A Re-imagining of "Imagine"

"Imagine" by John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say 

I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say 

I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will live as one

Intro

This is a song that is almost universally loved. A song written by a man also almost universally loved. It’s an interesting song that, like its originator’s purpose, brings people together, albeit through its lyrics and music. 

It is a song, in some cases, embraced by peoples of all faiths and lifestyles. It is a song that asks us to think outside of our normal thought processes and simply, imagine. 

As a long-time Beatles fan, I’m well aware of much of the history of the group, and Lennon in particular. The movie that came out recently, “Nowhere Boy,” is a great movie based on his early years. Also, the documentary, “Love is All You Need,” was a great overview of Beatles history, with an emphasis on Lennon. Both of these can be found on Netflix.

Musically, the song is a simple, well-done piano and string driven melody. Lyrically, it is nothing short of poetic. 

Each time I hear it; though, I began to wonder how a song so universally loved, can contain such views. In some ways, the very things Lennon “imagines” are things that, given time and belief, have already been predicted to occur. Where were they predicted? The Bible. 

Breaking It Down

I realize even by getting into this discussion, that my views will not be reflected by everyone. But, my worldview is Christian, and as previous blogs will attest, I write primarily from that worldview. I think my views on this song in particular can still be accepted in the context with which I hope to write. 

If we take “Imagine” verse by verse and really think about what is being said, it can be very thought provoking. 

Let’s begin. 

Verse 1

Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try
No Hell below us, above us only sky
Imagine all the people, living for today

Imagining there is no heaven or hell is a common practice of people these days. It was likely just as popular in Lennon’s heyday during the tumultuous sixties where war and violence were front page headlines. Many Christians in our day would do away with line one of the song since Heaven is the Christian’s great hope, but happily keep the idea of no Hell below us. While Hell is simply another method by which God can manifest his sovereign holiness, justice and glory, man shudders at the idea of a place of eternal punishment. But, as Matt Chandler writes in his book The Explicit Gospel, “The avoidance of the difficult things of scripture- of sinfulness and hell and God’s notable severity-is idolatrous and cowardly.” He further writes, “When you couple this avoidance with  some of the modernist theology that has Jesus floating around like a mystical Ghandi, never angry at anybody, a dispenser of bumper sticker platitudes and discount fortune cookies, you’ve got the perfect storm of those who have no awe, no respect, and no real worship for the God of the universe (Chandler 41). 

Of course, that aspect is in the context of the false Christian theologies that seem to manifest daily at this point. As Christians, many have left Biblical inerrancy for what feels good, and have twisted scripture to fit their own selfish needs. It is common in evangelical circles; as well as, the main denominational churches. It stretches the entirety of Christianity as Christians begin trying to please man above God with their beliefs. It is sad, but it is real. 

Lennon’s request for us to imagine living for today, is exactly what caused this problem within Christianity. Like the secular world, we would all love to simply get the Sunday church in, and then spend the rest of the week living in the present, focused only on today, and how we can satisfy our egos. There is no thought or hope to the future that God has predicted. Theology is simply tossed aside 6 days of our 7 day week, and in some cases, 7 of 7 days. In this way, we are much more like the world, than we are “aliens of this world,” as the Apostle Paul would say. 

Lennon asking us to imagine no Heaven, is likely tied directly to his desire that we had no Hell, as he seems to be ok with the sky. Many would embrace Heaven as a doctrine if they simply understood what the Bible teaches about it. Our pop culture has distorted the reality of Heaven, and made people desire to avoid it, rather than desire it. Biblically, we look forward to a New Heaven and New Earth where, like Lennon wishes, we all live in peace. Of course, this peace is possible because all unbelief at that point has been eliminated and consigned to the very Hell Lennon wishes away. In terms of a peaceful existence; however, the Christian Heaven is as close to Lennon’s wish of peace and harmony as any will ever reach. Those with no respect or belief in Christ’s clear teachings about this topic; however, will be as close to Heaven as they can ever get while here on our distorted earth. The afterlife for these, with God’s common grace and presence sovereignly removed, will leave a Hell much worse than our human minds can ever conceive on this side.

So, while the thought of letting our imaginations pretend there is no afterlife is appealing to popular culture today, it is ultimately a deceptive idea, and unfortunately will lead many of those wishing for Lennon’s reality into a reality much worse than Lennon imagines. 

Verse 2

Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do

nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too,

imagine all the people, living life in peace

We look around each day, and can clearly see there is no peace in the world. The common statement of the atheist (as Lennon had basically declared himself at the time of this song) was that religion was causing all the problems in the world.  Without religion, he implies in the lyrics, there would be nothing to kill or die for. In song context it sounds great, but a simple reading of those words reveal it for the idealistic nonsense that it is. There would be plenty to kill and die for with or without religion. Religion in and of itself isn’t the problem. The sinful nature of mankind is the problem. And, while Christianity has revealed this to us, even those who don’t believe in Christ, can see that something is wrong in the world. 

