder that Christian love can reach them, even in places where they are being denied their freedom.

The Livets Ord (Word of Life) church in Uppsala proposes using drones, flying at high altitude, to drop the Bibles, according to the Varlden Idag publication.

“The Bibles are the size of pill boxes and have a display. They require no electricity, but work on their own,” Christian Akerhielmm, the mission’s director, told SVT.

“Our ambition is to pass on the hope and love of the Christian gospel to a population living in closed areas where they are being denied human rights,” he also wrote on the church’s website.

“The Bible has been found in all its forms through time, and we want to spread the message to those who need hope, for the Bible’s message gives hope.”

He told the Varlden Idag that the project will get underway “in a few weeks, and [we] hope to drop thousands of Bibles.”

Akerhielmm does not see the idea as breaking any new ground, remembering that Bibles were snuck into the Soviet Union. He also pointed out that the Word of Life does plenty of humanitarian work on the ground, which includes “education, [delivering] food and many other projects across the Middle East,” he told SVT.

He also said another group would join the distribution of the Bibles, but stayed silent on the name.

Each Bible will cost around 150 kronor ($17.50), the church says. It has been collecting donations for the cause.

The Word of Life, founded sometime in the 1980s, is considered quite controversial in Sweden, due to critics believing it is a type of sect. It is also the Sweden’s largest free church and runs a series of evangelical schools.

Their web-site says they were founded in 1983 with 20 people. They now have over 3000 members.

According to the Local, the church’s founders Ulf and Birgitta Ekman abandoned their faith in 2014 and became Catholics.

According to a European Commission report cited by the Local, only 23 percent of Swedes believe God exists.

Funny, Swedes appear to see nothing wrong with migrants believing in Allah, ie Satan, but the real God, well there must be something wrong there.

War Art - Something Completely Different

‘One day the war will end’: Yemeni artist draws hope from war smoke

(с) Saba Jallas / Facebook

Yemeni artist Saba Jallas transforms scenes where most people see only suffering, in the horrors of the war that is tearing her country apart, into works of hope-inspiring art – using nothing but her smartphone.

In Saba’s depictions, women, children, birds, and flowers replace the smoke of devastating explosions and bombed out buildings are reimagined as being built anew – all in an attempt to give hope to the people of Yemen.

She draws her inspiration from Palestinian artists who similarly reimagined the blasts of the 2014 Gaza war in 2014 as symbols of courage.

Hope out of despair
“For me living without hope is impossible. I’m just looking for anything that can keep the hope inside as alive. I believe that drawing smiles is better than living with tears and sadness all the time,” Jallas told RT in an interview.

The artist posts her drawings on her Facebook page along with poetry, in which she mostly calls for an end to the wars raging in Arab countries. Her page has garnered over 5,000 likes.

“Frankly I didn’t expect that reaction, but it’s making me more optimistic that my messages may reach everyone,” the artist told RT.

“One day the war will end and we will rebuild our country,” Jallas believes.

Proxy war
The Saudi-led coalition began its bombing campaign in Yemen in March 2014 to back the Sunni Muslim government that had been toppled by Shia Houthi rebels, whom Riyadh accuses of links with its regional rival, Iran.

Around 6,000 people have been killed since the airstrikes were launched, most of them civilians. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospitals have been hit at least twice since the war began.

Open Letter to Katy Perry

You know, I always thought open letters were a little strange.  Do we really expect the intended recipient to read them?  What is the angle when they are written?  Is it a play for some kind of mass publicity?  I don’t know.  What I do know is that I recently watched a short video on the music industry.  The featured artist was Katy Perry.  My emotions were stirred and I felt led to share.  This is a significant departure from what I normally post so bear with me.

While this open letter is addressed to Katy Perry the intended audience is much larger.  Silly us if we feel like the issues one person might face is entirely specific to them.  So, with all of those questions looming, here is my open letter.

Dear Katy Perry,

First and foremost I’d like to tell you how grateful I am.  I love music.  The arts.  I really do.  And it’s clear you’ve been given a gift.  I think you’d agree that you’ve been blessed with a great voice and the passion to sing.  I’m grateful that you’re using that gift while far too many of us sit on the gifts and abilities we’ve been given, refusing to share them with the world.

I’m grateful that you dream big dreams.  Dreaming is something many of us don’t know how to do well.  We silently wish for an orchard but ask God for a single apple.  For whatever reason we’ve decided that our dreams are unattainable.  You’ve been able to push past that false notion and the opportunities that have opened up because of your courage have been incredible.  And it does take courage to do what you’re doing.  I’m sure you’ve been afraid many times over the course of your journey for one reason or another.  I’m grateful you’ve decided not to let fear keep you from what you love doing.

