Take off your pants? Why not?

On Sunday, thousands of subway riders across the world participated in No Pants Subway Ride Day, boarding subway cars at various stops, without pants. The founder of the event told USA Today that the day was created to celebrate silliness—to make people laugh and smile. When one participant was asked by the media why he was taking off his pants, he said, “Why not?”

The “why not” attitude is not new, but it is a reflection of any society that lacks “raison d'être” (reason for being). Without purpose, life is arbitrary, accidental, and random—not, as Thoreau described it, “living deliberately” or as Warren captured it in a “Purpose Driven Life.” Today’s “why not’s” include things as weighty as abortion or euthanasia, or as petty as taking off your pants in public. But there is an important question here. How will citizens of a secularized society decide what is right and wrong? Solomon said, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild and cast off constraint [along with their pants]. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” (Proverbs 29:18). That's why.

"Oh, it's easy," he said

Yesterday, I participated in my first webinar. I’d like to say it was a snap, but in fact, the day was fraught with technical snafus. It was a day of “learning opportunities.” People my age are having increasing difficulty keeping up with new technologies. Last week I had breakfast with a millennial (the generation under 30) and mentioned I had been putting off getting a ‘smart’ phone because I didn’t have the time nor did I want to deal with the stress of learning how to use a new device. His answer was the typical “Oh, it’s easy.” (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that one.) Last year when I bought a new DVD/VCR player, I asked the young (aren’t they all!) geek at Best Buy, “is it easy to set up?” “Oh, yes,” he responded; “I sold one to an 80-year old lady last week and she went home and set it up right away with no problems.” (How many people did he tell that story to!?) When I got home and opened the box, and found a 40-page instruction manual, I nearly wept.

But, not unlike our spiritual journey, we have no choice but to go forward. To stand still is to regress. To stop trying is to lose ground, or worse, lose the race. No, we have no choice. We must keep moving—and not aimlessly, but deliberately and progressively. That of course, requires endurance, as Paul says, so we can receive the things God has promised, (Heb. 10:36)—followed by these disquieting words: “And if you shrink back (stand still, stop trying, give up), I [God] will not be pleased with you." "But I know," Paul goes on to say, that "you are not those who will shrink back and be destroyed, but you are those who persevere to the salvation of the soul. (Heb. 10:38-39).

When God Shows Up

Have you ever heard someone use the phrase “show up” as in, “Let’s go to church and see if God shows up”? I’ve never liked the expression “show up” in reference to God because it sounds too casual—like the kind of thing you do when you don’t have anything better to do.

There is nothing so capricious about our God—He is deliberate in everything He does. He never “shows up” like that. But on the other hand, if by “show up” you mean that you can sense God’s presence in a worship service or a Bible study, then I could agree to the phrase. But what we are really saying is that God is “manifested.” The word “manifest” in simplicity means “to make known” or “to reveal.” When truth that was not understood or known before becomes real to us, we can say God, Who is Truth, was manifested.

That’s what happened in East Oakland at the Urban Church on Saturday. I know that many received a revelation of their identity as “sons of God.” When God showed up in East Oakland, there was a revelation “not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit.” Thank you for your prayers. Next week I will return to teach the power of the Cross in overcoming sin. I am quite confident that God will indeed be showing up!

Are You Just Showing Up?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, but you probably haven’t made any plans yet. Right? You won’t decide until the last minute where you want to go and with whom you’d like to eat—you’ll just show up. Right? Well, of course not! By now your plans are set—time and menu have been determined! You wouldn’t dream of just showing up at a friend or relative’s house.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of Christians approach God with a “just show up” attitude. Recently, I asked a man “where do you go to church?” meaning where are you being taught, where do you fellowship, engage other believers, use your gifts? He said “I go to [such and such] church, but I am not a member; I don’t belong to any small group; I just go there.” In other words, he just shows up! (By the way, he was not involved in any spiritual activities outside the church either.) I asked about his Bible study and prayer life and not surprisingly, he said it was irregular—in other words, he just shows up.

Of all the New Testament writers, James puts the greatest emphasis on faith in action. He exhorts believers: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (4:8). The Greek word “draw near” is an active verb, derived from the words “go, lead, bring.” I think James is saying we must be deliberate in our approach to God, i.e., “bringing ourselves” to God. Now, I’m quite sure God will be quite happy to see you whenever you show up, but how much better if we are actively bringing ourselves to God, deliberately engaging Him with a time, place, and a plan for Bible study, prayer, reflection, and confession. Think about that tomorrow when someone just shows up at your house for Turkey dinner, unannounced!