Now, religious fanaticism is nothing new, and Christians have likely been trying to separate themselves from the fanatics since the first days of the faith. We know too that Jesus often spoke against the religious legality of the pharisees. 

However, there is a huge difference between respecting and following God’s morality and legalistically checking off a list of how good we are for following it. 

Christians understand that we are in a relationship, not a religion. Our trust on the cross of Christ, is Biblically the ONLY thing that cleanses us from unrighteousness. We are dead in our sin before God quickens us in Christ. 

The problem arises when Christians, once made alive in Christ, feel somehow that their checklist of good works, makes them more faithful or “good” than others. As Mike Fabarez points out often, Christians are prone to lateral comparisons. 

It’s a common problem. It’s the main reason non-Christian (and some Christian) people do not believe they are sinful. They look at the person on the 10 o’clock news and say, “at least I’m not murdering people.” With lateral comparison, there is always someone worse than us. Our human comprehension then leads us to believe we are somehow “good” simply by not being as “bad” as that other guy. It’s a deceptive idea, and one that leads many to deceptive beliefs. The denial of Hell within the Christian churches is a direct result of not believing that our sin warrants eternal punishment. We can visualize the rapists and murderers and Hitlers in Hell, but certainly not the everyday sinner. Perhaps, this false view arising lately within the church could be eliminated, and the doctrine of Hell restored, if people understood that Biblically, God’s judgment is measured (Luke 10:13-14; Luke 12:42-48). Then again, questioning the God of the universe about our perceptions of “fairness” seems a bit arrogant. 

We are equally sinful to a Holy God. As Paul writes in Romans, “all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (3:23). And just to bring the point home he further clarifies 3 chapters later, “for there is none righteous, no not one” (6:23). Paul’s context and meaning in the entirety of the book of Romans is a pretty clear assessment of man’s sin problem and the only way to remedy it. 

Lennon wishing away countries and religion to bring in peace is a fools errand. Those looking for peace in this life will be disappointed. We may see examples of love and peace from time to time, but a fully peaceful world is only possible with Christ dwelling among us. And, as the book of Revelation mentions, even when Christ is here for a time (millennial kingdom), people still manage to rebel (with Satan completely taken out of the picture nonetheless). If humans can’t live in peace with the Prince of Peace in their midst and the Father of Lies locked up, how can Lennon possibly think it would ever be possible now? Until these heavens and earth pass away, after the end of time, and evil is finally thrown in the lake of fire, there is no ultimate peace save for that found in trusting Christ for remission of our sins. This is more of a mental and spiritual peace than a physical world peace initially, so it makes sense those who don’t believe Christianity would continue their search for physical peace. The eastern religions continue trying to find inner peace with minimal success as well. 

Christ himself said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Mt 10:34; Luke 12:52). Again, hard to stomach, but Biblically true. The Gospel is only loving and “good news” after the initial bad news of our sin problem before a perfectly just and Holy God. It is good news that Christ came, because the news before that was that we were dead, lost in our sin. It makes Christ’s message and sacrifice that much sweeter for those willing to believe.  

Someday, after this life, those who trust in Christ will experience peace on earth. It will be in the context of the New Earth (Heavenly existence). Lennon certainly tried his best to bring about peace during his life, but in hindsight, his many efforts did nothing to bring about world peace. Just as Ghandi and other humans before him. It is not possible as fallen humans to bring peace. God himself didn’t initially come to earth to bring peace (in Christ), so why would we think we have the ability? 

Now, once saved, Christians are called to bear good fruit. Our salvation lends itself to helping others and mankind as a whole, so do not mistake the Christian life as a non-peaceful one. We seek to make the world a better place, we just understand it isn’t by anything we can DO that we find salvation. We are justified by faith and the proof of that justification is in our fruit. I’m not saying don’t care about peace. I’m saying, don’t expect a perfect world in this life. Biblically it just isn’t possible out of our own merits. Accept this, and seek to love others so that by our example in Christ, they can come to know the hope we have. Hope for a future peaceful existence with God. 

Verse 3

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people sharing all the world

Lennon’s final verse at face value, is another example of idealism. Possessions, in the context of being possessions are not inherently bad. Possessions when used to display power or hurt others is when they can become bad. 

God gave Adam and Eve the Garden of Eden to possess and subdue. Until the temptation and fall, there was no hunger or greed. There was perfect harmony. This is God’s original intent for mankind. 

It’s easy for man’s ego to cause him to blame God for the problems in the world. Sin nature prevents accountability and responsibility for ones actions in and of itself. We look to blame someone else. Why not just blame the one who created us in the first place? Man often ignores the fact that creation was perfect, until mankind chose to sin. We had it good originally, and through Christ, we will have it perfected again someday in Heavenly existence. Call it exclusivist of Christians or whatever, but it is Christ’s words, not ours. The ideas of a future, perfected Heavenly existence are Biblical. And, as mentioned during the analysis of verse 1, so is an eternal non-heavenly existence for those unwilling to believe. 