I’m grateful for the doors that have opened up to you.  Because you’ve dreamed big and had the courage to pursue those dreams, the influence you’ve attained has been amazing.  You have a platform from which to sow into the lives of many.  It’s an honor and a privilege.  While I can’t say all of your lyrics and showmanship are appropriate for my daughter, I’m grateful you and other’s like you reflect the artistic and creative nature of God in some ways that can inspire her.    

So, I’m grateful Katy Perry.  But there are also some things that I’m sorry for.  And some things that make me sad. 

I’m sorry for the way you’ve been treated by many in the evangelical community.  Christians. And the offenses probably didn’t start after you decided to pursue the secular market but before, during, and continuing after.  Historically we’ve (myself included) done a poor job of loving.  The greatest commandment, the whole of scripture and the gospel can be summed up in love and we’ve failed time and time again.

A good friend of mine said that everyone wants to be the watchmen on the wall charged with keeping the Christians safe from whatever evil has been deemed evil.  He said the wall is too crowded.  I’d add that we need most of them down on the street loving like Jesus.  Maybe all of them.

I’m sorry for the way you’ve been let down by those closest to you.  The ones you didn’t think ever would.  Unfortunately that’s just the world we live in.  We wound each other and it hurts.  The deepest wounds are the ones from those closest to us and I’m sorry for any wounds you’ve experienced over the course of your life.

I’m sorry for what happened with your marriage.  I know nothing about your situation.  But I do know from experience that marital pain is some of the most traumatic pain we can experience. 

One of the most tragic things that happens from life experience is that we misunderstand God.  I’m still discovering how the true nature of God is different than what my own life experience told me it was.  I experienced the world and it colored my image of God.  I think you’re in the same boat. To what extent I’m not sure.  But I’m convinced people run from God because they’ve misunderstood who he is.

You see, we were not meant to understand God through the lens of people and their actions, church, world events, Old Testament scripture, and personal experience.  We were meant to understand God through the lens of Jesus.  What we believe about God must be in line with Jesus.  If it’s not then we should let it go.  My life changed when I looked at Jesus to tell me who God is and I think it could for you as well.  Love is not an ideal.  It’s not an abstract idea or theory or feeling.  It’s a person.  It’s Jesus.  And God is love. 

So, I’m sorry for the ways you’ve misunderstood who God is just like the rest of us.  And I’m sorry you’ve felt like you had to do life without him because of it.  That in order to be who you wanted to be, to have the success you wanted meant leaving him behind. 

I’m grieved for the emptiness you’ve experienced as a result.  I don’t know you but I know that a life without Jesus is one desperate for distractions.  Something to take away the hollow feeling, the depression.  I’ve felt it like so many others.  Instead of living we live only for those distractions.  It’s exhausting.          

A God that looks like Jesus is one that wants us to be successful with the gifts and abilities he’s given us.  He smiles at the sound of your voice and desperately wanted to work with you to make you successful.  That’s what love does, elevates others.  It may not have looked like what you thought success should be but you could’ve had (and still can have) success and abundant life instead of success and emptiness.

And that leads me into what I hope for you and others like you.  To illustrate I’ll share a vision/picture the Lord gave me while spending time with him before writing this letter. 

Jesus showed me a field of flowers.  The colors were a marvelous variety but dull.  The petals drooped towards the ground.  The Lord looked at me and said, “Just one breath from my mouth and all of these petals will reach up towards the sky.”  He smiled.  “More specifically, they will reach up to me.” 

He looked down at a flower with a fond expression on his face.  “Just one touch and what’s been crushed becomes something full and bursting with life.  Eye’s focused on the ground suddenly lift to the heavens.  Despair transforms into hope.”  Jesus looked at me again.  There was sorrow in his eyes.  “And here I stand.  Day after day, year after year asking every single one if I can breath on them, if I can touch them.  But they must decide to let me touch them, to change them, to lift their heads.”  He smiles.  “They are still such a pleasing aroma to me even in this state.” 

Jesus bends to a knee and touches one of the flowers.  “Ah, here is one crying out for me.”  There are tears on his cheeks as he delicately handles the flower.  It instantly straightens and blooms into something brand new.  The fragrance fills the field.  Jesus looks at me with a wide grin, his cheeks still wet.  “This is what I see and what I hope for.”  He motions towards the flower that just came alive.  “This is what makes my heart rejoice.  I will leave fields full of blossoming and thriving flowers to find the one that is lost and waiting for my touch.  This is what I came for.”

Katy Perry, my hope and prayer is that you come to understand by experience the great and mighty love of God.  That the eyes of your heart will be flooded with light and that you will receive full and intimate revelation of the heart and love of the Father.

Blessings,

Jesse and Kara Birkey