Rooted, Grounded, and Plugged In: My Article on Albanian Youth Ministry in "Modern Reformation"

This month's issue of "Modern Reformation" magazine just published my article on youth ministry in Albania, based on my missions trips and follow-up with teenagers there over the last couple of years. Enjoy!

Open publication - Free publishing - More albania

When Did "Lent" Become Protestant?

Since my kids are home on school vacation this week, I have been able to check some of the blogs I used to read with regularity. Along with Facebook posts, I have noticed a surprisingly high number of "devotionals" and essays about Lent, Ash Wednesday, and how the respective authors plan to observe this liturgical season.

All of said authors are Protestants, and most would claim allegiance to Reformed theology. What I'm trying to figure out is this: when, and more importantly why, did "Lent" become part of the spiritual landscape for Bible-believing Christians?

I'm not knocking the observance as a spiritual discipline, mind you. If someone finds a way to draw closer to Christ, more power to him (or her). I'm just genuinely confused as to why a born-again believer feels the need to "give up" something at a particular time of year in order to increase intimacy with Christ....when the whole premise of the Christian faith rests on the completed work on the Cross (and daily obedience to the Lord's commands.) An article in Christianity Today, which, once upon a time, was a Protestant Evangelical magazine, begins thus:

There is something decidedly public about Ash Wednesday. Walking around all day with a gash of gray ash across one's forehead—this is among the most visible Christian things I do each year. This is a rare day when I cannot and could not hide my Christian commitments and my Christian aspirations, even if I wanted to.

This year, I will be joining many Episcopal priests in taking the public witness of Ash Wednesday one step further. On Wednesday, my colleague Catherine Caimano and I will put on cassocks and surplices, and go to a corner near Duke University Hospital with small containers of ashes and copies of a litany of repentance from the Book of Common Prayer. We will offer "the imposition of ashes" to people in the street.

This whole mindset seems to fly in the face of Matthew 6:6, which discourages such showy displays of public "piety": But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

More importantly, however, is the fact that in terms of devotion to Christ, we should be seeking to live in holiness all the time. Boxing obedience into a six-week period every year contradicts what the whole Christian life is supposed to be about: picking up our cross daily, in joyful obedience to the One Who has already redeemed us. Mark 7:8-9 seems to warn against the ritualistic observance of such man-made traditions, which by definition foster a sense of "spiritual smugness".

Note the image at the top of this entry. See the flawed logic? We should be turning away from sin EVERY DAY. Not during the man-made "season of Lent". And forgoing chocolate (or gum, or Facebook) has nothing to do with holiness -- and NO, it will NOT lead you closer to God. Sorry to burst any bubbles out there.....that's not what the Bible teaches.

What are your thoughts? Can there be value in going an extra mile, so to speak, at a particular time during the year?

"Jesus Daily" Seems to Be Another Jesus...

A few months back, I posted a "defense" of Facebook and social media, from the perspective that Internet and technology in general can be used for productive things....most notably, evangelism and discipleship. I shared about the girls who came to the Lord after discussing their questions and budding faith with me via Facebook chat. (I have an article coming out in the May/June issue of "Modern Reformation" magazine about how short-term missions can really count long-term in this age of online communications.)

Well, today, I would like to introduce you to one of the most visible downsides of "Facebook evangelism" - Facebook Jesus.

"Jesus Daily" is some sort of devotional Christian group, which posts status updates in the first person...as if coming personally from Jesus Christ. Probably half the Christians I know are subscribed (I "Liked" after seeing several of my "Albania Kids" subscribing, more out of curiosity than anything else. I do not rely on Facebook for spiritual edification or theological instruction, in case you are wondering.)

This "Jesus" seems big on "Friend suggesting" Himself to your Facebook friends. (Cringe). "Friend suggesting" Jesus seems to be symbolic of everything that's wrong with modern evangelism, in a manner of speaking.

A sampling of the "wisdom" coming from "Jesus" in the last few days:

YOU AND I CAN DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER! Remember when I promised you, "With God all things are possible"? Well I was serious. What problem do we need to work on today? Like or type Yes if you believe My Words.

DO YOU GIVE ME YOUR PROBLEMS TODAY? I'LL SOLVE THEM.

(This demands some comment -- since when do we share the Gospel with people, promising that Jesus will solve all their problems?? This is a dangerous half-truth.)

I am significant in Christ!
I am a Citizen of Heaven!
I am free forever from condemnation!
I am free from any charge against me!
I am assured all things work together for good!
I cannot be separated from the love of God!
Write an "Amen" if you can or LIKE to agree!

All about "me", huh? Not that these statements are entirely untrue -- but they are man-centric rather than Christ-centered. We live not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify CHRIST. Like many modern "praise" songs, the object is self, rather than God.

I KNOW YOU MADE A MESS. I'M READY TO FIX IT.

Umm....this one needs no comment.

CHRIST is our BEST medicine!!! LIKE if you agree then read about Natural Cures from God's Pharmacy...PLEASE SHARE to bless others!

(It then links to a site entitled "Natural Cures from God's Pharmacy".) Sounds like a late-night info-mercial.

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!!!

A little context here would be helpful...does this mean that if I ask for a Porsche, I will receive it? Smacks of "Prosperity Gospel", does it not?

Moral of the story: if you want to hear from the Lord Jesus, open your Bible. You're probably not going to hear from Him on Facebook. Social media is a tool to be used wisely in sharing the Truth, but not by telling the masses soothing, positive words devoid of any context.

My interview with 700 Club Up...and a Few Disclaimers

From my other blog (don't have much to blog about lately; see my thoughts on CBN's piece on me below. And THEN go buy my book -- it's much better!!)

The 700 Club has finished production on my testimony/interview, and has included the broadcast on their website (Eventually there should be a link to my book there, as well, once the text transcript is up):

Permalink to Broadcast

A few thoughts on the broadcast.

First, it's important that the viewer understand that this was a very brief, summarized paraphrase of both my testimony (see page on this blog), and the interview itself. I actually was interviewed for over an hour, and I understand the limitations of shaving it down into four minutes. However, besides a few errors in the "summarization" they made of my testimony (it was 17 years, not 10; the bulimia was at it's worst in high school not college; but these details don't really change the overall intent), I was less than thrilled with a few other things.

The producers completely left out my discussion of how I became a Christian, and eliminated all discussion of my relationship with Christ. It almost sounded as if I had been brought up in a Christian home; married a Christian right out of college; and continued (or immediately started) attending church. Nothing could be further from the truth. While they mis-pronounced my husband's name, a much more significant Name was omitted entirely -- that of Jesus Christ!! The whole POINT of a testimony is to glorify HIM, and I discussed the Person and work of Christ at length in this interview. Unfortunately, none of that made it in.

Nowhere was the Gospel presented, although we talked at length about justification and sanctification during the taping.

I specifically asked that the Healing Room Ministries (a doctrinally-aberrational group) not be used. They mentioned it anyway.

As a biblical counselor, I was extremely disappointed that my entire explanation of renewing the mind, repentance and how to overcome life-dominating sin was left out. Roughly three quarters of the piece focused on my childhood and youth, but little time was given to the answer to addiction. Also disappointing is the fact that NO MENTION was made of my book, "Redeemed from the Pit."

Well, you win some and you lose some; but I do pray that God somehow uses it anyway.