The third verse is not hard to imagine because its exactly what Christians were promised. No greed, no hunger, brotherhood, sharing of the world. Those aspects will someday again come to pass. But, like verse 2, not by our own merits or actions. 

On a micro level we can always help our fellow man, and Christians specifically are called to do so (Matthew 25:35). On a macro level, like all of Lennon’s other imaginations, we can do nothing ourselves, and must rely on God to bring about change. And, this change is exclusive to those willing to accept it.

Ironically, if God had told Lennon directly that all of his imaginations in the song would come true if He would simply believe in Christ, I doubt Lennon would have remained so skeptical. But, as it was, he probably grew up with bad experiences with hypocritical religious leaders and men seeking their own gain. It leaves a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. Just as Ghandi lamented, “I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians.” If only salvation was based on a dislike of hypocrisy, Ghandi and Lennon both could have looked past sinful man and to Christ’s perfection and offer of salvation. Man ruins it all. 

Christians do not rely on man. We understand that without God we are all hopeless. We embrace Christ so that our hopelessness can be transformed. We become a new creation, unwilling to remain in our sin. We may fall from time to time, but we have the promise that, “there is now no condemnation for those in Christ” (Romans 8:1).

Chorus:

You, you may say 

I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Lennon was a dreamer. He was not the only one. Those two statements are the most accurate of the whole song. And, there is nothing wrong with imagining a better existence. Christians do it all the time. The difference is we imagine something we know we possess. It is just not in this exact moment. We look forward to and have hope for a perfected existence. As Paul questions in Philippians, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain...I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:21-24).

Paul recognizes the hope that he has as a new creation in Christ. He longs for the new existence with Christ that comes after death. Yet, he recognizes there is still much work to be done on earth, and so he comes to rest on the thought that staying around is ultimately more helpful to the believers at Phillipi and elsewhere.

The point is that as Christians, we must believe in life after death. Our hope as Christians come from the knowledge and promise of Christ that, “If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). 

Now What....?

Lennon’s desires for peace on earth and men living in harmony are not misguided in and of themselves. In the context of Biblical thinking; however, they are misguided. There can be no peace outside of God, and even that peace is a promised peace, not one that is realized by man this side of Heaven.

While some of Lennon’s calls within the song, such as not being greedy are great suggestions, we must see them on a micro level. We can always live better and love each other more. Christians just understand that apart from Christ there is no real ultimate peace. 

People will inevitably question the Biblical worldview presented within this analysis, and that is nothing new. The denial of Christ’s clear statements as to who He was, are often ignored (John 14 and 15). We are sinful creatures, and will remain in that sin if we continue to ignore the Bible’s clear teachings. 

I like the song Imagine in its musical and melodic context. I think Christians should be able to feel the same. I don’t think Christians need to be accepting of his lyrics; however, as an acceptance of them will simply lead to more modernist Christian thinking. We will continue to wish away Hell. The pastors will continue to preach Jesus and love, not God’s holiness. Jesus's love without the context of our sin, is nothing. Anyone can be nice to someone. Christ loved those whom he called to repentance. Repentance from what? From our sin before a Holy and Just creator. John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest prophet, preached unabashedly repentance for forgiveness of sins. Christ agreed. 

We can continue to sit around imagining how things would be different if we ran the world. Or, as Christ calls, we can embrace the Biblical truth that we are fallen and without excuse. We can be quickened, through God’s spirit, into a state of salvation by belief on Christ and the cross. We can live, Holy Spirit filled with a macro understanding of the entirety of God’s plan. And, as James points out, we can bear good fruit as a product of our justification. We can do our small part to make this world a better place, until God’s ultimate redemption comes to pass. 


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At the time of the original post, I had not stumbled onto Ray Comfort's documentary about Lennon called "Genius." Having viewed it now, it is certainly a worthwhile video to look at. Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron (From Tv's Growing Pains) have a great ministry. They are both accomplmished street ministers, often challenging people on the street to really examine their beliefs. The link is below, and they want it passed along so that more can hear the great message, so feel free to share it. 



 

Finding the Middle Ground

In this great walk of faith upon which I have embarked, is it possible I am spending too much time studying and not enough time feeling?

The thought has occurred to me multiple times. It started back in the Jubilee church days when we were at a very spirit filled church. The raising of hands and emotional response was always prevalent there, and the sermons tended to build upon that good feeling of worship.

When I had to stop attending temporarily due to my new job at Apple, I began seeking to grow and learn on my own. I've always loved reading Christian fiction and non-fiction books, and so I embraced as many as I could. I also finally completed a full reading and studying of the Bible. For the most part, I tried reading and taking notes so that I was absorbing the info.

I need notes to absorb info. I'm beginning to think it's a bit of a handicap; however, because lately, I can't comprehend much of what I read if I'm not making little marginal notes and marks to remind me of key things. I remember the old days of breezing through a book and remembering what I read. Not sure what happened...

I checked the "I'm Reading" app that I have on Facebook and realized I had set aside more books than I had finished. In my quest to absorb all the information possible about my faith, I have amassed many books. Most of them I have finished at one point in time or another. New books in the past few years; however, have mostly been started and then set aside.

I don't even think it's an issue of content. Most of them were of great interest to me when they were purchased/given. I have a theory as to what has happened.

Chris' Theory of his disconnect with Books

I have always found intellectual pursuit of my faith a worthy endeavor. With that being said, my theory now is that in the midst of my thirst for knowledge about the faith, I have missed an important aspect of my walk: The feeling.

Feeling is an important part of the faith walk. When the believers gathered after Christ's ascension and the promised visitation of the Holy Spirit fell upon them, they certainly felt something. They had heard the parables and gained the knowledge to that point as best they could. But in that moment, it was about the presence of God, not the idea of God. They had the belief, now they had the confirmation of that belief through a shared experience.

This is what is missing. I was talking with a co-worker about the power of God's Holy Spirit to embolden us in the faith, and to guide us in our walk. It is by the Spirit of God that we connect at all at this point, as it is only through the quickening by God's spirit that we would even desire God in the first place.

I noticed in terms of general contentment, and boldness in the faith, those most associated with the spiritual side (as opposed to the intellectual side) seemed more content.

That is not to say that the spirit filled way is all that is needed. I've decided it takes a combination of the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and diligent study of the Word of God.

I have come into the study part with no problem. I probably study too much. I am loaded with information and have no outlet. I used to visit our associate pastor at Jubilee just to unload some of these thoughts and ideas I was reading and learning about. He was of similar mind and we enjoyed exchanging intellectually about God. The original plan was to be able to give a defense of the faith when asked, and I have at least managed to reach that point as to speaking to the hope I have in Christ. That's a plus!

Still, in my personal life, in times of disappointment or sadness, the intellectual side can only go so far. It's a connection with God at those times that proves most comforting. Letting go of worry and trusting God is not generally a matter of knowledge in that moment.

My prayer life has suffered since becoming a Christian Book Nerd (phrase coined). I have spent so much time buried in Christian literature that I forget sometimes to just sit back and pray to God. The relational aspect, while there, is not prominent, and my spiritual side suffers from this lack.

As Christians, our relationship with God through Christ and the Spirit is what it's all about. Without that, we are simply legalistic and religious, and bear no real resemblance to the faith Christ preached. We are to pray, and seek God.

Seeking God through study is a noble endeavor, but not the only aspect. Only focusing on the spiritual side leads to Christians who are babies in the faith, with no real idea as to why they are saved or what they are doing. They have the benefit, though, of feeling closest to God through prayer and thanksgiving. On the opposite end, those focused too much in intellectual pursuit will know everything about why they believe, but have trouble connecting directly with God. Prayer becomes tough because there is too much pre-thought and analysis put into it.

I finally found the middle ground the other day, and it was glorious. I had to be at Life Church at 7am for practice to play guitar with the band. I got off work an hour early, and decided just to go wait at the church. When I got there the lot was pitch black. I turned off the car, and was mesmerized by the utter silence. It was beautiful.

I began to let my prayers come out to God. I didn't think it out, I just let them flow. I sat in darkness until the sun began to peek up over the horizon, and it was the most peaceful I have felt in years. My knowledge of God hadn't disappeared. I still liked reading and studying. But for that moment, I finally understood what the other end of the spectrum felt. I finally realized that a combination/balance of both intellectual and felt pursuit of God leads to the best Christian experience, and ultimately the most mature Christians in the faith.

If we can combine our spiritual experiences of God in those quiet times, with a thorough knowledge of the faith and scriptures, we find the happy medium. The walk is still not always perfect or easy. Christ never said it would be. But in those moments of the middle ground, we understand the faith and why we believe, and we get that sweet, sweet feeling of connecting directly with our Creator, through prayer and quiet reverence.

What's the time? Baby Time!

The Head is on the right and the brain is forming. You can see a tiny arm at the top too. The hand points to the bottom.

Yesterday, we finally got to go to the doctor appointment to officially confirm Juliet's pregnancy. We had two positive home tests at the end of January, but held off on the public announcement until the doc said everything was good.

Baby Byers is healthy thus far @ nearly 8 weeks and we are very excited! Nervous, but excited.

I think part of the nervousness is related more to how we will raise our child, and the accountability we will have someday to God for how our baby was raised. It worries me at times to see kids raised in great Christian homes who do a complete 180 once they are out on their own. By that same token though, many kids from bad homes end up coming to Christ. I guess it balances out in the end.

Juliet had a great benefit of being raised in a spiritual home. I would say I did as well, though certainly ours didn't compare quite to hers. We definitely went to church, heard the sermons, prayed, etc... Her family, especially her mom, lived it daily. She prayed for the family, they would sit and read the Bible as a family, and many other things that we may have tried once or twice but ultimately dropped (probably due to Andy and I honestly wanting to go play our video games).

Juliet would be the first to admit that her siblings didn't always appreciate the motherly spiritual leading either. They still rebelled at times, and only recently did Juliet realize how great her mother's influence actually had been. They, like us all, had gone astray many times, but in the end, that spiritual foundation in the household, resulted nearly the whole family truly embracing Christ. And there is still great hope for those not to that point yet.

It's that type of foundation, that stays in place regardless of the typical adolescent rebellions that ultimately allows the stability in the faith to bring children back. Often it's children of pastors who have it worst, as Satan tends to attack those families much more because of the Godly parent. It certainly explains the statistically rebellious nature of preacher's kids.

Still, God is a God that will always stand by our faithful wishes, and a mother or father's prayers for their children certainly do not go unnoticed.

Like most prayer, God is not there as our genie in a bottle, ready to dispense our desires as soon as we ask. Sometimes it takes years. I've heard of situations where the parent had already passed away when the child (now adult) finally came to Christ. We, as future parents, must simply trust God to work it out for His good purpose, and not let ourselves get in the way with impatience or unfaithfulness.

I've heard countless stories of mothers with rebellious kids who prayed constantly for their children. One day, in all of these stories, the child comes back, and the life experience learned away from Christ, often gives the strongest testimony of Christ. Still, I bet that mother is anxiously awaiting all the while, and certainly patience is a virtue all parents need.

We may be early on in the pregnancy, and so I expect some potential wisdom to still come flowing our way. I hope it does really, because we need all the help we can get in the day to day care of raising a child. Spiritually, as the leader of our household, I will step up and make sure that this baby is raised in as Godly of a home as possible. We will set that foundation. I've already prayed multiple times for God to be ready to use Baby Byers as He sees fit, and to make an impact for the kingdom. I trust also our extended families will support us in how we raise our child, as I'm sure from time to time we may disagree.

I like the story of Hannah in the Bible. Hannah was the mother of Samuel who would become the prophet to Israel's first king, Saul. Hannah had prayed faithfully for a child, but was unable to have one. Finally, and in His good time, God grants Hannah her desire. When Samuel was born, this mother, probably against all of her human instincts, promised her son to God, and let him be raised in the temple to be in close contact with God. Samuel grew up, walking with God, and God called him as a prophet. Hannah likely missed her son at times (though she did visit every year), but she knew there was a higher calling.

I am not saying that Baby Byers is going to live at the church literally, but I think even as present day examples, we can certainly dedicate our children to God. It establishes right away who is in control. Unlike infant baptism, which serves little purpose, a congregational dedication of the baby is a great representation of the parents' desire to raise the child in Christ. Baptism is needed when the child ultimately makes their own decision to follow Christ as representation of that decision. This normally happens much later upon reaching the age of consent. Regardless doctrinally, when we know God is in control, the troubles of our lives become small within the greater plan. It leads to a life of less worry.

It definitely takes a large leap of faith, to be willing to let God's will be done in this child's life to whom we will have a very strong bond. Even letting God's will fully be done in my life as an adult has taken a lot of effort...correction: takes effort. It's ongoing. To fully trust that our child will be in God's will, takes a relenting of some control on our part.

Our hope and dreams for the baby are numerous. The Byers family could certainly use a preacher in the mix someday, or another musician, or a lawyer, or a number of other things. It's fun to think about, but we really don't know, and can't know at this point.

What I do know, is this baby will be raised in a loving spiritual household. It will not be mentally or spiritually abusive as some Christian homes tend to be, and the child will certainly make their own decisions. But, we will set as strong a foundation as we can muster, with God's help, to ensure that Baby Byers gets the best he or she can from this life.

Let the fun begin!

Confidence

I'm tired. Not physically so much, but just mentally exhausted. I've become my own worst enemy in most cases, as my outer environment is pretty solid right now. There are a lot of people in my camp pushing me on and building me up. Still my inner monologue and thought process is causing me to stress and drive myself crazy.

At work I've been working to improve on small aspects of my job. I know there is always room for growth, and I've been working closely with a colleague to improve on many aspects. That in and of itself is not  a problem.

But, with any change, comes some amount of trial period, and currently I'm stuck in the middle of an inability to improve myself in relation to the role.

Much of it is confidence, and I've been told about 10 times in the past two weeks that if I could be slightly more confident, things would begin to work better. I agree really because after trying it a few times, I did get results easier. Still, changing a habit 27 years in the making is going to take some time.

Thankfully it hasn't all been bad lately. I've had a great chance in the past two weeks to reconnect with a friend who I hadn't spoken with in a couple years. His confidence was always an inspiration during my DCI days. Not only in his Christian walk, but also in his day to day life. It's something I strive to achieve, but years of being passive have left me with an uphill battle. It's not even that I'm not good at the things with which I have confidence issues. I'm told daily how great I am doing at these things. It's my own thought process ruining that.

If I spoke more confidently in interviews I'd get the job. If I spoke more confidently on the phone people wouldn't question my recommendations. If I spoke more confidently in my Christian walk, all my friends would be saved....well..they'd at least respect my view a bit more perhaps. If I spoke more confidently at home I could finally be the spiritual leader of the house. It's affecting every aspect of my life.

I get off work and go home to sleep. I tend to sleep more than most people, and my problem tied most closely right now with lack of confidence is lack of motivation. I have unfinished projects galore, and have only recently begun to at least nail down the music projects. But, the motivation to put myself out there is coupled with a fear of rejection, pushed on by my passivity and ultimately I just end up going back to sleep.

Much of my frustration started back in November when I was taken off of certain responsibilities at work unexpectedly that I had begun to enjoy doing. It wasn't an executive decision, it just sort of happened overnight. I went on a scheduled vacation as the primary guy, and came back with multiple people performing those duties and myself back in my standard role, with no explanation. It took all of November to finally come to terms with it, and the jealousy that honestly came from it. I had been relied on and was excelling and getting great experience for future positions, and it felt like it was pulled out from under me. I really don't think it was intentional, but it certainly made an impact.

It's these little things in jobs that tend to frustrate me. I'm the guy saying, "if only they'd give me a shot, I could do great at _____." The truth is that guy never gets that chance because promotions are earned, not randomly handed out. There is the catch-22 of needing experience to do well in an interview, but not being given opportunity to build experience. It happens in every job.

And the circle comes back around to lacking confidence. I didn't ask why I had been replaced, I just stewed in my frustration. I didn't take it as an opportunity to grow in my current role, I lost interest and felt like going through the motions.

If I could only be more confident I could get the job, make the sale, save the friend....
If I could only be more motivated I could play music for a living, complete projects and live better.

"If onlys" don't tend to produce results though, so I suppose against my current inner feelings I need to just bite the bullet and step ahead. Part of growing up is learning to adapt and adjust to changes. Certainly there will be many changes to come in my life, so mastering these concepts now can only be a beneficial practice.

It's time to confidently take control, and do whatever it takes. Prayers welcome.

Feedback Appreciated

Hey everyone,

I'm going a bit different today with this post. I would like anyone who is willing to take time to listen to some of my original songs, and rank their top 5 favorite.

My goal is to choose the 5 top selected and record them professionally. Currently, the songs are done with very basic recording equipment and so please judge on song potential and the song itself, not the recording method. Suggestions for additional instrumentation or general feedback for improving is appreciated.

The Survey can be found at the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KRF7L8D

You can use your computer and listen to the songs here : http://www.myspace.com/byerschris 

I selected 14 of my original songs for review on the survey. You can view the 15th possibility here,"Gethsemane", and write it in on question #2 if it fits in your top 5 as I forgot to list it as a possibility originally: https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Gethsemane%20%28final%29.mp3?w=AACrgicCdQgK-Glx-QNS5fhlG-eTONONSjDcBFojdPY9iQ

I appreciate everyone who takes the time to help me out with this. Your feedback is valuable and important to me.

Thanks and God Bless!

The Christian Walk with God: What's your Spiritual pathway?

Background

I'm really enjoying our new church that we began attending in October. The teaching and preaching are relevant and Bible based in the best way. The worship band is solid and the people are engaging and friendly.

It was our previous church, Jubilee Christian Center, that really re-sparked our faith walk (our= Juliet & Me). We had been wandering since getting to Austin, with no real church home when we walked into Jubilee the day after a house party renewing our search for God.

I was blessed to be a part of their worship band for a couple years, and I really grew to love the people there. When Juliet began to have Sundays off with me; however, we decided it was time for a change. Mostly, because of the distance to Jubilee from our current home, and partially because Juliet was working Sundays for most of our time @ Jubilee and didn't get an opportunity to connect as well with everyone, we decided to make the move.

After browsing internet sites for non-denominational churches in our area, Juliet and I stumbled onto Life Church. This wasn't the video broadcast large Life Church out of OKC, but a more local one based about 10 minutes north of us in Leander.

We were welcomed from day one and have been going as many Sundays as possible since.

I mention the background because the topic of discussion here today is directly related/borrowed from aspects of the sermon that our pastor preached this past Sunday. It was a sidebar of sorts, related to the main topic, but it was presented in a very user friendly way, and led to a great discussion after the service between Juliet, my mom and me as well.

We were in Hebrews 11, the Faith Hall of Fame, for the sermon and discussed three aspects of our walk with God. To walk with God as Enoch walked, we needed to be heading to the same place as God, walking the same path, and keeping the same pace.

The aspect I was particularly drawn to was the 'path.' That's what I would like to talk about here today.

Spiritual Paths Disclaimer

I want to clarify before getting too deep in this discussion that by "spiritual path," I don't mean multiple ways to God. I do not mean multiple religious paths like the mountain analogy that is so popular in the world today. We know that Jesus is the only path to God, and with that assertion in mind, we can begin to address the different paths/categories, that people gravitate towards. These could also be styles, or methods by which we are most comfortable walking with God.

The definition given on Sunday was, "the way we most naturally sense God's presence and experience spiritual growth." To clarify again, this is in an exclusively Christian context.

Types of Paths

I have often struggled (as Juliet can attest) with the method by which I connect best with God. I tend to get down on myself because I come to God in a way that seemed to be to be less personal than others. I will shed some light onto this as I get into the different categories/paths that a believer might fall into when seeking to walk with God. According to the Pastor, these were based on a book that was written a few years back by an author whose name currently eludes me. Each believer in Christ will have primary and secondary paths they likely fall into, and some paths into which they may never have ventured. The challenge was to figure out our primary path, and then strive to jump out into other ones from time to time, while still maintaining our primary means of walking with God. Jumping into paths in which we are weaker helps us to grow closer to God in ways we may not have considered up to that point.

1. The Intellectual Path- This path is drawing near to God primarily with our minds. This is also my primary path, and the one that had me concerned my connection with God was not correct. I was concerned because on a scholarly level, I connect with God, but emotionally I sometimes feel like I'm not making the connection. I understand the truth of God's word and study it to more effectively evangelize. Knowing this was just one of many ways to walk with God gave me great assurance that I just happen to be particularly good at connecting intellectually, but can also find many other ways to strengthen my walk.

Individuals who fall into this path, will connect best with God through reading lots of Christian books, studying the Bible, and generally interacting with God by gaining knowledge about God through whatever scholarly means are available. The verse associated with this was Luke 10:27- "Love the Lord your God...with all your mind." 

2. Contemplative- This path is drawing near to God through personal adoration and heartfelt devotion. Initially, I didn't feel that I had gone this route at all, but individuals in this path sometimes just know in their hearts that they love Jesus. They may not have all the details worked out, but they know and trust in Jesus on feeling. I do actually have some of this in my walk as well. Despite my natural tendency to completely exhaust myself with Christian resources and studying, at the end of the day, I just really love and trust Jesus. The people who walk this path are those to whom the song "What  a Friend We have in Jesus," would apply well. This would be my top secondary path I think.

The verse for this type is John 15:15- "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his Master's business. Instead, I have called you friends because everything that I have learned from the Father I have made known to you." 

3. Relational- This path is drawing near to God through other people. Followers of this path feel closest to God when speaking to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They may enjoy group Bible studies, and find themselves learning and growing most when surrounded by others. I would imagine more extroverted people often fall into this category, and probably are involved in multiple group Bible studies, and learn much of what they know about their Christian walk by interacting with other Christians.

The verse for this is Matthew 18:20- "For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them."

4. Solitary- This path is drawing near to God through solitude and simplicity. I chose this for the other path in which I primarily seek God. I do most of my deepest connecting with Christ through intellectual pursuit of Christian resources and I do it mostly on a solitary basis. Part of this is because not everyone gets the same motivation as I do from the resources with which I learn most. I listen to a lot of sermon podcasts, and despite my best effort to convince, sometimes Juliet and others just don't get the same experience from them. When that occurs, it becomes a solitary endeavor. I do best praying solo as well.

The verse for this is Mark 1:35- "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went to a solitary place, where he prayed."

5. Traditionalist- This path is drawing near to God through ritual and symbol. People who use this path crave organization and structure. This path is not necessarily a legalist path, but simple a path by which people who like tradition can walk with God. Christians within the more traditional denominations like Methodists and Lutherans seem to fit the bill for this from my perspective. It is not a bad way of connecting with God so long as one does not become legalistic about the structure. The Catholic church to some degree has taken this to an extreme. While connecting with God through church ritual and tradition, often it uses this to create non-Biblical rules and traditions (though other denominations are certainly guilty of this from time to time as well). Within proper context, enjoying the traditions and rituals of the church as a means of connecting with God can be great for Christians.

The verses for this fall within the books of Exodus  and Leviticus where the priests drew near to God through ritual and ceremony.

6. Sensory- Followers of this pathway draw near to God through the senses. This might be through use of candles, or even in the taking of communion. The feel closest to God when their senses are alert to His presence. This pathway is somewhat tied into the traditionalist. I visualize this for the older, cathedral style churches that use candles and atmosphere to help with worship.

Verses for this pathway also fall within the ceremonial sections of Exodus and Leviticus. Lest the previous two pathways seem wrong, bear in mind, much of this study is on how each individual best connects with God through their walk. For every person you know who seems opposite of you, rest assured there are many Christians who would fall into the same categories. Juliet and I certainly have different primary pathways, though some of our secondary ones intersect. This does not mean either of us connects with God more or less than the other. This is important to clarify as my purpose in this writing is simply to make them known for individuals to decide on their own to which paths they best relate.

7. Worship- This is drawing near to God through celebration and mystery. My mind visualized a specific guy at Jubilee who very clearly fell into this pathway for his connection with God. This great Christian man, while advanced in age, used to dance in the aisles during the praise and worship portion of the service. He held his hands high and praised God through the rhythm of the music and the celebration of worshipping God.

We see David actually doing something similar in the Bible when he was so caught up in celebratory worship one time that he began to undress himself. Most churches today don't generally support that method, so for people in this pathway, be celebratory while keeping your clothes on...we will all thank you for that.

The verse applying to this is Psalm 122:1- "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'let us go to the house of the Lord.'"

8. Naturalist- This pathway, to me anyway, needs a very specific caution to go with it. The principle of it is those who draw near to God through nature. This sounds simple enough, but because the religion of the day is New Age, and worshipping creation over the creator is their MO (Romans 1), it needs to be clarified that this pathway does not mean worshipping trees and birds and nature instead of God.

This pathway, rather, is connecting with God by witnessing the beauty of what He has created. Outdoors lovers will connect well on this pathway, and it doesn't even have to be a dramatic outdoor experience like a mountaintop. Those on this path will hear a bird's song or see the dew on the ground and feel close to God. To an extent, when I am willing to leave the comfort of the indoors, I do connect through sitting outside and just observing creation.

The verse for this is Psalm 19:1- "The Heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

9. Activist- This pathway is drawing near to God through brining about social change. To separate this from the final pathway, lets call this a Macro level of social change. These individuals connect with God by actively pursuing big causes and trying to do something about it. They are not content to just sit by, but rather want to get out there and be the difference.  To an extent these individuals may be zealous in their pursuits. Nehemiah from the OT was a good example who saw something that needed to happen, and did what it took to get it done (rebuilding after exile). I see a modern day example in Sam Childers, the Machine Gun Preacher. Though somewhat unorthodox in his method, he uses whatever is in his power to help those in need in Africa, even to the point of working on a military level to engage threats to the safety of those who cannot defend themselves. When he visited Jubilee to speak prior to the Hollywood version of his life coming out, I was actually quite impressed with the type of change he was trying to bring about despite the risks to his life.

The verse for this is John 2:17- "His disciples remembered that it is written,' zeal for your house will consume me.'"
The context of this verse was Jesus turning over the tables of the money changers in the temple.

10. Serving- The final listed pathway is Drawing near to God through caring for and serving others. This is activist on a more micro, personal level. I think we could all strive to be close to this pathway. Juliet is one person I know who actually has this as her primary. She walks closest to God through helping with Missions and serving others. I met her on a mission trip and her job then was translating for the teams that came to build houses in Mexico for those in need. What intellectual is to me, serving is to Juliet. I could certainly work on this pathway more in my own life.

This is probably an essential one for everyone to strive to have as a primary. Some churches take it too far focusing on missions and works over salvation issues and Christ, but the idea of serving is all throughout the Gospel, and helping others is certainly never a bad thing. A balance of knowing why we believe (faith) and letting the works/fruits of that faith be shown (serving/good works), is the proper context for the Christian. Too many works leads to a false Gospel, and faith without any sign of fruit/good work is a dead faith (James 2:14-26). The balance is difficult to achieve, but certainly what Christ called us to do.

The verse for this is Matthew 25:40- "...whatever you did for the least of  these brothers you did for me."

Analysis:
I found after looking into the different paths that my primary paths are Intellectual and Solitary, and my secondary paths would be Contemplative and Naturalist. As a leader of worship in the past, I think Worship pathway is also important to my walk.

The primary thing for all of us to remember as we study these types of paths for walking with God is that every person needs to spend time being shaped by God's word and God's people (Lightsey 2-3-2013 sermon notes). The combination of the two is essential for Christian growth.

Additional Thoughts:
Faith in Christ initially is a life decision. Whether done as a simple prayer, or through a dramatic, life changing experience, the heart is the focus. A sincere person who believes in Christ as God and the only way to fellowship with God, is the faith requirement. Trusting on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to cover our sins is important to this as well. Acknowledgement that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory is a helpful place to start. For the Christians reading this, these aspects will seem obvious. What I liked about Pastor Lightsey's message this past Sunday is that these pathways are related more to our sanctification. Sanctification is the day to day walking with God, in Christ, as believers striving to live by God's truth and authority. It is ongoing. We will all still fall short at times. I find these pathways to be helpful in clarifying that not every Christian person will connect with God the same at all times in their day to day walk.

A struggle I always had was the lack of a deep emotional connection manifested in raising of hands or dramatic worship expressions. I feel closest and strongest in my walk when I am studying God's word, reading Christian theological books, and generally coming to know God through intellectual pursuit. Maybe someone else out there relates by taking a hike outdoors, or through the traditions of the church. Whatever the pursuit, if our destination (place) is the same, and we are keeping up with God's time not dragging behind or running ahead (pace) then the path in which we walk closest to God in our own personal walk, can be varied from Christian to Christian.

We do not compromise on the foundations of the faith, but we acknowledge that not everyone walks the exact same path of sanctification. Much of it is determined by our past and how we came to the faith. Think through the pathways mentioned today. The challenge from me, similar to the pastor's challenge, is to learn well the pathway in which you connect best, stand firm in that, and then strive to branch out into other paths to pursue God in other avenues. The changing up of routine surely will have significant impact on our sanctifying growth as Christians, and help us to be even more firmly rooted in Christ.